SUMMER SNEAKS ’94 : If...

FRIDAY, MAY 20

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. Gus Van Sant directs the quirky Tom Robbins novel, starring Uma Thurman as the large-thumbed gal who travels from New York to an all-cowgirl ranch out West. Lorraine Bracco and Rain Phoenix await her. (Fine Line)

Maverick. Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and former Maverick James Garner star for director Richard Donner in this update on debonair drifter Bret Maverick. When he sits down with the likes of Foster and Garner at a big poker championship, the bullets and witticisms fly. (Warner Bros.)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25

Beverly Hills Cop III. Axel Foley is in Detroit, kicking back, when he comes across strange clues during a murder investigation. These leads compel Eddie Murphy’s character to streak back to California and expose the criminal element at an amusement park. John Landis directs. (Paramount)

FRIDAY, MAY 27

The Flintstones. “A Steven Spielrock presentation,” this mega-budgeted film stars John Goodman (Fred), Rick Moranis (Barney), Elizabeth Perkins (Wilma) and Rosie O’Donnell (Betty). When Fred gets a promotion at the Slate & Co. quarry, things get a bit hectic in Bedrock. Brian Levant directs. (Universal)

Little Buddha. Bernardo Bertolucci has cast Keanu Reeves, Bridget Fonda and Chris Isaak in this globe-trotting tale of a Seattle couple that hauls off to Bhutan to see if their little boy is indeed a reincarnation of the enlightened one. (Miramax)

FRIDAY, JUNE 3

Bruce Brown’s The Endless Summer II. Thirty years after he shot his original surfer flick, Brown takes crest-mavens Robert (Wingnut) Weaver and Pat O’Connell all over creation to do it again. Creation includes South Africa, Fiji, Alaska, France--practically everywhere but Detroit. (New Line)

The Cowboy Way. Woody Harrelson and Kiefer Sutherland play a couple of cowpokes from New Mexico who end up in New York on a desperate quest for a missing buddy. You guessed it: These fish outta water take so big a bite from the Big Apple, they’re spittin’ out seeds. (Universal)

The Princess and the Goblin. The George MacDonald classic of a princess, the evil goblins and her beloved but endangered castle is brought to life through the voices of Claire Bloom and Joss Ackland. (Hemdale)

Renaissance Man. Danny DeVito plays an unemployed Madison Avenue type who’s enlisted by the U.S. Army to use his quirky methods to get a group of decidedly dense recruits fit for duty. The Army brass may have their problems with his technique, but they definitely yield results. Penny Marshall directs. (Touchstone)

FRIDAY, JUNE 10

Africa: The Serengeti. The newest IMAX spectacular takes us on the yearlong journey that more than a million animals take across the grassy plains of the Serengeti National Park in northern Tanzania.

City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold. Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern and Jack Palance saddle up again. Palance plays Duke, a dead ringer for expired brother Curly, as they all vie for the buried riches detailed in a map Crystal discovers in Curly’s hat. (Columbia)

Speed. Arch bad guy Dennis Hopper has rigged a crowded Los Angeles bus to blow to smithereens if it slows to under 50 mph. Reckless but brilliant SWAT cop Keanu Reeves takes on the formidable task of saving these terrified passengers from a fate worse than a Santa Clarita commute. Jan De Bont directs. (Fox)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15

Bhaji on the Beach. Three generations of Asian women head into blue-collar Blackpool, England, for a day of mirthful activity. It’s a divergent gathering, the high points coming from the gap between those who subscribe to the old versus the new school. Kim Vithana stars. (First Look)

The Lion King. The word, rather, the roar, around town is that this one is going to be big. Like, major big. In this latest feature from Disney’s animators, Matthew Broderick provides the voice for cub Simba and Jeremy Irons that of the evil uncle who forces him into exile after his father, the King, passes on. Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff direct; Elton John and Tim Rice provide the tunes. (Walt Disney)

FRIDAY, JUNE 17

Fear of a Black Hat. Rusty Cundieff directs his own script chronicling the hilarious history of “the greatest rap band that ever was”: N.W.H. (the H stands for hats ). Cundieff also stars as Ice Cold. (Samuel Goldwyn Co.)

