'Friends' in Low Places

IS IT WORTH A VIDEO RENTAL? The tale of squabbling Irish-American brothers and their women troubles, this is an inferior rehash of auteur Ed Burns' The Brothers McMullen. Aniston deserves better. D+

David Schwimmer

THE PALLBEARER (1996, Miramax, PG-13, $19.99)

FRIENDS ROLE: Confused, nerdy paleontologist Ross Geller

MOVIE ROLE: Confused, nerdy architect Tom Thompson

SAMPLE SCENE: Too nice to tell a dead high school classmate's mom (Barbara Hershey) that he can't remember her son, Tom delivers the eulogy.

POTENTIAL FOR MOVIE STARDOM: Doing a Miramax movie seemed smart. Sadly, its box office was even smaller than its budget. But Schwimmer displays a low-key charisma that may serve him well opposite Anne Heche and Harrison Ford in 6 Days/7 Nights. B-

IS IT WORTH A VIDEO RENTAL? As only the second Friends film released (after Ed), Pallbearer got buried by the Friends-hype backlash. But it's a surprisingly charming comedy. B+

Courteney Cox

SCREAM (1996, Dimension, R, $106.99)

FRIENDS ROLE: Anal-retentive chef Monica Geller

MOVIE ROLE: Backstabbing TV-tabloid star Gale Weathers

SAMPLE SCENE: Gale flirts with the doofy deputy, Dewey (David Arquette), to get the dirt about a serial murderer.

POTENTIAL FOR MOVIE STARDOM: Who knew that a role in a Wes Craven flick would pay off? Cox showed off a cuttingly funny side not seen on Friends — and she was smart enough to pick a character who survives to see the sequel. B

IS IT WORTH A VIDEO RENTAL? It's a B movie with a little something extra: a self-mocking sense of humor. Scream may be less scary to watch in the safety of your living room than in a dark theater, but that's not such a bad thing. B+

Matthew Perry

FOOLS RUSH IN (1997, Columbia TriStar, PG-13, $103.99)

FRIENDS ROLE: WASPy, sarcastic, sexually hapless office worker Chandler Bing

MOVIE ROLE: WASPy, sarcastic, maritally hapless real estate developer Alex Whitman

SAMPLE SCENE: After impulsively marrying a hot-blooded Latina (Salma Hayek), Alex introduces himself to her jealous ex-flame, Chuy: "Chewy? Hi. Luke Skywalker. How are you?"

POTENTIAL FOR MOVIE STARDOM: Not enough information — Fools was neither as awful as Ed nor as fun as Scream. A good omen: Perry's next film, Almost Heroes, is directed by Christopher Guest. A bad omen: His costar is Chris Farley. C

IS IT WORTH A VIDEO RENTAL? Perry and Hayek's chemistry make this inverted I Love Lucy almost watchable. Almost. C-