tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59377672011-08-22T19:03:22.947-04:00Paul IsaacsWriting from Toronto's <i><a href="http://www.eye.net">eyeWeekly</a></i> newspaper, by Paul Isaacs.
Paul Inoreply@blogger.comBlogger241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1094848499254412122004-09-10T16:34:00.000-04:002004-09-10T16:34:59.260-04:00
RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE
Starring Milla Jovovich, Oded Fehr. Written by Paul WS Anderson. Directed by Alexander Witt. (14A) 95 min.
The interlinked relationship between the Resident Evil movies and the original videogames is almost Borgesian in its complexity. The film being released now, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, is the first sequel to the original Resident Evil movie, which was itself Paul Inoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1091218367871289742004-07-30T16:12:00.000-04:002004-07-30T16:16:41.326-04:00
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
Starring Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep. Written by Daniel Pyne, Dean Georgaris. Directed by Jonathan Demme. (14A) 130 min. Opens July 30.
This "re-imagining" of John Frankenheimer's classic 1962 conspiracy thriller, The Manchurian Candidate, is along practically identical lines to the first film: all it lacks is the original's wit, tension, craft, intelligence, Paul Inoreply@blogger.com6923tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1090956996979709502004-07-27T15:30:00.000-04:002004-07-27T15:37:57.460-04:00
A CINDERELLA STORY
Starring Hilary Duff, Chad Michael Murray. Written by Leigh Dunlap. Directed by Mark Rosman. (G) 95 min.
The finale of Hilary Duff's last magnum opus, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, was a bold departure from tween-flick convention. Instead of partnering Duff with her obvious love interest, a swoonsome Eurotrash-oid named Paolo, McGuire was instead deposited in the arms of Gordo,Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-108965746155008182004-07-12T14:34:00.000-04:002004-07-12T17:07:57.800-04:00
ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY
Starring Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate. Written by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay. Directed by Adam McKay. (PG) 95 min.
The latest vehicle for Will Ferrell, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a patchily successful attempt to do for news anchors what 2001's Zoolander did for male models. Not that the two careers appear to be so different. Ferrell's RonPaul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1087556655582037892004-06-18T07:01:00.000-04:002004-06-18T07:21:37.960-04:00
TERRACOTTA WARRIORS
Written and directed by Dennis Law. Presented by Sight, Sound & Action Ltd. To June 27. Tue-Sat 8pm; Sun 7pm; Wed, Sat-Sun mats 2pm. $35-$85. Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge. 416-872-5555. www.ticketmaster.ca.
I should tread carefully here. The last critic to give Terracotta Warriors a negative review, Leanne Campbell of the Vancouver Westender, found herself barred for life Paul Inoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1085088249290295022004-05-20T17:18:00.000-04:002004-09-09T15:02:26.513-04:00
NEW YORK MINUTE
Starring Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, Eugene Levy. Written by Emily Fox, Adam Cooper, Bill Collage. Directed by Dennie Gordon. (G) 90 min. Opens May 7.
The Olsen twins make me nervous. They’re just too freakishly wholesome, like manga cartoon versions of JonBenet Ramsey. Plus, they’re coming for me. Honestly — these people will stop at nothing in their pursuit of power. The Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1080416496138878802004-03-27T14:41:00.000-05:002004-05-06T12:28:45.716-04:00
JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION
Starring Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams. Written by Todd R. Jones, Earl Richey Jones. Directed by Christopher Erskin. (PG) 97 min. Opens Apr 2.
Wouldn’t you like a cool, refreshing glass of piss? I know I would. In recent years, it feels like I’ve seen more people drinking bodily fluids in the movies than Pepsi or Coke. So often, in fact, I’ve started to Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1080056417757432422004-03-23T10:40:00.000-05:002004-03-25T17:03:33.483-05:00
THE LADYKILLERS
Starring Tom Hanks, Irma P. Hall. Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. 105 min (14A). Opens Mar 26.
