Aliens and evil wizard a weekend treat for your eyes
JAKARTA (JP): The sight of uniforms seemingly everywhere in the city may give you a slight case of the jitters.
Time for tension release once again as we take a deep breath, and take in local movie offerings.
Two of those on show -- Alien Resurrection and Witch Way Love -- escort us into other, although not necessarily kinder, worlds.
Alien Resurrection. Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder. Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
It comes as a bit of a shock to see Weaver, now nearing 50, back in space once again and going tooth-and-nail against scary, predatory monsters from afar.
It becomes much easier to understand upon learning of the US$11 million paycheck provided for her to get back into her armor for the fourth movie of the Alien saga.
Her fortunate landing of the role of Lt. Ellen Ripley -- originally planned for Veronica Cartwright in the first Alien in 1979 -- was a career-launching breakthrough for the statuesque actress after an undistinguished six-second debut in Woody Allen's Annie Hall two years earlier.
In Resurrection, the three-time Academy Award nominee is not what she seems.
This time, Weaver is cast as a cloned Ripley, who has more athletic skills, an enhanced survival instinct but less memory matter.
The clone teams up with Ryder, a beautiful and talented young actress, known for her acclaimed performances in The Age of Innocence, Bram Stoker's Dracula and Little Women.
Ryder is mysterious smuggler Annalee Call, fighting the aliens which broke out of a mad scientist's cloning facility and set their course to Earth.
Witch Way Love. Cast: Vanessa Paradis, Gil Bellows, Jean Reno. Director: Rene Manzor.
Sultry French actress and sometime singer Paradis is Morgane, a good witch and mother of 11-month Arthur, who has to find a godfather for her son before his first birthday.
Morgane's cousin, the evil wizard Molok (Reno), desperately tries to stop her because Arthur's powers will overpower him once he is baptized.
The godfather, required to be someone born at 6 a.m. on June 14, turns out to be Michael Firth (Bellows), a rich American and expert on communication systems.
Knowing that the right man is coming to Paris, Morgane picks him up at the airport and subsequently falls in love with him after various romantic escapades.
Molok, after finding out that the prospective godfather is already safe in Morgane's house, tries to kill him and kidnaps Morgane.
Ignoring the danger, Michael fights the wizard to get Morgane back.
Other choices this weekend are Devil's Advocate, Kiss the Girls, Tomorrow Never Dies, the doomed voyage of Titanic and Picture Perfect. (ste)