 |
  |
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
|
Who's
Pulling Strings TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE: Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Directed by Parker. Written by Parker, Stone and Pam Brady. Produced by Parker, Stone and Scott Rudin. Executive producers, Scott Aversano, Anne Garefino. Cinematography, Bill Pope. Visual consultant, David Rockwell. Production design, Jim Dultz. Editor. Tom Vogt. Costumes, Karen Patch. Puppet design, Norman Tempia. Puppet producers, Charles, Stephen and Edward Chiodo. Special Effects, Joe Viskocil. Composer, Harry Gregson Williams. Paramount Pictures, 2004. R. 98 minutes.
You got yer upchuckin', creatively fuckin' puppets. You got yer patriotism hard-boiled. You got yer gay-bashing, activist-bashing, Hollywood-liberals bashing on one side, and on the other you've got yer North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il feeding Hans Blix to his pet shark. And all the way, you've got Team America, five gung-ho fly-boys and fly-girls — Chris, Sara, Lisa, Joe and Gary — and their mentor, Spottswoode. The team members suffer no regret over collateral damage to innocent citizens, the Eiffel Tower, the Sphinx or the Louvre. Team America damages the physical world more effectively than the terrorists they're after, who only destroy the Panama Canal and Mount Rushmore. Yes, Trey Parker and Matt Stone's new film is an action misadventure, featuring wooden puppets with big heads and loosey-goosey bodies, which render them unable to walk or run realistically. The Chiodo brothers Charles, Stephen and Edward, the go-to guys for live-action puppetry and special effects, worked closely with puppet designer, Norman Tempia. The brothers made 95 generic mechanical heads, which combined with a number of non-mechanical heads, stunt bodies, blown –up bodies — well, you get the picture. Each complete puppet stands 22 inches tall. Karen Patch's 1/3-size costumes are both clever and practical. The puppeteers had to have quick access to the puppet's backs "to replace batteries for the Gilderfluke, a mechanism that works their features," Patch noted. The film boasts special effects — lots of stuff gets blown up — but "almost" no CGI special effects. To destroy the Panama Canal, the effects guys used 1,000 gallons of water for the flood that washes away the puppets. But because we accept the puppets as characters despite their strings showing, the film's effects have a somewhat more "realistic" look than those in the all-CGI film, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, which looks fake all the way, all the time. These two pseudo-action movies both involve a "team" of expert fighters who go up against dedicated terrorists. Although both draw heavily on genre conventions, Sky Captain's human actors raise the picture's emotional stakes. On the other hand, schlock-meisters Parker and Stone are more interested in dithering between Kim Jong Il and Alec Baldwin as the target of their rage. The filmmakers' satiric edge is very fuzzy here, and their un-ironic ambiguity confuses. They make fun of the square dudes and Barbie-dolls on Team America, but toward the end of the film they come out solidly on the characters' side. The movie's dirty rock anthem, "America, Fuck Yeah," may not get played in the Bush White House, but you better believe some of the guys and gals putting their bodies on the line in Iraq will be humming it. Catchy little tune, eh? Team America isn't pure satire, and the filmmakers' claim the film's latent conservatism is not political. Hmm… In that case, this film is worth seeing if you like to watch puppets bleed, drown, vomit, get blown up or have sex. Parker and Stone had to submit 10 cuts to the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) to get a provisional NC-17 rating upgraded to an R. I wish they'd spent as much time figuring out the real enemy as venting adolescent steam. Now playing at Cinemark and Cinema World, Team America doesn't get my recommendation. But see it and decide for yourself.
