24 Hour Party People (NR) One of the better rock 'n' roll movies of the last few decades, and certainly the definitive film about the Manchester music scene of the punk and post-punk era (actually, it's the only one). 24 Hour Party People is a sly, self-mocking ball of pomo energy that should be as much fun and as interesting for the uninitiated as it is for diehards who know everything there is to know about bands like the Buzzcocks and New Order. Mixing archival footage of seminal bands from the '70s and '80s with expertly shot fake scenes, the film depicts the rise and fall of a scene that bloomed with the likes of the great Joy Division and then exploded into the empty, self-destructive excess of Happy Mondays and their ilk. Our guide into the fray is real life rock impresario and journalist Tony Wilson (wonderfully played by Steve Coogan) a bastion of droll wit who rightfully tells us, I'm a minor character in my own story. It's true, in that this isn't a movie about any one character, but rather about a city and the music that it spawned. Director Michael Winterbottom offers proof positive that, from Welcome to Sarajevo to Wonderland to The Claim, this is a man who has never made the same film twice. Also stars Andy Serkis, Shirley Henderson and Sean Harris as a monumentally tortured Ian Curtis. Tentatively opens Sept. 20 at Channelside. Call theatre to confirm. 
Austin Powers in Goldmember (PG-13) The least fabulous of all the Powers entries to date but still good, disposable fun. Goldmember is really just a loosely connected series of gags, routines and set pieces (not that the other two movies weren't) with much of the humor coming off as more raunchy and obsessively screwier than ever. As usual, Dr. Evil and Mini-Me steal the show, although Myers gets off a few good licks with the latest addition to his roster of villains, the revolting and thoroughly irritating title character. Stars Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles, Michael York and Seth Green. 
Australia: Land Beyond Time (PG) The film takes us Down Under to the flattest, driest continent on earth, immerses us in parched, otherworldly landscapes and introduces us to tons of incredibly odd and supremely adaptable animals — from cute koalas and feisty dingoes, to an endless variety of bizarrely shaped lizards, to the amazing and little-understood kangaroo. Animal lovers will want to pounce on this one. 
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (R) What happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force? Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu square off as secret agents supremo. Also stars Ray Park. Opens Sept. 20 at local theaters.
(Not Reviewed)
The Banger Sisters (R) Susan Sarandon and Goldie Hawn star in this comedy/drama about two former rock groupies and best friends who reunite after 20 years. One has remained a wild woman; the other has turned conservative. Also stars Geoffrey Rush.
(Not reviewed)
Barbershop (PG-13) Ice Cube stars in this mediocre yarn about barbershop camaraderie. Cube (Calvin) is bequeathed the shop by his late father. As a struggling entrepreneur, he loses sight of the humbling culture that encompasses the business. Calvin's desperation leads to dubious means to pay past-due rent. Interwoven throughout the main plot is an ATM heist carried out by two clumsy criminals whose shenanigans seem more like filler than a true subplot. Calvin's employees, on the other hand, provide the bulk of amusement with their conflicting personalities. Also stars Cedric the Entertainer, Eve, Sean Patrick Thomas and Michael Ealy. —Corey Myers 
Blood Work (R) Clint Eastwood's latest is a workmanlike and wholly unremarkable thriller about a retired FBI agent with a brand new heart transplant and a serial killer on his tail. Also starring Jeff Daniels, Anjelica Huston, Wanda De Jesus and Tina Lifford. 
Blue Crush (PG-13) For all its faults, this is one surf movie that takes its cue more from Bruce Brown's Endless Summer than from Baywatch. Offering a glimpse into the lives of a group of young female surfers in Oahu, Blue Crush is a fairly interesting movie when it's just following its characters around. When the film attempts to tell us a story — something about finding love, regaining your confidence and becoming the best darned surfer in the word — it's predictable, shallow and not very good. Stars Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, Matthew Davis and Sanoe Lake.
