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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2007)
BY JOSH BLANCHARD Deerhoof Animal Rites Deerhoof’s aural adrenaline rush S ometimes it seems like there’s nothing new under the sun. Deerhoof, though, like stilted rock visionaries such as The Pixies or Devo before them, has proven that it’s still possible to reinvent the pop music wheel. The band has become a firm favorite with the more adventurous college crowd but bypasses the usual indie rock humdrums, bridging the seemingly impassable OPENING OR RETURNING: Ballets Russes: 2005 documen- tary explores Russian ballet’s intro- duction, in the early 20th century, to western Europe, and the division of choreographer Diaghilev’s com- pany into two rival companies. With discussion led by Tom Blank and a member of the Eugene Ballet to follow. 7 pm Feb. 4, DIVA. Free. Because I Said So: Diane Keaton plays a mom conspiring with her two elder daughters (Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo) to get youngest child Milly (Mandy Moore) a good man. PG13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Chi-hwa-seon: A portrait of a 19th century Korean painter and his search for artistic transcendence. In Korean with English subtitles. 7 pm Feb. 1, Int’l Resource Center, EMU, UO. Free. Crossroads Festival: International film festival, Jan. 28-Feb. 18, fea- tures movies from Indian, Italy, Tunisia, Japan, Brazil, Palestine and more. Feb. 4 screenings include Red Satin (Tunisia), 2 pm; Lost Boys of Sudan (U.S.), 6 pm; The Man Who Copied (Brazil), 8 pm. Avalon Theater, Corvallis. $8 per film. Holiday, The: Man-troubled Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet swap houses for Christmas break in the new film from Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give) – and naturally, each finds a new feller (Jude Law and Jack Black) on the other’s home turf. PG13. Movies 12. Messengers, The: When a family tries to take over a sunflower farm, things go weirdly wrong — especial- ly when John Corbett arrives. Supposedly, the kids can see things the parents can’t. Creepiness abounds. PG13. Cinemark. On the Nameless Height: 2003 Russian miniseries takes place in 1944 and focuses on the relation- ship between a military officer and female sniper. Part 2 of 2; in Russian with English subtitles. 7 pm Feb. 6, 111 Pacific, UO. Free. Unaccompanied Minors: A host of kids (traveling alone) find them- selves snowed in at the airport (a fictional one in Chicago) on Christmas Eve. What else is there to do but wreak havoc? PG. Movies 12. 22 FEBRUARY 1, 2007 Under the Sun: In 1956, Olof, a never-married, illiterate man, lives on his family farm, dependent soley on his young friend Erik until he decides to advertise for a housekeeper, whose arrival shakes things up. In Swedish with English subtitles. 7 pm Feb. 2, 221 McKenzie, UO. Free. Films open the Friday following EW publication date unless other- wise noted. See archived reviews at www.eugeneweekly.com CONTINUING: Alpha Dog: Justin Timberlake is among the ensemble cast in Nick Cassavetes’ new film, which follows L.A. teens who impulsively kidnap a younger boy who begins to enjoy himself with his captors. R. Movies 12. Arthur and the Invisibles: In this animated feature, 10-year-old Arthur goes in search of a magical land after finding a note left by his grandfather. Directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element). PG. Cinemark. Babel: The last fim of a thematic trilogy for director Alejandro González Iñárritu follows four emo- tional, affecting storylines on three continents, exploring their connec- tions and breakdowns. Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal and astonishing new- comer Rinko Kikuchi. R. O SCAR NOMS : R INKO K IKUCHI & A DRIANA B ARRAZA , S UPPORTING A CTRESS ; B EST D IRECTOR ; B EST P ICTURE ; O RIGINAL S CREENPLAY ; F ILM E DITING ; O RIGINAL S CORE . Cinema World. 44441 (11/9/06) Blood and Chocolate: Being a werewolf spells trouble in love for Vivian (Agnes Brucker) in this adaptation of Annette Curtis Klause’s young adult novel. Directed by Katja von Garnier (Bandits). PG13. Cinemark. Borat: Sacha Baron Cohen (of “Da Ali G Show”) plays the title charac- ter, a Kazakhstani reporter creat- ing a documentary while road-trip- ping across the U.S. The subtitle, “Cultural Learnings of American for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” ought to tell you something. R. O SCAR NOM : A DAPTED S CREENPLAY . Movies 12. 44441 (11/9/06) Catch and Release: Jennifer Garner is a suddenly single woman who finds comfort in her quirky male friends after the death of her fiancé. With Kevin Smith and Timothy Olyphant. PG13. Cinemark. Children of Men: Clive Owen and Julianne Moore star in this highly praised adaptation of P.D. James’ novel, which envisions a troubled near future where no more children are being conceived. