D: Abel Ferrara; with Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken, Edie Falco, Annabella
Sciorra, Michael Fella.
Waterloo Video, 1016 W. Sixth
Director Ferrara (King of New York, Bad Lieutenant) is on familiar
ground in this stylized, modern-day vampire film starring Lili Taylor as the
NYU grad student literally sucked into the philosophy of evil after an undead
Sciorra bites her on the neck. The Addiction takes a more cerebral
approach to the eternal concept, the dark side being something inherent to
which we give ourselves in moments of weakness; its taste, once acquired,
rouses the desperate hunger of a junkie craving a fix. The film is hindered by
the same qualities that make it so interesting, namely its moody metaphor which
beats us over the head at times with horrible depictions of war (evil in men is
a communal addiction), and some heavy ideological dialogue (though it’s
delivered by a talented cast). Russell Simmons of rap record business fame
served as producer, his influence apparent in the soundtrack, and on the
streets.
— Jen Scoville
I Married a Witch
D: Ren� Clair; with Fredric March, Veronica Lake, Robert Benchley,Susan Hayward.
VHS Home Video
Veronica Lake is nothing short of betwitching in this 1942 comedy that later
hocus-pocused into TV’s Bewitched. Lake’s incandescent glow blurs the
sharp black-and-white edges of Fredric March’s classical face, and when they
finally kiss you gulp back the knot in your throat. Beautiful. So, too, this
wisp of a movie, which at 77 minutes moves briskly yet seamlessly through the
story of blithe spirit Lake who visits March on the eve of his being elected
governor and being married. Seems a storm freed her and her father from
the oak tree where their witches’ souls were imprisoned by March’s puritanical
ancestor who burned them there. Now, they’re back to wreak a little havoc on
poor Wallace Wooley. Guess what happens…. —
Raoul Hernandez
Havoc
Reality BytesWindows 95/Macintosh CD-ROM
Havoc is set sometime in the future. On each level, players pilot one
of three tanks against the hordes of enemy tanks and embattlements. To finish a
level, simply destroy everything in sight and find the exit. The battles are
fought outdoors on rough-looking terrain reminiscent of Big Bend. The coolest
feature in the game is its support for multi-player battles, a necessary
embellishment since the computer-controlled enemies are tragically stupid and
predictable. Whatever potential the game had for fun was lost when the
designers decided to ignore both mice and joysticks. To control the tank’s
movements, it’s required to use the keyboard, a ridiculously inept input device
these days. — Kurt Dillard
Pee-wee’s Playhouse Vol. 2: “Luau for Two”
D: Stephen R. Johnson; with Pee-wee Herman, Lynne Stewart, Phil Hartman,Shirley Stoler, John Paragon.
VHS Home Video
Vulcan Video, 609 W. 29th
Perfect for both young and old audiences, Pee-wee Herman’s ingenious
Pee-wee’s Playhouse allows viewers to go bonkers while learning a little
lesson about life. In this episode, Pee-wee wins a Hawaiian dinner for two and
must decide which of his many Playhouse friends to invite along. Will it be the
glamorous Miss Yvonne (Stewart), the curmudgeonly Captain Karl (Hartman,
pre-Saturday Night Live fame), or perhaps the sneaky Mrs. Steve
(Stoler)? Watch as Pee-wee wrestles with this dilemma while still making time
for cartoons, Connect the Dots, and other Playhouse standards. —
Alison Macor
Pee-wee’s Playhouse Vol. 12: “Pee-wee Catches a Cold”
D: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens; with Pee-wee Herman, Lynne Stewart, VicTrevino, William Marshall.
VHS Home Video
Vulcan Video, 609 W. 29th
When that perennial kid Pee-wee Herman finds himself sidelined by a nasty
cold, his Playhouse friends try their best to cheer him up. Miss Yvonne’s
(Stewart) nurse’s outfit may do the trick, but the King of Cartoons’ (Marshall)
entertaining animation proves equally enticing. Taking time out to demonstrate
the infinite possibilities of a pair of giant underwear (wear it as a vest, for
instance), Pee-wee also reminds us that “our emotions are very close to the
surface when we’re sick.” Infirm viewers take note!
— Alison Macor
This article appears in June 21 • 1996 and June 21 • 1996 (Cover).