Like most Americans (well, the women and gay men, anyway), I’m a sucker for a good romantic comedy. Give me Meg Ryan tippity-typing away with Tom Hanks or Julia Roberts selling her love to Richard Gere and I’m quite content, thank you (and if Julia’s got a gay best friend and is trying to stop … Continue reading
Many critics will undoubtedly point to Big Trouble’s unfortunate subject matter (particularly an extended plane-hijacking sequence and an excruciating lampooning of airport security) as the reason for the film’s certain failure at the box office. Disney, the film’s distributor, will surely cling to that theory as well, having already pushed the film’s opening back from … Continue reading
When Al Gore invented the Internet, he surely never guessed how useful a tool it would become in helping love-starved denizens of cyberspace find their perfect mate. How could he have known that, by the year 2002, websites like match.com would be advertising during Friends, promising a perfect partner for every Tom, Dick and Mary … Continue reading
In an endearing display of democratic goodwill, the Great Pixie herself, Björk, hosted a poll on her formidable website to determine which tracks would be included on Greatest Hits, a new retrospective of songs from her first four solo albums. It might be a stretch to call some of the eccentric artist’s musical oddities … Continue reading
If you own a Palm Pilot, you’re probably already playing Dope Wars, the most popular game currently available for the Palm. For those whose lives aren’t ruled by pocket circuitry (and may therefore be unaware), Dope Wars is essentially an accounting game: starting with $2000, players must make money by buying and selling a variety … Continue reading
Inspired by legendary Irish playwright and poet Brendan Behan’s extraordinary memoir, Borstal Boy depicts the artistic and sexual awakenings in sixteen-year-old IRA soldier Behan during a term in an English reform school. Forced to live among the “enemy,” the idealistic Behan (Shawn Hatosy) gradually discovers he actually likes the English. Adding to his confusion, he … Continue reading
In this over-the-top demonstration of the hazards of internet dating, uptight lawyer Peter (Steve Martin) ventures online in search of a refined woman to help him get over his ex-wife (Jean Smart). Believing he’s found just the person in Charlene (Queen Latifah), he arranges a face-to-face meeting, only to discover she’s actually a sassy prison … Continue reading
Bully bears the unmistakable stamp of director Larry Clark, who is known for his documentary-style cinematography and graphic depictions of teenage excess. Clark’s films luridly amplify teen sexuality, drug use and violence; true to form, Bully, an in-your-face portrait of a group of aimless youths, makes the crowd from Fast Times at Ridgemont High look … Continue reading
After running away from home at age 16, Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) successfully poses as an airplane pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer, all the while cashing millions of dollars in forged checks. When a tenacious FBI agent (Tom Hanks) picks up his trail, a lively game of cat-and-mouse ensues. Buoyed by spirited performances from … Continue reading
“With a better director, The Chateau might have been a better film. As it is, watching old home movies may well be more entertaining. They’d certainly be better produced.” French Resistance Poor production values in culture-clash farce are non amusant A sort of cinematic paradox, The Chateau represents, to a degree, everything that’s good and bad with … Continue reading
Mike Rucker Writes 