Vide of lie
 The Prince Georae Citizen TV TIMFS - June 3rd, 1995 - 43
Screening the new
releases by Eric Kohanik
• Legends of the Fall
It’s a big, sprawling tale, filled with lush period flavor, beautiful countryside, a smattering of mystic native spirituality — and a whole lot of raw-edged emotion. Based on Jim Harrison’s novella, this production revolves around three Montana brothers (played by Aidan Quinn, Brad Pitt and Henry Thomas) who become smitten with the same woman (Julia Ormond). First in line is Thomas, who brings her home from Harvard as his fiancee. However, when he and his brothers head off to join the battles of the First World War, cruel twists of fate soon emerge. Director Edward Zwick (who, together with coproducer Marshall Herskovitz, also created TV’s thirty something back in the late 1980s) muddies his story by using too many narrators and going off on too many tangents. Nevertheless, he has crafted a captivating film that is both breathtakingly beautiful and, at times, painfully gutwrenching. Anthony Hopkins delivers a square-jawed performance as the boys’ father, a retired cavalry officer who has good reasons for his contempt for the horrors of war. Ormond exudes a haunting screen beauty, although her charisma is underutilized. Meanwhile, of the brothers, it is Pitt’s emotionally-scarred character that is clearly the most intense and the most captivating — not only spiritually, but physically as well. (Columbia TriStar Home Video; laserdisc, in wide-screen letterbox format, available June 27; also available, in letterbox format, on 8 mm cassette.)
• Legends of the North
The copycat title is obviously meant to capitalize on the aforementioned release. But this one is a mediocre adventure about one man’s quest to find a lake in the far north that is supposedly filled with gold. Randy Quaid highlights the cast. (Astral Video; not available on laserdisc.)
  Pitt in 'Legends': emotionally scarred
  • Embrace of the Vampire
  Another copycat title. But don’t confuse it with Tom Hanks' upcoming stint in Interview With the Vampire (available June 6). This erotic thriller bears no resemblance. It casts Alyssa (Who’s The Boss?) Milano as a young woman who finds herself tom between her college boyfriend and her vampire lover. Argh. (Alliance Video; laserdisc available June 13 from Image Entertainment.)
  • Highlander III: The Sorcerer
  Sometimes, it’s impossible to understand how a bad movie premise can keep on spawning so many bad sequels. This British-Canadian-French coproduction is the third in the Highlander series. This time, the heroic Highlander (played by Christopher Lambert) goes up against an evil magician (Mario Van Peebles). In the end. it all boils down to a horrible waste of videotape. (Malofilm Video; not available on laserdisc.)
TOP RENTALS
 1. Forrest Gump Tom Hanks
 2. Richie Rich Macaulay Culkin
 3. The Jungle Book Jason Scott Lee
 4. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Kenneth Branagh
 5. A Low Down Dirty Shame
                                                       Keenen Ivory Wayans
 6. Bullets Over Broadway John Cusack
 7. The War Kevin Costner
 8. Pontiac Moon Ted Danson
 9. The Road to Wellville Matthew Broderick
 10. Radioland Murders Brian Benben
 11. Terminal Velocity Charlie Sheen
 12. The Specialist Sylvester Stallone
 13. Quiz Show Ralph Fiennes
 14. The Lion King Animated
 15. The Shawshank Redemption Tim Robbins
 16. Stargate Kurt Russell
 17. Trapped in Paradise Dana Carvey
 18. The River Wild Meryl Streep
 19. Heavenly Creatures Melanie Lynskey
 20. Only You Marisa Tomei
                                                    COMING SOON
                                                                Drop Zone
                                                       High-powered adventure with Wesley Snipes...June 13 Little Women Classic family drama with Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon...June 20
Historic Video
It didn't set any ratings records for CBS, but Kevin Costner's eight-hour journey through 500 Nations did offer an important look at North America's native history.
CBS didn't do viewers any favors, of course, by splitting its telecasts of the documentary series over several weeks. However, the entire series has now been pulled together on video. Warner Home Video
has packaged 500 Nations into eight cassettes that join two hardcover books, audiobook CD, CD-ROM, and series soundtrack already on the market.
  Costner fans don't see much of their idol throughout the series: He merely introduces
each segment (at CBS's insistence), while actor Gregory Harrison takes on most of the chores of narration. (Cassettes: $19.98 each; deluxe eight-volume set: $139.99; four-volume laserdisc set: $149.99.)