The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 35

The Pantagraph Tuesday, December 30, 1997 Sanborn special right for New Year's Eve Running times for local movies Movie title Hours and minutes Movie title Hours and minutes Air Force One 1 hr. 57 mm. Jackie Brown 2 hrs. 32 min. Alien Resurrection 1 hr.

49 min. The Little Mermaid 1 hr. 23 min. American Werewolf in Paris 1 hr. 39 min.

Midnight in the 2 hrs. 34 min. Anastasia 1 hr. 34 min. Mr.

Magoo 1 hr. 27 min. As Good As It Gets 2 hrs. 14 min. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation 1 hr.

33 min. Rubber 1 hr. 32 min. Mousehunt 1 hr. 33 min.

For Richer or Poorer 1 hr. 40 min. The Postman 3 hrs. 8 min. Home Alone 3 1 hr.

50 min. The Rainmaker 2 hrs. 18 min. I Know What You Did 1 hr. 41 min.

Scream 2 2 hrs. In and Out 1 hr. 32 min. Titanic 3 hrs. 17 min.

The Jackal 2 hrs. 5 min. Tomorrow Never Dies 1 hr. 59 min. dropping of the New Year's Eve ball all 500 pounds' and 12,000 rhinestones' worth high above New York City's Times Square.

It's been a tradition since 1906, with Dick Clark a TV fixture since 1912. Oops, make that 1972. But what about all those Americans watching from a broad swath somewhere between Vegas and Manhattan? What about those viewers in the Central Time Zone, who up to now have had no national network New Year's countdown to call their own? (When Dick Clark pronounces it 1998, these disenfranchised millions still will have an hour to go!) Well, a bold new tradition forged with them in mind begins this year on NBC's "Late Night With Conan O'Brien." So what if Eastern Time Zone viewers will have had a good half-hour head start into 1998 when "Late Night" begins its New Year's Eve edition at 12:35 a.m.? Conan, mindful of his 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. time slot for Central viewers, will deliver '98 expressly synched to the heartland. Besides celebrating the culture and history of a region unconcerned at living life an hour behind, "Late Night" will ring in the New Year for the Central Time Zone legions.

In simulated fashion, that is. Complete with CST countdown, "Late Night" will pretape, as usual, in the late afternoon. The resulting time warp means Conan can break his '98 resolutions even before '97 goes kaput. Whenever that might i be. Jv AP By FRAZIER MOORE Associated Press NEW YORK Here are two predictions for the New Year: It will arrive as scheduled, and David Sanborn's saxophone will sound just as terrific in 1998 as it ever did before.

Assuming the first proposition pans out, you can certify the second one by catching Sanborn's tasty hourlong special, "After New Year's Eve," airing on ABC Thursday at 12:05 a.m. CST. Taped two weeks BEFORE New Year's Eve at a mid-Manhattan studio, the program captures the right atmosphere with its cozy, jazz-club setting, including wisps of artificial smoke. Sanborn is an affable host as well as a musician, and he welcomes a refreshingly diverse slate of guests including Isaac Hayes, Joan Osborne, Lou Reed, Boz Scaggs, hip-hop group Naughty by Nature, and legendary New Orleans singer-pianist Dr. John.

Highlights include Reed's rip-roaring "Dirty Boulevard" and a sexy, silken pairing of Hayes and Osborne on "Spooky." The only drawback of the show is its scheduling. Despite paying appropriate lip service to auld lang syne, "After New Year's Eve" is right for any occasion. Aired in prime time on another night, it might receive the larger (and presumably more alert) audience it deserves. Still, TV sets in great numbers will burn bright on New Year's Eve. For those viewers gazing at them, Sanborn should prove a welcome second act after "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," signing on at 10:35 p.m.

