COMING SOON

Blood Simple: Director's Cut, But I'm a Cheerleader, Cold Water, The In Crowd, Numbers, Shower, The X-Men


OPENING & EVENTS

All About Eve
Outdoor Cinema is all about "Dysfunctional Divas" this week with a screening of the darkly comic Best Picture of 1950. With pre-show music from Big Spoon (Fremont) and Mambo 9 Radio Orchestra (West Seattle). Fri-Sat, July 7 & 8. Fremont Outdoor Cinema, West Seattle Walk-In Cinema

The Cosmic Eye and Cockabooty
Two seminal works by Faith Hubley, pioneering animator and mother of Yo La Tengo's Georgia. Opens Thur July 7. Reviewed this issue. Little Theatre

*DENIRO FOR BEGINNERS
2nd Ave Pizza's summer mini-festivals (always FREE!) continue with this comprehensive introductory series, including such DeNiroriffic films as Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, and The King of Comedy. Thurs-Sat July 11-13. 2nd Ave Pizza

*Educational Films from the '50s, '60s, & '70s
Back again for a sixth season, Linda's Summer Movies is the original outdoor drinking/film-watching extravaganza, presented, as always, FOR FREE!! By the time the plot falls apart, you'll be too drunk to care!! This week features 30 years of high school instructional-film silliness. Wed July 12; See Stranger Suggests. Linda's Tavern

*Homework
Abbas Kiarostami is the Greatest!! His 1989 documentary surfaces in Seattle for ONE DAY ONLY! This is an extremely rare chance--don't miss it! Weds July 12; See Stranger Suggests. Little Theatre

HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARIES
Two documentaries on the struggles of individuals committed to nonviolent social change in the face of overwhelming oppression. In The Golf War, a group of Filipinos struggle against an international golf concern that is trying to convert their farmlands into a golf course. Features a cameo by Mr. Evil himself, Tiger Woods. In the Company of Fear examines resistance to the politics of terror in Colombia. Fri July 7. 911 Media Arts

I'm the One That I Want
Margaret Cho made a terrible sitcom a while back--All-American Girl--and this straightforward record of her recent standup act recounts her struggles with weight, alcohol, and pernicious self-doubt that resulted from its failure. Cho isn't a particularly insightful comic, but she sure knows how to go after a laugh. What's funny here is gleefully, howlingly funny. Her admirable personal emancipation, however, doesn't quite flow freely from the rest of her material; the show strains whenever she stops to hit a nail on the head. (Steve Wiecking) Opens Fri July 7. Egyptian

The Kid
Bruce Willis stars with the most annoying, ugly little kid in the world. Opens Wed July 12. Metro

The Little Thief
Endearingly compact at 65 minutes, Erick Zonca's second feature is a male variation on his first, Dreamlife of Angels. Opens Fri July 7; Reviewed this issue. Varsity Calendar

Scary Movie
Originally titled Scream If You Know What I Did Last Halloween, the only thing scary about this movie is the script. In addition to quick parodies of dozens of teen horror flicks, Scary Movie is largely a satire of the Scream films--which are already satires (go figure). Though it certainly has some knee-slappers, most of the infantile jokes simply go on way too long (do we really need to see several minutes of dripping snot in a parody of Blair Witch's flashlit close-ups?). Director Keenen Ivory Wayans may have wanted to repeat the success of earlier physical comedy/sight gag films like Airplane or Animal House, but he wound up with something as torturous as an overwrought skit from SNL or his own Wayans Bros. sitcom. (Melody Moss) Opens Fri July 7.

*Silent Funnies
A non-commercial refuge from the voracious onslaught of summer cinema directed greedily at children, the Grand Illusion's Summer Children's Film Series is back for a fourth season, offering rare programs aimed at speaking with, not down to, children. This week it's a batch of rare silent shorts derived from early-20th-century comic strips, boasting silly appearances from retro characters like Krazy Kat, Felix the Cat, Mutt & Jeff, Little Nemo, Gertie the Dinosaur, and Andy Gump and the Family. Sat-Sun July 8-9. Grand Illusion

Surfing for Life & The Seedling
Two inspiring documentaries about the ageless art of Surfing. In Surfing for Life, ancient surfers in their 70s, 80s and 90s discuss the merits of literally surfing into old age. My god, these are the happiest old people I've ever seen. Watch them fly down the faces of waves and tell me your heart isn't breaking! The Seedling is a handsomely made, shot-on-film documentary of "big-log riders," meaning the people who surf on massive surfboards. A great summer program to help you cool off. (Jamie Hook) Opens Thurs July 13. Little Theatre

