AMC is airing “Outbreak,” apparently it’s an “American Movie Classic.” I remember when AMC really did broadcast classics, a lot of old black and white gems from musicals to film noir to horror. Sigh.

 Not that I don’t mind their new selection which is usually Clint Eastwood or the Halloween series, I understand they had reinvent their lineup for advertising purposes. “Outbreak,” however, is better left to something like TBS or TNT or late night on one of the premium channels.

I watched it in the theater back when it was released in 1995. Directed by Wolfgang Peterson and starring Dustin Hoffman, it was a pretty decent mainstream flick…except…

Who the hell decided to cast Rene Russo as Dustin Hoffman’s wife/love interest? The woman is tall enough to step on him. They are so incredibly mismatched that it has to be one of the worst cinematic pairings ever.

Fortunately, the two are strong enough actors that we can still absorb the storyline, but every time they appear together the viewer is reminded of their star status–in real life it would be amazing to see these two together and guys would be congratulating a toad like Hoffman for nabbing Russo.

Nothing against Hoffman, I’m a fan, but somebody should have had the guts to say, “We need another leading lady!” A short one, not too ugly but certainly not gorgeous and definitely some wear and tear. Rene Russo is too beautiful to comprehend hooking up with an older guy that has to look up to admire her.

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