OPENING
OR RETURNING: Anacondas: Hunt for the Blood Orchid: Horror thriller set in a jungle in Borneo where scientists travel down a river looking for a rare orchid said to the be the source of a youth-preserving serum. PG-13. Movies 12. Childhood of Maxim Gorky: (1938, Russia) Mark Donskoy's biopic of the Russian writer known as the father of socialist realism, Maxim Gorky (1868-1936). Based on Gorky's autobiography of his early life of poverty, abuse and love. At 7 pm on 11/2 in 115 Pacific, UO campus. Russian w/English subtitles. Free. Finding Neverland: Inspired by life of James Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan, the film is a fictional account of Barrie's creative journey to bring his play to life. Directed by Marc Foster, film stars Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell and Dustin Hoffman. Sneak at 7:30 pm on 10/30. Cinemark. Go Further: Award-winning documentary filmmaker Ron Mann followed Woody Harrelson and friends on an eco-consciousness-raising trip down the Pacific Coast Highway, a 1,300 mile spiritual and physical odyssey-on-wheels. Harrelson will be present for the film's sneak previews at 5 pm and 7 pm on 10/28 at the Bijou. It's a get-out-the-vote event. See interview with Harrelson this issue. Ray: Jamie Foxx plays late, great Ray Charles in this musical, biographical drama, directed by Taylor Hackford. Co-stars Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix, Terrence Dashon Howard, Richard Schiff, Aunjanue Ellis and Sharon Warren. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Saw: James Wan's bloodthirsty horror tale about a serial killer who commits suicide, leaving would-be victims chained up, stars Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter and Leigh Whannell. R. Cinemark. Therèsé: Inspirational film about Saint Therèsé of Lisieux (1873-1897), who wrote: "Good deeds count as nothing, if done without love." Directed by Leonardo Defilippis and made on a limited budget. PG. Cinema World. Wimbledon: Tennis champ (Paul Bettany) is about to retire from the game when he meets American tennis star (Kirsten Dunst), who encourages him to compete at Wimbledon. PG-13. Movies 12. Films open the Friday following EW publication date unless otherwise noted. See archived reviews at www.eugeneweekly.com
CONTINUING: Bourne Supremacy, The: Paul Greengrass (writer, director of Bloody Sunday) directs Matt Damon as assassin Jason Bourne in the second installment of Robert Ludlum's espionage thrillers Also stars Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, Kurt Urban and Franka Potente. One of the summer's best films. Highly recommended. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. Cellular: This Phone Booth-like thriller stars Kim Basinger, William H. Macy, Chris Evans and Jason Statham. A carefree young man (Evans) receives a phone call from a woman (Basinger) imploring him to save her life. She's been kidnapped, and he's her only chance. PG-13. Movies 12. Cinderella Story, A: Teen romance comedy stars Hilary Duff, Jennifer Coolidge, Chad Michael Murray and Regina King. Mark Rosman directs. PG. Movies 12. Collateral: Michael Mann's thriller stars Tom Cruise as an LA hitman and Jamie Foxx as his taxi driver, who's surprised to discover he's a hostage. Together, they're like fire and ice, feeling and nothingness. A character study in action, the film is one of the best movies of the year. Very highest recommendations. Don't miss. R. Movies 12. Online archives. First Daughter: Presidential daughter (Katie Holmes) just wants a normal college life. When she falls for her dorm's resident advisor, she finds out what it's like to fit in. PG. Movies 12. Forgotten, The: Julianne Moore is a grieving parent. She learns from her psychiatrist (Gary Sinese) and others that her 8-year-old son never existed. Directed by Joseph Ruben, the film also stars Dominic West, Alfre Woodard, Linus Roache, Anthony Edwards. PG-13. Cinemark. Friday Night Lights: High-school football is a big deal in 1988 Odessa, Texas, and director Peter Berg has fun with the fictional locals played by Tim McGraw, Billy Bob Thornton and Jay Hernandez. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence: Mamoru Oshii's sequel to his huge animé success of nine years ago. Set in the year 2032, when humans and machines have become the same, this is the story of a solitary cyborg who wants desperately to hold onto what's left of humanity. PG-13. LateNite Bijou. Grudge, The: The curse of one who dies in the grip of a powerful rage kills and is passed like a virus from victim to victim. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban: Brilliantly directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), now teenagers, return to Hogwarts, where they confront an escaped prisoner, Sirius Black (Gary Oldham), who poses a great threat to Harry. They must also contend with the Dementors, who are sent to protect them from Black. PG. Movies 12. Online archives. Hijacking Catastrophe: 2004 documentary covers two decades of neo-conservative Republicans such as Paul Wolfowitz, Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney setting the stage for the so-called Bush Doctrine (of American imperialism). Must-see viewing, the film features commentary by Noam Chomsky, former Chief UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter, Daniel Ellsberg, Norman Mailer, Jody Williams and others. Written and directed by Jeremy Earp and Sut Jhally, it's an excellent, cogent political film. Plays Sat. and Sun. at 1 pm. NR. 68 minutes. Bijou. I Heart Huckabees: The delirious, new laugh-out-loud comedy from David O. Russell (Three Kings, Flirting with Disaster) stars Jason Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Huppert, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts and Jude Law. One of 2004's top films, it gets my very highest recommendations. R. Bijou. Online archives. Ladder 49: When Fire Chief Mike Kennedy (John Travolta) takes rookie firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) under his wing, the probationary firefighter matures into a seasoned, veteran at a Baltimore fire station. But after years of risking his life and watching his relationship with his wife and kids deteriorate, Jack is at a crossroads and questions whether or not it's worth it. PG. Cinemark. Manchurian Candidate, The: Psychological thriller stars Denzel Washington as an ex-career officer disturbed by his experiences in Desert Storm. Liev Schreiber plays a former squad sergeant, now a vice-presidential candidate and son of a powerful senator (Meryl Streep). An especially fine performance from Jeffrey Wright as a damaged vet suffering hallucinations. Very highest recommendations. