NEXT FRIDAY

A sequel to 1995's sleeper Friday, this comedy leaves the hood for the burbs, where Craig (Ice Cube, also the screenwriter and coproducer) flees after his nemesis Debo (Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.) gets out of prison wanting payback. Fans may be disappointed to hear that the original's motormouth, Chris Tucker, doesn't appear, but New Line may have a secret weapon in Ice Cube. By the time this comes out, he will have starred with George Clooney in Three Kings, which bows in October and promises to raise the rapper's screen profile. THE BOTTOM LINE The sequel will have to meet pretty high expectations, but a built-in young male audience should get it off to a good start. (Dec. 25)

SWEET AND LOWDOWN

As usual, Woody Allen is keeping the details of his latest film top secret. All we know is that it's set in New York City in the '30s, stars Sean Penn as a jazz guitarist who swings with Uma Thurman and Samantha Morton, and has a brief cameo by Baltimore's own auteur genius, John Waters. And, oh yeah, it's in color. THE BOTTOM LINE Woody's interesting and the cast is intriguing--but that's what they said about Celebrity. (Early December)

FANTASIA/2000

Walt Disney envisioned the 1940 original as an ever-changing omnibus sporting new segments every year. More than half a century later, nephew Roy (the company's vice chairman) finally launches this retread with seven new sequences (one stars Donald Duck as Noah's assistant, another sports flying whales) and two holdovers. THE BOTTOM LINE The Mouse House marketeers will shrewdly hype this mammoth classical-music video by unveiling it on IMAX screens and in concert-hall venues first. (One-night special showings through December; opens wide New Year's Day)

PLUS

Documaster Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line) returns with MR. DEATH: THE RISE A

Originally posted Aug 20, 1999 Published in issue #499-500 Aug 20, 1999 Order article reprints
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