Woody Allen often bemoans his audiences for preferring his “earlier, funnier” films over his more serious works, like Interiors and September, two films so dull and pretentious they could only be loved by the French, or the dead. Lately however, the Coen Brothers have Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1079394812097400132004-03-15T18:53:00.000-05:002004-07-30T16:19:53.266-04:00
BLOOR CINEMA REOPENS
Eye Weekly, City Section, Mar 18 2003.
The Bolivians were rioting when the ceiling collapsed. It was the evening of January 16, and a sold-out crowd packed Bloor Cinema for The Corporation's Toronto premiere. Onscreen the city of Cochebamba was aflame, as police fired tear gas and live rounds at locals protesting a 35 per cent hike in the price of water.
At the Bloor, a Paul Inoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1079019335019727112004-03-11T18:19:00.000-05:002004-03-25T17:06:13.296-05:00
THE PROCLAIMERS
Born Innocent
Persevere
Despite being chiefly -- no, make that wholly -- renowned for their poisonously irritating hits "Letter to America" and "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)," The Proclaimers' Craig and Charlie Reid have developed a reputation -- in MOJO-reading circles, at least -- for being two of rock 'n' roll's great lost songwriters. Born Innocent, produced by Edwyn CollinsPaul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1078520920567910102004-03-05T16:08:00.000-05:002004-05-06T12:33:52.343-04:00
DIRTY DANCING: HAVANA NIGHTS
Starring Romola Garai, Diego Luna. Written by Boaz Yakin, Victoria Arch. Directed by Guy Ferland. (PG) 86 min. Opens Feb 27.
To begin with: no, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights isn't a sequel. Sadly we're denied the sight of a middle-aged Baby and Johnny, divorced and unhappy, strutting their stuff on the disco scene. But yes, to answer your next question, this is Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1074208494238321642004-01-15T18:14:00.000-05:002004-03-05T16:26:38.390-05:00
CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN
Starring Lindsay Lohan, Glenne Headly. Written by Gail Parent. Directed by Sara Sugarman. (G) 89 min. Opens Feb 20.
An adaptation of the kids potboiler by Dyan Sheldon, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen follows the adventures of hi-skooler Lola Cep (Freaky Friday's Lindsay Lohan), a bratty aspirant luvvie with dreams of becoming the next Audrey Hepburn Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1073509524253893712004-01-07T16:05:00.000-05:002004-03-05T16:03:16.873-05:00
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SUPERHEROES
Coach House Books, 99 pages, $16.95.
Like The Sopranos or 24, superhero comics are basically just soap operas with added ultraviolence. The reason 12-year-old kids dig reading, say, Ultimate X-Men isn’t to find out how Magneto plans to enslave the humanrace again this week, but to get the scoop on whether Phoenix is still in love with Cyclops – and why does shePaul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1071700848431299962003-12-17T17:31:00.001-05:002004-03-05T16:04:15.246-05:00
CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN
Starring Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt. Written by Craig Titley, Joel Cohen, Sam Harper and Alec Sokolow. Directed by Shawn Levy. (PG) 98 min.
