reviewed by Bruce Williamson

It's Oscar time. Which films pass our Rabbit test? Let the fur fly!

Apollo 13: Tom Hanks still in orbit in a space-age epic to remember.
The Brothers McMullen: A fine, fresh look at three lusty Irish siblings.
Burnt by the Sun: Russian drama about the Stalin era won last year's Oscar as best foreign film.
Dead Man Walking: Sarandon and Penn debate the nature of good and evil on death row.
Get Shorty: Elmore Leonard's yarn spoofs Hollywood in style, helped a lot by Travolta, Hackman & Co.
Leaving Las Vegas: Cage and Shue flame out flashily with two sure-fire performances.
Mighty Aphrodite: Backed by Woody Allen and a Greek chorus, Mira Sorvino takes Manhattan by storm.
Sense and Sensibility: The star is Emma Thompson, who also adapted this delicious Jane Austen comedy.
To Die For: Kidman is grand as a bitchy, murderous media darling.
The Usual Suspects: Twists and turns in a starry thriller deftly contrived to knock your socks off.

AND THE TEN WORST

Billy Madison: In a dreary crossover, SNL's Adam Sandler looms small as a doltish nonachiever.
Blue in the Face: Celebrities improvise to no good purpose.
The Crossing Guard: This mishap has Nicholson misdirected by Penn.
Johnny Mnemonic: Bad news for fans of Keanu -- it's not up to "Speed."
Judge Dredd: Stallone saga even worse than Assassins.
A Pyromaniac's Love Story: A no-win romp for Billy Baldwin. Who green-lighted this obvious turkey?
The Scarlet Letter: How to foul up a classic, with Demi as exhibit A.
Showgirls Witless and rife with tits, ass and attitude.
Tank Girl: Futuristic drivel stars Lori Petty as the canned cookie.
Waterworld: Costner's folly looks costly, indeed, but that's about all.

photo: Russo and Travolta get Shorty good.

Photography by Linda R. Chen/© 1995 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.

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Reprinted from Playboy, April 1996 Copyright © 1996 Playboy Enterprises, Inc. No part of this article may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means--electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise--without the written permission of the copyright owner.

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