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Show i t ?j. CtiRONtdE PAtjt ACCENT- tell you something! Hope and Glory Since this is my last Top-1- 0 film list, it seems fitting that it should also be the most challenging. The diversity of 1987's cinematic achievements was in terms of its overall excellence ranging from small independent productions to increasingly accessible foreign releases. In fact, there were so many films to choose from that it made the inevitable omissions difficult and All I will say is that each of the 10 films succeeded in accomplishing the impossible they touched my soul and made me think, whether through laughter, anger, tears, violence, nostalgia or pure escapism. Each tells a story all its own, and one that bears repeating for generations to come. 1987's Ten Best (in alphabetical order) 84 Charing Cross Roa d Perhaps the 1980s equivalent to Brief Encounter. Screenwriter Hugh Whitmore's short, bittersweet adaptation of Helene Hanffs book celebrated the deep and lasting bonds of friendship between New York writer Anne Bancroft and London bookseller Anthony Hopkins, who engage in an mind-boggli- ng high-calib- er time-consumi- 20-ye- ar ng. correspondence without ever meeting each another. All director David Jones had to do was let the camera focus on the tourde force performances by Bancroft and Hopkins a concentrated duet that never shared a scene together. The result was a romantic treasure. Full Metal Jacket Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick's perfectionistic genius Vietnam nightmare of black in this three-a- ct comic proportions (based on Gustav HasfordV novel The Short Timers) shot entirely in England. Kubrick chillingly detailed the developing productivity of war from the womb to the grave an outrageous folly where humor and destruction walk hand in hand. The meticulous acting ensemble (ranging from Lee Ermey's sadistic drill instructor to Vincent d, D'Onofrio's tragically chilling recruit) only complemented the undimin-ishin- g visual force and raw intensity of this powerful, surrealistic saga. A genuine masterpiece. dim-witte- Hollywood Shuffle insightful satiredrama that drove a stake Anon-targe- t, through the heart of all black stereotypes in monies. Producer, director, writer, lead actor Robert Townsend chronicled the trials and tribulations of aspiring black actors who can get work only by playing exaggerated "jive turkeys" or Eddie Murphy clones. Along with the savage hilarity emerged an intelligent, serious look at how blacks feel about the degrading stereotypes they see on TV and movie screens. Ironically, Townsend's next film project was "directing" Eddie Murphy Raw that alone should MI..H.....IIU.. ffr BQi By Scott Rivers Chronicle staff writer affectionate Boorman's comedy-dram- a John of the 1940 r QE) fin f,k moments while recalling the look and atmosphere of the seemingly harrowing period in stunning detail. Not only was this Boorman's best work to date, it was also the film Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun tried to be, but wasn't. Marlene Director Maximilian Schell's extraordinary, intriguing documentary on Marlene Dietrich overcame seemingly impossible obstacles (the reclusive and difficult star refused to be interviewed on film, preferring audio tape instead) to emerge as one of the most fascinating accounts of an entertainer's life and career. By not seeing the present-da- y Marlene, Schell drew the viewer into the legend displayed in memorable film clips, newsreel footage and television excerpts; he enhanced the mystery and beauty of Dietrich by letting her work and personality speak for itself. A masterful, unforgettable achievement. My Life as a Dog A Swedish release that became a surprise mainstream hit in this country, and it's easy to see why. Based on Reidar Jonsson's autobiographical novel, the film was a delightful, poignant account of a troublesome, though irresistably charming boy (wonderfully old portrayed by newcomer Anton Glanzelius) who leaves his ailing mother and family to live wjth relatives, in rural Sweden v Lasse Lallstrom's direction was refreshingly honest in its simplicity, matched by Glanzelius' remarkable performance. Slice-of-li- fe childhood odysseys don't come better than this. Platoon The other Vietnam movie. Director and writer Oliver Stone displayed the horrors of war in realistic, intense detail somewhat akin to a documentary. Based on Stone's Vietnam experiences, the film plunged the viewer directly into the range of gunfire; its images of war evoked terror and loss that pervaded this drama like a recurring nightmare. The rite-of-passa- ge faultless cast led by Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe plus Robert Richardson's virtuoso cinematography helped fuse Stone's directorial mastery in virtually every scene. In all, a deserved triumph. Round Midnight Jazz legend Dexter Gordon made his acting debut as an aging, tortured and brilliant saxophonist in 1950s France who is befriended by an admiring fan, resulting in a belated artistic rebirth. Director Bertrand Tavernier's insightful, moving and exhilarating look at the world of be-bo- p painfully reminded us of other m r 1 X . Hmm m ) it!!' W''T''"', m John Boorman's semi autobiographical account Hope and Glory, director-writof wartime England, is one of the best films of 1987, says Chronicle film critic Scott Rivers. Here, Grandfather aggressively attacks a river rat. -- er ignored American performers whose talents might have blossomed in other countries. Gordon's naturalistic performance and Herbie Hancock's Oscar-winnimusic lent a gutsy authenticity all its own. An unforgettable film crammed with jazz talent and mirrored by reality. Seize the Day Robin Williams delivered a superb dramatic performance in director Fielder Cook's powerful handling of the Saul Bellow novel. In some ways, this was Williams' Death of a Salesman as he ng portrayed Tommy Wilhelm, a failed who tries to find his in futile life. Abetted by meaning outstanding portrayals by Joseph Wiseman and Jerry Stiller, this downbeat, heartbreaking masterwork was easily the best film of last year's U.S. Film Festival (where it received its only theatrical showing). The Untouchables Generally, the finest movies are made from a collaborative unity of talents who happen to be at the right place at the right time. The same could be said of director Brian DePalma and writer David Mamet's riveting, action-packe- d update of the 1950s TV series, highlighted by actor-turned-salesm- top-not- an ch performances from Kevin Costner (Eliot Ness), Robert De Niro (Al Capone) and especially Sean Connery as the seasoned Irish street cop. DePalma's affectionate homages to Eisenstein and Hitchcock via Stephen Burum's hand- some, stylish camerawork only added to a spectacular class act. As expected, there were several note- worthy films that didn't make the list (including a few whose releases were so brief I was unable to review them) all of which ' mmmmihAmmm iu..jiuiiuii1iMuj4wiim deserve belated recognition. My only regret is that I couldn't list everything rated four and five stars, though I was tempted to. 1987's Honorable Mentions Angel Heart . The Big Easy Black Widow Hoosiers I've Heard the Mermaids Singing Otello Prick Up Your Ears The Princess Bride Radio Days Raising Arizona River's Edge Tin Men The Whistle Blower Wish You Were Here The Witches of Eastwick Last, but certainly not least, is the fun part of this racket the bad cinema Unlike 1986, the Brat Pack genre withered away and died without a trace . . . and not a moment too soon. Still, 1987's wrap-u- p. incredible heap of celluloid trash would have made the Medved brothers (of Golden Turkey Awards fame) and director Edward (Planet Nine From Outer Space) Wood, Jr. very proud indeed. To briefly single out the most dubious honors: Bill Cosby's glorious whoring of his talents for Leonard Part 6, the first Coke commercial; the feature-lengt- h expensive fiasco of Ishtar; the incompre- hensible success of Fatal Attraction a ludicrous of Clint blatant, Eastwood's ripoff Play Misty for Me; and the embarrassingly cheesy Superman IV. If you were Ishtar Jaws the Revenge Leonard Part 6 liyjQl' I ' 1 - I Like Father, Like Son No Way Out Over the Top The Pick-U- p Artist Planes, Trains and Automobiles Police Academy IV Revenge of the Nerds II -- J hmmmr Madonna, Steve Martin and Bill Cosby, How did these three major talents end up in the truly turkey- - ish movies of Who's mmA Uwtm lut,,,,, nn n,,,,,, if That Girl?, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Leonard Part 6? a filmmaker, none of these bombs would look good on your resume. Submitted for your disapproval. Death Wish IV Ernest Goes to Camp Fatal Attraction From the Hip Hello Again Hiding Out .- J offered many charming and nostalgic Burglar .- 5, er Turkeys of 1987 Adventures in Babysitting Assassination Best Seller MMirZiL-. 1 . ms d many good Director-writ- - . ON ENTERTAiNMENT London blitz proved the most whimsical, upbeat celluloid account of any war, in which the destruction and turmoil of World War II became a children's playground and an extended school vacation. Based on Boorman's childhood memoirs, the film iw,iwjumMmmjtMm!!mWm V'"' . January tk)a TlhSs it. Russkies The Sicilian Thp Superman IV Who's That Girl |