Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Ted Davis is the ultimate player. He’s cute, but not too good-looking. He’s charming without being overly smooth. As he notes early in “BachelorMan,” Ted knows he’s not God’s gift to women, but is just optimistic enough to think they’re God’s gift to him.
“If our gods and our hopes are nothing but scientific phenomena, then it must be said that our love is scientific as well.” With that quote from Auguste Villiers de L’Isle-Adam’s novel L’Eve Future, so begins the beautifully animated but excessively philosophical “Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence.” The sequel to 1995’s “Ghost in the Shell” — which was one of the most successful anime films of all time — “Innocence” is ambitious and gorgeous to look at, but is so lacking in humanity that at times it is almost painful to watch.
It’s not often an actor buys his co-star. But then again, Viggo Mortensen isn’t your average actor. And come to think of it, the co-star isn’t some hot young filly — it’s a real horse. “I just fell in love with him [on the set of ‘Hidalgo’],” Mortensen says. “He doesn’t live with me [in Venice, Calif.]. He stays at a friend’s house, and I go over to ride him as much as I can.”
You’d think that tacking on an additional 43 minutes to the three-hour movie would be overkill. But the extended version actually feels shorter than the theatrical release — possibly because it tells a more thorough story. “Two Towers” continues where “The Fellowship of the Ring” left off. With the Fellowship splintered into two groups, Frodo and Sam head for Mordor to destroy the Ring.
There are some musicians who claim fame doesn’t interest them. Jacki, the central character in “Prey for Rock and Roll,” isn’t one of them. She wants to be rich, famous and adored. She wants to be a rock star. But when you’re pushing 40 with a wheelbarrow, and your band has to divvy up the $54 gig fee four ways, stardom is a pipe dream.
The year is 2084 and the human race has been isolated to the Tibetan mountains. Threatened by extraterrestrials who are taking over what’s left of Earth, the commanders send a young girl named Milly back in time to stop the aliens and thwart the threat. In Takashi Yamazaki’s stylish “Returner,” we see elements of films we’ve seen before. The slo-mo bullet-dodging shots are dead-on “Matrix.” The baby alien captured and tortured looks like it could be a first cousin to “E.T.” Throw in a little “Terminator” and “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” and you’ve got the makings of what could have been a lame ripoff.
The running theme through “Marci X” is, “You’ve got to be real.” That’s what Damon Wayans’ thug rapper Dr. $ says, and what Lisa Kudrow’s pampered Marci Feld parrots back. The thing is, there’s nothing real about the characters in this dismal comedy. Even as a satire, it fails because the filmmakers don’t understand the subject they’re satirizing.
Don’t bother asking who the ultimate winner is in the battle between “Freddy vs. Jason.” We’re not supposed to tell you. But suffice it to say you don’t have to be clairvoyant to realize this franchise isn’t going to die, even if one of the lead characters supposedly does.
By Jae-Ha Kim Chicago Sun-Times August 15, 2003 Ghandi once said, “A society can be judged by the way it treats its animals.” But what if the animal is a danger to society–then how is […]
Dana Brown’s surfing documentary “Step Into Liquid” features lush locations, magnificent waves and rocking surfer bodies. So why does the film feel so much longer than its 88-minute running time? I liken it to a spa treatment, where the anticipation of soaking in a mud bath or taking a long, hot steam sounds wonderful but, in reality, proves to get old fast. There’s only so much relaxation you can take before you’re antsy to leave.