City by the Sea (PG-13) Coincidences and emotional baggage are piled on to predictably numbing effect in City by the Sea, director Michael Caton-Jones workmanlike tale of crime, urban decay and familial dysfunction. Robert De Niro stars as a Manhattan cop who moved away from the now deteriorating community of Long Beach when his marriage went bad. Now, many years later, De Niro's character is emotionally distant to his current girlfriend (Frances McDormand) and investigating a murder in which it just so happens the primary suspect is none other than his estranged, junkie son (James Franco). Also stars Eliza Dushku.
The Country Bears (G) A bear cub raised by humans sets out to discover his roots and winds up hanging with an all-bear band in Nashville. Stars Haley Joel Osment, Christopher Walken and Charles S. Dutton.
(Not Reviewed)
The Fast Runner (NR) The Fast Runner is a movie that breaks all sorts of new ground (while sifting through some of the oldest ground on earth), and it's doubtful that you've ever seen anything remotely like it. This is the world's first Inuit production, and it relates a timeless Inuit legend told and retold over the centuries. The basic story revolves around Atanarjuat (Natar Ungalaaq), who has a thing for a local beauty named Atuat (Sylvia Ivalu), even though she's already pledged to a nasty-tempered type called Oki (Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq). There's plenty of juicy, bad behavior in the film's universal tale of secrets, lies, lust, murder, rape, revenge and seal blubber — but the bulk of the movie is concerned with carefully observed details of 11th century Inuit life. This is a movie about life's simple pleasures and pains (primal, if you will), and the film depicts it all with austere but enormous beauty. Held over at Channelside Cinemas. Call theater to confirm. 
feardot.com (R) A series of murder victims are linked by a Web site they've all visited. Stars Stephen Dorf, Udo Kier and Stephen Rea.
(Not Reviewed)
The Four Feathers See Film column for review.
Full Frontal (PG-13) Steven Soderbergh is back in full-blown experimental mode with this film-within-a-film-within-a-fantasy, in which the director seems to be having the time of his life creating what amounts to his own free-floating, self-contained universe. Full Frontal unfolds like a puzzle that begs to be put together even as it resists being solved. All that we do know is that most of the characters are either directly or peripherally connected to the movie industry, most of them have serious personal issues, and several of them are responsible for the movie that appears within the movie from time to time. Stars Julia Roberts, Blair Underwood, Catherine Keener, David Hyde Pierce and Mary McCormack.
The Good Girl (PG-13) There's not a whole lot that's particularly memorable about the slightly better than passable black comedy The Good Girl. Outside of some clever comic dialogue and a handful of amusing bit characters, this is a more or less lackluster film about lackluster lives. Lackluster existence numero uno belongs to the aptly named Justine Last (Jennifer Aniston, de-glammed and limp-haired), a frustrated young Texan leading a life of quiet desperation from behind the checkout counter of the Retail Rodeo. Just turned 30, unhappily married and childless, Justine strikes up a friendship with a 22-year-old loner (Jake Gyllenhaal) who's named himself after the hero of The Catcher in the Rye. Friendship soon crosses the line into romance, or at least sex, and from there into obsession, paving the way for Justine to begin realizing there's no way she's ever going to be happy without first removing a few people permanently from her life. Also stars John C. Reilly and Tim Black Nelson.
The Kid Stays in the Picture (R) A pulpy, highly entertaining piece of personal mythmaking colliding with a self-referential film about Hollywood-style delusion, this sorta-documentary charts the glorious rise and ouch-that-hurt fall of notorious and revered mega 1970s producer Robert Evans. —Felicia Feaster
Lilo and Stitch (PG) Another hit from the Disney team, although not quite out of the ballpark. Lilo and Stitch is basically a brightened-up, kid-friendly reinvention of the Frankenstein story, in which a manmade monster (or, in this case, alien-created critter) comes to grips with his own, um, uniqueness and, in the process, finds something not unlike a soul.
