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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2003)
OPENING OR RETURNING: Better Luck Tomorrow: Asian American high school seniors dabble in criminal activities in this satiric, exciting film directed by Justin Lin on a shoe- string budget. Honest performances and relevant subject raise it above the usual teen flick. Highly recommended. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Dumb and Dumberer: Prequel is subti- tled When Harry Met Lloyd and stars Derek Richardson and Eric Christian Olsen as the 1994 Dumb and Dumber duo in high school. Directed by Troy Miller, with Eugene Levy, Cheri Oteri and Luis Guzmán. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Hollywood Homicide: Fast-paced action comedy directed by Ron Shelton stars Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett as cops, with Isaiah Washington, Lena Olin, Bruce Greenwood, Master P., Lolita Davidovich, Dwight Yoakum, Keith David and Martin Landau. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Man on the Train: Patrice Leconte’s excellent character-driven film stars French icons Johnny Hallyday and Jean Rochefort as men with nothing in common, who meet in a small town and almost exchange identities. Film gives us a glimpse into that private place where our secret dreams live. Very highest recommendations. R. Bijou. See review this issue. Rugrats Go Wild: Nickelodeon’s ani- mated diaper set meets up wit the Wild Thornberrys after being washed ashore to a desert island from a storm- wracked cruise ship. Directed by Norton Virgien and John Eng. Bruce Willis voices Spike the dog. PG. .Cinema World. Cinemark. Stuart Little 2: Stuart goes to school now, and he has big brother George and baby sister Martha to play with. But a mysterious bird named Margalo involves everyone in an adventure. Voices of Michael J. Fox, Melanie Griffith, Nathan Lane, Geena Davis and more. PG. At 10 am Tues. 6/17 only; 50 cents admission. Movies 12. Vampire Hunters: Action-adventure horror film set in 17th century China has style, martial arts, a comic-book simplicity, decomposing zombies and powerful vampires that inhale a victim’s blood at 30 paces. Heroes Rain, Lightning, Thunder and Wind dispatch maggot-ridden corpses and sucking vamps. Directed by Wellson Chin, writ- ten and produced by Tsui Hark. R. LateNite Bijou. Films open the Friday following date of EW publication unless otherwise noted. See archived reviews at www.eugeneweekly.com. CONTINUING: Bringing Down the House: Domestic comedy starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifa is directed by Adam Shankman. PG-13. Movies 12. Bruce Almighty: Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Aniston star in this tale of a at TV reporter, who has a really bad day, rages against God and receives more than he expected. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Core, The: Jon Amiel directs this adventure to the center of the earth. Scientists played by Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank and Bruce Greenwood journey deep into the earth to detonate a device to reactivate the planet’s core. An unintentional comedy, it’s a great break from reality. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Daddy Day Care: Eddie Murphy and Jeff Garlin lose their jobs and can’t afford day care for their sons, so they open their own facility. Comedy direct- ed by Steve Carr also stars Anjelica Huston, Steve Zahn and Regina King. PG. Cinemark. PG. Down With Love: Peyton Reed re- invents the look and feel of a 1962-era Doris Day, Rock Hudson musical with Renee Zellwegger and Ewan McGregor. Also stars David Hyde Pierce, Tony Randall and Sarah Paulson. Entertaining froth. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Finding Nemo: Pixar (Toy Story) pres- ents this computer-animated fantasy of two Clownfish, Marlin and his son Nemo, who get separated in the Great Barrier Reef. Written and directed by Andrew Stanton (A Bug’s Life), with voices by Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, Allison Janney. Very highly rec- ommended. G. Cinema World. Cinemark. Online archives. Frida: Salma Hayak plays Frida Kahlo, the feminist painter and wife of Mexico’s great muralist and painter Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) and lover of Leon Trotsky (Geoffrey Rush). Directed by Julie Taymor. 2002 Academy Awards to the late Elliot Goldenthal for original score; also, makeup. Underrated film is one of the most visually lush films of 2002. R. Movies 12. See review this issue. Gangs of New York: Martin Scorsese’s bloody epic set in mid-1800s N.Y. stars Leonard DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis as rival gang leaders. Co-stars Cameron Diaz, John C. Reilly and Jim Broadbent. One of 2002’s great films, with many Academy Award nominations. Very highest recommendations. