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20 YEARS AGO

Dante’s Peak - February 7, 1997
Pierce Brosnan stars in this special effects driven disaster thriller as a scientist working alongside a mayor, played by Linda Hamilton, as they try to save a small town in Washington state from a surprise volcanic eruption.  In one of those suspicious Hollywood coincidences, Dante’s Peak was one of two big ash lava thrillers in the same year: Volcano (with Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche) was released just two months later.  Dante’s Peak was the box office winner, opening at #2 (behind Star Wars Special Edition) and taking the February opening record from Broken Arrow with $18.4 million from 2,567 theaters, eventually grossing a total of $67 million (compared to $49 million for Volcano).  Moviegoers saw another disaster duo just one year later, with Deep Impact and Armageddon released in the summer of 1998.

The Beautician and the Beast - February 7, 1997
While in the fourth season of her sitcom The Nanny, Fran Drescher starred in this King-and-I style comedy as a beautician from New York hired to look after the children of an Eastern European leader.  Brosnan’s 007 predecessor Timothy Dalton plays Boris, the stiff President of “Slovetzia.”  Opening at #3 far behind Dante’s Peak, Drescher’s beautician took in $4 million this weekend and finished at $11.4 million.

Two other releases celebrate their 20th anniversary this week, though they were seen by few audiences in theaters:  John Leguizamo’s comedy The Pest bombed at the box office with just $1.8 million from 1,205 theaters, and Eric Bogosian and Richard Linklater’s SubUrbia appeared in limited release, earning less than a million dollars during its run.

25 YEARS AGO

Medicine Man - February 7, 1992
The other John McTiernan film in this week’s Marquee History was far superior to Rollerball.  Sean Connery plays a reclusive medical researcher in the Amazon who is racing to recover a natural cure for cancer before the rainforest ecosystem is destroyed.  Lorraine Bracco plays a highly educated lab scientist from their corporate sponsor who struggles to deal with his abrasive demeanor and her first real field assignment (played for comic relief).  Both actors had career highlights two years earlier; Connery with the box office hit The Hunt For Red October, and Bracco with an Oscar nomination for Goodfellas.  The pairing managed to take down The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and put Medicine Man at #1 with $8.4 million - the third best February opening to that time - from 1,304 theaters and push it up to a total of $45 million.

Final Analysis - February 7, 1992
Richard Gere stars as a psychologist in this steamy noir, with Kim Basinger and Uma Thurman.  The film received moderate reviews and also Razzie nominations for Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Actress (Basinger).  Final Analysis opened at #3 with $6.4 million and held steady up to $28.5 million.

In limited release this weekend, Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury starred in the romance Mississippi Masala, receiving strong reviews and ultimately earning $7.3 million.


30 YEARS AGO

Now two months into its release, Platoon added more theaters and actually set the February weekend box office record (previously held by Pretty in Pink) with $8.1 million for the #1 spot.  Outrageous Fortune repeated in the #2 spot with $5.4 million.
 
Light of Day - February 6, 1987
Nice guy Michael J. Fox takes on a more series role as Midwest rock band singer alongside his sister, played by Joan Jett in her first film role.  Gena Rowlands plays their mother, source of the family's conflict and their self-destructive tendencies.  The screenplay was written by Paul Schrader (who also directed this film), known for Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. Bruce Springsteen wrote the film’s title song, which was a Billboard hit.  Light of Day opened at #3 with $3.5 million from 1,041 theaters and eventually took in $10.4 million.

Black Widow - February 6, 1987
Theresa Russell stars as a femme fatale, moving from city to city, marrying rich men and poisoning them.  Debra Winger plays the agent on her trail, who gets too close and too involved.  Opening closely behind Light of Day, Black Widow took in $3.4 million for the #4 spot with 300 fewer theaters and went on to gross $25.2 million.

From the Hip - February 6, 1987
Judd Nelson stars as a new lawyer who uses unconventional and erratic tactics to win cases for shady clients until he encounters one (John Hurt) who is truly guilty.  Elizabeth Perkins co-stars.  Nelson of course had become famous as part of the Brat Pack in 1985 with The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire, but wasn’t able to turn that into box office material as a lead actor.  From the Hip opened at #5 with $2.6 million and finished with $9.5 million.


Come back next week for another installment of Marquee History!

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