BY LOIS WADSWORTH
Consumer Confidence
SURPLUS: TERRORIZED
BEING CONSUMERS:
INTO
Produced and directed by Erik Gandini. Edited by Johan
Soderberg. Music by David Osterberg, Johan Soderberg.
Photographers, Cal Nilsson, Lukas Eisenhauer. Mix and sound
design, David Osterberg. Participants, George W. Bush, Fidel
Castro, John Zerzan, Kalle Lasn, Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates,
Tania, Svante Tidholm. Shot in Genova, Shanghai, Alang India,
U.S., Cuba, Budapest and Stockholm. Atmo, 2002.
E
ric Gandini, who takes credit and
blame for this 52-minute experi-
mental film, has a vision, a message
to put across, and he isn’t shy about manip-
OPENING OR RETURNING:
Baltic Deputy (1936): Directed by
Aleksandr Zarkhi, it’s the story of the
great scientist Klement Timiriazev,
supporter of the revolution and Soviet
delegate from the Baltic fleet. At 9:15
in 115 Pacific Hall, UO campus. In
Russian, with English subtitles. Free.
Bringing Up Baby (1938): Hilarious
screwball comedy starring Cary Grant
and Katherine Hepburn in a case of
mistaken identity involving a tame
leopard named Baby. Directed by
Howard Hawks, this is not to be
missed. At 6 pm on 10/11 at the Lorane
Grange Hall, all ages welcome.
Suggested donation $7. (942-2219).
Good Boy: Doggie sci-fi comedy stars
Liam Aiken as a dog walker who final-
ly gets a dog of his own, Hubble (voice
by Matthew Broderick), only to discov-
er he’s really an alien agent from the
Dog Star Sirius. PG. Cinema World.
Cinemark.
House of the Dead:: Based on a video
game, horror flick’s about teens who
go to a deserted island to hold a rave
only to learn it’s inhabited by zombies.
R. Cinemark.
Intolerable Cruelty:: The Coen broth-
ers comedy about L.A. divorce attorney
Miles Massey (George Clooney), who
falls for gold-digger Marylin Rexroth
(Catherine Zeta-Jones). Also stars
Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer,
Billy Bob Thornton, Edward Herrmann
and Richard Jenkins. PG-13. Cinema
World. Cinemark.
Kill Bill 1: Quentin Tarantino’s first of
two films stars Uma Thurman as a
woman with a mission: Kill Bill (David
Carradine), the former boss who
betrayed her. With Lucy Liu, Daryl
Hannah, LaTanya Richardson, Vivica
A. Fox, Michael Madsen and Samuel L.
Jackson. R. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle
of Life:: Angelina Jolie stars as action
heroine Lara Croft who saves the world,
again, from unspeakable evil. Directed
by Jan De Bont, also stars Gerard Butler
and Noah Taylor. PG-13. Movies 12.
Life and Times of Wu Zhong Xian,
The: Filmmaker Evans Chan will be
present. Plays at 7 pm on 10/15 in 110
Willamette Hall, UO campus. Free.
Masked and Anonymous:: Bob Dylan
returns to the screen after 15 years,
but he should have waited longer. All-
star cast with nothing to do except
look silly. R. Bijou. See review this
issue..
Surplus:: Swedish film director Eric
Gandini directs anti-globalization exper-
imental film, with Eugene anarchist
ulating images, sounds and sound-bites to
convey that message. (I’m unclear about
when to refer to such manipulation as prop-
aganda. Maybe that’s only when you don’t
like the message.) Gandini’s very careful to
make sure hypnotic, youth-beat, electronic
music underlies every color-blasted image.
That way you can kind-of move with the
beat, which gets you in a groove and does
not require any critical thinking. The film
repeats some images and spoken words
John Zerzan in major role. Plays at
noon on 10/11 at the Bijou. Benefit for
Green Anarchy. See review this issue..
S.W.A.T. Police Special Weapons and
Tactics unit buddies Samuel L.
Jackson and Colin Farrell star in this
action-thriller based on the 1970s TV
series. Also with Michelle Rodriguez,
LL Cool J. PG-13. Movies 12.
Films open the Friday following
date of EW publication unless oth-
erwise noted. See archived reviews
at www.eugeneweekly.com.
CONTINUING:
American Wedding: Jim (Jason Biggs)
and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) are get-
ting married. Now if their friends and
family will just stay on their best behav-
ior. Right. American Pie’s crude humor
lives on. Also stars January Jones, Fred
Willard, Eugene Levy, Thomas Ian
Nicholas, Seann William Scott and Eddie
Kaye Thomas. R. Movies 12.
