Intermission: Independent films in town only for a short time

"Cecil B. DeMented"

Directed by: John Waters

Starring: Melanie Griffith, Stephen Dorff

Rated: R

I don't think anyone foresaw that John Waters, the P.T. Barnum of bad taste, the director who had one of his stars eat dog doo off the sidewalk, would ever carve out a niche for himself in mainstream Hollywood. Surprisingly enough, it's happened.

Waters' breakthrough hit was the "American Bandstand" spoof, "Hairspray," a movie that not only introduced Waters to middle-American moviegoers, but launched the career of Ricki Lake. "Cry Baby" followed that and most recently Waters convinced a star no less than Kathleen Turner to play a psychopathic (albeit funny) killer in "Serial Mom."

Waters approaches film making with a sort of twisted glee, never more apparent than in his latest film, "Cecil B. DeMented."

Stephen Dorff is in the title role as the leader of a group of renegade independent film makers, much like Waters and his troupe were in Baltimore in the early 1970s.

DeMented and crew kidnap Honey Whitlock (Melanie Griffith) a big Hollywood star and force her to act in scenes they're shooting for their latest guerrilla cinema project.

At first Ms. Whitlock is appalled but after living with these folks for a few weeks she seems to fall under their spell.

It's a situation much like the one Patty Hearst found herself in when she was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Waters, ever the gleeful fan, has cast Hearst in many of his films and she shows up in a cameo here.

"Cecil B. DeMented" plays out in one disjointed skit after another with Waters throwing barbs at Hollywood throughout. There are hilarious spoofs here, including the "sequel" to "Forrest Gump," and a "director's cut" of "Patch Adams," that maudlin piece of Hollywood tripe that one imagines sends Waters into fits. It does give him some great ammunition.

Last week saw the re-release of "Sunset Boulevard," a classic film that deals with the business of making movies. "Cecil B. DeMented" is along the same lines, and while it will never be considered a classic, it's a definite hoot for anyone who likes to see mainstream Hollywood get what it so desperately deserves.

"Croupier"

Directed by: Mike Hodges

Starring: Clive Owen, Kate Hardy, Gina McKee

Not Rated

In a relatively small market like Springfield, it's not surprising that some films never show up on local screens. Being fairly close to St. Louis and Kansas City has always been a plus, but this weekend I found myself driving to Branson to catch an independent release that has been getting great notices since its release over a year ago.

"Croupier" is director Mike Hodges' latest effort in an oeuvre that includes the cult favorite, "Get Carter," (soon to be remade with Sylvester Stallone. Yikes!) and the early Michael Crichton sci-fi thriller, "The Terminal Man."

"Croupier" is a cold, existential film noir whose main character is an avowed non-gambler working in a London casino. Hodges' direction is as taut as ever and a plot that could be mundane in lesser hands stays engaging throughout.

Clive Owen as Jack Manfred is an aspiring novelist who makes ends meet by working as a croupier in a swank casino. His girlfriend, a store detective, is not thrilled with his newfound occupation, she wants to be in love with a writer. This is just one of the many dilemmas Jack faces and as the film reaches its dramatic climax, we are drawn ever inward to Jack's rather oxymoronic lifestyle.

If you're a fan of modern film noir, "Croupier" is definitely worth the short trip to the Branson Meadows Theater. This was the first time I had been there and I found it a pleasure.

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)