THE BUZZ BIZA Look at the ‘Word’ on This Summer’s Movies
Film “The Untouchables”
The Very Early Buzz “The exhibitors are saying (star) Kevin Costner is soft, but I’ve heard the movie gets Brian De Palma back on track.”
Release Date June 3
The Results
A mob hit
Film “Harry and the Hendersons”
The Very Early Buzz “Very silly, saccharine, maudlin . . . I hear Universal’s only getting 32% at their sneaks.”
Release Date June 5
The Results
Took a dive
Film “The Witches of Eastwick”
The Very Early Buzz “Lots of bad vibes came back from that set . . . I hear it’s a real let-down. . . . Warners thinks they’re in lots of trouble.”
Release Date June 10
The Results
Bewitching presence
Film “Roxanne”
The Very Early Buzz “Very sweet . . . Steve Martin’s supposed to be magnificent . . . Screenings were great.”
Release Date June 19
The Results
A nose with legs
Film “Spaceballs”
The Very Early Buzz “Buzz is dreadful . . . Trailer is kind of goofy . . . I mentioned the movie and everyone looked at me very strangely.”
Release Date June 24
The Results
A fading star
Film “Dragnet”
The Very Early Buzz “Very broad stuff . . . Heat’s very weak on this . . . Everybody’s wondering if (Tom) Mankiewicz can really direct or not.”
Release Date July 26
The Results
Arrestingly good
Film “Full Metal Jacket”
The Very Early Buzz “Who knows? (Stanley) Kubrick hasn’t shown it to anybody . . . People are talking about it with awe, but I don’t think they’ve actually seen it.”
Release Date June 26
The Results
Explosive
Film “Innerspace”
The Very Early Buzz “Definitely the big summer hit . . . Wonderful . . . Everybody wants to see it.”
Release Date July 1
The Results
Crash ‘n’ burn
Film “Adventures in Babysitting”
The Very Early Buzz “Lousy title . . . I hear it’s cute . . . Don’t you think everyone’s tired of teen-dream stuff?”
Release Date July 3
The Results
Steady
Film “RoboCop”
The Very Early Buzz “Everyone says it’s phenomenal! . . . They’re screening it a lot, which is a real show of confidence . . . I hear great things.”
Release Date July 17
The Results
Lots of sock
Film “Jaws: The Revenge”
The Very Early Buzz “Buzz is very weak . . . I hear they had real problems putting it together . . . I dunno--how many times can you goose people with a shark?”
Release Date July 17
The Results
Sinking fast
Film “Summer School”
The Very Early Buzz “I hear it’s incredibly dumb, which isn’t necessarily a criticism . . . Sounds dreadful. Even the trailer looks like a home movie.”
Release Date July 22
The Results
Early report card: B+
Film “La Bamba”
The Very Early Buzz “Lots of heat . . . Sounds great, but they were up-tight about press seeing it early, which makes you wonder . . . I hear it’s a sleeper.”
Release Date July 24
The Results
Muy bueno Film “The Living Daylights”
The Very Early Buzz “They’re holding off on most screenings till the bitter end, which is a bad sign . . . I hear it doesn’t have any fizz . . . Very low heat on this new Bond guy.”
Release Date July 31
The Results
Strong Bond business
Film “The Lost Boys”
The Very Early Buzz “I hear they had problems getting people to come to the early sneaks . . . Word is that it’s loud . . . what’s lost is the plot.”
Release Date July 31
The Results
Healthy first bite
Film “Stakeout”
The Very Early Buzz “Everybody knows Disney had a good sneak somewhere, probably because they’ve been telling everyone about it.”
Release Date Aug. 5
The Results
Just opening
Film “Nadine”
The Very Early Buzz “As usual, Tri-Star doesn’t know what to do with it . . . I hear its a nice little gem.”
Release Date Aug. 7
The Results
Just opening
Film “Who’s That Girl”
The Very Early Buzz “Buzz is terrible . . . Madonna is supposed to be making fun of herself in the film, which from what I hear about the movie is sort-of a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Release Date Aug. 7
The Results
Just opening
Film “No Way Out”
The Very Early Buzz “I hear the steamy scenes are incredible . . . Maybe this is the movie that’s going to make Kevin Costner a star. . . .
Release Date Aug. 14
The Results
Unreleased
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
