WASHINGTON (August 28, 1998) -- The 1-800-311-4CCC movie line reviews Why Do Fools Fall in Love for the week of August 28-September 3. Also included on the toll-free line is a review of And Now Miguel, this week's suggested home video for family viewing.

The 800 movie review line is a project of the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC).

The August 28-September 3 list includes the following theater releases and their classifications according to moral suitability. Movies are evaluated according to artistic merit and moral suitability by the U.S. Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting.

• Why Do Fools Fall in Love -- Because of intense physical and psychological violence, explicit sexual situations, recurring rough language and some profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Why Do Fools Fall in Love misfires as a musical melodrama about a rock'n'roll singer who dies of a drug overdose, leaving three wives to fight over his estate. The result succeeds better in its re-creation of the rock'n'roll era in the mid-1950's than in the personal flashbacks portraying the bickering widows' very different recollections of the troubled musician.

• 54 -- Because of its uncritical portrayal of substance abuse, promiscuity and theft as well as brief nudity and much rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. 54 is loosely based on the rise and demise of Studio 54, New York City's hottest disco in the late 1970's, as seen through the eyes of a decadent bartender. Despite its pounding music track, the movie is a lifeless assemblage of glossy but empty images drawing no lessons from the consequences of life in the fast lane.

• Wrongfully Accused -- Because of slapstick violence as well as sexual situations and innuendo, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Wrongfully Accused stars Leslie Nielson in an uneven spoof of "The Fugitive" and other action thrillers but its goofy assortment of sight gags, crazy props and silly situations prove only fitfully amusing.

• Dance with Me -- Because of romantic complications and unmarried sexual relationships, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Dance with Me offers overblown musical romance with a Latin beat as a Cuban youth comes to Texas to meet the man he's certain is his father, then falls for a dance studio instructor while helping restart her professional dancing career. The thinly developed story relies on increasingly elaborate dance routines to provide the interest missing from stereotyped situations and characters.

• Dead Man on Campus -- Because of its jokey treatment of recreational drug use, underage drinking and promiscuity as well as much rough language and profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Dead Man on Campus is a failed comedy about two college freshmen seeking to drive a depressed roommate into committing suicide. Its lighthearted depictions of substance abuse, meaningless casual sex and troubled students make this a dreary exercise in anti-social humor.

• Blade -- Because of excessive violence, much profanity and constant rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Blade is an ultraviolent horror fantasy adapted from the comic strip about three heavily armed humans battling a city of vampires. The gory, stomach-turning proceedings wallow in scenes of brutality, butchery and bloodshed.

The family video of the week is And Now Miguel -- The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I -- general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. And Now Miguel follows a year in the life of a small boy in New Mexico who wants to be a shepherd like his father. The 1966 movie emphasizes the support the boy receives from his loving Latino family, with the natural beauty of the land and credible performances adding interest to a realistic picture of pastoral life.

The classifications are A-I - general patronage; A-II - adults and adolescents; A-III - adults; A-IV - adults, with reservations (an A-IV classification designates problematic films that, while not morally offensive in themselves, require caution and some analysis and explanation as a safeguard against wrong interpretations and false conclusions); O - morally offensive.

The movie reviews are produced by the U.S. Catholic Conference (USCC) Office for Film and Broadcasting, which each week provides full length movie reviews, brief capsules and film classifications of new theater releases.

Reviewers include Henry Herx, Director, and Gerri Pare, Associate Director, of the Film and Broadcasting Office, which is funded by the CCC.

The capsule reviews are available on the World Wide Web. They can be found on two sites: http://www.nccbuscc.org and http://www.CatholicDigest.org/stops/movies/movies1.html.

Full-length reviews of the above and other movies are available through America Online at the Catholic News Service site on AOL, and can be accessed by AOL members using the keyword, "CNS."

For media inquiries, e-mail us at commdept@usccb.org
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