Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 65

F-3 ARTS ENTERTAINMENT 'Godzilla' is still another case of the bigger they PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1998 MOVIE REVIEW "Godzilla" Rating: PG-13 for violence and mayhem. Starring: Matthew Broderick, Maria Pitillo and Hank Azarja. Director: Roland Emmerich. Critic's call: 'A CHRISTOPHER RAWSON ON STAGE 1 4 'V mt Y' 1 it maMmmauiiaii.i a The movie's few minutes of what could arguably be called tense moments come from the confrontation between the four nest hunters and the baby Godzillas. The creatures look more like raptors than Godzilla Jr.

of the classic Toho movies, so the stakes are high. The chase through the Garden's rotunda is genuinely effective, though reminiscent of a similar scene in "Jurassic Park." Still, the artificiality of it all began to wear on my willing suspension of belief. Throughout "Godzilla," I was annoyed by the filmmakers' inability to present Godzilla's size on a consistent scale. There are times when the monster alternates between being slightly bigger than an average T-Rex and a behemoth of unprecedented size. It could be argued that it's nonsensical to hold a movie marketed to children and uncritical movie fans to a higher standard than whether it works as effective spectacle or not.

But isn't that how we ended up with "The By Tony Norman Post-Gazette Staff Writer Let's cut to the chase: "Godzilla" is a big, goofy and exceedingly dumb film. But it's also a lot of laughs, which may or may not have been the filmmakers' intention. Like its Cold War predecessor, this version of the King of the Monsters spends a lot of time chomping the natives, stomping around town and generally causing property values to plunge. But unlike his predecessor, this version of Godzilla doesn't look like an out-of-work actor in a rubber suit stumbling into a skyline of generic Tokyo glass boxes on cue. Newly digitized, Godzilla now has a Gila Monster's elongated head, T-Rex's body and Dennis Rodman's arms.

You'd think this would be a recipe for a truly scarifying movie, but it isn't. Hollywood, as usual, has thrown another brainless and convoluted movie our way under the rubric of "summer blockbuster" (thinking optional, but never required). The story starts off as an update of the '50s-era Godzilla, born of radioactive winds and atomic arrogance. Remember when the French were testing nuclear bombs near the Polynesian Islands a couple of years ago? Well, Godzilla 1998 is the result of those explosions, a mutated version of the amphibious reptiles indigenous to that part of the world, giving us yet another reason to becoming a full reporter, Audrey tries to make it up to Niko by proving his theory that Godzilla is using a now-evacuated New York City as a nesting ground. Audrey and Victor "Animal" Palotti (Hank Azaria), a reckless cameraman, set off to find Godzilla's lair which happens to be where else? Madison Square Garden.

Meanwhile, Niko and a French intelligence operative named Philippe Roache (Jean Reno) join forces to destroy the nest of 200 Godzilla hatchlings. Look out! An angry Godzilla rampages through the streets of New York. "EXCITING AND ENCHANTING." (ikNK SH At. I I II TODAY SHOW face-to-face a day or so later on the streets of New York, they already have an unspoken connection. In fact, Godzilla exhales a gust of fetid breath on the scientist, who takes it all in stride and even manages to keep his mouth open in awe.

At this point I'm also in awe of the script's utter clumsiness. Niko's ex-lover Audrey Tim-monds (Maria Pitillo) is an ambitious news assistant at a New York television station and uses her connection to the scientist to broadcast confidential information about the monster, which gets Niko canned from the project. Guilt stricken, but one step closer frfa Fugard is due for a Nobel Prize Besides being a good party, City Theatre's "Backstage Bash" Saturday featured good theater and moral commentary. For the first, there were one-acts by David Ives, Jose Rivera, Jane Martin and Christopher Durang, with delicious casts among them, Joe Schulz and Dong Rees doing double duty. (Schulz's G-man was priceless.) For the second, there was David Lewis' brief (always a recommendation) speech in accepting the fifth Robert Frankel Award for Leadership in the Arts.

Lewis praised City for its "theater of dissent," particularly his South African compatriot, Athol Fugard, whose plays combat racism. It caused me to reflect on the importance of Fugard here. City Theatre has given us two, including the luminous "Road to Mecca" (1991), one of the inspirations of my theater-going life. But the Public has given us four Fugards, starting with the inimitable "Sizwe Bansi Is Dead" (1976), which August Wilson says moved him to be a playwright. The 1997 Nobel Prize for Literature went to playwrightperformer Dario Fo, bringing the list of No-beled playwrights to seven, with Soyinka, Beckett, O'Neill, Pirandello, Shaw and Bjornson (plus such part-time playwrights as Maeterlinck, Yeats, Sartre, Camus and Eliot the librettist of Missing: Chekhov, Ibsen, Strind-berg, Brecht! (No award is perfect.) Who mieht be the next English- CfiANiBEHPY MALL MOON TOWNSHIP I WASHINGTON RD.

