European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 1, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                1./ a year of drama movies rim Industry Short on hits Long on Over priced bomb by Chuck Vinch staff writer it seems that no one not even the folks who make movies were spared the economic woes of 1991. Fuelled by Ever increasing Star salaries movie budgets have soared to preposterously High Levels. No one noticed or cared As Long As ticket sales which climbed Over the $5 billion Mark in 1989, kept booming upward. The party has come to a screeching halt. Ticket sales off in 1990, were even worse last year thanks to a disastrous summer in which the blockbusters could be counted on one hand even if it were missing a couple of fingers. But it Wasny to just the summer. The ratio of High profile stink bombs to smash hits in 199 was higher than at any time in recent memory. Only three films achieved the magic $100 million Mark in ticket sales terminator 2 judgment Day Robin Hood and the big Surprise City slickers. Many veterans flopped in expensive productions a Bruce Willis in Hudson Hawk Robert Redford in Havana and Dustin Hoffman in Billy Bathgate among others. In such an unfocused year its hard to separate the wheat from the chaff but Well give it a go. Here is the fifth annual stars and stripes incredibly subjective list of the Best and worst Fil, of the year in no particular order. First the worst. A special lifetime achievement award goes to sly Stallone who has made the list for the fifth consecutive year this time with Oscar. A Cool As ice a Vanilla ice the one hit rip off rapper acts mostly with his hair in a film loosely patterned on his banal life. It is so bad it will probably run for years on the late night cult film circuit. A Oscar a in an incredibly bad career move Stallone tries his hand at French farce in this sorry talc of the trials and tribulations of a 1930s gangster. A life stinks a so does this film from Mel Brooks who continues to trash a once great career. A homily about the homeless in which he tries to live on the streets to win a bet it is crude and tasteless like All his films. The problem is that this one in t remotely funny. A child a play 3 a Brad Dourif a Veteran of far too Many awful horror films once again provides the voice for the maniacal foul mouthed Little doll that keeps coming Back to life. The original was Flat out stupid. What did we do to deserve two More a cadence a Martin Sheen is a bigoted non com and son Charlie a rebellious recruit in this vacuous film about racism in the army circa 1963. When the High Point of a movie is the soundtrack you know its a Lemon. A Highlander 2 the quickening a the original was so bad its makers probably thought no sequel could be worse. Wrong. Lunk Christopher Lambert returns As a member of an alien race in a Story so confusing you could t follow it with a Road map. A Harley Davidson amp the Marlboro Man a the Only thing More difficult than trying to explain How Mickey Rourke continues to get work is trying to explain How Don Johnson does. Here they re Buffo Onish louts in the most ludicrous action flick Ever filmed. A truth or dare a Madonna the vapid Queen of pop culture proves once More How empty she is in this tedious concert film cum documentary. A nothing but trouble a Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase hit Rock Bottom in the weirdest movie Ever made. Too depressing to even describe. A year of the gun a Andrew Mccarthy flashes his one dimensional Talent again in this muddled Story of an american novelist who gets caught up with italian terrorists. And the Cream of the crop a the silence of the lambs a Jodie Foster soars with her edgy and convincing portrayal of a Rookie Fri agent helping catch one brutal serial killer by enlisting the help of another. A Little Man Tate a Foster scores directs and stars in this Sweet Story of a child Genius Adam Hann Byrd and the tug of War waged Over him by his Mother Foster and a former Prodigy who has set up a school for gifted kids Dianne Wiest. A Cape fear a Robert de Niro in Martin Scorsese a sizzling tale of sin and retribution. De Niro plays a psycho out to destroy his former lawyer Nick Nolte for withholding evidence that Orion pictures Jodie Foster had hits with the silence of the lambs a above with Anthony Hopkins a and Little Man Tate. Might have helped him avoid 14 years in prison. A terminator 2 a no one does action adventure better than a null. Here Schwarzenegger plays another Man machine from the future who is sent Back in time to Battle a relentless cyborg. Some of the stunts and special effects Are unbelievable. A Robin Hood a Kevin Costner a pitiful stabs at sounding British fail to detract from this grand retelling of one of the most famous tales in the English language. A the Fisher King a Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges Romp through a truly magical tale of love loss and redemption directed by the brilliantly Quirky Terry Gilliam. A awakenings a Williams and de Niro Are by turns exhilarating and heartbreaking in this wondrous mostly True Story of a doctor and the catatonic patient whom he brings Back to life. A Frankie and Johnny a Michelle Pfeiffer and a1 Pacino Are in top form in this bittersweet love Story about lonely people and what they have to do to make it through the night. A Thelma amp Louise a Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis Star in this feminist parable about two repressed women who head out on the open Highway to Settle some cultural scores. A City slickers a it had a few too gooey moments but Billy crystals tale of three Urban boys who go on a cattle drive to rediscover their manliness is a riot. And a few other awards. ,. Most shameless slumming by a major Star Sean Connery in Highlander 2 the quickening Demi Moore in nothing but trouble. Catchiest line a Shasta la Vista. Baby a Arnold Schwarzenegger to his foe in terminator dumbest line Quot drop the Zero and get with the hero Quot a Vanilla ice urging Kristin Minter to ditch her Boyfriend for him in Cool As ice. Most original assault weapon a giant hard Salami which Steven Seagal uses to Bonk a bad Guy in out for Justice. Actors most Likely to be mistaken for Pine logs Matt Dillon and Sean Young in a kiss before dying. Worst casting Lesley Ann Warren As a bag lady in life  malevolent Robert de Niro discusses his plans for his former attorney Nick Nolte in Cape fear. Universal Page 16 the stars and stripes wednesday thursday january 1/2, 1992