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Y tu mamá tam- bién). R. O SCAR NOMS : C INEMATOGRAPHY ; A DAPTED S CREENPLAY ; F ILM E DITING . Cinema World. Cinemark. 44441 (1/11) Déja Vu: This Jerry Bruckheimer- produced, Tony Scott-directed thriller has something to do with traveling four days back in the future to stop a boat exploding. Or maybe it’s just looking four days back. Clever preview, either way. Stars Denzel Washington and Val Kilmer. PG-13. Movies 12. Departed, The: Martin Scorsese’s new film is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a cop undercover in the mob; Matt Damon is the gangster mole in the police force. With Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg. R. O SCAR NOMS : M ARK W AHLBERG , S UPPORTING A CTOR ; B EST D IRECTOR ; B EST P ICTURE ; F ILM E DITING ; A DAPTED S CREENPLAY . Cinema World. Cinemark. 44442 (10/12/06) Dreamgirls: The much-buzzed- about musical from director Bill Condon (Kinsey) stars Beyonce, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and the said-to-be transcendent Jennifer Hudson in the story of a girl group’s rise, loosely based on the story of the Supremes. PG13. O SCAR NOMS : E DDIE M URPHY , S UPPORTING A CTOR ; J ENNIFER H UDSON , S UPPORTING A CTRESS ; A RT D IRECTION ; C OSTUME D ESIGN ; O RIGINAL S ONGS ; S OUND M IXING . Cinema World. Cinemark. 44441 (1/18) Epic Movie: Kal Penn, Jennifer Coolidge and Fred Willard are among the cast in this send up of everything from Willy Wonka to Harry Potter to Narnia — actually, gap between avant garde and bubblegum pop. The unpredictable trio calls San Francisco home, but Deerhoof’s members are clearly native residents of their own imaginary world. Their lyrics have a childlike fixation on animals, flowers and, oddly, milk. In her high, chirping voice, singer/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki routinely breaks down these already lucid cate- gories into their simplest forms. With gleeful abandon, Deerhoof strips away any male posturing or blues plundering usually associated with rock and roll. But though decidedly weird, Deerhoof is DEERHOOF, hardly wimpy. Guitarist John Dieterich lets loose thick, col- BLACK- orful blasts of guitar and spiny melodies that zig where oth- BLACK, ers would zag. Many an energetic drummer has received LITTLE GIRL comparisons to The Muppet Show’s plush drummer, BIG SPOON Animal, but none deserves it quite so much as mercurial kit 9 pm Sun., Feb. 4 WOW Hall thrasher Greg Saunier, with whom the story of Deerhoof re- $10 adv. / $12 door ally begins. The band found its genesis in the mid 1990s as a duo under the direction of Saunier, the only original member still on board today. Its early slew of releases were fragmented pieces of sonic autism that would make Captain Beefheart proud but made all but the most devout fringe music fans squirm. The later additions of Dieterich and the diminutive Matsuzaki found the group gelling into a cartoonish art-pop powerhouse, a progression which fully manifested itself in their critically adored 2002 album, Reverie. The group has since followed up that landmark record with a series of rapid-fire cult classics such as Apple O, Milkman and, most recently, the amiably titled Friend Opportunity. Though their recorded output is always stellar, a live Deerhoof performance leaves even more mouths agape, often triggering a sugary sort of adrenaline rush that you could only hope to replicate by freebasing Slurpees at the zoo. If you’re the kind of person who loves Teletubbies, pixie sticks and spinning around ew until you’re dizzy, you know exactly where you be should be this Sunday. they’re saving the land of Gnarnia. Could be funny, could be terrible. PG. Cinema World. Eragon: Adaptation of young nov- elist Christopher Paolini’s first thick tome stars John Malkovich as an apparently campy evil king. Newcomer Edward Speelers plays the title character, who bonds with a dragon named Saphira and, um, saves the world? Or at least the kingdom. Just a guess. PG13. Cinemark. Flags of Our Fathers: Clint Eastwood’s new film explores the story behind the iconic image of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima during WWII. “A film of awesome power and blistering provocation,” says Rolling Stone. R. O SCAR NOMS : S OUND M IXING ; S OUND E DITING . Movies 12. Flushed Away: Aardman Features (Wallace and Gromit) teams up with Dreamworks for the story of a pampered pet mouse (Hugh Jackman) who finds himself, after a trip down the drain, in London’s bustling rodent underground. With Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen and Jean Reno. PG. Movies 12. Fountain, The: Fearless director Darron Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) spent years making this ambitious film, which follows char- acters in different times periods, all played by Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, all on difficult quests. PG13. Movies 12. 