1996 "Cheap Shows"

January: Grumpier Old Men. Like the first. Again, Burgess Meredith stole the show.
Febuary: Mr. Holland's Opus. Some plot holes, but moving and funny at times. Good music.
March: The Birdcage. I was out of town so no review from me. I'm told the gang was laughing too much to catch all the dialogue.
April: A Family Thing. Engrossing, good acting, a few laughs, a few scraps of hankie. But they do mess with Arkansas and Chicago geography.
May: Twister. Check your brain at the door and enjoy the effects!
June: The Rock. JJ says the setup's too long, but when the action starts, the payoff is wonderful.
July: Independence Day. Even better than the hype. We loved it!
August: Chain Reaction. The science and geography's totally phony, but as far as mindless action flicks go, this one is middle of the pack.
September: The Spitfire Grill. Good film; surprising deviation from the typical Hollywood ending. Speaking of which, we're having an informal essay contest to see how you'd have ended the film. Enter here.
October: The First Wives Club. Not as comic as the trailer might indicate. May divorce be with you!
November: Ransom. Intense and suspenseful. Not as fast-paced as the trailers made it out to be.
December: Mars Attacks! Extremely silly and campy. But beware, Tom Jones, Slim Whitman, the Bee Gees and lots of theremin may show up on the soundtrack album, so it's not for the faint-hearted.


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