*Taxi Driver
Robert DeNiro (in the first of his last great roles) is Travis Bickle, a taxi driver whose smoldering, implacable discontent is beginning to crackle up into a full-fledged inferno. Brillianly shot, and featuring the last score by the greatest film composer of all time, Bernard Hermann, Taxi Driver is a movie you should, at this point, be ashamed to have not seen. Go see it--it plays in two places around town this week. Wed July 12. 2nd Ave Pizza, Sit & Spin

*The Thin Red Line
A World War II movie with very little fighting, and a gorgeous pantheistic salute to what must be every last species of flora and fauna found on the South Sea Islands, The Thin Red Line is a portrait of humanity so intimate we're privy to the innermost thoughts of many of the characters, yet so distanced that most of them blur together into one mud-caked soldier. (Bruce Reid) Thurs July 6. Egyptian

Trixie
In how many languages does Trixie mean "all-day, no-survivors, gone-up-in-flames roadwreck?" At least in English, after Alan Rudolph's latest. Opens Fri July 7; Reviewed this issue.

*Way Down East
Don't miss the return of the Seattle Theatre Group's silent film series, bringing rare and archival 35mm silent film prints to the one place in Seattle that does them justice: the mighty Paramount Theatre! This week features Way Down East, D. W. Griffith's 1920 film starring Lillian Gish as a pauper-girl. Shown with live organ accompaniment. Mon July 10. Paramount Theater

*Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
It's your standard story: Boy meets Chocolate Baron, Boy offends Chocolate Baron, Boy inherits Chocolate Factory. All this and Oompah-Loompahs too! Fri-Sat July 7-8. Egyptian


CONTINUING RUNS

8 1/2 Women
In 8 1/2 Women, Peter Greenaway focuses on the war between the sexes, as a banker and his son assemble a harem on the order of Fellini's magic number. Unlike earlier efforts, the humor in this film actually is intentional--vulgar to be sure (even a bit of father-son incest seems played for laughs), but a change for the better from the stifling seriousness of previous Greenaway films. (Bruce Reid) Broadway Market

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
Rocky's a flying squirrel, and Bullwinkle is a dumb moose, so you'd think they wouldn't stand a chance against some evil bad guys, but in cartoons the good guys always win--that's just in cartoons! When Rocky and Bullwinkle and the villains are pulled out of television the situation starts to get out of hand. (Sam Lachow) Factoria, Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Metro, Oak Tree, Redmond Town Center

Amazon
An IMAX examination of the lush forests and exotic animals of the Amazon river basin. Omnidome

Big Momma's House
In this weak comedy, Martin Lawrence plays the good guy. Handsome Terrence Howard, from The Best Man, plays the bad guy; and sexy Nia Long is the lover of a heartless bank robber. When she disappears, the FBI stakes out her grandmother's home, but when her grandmother is called out of town, special agent Martin Lawrence assumes her grandmother's role--her bed, her clothes, her big butt. (Charles Mudede) Grand Alderwood, Lewis & Clark, Pacific Place 11

Boys and Girls
With a title that covers just about everyone, this movie is sure to appeal to the entire human race. Starring the lovely Freddie Prinze Jr. as one of the boys (too bad!). Grand Alderwood, Metro, Pacific Place 11

Butterfly
Spain, 1936; a boy and his schoolteacher; politics interfere. Acting as good as the best of Hollywood, costumes and sets as textured, cinematography as radiant--and a moral vision just as banal. Still, director Jose Luis Cuerda gets a fine performance from the little boy. You could enjoy this movie, as I did, without buying in to its simple-mindedness. (Barley Blair) Broadway Market

Chicken Run
Chicken Run is about chickens trying to escape. It is very funny and exciting; each chicken has a great sense of humor and is weird. It all starts when Rocky the Chicken comes blasting over the fence and everybody thinks he can fly. Meanwhile, something fishy is going on--Mrs. Tweedy (the farmer's wife) has a machine that lets the chickens go in and pies come out. They do whatever they can to resist becoming pies. (Sam Lachow & Maggie Brown) Factoria, Lewis & Clark, Metro, Oak Tree, Pacific Place 11, Redmond Town Center

Croupier
A bottle-blond exponent of God's lonely man takes a job in a private London casino and gets embroiled in some serious heist-related trouble. Mike Hodges, who directed the semi-obscure British new wave classic Get Carter brings grace and severity to what could have just been neo-pulp. Croupier becomes high lowbrow, thanks to a seasoned director's eye for detail, pneumatics, and sexy actors. (Sean Nelson) Broadway Market

The Cup
Laughter erupts as Tibetan monks who become obsessed with World Cup soccer! Crest

