The Video Tapeworm: October '96 -- Week Three

Alternet.org
April 26, 2000

by Street Date 10/22/96 (LEO Issue: 10/16/96)THE ARRIVAL (1996; $99.99/RENTAL, RATED PG-13 FROM LIVE VIDEO)Boy, this didn't take long to get to video, did it? Overshadowed by ID4, this is also a big-budget B-film reminiscent of the 60s with bug-eyed aliens hiding under human skins, cool special effects, neat-o chase scenes, conspiracies, cover-ups, and loads of little-boy logic with just enough scientific mumbo-jumbo to tie it all together. Loads of Big Dumb Fun.BANANAS IN PAJAMAS: WISH FAIRIES (1996; $12.95, UNRATED FROM POLYGRAM)It's Sesame Street on acid. Hell's daycare. The longest 25 minutes of your adult life. But if you have any kids in the house under the age of 6 this'll shut 'em up faster than a trip to the Scary Closet. What? From the TV show. (Diabetic Warning: optical sugar hazard when the giant dancing fruit-boys grant kid-wishes and sing.)MULTIPLICITY (1996; RENTAL, RATED PG-13 FROM COLUMBIA TRISTAR)Michael Keaton is perfect in this silly "I'm-so-busy-I'll-just-clone-myself" romp directed by Harold Ramis. Short on logic, but gangs of fun as the clones -- each with a slightly different personality -- try to help but just screw things up worse for the original Mikey. Andy MacDowell is great as the wife and the SFX are cool, but it's Keaton's movie from frame one. Died at the box office, but well worth a rental -- or two!NORMA JEAN AND MARILYN (1996; RENTAL, RATED R FROM HBO/WARNER HOME VIDEO)Ashley Judd is the erstwhile Norma Jean who goes to a plastic surgeon and becomes -- tata! -- Marilyn Monroe, now played by Mira Sorvino. You know the story from there. A well done historio-drama, almost documentary at times, with some clever touches and some very personal moments. Worth your time.

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