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tension, authenticity fMtJ )0ttrt-9)ueezing emotion." on snmu, today "REFRESHING AND INSPIRATIONAL!" to hate the French. After emerging from the watery Pacific womb that incubated it, Godzilla sinks Japanese fishing trawlers and stomps across Tahit-ian villages, Jamaican beaches and Panamanian forests, leaving big enough foot prints for even American intelligence to pick up on. Enter Dr. Niko Tatopoulos (Matthew Broderick), a biologist who specializes in new species created by radiation. When U.S.

Army intelligence pulls him off of a project at Chernobyl to work on the top secret Godzilla mess, he can't believe his luck. When Niko and Godzilla come to a vibrant city There are a huge number of car dealerships, game arcades and a center that looks like a combination of Times Square and Piccadilly Circus. Another surprise was finding that they drive on the left, British style, in Japan. This city is said to be pretty safe, by the way, although signs were posted to warn against people in front of bars inviting you to a show of well, anything. mm CIHEMATROPOUSLJ ALL SEATS $1.50 BLACK DOG (PG-13) THE APOSTLE (PG-13) 'MAJOR LEAGUE 1 (PO-11) 'AS GOOD AS IT GETS (PO-11) U.S.

MARSHALS (PO-11) 'LOST IN SPACE (PO-11) 'THE ODO COUPLE 2IPO-13) 1 15. 9 50 4 50. 1 30 3 35 7 30 310 715 105 40 1 30 4 00. 7 00 9 25 1 00 1 SO 7 fegflWI ALL SEATS $1 .50: TITANIC (PO-11) 12 30 4 15 8 00 THE PLAYERS CLUB (R) 1245 3 00 5 00 7 30 9 30 ffp ALL SEATS 'LOST IN SPACE (PO-11) 1 10 4 00 7 10 930 AS GOOD AS IT GETS (PO-11) 4 10.7 00 9 40 GREASE (PO) 145 GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE AT ALL LOCATIONS I l'Ulf(ust(T UMjm fn and Sal) -ff SHOWING ON THREE SCREENS! GODZILLA (PG-1 3) DIGITAL SCREEN 5:15 8:00 SCREEN 2- 1:30 4:15 7:00 9:35 SCREEN 3:45 7:30 10:00 I SHOWING ON TWO SCREENS! THE HORSE WHISPERER (PG-1 3) DIGITAL SCREEN 1- 1:30 4:45 8:00 SCREEN 2- 12:30 3:45 7:00 10:00 I if SHOWING ON TWO SCREENS! nFFP IMPACT (PG-1 31 STEREO SCREEN 1- 12:40 3:15 5:45 8:30 SCREEN 2- 1:15 4:15 7:25 9:55 -X- QUEST FOR CAMELOT(G) DIGITAL ii. ac LX.C a.ac ccn a-jtc CrTY OF ANGELS (PC-13) 12:50 3:05 5:25 7:50 10:00 HE GOT GAME (R) 1:15 4:15 7:15 9:50 WE SHOW MATINEES DAILY! SHOWING ON TWO SCREENS! lit OTJDZILLA (PG-1 3) DIGITAL SCREEN 1- 1 :00 4:00 7:00 9:45 SCREEN 2- 12:00 2:45 5:30 8:15 j-fc SHOWING ON TWO SCREENS! DEEP IMPACT (PG-13) DIGITAL SCREEN 1- 12:15 2:35 4:55 7:25 9:50 SCREEN 2- 1:30 4:15 7:10 i i IK QUfcSI run CAMbLUHu; STEREO a.