*Desperate Living
Indubitably John Waters' finest work, Desperate Living stars Mink Stole as newly released mental patient Peggy Gravel and Jean Hill as her lethal fatbottomed maid, Grizelda. Waters never again equalled the sublime humor of this grotesque fairy tale. (Jamie Hook) Grand Illusion

Dinosaur
From the beginning of time, this has been the drama of the dinosaurs: They are oppressed by the mighty and terrifying Tyrannosaurus; they are always searching for water or a green paradise; and their big eggs are always eaten or crushed just moments before they hatch. (Charles Mudede) Lewis & Clark, Uptown

Dolphins
Everyone knows that dolphins are the smartest animals on the planet; Dolphins proves they're the coolest as well. Pacific Science Center IMAX

East is East
The great Om Puri plays a fanatical father with seven rebellious kids. With the exception of one boy, all the children are headed toward total assimilation of British culture; all that's left is a big showdown in the end. But Puri saves the day by doing what he does best: deepening and extending his character's emotional and psychological range. (Charles Mudede) Uptown

Erin Brockovich
Despite having been directed by indie superstar Steven Soderbergh, Erin Brockovich is just what it is: another big-budget Hollywood film starring the dentiglorious spectacle that is Julia Roberts. (Charles Mudede) Crest

The Eruption of Mount St. Helens
The mountain blew up in 1980, and has been blowing up on film ever since. Omnidome

Everest
The first IMAX footage ever shot on top of the world. Pacific Science Center IMAX

Extreme
An entire film bursting and soaring with EXTREME sports, EXTREME risks, and the ULTIMATE in EXTREME challenges. Pacific Science Center IMAX

Fantasia 2000
Disney's Fantasia 2000 follows its esteemed predecessor in truly loving the interaction of film and visuals. The floating humpback whales in the Pines of Rome sequence are nearly as graceful and majestic as the real thing, and the final animistic portrait of a volcanic eruption has a Miyazaki-like grandeur. (Bruce Reid) Cinerama, Grand Alderwood, Metro

Frequency
A hodgepodge about time travel, ham-radio enthusiasm, the hazards of firefighting, baseball, mother love, and a father-son tag-team tracking down a nurse-butchering psychopath. (Rick Levin) City Centre

Gladiator
War hero General Maximus (Russell Crowe) is stripped of his position by a scheming new Caesar (Joaquin Phoenix). Escaping too late to save his family, Maximus falls into the hands of a slaver, and with the help of a former love and rough-but-likable gladiator pals, seeks his revenge by finding glory within the Coliseum. (Tom Spurgeon) Aurora Cinema Grill, Cinerama, Guild 45th, Pacific Place 11, Redmond Town Center

Gone in 60 Seconds
To protect his little brother from an injurious limey, master car thief Nicolas Cage comes out of retirement, recruiting his old friends to help him steal 50 fancy cars in one night. The film is not actually good, but it's so much better than you expect it to be that it seems good, or feels good. (Sean Nelson) Aurora Cinema Grill, Grand Alderwood, Metro, Pacific Place 11

Groove
Groove is a bad movie. Fortunately, a movie like this one--a movie about a scene, an urban subculture--works better if it is bad. Through the simplistic and transparent plots--a love triangle between two guys and girl; a yuppie discovering his "inner cool guy"--we get so see the components and codes of a San Francisco rave. (Charles Mudede) Varsity

*Hamlet
Michael Almereyda's new adaptation of Hamlet is a thrilling surprise; a contemporary reading of the play that comes closer to tapping its potential as a paradigm for human conflict than any other film that's tried. (Sean Nelson) Varsity

*High Fidelity
A romantic comedy for guys. John Cusack plays the cynically introspective Rob Gordon, the owner of a small record store who, for various reasons, has shit luck with women. He's a jerk, basically. (Kathleen Wilson) Seven Gables

Island of the Sharks
Sharks in IMAX--color me terrified. Pacific Science Center IMAX

Me, Myself and Irene
Dildos, dog shit, the suffering of children and animals, physical disabilities, graphic violence, and Jim Carrey's rote performance beamed to the camera via satellite while he was taking a nap all conspire to make this a film that future generations will undoubtedly study as a sort of Rosetta stone of our cultural sicknesses. (Tamara Paris) Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Metro, Oak Tree

Michael Jordan to the MAX
See the greatest basketball player in history as nature intended: on a 3,500-square-foot movie screen! Seattle IMAX Dome Theatre

*Mission: Impossible 2
I loved this movie. I loved the profligate back flips in the fight choreography; I loved the preposterous motorcycle chase/joust. But most of all, I loved the giddy sense of hyperbole and spectacle that coarsed through the whole enterprise. (Sean Nelson) Aurora Cinema Grill, Grand Alderwood, Meridian 16, Metro, Southcenter

