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FILM
The Amityville Horror
Haunted house movies don’t come vyith more
baggage than The Amityville Horror, a remake of
rhe film that spawned seven sequels (and that
sprang from a btxik based on a supposedly tme
story). Ryan Reynolds plays George Lutz, rhe
father who’s going cuckoo, with great nervous
tics; gay viewers will love the fact that he’s shirt
less for about half the film. (After his exposure in
Blade 111 and this, he should just do a gay pom
movie already!) Though about half the scares in
the trailer aren’t in the film, there are quite a lot
of creepy moments and a few jumps along the
way. The first wasn’t a classic, and neither is this,
but it’s solidly sptxiky fun that doesn’t insult the
audience B-
—Andy Mangels
Thailand’s official position on homosexuali
ty is disapproving, but with this film and the
Iron Ladies series, it seems to be pioneering the
Asian-tranny-sports genre. Perhaps next season
will bring pre-op football players or drag kings
doing water polo. B+
—Gary Morris
Fever Pitch
Saturday Night Live alum Jimmy Fallon
cements his status as the next Jim Breuer in
this charmless romantic comedy about a man-
child schoolteacher who loves the Boston Red
Sox more than his workaholic girlfriend (Drew
Beautiful Boxer
Opening April 22 at Hollywood Theatre,
this lushly photographed biopic is based on rhe
tme story of Thailand’s famous transgender kick
boxer, Nong Toom. Director Ekachai Uekro-
ngtham cast a straight guy in the lead role, and
it proved a wise choice. Asanee Suwan is simply
wonderful, managing the almost impossible task
of etching this unusual character without veer
ing into camp caricaturing.
The film is epic, framed by an interview of
adult Nong Toom and surveying his life
through extended episodes from a tormented
childhood through Buddhist school (where he
insists on using lip gloss, to the horror of his
mentors) to his ultimate fame. The fight scenes
are riveting, particularly a harrowing one in
which Nong Taom, weakened by female hor
mones, confronts a scary female Japanese boxer
in war paint and multicolored fringe.
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hampered by a script that tries to capture the
uncertainties and hesitations of everyday con
versation. Unfortunately, it’s about as engaging
as everyday conversation. C-
—Floyd Sklaver
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Barrymore), who’s way outta his league anyway.
More baffling is how such a smart team—the
film was directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly
(There’s Something About Mary) and written by
Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (City
Slickers) loosely-based on a novel by Nick
Hornby (High Fidelity) —created such a dumb
product. C
—Jim Radosta
Off the Map
The Land Has Eyes
Now playing at Hollywoixl Theatre, Vil-
soni Hereniko’s directorial debut is set in his
native Fiji in 1970 as the country is claiming
independence from the United Kingdom.
A young girl named Viki (Sapeta Sokag’aitu
Taito) must learn to find balance between rhe
traditional ways of her people and rhe modern
world. Shamed by her village for being poor
and rhe daughter of a convicted thief, Viki is
inspired and haunted by the mythical Warrior
Woman (Rena Owen of Once Were Warriors).
The film is reminiscent of Whole Rider but
drags at times B-
—Yvonne P. Behrens i
If only there were a letter preceding “A” to
bestow on this brilliantly wrought, powerful
movie. Campbell Scott directs the story of Bo
(Valentina de Angelis), an 11-year-old stuck in
the New Mexico desert with her depressed
father, Charley (Sam Elliot), and mother,
Arlene (Joan Allen), when the Internal Rev
enue Service sends word that they are being
audited. The tax man (Jim True-Frost) quickly
falls in love with Arlene, but really he falls in
love with the desert and this family, and the
performances and photography make us fall in
love with all of them. A
—J.B. Rabin
Sahara
Here is another adventure movie to shorten
the wait until Indiana Jones IV. Directed by
Michael Eisner’s son Breck, this is the story of
master explorer Dirk Pitt (Matthew
McConaughey) and his quest for a lost Civil
War vessel. On his search to solve the mystery,
he meets a beautiful and brilliant doctor (Pene
lope Cruz—kxiking good but without a lot of
The only reason to see A Lot Like Love is for . lines) who believes this hidden-treasure might
the brief glimpse of Ashton Kutcher’s bare hum
be connected to a much larger problem that
in profile. Beyond that, director Nigel Cole’s
threatens the world. Action-packed and funny,
(Calendar Girls, Saving Grace) film is as inter
thanks to sidekicks like Steve Zahn (Reality
esting as listening to your friends bitch about
Bites) and, brilliant once again, William H.
their relationships. While Kutcher and Aman
Macy. Pure, solid entertainment. B-
da Peet are attractive and appealing, they are
—YPB JH
A Lot Like Love
Real-life kickboxer Nong Toom and actor
Asanee Suwan appear in the epic Thai film
Beautiful Boxer.
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