THE FALL MOVIE SEASON BEGINS
The Edge, L.A. Confidential, In & Out, The Game, and Fire Down Below
By Andy Signore '98
THE EDGE
Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin star in the new film The Edge, which opens this Friday. It's about survival. Hopkins, Baldwin and Harold Perrineau (Romeo & Juliet and HBO's OZ) crash land in the Alaskan wilderness, and end up not only fighting the elements of nature, but fighting each other as well. What makes this version of Alive, interesting and different, is the wonderful acting and great tension between Baldwin and Hopkins. I definitely learned some great survival tips, and there was some great bear footage. This one will be a good renter. 3 1/2 (out of 5)

THE GAME
Michael Douglas stars in The Game, a new film by David Fincher (Alien 3 and Seven). It's hard to explain the plot without giving much away. Basically, it's a mystery where Douglas and the viewer have to decide what's real and what's part of "a game." It's very different and exciting, and Michael Douglas gives a superb performance. The one problem I had with The Game was how far I had to suspend my disbelief. I was entertained, but after thinking about it, I began to realize how unrealistic it was. I don't spoil anything by saying that The Game has an ending as twisted as Seven, unfortunately it's a different kind of twisted. If you haven't see Seven yet, I advise you to see it right away, it was my favorite film of 1995. It's dark, extremely intense, has awesome acting, is incredibly absurd yet extremely believable, and has one of the most thought provoking endings in recent history. After watching Seven, I was dumbfounded, after The Game, I thought it was great, but then the aftertaste wasn't so great. The Game: 3 1/2 (out of 5); Seven: 5 (out of 5).

FIRE DOWN BELOW
Steven Seagal's latest environment action vehicle is actually one of his most entertaining. Fire Down Below is really funny! Seagal is put among a Delieverence-esque town which is dumping toxic waste in some mountains. The plot is pretty dumb, but watching Seagal cleaning up hickville is a blast! It's full of some great action sequences and hilarious dialogue. If you're a Seagal fan, this is the one you've been waiting for. Warning there is a lot of country music, including Seagal crooning a few of his own tunes. 3 (out of 5).

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
Kevin Spacey leads a wonderful ensemble cast in Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential. It takes place in the 50's and deals with cops, corruption, murder and detective work. The film mixes it's tension, humor, drama and action perfectly, and really gets you into the heat of the film. Like most detective period pieces, it's got some hard to follow moments, but it's still easy to get the overall gist of who's backstabbing whom. Great performances from Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pierce and James Cromwell. 4 1/2 (out of 5)

IN & OUT
Kevin Kline plays Howard Bracket, a small town English teacher in the new comedy In & Out. Kline is outed as gay on national television, when a former student of his wins an Oscar and leaks the rumor during his acceptance speech. It's a great idea, but it's really the only idea in the film. I will say that there are some hilarious scenes, but there are also a lot of serious spots, especially in the second half of the film. Kline, however, is fantastic and keeps the film rolling. 3 1/2 (out of 5).