The Most Terrible Time in My Life
The Most Terrible Time in My Life is a wonderful film composed of the most basic elements. It has a young, handsome private detective who specializes in tracking down people and drives around a big city in a cool convertible. Then we have a gangland war, a sidekick who drives a taxi and walks and talks in a clumsy manner, and a struggle to the death between two brothers who are hit men for the mob. But what is most impressive to me is the glorious style of this film: It's simply gorgeous! (Charles Mudede) Grand Illusion

Mysteries of Egypt
Find out what the heck's going on over in Egypt, anyway. Omnidome

The Patriot
Mel Gibson stars as Benjamin Martin, a sweet single father who refuses to enter the brewing Revolutionary War because of his troubled past when he did grisly things as a soldier. But after being shamed by son number one, who eagerly signs up, and being outraged when son number two is gunned down by a nasty Brit, you know the Gib will soon be unpacking his deadly tomahawk in the name of "FREEEEEDOOOMMMM!" (Gillian G. Gaar) Factoria, Lewis & Clark, Meridian 16, Northgate, Redmond Town Center

The Perfect Storm
In its favor, The Perfect Storm, based on a true story, has two superlatives: George Clooney and some fine, boiling seas. Beyond that, all we have is another big mess. (Jamie Hook) Factoria, Grand Alderwood, Neptune, Oak Tree, Pacific Place 11

Return to Me
A guy (David Duchovny) falls for a girl (Minnie Driver) who has received his dead wife's heart in a transplant. No, really. Admiral, Crest

*Road Trip
Road Trip takes the 15-minute road-trip sequence from Animal House and expands it to feature length. In this case, "University of Ithaca" college student Josh (Breckin Meyer) accidentally mails his long-distance girlfriend Tiffany a videotape of him having sex with another woman, forcing him and a trio of college buddies to drive 1,800 miles to recover it. (Eric Fredericksen) Uptown

Rocky Horror Picture Show
The boy-meets-girl, boy-turns-into-girl, nerds-act-out-the-movie classic. Admiral

Rules of Engagement
When a movie is titled Rules of Engagement, I'm there. Too bad this one implodes like a giant star after a promising start. In the end, we are left with nothing--absolutely nothing. (Charles Mudede) Admiral

Shaft
John Singleton's Shaft is unispired; it just pushes black macho beyond the limit of good taste and utility. The way Shaft brutally beats up the drug-dealing teenager with the butt of his gun, the way he calmly guns down the Latino gang members or nearly kills the judge with his badge--it's a little too much, you will agree. (Charles Mudede) Meridian 16, Metro, Oak Tree, Redmond Town Center

Shanghai Noon
Even the presence of Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson can't save this revisionist Western action comedy from the musty odor of the second-rate. Wilson and his co-star are to be credited for occasionally rising above the material, but there are much better ways to spend a summer afternoon. (Tom Spurgeon) Pacific Place 11

Small Time Crooks
Woody Allen's 2000 entry is one of his unambitious, hoping-only-to-amuse movies. Too bad it's unoriginal, not very amusing, and a near waste of some of this world's greatest comic talent: Tracey Ullman, Elaine May, and Jon Lovitz. (Eric Fredericksen) City Centre, Metro

Sunshine
Sunshine is a long movie. It is about a prosperous and voluptuous Hungarian Jewish family's experience of the turbulent 20th century. In a word, it's an epic with lots of sex: I think we see Ralph Fiennes' ass three times total. That's once an hour! (Charles Mudede) Harvard Exit

T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous
Tyrannosaurus in 3D--pinch me, I'm dreaming. Pacific Science Center IMAX

Titan AE
Titan AE (After Earth) was about--well, we didn't exactly see it because our editor didn't tell us the right theater to go to for the press screening. Anyway, we think it's about the end of Earth and how humans survive in the galaxy, but we don't know what it's really about. From the commercial, the animation looks really cool; some things even look real. (Sam & Maggie, crack 9-year-old reviewers) Meridian 16, Metro

U-571
One of the most important turning points in World War II was the Allied capture of the German code machine, the Enigma. U-571 is an attempt to show us modern folks what this dramatic event must have been like. (Juan-Carlos Rodriguez) Uptown

*The Virgin Suicides
The most consistent element of The Virgin Suicides is a steady stream of images that echo the feminine-hygiene commercials of the 1970s. If the film has a message, it seems to be that a mythologized purity of youth can't survive into adulthood. (Monica Drake) Broadway Market

Where the Heart Is
Attention Wal-Mart shoppers! Natalie Portman is giving birth in aisle 3. Clean up! Admiral, Crest