
In commemoration of City Weekly's 40th anniversary, we are digging into our archives to celebrate. Each week, we FLASHBACK to a story or column from our past in honor of four decades of local alt-journalism. Whether the names and issues are familiar or new, we are grateful to have this unique newspaper to contain them all.
Title: Murphy's Romance Only Hit Among August New Releases
Author: Steve Reynolds
Date: August, 1986

Six video releases are up for grabs this month, consisting largely of recent films with the exception of a long-awaited James Bond/007 spoof.
Black Moon Rising — Tongue-in-cheek adventure stars Tommy Lee Jones as a smartass thief who rescues futuristic, high-tech racing car from its tightly secured iron fortress. Jones plays his role for pure camp value and refuses to take anything seriously, but the film is hampered by a low budget which allows for little action. Sometimes fun, but on the whole, rather dull.
Rating: 2
Casino Royale (RCA/Columbia) — Overlong, overproduced, over-everything 1967 James Bond takeoff is a mess. At least five directors worked on the troubled production, with many guest stars running amok. Virtually every actor plays Agent 007, including David Niven, Peter Sellers and Woody Allen. Despite all the talent, none of this is very amusing or enjoyable.
Rating: 2
The Delta Force (Media) — Pretty good Chuck Norris/Lee Marvin action flick. This is an intense, surprisingly restrained hijack drama with virtually no gunplay until the final 45 minutes. From then on, it develops into better-than-average Norris escapism as a crack military unit blows away Arab terrorism. A bit silly, perhaps, but it could have been worse.
Rating: 2 1/2
Murphy's Romance (RCA/Columbia) — James Garner earned an Oscar nomination for his winning performance as a small-town druggist and widower who becomes romantically involved with spunky horse trainer Sally Field. Old fashioned, unpretentious comedy-drama has memorable Garner/Field chemistry and is directed with honest simplicity by Martin Ritt. A must-see.
Rating: 4
Smooth Talk — Grand Prize Winner of the 1986 U.S. Film Festival is this fascinating, thought-provoking drama which paints a revealing portrait of a teenage girl's sexual awareness. Superb performances by Laura Dern and Treat Williams dominate this painful and realistic coming-of-age study, adapted from Joyce Carol Oates' short story. Not for all tastes, but an emotional odyssey that delivers a powerful punch.
Rating: 3 1/2
Spies Like Us (Warner) — Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd do their best in making this erratic comedy worthwhile, as a pair of "disposable decoys" sent on a secret CIA mission involving U.S. and Soviet weaponry. Both comics are hilarious, compensating for the dead spots provided by a weak script. Good-natured amusement for Chase and Aykroyd fans; otherwise, forget it.
Rating: 2 1/2