CST, has ushered in the main event. But where does television get off playing any role in ringing out one year and ringing in another? Why do celebrants need guidance from Dick Clark or, over on Fox, from David Alan Grier (of "In Living as host of "When New Year's Eve What can they tell you that your own on-site countdown can't identify? Glad you asked. As with so much Tomnrrmv fn sat late show 11 I tVUsLia I DistmuTiG AmisTui HI 1,00 5,00 "Rlfffi-PlMIIFR 1:15 4,45 7:15 9:30 In lut KM (lilt ED M1 1 1 HOMEAL0Ne3 1 45 430 700 9:15 Ready for (J3 fn ut late show SB3B TITANIC PG13 12.004 00 8 00 SCREAiyi2li 2:15 4:45 7:15 9 45 I Werewolf inParis CHI (n Mt iaw show -THE POSTMAN DtSHEY'S RUBBER 1 30 3 30 5.30 7 30 9:30 fnsatlataihowH 30 Gonn vs It Hfts 200500800 fttWUUttllUtIS FR, sat late SHOW 11:00 lkNHIKsiiE3 1:15 315 5:15 7:15 9:15 Hilt magOO IE3 Insatiate show UVHl tlTt rZ 1:15 3:15 5.15 7:15 915 A A fri sat lata show 11:15 JACKIE BROWN 2:00 5:15 8:15 fn sat late show 11:15 TITANIC IPG13J 12.30 4 30 8 30 Cnlau 1:45 4:15 7,00 9 30 SVRjfcjAiyi fn sat late show 12,00 Jackal Ratnmstcar (PG131 4:15 9 30 FORCEONE 2 30 4 45 7 00 9 15 IH60UTPG131 2:45 5,30 7309 30 Saxophonist David Sanborn performed during taping of "After New Year's Eve" in this 1997 photo. Sanborn headlines the hourlong special airing Wednesday night. Guests include Isaac Hayes, Joan Osborne, Lou Reed and Dr.

John. laafM a- -rm-i-i -l at aaaaaaaiaaaaaaaaaai HT.irnri UNDER 6 TO H) MOVIES AFTER 6PM 'Titanic' stays afloat as I MORTAL KOMBAT 3 one on 7-nann ANNIHILATION Ei3 305,00 7.15 9 00 "THE LITTLE MERMAID" (G) 3 155.157,00 9 00 I GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE LESLIE PARKWAY CINEMAS UNIVERSITY CINEMAS 1 r-r- If f. tans NO CHILDREN window yourself, somehow television's confirmation that 1998 is nigh carries more weight than the clock on your own wall ticking down the seconds. Plus, TV can offer so much more razzle-dazzle. During the Las Vegas-based "When New Year's Eve Attacks," which starts at 11 p.m.

CST, Fox promises to herald 1998 by dropping a car 150 feet "with an internationally famous stuntman inside." Meanwhile, ABC's will bear witness to the annual No. 1 movie character, debuted in ninth place with $5.5 million. The most significant disaster was "The Postman," with Kevin Costner as star, director and producer. The poorly reviewed epic about a post-apocalyptic mail carrier cost more than $80 million to make and had less than $4 million in opening weekend receipts to finish out of the top 10. "It's a hard film to sell because it has a lot of competition," Bucksbaum said.

"Warner Bros, was really counting on this film to end their season on a positive note." PARKWAY CINEMAS SnUnllvU Bloomington 309-454-SHOW 1011m VP of its programming year-round, TV trades on the principle that the grass is greener in your neighbor's (televised) yard. So, no matter where you are and what you're doing New Year's Eve, you'll naturally assume that the revelers you see on television are having way more fun than you. TV invites you to share in their merriment vicariously. Besides, television reigns as the supreme authority. Just as you would rather hear a Weather Channel meteorologist tell you it's raining outside than peek out your showings.

The PG-13 rating also helped during a weekend when family audiences were the norm. "'Titanic' is getting a lot of repeat business. It's just that good of a film," Bucksbaum said. "A lot of people felt it would have a lot of trouble getting its money back." "Titanic" earlier had the biggest-ever Christmas Day take with $9.2 million, eclipsing the $6 million earned by "Godfather III" in 1990. DreamWorks SKG also scored big with an audience surge for the movies "MouseHunt" up 65 percent over its debut weekend and "Amistad," up 55 percent from its previous weekend.