Somewhere between 1992's execrable Housesitter and 1995's excremental Sgt. Bilko, Steve Martin simply gave up the comedy ghost and morphed into Wallace Shawn's better-looking older brother. Now strictly dividing his time between "Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1069956166575429202003-11-27T12:59:00.000-05:002004-03-05T16:06:24.843-05:00
Q&A: RYAN ADAMS
Eye Weekly music section, Dec 4/03
If dating Winona Ryder and Parker Posey in tandem hasn't already alienated Ryan Adams' boyish alt-country fanbase, then giving his new album the cockier-than-Courtney title of Rock N Roll can't have helped matters. Fortunately, the Artist Who'd Rather Not Be Known As Paul Westerberg's Mini-Me has come back with his best LP since his former Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1069776345117769402003-11-25T10:59:00.001-05:002003-11-25T11:20:29.656-05:00
Pet Shop Boys
PopArt
Parlaphone/EMI
Great Pop Questions, No. 43: How did two Kraftwerk fans with a fondness for pointy hats, Village People covers and pitiful white raps about Issey Miyake conspire to become the best British band since The Beatles? The answers are right here on PopArt, a two-disc retrospective of every PSB single from 1985-present (save for "Absolutely Fabulous," which has beenPaul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1069345772387999892003-11-20T11:26:00.000-05:002003-12-11T13:36:10.450-05:00
Michael Jackson
Number Ones
Epic
It's easy to forget that, before we knew Michael Jackson as a suspected pederast, bad parent and a nose-imploded, creatively bankrupt caricature, he was also a fine singer, entertainer and one of the best singles artists in pop history. With that in mind, it shouldn't be difficult to assemble a five-star collection of Jackson's greatest hits, right? And yet evenPaul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1068067960487467832003-11-05T16:30:00.000-05:002003-11-05T16:39:06.983-05:00
Kelly Osbourne
Changes
Sanctuary
Sorry to disappoint, but this isn’t a new Kelly Osbourne record – I know, I know – just a revamped re-release of 2002’s Shut Up, her sprightly but unsightly Avril-does-Daisy Chainsaw debut. As a kind of My First Punk Album for seven-year-old girls, Changes succeeds admirably: it’s full of bratty, catchy bubblegum ("Disconnected", "Contradiction"), and the lyricsPaul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1067554451403104912003-10-30T17:50:00.000-05:002003-11-05T16:30:21.396-05:00The Book Against God
James Wood
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 257 pages.“Intellectuals are the jocks of the mind,” somebody once said — I think it was Burt Reynolds — and if that’s the case, then the leading jock of literary intellectuals must be James Wood, The New Republic’s hatchet man-in-chief. As a book reviewer, Wood has been gleefully unafraid to feast on the most sacred of canonical cows: Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1067551395605325722003-10-30T16:45:00.002-05:002003-10-30T17:41:21.820-05:00
RANDY NEWMAN
The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1
Nonesuch/Warner
There's no getting around these facts: Randy Newman is a squat, plump, ugly, old man and he sings like a cancer victim with his dick caught in his zipper. Other than that, the guy's a fucking genius. Songbook, Newman's first recording for Nonesuch, Emmylou Harris' label, is a solo re-recording of his greatest hits, piano Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1066931474165376092003-10-23T13:50:00.000-04:002004-03-05T16:07:07.170-05:00
FIX: THE STORY OF AN ADDICTED CITY.
Directed by Nettie Wild. (14A) 93 min.
Vancouver has a drug problem like the Vatican has a Pope problem. The main port supply of Asian heroin in North America, Vancouver has suffered over 2,000 drug-overdose deaths in the past decade. Of the 3,000 addicts who currently haunt the Downtown Eastside, 30 per cent are said to be HIV-positive, while 85 to 90 per Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1066747174258880772003-10-21T10:39:00.000-04:002003-10-30T18:01:09.320-05:00
DAMIEN RICE
O
Warner
The latest in a ceaseless death march of sensitive white boys pretending to be Nick Drake, Damien Rice is, incredibly, a star in his native Ireland, where his debut O went triple-platinum this year. (It also just won the Shortlist Music Prize in the US.) A mournful confection of weak "Saturday Sun" rewrites, O takes the Five Leaves Left template and augments it with Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1066664788625637072003-10-20T11:46:00.000-04:002004-03-05T16:07:42.686-05:00
DUPLEX
Starring Ben Stiller, Drew Barrymore. Written by Larry Doyle, John Hamburg. Directed by Danny DeVito. (PG) 104 min.
Some movies can only be understood as unconscious acts of anti-semitism towards the pioneering Jews who first built the film industry. What else could explain Duplex, Danny DeVito's latest cinematic warcrime? A tardy addition to the killin' old folks movie genre (Throw Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937767.post-1066078440084612212003-10-13T16:54:00.000-04:002003-10-30T17:40:09.120-05:00My name is Paul.Paul Inoreply@blogger.com0