Channel Vision
I REMEMBER emerging from Bram Stoker's Dracula (Sunday, Pearl, 9.30 pm) thinking that not even the brilliant performances of the British contingent - Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins and Sadie Frost - could gloss over the very poor performances of the Hollywood wunderkids, Keanu and Winona. But as Hollywood would have it, they've moved on to bigger bucks and sappier roles while this film, despite its amazing sets, cinematography and some chilling moments, is hardly revered as a modern-day classic.
Tonight, I prefer A Bronx Tale (World, 9.30 pm), written by Chazz Palminteri (Bullets Over Broadway) about his childhood and the influence of the local mafia kingpin - whom he choose to play in this film. Robert De Niro takes the smaller part of the boy's father.
The Hawk (Monday, Pearl, 9.30 pm) sounds engrossing, with Helen Mirren as a housewife who suspects her husband is a serial killer picking out the eyes of his victims but who then worries that she is falling prey to her own paranoia. If you're looking for a bit of culture, the French film Farinelli (Monday, World, 9.30 pm) about the life and times of the greatest castrato singer might fit the bill.
De Niro again on Tuesday but this time in his best role as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (World, 9.30 pm). De Niro lives the life of the boxer - from street-wise hoodlum to middleweight champion to bloated loser, and finally to prisoner - putting on and taking off 23 kilograms, which his doctors condemned as an unnecessary strain on his heart and which changed his face shape forever.
The 1976 version of King Kong (Wednesday, Pearl, 9.30 pm), which introduced Jessica Lange to stardom, is a bit of enjoyable nonsense, though I have seen grown women cry over the Empire State Building scene.
Strange that nobody in this office has heard of Arizona Dream (Thursday, World, 9.30 pm) because it stars Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway, Jerry Lewis and Lili Taylor. I'm thinking D-O-G.
I love the Olympics and the Atlanta Olympics Opening Ceremony (Saturday, Pearl and World, 8 am) is not to be missed because it is on at a sociable hour, unlike the rest of the coverage. If you really want to see an extravaganza, surf the Chinese channels - with tales of little fat men dressing up as pigs, and bimbos in bikinis rote-learning sport-i-facts for the Barcelona Games, this one should be an even bigger hoot.
