Author: Adam (Page 4 of 224)

Merlin was the Dick Cheney of Arthurian legend.

“Look, you crumb bum, I’m a star. Star, star, star. I don’t get a million dollars to act out of a trench. I played Miss St. John the Baptist in a trench, (she walks along in the trench and we see that she has two boxes strapped to her feet) and I played Miss Napoleon Bonaparte in a trench, and I played Miss Alexander Fleming in a furrow so if you want this scene played out of a trench, well you just get yourself a goddamn stuntman. (walks off) I played Miss Galileo in a groove and I played Mrs. Jesus Christ in a geological syncline!”

-Vanilla Hoare, “Scott of the Antarctic,” Monty Python’s Flying Circus

When I saw on Michael Moore’s advance tickets site that “Fahrenheit 9/11” would be opening at two chain theaters in Madison – Point and Eastgate, both owned by Marcus Theatres – I was excited.

Then, when they disappeared from the list yesterday, I was not pleased. I wondered if they had been a victim of the intimidation campaign that some right-wingers have launched against theater owners planning to run the movie.

When I called Marcus, I found the situation was a little more complicated than that. The woman I spoke to said they hadn’t screened the film yet, and were planning to on Monday. So they won’t be making a final decision until after that screening.

“But unless there’s something really awful in it, I have a feeling we’re going to be running it,” she said.

I asked her if they had been getting protest calls. She said they had been getting a lot of calls about the movie, but 2-to-1 in favor. That’s not as good a ratio as I’d like, but I’ll take it.

If you’d like to call them (and hopefully express your support for this important movie), their number is 414-905-1000.

Eight days and counting.

In my web wanderings today, looking up online resources for voter registration, I came upon the “W Ketchup” site.

My favorite line? “W Ketchup would like to thank President Reagan for his selfless service to this nation.”

The internet permanently disproves the phrase “I’ve seen everything.”

Fox News just published a positive review of “Fahrenheit 9/11.”

“As much as some might try to marginalize this film as a screed against President George Bush, ‘F9/11’ — as we saw last night — is a tribute to patriotism, to the American sense of duty — and at the same time a indictment of stupidity and avarice.”

What’s next? “Hannity, O’Reilly wed in lavish Boston ceremony”?

Continuing the “What were they thinking?” meme of Wacky Celebrity Child Names, Courteney Cox Arquette and her husband, David Arquette, named their daughter Coco.

My first thought was, did she give birth to a chimp?

Crapweasel reactionary Bill O’Reilly (famous for his hatred of rapper Ludacris) just announced tonight that as long as the Fox Network continues to air the sitcom “Method and Red,” starring two rappers, he *won’t watch his own network.*

Heh.

I was telling my good friend Mike the other night, the thing that scares me most about American society is this: Since 9/11 I don’t think there’s a line that we wouldn’t be willing to cross, given even the tiniest push. For example, which of the following do you really think is impossible in America today?

-Locking up Muslims in WWII-style internment camps.
-Dropping a nuclear bomb on a Middle Eastern capital.
-Declaring martial law after a terrorist attack.
-Canceling a national election after a terrorist attack.
-Starting a multi-front invasion in the Middle East.
-Officially designating anti-war speech as treason.
-Reversing Roe v. Wade.
-Passing a constitutional amendment banning both marriage for gay people and benefits for gay couples.
-Routinely charging American citizens as “enemy combatants” and holding them without charge or representation indefinitely.
-Reinstituting the draft.
-Declaring English the national language, and ordering all other languages removed from federal buildings and publications.

I would say that not only are these things possible, they are pretty likely in today’s climate. And this list is just what I could think of at the spur of the moment. We’re headed off a cliff. Remember Thelma and Louise? And we’ve got one chance – ONE – to put on the brakes.

I hope to god we do.

Watching the previews for this movie, I was expecting something much broader and more satirical – “Heathers” set in a Christian high school.

Instead, it was a surprisingly thought-provoking story about the challenges of faith, and I enjoyed it much more than I expected.

Wait. That last sentence makes it sound like some sort of dry-as-dust History Channel program on the Life of Jesus. That’s not it at all. It’s an engaging story with lots of great sly lines and fine performances. The leads, Jena Malone and Mandy Moore, are quite good, but even better are supporting players Eva Amurri (Susan Sarandon’s daughter) and Macaulay Culkin as the token Jewish girl and the handicapped boy she takes a shine to. Also great in a quiet way is Patrick Fugit as the pastor/principal’s son.

I was waiting for the cheap shots to come fast and furious, and when they didn’t, I was taken by the ambiguity of all the characters – villians and heroes are much more interesting when they have more than a passing acquaintance with the other side.

When was the last time a movie not only wasn’t what you expected, but also turned out much better than you thought it would be? That’s this movie.

Recommended.

Thank god for Alfonso Cuarón, who has breathed new life into the Harry Potter franchise with “Azkaban.” My movie companions called it “too realistic,” and said the first two movies were better.

I couldn’t disagree more. Finally we saw on the screen a little of the real magic of Rowling’s stories. And I loved the “realism” of this one – it had an emotional heft that the cookie-cutter Chris Columbus movies sorely lacked. For me, these stories are about a kid growing up; the magic is just a vehicle, a way in. And Cuarón gets that.

The new tone, combined with sly production design (there’s always something interesting going on in the frame’s margins) and wonderful casting (I just wish Emma Thompson had more screen time) come together to make this the best Harry Potter yet. I want to highlight David Thewlis especially as Professor Lupin – his scenes with Harry are the movie’s best.

It’s not perfect; it’s still too long, and cramming everything in, even with Cuarón’s streamlining, means the pace can get a little choppy. But that’s the fault of trying to make each jam-packed book into one movie. Personally, I’m willing to sacrifice a few rabid fanboy details for some real magic.

Recommended.