October 19–26, 1995

movie shorts

GET SHORTY

This is an in-joke movie, full of clever allusions to movies and the business of "Hollywood" (with references ranging from Touch of Evil and Rio Bravo to Penny Marshall and the-guy-who-played-Rhoda's-husband), as well as somestartling violence (it's not excessive, but it comes up fast) and over-the-top characters (see especially the pink-suited gangster played by Dennis Farina and the self-absorbed movie star played by Danny DeVito). Based on Elmore Leonard's novel, thefilm follows John Travolta (as a variation on the philosophical thug he played in Pulp Fiction) as he applies his mobster methods to movie deal-making. Rene Russo is a B-to-C starlet (and she has almost nothing to do here) and Gene Hackman isa crass producer, gutless and easily intimidated. For all its winking and nudging and brightly colored sense of delirium, the movie is also strangely flat.

— Cindy Fuchs

(AMC Andorra; AMC Orleans; Cinemagic 3; UA Riverview; UA Ardmore; UA Grant)