I 3 9. I 9 1.13 9. OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION (R) 9:40 STEREO PAULIE (PG) 1:10 5:00 7:10 I TRY OUR NACHOS, AXST! YOU CANT BEAT OUR CHEESE! ir THE HORSE WHISPERER (PG-1 3) DIGITAL 4:30 8:00 CrTY OF ANGELS (PG-13) 5:10 7:25 9:45 TTTANtC (PG-13) 4:15 8:00 lL passte or discount coupons for these filnn WE HAVE A FINANCE PLAN FOR EVERYONE Warner 826-1960 458-77S9 B7B8 655-O50O 7B4-1102 PASSES iiU'h NO PASSES i f( CARM CINEMAS CALLEEIA6 531-5551 CARMIKE CSfiEMAS CEANOERRY 8 772-3111 SHOWCASE NORTH McBRO. 935-5885 FOXCKAPa 784-1402 HAHMARCI1MAS HARHILLE 826-1960 REX THEATRE E. CARSON ST.

381-2200 SlMrelhx oaa-77E9 -J It.n'-,'..1 6 J.D SHOWCASE IAST KD. ZVL JJ 0N0fVMU 553 1 I 61 CINEMAS I CWFM4GJC I I WlWt9UfStUt 9 SQUIRREL KILL Eu SOUTH FOkVD AVt. 03QO All 79QO PASSES bmikwsmmb S3 Place Your Classified Ad In The Pittsburgh J)ost-6azcttc CALL 263-1 20 1 UNTIL 6 P.M. LOST IN SPACE (PG-13) 7:20,9:35 GOOD Will HUNTING (R) 7:25, 9:35 THE BIG HIT (R) 7:30,9:30 THE ODD COUPLE 2 (PG-13) 9:15 PaUUI (PG) 7:35 1 GODZILLA (PG-13) MY GIANT (PG-13) 2 DEEP IMPACT (PG-13) ODD COUPLE II (PG-13) 3 QUEST FOR CAMELOT (G) TITANIC (PG-13) GODZILLA (PG-13) 4:15,7:00,9:45 No Pmmi Of Discounts MONROE VILLE MALL SUICIDE KINGS (R) (Ea 1:15, 4:20, 7:20, 10ST IN SPACE (PG-13)' 1:05, 4:30, 7:10, :45 9:40 URHFTS GRU1 ADVENTURES (G) 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00 OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION (R) 1:30, 4-30, 7:00 9:30 ROUTE 19 MT. LEBANON GODZILLA (PG-13) tjj 1 2:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 GODZILLA (PG-1 3) 12:45, 3:45, 4:45, 9:45 HORSE WHISPERER (PG-13) 1:00, 4:15, 7:45 QUEST FOR OWEIOT () 12:45, 3:00, 5:00, 7:30, 9:20 DEEP IMPACT (PG-13) m.

1:30, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30 CITY OF ANGELS (PG-tt 12:45, 4:10, 7:15, 9:45 ROUTE 19 NORTH GODZILLA (PG-13) tl 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 GODZILLA (PG-13) fcfl 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:45 HORSE WHISPERER (PG-13) BH 1:00, 4:15, 7:45 QUEST FOR CAMELOT (G)l ..1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40 DEEP IMPAO (PG-13) 1:30, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30 DEEP IMPACT (PG-13)0 1:45, 4:15, 7:15, 9:45 CITY OF ANGELS (PG-13) 1:05, 4:05, 7:10, 9:45 TITANIC (PG-13) 12:30,4:30,0:30 RT. 51 PLEASANT HILLS GODZILLA (PG-13) 12:00, 3:00, 4:00, 9:00 GODZILLA (PG-13) 68 12:45, 3:45, 4:45, 9:45 GODZILLA (PG-13) B9 1:15,4:15, 7:15,10:15 HORSE WHISPERER (PG-13) 1:00, 4:15, 7:45 QUEST FOR CAMELOT (G) .12:45, 2:50, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00 DEEP IMPACT (PG-1 3) 1 :30, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30 DEEP IMPACT (PG-13) 4:15, 7:15, 9:45 CITY OF ANGELS (PG-13) 1:40, 4:20, 7:10, 9:50 TITANIC (PG-13) 12:30,4:15,8:00 CENTURY SQUARE PLAZA ALL SHOWS $2.00 ALL TIMES MAJOR LEAGUE III (PG) 1:25, 3:50, 7:10, 9:25 MR. NICE GUY (PG-13) 1:15, 3:15, 5:15, 7:30, 9:30 PALMETTO (R) .1:10,4:10,7:10,9:50 SCREAM 2 (R) LIS. MARSHALS (PG-I3)L GREASE (PG PRIMARY COLORS (R) 1:30,4:15,7:15,9:50 1:20, 4:20, 7:15, 10:00 1:40, 4:10,7:25, 9:45 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 AS GOOD AS IT GETS (PG-13) ..1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 LA. CONFIDENTIAL (Rl 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 THE BORROWERS (PG)' 1:10, 3:10, 5:10, 7:05, 9:15 HARD RAIN (R)' 1:30, 3:50, 7:30, 9:35 MR.