Bad Boys II: Martin Lawrence and
Will Smith reunite with producer Jerry
Bruckheimer and director Michael
Bay. Smith and Lawrence play Miami
narcotics detectives assigned to stem
the flood of designer ecstasy into
Miami. R. 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. Movies 12.
Duplex:: Drew Barrymore and Ben
Stiller find their Manhattan dream flat
but inherit a batty old woman who
lives upstairs and drives them nuts.
Directed by Danny DeVito, cast also
includes Swoosie Kurtz and Harvey
Fierstein. PG-13. Cinemark.
Finding Nemo: Pixar’s computer-ani-
mated fantasy of two Clownfish,
Marlin and his son Nemo, who get sep-
arated 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 recommended. G.
Movies 12.. Online archives..
Italian Job, The:: Back in town again.
Mark Wahlberg leads a heist that’s
double-crossed by one of his crew.
Charlize Theron plays a safecracker in
this cool revenge movie. Also stars
Edward Norton, Mos Def and Donald
Sutherland. Highly recommended for
its pure entertainment value. PG-13.
Movies 12. Online archives..
Lost in Translation:: Directed by
Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides),
this highly acclaimed film was shot
entirely on location in Japan. It stars
Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson as
lonely Americans in a Tokyo hotel who
become friends. With Giovanni Ribisi.
Very highest recommendations. R.
Cinema World. Cinemark. See review
this issue..
Luther:: TV-movie director Eric Till
brings Martin Luther to the screen.
with Joseph Fiennes as Luther.
Supporting cast: Alfred Molina,
Jonathan Firth, Claire Cox, Bruno
Ganz and Peter Ustinov.
PG-13.
Cinema World.
Magdalene Sisters, The:: Four young
Irish women are sent to the Magdalene
Laundries and Asylums for “moral
crimes” such as a pregnancy outside
of marriage, reporting a rape or just
being too pretty. Actual institution
operated the whole of the 20th centu-
ry, in the open, with the full authority
and blessing of the church. A must-see
film with amazing performances.
Courageous direction by Peter Mullan.
NR. Bijou. Online archives..
Matchstick Men:: Ridley Scott directs
this tale of a couple of grifters work-
ing small-time cons, until personal
issues arise. Stars Nicolas Cage, Sam
Rockwell, with Alison Lohman and
Bruce McGill. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema
World. Online archives..
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
many times, to ensure that the audience
gets the message. Get it?
By no stretch is this a documentary film,
but it does use the technique of borrowing
clips from previous media and manipulat-
ing them to its own ends, like Michael
Moore’s documentaries, only smarter. The
original footage includes an interview with
Eugene anarchist John Zerzan as well as
clips of a Cuban woman who had come to
the U.S. and was awed by the choices avail-
greater danger. Written and directed
by Andy and Larry Wachowski, it also
stars Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett
Smith and Gloria Foster. R. Movies 12.
Online archives..
Medallion:: Jackie Chan action come-
dy co-stars Lee Evans and Claire
Forlani. A mysterious medallion turns
police detective Chan into a super-
hero, but the bad guys want it back.
Gordon Chan directs. PG-13. Movies 12.
Out of Time:: Directed by Carl Franklin,
stars Denzel Washington as a Florida
small-town police chief where a dou-
ble-homicide is discovered. He must
solve the killings before he is suspect-
ed of the crimes himself. Also stars Eva
Mendes, Sanaa Lathan and Dean Cain.
PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Pirates of the Caribbean:: Non-stop
adventure directed by Gore Verbinski
stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush,
Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.
Depp sashays, Rush dissembles,
Bloom fences and Knightley swash-
buckles. Depp and Rush’s over the top
performances
are
great.
Recommended. PG-13. Cinemark.
Online archives..
Rundown, The:: Peter Berg directs
Seann William Scott, The Rock,
Rosario Dawson and Christopher
Walken in this adventure about a king-
pin’s son who disappears in the
Amazon in search of a valuable arti-
fact. PG-13. Cinemark.
School of Rock:: Faking it as a substi-
tute teacher, wild guitarist Jack Black
turns elementary musical prodigies into
a high-voltage rock band. Directed by
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
Angie (1994): Director Martha Coolidge’s film stars Geena Davis as pregnant
and unmarried Angie, with Stephen Rea, Aida Turturro and James Gandolfini.
R.
Black Sunday (1977): Terrorists plan to steal Goodyear Blimp and blow it up
over the Super Bowl game in Miami. Based on Thomas Harris novel, movie
stars Bruce Dern and is directed by John Frankenheimer. R.
