36 jUSt OUt • may 6.2005
FILM
Double Dare
Wonder Woman and Xena: Warrior
Princess—the heroine dream team of every les
bian on the planet. This brilliant documentary
from director Amanda Micheli tells the story of
stuntwomen Jeannie Epper and Zoe Bell, the
anonymous heroines behind Lynda Carter and
Bradley Beesley compiled 1 5 years of stun
Lucy Lawless and many others in film and tele
ningly frank footage—including band mem
vision, as they face the challenges of a danger- j her Steven Drozd shooting heroin on cam-
ous and male-dominated profession tn
Hollywood. Jeannie, a grandmother who
refuses to retire at 64, starts to mentor
Zoe, giving us a glimpse at two strong,
dedicated women who pursue tough
careers taking the hits that make actors
into stars. Now playing at I iollywood
Theatre. A
—Yvonne P. Behrens
The Interpreter
REVIEWS
Enron: The Smartest
Guys in the Room
Just when you thought it was safe to go
back to the cinema, along comes another
explosive documentary to remind you of
the corruption on Pennsylvania Avenue.
This time, we learn that President Bush is
not only in bed with rhe Saudi royal fami
ly, lie’s sleeping around with Ken Lay, too.
Forsaking a focus on finance, the film
delves into rhe tragic human flaws that
eventually exposed these corporate crrxiks.
Now playing at Cinema 21 A
—Jim Radosta
-JR
The Hitchhiker’s
Guide to the Galaxy
Making a film out of a beloved and quirky
science fiction novel can bring huge expecta
tion of disappointment, so it’s best that this was
co-written by the original author. Those who
loved the b<x>k should heed the phrase “Don’t
Panic,” as rhe film is a close and funny adapta
tion. For those coming to it new, it’s similar to
Monty Python in space, but with better special
effects and less drag. Sam Rockwell steals rhe
show as two-faced galaxy President Zaphod
Beeblebrox. A
—Andy Mangels
House of Wax
The Fearless Freaks
Playing May 1 3 to 15 at Hollywood
Theatre, this rockumentary takes us on an
acid trip with The Flaming Lips. Director
era—to bring us into the minds of these
musical mystics. B
Chad Michael Montgomery makes House of IVax
a little less intolerable.
»
SpiritOne
There’s a special rix>m in hell reserved for
Paris Hilton, and one imagines that her role in
this film takes her one step closer. In a plot
that drags interminably, five young adults are
pulled into a wax museum with tcxi-realistic
figures and a pair of killers. Only two things
make this tolerable: Hilton’s death scene
(which set the audience cheering) and about
one minute of a shirtless (.had Michael Mont
gomery. Hell yawns, Paris, and so d<x?s rhe
audience D-
—AM
Icy Nicole Kidman meets bad boy Sean
Penn in this solid but uninspired thriller from
director Sydney Pollack (Out of Africa). Kid
man plays a South African (J.N. interpreter
who gets embroiled in murderous politics
when she overhears a plan to assassinate a
genocidal president. Penn, the federal agent
assigned to rhe case, exhibits agonized facial
contortions that suggest he’s having a tricky
bowel movement. The movie dodges main
stream conventions by not forcing a tawdry
romance on the two leads. In all other areas it
is far less surprising. B-
—Stephen Blair
Monsieur N.
Enjoyed reading The Da Vinci Code! Then
you’ll appreciate Monsieur N., which offers a
fictitious mystery in the retelling of Napoleon
Bonaparte’s (Philippe Torreton) final year.
What if rhe emperor had escaped from exile
after faking his own death? Using a combina
tion of historical record and creative specula
tion, director Antoine de Cannes has created a
fascinating portrait of the emperor’s exile on a
remote island. Opens May 13 at Hollywixxl
Theatre. B+
—YPB
Monster-in-Law
It’s J-Lo vs. J-Fo as two-time Oscar winner
Jane Fonda makes her (dare I say it?) trium
phant return to the silver screen for the first
time since 1990’s Stanley and Iris. Of course, she
is cast as rhe evil title character to Jennifer
Lopez’s likable fiancee, but the smart, queer
savvy script (along with a cameo from Broad-
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