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Motorcycle Diaries: In 1952, Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (Gael García Bernal) and pal Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) take a motorcycle trip through the poverty and natural wonder of Latin America. Che Guevara, who had become famous from his association with Fidel Castro, was murdered at the hands of Bolivians in the pay of the CIA a few years later. Highly recommended. R. Bijou. Online archives. Napoleon Dynamite: Jared Hess' indie comedy stars Jon Heder as a high schooler, who lives in Idaho with his grandmother. The Village Voice says, "the film is an epic, magisterially observed pastiche on all-American geekhood, flooring the competition with a petulant shove." PG. Cinema World. Shall We Dance: American remake of the sublime Japanese film of the same title. Sorry to report it, but Jennifer Lopez plays the dance teacher and Richard Gere the shy man who learns to dance. See the original to compare to this all-Hollywood effort. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Shark Tale: In this computer-animated feature, a lovable tropical fish with the voice of Will Smith takes on the underwater Mafia when he assumes responsibility for killing the godfather of the Great White Sharks. Other voices include those of Jack Black, Robert De Niro, Renée Zellweger, Angelina Jolie and Martin Scorsese; Eric Bergeron. Directed by Vicky Jenson. PG. Cinema World, Cinemark Shrek 2: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy return. The newlyweds face Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews) and King Harold (John Cleese). Fairy godmother (Jennifer Saunders), Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) and the ferocious Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas). Sequel is so-so. PG. Movies 12. Online archives. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: Starring Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, this digital special effects sci-fi action film was shot without sets and locations. Brainchild: writer/director Kerry Conran in collaboration with producer Jon Avnet. Other stars include Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Gambon and Bai Ling. PG. Cinemark. Online archives. Spider Man 2: Peter Parker aka Spidey (Tobey Maguire) returns as a college student by day who still loves Kirsten Dunst and a superhero when needed against his new nemesis, Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina). Sam Raimi directs. Excellent film! See it. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Surviving Christmas: Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, Christina Applegate and Catherine O'Hara star in this holiday comedy, in which Ben wants so badly to spend Christmas with a family, he goes to his boyhood home, meets the people now living in the house, and buys Christmas with them. PG-13. Cinemark. Taxi: If you've seen the trailer for Tim Story's movie, you'll recognize the inept police detective (Jimmy Fallon) who takes a taxi to work on his cases. Of course, with Queen Latifah behind the wheel, anything can happen. PG-13. Cinemark. Team America: World Police: With animated wooden marionettes, Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park) create an action adventure film about an international police force devoted to global stability and battling bad guys. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. See review this issue. Terminal: Steven Spielberg directs Tom Hanks as a tourist who has to live at Kennedy airport because his homeland disappeared in a civil war. He falls in love with Catherine Zeta-Jones, whose comic talent is wasted in a dumb-dame role, while Hanks only works part-time. Too long and too cute. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Village, The: M. Night Shyamalan's new suspenseful film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Bryce Dallas Howard, Adrien Brody, William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver. PG-13. Movies 12.
MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
Theaters
NEW
RELEASES ON VIDEO Around the World in 80 Days: (2004) Jackie Chan stars in remake, which follows an eccentric London inventor, Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan), who makes a very public bet then has to come through. Also stars Jim Broadbent, Cecile De France, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathy Bates, Rob Schneider. PG. California Split: (1974) One of filmmaker Robert Altman's lesser known pictures, it stars Elliot Gould and George Segal. DVD extras include commentary by Altman, Gould, Segal, and screenwriter Joseph Walsh. Dazed and Confused: Richard Linklater's 1993 comic portrait of high school life circa 1976, with the clothes, cars and music that made this post-60's era memorable. Shot in and around Austin, this was Linklater's (Slacker) second big hit. Some young actors (and their characters) include: Parker Posey (Darla), Matthew McConaughey (Wooderson), Joey Lauren Adams (Simone), Milla Jovovich (Michelle) and Ben Affleck (O'Bannion). DVD extras include deleted scenes, a film about the dangers of drugs ("The Blunt Truth: An Institutional Film") and vintage PSAs: "Venereal Disease/VD Is for Everybody" and "Crying Indian." PG. Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: Stanley Kubrick's 1964 classic, quintessential Cold-War black comedy stars Peter Sellers in three roles; Sterling Hayden as an unforgettable crackpot general; Slim Pickens as a bomb-riding pilot; George C. Scott as a very nervous militarist; and Keenan Wynn at his most hapless. Written by Terry Southern, Peter George and Kubrick. DVD reissue includes documentaries, interviews, unreleased footage NR. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues: Gus Van Sant directs 1993 film version of Tom Robbins' novel about a woman (Uma Thurman) who leaves New York for an all-woman ranch in the Dakotas. Co-starring Lorraine Bracco, Angie Dickinson and Keanu Reeves. R. Facing Windows: (La Fiesta Di Fronte, Italy, 2004) Winner of four Italian "David" awards, the film is about contemporary Italian woman (Giovanna Mezzogriorno), who takes in a confused older man (the late Massimo Girotti). As he recovers his memory, the film becomes a story of passion, choices and love. Directed by Frezan Ozpetek. Other stars: Raoul Bova and Filippo Nigro. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982): Cameron Crowe's adaptation of his own novel is directed by Amy Heckerling, who introduces a memorable cast, including Sean Penn. Also Nicolas Cage, Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz and more. DVD extras include commentary by director Heckerling and screenwriter Cameron Crowe as well as featurette — "Reliving our Fast Times at Ridgemont High." R. Festival Express: (2004) This 1970s rock doc chronicles the Festival Express, a multi-band, multi-day trip across Canada, with musical extravaganzas at many stops. Features Janis Joplin at her most vulnerable, rocking best, the Grateful Dead, and The Band. DVD extras include additional performances (50 min.), additional interviews (25 min.) and making-of featurette. R. Home At the End of the World, A: (2004) Based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Hours, Michael Cunningham, this film chronicles the lives of two childhood friends played by Robin Wright Penn and Colin Farrell. Starting in 1960s suburban Cleveland we later find them 20 years later in New York City as they struggle through a series of trials, triumphs, love and losses. DVD includes making-of documentary. R. Looney Toons Golden Collection, The: Volume 2 is a 4-disc set of more than 60 digitally re-mastered and uncut animated shorts, including 15 animated classics. Each disc celebrates a different star: Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, Tweety & Sylvester and popular cartoon favorites such as Back Alley Uproar, Book Revue, Corny Concerto. Also, commentaries, Bugs Bunny's All Star 50th Anniversary (Parts 1, 2), the 1962 Road Runner pilot, a 2004 short, Daffy Duck for President and more. Mulholland Falls: (1996) "The Hats," four cops from an elite, untouchable 1950s L.A. police unit, dispense "justice" their own way. Stars Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Chazz Palminteri, John Malkovich, Michael Madsen, Treat Williams, Rob Lowe, Bruce Dern, Andrew McCarthy, Jennifer Connelly and Chris Penn. Overlooked by other critics at the time, this exciting, good looking LA noir crime thriller was directed by talented New Zealander Lee Tamahoori (Once Were Warriors) and shot by the great Haskell Wexler. R. Philadelphia: (1993) Tom Hanks portrays a gay man fired from his law firm after he contracts AIDS. Denzel Washington is the homophobic lawyer who fights to have him reinstated. Directed by Jonathan Demme. One of the best pictures of '93. DVD includes commentary, deleted scenes, documentaries. PG-13. Proof: (1991) Black comedy from Australia about trust, friendship betrayal and obsession. A blind photographer and his housekeeper find their relationship deteriorating after he engages a charming dishwasher to describe his photos. First feature by Jocelyn Moorhouse stars Hugo Weaving, Genevieve Picot, Russell Crowe. DCD includes commentaries by Moorhouse and Weaving, photos. R. Rapture, The: Mimi Rogers plays a Los Angeles phone operator whose desire for ecstasy leads from promiscuity to charismatic religion to tragedy. EW's review by David Johnson said Rogers' "transition from hollow-eyed wanton to entranced believer is believably creepy." David Duchovny, Patrick Bauchau and Will Patton also star. Offbeat thriller was controversial among Christian audiences. R. Shrek 2: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy return. The newlyweds face Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews) and King Harold (John Cleese). Fairy godmother (Jennifer Saunders), Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) and the ferocious Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas). Sequel is so-so. DVD available 11/5 includes tons of extras. PG. Online archives. Waiting for Fidel: As a young filmmaker at the Canadian film board, Michael Rubbo traveled to Cuba to make a film about Fidel Castro. But day after day, Fidel doesn't show, so Rubbo made a film about his personal journal. A rare look at Cuba as well as a free-wheeling, ground-breaking work, the DVD edition is loaded with extras, including full chapterization, interview with Canadian millionaire, Geoff Stirling, and Rubbo's video diary. Facets Video. NR. Next Week: Before Sunset (2004), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Gone With the Wind (1939), Jesus of Montreal (1989), Ju-On The Grudge (2004, Japan), The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection, The Official Story (1985), and The Stepford Wives (2004). |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