44421 (11/30/06) Freedom Writers: Hilary Swank stars as a real-life teacher who made a difference in an inner-city high school through an ambitious writing project. PG13. Cinemark. Good Shepherd, The: Robert DeNiro heads back behind the camera to direct a story about the birth of the CIA, starring Matt Damon as one of the agency’s founders and Angelina Jolie as his frustrated wife. R. O SCAR NOM : A RT D IRECTION . Movies 12. 44441 (12/28/06) Happy Feet: Warner Bros. chases some March of the Penguins dough with this animated film, starring Elijah Wood as a cute lil’ guy in search of his soul mate. (OK, so they were working on this one first. Still.) With Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman. PG. O SCAR NOM : A NIMATED F EATURE Cinemark. Hitcher, The: Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings) stars as the titu- lar creep, who torments a young couple on the road. R. Cinemark. James Brown: Film of Brown’s 1968 performance in Boston, less than 24 hours after the assassina- tion of Martin Luther King Jr. With a 1971 performance featuring Bootsy Collins. Bijou LateNite. Last King of Scotland, The: At long last, Eugeneans can see Forest Whitaker’s highly-praised perform- ance as Idi Amin in Kevin MacDonald’s new(ish) film. With James McAvoy as the (fictional) young doctor who becomes Amin’s personal physicial until his eyes are opened to the dictator’s brutal actions. R. O SCAR NOM : F OREST W HITAKER , B EST A CTOR . Cinema World. See review this issue. Letters From Iwo Jima: Clint Eastwood’s second 2006 WWII film recently won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film; The New York Times called this film, which looks at WWII from the Japanese side, “one of the best war movies ever.” R. O SCAR NOMS : B EST D IRECTOR ; B EST P ICTURE ; S OUND E DITING ; O RIGINAL S CREENPLAY . Cinemark. 44411 (1/25) Night at the Museum: When down-on-his-luck Larry (Ben Stiller) gets a job as the night guard at a museum, he sure does- n’t expect the exhibits to come alive at night. There’s something very Jumanji about this. PG. Cinemark. Open Season: Sony breaks into the animation game with the story of a clueless grizzly bear (Martin Lawrence) whose friend Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) lures him into the wild life. PG. Movies 12. Painted Veil, The: Edward Norton and Naomi Watts star in the third film adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham’s novel about an English socialite and the doctor she marries, who takes her to a Chinese village afflicte with cholera. “Let it sweep you away,” said Rolling Stone. PG13. Bijou. 44441 (1/18) Prestige, The: Two magicians (Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman) see their slight friendship turn to rivalry in Christopher Nolan’s (Batman Begins) enthralling film. Competition grows as the men do, each trying to outdo the other’s performance. With Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine and David Bowie. PG13. O SCAR NOMS : A RT D IRECTION ; C INEMATOGRAPHY . Movies 12. 44441 (10/26/06) Pursuit of Happyness, The: Will Smith stars as a down-on-his-luck father who strives to make it as a stockbroker while facing eviction and raising his son (Smith’s real-life son Jaden). PG13. O SCAR NOM : W ILL S MITH , B EST A CTOR . Cinemark. Queen, The: Stephen Frears’ movie about the shifting desires and threats of Britain’s public and the differences in Tony Blair’s (Michael Sheen) and Queen Elizabeth II’s (Helen Mirren) responses to the death of Princess Diana is a grand, usually subtle fiction that gets at a lot of truth. PG13. O SCAR NOMS : H ELEN M IRREN , B EST A CTRESS ; C OSTUME D ESIGN ; B EST D IRECTOR ; O RIGINAL S CORE ; B EST P ICTURE ; O RIGINAL S CREENPLAY . Bijou. Cinemark. 44421 (11/30/06) Smokin’ Aces: There’s a price on Jeremy Piven’s head, and a whole lot of people are out to collect it. ‘Course, he’s under FBI custody. Joe Carnahan’s film has a whiz-bang trailer and a passel of unexpected stars, including Alicia Keys and Jason Bateman. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. See review this issue. Stomp the Yard: A troubled street dancer from L.A. finds himself a hot commodity among the step dancing teams of two fraternities at a university in Atlanta. PG13. Cinemark. Stranger Than Fiction: Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) begins to hear a voice (Emma Thompson) narrating his life — and he doesn’t like where the story’s going. PG13. Movies 12. 44441 (11/16/06) Volver: Penélope Cruz is radiant as troubled mother, daughter and sis- ter Raimunda in the new film from celebrated director Pedro Almodóvar. Warm and welcoming, but not as engrossing as some of the director’s earlier work. R. O SCAR NOM : P ENÉLOPE C RUZ , B EST A CTRESS . Bijou. 44421 (1/25)