Getting Even With Dad. Howard Deutch (“Pretty in Pink”) directs this comedy starring Macaulay Culkin as a bright little fellow who uses devilish means to get his petty crook of a dad to shape up. “Just one last heist,” daydreams dad Ted Danson, “then I’ll finally settle down.” Maybe not. (MGM)

Wolf. Jack Nicholson is a Manhattan book editor who is certain he’s about to get canned, so he takes a therapeutic drive one snowy night. Soon he’s bitten on the wrist by a wolf-like behemoth he nearly runs over with the car. Michelle Pfeiffer cares for the increasingly feral editor; Mike Nichols directs. (Columbia)

FRIDAY, JUNE 24

Wyatt Earp. We’ll learn what makes a legend most, as we observe young Wyatt blossoming into one of the most respected lawmen in American history. Kevin Costner is Earp, with Dennis Quaid taking the Doc Holliday role and Gene Hackman as father Nicholas. Lawrence Kasdan directs. (Warner Bros.)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29

I Love Trouble. A suspicious train collision silences a key figure in an industrial cover-up. Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte play rival reporters who go to great lengths trying to out-Woodward and Bernstein each other in cracking the case. (Touchstone/Caravan)

JUNE UNSCHEDULED

Me Let’s Hope I Make It. The title may change, but it’ll still be about an Italian primary school instructor who’s transferred to northern Italy to teach but inadvertently ends up in a very poor village just outside Naples. He does the best he can. Lina Wertmuller directs; Paolo Villagio stars. (Miramax)

White. Krzysztof Kieslowski continues his “color” trilogy with this saga of a Polish hairdresser whose smashing French wife cashes in her chips after only six months of marriage. You’ll watch as he tries to woo her back. Zbigniew Zamachowski stars. (Miramax)

FRIDAY, JULY 1

Baby’s Day Out. John Hughes is writing and producing this family comedy, so you may wanna get in line now. Baby Bink, all of nine months, has gotten lost and half the city’s in a panic looking for him. Heavy on the special effects, easy on the mind. Joe Mantegna and Lara Flynn Boyle star. (Fox)

Blown Away. Jeff Bridges plays a bomb squad captain who’s targeted by Tommy Lee Jones just as he’s trying to ease into a less hectic life. Lloyd Bridges and Forest Whitaker also do their best to thwart Jones in his quest to be the summer’s most heinous villain. (MGM)

Go Fish. Lesbian lives, five of them, are explored in this comedy from director Rose Troche. Troche also edits and co-writes this rare and realistic depiction of the normal desires and dreams of women who happen to love women. (Samuel Goldwyn Co.)

Little Big League. Young Luke Edwards inherits the Minnesota Twins when granddad Jason Robards dies. When the youngest owner-manager in baseball history stresses a young-at-heart mentality, the club begins to flourish. (Columbia)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6

Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks plays an innocent enough fella who travels the world, insinuating himself into some of the most marvelous events in U.S. history. Sure, he’s a bit slow, but his priceless relationship with Robin Wright and the world he loves should prove special. Robert Zemeckis directs. (Paramount)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13

Angels in the Outfield. Danny Glover, Christopher Lloyd and Tony Danza suit up for this remake of the 1951 fable, with the California Angels pinch-hitting for the Pittsburgh Pirates. When 11-year-old Roger comes along, his “angels” help the real Angels go from worst to first. (Walt Disney/Caravan)

FRIDAY, JULY 15

Black Beauty. Anna Sewell’s classic novel--as interpreted by debuting director (and “Edward Scissorhands” scribe) Caroline Thompson--spans two decades in the late 19th-Century England existence of the horse that sees and endures pretty much everything. Sean Bean stars. (Warner Bros.)

Mi Vida Loca. Angel Aviles stars for “Gas Food Lodging” director Allison Anders in this tough look at growing up (surviving is more like it) as a Latina in L.A.’s Echo Park. (Sony Classics)

True Lies. “T2” alums Arnold Schwarzenegger and director-writer James Cameron let ‘er rip in this tale of a sophisticated spy who specializes in thwarting nuclear terrorists. Jamie Lee Curtis is the wife who’s not quite sure what he does--but she’s sure that their marriage is in trouble. (Fox)

FRIDAY, JULY 22

The Client. Susan Sarandon plays Reggie Love, the lawyer who takes the delicate case of an 11-year-old who has witnessed a suicide and may now know the identity of a senator’s killer. The FBI desperately wants some info and the Mob wants him to keep mum, in this adaptation of the John Grisham bestseller. Tommy Lee Jones co-stars; Joel Schumacher directs. (Warner Bros.)

Just Like a Woman. Julie Walters is a newly divorced Londoner who seeks boarders to share her home. Yank Adrian Pasdar moves in, she becomes smitten, and all is simply marvy until he reveals he’s a transvestite. Warmth, comedy and dress exchanges ensue. (Samuel Goldwyn)

Lassie. Dan Petrie directs this latest story of the courgeous collie who came to be way back in 1938. When the Turner clan relocates from Baltimore to Virginia, little Jennifer makes a friend of the stray dog that will later save them from some ornery neighbors. Tom Guiry and Richard Farnsworth star. (Paramount)

North. Elijah Wood may just burst out of Macaulay’s shadow with this one, as Rob Reiner directs this touching tale of an 11-year-old who heads out into the cruel world in search of the “perfect” parents. Bruce Willis, Jon Lovitz and “Seinfeld” co-stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander provide support. (Columbia)