Martin Lawrence Live After traipsing around as a medieval knight and in a fatsuit in some forgettable recent films, Lawrence returns to what he allegedly does best: standup. The material is raunchy and offensive and perhaps even shocking. What else would you expect? Reviews have been generally unkind.
(Not Reviewed)
The Master of Disguise (PG) Dana Carvey gets a chance to showcase his considerable skills at mimicry as a multi-morphing sleuth battling a brilliant criminal mastermind. Expect lots of special effects and big, fat, physical comedy. Also stars Brent Spinner and Jennifer Esposito.
(Not Reviewed)
Men in Black II (PG-13) Although it might just have well been titled Men in Black I, Slight Return, this briskly paced 80-some minute romp offers considerable fun, particularly for the undiscriminating summer viewer.
Minority Report (PG-13) The best movie of the summer, and one of the best movies of recent years, Steven Spielberg's sci-fi noir boasts a fascinating premise beautifully expanded into a provocative and consistently gripping feature-length film. Based on a story by Philip K. Dick, Minority Report takes place in a not-so-distant future where crimes are predicted and criminals arrested before they actually commit their offense. Tom Cruise plays the top cop who becomes the glitch in a perfect system when he finds himself falsely accused and on the run. Minority Report is an exciting movie and, dare I say it, an important movie, made timelier than ever in the preemptive political environment of today. Although there's plenty of action, Minority Report is anything but an action movie; it's a smart, tough and tantalizing remapping of the familiar territory known as the crime thriller. Also stars Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton and Max Von Sydow.
Mostly Martha (PG) A German romantic comedy about a headstrong chef who takes charge of her equally stubborn 8-year-old niece. Tensions mount, then an Italian sous-chef arrives to lighten things up.
(Not Reviewed)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (PG) Nia Vardalos stars in this sweet-natured, sporadically amusing adaptation of her one-woman show about a plain Greek-American woman who transforms herself into a babe and hooks up with her Prince Charming — who, much to the chagrin of her loud and proud Greek family, turns out to be as WASP-y as they come. In all, Greek Wedding probably worked better on stage than on the big screen. Also stars John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Lainie Kazan and Andrea Martin.
Notorious C.H.O. (NR) If you love I'm the One That I Want, odds are you'll be up for another serving with Notorious C.H.O., which is essentially more of the same, just a bit more tediously choreographed and shot. This is a live concert movie of comedian Margaret Cho shot before an appreciative audience in Seattle, in which she weighs in (in typically outrageous fashion) on everything from racial/cultural stereotyping to the ins and outs of her sexual proclivities. Lot of funny, raunchy stuff here, but Cho's routine tends to get repetitious after a while, and even the most shocking bits can wind up seeming a little numbing. Tentatively opens Sept. 20 at Channelside. Call theatre to confirm.
One Hour Photo (R) A cool, crisply elegant horror story told in flashback, there's a cloud of uneasiness that hangs over this entire movie as we wait for the film's nondescript protagonist to do the unspeakably awful thing we know he'll eventually do. Robin Williams plays Sy Parish, a mousy little man whose very ordinariness is a cover for the demons lurking within. A man with no real life of his own, Sy is secretly obsessed with one of the families for whom he processes pictures at his job at a Wal-Mart-type chain and the movie details that obsession as it crosses the line from odd to dangerously malignant. One Hour Photo is a disturbing little movie about how true horror lies in the minute shifting of perspectives, the changing of vantage point by which the small, normal moment becomes distorted, gross and hateful. Williams is understated, self-effacing and generally excellent throughout — all hard-set features and awkward, uptight body language — and his dull, middle-aged character becomes both ominous and pitiable. One Hour Photo operates mostly on a slow burn, with a style that's intentionally a little flat and off-center, just so we know that this isn't your typical Hollywood production. It's not exactly profound stuff, but it's the kind of movie that's bound to make you think twice the next time you bring in photographs to be developed. It's a terrific 98-minute advertisement for digital cameras. Also stars Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole and Dylan Smith. Playing at Channelside Cinemas.
