The Quest. Jean Claude Van Damme-o-rama! The Muscles from Brussels not only stars in this movie, he wrote and directed it too! If you, too, are under the impression movies are made by smart, talented but occasionally misguided people, go see The Quest and have your little illusions shattered. This tale of a kidnapped clown trained as a world-class fighter, who then travels to the non-violent country of Tibet to compete in some mysterious, weird fighting match against the stereotypical macho guys of the world, is so stupid that the word "bad" only begins to claw at the margins of what this movie is and shall forever be. Anyone considering viewing The Quest should keep in mind it is unsuitable for entertainment purposes and should only be used as a form of punishment.

The Quick and the Dead. Sam Raimi, best known for the Evil Dead series, directs this surrealistically action-packed Western (based entirely on a gunfight contest) as if he'd taken the title to heart and slowing down would kill him. Every sequence spills over with visual punchlines, obnoxiously funny zoom-in shots and ferocious one-liners. It's almost too much movie for itself, and protagonist Sharon Stone can't anchor the picture the way it needs; her Clint Eastwood-style sullenness lacks substance. But the gallery of supporting actors, which includes Lance Henriksen, Leonard DiCaprio, Gene Hackman (doing a twisted take on his evil sheriff role from Unforgiven), fill the movie with so much wanton charisma that Stone's performance as the "straight man" actually starts working after a while. It's a weird picture where A-movie and B-movie qualities are blended at such a high velocity that you start to lose track of which is which.

QUIZ SHOW. Robert Redford's examination of the Quiz Show scandals surrounding the 1950s show Twenty-One is a solid, straightforward piece of filmmaking that struggles to project larger meanings onto the story's historical triviality. Through the story of contestant Charles Van Doren's fall from grace, Redford suggests that the rise of television signaled the decline of American intellectual integrity, a notion too simple-minded to qualify as enlightening. Fortunately, the film also presents an enjoyably authentic recreation of '50s TV mania, complete with cheesy game-show hosts and seedy producers who, by today's standards, look rather innocent. Starring Ralph Fiennes, John Turturro and Rob Morrow.