Eddie
B
6/3/96 7:30pm Secaucus
Whoopi Goldberg stars as a superfan of the New York Knicks that gets
a chance to coach her favorite team when the new owner decides to make
some "changes" to the team, in order to increase the "showmanship" of
the nightly event.  It's a decent comedy that tries to prove some morals,
which it should not have bothered with.

The Phantom
B
6/7/96 7:30pm Secaucus
Loosely based on a comic book hero from the 40's that very few people have
ever heard of, The Phantom stars some third rate actors in a decent action
drama about an evil CEO in the 30's who is collecting magical skulls of
power.  The film's got a hero in costume, secret identity, pirates, airplane
stunts, gunfights, and the usual elements of a good period drama.  In the
end though, it's not at all original.

The Rock
A
6/9/96 6pm Secaucus
Ed Harris plays a renegade marine general who siezes Alcatraz and the
tourists on it, to act as a fort while he threatens San Francisco with
VX gas.  If launched, the chemical warfare attack would kill the bulk
of the population there.  To combat this, a team of SEALs is sent in,
along with Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage.  Connery plays a former inmate
of the "The Rock", who is along for the ride because he knows the secret
tunnels underneath the island.  Cage is along because he knows how to
disarm the chemical warheads (he's a chemical specialist, not used to
combat).  A great cast, with good direction and an exciting story, all
come together for a great movie.

The Arrival
A
6/11/96 8:30pm Secaucus
Charlie Sheen stars in some really good science fiction, a movie about
some global warming that's being artificially generated by aliens who
walk among us.  It all starts when Sheen, who is looking for artificial
radio waves in space (he's with SETI), discovers a definite spike on his
monitors.  This leads to him getting fired and starting his own independent
investigation.  The movie is a good ride, well recommended.

The Cable Guy
D
6/14/96 6:45pm Secaucus
Matthew Broderick stars in a movie that he should have passed up.  He plays
the hapless young man who gets kicked out of his girlfriend's apartment,
moves into his own place, orders cable, where he meets Jim Carrey, the
cable guy.  This is Carrey's worst role to date, he plays a complete
asshole and you really wish that he'd die as the film goes on.  The film
is torture to watch, and not worth staying for, so keep an eye on those
exit doors.  It sucks!  If it wasn't for Broderick's fine acting skills,
I'd give this film an "F".

Eraser
A-
6/21/96 8:30pm Secaucus
Arnold Schwarznegger's film of the summer is another sure hit, and he
does a fine job as always.  You can always count on him for a great time.
I just wish the female lead was more interesting, but I guess the
Diversity Police had decided that it was Arnie's turn and so he got
stuck with her.  The special effects and stunts are great, the chase
scenes and fights are also great.  Not the best Schwarznegger film by
any means, but still a great movie overall.

Phenomenon
B
6/29/96 8pm Edgewater
John Travolta stars as a small town hick who suddenly gets hit with a dose of
superintelligence.  What follows is a fascinating journey of education and
wonder as he uses his new gift to make life better for himself and his friends.
Meanwhile he is trying to win the love of a local woman who has been resisting
him for some time.  It's a pretty good film for the first hour, but after that
it gets depressing and sad, and then drags out that way until the end.