FRIDAY, JULY 29

Foreign Student. The year is 1956, the place, Virginia. Philippe (Marco Hofschneider of “Europa Europa”) is an enthusiastic 18-year-old from Paris who wants nothing more than to fit in here in America. He’ll meet fellow student Robin Givens and fall in love with her, soon realizing that most folks in town don’t share his joy. (Gramercy)

It Could Happen to You. Nicolas Cage and “Honeymoon in Vegas” director Andrew Bergman hope to continue their fruitful collaboration with this romantic comedy. Cage, an impeccably honest New York City cop (it’s only a movie), gives a lottery ticket to waitress Bridget Fonda. His materialistic wife (Rosie Perez) goes bonkers. (TriStar)

The Mask. Jim Carrey’s rising stock may hit blue-chip status if this special-effects-laden action-comedy clicks. Fellow comic Richard Jeni co-stars in the story of a banal bank clerk who becomes a magical, charismatic hero when he dons an ancient mask. Industrial Light & Magic provides Carrey’s scary shots. (New Line)

JULY UNSCHEDULED

The Advocate. Colin Firth plays a young lawyer who bolts Paris for the alleged serenity of Abbeville. Religious, political and sexual intrigue await; not to mention a pig on trial for murder. (Miramax)

Barcelona. Director Whit Stillman follows up his critical gem “Metropolitan” with this one centering on an American exec who’s quietly relocated to Spain. When his Navy-lifer cousin comes out to stay, two gorgeous women become part of the stormy equation--and their lives are forever changed. Taylor Nichols and Chris Eigeman star. (Fine Line)

The Innocent. John Schlesinger directs this political thriller starring Campbell Scott, Isabella Rossellini and Anthony Hopkins. Just after World War II, Scott is a technician sent to Berlin on a secret operation, only to drop into Rossellini’s alluring web. (Miramax)

The Shadow. Russell Mulcahy, erstwhile director of music videos and “Highlander,” takes on this Alec Baldwin vehicle about one of the most mysterious and effective vigilantes of them all. Penelope Ann Miller plays the Shadow’s “pal” and John Lone is ultra-nemesis Shiwan Khan, a direct descendant of that guy with the funny mustache. (Universal)

Spanking the Monkey. Mom’s just fractured her leg and sonny returns home from college only to learn he must now look after her. He resents his uncaring father but soon begins to develop a reluctant crush on his relatively youthful mother. (Fine Line)

The Wedding Gift. Julie Walters has contracted some bizarre illness that leaves her bedridden. Jim Broadbent plays her loving husband, and he’s quick to make her laugh during these trying times. One question, though: Is her malady self-generated? (Miramax)

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 3

Airheads. Brendan Fraser’s the singer, Steve Buscemi the bassist and Adam Sandler the drummer in this raucous tale of an unknown band that takes a radio station hostage to get some airplay. Michael Lehmann directs. (Fox)

FRIDAY, AUG. 5

Clear and Present Danger. Harrison Ford’s Jack Ryan finds himself acting deputy director of the CIA, shortly to be tossed into the perilous world of the Colombian drug cartels. Phillip Noyce (“Patriot Games”) returns to direct; Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer and James Earl Jones also star. (Paramount)

In the Army Now. Pauly Shore . . . leading man? Hey, this guy is becoming a franchise at Disney, and this time he takes the gadfly-dude character into combat. Lori Petty and David Alan Grier co-star for director Daniel Petrie Jr. (Hollywood)

Natural Born Killers. Oliver Stone stands to rebound from “Heaven and Earth” with this hyper-violent satire starring Woody Harrelson, Robert Downey Jr. and Juliette Lewis. Downey’s a tabloid-TV host who finds the perfect ratings booster in Harrelson and Lewis: They’re lovers who like to kill people. (Warner Bros.)

The Next Karate Kid. Young Hilary Swank takes over the Ralph Macchio role while Pat Morita returns to provide martial-arts advice. Turns out she’s the granddaughter of a war buddy who saved his life many decades ago. (Columbia)

Smoking and No Smoking. Alain Resnais directs these two separate French-language films based on British playwright Alan Ayckbourn’s short plays and starring Sabine Azema and Pierre Arditi as multiple characters. “No Smoking” will be released in early September. (October)

FRIDAY, AUG. 12

Camp Nowhere. This comedy imagines what would happen if a bunch of kids conjured up their idea of what camp should be: No rules. Lots of Nintendo. Mountains of junk food. Reveille at noon. The fun comes to a screeching halt on Parents Day, however. Christopher Lloyd stars. (Hollywood)

A Troll in Central Park. Animator Don Bluth brings us this saga of a good-natured troll (voice of Dom DeLuise) who is banished from evil Troll Land to the even more evil New York City. Once there, he helps some of the downtrodden and in doing so really upsets Queen Gnorga (Cloris Leachman). (Warner Bros.)