Among new films, TriStar's "As Good As It Gets" did the best, placing No. 3. The romantic comedy earned $12.5 million at 1,572 locations for a $7,952 per-location average. Ed Russell, spokesman for Co-lumbiaTriStar, expressed satisfaction that "As Good As It Gets" beat the seven other films that opened last week. "It is very encouraging that a well-written, well-acted and well-directed film did so well," he said.

The new Quentin Tarantino film "Jackie Brown" debuted at No. 5 with $8.8 million and "An American Werewolf in Paris" was seventh with $7.8 million. "Mr. Ma-goo," the Leslie Nielsen comedy based on the nearsighted cartoon 101 W. Washington' (south of the square in Downtown Btoomngton) saa-0142 M-Th.

11-1; Sat 11-9; Sun. 12-8 iiev EVE TIME IQflE PAR? Every hour starting af 5 p.m. toast another country's New Year with champagne shots! Then get ready for the BIO TOA9T with champagne, party favors, and a Walloon droplll Night Also Includes: Mu8io Dancing Food Qpecials BREAKFA8T served after the 12 a.m. toast (1 Shots (pucker, hot sex, jello) 0PE Ml VEALTS EVE 4 pm-MidniQttt Featuring BIoomington-Normal's Best Steaks! and Prime Rib! IE3E: Now Playing I C.CK THEATRES I Veteians Pkwv 6b2-16 CHICK THEATRE DIRECTORY OR CALL THEATRE FOR SHOWTIMES SORRY DO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT TJTLVTVTERSXTY CINEMAS 2:00 5:15 8:15 UMTVERSITY CINEMAS 1:45 2:15 4:15 4:45 7:00 7:15 9:30 9:45 2:00 5:00 8:00 fri sat late show 1 1 :00 1:15 4:45 7:15 9:30 gjtmJU'JMBBlbnnp KEVIN COSTNER NIELSEN 1:15 3:15 5:15 7:15 9:15 2:45 5:15 7:30 9:45 nocin DISUEY'S pg-'. www.nubber.com TuTur LVwtrirnisisTiii(Twcsn tmirtraiwc PARKWAY CINEMAS 1:30 3:30 5:30 7:30 9:30 12:45 4:15 7:45 LOS ANGELES (AP) Director James Cameron's "Titanic" is proving unsinkable at the box office.

Cameron's epic about the historic liner that sunk on its maiden voyage earned $35.6 million to set a three-day December box office record and retain the No. 1 position, far ahead of "Tomorrow Never Dies," according to studio estimates. The $200 million epic, the most expensive movie ever made, eclipsed the $33 million set by this month's debut of "Scream 2." The horror sequel, which still holds the record for a December opening, dipped to sixth place. "Tomorrow Never Dies," the latest James Bond adventure, earned $21 million. Among new films, the Jack Nicholson comedy "As Good As It Gets" was a winner at third place with $12.5 million in ticket sales, while "The Postman" and "Jackie Brown" opened weakly.

"Titanic" already has taken in $87 million and will likely pass the $100 million mark by Friday, said Robert Bucksbaum, president of the film industry newsletter Reel Source. Ticket sales were up 23 percent in its second week and the average take at 2,711 locations was $12,900, considered extremely high. The figures were even more impressive because the 3-hour, 14-minute running time allowed theaters only a limited number of New Year's Eve Live Theatrical Performance and Music by MASTER FISTER with opening act Conceptual Disorder 16 oz. Bud Bottles $2.00 jjipnmsfEc afooih Pasta i tmmt i -THE" POSTMAN Brace Yourself For Melvin As Good As It Gets Jack Nicholson is she UNIVERSITY CINEMAS tit3iiicmovie.com PG-13L-. ruimincwuiin uimT ncians wt'aiiuriiMTia niiwinaiill UNIVERSITY CINEMAS 12:00 12:30 4.30 8:00 8:30 PARKWAY CITJTEIvrAS PARKWAY CINEMAS Brace Yourself For Melvin As Good as It Gets Jack Nicholson I jfM H0MEibAL0Ne8 oeanna ror KERrvauuns- PARKWAY CINEMAS 1:45 4:30 7:00 9:15 PARKWAY CINEMAS 4547:: 1 503 E.

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