Who can’t relate to a film about a chance
reunion with The One Who Got Away? This
sequel to 1995 s Before Sunrise is awkward and
earnest and nostalgic in all the right measure
(probably because it was written by the direc
tor, Richard Linklater, and the two lead
actors, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke). Expect
to like it, but don’t expect a perfect
Hollywood ending.
—J.B. Rabin
only if you’re really hungry
<£>
good effort, pass the salt
*©> rnmmm, tasty!
get the big tub o’ com
<£> E xorcis ' d T he B eginning
There’s a point in this prequel
where the “I’m not a priest anymore,
I’m Indiana Jones” character says some
thing like: “Don’t look. Don’t listen.
He’s the father of lies.” I’m doing you a
favor by telling you to heed this dia
logue. Lugubriously paced, featuring
video game-level CGI effects and with
out a single scary moment, I blame the
filmmakers—not the devil—for steal
ing two hours of my life.
—Andy Mangels
F estival E xpress
With diKumentary filmmaking what it is
tixlay, it is too much to expect that a poorly
constmcted film about a train full of musi
cians you probably don’t care about, getting
drunk and high while traveling through
Canada, will be enough to fill theater seats.
Even the presence of Janis Joplin and Jerry
Garcia isn’t enough to make up for the lack
of cultural context or commentary.
—JBR
SEPTEMBER 29
S R ose G arden
RUPERT MURDOCH
'Y-
m O utfoxed : R upert M ur -
doch ’ s
W ar
TICKETS AT ALL TICKETMASTER OUTLETS,
CHARGE BY PHONE 503-224-4400,
THE ROSE QUARTER BOX OFFICE
& THE ALADDIN THEATER
Theater of the Clouds
PRESENTED BY
THE ALADDIN THEATER
on J ournalism
This revealing documentary takes on the
Fox News Channel, which has disguised itself
as an objective media outlet but is nothing
more than a partisan propaganda machine that
takes directives from network suits to make
President Bush appear heroic and to turn John
Kerry into a French-faced flip-flopper. As a for
merly idealistic journalist, I was depressed to
learn that this is what most Americans consider
“fair and balanced.”
-JR
Kiss It!
by lesbian playwright Amy Wheeler
directed and scored by gay producer Matthew B. Zrebski
* Stark Raving
Theatre is proud
to support
Basic Rights
Oregon with two
benefit perfor
mances of this
new outrageous
Queer political
V anity F air
comedy. Come
fight bach
G arden S tate
Despite the occasionally self-conscious dia
logue and the Hollywixxl ending, Zach Braff
(Scrubs, The Broken Hearts Club) makes an
impressive debut as a writer/director/actor in
this moving story of an emotionally anes
thetized man who comes home to New Jersey
for his mother’s funeral and has his life turned
upside down by a quirky epileptic (Natalie
Portman, finally living up to her potential after
sleepwalking through the Star Wars prequels).
—Jim Radosta
Based on the classic novel by William
Makepeace Thackeray, this is an ultimately
cynical film with an unsympathetic protago
nist (Reese Witherspoon) about what a person
will sacrifice to move up in the world. If you’re
looking for an entertaining spectacle that will
leave you with no aftertaste, this is the flick for
you. The costumes and Eileen Atkins’
performance as the rich, petulant aunt are
worth the price of admission.
—JBR
against legalized
bigotry by laugh
ing your ass off
at the MOST
provocative and
important new
comedy we've
ever produced.
Gay marriage,
metro-sexuals,
pangendered
street kids,
W e D on ’ t L ive H ere A nymore
romance, song,
dance and razor
<£><£> <§><£> H ero
In ancient China, a mysterious assassin
arrives at an emperor’s palace. His inten
tions—to aid the ruler...or to destroy
him?—are revealed through subjective,
Rashômon-like flashbacks. Director Yimou
Zhang (Raise the Red Lantern), evidently an
obsessive cinematic perfectionist, has made a
film that approaches greatness. An inim
itable vibrancy emanates from every lus
cious, colorful frame. Hero is a must-see.
—Christopher McQuain
Don’t look now, but someone (John Curran)
has made another movie full of unlovable char
acters who spend all their free time being mean
to each other. Laura Dem is brilliant as a
housewife who screws over her husband (Mark
Ruffalo) by screwing his best friend (a squan
dered Peter Krause), but only because her
husband screwed her over first by screw
ing his best friend’s wife (Naomi
Watts), who also happens to be
his wife’s best friend.
—JBR
sharp wit. Don't
miss it!!
FIGHT BACK!
performances to benefit
Sept. 16 & 24th @ 8pm
$50 admission. Reserve at 503-232-7072
proudly sponsored by
Port/ wk « *
fry Provoc-Ä/nr» Atevw