FREEZE FRAMES

BIG TOP PEE-WEE - Our hero joins a circus and gets a new girlfriend. Endearingly silly, but nowhere near as original or amusing as ``Pee-wee's Big Adventure'' a couple of years ago. Randal Kleiser directed from a screenplay by George McGrath and Pee-wee himself, whose real name is Paul Reubens. (Rated PG) BOYFRIENDS AND GIRLFRIENDS - The story of two young women, the men they like, and the gently amusing complications that arise in these relationships. This is the sixth installment in the enchanting ``Comedies and Proverbs'' series of French filmmaker Eric Rohmer, and, while it's not as brilliant as ``Summer'' or ``Le Beau mariage,'' it has a charm that's as literate as it is beguiling. ``L'Ami de mon ami'' is the original title of this smart, savvy, and sophisticated romp. (Rated PG) FAMILY VIEWING - Using a variety of video techniques, most of them cleverly integrated with the story itself, Canadian director Atom Egoyan traces the ups and downs of a troubled family in this pitch-black comedy. The result is audacious but insubstantial. A generally kinky atmosphere means it's definitely not family viewing, incidentally. (Not rated) MIDNIGHT RUN - Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin turn in splendid performances as, respectively, a bounty hunter and a sort-of-crooked accountant who's running from the police as well as the mob. The director, Martin Brest, keeps the action hopping at a quick and invigorating pace, and the screenplay is hilarious in spots. The story has few real surprises, though, and some of the language is as rough as De Niro's hard-boiled character. (Rated R) MONKEY SHINES - A mad scientist, a monkey, a mysterious serum, and a helpless victim. Directed in the horror-comic style favored by filmmaker George A. Romero, who is capable of more resonant work. He pulls off some good moments here, but the final burst of violence is more garish than chilling. (Rated R) MR. NORTH - At the height of the roaring '20s, a bright young fellow moves to ritzy Newport, R.I., and tries to make his fortune as a tutor and book-reader for the rich but decadent society folks. The movie aims for roguish charm but falls flat in every department. The story is weak; the dialogue is silly; and rarely have so many stars, from Robert Mitchum to Tammy Grimes, given so many bad performances in one picture. Danny Huston was the director. (Rated PG) PASCALI'S ISLAND - The mood is mildly melancholy in this tale of two elegant phonies, a Turkish informer and an English con artist, whose paths cross on a Greek island just as World War I is about to erupt. Ben Kingsley and Charles Dance are perfect as the main characters, but the story doesn't quite catch fire, either dramatically or cinematically. James Dearden directed. (Rated PG-13) TOKYO OLYMPIAD - Belated release of Kon Ichikawa's respected Olympics documentary in its uncut 170-minute form. Shot in 1964, it manages to be both sweeping and, at times, surprisingly intimate. But it's not as memorable as Ichikawa's best fiction work. (Not rated) RATINGS: Films with ratings other than G may contain varying degrees of vulgar language, nudity, sex, and violence.