SMALLTOWN PSYCHOSIS
From the Victorian samplers of D.W. Griffith one-reelers to the suburban fantasies of Steven Spielberg, Hollywood moviemakers have cozied up to the notion of small town America as a nesting place for dreams and nightmares. Richard Corliss assesses three controversial new films that take on Smalltown with a vengeance (Blue Velvet), a lace-valentine nostalgia (Peggy Sue Got Married), and the eye of a cobra who fell in love with his victim (True Stories)
SIGOURNEY SNIFFS AT DANGER
Our Winner, Best Nostrils Award, Sigourney Weaver has nosed around Mel Gibson and the Sta-Puff Marshmallow guy, and blew away the Bug Mom of Aliens. In Half Moon Street, she’s a PhD. and Michael Caine’s rent-a-date. Marcia Pally gives her the third degree
“MOSQUITO” man
The man from Down Under doesn’t like to talk. He just likes to get under your skin. He gotcha in Gallipoli, and got nominated for Witness. Now, Pat McGilligan gets Peter Weir to talk about his current The Mosquito Coast…and the interior
A FISTFUL OF FESTIVALS
Time was people went to movies to feel their pulse quicken; now, like Bryant Gumball, they listen to golf on the radio and swallow to see if they’re still alive. But the intellectually fearless (or is that idle?) go to film festivals! And we have a passel of reports
Harlan Kennedy from Venice
David Paul from Gdansk
Pat Aufderheide from Toronto
Plus: Stephen Harvey, Elliott Stein, and Harlan Jacobson on the 24th New York Film Festival
JOURNALS
Beth B bares her fine filmic fangs at fundamentalists, and Susan Seidelman gives he-men the heave-ho for a robot. Stephen Schaefer has the details, plus more on Comic Magazine’s Tokyo TV. And Dan Yakir parses Roger Donaldson’s Pentagon picture
HIP HOPPER
You think Dennis Hopper is some kinda nut? They don’t rate him “dynamite” for nuttin’. Chris Hodenfield talks to Hopper, who says he’s cleaner than Bible class and devoted to Duchamp. And you’re Mary, Queen of Scots
GOEBBELS DEPT
The Nazis made films that helped the Holocaust happen. Now the National Center for Jewish Film wants you to take a close look. Daniel Kimmel has the scoop
TV: PETER & PEE WEE
Ustinov goes to Moscow and talks peace with Harlan Kennedy. Pee Wee Herman wants your kid’s brain, by Jack Barth.
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