By Biray Alsac
Arizona Daily Wildcat
December 10, 1997

'Titanic' leads holiday film fleet

School's almost over, finals will be done before you know it and some free time is coming your way. Oh no, whatever shall you do? Well, lucky for you, there's a truckload of movies arriving this winter break at a theater near you. Here's a brief look at what you'll have to choose from during the holiday season.

Dec. 12

Deconstructing Harry

Starring: Woody Allen, Kristie Alley, Eric Bogosian, Billy Crystal, Mariel Hemingway, Amy Irving, Julie Kavner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Demi Moore, Elizabeth Shue, Stanley Tucci and Robin Williams.

Woody Allen' latest is about a New York writer, played by Allen himself. No one knows much more than that because Allen only gave his actors the pages of the script that they needed for their scenes. There's probably a young, beautiful woman that Allen's obsessing over and possibly an older, beautiful wife that doesn't understand him. And some wacky friends with their own sets of neuroses. (This release date is for L.A. and New York; should arrive in Tucson by the end of the year.)

Amistad

Arizona Daily Wildcat Amistad

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Matthew McConaughey and Djimon Hounsou.

Yes, it's another Steven Spielberg film. Based on a true story, it involves a slave-ship rebellion and the trial that follows. After his failed attempt at "The Lost World," Spielberg is trying once again to prove to Hollywood that he is indeed a serious filmmaker. The back story on this flick is almost as intriguing as the plot itself: The opening may be pushed back while legal dealings involving Spielberg's alleged plagiarism of many of the film's elements are resolved. Titanic Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Scream 2

Starring: Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Jamie Kennedy, Jerry O'Connell, Elise Neal, and Duane Martin

See today's cover story for the inside scoop on this highly-anticipated sequel to Wes Craven's "Scream."

Dec. 19

Tomorrow Never Dies

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Teri Hatcher and Michelle Yeoh.

Brosnan once again attempts Bond ... James Bond. Hopefully, this will be a real Bond flick, not just another action movie with a guy named James. Let's actually use those nifty weapons. Let's get some wit and charm and, please, is it possible to order a martini with some style? After a disappointment for true Bond fans with "Goldeneye," we'll give Brosnan one more chance at the 007 thing.

Home Alone 3

Arizona Daily Wildcat Home Alone 3

Starring: Alex D. Linz.

No Macauley Culkin here, but there is a plot twist. This time the kid (Linz, One Fine Day) is not only home alone, but has chicken pox. Anyway, with the lineup of movies coming out the same weekend, "HA3" will be lucky if it makes it onto the charts.

Mouse Hunt

Starring: Nathan Lane, Lee Evans and Christopher Walken.

Basic rundown: Daddy dies, leaves old mansion to his sons. Sons are poor, mansion is loaded, sons want to cash in. Simple. Unfortunately, the sons trap themselves in a corner when they try to catch a persistent mouse who has taken up residence. See this instead of "Home Alone 3." Lots of slapstick and one-liners and Walken doing comedy. It could be a great family flick, or it could be deeply weird.

Titanic

Arizona Daily Wildcat Titanic

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

We're all keeping our fingers crossed in hopes that this movie won't "sink" in the theaters. Already pushed back numerous times from its original scheduled release, the buzz indicates that director James Cameron has once again outdone himself with incredible shots and impressive special effects, for what is rumored to be the most expensive movie ever made.

Dec. 25

The Big Lebowski

Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore and Steve Buscemi.

The Coen Brothers are at it again: A black comedy about an average guy, Jeff, who is kidnapped by some people who mistake him for a rich guy who happens to have the same name. These brothers are known for making the blood in your veins turn cold while you're laughing yourself to pieces. And you thought "Fargo" was cool . . .

Jackie Brown

Starring: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Bridget Fonda, Robert DeNiro and Michael Keaton.

Based on Elmore Leonard's novel, Rum Punch, Tarantino is at it again with "Jackie Brown." Three words: drugs, scams and sex. What more can you ask for from Quentin? You can bet it will have its share of stimulating dialogue and other thought-provoking and stomach-turning sequences.

American Werewolf in Paris

Arizona Daily Wildcat American Werewolf in Paris

Starring: Tom Everett and Julie Delpy.

Three young college graduates on a "Daredevil Tour of Europe" descend upon Paris seeking some serious fun. Along the way, Andy (Everett) conveniently meets the woman of his dreams, the beautiful and mysterious Serafine (Delpy). The only problem is, when the moon is full, his dream girl turns into a werewolf. A sequel to the classic "An American Werewolf in London.

The Postman

Starring: Kevin Costner.

It's 2013 and the U.S. has been divided and conquered. The people are left in anarchy, separated from their fellow Americans. Who is to save them? The postman? Costner's been on a downward spiral since "Waterworld," but this may do well in Tucson if nowhere else: We all probably know someone who's an extra in this post-apocalyptic extravaganza, filmed in our very own town.

Kundun

Starring: Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong and Gyurme Tethong.

Martin Scorsese's new film, another sore spot in U.S.-Chinese relations, tells the story of the 14th Dali Lama, the current one. His life is followed from his childhood in Tibet to his exile from his home country, currently under Chinese rule. Many of the real Lama's relatives play roles in this epic extravaganza.

Dec. 26

Wag the Dog

Starring: James Belushi, Robert DeNiro, Woody Harrelson, Dustin Hoffman and Denis Leary.

If you pick just one film this holiday, you're safe with this one. It's a political satire about a president with a major scandal brewing. In order to distract the public and boost his ratings, he hires a slick Hollywood producer to produce a faux war. With an all-star cast and a witty story, this could be the holidays' most promising film.