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Stigmata (1999)
Flawed theology, fun movie
If the makers of "Stigmata" aren't confused about their theology, their theology certainly can be confusing. Absent close attention, a movie-goer might be confused over whether a "stigmatic" is possessed by the devil or the Holy Spirit. Actually, according to the movie, it's closer to both/and than either/or: The closer one gets to God, the more vulnerable one gets to evil. But the "Exorcist"-like episodes of un-Holy terror (only the pea soup and spinning head are missing) are more memorable than those of St. Francis-like gentleness, so "Stigmata" itself has been rather roundly crucified at the hands of those critics and movie-goers who tend toward the hysterically historical. Not fair.
A stigmatic is defined as someone experiencing the stigmata, which is to say the bleeding wounds of Jesus Christ at his crucifixion. The wounds appear at both wrists and both ankles, penetrated by the spikes that held Jesus to the cross; the back, deeply slashed by a whip; the forehead and scalp, punctured by a crown of thorns; and the side, pierced by a spear. History, as related by the movie, has never known anyone to experience the stigmata at all five sites.
But Pittsburgh hairstylist-in-training Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) is well on her way to being the first. And things aren't looking good for the young lady: Her "attacks" are cumulative, ugly, and getting uglier. Frankie, in fact, is convinced she will die -- as Christ is believed to have died -- should things progress to the spear stage.
On board for the ride is Father Andrew Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne), a scientist/priest sent to Pittsburgh by the Vatican to investigate the matter. At first he's thoroughly skeptical; Frankie is an atheist, and stigmatics historically have been among the most devout of believers. Seeing is believing, though, and hearing is, too: Frankie has spells of speaking in Aramaic, the language of Jesus. The good Father becomes quite fond of Frankie and, while managing to resist both the considerable temptations of her flesh and the mysterious protestations of his boss, he assumes the role of protector and seeker of the truth behind the affliction.
It should come as no surprise in the current atmosphere of cynicism that the Roman Catholic Church was assigned the black hat in this story. Father Andrew's boss, Cardinal Daniel Houseman (Jonathon Pryce), is especially diabolical. But the level of official Catholic outrage that attended the release of "Stigmata" seems to be an overreaction. This is not a great horror movie, but it's a good horror movie, and, on the goosebumps scale, it has more than a few moments of being a really spooky horror movie.
Patricia Arquette is remarkable in the role of 23-year-old Frankie, and it's a tough role to play, physically and emotionally. Somehow Arquette manages to rise above the many available stereotypes and deliver a truly three-dimensional, even believable, character. True, Frankie is a party girl -- a club-going, hard-drinking, sex-loving, body-piercing wild thing. But in Arquette's hands, she's somebody's daughter, too -- sweet, ingenuous, witty, conscientious, and scared as bloody hell. We can't fault her for being born Gen-Y.
Neither should we fault the filmmakers for putting story above theological accuracy. This is, after all, a horror movie, not a documentary. And, in the case of stigmata, being theologically accurate would have required little less in the willing-suspension-of-disbelief department. Tom Lazarus and Rick Ramage took a story by Lazarus (no kidding; that's his name) and delivered a screenplay with a new, off-beat twist to an old premise. Director Rupert Wainwright deserves considerable credit for simply letting Arquette do her thing, but he did more than that. Under his direction, Arquette's work is nicely supported by those around her, especially by Pryce, who helps set new standards for clerical sleaze. Despite a few cutaways that fail to deliver on whatever it is Wainwright wants them to deliver, his film is fast-paced, with special effects that are imaginative and scary without being overdone.
Despite the inevitable comparisons, "Stigmata" is no "Exorcist" -- not even close -- but it doesn't have to be in order to be good for some scary fun. Those offended by stereotypical and broad-brush bashing of the Catholic Church probably shouldn't chance it. But those able to put aside theology texts and suspend disbelief for a couple of hours may find themselves pleasantly and creepily entertained.
Billy Joel: Live at Yankee Stadium (1990)
A concert master at his best
Billy Joel seems incapable of putting on anything but a stunning concert. He is a master of the form, and for nearly 30 years he consistently has sold out any venue he has chosen to play. Still, it was a remarkable feat to sell out Yankee Stadium, not once, but twice. A native New Yorker (and avid baseball fan), Joel was the first pop/rock performer allowed to play "The House That Ruth Built," and on the first two nights of summer in 1991, he brought the house down.
"Billy Joel: Live at Yankee Stadium" arguably is the singer/songwriter's finest concert video. The cinematography and editing are impressive, giving the feel at times of a theatrical release rather than a television special. Skillful editing effectively captures the interplay among Joel, his band, and the enthusiastic fans who crowd the tiered stage. The sound is fine on VHS and promises to be superb on a new DVD edition (October 2000), digitally mastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and PCM Stereo.
But, as always, the power of a Billy Joel concert is in the music, and The Piano Man takes the field in Yankee Stadium as a true triple threat: songwriter, singer, and musician. It's difficult not to be a bit disappointed knowing that the 85-minute video represents little more than half the actual concert. But while most fans are likely to have at least two or three favorite songs that didn't make the cut, the 12-song play list is solid, with a half-dozen Billy Joel classics logically chosen from a very lengthy list.
A stop on the "Storm Front" tour, the concert opens with two numbers from that album -- the title song, followed by a rousing rendition of one of the album's best, "I Go to Extremes." The first "classic" on the video is a perennial crowd favorite, "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," after which Joel trades the piano for an accordian to perform another "Storm Front" cut, "The Downeaster Alexa," accompanied by a haunting violin.
An energetic rendition of "Pressure" is followed by a hometown crowd-pleaser, "New York State of Mind," and a new song that would become a classic in its own right: "We Didn't Start the Fire." Joel closes the main part of the show on the lower tier of the stage with a blues harmonica and "That's Not Her Style."
Joel opens the encore with another New York special, an apocalyptic 1976 number he rarely plays in concert anymore, "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)." He follows with "A Matter of Trust" and the finale, "Piano Man," which has evolved into the audience's tribute to Joel. He doesn't even bother to try singing the chorus anymore. The audience takes care of that.
"Live at Yankee Stadium" is an important concert video. Since "Storm Front," Joel has released only one album of original music, "River of Dreams," and no subsequent concert video has matched the energy of that captured in Yankee Stadium. Given Joel's stated plans to eliminate lengthy tours and to limit concerts, it's unlikely we'll see another video of this quality. It's very good work, and it has a place in the collection of any Billy Joel fan.