FRIDAY, AUG. 19

Andre. George Miller (the “Neverending Story” guy) directs Keith Carradine and 9-year-old Tina Majorino in this 1962-set tear-jerker involving a lovable seal--he wears funny hats, sunglasses and a blaring Hawaiian shirt--who’s adopted by the good-hearted Goodridge family. (Paramount)

Blankman. “In Living Color” vets Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier lead this crime-fighting sendup. Blankman is bereft of the usual crime-stopping paraphernalia but manages to get the job done; Robin Givens is the TV reporter who ensures that the public is aware of his exploits. (Columbia)

Corrina, Corrina. Whoopi Goldberg stars as a quirky housekeeper hired by Ray Liotta. Liotta’s wife has just died, but the energy emanating from his home’s new resident is helping him cope. (New Line)

S.F.W. A biting statement regarding the cult of publicity, this film tells of Cliff Spab, a grubby suburbanite who becomes a nationwide celebrity during a monthlong convenience-store hostage standoff. In quick time he feels utterly captive to the media frenzy he helped swirl. Stephen Dorff stars. (Gramercy)

A Simple Twist of Fate. Steve Martin stars in his own script that speaks to adoptive fathers who stand to lose their loved ones to biological parents. Gabriel Byrne and Catherine O’Hara are also cast in this drama of frustration. Gillies MacKinnon directs. (Touchstone)

Wagons East. Might be tough to laugh, given John Candy’s death during filming of this story of disappointed Western settlers who head back East. The Indians are the good guys, and a powerful railroad baron the not-so-good: He sees their return as a threat to his empire. (TriStar)

FRIDAY, AUG. 26

Color of Night. This erotic thriller trails analyst Bruce Willis from New York to California after the suicide of one of his patients. Once here, his buddy’s killed and he takes over the therapy group to ascertain the murderer. Richard Rush directs. (Hollywood)

Pulp Fiction. Quentin Tarantino follows up his cult fave “Reservoir Dogs” with this anthological homage to criminal life, blood, lust and good ol’ greed. Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Harvey Keitel star. Better leave the kids at home. (Miramax)

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 31

Milk Money. Richard Benjamin directs Melanie Griffith and Ed Harris in this story of a handful of 12-year-old boys who pool their lunch money to see naked women. Griffith is the streetwise woman they find at the strip club, whom one of the kids believes is perfect for his widower dad. (Paramount)

AUGUST UNSCHEDULED

Camilla. When Bridget Fonda and the hubby head to the beaches of Georgia for some well-deserved R&R;, she meets title character Jessica Tandy. Fonda’s so enamored of the eccentric old woman that she agrees to hit the road with her in a beat-up Volkswagen Beetle. (Miramax)

Eat Drink Man Woman. The producers and director of “The Wedding Banquet” have at it again in this comedy of a father and his three very independent and very unmarried daughters. He’s the best chef in Taipei, but that doesn’t make this generation gap any more palatable. Sihung Lung stars; Ang Lee directs. (Samuel Goldwyn Co.)

Fausto. Teen-aged Fausto is an orphan but soon comes under the wing of a kindly Jewish tailor who is quick with the scissors. Very soon, the young man is creating wildly flamboyant and nifty dresses and the neighbors just love it. Ken Higelin stars. (Miramax)

Highlander III: The Magician. Christopher Lambert reprises the time-traveling fellow who must this time thwart a magician hellbent on destroying him. Mario Van Peebles plays Lambert’s nemesis, who most likely has something deadly up his sleeve. (Miramax)

It Runs in the Family. Charles Grodin and Mary Steenburgen do their best one summer to help son Kieran Culkin get through those speed bumps on the way to manhood. Bob Clark directs. (MGM)

The Little Rascals. The gang’s all back, in the form of a gaggle of heretofore-unknown kiddie actors. Penelope Spheeris (“Wayne’s World”) will guide Travis Tedford, Bug Hall and others who braved the throngs at cattle calls all around the country to land roles as Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, et al. (Universal)

The Scout. Albert Brooks (who co-wrote) is a New York Yankees scout who saves his rep by locating a pitching whiz south of the border. Brendan Fraser plays the ace, whose amazing talents are only surpassed by his weirdness. Michael Ritchie directs; among those making cameos are George Steinbrenner, Tony Bennett and Bob Costas. (Fox)

FRIDAY, SEPT. 2

It’s Pat. Julia Sweeney re-creates her lovably rotund “Saturday Night Live” character for the big screen, this time even falling in love in the process! Her, umm, person-friend? It’s Chris, equally indistinguishable. David Foley co-stars as the love interest. (Touchstone)

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