OCTOBER 25, 1988

AT THE MOVIES, in an early attempt at serious cinema, Tom Hanks (left) stars in the dramedy Punchline. IN MUSIC, metal rules as Bon Jovi's New Jersey tops a Billboard album chart that includes Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, and Metallica. IN BOOKSTORES, The Gunslinger, the first of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, shoots from No. 1 on the New York Times paperback best-seller list. AND IN THE NEWS, President Reagan signs a bill creating the Department of Veterans Affairs, a move, White House aides admit, to win the support of former soldiers as the election draws near.