MAG00 (PG)' 3:20,7:20 MEET THE DEEDLES (PG)' 1 :20, 5:20, 9:20 SSi pro. fro rtsas. vrm prep WsMi -SBS A long trip leads SYMPHONY FROM PAGE F-l holding a sign that said "Berbara." And even as tired as we all were, many found time that evening to explore the nearby downtown area and try the wonderful noodle dishes in still-open cafes and restaurants. A pleasant surprise was finding this city of 1.75 million alive and really hopping at this hour on a week-night. S4.25-ALL SHOWS BEFORE 6 BM.

THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION (R) 5:35, 7:35 THE SPANISH PRISONER (PS) 5:15, 7:20, 9:30 QUEST FOR CAMELOT (E) 5:10, 1:10, 9:00 LES MISERASLES(PS-U) 9:40 "THE NORSE WHISPERER (PG-13) 5:00, 1:00 S4.2S-ALI SHOWS BEFORE 8 P.M. DEEP IMPACT (Pfi-13) 1:00, 3:15, 5:30, 10:00 CITY OF ANGELS (Pfi-13) 1:15, 3:20, 5:25, 7:40, 9:40 SLIDING DOORS (Pfi-13) 1:25, 3:30, 5:30, 7:35, 9:35 A PRICE ABOVE RUBIES (R) 1:10, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20 HE SOT GAME (R) 1:35,5:00,7:30,9:55 DUA VII (PG-13) iM GODZILLA (PG-13) 1:45,4:40,7:15,9:50 MRS.DALL0WAY(PG) 5:40,10:00 SLIDING DOORS (Pfi-13) 5:30,7:35,9:35 TWO GIRLS AND A GUT (R) 5:20,7:30,9:40 AS GOOD AS IT SETS (PG-13) 7:40 HE GOT GAME (R) 5:35,8:00 lEMLLl EVERY WEO. ALL SHOWS $1.00 MAJOR LEAGUE 3 (PC) 5 BIG NIT (R) I GOODWILL HUNTING (R) 1 LOST IN SPACE (Pfi-13) 7:00 9:15 9:00 7:00 PLUM NOTE: NO PASSES OR (HIC0UHT TKXITS Of AMY KIND ON ffltil TUTUHES 1 MATINEE ALL SHOWS STARTING BEFORE 6PM CONTINUOUS SHOWS DAILY LATE SHOWS FRIDAY SATURDAY tfl PAffiWM EAST EXIT 14, fttt. HTl 22 Wlllf.MONHOtVIUf 624-4424 271-9000 GODZILLA (ON 4 SCREENS) PO 1 030 1 1 00 1 1 30 1 245 1 1 6 1 2 5 335 405 435 505 630 700 730 900 920 95C 1020 KWOtXOfMi THE HORSE WHI8PERER1130 315 700 1015OrrAL QUEST FOR CAMELOT (ON 2 SCREENS) IIOO 1130 1 00 300 500 700 DEEP IMPACT (ON 2 SCREENS) 1130 1200 200 230 430 500 710 735 945 1010 OKtrTAL WOO 1 30 330 530 730 930 TITANIC 1230 415 800 IN) CITY OF ANOELS 925 wo GODZILLA (ON 3 SCREENS) M-ia 1030 1100 1245 115145 335 405 435 630 700 730 W0 950 1020 0NVT41 THE HORSE WHISPERER (ON 2 SCREENS) ro-i 1 1 12,10 J'S 415 nJU 45 1U15 OtafTAl GUEST FOR CAMELOT (ON 2 SCREENS) 1200 100 210 310 420 520 700 DEEP IMPACT (ON 2 SCREENS) PO-1 1 1 30 1200 200 230 430 500 7 10 735 945 1010 OKKTAL WOO 1145 130 330 530 930 CITY OF ANGELS 115 415 715 955 M-1S THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION 715 935 TITANIC 1230 416 600 PO-13 HE GOT GAMS 900 MCKNIGHT RD MCCANDLESS 4U-93M87IH774 W5-5W6 GODZILLA (ON 3 SCREENS) IM1-1S 1030 1 100 1345 115 145 335 405 435 630 700 730 920 0 1020 UQfTU THE HORSE WHISPERER (ON 2 SCREENS) PQ 1130 1230 315 415 700 745 1015-DKWML QUEST FOR CAMELOT 1 100 100 300 500 700 DEEP IMPACT (ON 3 SCREENS) Pia 1 130 1200 1245 200 230 345 430 500 650 710735 925 945 1010 UOfTML WOO 1145 130 330 530 730 930 TITANIC 1230 415 800 Pfl CITY OF ANOELS 925 l0-1S NOHTHYVAY MALL 367-1593 GOOD WILL HUNTING 430 700 925 AS GOOD AS IT GETS 400 640 915 LOST IN SPACE 420 650 920 LES MISERABLES 415 645 915 THE BIG HIT 530 730 930 MAJOR LEAGUE: BACK TO THE MINORS 545 735 936 M-1S BARNEY'S GREAT ADVENTURE 415 THE ODD COUPLE 11715 BLACK DOQ 940 THE WEDDING SINGER 510 710 L.A. CONFIDENTIAL 440 910 BARGAll speaking playwright? It should be Fugard.