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Good Thief, The: Neil Jordan directs the great Nick Nolte in this remake of a French heist movie that incorporates some amazing characters and a smart double plot that sneaks right past you if you don’t pay close attention. Highly recommended. Bijou. Online archives Head of State: Chris Rock directs, co- writes and stars in this tale of a D.C. alderman who runs for the presidency. Also stars Bernie Mac, Dylan Baker, Robin Givens, James Rebhorn. PG-13. NEW RELEASES ON VIDEO Releases subject to change. Available the Tuesday following date of EW pub- lication, sometimes sooner. See archived movie reviews at www.eugene- weekly.com Chinese Box (1997):: Director Wayne Wang sets the film in Hong Kong dur- ing the first six months of 1997, just as the territory was reverting to the Chinese. Very interesting, poetic treatment of the period stars Jeremy Irons, Gong Li and Maggie Cheung. Highly recommended. R. Erich von Stroheim Collection: Three-DVD collection includes re-mastered versions of the director’s early films such as the silent and rarely seen Blind Husbands (1919), Foolish Wives (1922), Gloria Swanson’s incomplete Queen Kelly (1929); talkie. The Great Gabbo; documentary The Man You Love to Hate, commentary, outtakes, radio performances. Happiness: Todd Solondz’s 1998 film is the disturbing story of three sisters, their husbands and domestic woes and one’s psychiatric patients. Riveting performances by Dylan Baker, Jane Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Tech credits excellent, cast outstanding, but there’s no heart. R. Pipe Dream (2002): Great cast includes Martin Donovan, Mary-Louise Parker, Rebecca Gayheart. SHAKEY Neil Young’s Biography Reading and Book Signing Taylor’s Bar & Grill 13th Avenue and Kincaid Tuesday, June 17th • 7 p.m. • FREE McDonough’s twelve-year-long obsession takes readers deep into Young’s eccentric world. Sponsored by Taylor’s Bar & Grill and the University of Oregon Bookstore. Visit www.uobookstore.com for more information. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON BOOKSTORE 28 JUNE 12, 2003 Movies 12. How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days: Magazine columnist Kate Hudson and ad agency professional Matthew McConaughey try to get the other to fall in love, but things go awry. High- energy romantic comedy. PG-13. Movies 12. Italian Job, The: Mark Wahlberg leads a heist that’s double-crossed by one of his crew. Charlize Theron plays a safe- cracker in this cool revenge movie. Also stars Edward Norton, Mos Def and Donald Sutherland. Highly recommend- ed for its pure entertainment value. PG- 13. Cinemark. Cinema World. O nline archives. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Directed and re-imagined by Peter Jackson, part two of J.R.R. Tolkien’s tril- ogy continues. New characters, a sur- prise return and great battles. Director Peter Jackson’s second masterpiece. Very highest recommendations. 2002 Academy Awards for sound editing, visual effects. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Malibu’s Most Wanted: Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs and Anthony Anderson in an urban comedy about hip-hop culture. PG-13. Movies 12. Matrix Reloaded: Second chapter brings Neo (Keanu Reeve), Trinity (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) closer to solving the enigma but also puts them in greater danger. Written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, it also stars Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett Smith and Gloria Foster. R. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. Old School: From Road Trip, Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn try to recapture the fun of their college years by starting their own off-campus frat house. R. Movies 12. Shanghai Knights: Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson are out to settle a score in Victorian London in this comedy direct- ed by David Dobkin. PG-13. Movies 12. Spun: Eugene premiere of film co-writ- ten by former UO student Creighton Vero and former Eugene resident, William De Los Santos. Stars Jason Schwartzman, who plays a meth freak, and Mickey Rourke, who plays a meth dealer. Other stars include John Leguizamo, Mena Suvari, Patrick Fugit and more. NR. LateNite Bijou. Two Fast, Two Furious: John Singleton directs this sequel action adventure about street racing. Stars Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Cole Hauser, Eva Mendes. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. What a Girl Wants: Teen Amanda Bynes is “trying to fit in, born to stand out.” She wants a fairy tale relationship with her absent dad and is tired of living with her unconventional mom, played by Colin Firth and Kelly Preston. Oliver James plays her love interest. PG. Movies 12. Wrong Turn: Jeremy Sisto, Eliza Dushku, Desmond Harrington and Emmanuelle Chriqui are trapped in the West Virginia wilderness and pursued by cannibalistic mountain men. Help! R. Cinemark. X-Men 2: The next link in the evolu- tionary chain? Directed by Bryan Singer, stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden and more, lots more. PG-13. Cinemark. Bijou Art Cinemas (686-2458) Cinema World 8 (342-6536) Cinemark 17 (746-5202)c Movies 12 (741-1231) Sebastiane (1976): In his first feature film, Derek Jarman retells St. Sebastian’s martyrdom, giving it an erotic slant. Reviewer Paul Malcolm notes that “Jarman does more than explore the pleasures and anxieties of men keeping company with men. He outs the latent homoeroticism of onscreen antiquity with a lyrical power that still resonates today.” On DVD. Songcatcher: Sweet 2000 film about an early 20th century musicologist (Janet McTeer) who discovers the joys of Appalachian music and culture. Authentic music accompanies unfolding love stories of three couples. Directed by Maggie Greenwald (Ballad of Little Jo), film is a must for tradi- tional music fans who enjoyed Oh Brother Where Art Thou? DVD includes extended scenes and music only tracks. PG-13. Online archives. What’s Cooking?: The diversity of the American family is celebrated in Gurinda Chaha’s film, which never played Eugene. The film looks in on four California families at Thanksgiving. It stars Alfre Woodard, Julianna Margulies, Joan Chen, Kyra Sedgwick, Mercedes Ruehl and Dennis Haysbert. DVD has cast and crew interviews. PG-13. Next week: Black and White in Color, Dark Blue, The Hours, Intacto, Kangaroo Jack, King of the Hill, Punch Drunk Love and Warm Water Under a Red Bridge.