Browning Version, The (1994): Remake of Terrence Ratigan play stars Albert
Finney, Greta Scacchi, Matthew Modine. Directed by Mike Figgis. R.
Christmas with the Simpsons: The bargain of the season: All five Simpsons
Christmas episode on one disc.
Cracker: First season, 3-disc set. HBO.
Matrix Reloaded: Second chapter brings Neo (Keanu Reeve), Trinity
able in the stores here. The most repeated
clip from Zerzan is what the film’s publicist
refers to as his “call for PROPERTY DAM-
AGE [that] has inspired many to take to the
streets.”
Surplus plays at noon on Satruday, Oct.
11 at the Bijou Theater. Sliding scale: $5-
$10. Benefit for Green Anarchy, a locally
produced quarterly, eco-anarchist publica-
tion.
ew
Richard Linklater, it also stars Joan
Cusack, Mike White and Sarah Silverman.
PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Seabiscuit:: A has-been racehorse
becomes America’s Depression-era suc-
cess story, along with jockey Tobey
Maguire, trainer Chris Cooper, and
owner Jeff Bridges. Written, directed by
Gary Ross based on Laura Hillenbrand’s
best-selling non-fiction book, also stars
Elizabeth Banks, William H. Macy.
Highest recommendations.
PG-13.
Movies 12. Online archives.
Secondhand Lions:: Haley Joe
Osment is sent to his great uncles’
rural Texas farm, where the city boy
has much to learn. Robert Duvall and
Michael Caine may have been bank
robbers. Written and directed by Tim
McCanlies (writer, The Iron Giant). PG.
Cinemark. Cinema World.
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas::
DreamWorks animated pirate adven-
ture tale stars the voice of Brad Pitt as
Sinbad, Catherine Zeta-Jones as
Marina, and Michelle Pfieffer as the
goddess of chaos. Joe Fiennes plays
Proteus, a rival pirate. Directed by Tim
Johnson and Patrick Gilmore. PG.
Movies 12.
Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines::
Jonathan Mostow directs, and Arnold
Schwarzenegger comes back to save
the world from annihilation once
again. John Connor (Nick Stahl), is 18
now, and he’s fighting off a female
killer cyborg from the future,
(Kristanna Loken).
R. Cinemark.
Online archives..
Thirteen:: Two 7th grade girls, played
by Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed,
become entangled in a fast world
where media images dominate dress,
behavior, values and attitude. Holly
Hunter plays the mom who tries to
save them. Directed by Catherine
Hardwicke. Searing, honest represen-
tation of what it’s like to be a teenag-
er today. Highly recommended. R.
Bijou. Online archives..
Under the Tuscan Sun: Diane Lane
plays writer Frances Mayes in this
screen adaptation of her best selling
book about buying a run-down villa in
Italy and creating a new life. Escape
from real life — beautiful people, gor-
geous scenery, everybody’s got money.
PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives..
Underworld:: Set in a world where
vampires are a clan of aristocratic
moderns, and lycans (werewolves) are
a gang of street thugs, Len Wiseman’s
film stars Kate Beckinsale and Scott
Speedman. When they fall in love, they
trigger an ancient feud. R. Cinemark.
Uptown Girls:: Brittany Murphy stars
as the freewheeling daughter of a late
rock legend, but when her inheritance is
stolen, she’s forced to get a job as a
nanny to precocious Ray Schleine
(Dakota Fanning), an “eight-year-old
going on forty.” In a comedic battle of
wills, each discovers in the other a true
friend. Directed by Boas Yakin. Also
stars Heather Locklear. PG-13. Movies 12.
Bijou Art Cinemas (686-2458)
Cinema World 8 (342-6536)
Cinemark 17 (746-5202)c
Movies 12 (741-1231)
(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. Online archives.
Owning Mahowny: Richard Kwietniowski directs Philip Seymour Hoffman as
real-life Canadian Dan Mahowny whose public banker life collides with his
obsessive-compulsive behavior and gambling addiction. With Minnie Driver,
John Hurt. R.
Schizopolis (1997): Steven Soderbergh’s experimental satire on modern spir-
ituality and communication. Not a success with public or critic, but even
Soderbergh’s failures are interesting.
Tokyo Story (1953): Yasujiro Ozu’s poignant tale of older Japanese couple
who come to Tokyo, where their grown children do not respect or have time
for them. Brilliant work.
Next week: Not available.
OCTOBER 9, 2003 49