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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 20, 2003)
june 20,2003 D r . S trangelove (O r : H ow I L earned to S top W orrying and L ove the B omb ) Thank you to Laurelhurst Theater for bringing to the big screen Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant 1964 satire (starring mad comic genius Peter Sellers— times three!) of Cold War arms-race U.S. militarism run amok, complete with bumbling he-men and loony cowboy wannabes, which all rings unfortu nately true in die Dubya era. Kubrick derives much humor from the unmistakably alpha- heterosexual anxiety of an Air Force general (Sterling Hayden) whose mispronounced fear of “pre-verts” and delusional paranoia regard ing Communist infestation of “precious bodi ly fluids” leads to nuclear holocaust. — Christopher McQuain T he H ulk This month’s comic book film du jour is long and full of angst but not nearly as enter taining as many will want. Although scrump tious in the little-seen Chopper, Eric Bana is bland here as the repressed Bruce Banner, whose genetics hold the key to a door unlocked by exposure to gamma radiation. Now, when he gets angry, he turns into the less-than-jolly green giant. There are nice per formances by Jennifer Connelly and Sam Elliott, though Nick Nolte and Josh Lucas chew the scenery as if in a bad high school play. Director Ang Lee tries for a monster movie with heart, but it doesn’t have much momentum or suspense. You might like to see The Hulk once, though, just to witness the lat est in computer-generated imagery. Size queens will be disappointed that Hulk’s pants have an infinite ability to stretch, while TV purists will love the film’s final lines. —Andy Mangels <C5> S pellbound This Oscar-nominated documentary follows eight kids from diverse ethnic, social and eco nomic backgrounds as they prepare for and compete in the National Spelling Bee. A fasci nating, revelatory survey of modem America. And in our era of spell checkers and instant messaging, it’s reassuring to see students who are obsessed with the lost art of linguistics. —Jim Radosta F inding N emo T ogether Lame-ass Disney should get on its knees and thank the heavens it owns Pixar. Once again, the animation studio outdoes itself with its newest full-length feature about a clown fish dad (voiced by Albert Brooks, pretty much playing himself) whose only son is whisked away in a zip-lock bag by a human diver. With the aid of his new fish friend, Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, pretty much playing herself), normally skittish Dad faces sharks, whales and deadly jellyfish to find his offspring. Adults will have even more fun at this remarkably astute movie than the ^azz Although it occasionally dips into unexpected schmaltz, this new film from Chinese writer/director Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concu' bine) is a lovely story about a small-village father who takes his son to Beijing to foster his amaz ing, inborn talent for the violin. Colorful characters, bustling scenery and surreally shot back ground narrative carry along the sometimes tired theme of dreams not always being worth the cost. 55 ru n e '£ cS ernes <*0 » dud, bottom of the bag only if you’re really hungry <s£b ¿^s> <^> good effort, pass the salt mmmm, tasty! get the big tub o’ com <&<£&<&<£$><&) W hale R ider While it’s not exactly a threat to Hollywood (much as some of us might welcome any threat to that wheezing trash factory), New Zealand is making its mark as one of the more intriguing centers for film production, what with the 1994 hit Once Were Warriors and Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Now Niki Caro’s Whale Rider, based on the popular novel by Witi Ihimaera, brings it home with a stunning story of the struggle between a 12-year-old girl who believes she has the mystical powers of a Maori chieftain and her stubborn, traditionalist grandfather who does everything he can to break her. With fine acting, sweeping cinematography, sharp direction and an honest feminist mes- / sage, it’s nearly perfect filmmaking. ' —Gary Morris (Remember when music was fun? ABOARD THE PORTLAND SPIRIT Every Sunday through September, Portland Spirit hosts our }rd Annual Jazz Brunch Senes. It s a different artist and a new sound weekly. Join us jo r one or multiple performances. Portland ...it stiff is FINE AUDIO EQUIPMENT AND HOME THEATRE SYSTEMS Upcoming Cruise Events: June 22nd & 29th ~ John Nehcrund Ross Seligtnan. Friday Early Escapes (every Friday, 3-5 pm) ~ Beginning July n W ' f W4 C all (800) 224-3901 or (503) 224-3900 Visit www.portlanclspint.com STEREOTYPES AUDIO 2627 N E. BROADWAY 503-280-0910 P O R T L A N D O R E G O N 97232 w w w .stereo ty p e sau d io .co m 47
