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Release Date: January 1, 1985
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With their father dead and their mother busy trying to land a steady beau, pretty teen Billy Jean Davy (Helen Slater) and her younger brother, Binx (Christian Slater), spend their time riding Binx's moped and dreaming of life in Vermont -- several climate zones away from the humid, omnipresent heat of their Texas town. One day, on their way from their trailer park home to a swimming hole, the Davy kids run afoul of rich boy Hubie Pyatt (Barry Tubb) and his cronies, who steal -- and later trash -- the scooter Binx bought with his father's paltry life insurance benefits. Demanding payment from Hubie and his merchant dad (Richard Bradford) for the damage that's been inflicted on both the bike and her brother's face, Billie Jean narrowly escapes being raped by the elder Pyatt. In the ensuing scuffle, Binx accidentally shoots Mr. Pyatt, sending himself, Billie Jean, and their friends, Ophelia (Martha Gehman) and Putter (Yeardley Smith), on the lam. When the Billie Jean Gang becomes a media sensation, Pyatt capitalizes on their notoriety by selling T-shirts and bric-a-brac, while policeman Ringwald (Peter Coyote), who feels guilty for having refused to help Billie Jean, tries to bring the kids in without anyone getting hurt. However, when the gang mock-kidnaps rich amateur filmmaker Lloyd (Keith Gordon), unaware that he's the district attorney's son, the situation spins out of control. Soon, Lloyd's videotape of the suddenly crop-topped, Joan of Arc-emulating, eminently telegenic Billie Jean elevates a local headline into a national sensation, and even Lloyd's attraction to Billie Jean can't protect her from the media lightning rod she's become. The Legend of Billie Jean marks the screen debut of Christian Slater, who is no relation to co-star Helen Slater. Actor Gordon, who made his debut as a screenwriter with Mark Romanek's Static the year Billie Jean came out, would go on to direct a number of critically acclaimed films.~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Starring:
Helen Slater, Christian Slater, Keith Gordon, Richard Bradford, Martha Gehman
Directed by:
Matthew Robbins
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
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The Twilight Saga: New Moon
You have to be living in a cave or a monastery to at least not know a little bit about this phenomenon. Here’s the second movie in the vampire saga, and this time the werewolves play more prominently in the plot – especially the constantly shirtless Taylor Lautner! Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart continue to excel in their performances as Edward and Bella.
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March 16th, 2010
The Princess and the Frog
Disney’s “return” to traditional, 2-D (two dimensional), hand drawn animation may not be a complete triumph – but is still pretty darn good. Story and song-wise, this one’s perhaps a little weak, but the animation is sumptuous! Not to mention, finally - an African-American princess for Disney!
Astro Boy
This computer animated cartoon feature is based on the 1960s cartoon TV series from Japan. A scientist loses his small son, and to help him deal with his grief he makes an exact replica of the boy as a robot. Thus is born “Astro Boy,” complete with the son’s personality. When you look at the theme of the story, it’s a sort of creepy take on the Pinocchio narrative – but hey, the kid-robot has machine guns that come out of his butt! How cool is that!? Watch this one with…say…any eight year old kid if you can. Freddie Highmore and Nicolas Cage, among others, provide the voices.
Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Clunker comedy starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker, cast as east coast urbanites that, after witnessing a murder, are whisked into the witness protection program and sent out to the country in Wyoming. A standard “fish-out-of-water” plot ensues, but sadly, the laughs do not.
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