The Piano Teacher (NR) Another astonishing effort from one of the most provocative filmmakers of our time, Michael Haneke. As elegant as it is perverse, The Piano Teacher is one of the most extreme depictions of aberrant sexuality ever seen on the screen. The film features a mesmerizing performance by Isabelle Hubbert as Erika Kohut, a middle-aged professor of music at the Vienna Conservatory. Haneke takes a no-nonsense but utterly devastating approach to Erika's tortured relationship with her mother and with herself, and then carefully observes her as she enters into a sadomasochistic affair with one of her students that makes the proceedings in Last Tango in Paris look like an episode from Sesame Street. The Piano Teacher is very nearly a great film, but it requires a special caveat for its scenes of intense emotional/psychological violence, as well as for some brief glimpses of hardcore pornographic imagery. It's a very, very tough film but one that demands to be seen and thought about.There will be those who find The Piano Teacher to be the most offensive, worthless piece of trash they've ever encountered but it's safe to say that even the naysayers will never forget it. Also stars Annie Girardot and Benoit Magimel. Plays at Tampa Theatre on Sept. 20 and 21 at 10 p.m. only. Call theater to confirm.
Possession (PG-13) Two stuffy academics begin an affair while researching the lives of a pair of long dead poets who also had a secret relationship. By most accounts, director Neil LaButte in a softer, gentler mood. Stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart and Jeremy Northam.
(Not Reviewed)
Reign of Fire (PG-13) A ragtag band of humans square off against a deadly species of fire-breathing dragons in the decimated future of 2020. Director Rob Bowman's movie looks good, if you go in for tons of grubby, post-apocalyptic atmosphere, but the plot arc here is just short of by-the-numbers, the action scenes are far too murky to generate much excitement, and the characters are uniformly underwritten or annoying. Stars Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale and Izabella Scorupco.
Road to Perdition (R) Director Sam Mendes follows up American Beauty with a densely textured but occasionally magnificent gangland epic. Tom Hanks stars in an uncharacteristically ambiguous role as a paid killer who doesn't like what he does, but does it anyway. Targeted by his former boss and a couple of mad dog killers, Hanks and his young son take to the road seeking revenge and survival, and finding (this is a Hollywood movie, after all) redemption. While not as immediately hooky as Mendes' debut, Perdition may just be an even better film. Also stars Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig and Tyler Hoechlin.
Serving Sara (PG-13) Ex-Lawyer turned process server Joe (Matthew Perry) is assigned to serve divorce papers to Sara (Elizabeth Hurley). Joe's early attempts are stymied by an unscrupulous and oafish co-worker played by Vincent Pastore of Sopranos' fame. Their vacuous efforts to thwart each other's strategy and serve Sara fail to deliver laughs. What transpires is a cross-country pursuit to salvage Sara's fortune. Could be slightly entertaining for a rainy day. Also stars Bruce Campbell and Cedric the Entertainer.
—Corey Myers 
Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure (PG) An engaging mix of history, drama, fascinating archival footage and breathtaking, state-of-the-art photography, Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure tells the incredible true tale of an epic battle for survival in the wake of a failed expedition to cross Antarctica in 1914. Playing at IMAX Dome Theater at MOSI. Call theater to confirm.
Siegfried and Roy: The Magic Box (PG) There are very few things in this world cooler than a good 3-D movie. Even a bad 3-D movie has its merits, and Siegfried and Roy: The Magic Box is a more than a little of each. As magnificently overblown a piece of Uber Kitsch as you could ever want to find, Siggy and Roy's 3-D movie is a big, gaudy, guilty pleasure for the whole family. The movie takes pains to dress up its more ridiculous excesses in a cloak of respectability, even going so far as to recruit class act Sir Anthony Hopkins to provide the narration (mostly a lot of noble gobbledygook about pursuing dreams, padded with the occasional quote from Blake). The respectability ruse is only partially successful, thank goodness, and the movie remains an awful lot of fun to watch. In any event, it's certainly a whole lot cheaper than a plane ticket to Vegas. Stars Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn. Playing at Channelside IMAX.
