Seinfeld Movie Guide (Leonard Maltin Style)

CHUNNEL (1995) — ★½ — A (Adult/General Audience) — THEATRICAL
Action Thriller
The U.S. president’s daughter is trapped between England and France in the Channel Tunnel following an explosion that triggers a rescue operation. The film’s action sequences follow a familiar pattern of escalating military and political response.  The movie straddles political intrigue and a Stallone-style rescue structure. Frequently cited dialogue includes the line, “Mr. President, your daughter is in the Chunnel.” 

ROCHELLE, ROCHELLE (1993) — ★★★ — A+ (Mature) — THEATRICAL
Erotic Drama
The film that inspired the hit Broadway musical starring Bette Midler.  Billed as being “about life, love, and becoming a woman,” young Rochelle resides in Milan and visits relatives in Minsk which becomes a strange, erotic journey.  Characterized by extensive sidal nudity and a straightforward narrative structure. The film achieved significant box-office performance relative to its genre. 

FIRESTORM (1996) — ★★★½ — A — THEATRICAL
Action Thriller
Pre-dates the Howie Long vehicle Firestorm by two years. Action-packed popcorn movie with airplanes, helicopters and underwater escapes.  Harrison Ford stars in a more physically demanding role. Contains some plot twists which could become spoilers. 

MOUNTAIN HIGH (1995) — ★★ — A — THEATRICAL
Action Adventure
Stars Kevin Bacon and Susan Sarandon.  Despite a simple premise, the film is largely seen as overwrought.  A quote from the movie, “You’ve gotta get me over that mountain!” has entered the cultural zeitgeist.  R-rated. 

THE PAIN AND THE YEARNING (1981) — ★★½ — A — THEATRICAL (VINCENT PICK)
Romantic Drama
An old woman experiences pain and yearning. Flashback storytelling of love, loss and regret.  A lengthy period drama frequently compared to works such as The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Reds, and Tess. The 192-minute runtime adds to its reputation for endurance viewing. 

SACK LUNCH (1997) — ★★ — F (Family) — THEATRICAL (ELAINE PICK)
Comedy
Lighthearted, escapist fare about a family who is shrunk down in a giant sack. Dabney Coleman stars.  Popular at the box office but under-delivered on its premise. 

BLIMP: THE HINDENBURG STORY (1998) — ★½ — A — THEATRICAL
Historical Action
An action movie take on the story of the Hindenburg explosion.  Despite the thrills in the middle, the film is at times morose and contains eerie silences.  It misses the mark; an ambitious but misguided genre mashup.

DEATH BLOW (1996) — ★★ — A — THEATRICAL / WIDESPREAD BOOTLEGS
Action Thriller
A man named Death Blow is engaged in a longstanding conflict with a Hawaiian man, involving repeated attempts to evade explosions, aerial escapes, and ongoing pursuit across multiple locations. Vigilante dialogue and action sequences dominate the narrative.

THE OTHER SIDE OF DARKNESS (1997) — 0 Stars — A — DIRECT-TO-VIDEO (KRAMER PICK)
Drama
Tightly-wound issue film about a female coma victim and the medical doctors and nurses determined to help her recover.  Eric Roberts co-stars as the victim’s husband.  With a silly ending, it’s no wonder this was dumped by the studio instead of being released theatrically.  Runtime is over two hours. 

CHECKMATE (1993) — ★★★ — A — THEATRICAL
Historical Drama
A costume drama involving chess and international intrigue. Released in the same month as another chess movie, Searching for Bobby Fischer.  Checkmate focuses on a king in jeopardy who is also a chess champion.  

PONCE DE LEON (1991) — ★★½ — A — THEATRICAL
Historical Drama
Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León and his compatriots are on a mythical search for the Fountain of Youth.  Audiences were divided by the emotional ending, where Ponce looks in the mirror. 

FLAMING GLOBES OF SIGMUND (1965) — BOMB — Y — THEATRICAL
Science Fiction
Incoherent technicolor sci-fi about an interstellar space agitator incinerating a planet. It features an alien evil mastermind named Sigmund and a confusing sci-fi espionage plot.  It’s not worth your time, even on late-night TV. 

PROGNOSIS NEGATIVE (1991) — ★½ — A — THEATRICAL
Thriller
Medical drama involving a disturbed doctor with his own agenda. Despite plot twists, it’s a disappointing affair with story developments that can be seen coming a mile away. 

CRY, CRY AGAIN (1996) — ★★★ — A — THEATRICAL (BRODY PICK)
Art film
A man in Paris experiences an existential crisis.  Lots of imagery with an arty sensibility and a very symbolic loaf of bread.  You cry, and then when you see the dancing, you cry again. 

AGENT ZERO (1995) — ★★½ — A — THEATRICAL (NEWSRADIO PICK)
Action Thriller
Centers on a rogue agent on the run from the government.  From the opening explosions to the climactic mix of boxing and taekwondo, the movie mostly delivers on its promise of non-stop action.   

THE MUTED HEART (1995) — ★★ — A — THEATRICAL (SUSAN PICK)
Drama
Love story that reveals a gender-relational fault line.  Praised for its ambiguous open-ended conclusion.  Stars Glenn Close and Sally Field with able performances, though far from their best work.