Maybe Tom Stoppard in about 20 years. Who else? Does David Mamet have a good Swedish translator? Any professor of literature can nominate just write the Swedish Academy. MYSTERIES OF THE BOX OFFICE, or, WHO CAN EXPLAIN IT, WISE MEN NEVER TRY: The low box-office figures for the Public's "The Old Settler" perplex me. It's a sweet, knowing slice-of-life, with both local color and broad appeal. The reviews were good (well, mine was), but, more important, I expected it to overcome the unfamiliar title through word of mouth, always the best way to draw in Pittsburgh.

I haven't met anyone who didn't enjoy it. But its numbers are tailing off. MYSTERIES II: Word to the wise on Paul Kovach of the Broadway Series says the best shot at good seats is the added June 4 matinee. Then there are the 36 "rush" seats (the first two complete rows for each performance), a tradition wih all "Rent" companies, at $20 ach. In New York, people campe in line a day or two, but the system recently switched to a lottery two hours before curtain, much to the disgust of the purist "renters" on the "Rent" Web site.

At Heinz Hall, the line will begin daily at 10 a.m., cash only, two tickets per person. For commentary on how you behave in those rush seats, go right to the "Rent" Graffiti Wall www.siteforrent.comin-dexlOa.html where I counted more than 600 messages posted in the past few weeks. The Benny Company is the one coming here. THE PITTSBURGH CONNECTION: Seeing the Broadway "Cabaret," thanks to the ticket-intervention of choreographer Rob Marshall, Mary and I found ourselves sharing a table with choreographer Jeff Calhoun (North Hills) who recently got good reviews choreographing "Strike. Up the Band" for the Encores! Series, which is led by Kathleen Marshall, Rob's sister.

Featured in "Cabaret" are Michelle Pawk (Butler), with Linda (Gabler) Ro-moff (Point Park) in the ensemble. That same Kathleen choreographed the Encores! "Lil Abner," with leads played by Burke Moses (CMU '85, original Gaston in "Beauty and the and Alice Ripley (CMU '92, Tony-nominee for "Side And that same Rob will direct Martin Short in a revival of "Little Me" for Broadway's Roundabout Theater in the fall. THE BOTTOM LINE: Paid admissions at city's professional theaters for week ending May 17: WizGargaro (100) 3,894 Old SettlerPublic (58) 2,137 THE FINAL WORD: Do I get credit for never saying anything about Ooops. I "rt I t'4 1 is.1 NOW SilOWIFsB CAHUAS S0IITHLAN3 9 655-0500 SHOWCASE EAST 824-4424 SHOWCASE WEST EOnTWP. 787-5788 DEPENDABLE CR.

IN wumi F0HWAM3 AVE. 421-7900 264-7011 -t tummt DIPENOAIl! CALLERIA CHANBfKHY MALI MOON TOWNSHIP WASHINGTON 771 3111 264-7QF 331 I hATtQKiLAUVSEKVTS (f MWHiL MUSfMEHTS I I CAWIKE SHOWCASE NORTH SHOWCASE WEST SOUTHLAND M.KNIOHT KO. IMIiO IWl gri ll 724-935 3BB3 787-5786 635 iMBnBMBMHBH NO CT ii-MiiMiMinhl rx- prt ilillilMiliiM 'Ir-1 "XL Call Diane at 724-935-8441.