Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Matt Damon has portrayed All American boys (“Good Will Hunting,” “All the Pretty Horses”), gaunt junkie soldiers (“Courage Under Fire”) and creepy thin killers (“The Talented Mr. Ripley”). But unlike his good friend Ben Affleck, who showed off his action hero prowess in “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor” and “The Sum of all Fears,” Damon has been slow to capitalize on his hunk factor.
The opening of “Undercover Brother” perfectly sets the tone for this comedy. Driving a vintage Cadillac, Undercover Brother has one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding a filled-to-the-rim drink. As the car executes a few 360-degree spins to avoid a car crash, our cool hero has a smile plastered on his face and not a hair of his retro ‘fro out of place. Not a drop of the soft drink spills on the car’s upholstery.
There are many dangerous sports. Athletes have been paralyzed in gymnastics and football. And the dangers of boxing don’t need to be explained. But there’s nothing like the litany of thrilling events at an X Games competition to make you wonder, “Why would anyone do that?”
In “Triumph of Love,” Mira Sorvino portrays a princess who falls in love with the rightful heir to her father’s throne. Because he has been taught to hate her, she schemes to befriend him (dressed as a boy, of course). In real life, the Oscar winner didn’t have to try nearly as hard to win the heart of her boyfriend of three years, French actor Olivier Martinez. They were set up on a blind date.
As she nears her 44th birthday on April 21, Andie MacDowell is a testament to how good you can look in your 40s. She stands almost 6 feet tall, only 5-foot-8 of that thanks to genetics. The other 4 inches are the result of a pair of shoes so sassy and beautiful they’d be at home on one of the ladies on “Sex and the City.”
Jamie Kennedy is nowhere to be found. At first, you wonder whether he’s wandering around in disguise as a bellhop, waiting to fool you as he does on his TV series, “JKX: The Jamie Kennedy Experiment,” which airs at 7 p.m. Sundays on WGN-Channel 9. On this twisted homage to “Candid Camera,” Kennedy dresses up as different characters and fools people into thinking he’s some funky Valley Boy taking their daughter out on a blind date or an insensitive boss who makes his temp fire the entire staff.
The opening sequence of “Shiri” is so frenetic and violent that some filmgoers may wince at the unrelenting brutality. But if you can make it through the first few minutes, there’s cinematic eye candy waiting to enthrall you. One of the fiercest soldiers on an elite North Korean force is Hee, a young female sniper who shoots to kill and never misses. When enemy soldiers are hunted, she shows no feeling as she decapitates her prey. When she retires, she is given a solemn, heroic sendoff.
The first time Jason Schwartzman was on David Letterman’s show, the young actor had a case of the nerves. “I walked out there and it was like being on a roller-coaster ride,” says Schwartzman, now 21. “He’s awesome! I love him. I want to campaign for him to be on Oprah. I don’t know why she won’t have him on. He’s great.” The feeling must be mutual. Schwartzman is scheduled to appear on Letterman’s gabfest twice this week. On Wednesday, his band, Phantom Planet, will perform a song from the new album “The Guest.” The following evening, Schwartzman returns solo to hype his latest film, “Slackers,” which opens Friday.
Sitting in a suite at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Benjamin Bratt–who is polite, funny and easy on the eyes–isn’t oblivious to the effect he has on the women fluttering nearby. Dressed in grey trousers, a tight black pullover and black ankle boots, Bratt looks every bit the movie star he is about to become. His almond-shaped eyes are liquid and chocolate brown, and the few strands of grey hair flecking his sideburns are his only concession to age.
“Snow Dogs” is a cute Disney movie that youngsters most likely will enjoy. There are enough adorable dogs and cartoonish antics to keep the Saturday morning cartoon set giggling. Is it as good as the old “Benji” films? No. It’s not even as entertaining as a really good “Scooby Doo” rerun. But we tolerate the silly plot because the film’s got a lot of heart, the scenery is gorgeous and the dogs are pretty darned likable, as is lead human actor Cuba Gooding Jr.