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
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