Signs (PG-13) The least convoluted but, in some ways, the least compelling movie yet from M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable). Mel Gibson stars as a faith-challenged former clergyman who spends most of the movie sweating bullets and waiting, along with the rest of the world, for a devastating attack from hostile extraterrestrials. The movie is all mood — ominous, still and full of apocalyptic mystery. Nothing much happens, but it's good, uncomplicated pulp entertainment, with a vaguely spiritual underpinning that rises to the surface in the last act. Also stars Joaquin Phoenix, Cherry Jones and Rory Culkin.
Simone (PG-13) Al Pacino stars as a Hollywood filmmaker who stumbles upon a revolutionary program that allows him to create a computer-generated actress who's so lifelike and charismatic the entire world is fooled into believing she's real. This is a movie that's consistently watchable. Also stars Catherine Keener, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Winona Ryder.
Slap Her She's French (PG-13) Life spins out of control in a small Texas town when a beautiful French foreign exchange student (Piper Perabo) shows up and sets her sights on becoming top dog at the local high school. Also stars Jane McGregor and Michael McKean. Opens Sept. 20 at local theaters.
(Not Reviewed)
Space Station (PG) New IMAX featurette documenting a pair of voyages to the international space station floating high above planet Earth. The multinational crews include a mix of American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts. At IMAX Dome Theater.
(Not Reviewed)
Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (PG) Like its predecessor, Spy Kids 2 is an unapologetically silly little romp that's so full of energy and sincerity it's almost impossible to dislike. It's not a great movie, but it's a pretty darned good kids' movie because it does what it does very well and, most important of all, it almost never condescends to its audience. Stars Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Steve Buscemi, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara.
Stealing Harvard (PG-13) Jason Lee plays a middle-class guy who turns to crime in order to send his niece to Harvard. Tom Green is the friend who is a decidedly bad influence.
(Not Reviewed)
Stuart Little 2 (G) Teeny tiny tykes will eat up this barely 75-minute sequel to Stuart Little, but most grown-ups will either be bored out of their skulls or find their teeth tingling from all the sugar-coated sap. Despite the expensive-looking production values and state-of-the-art CGI effects, Stuart Little has the bland, throwaway feel of a direct-to-video sequel.
Swimfan (PG-13) Jesse Bradford and Erika Christensen star in this thriller about a high school swimming star who has a one-night stand leading to tangled and dangerous consequences.
(Not Reviewed)
Undisputed (R) Wesley Snipes stars as a professional heavyweight boxer who's falsely accused of a crime and winds up in jail, where he goes up against the prison boxing champ. Also stars Ving Rhames.
(Not Reviewed)
XXX (R) A movie so relentlessly forward propelled that we hardly even have a chance to catch our breath and realize how utterly idiotic it all is. Vin Diesel is the star here, and he's very much in the mold of other terrible actors who get paid to anchor big, comic book movies (think Keanu in The Matrix or Arnold in almost anything). Diesel (who names these guys, anyway?) plays Xander Cage, X for short, a bald, tattooed slab of flesh given to looking straight into the camera and screaming lines like, I live for this shit! Enter Samuel L. Jackson in a wig and with latex scar tissue over half his face, as an NSA agent looking for fresh blood to combat a group of international bad guys. X is recruited, infiltrates the bad guys' group, and spends the rest of movie striding around in a ratty sheepskin coat, pulling off outrageous stunts and shouting glib catch phrases while clobbering baddies and saving the world. Also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Asia Argento and Michael Roof.
—Reviewed entries by Lance Goldenberg unless otherwise noted
This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2002.
