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Show (NOT JUST THIS WEEKEND FOR by Jeremy Mathews fearl WhiSe there won't of RED for next month, www.red-mag.cowil! be with films opening each Friday or, on some occasions, Wednesday). Oon't print edition te OPENED LAST WEEKEND still looked at as savages by most and Blanch ett's character, Maggie, won't forgive him for abandoning her and her mother. Aaron Eckhart plays a man who helps with the cattle and loves the doctor, although she only allows him in the bedroom for quick sex. Once a big, ugly American Indian witch kidnaps Maggie's city adoring daughter to take her on his caravan to Mexico to sell his hostages into prostitution, the father, whom Maggie initially chased away, suddenly becomes useful as a tracker. In what seems to be an effort to apologize for having American Indians be the bad guys, we not only have Jones' character, but also some helpful Indians, white men working with the kidnappers and a statement explaining that despite selling the women as sex slaves, the kidnappers don't have sex with them. And so the film trudges on. becoming increasingly uninteresting with false ending after false ending. While Blanchett and Jones have some nice scenes together, there's no real character development like Ethan Edwards in John Ford's "The Searchers," a much better film dealing with the same subject matter. Several well written and beautifully acted scenes keep the film from becoming a complete failure, but it simply becomes too unbelievable and immobile as it progresses to be worthwhile. -- While RED was on hiatus ever Thanksgiving, quite a few films came out. Here's a rundown of the big, if not so impressive, efforts. article on the best re(A viewed film of the weekend, "Bad Santa," is available online in the archives at www.red-mag.comfull-leng- .) "The Haunted Mansion" Walt Disney Pictures Rated PC 2.5 reels (out of four) Following Disney's adaptation of rides like ""Pirates of the Carib- bean" and "The Country Bears" comes the family comedy, "The Haunted Mansion." Eddie Murphy plays a workaholic real estate agent in business with his wife (Evers and Evers, nudge, nudge). He decides to stop to look at a big, fancy house in what's supposed to be a family trip, and ends up in a ghost's trap. Murphy, Terence Stamp as the butler and Jennifer Tilly as a crystal ball all give enjoyable family performances, and the film will be fun for older kids, although some scenes, one in which zombies chase Murphy and his daughter in a crypt, might scare the youngsters. Overall, however, the film is flat, with nothing but a fun checklist of haunted-hous- e cliches to move it along. It might make a good first ghost movie for the kids, but the comedy doesn't go as far as it could and simply leaves the film... well, lifeless. Tameiine" Paramount Pictures 3 Rated 1.5 reels (out of four) The battle sequences in "Timeline" look impressive, unlike some of the computer generated fakery in many action films, but unfortunately, all the fakery is in the plot A CHANGE) I business, but progress became as slow as a UPS delivery truck when it started sending things through a wormhole and to France. So they sent an archaeologist through it. So far, this all makes sense. But nothing interesting happens in France. You'd think there 'd be a certain interest and wonder that went beyond st andard action, but it's just a traditional period action film with boring characters, led by Paul Walker as the professor's son. rule our heThe only time-travroes don't follow is "don't change anything because it might alter the world as we know it" These guys help determine the outcome of a historic battle like Marty McFly got his dad to stop being a loser. If 14th-centu- ry el Jessica A'ba's choreographer in "Honey" prepares her troupe for a dance-ofwith Michael Jackson, danununu danununu da! Honeyl OPENING THIS WEEKEND "Elephant" 4 reels (out of four) See review d hipster arrogant who grew dangerous as his fame inflated. It's surprising how much a film about partiers resembles the structure of a gangster film. Documentarians Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbate, who mad e a documentary of the same name in 1998, have created an interesting, uneven, amusing and disturbing dramatization of the real-lif- e events. James St. James Seth Green), who wrote the novel Disco Blood Bath on which the film is based, introduces Michael Alig (Macaulay Culkin) to the party world and teaches him how to stage interesting theme parties that people will attend. Then he watches Alig go mad with the power of being a popular hipster, delving into drug abuse and displaying a sexual preference for anything. Alig collects people for his entourage, drug-addle- "Honey" Universal Pictures 3 Rated (Not reviewed) Jessica Alba of "Dark Angel" plays "Honey's" titular role, a music video choreographer whose life changes PG-1- torso-exposi- when her mentor threatens to blacklist her from the industry if she doesn't sleep with him. Expect as much sexiness as is allowed in a PG-1- 3 film, "The Last Samurai" 3.5 reels (out of four) See review "Party Monster" Strand Releasing Not rated Opening at Madstone light-hearte- "The Weather Underground" Shadow Distribution Not Rated Opening at the Broadway (Not reviewed) Sam Green and Bill Siegel's documentary, "The Weather Underground," explores the highs and lows of the endeavors of the radical political group from the '60s. In protest of the Vietnam War. the group went as far as to stage such direct actions as bombings. Find out if it was worth it jeremyred-mag.co- r. You "The Missing" Sony Pictures Entertainment Rated R 2.5 reels (out of four) The normally sentimental director Eon Howard has proved that he can work effectively in a dark tone at the same time he's failed to make a good movie. "The Missing" is a hardened Western that degrades into a stagnant work by the second of two and a half hours. The film starts out interestingly enough, with Cate Blanchett as an doctor and widowed mother in New Mexico during the 1800s whose estranged father (Tommy Lee Jones) pays a surprise visit. The father has adopted the culture of the American Indians, ffeem tmjliw group of archaeology students in Castleguard, France, have to rescue their professor, who is trapped in France after teaming up with a sinister technology company. The company was Current Student (The most fun you can have with a moonshine jug - after it's empty!) at the best New Year's Eve party the State! PET is the only place you'll find a Plan now to be in March Gras themed bash with plenty of Cajun food, liquid refreshment, noise makers and a concert. We'll even throw ? r; ID in a Marx Brothers movie! V1 i Every Day. All for ' Atkins EAS Brickyard Plaxa Bitefcyani - 1 Party starts at 8:30p Concert at 1 0p (Bar 8:30 to 11:15p) Hydroxycut Xenadrin EFX Protein Bars RTD And more... , Cm $60 just Concert only $28 to $30 Met-R- Dymaiize Optimum Muscle Milk Twin Lab Muscle Tech 1140 7f M 1 14th-centu- ry trying to develop a transportation device, a la "Star Trek." to put the other shipping companies out of SJhealei 2tl5 JrkuiiY&hrt. A Discount With 10 i French archaeological site. The slapdash tale of corporate greed during the time travel, however, surpasses all the other stupidity. The usually skilled action director Richard Dormer (""Superman," "The Goonies," "Lethal Weapon") lets the script (based on a Michael Crichton novel) get the best of ham. Foothill Ptaza Rfvrt 171 MM mmm4 Mt Um Cffft Iff M1M ID14IMHI ticketsinformation or visit i ptianTheater.com Plata tl4 i i I -- i i Jt ; : I I M f ordering them to do things like dress like a drag queen angel and deal drugs. The film's uneven form, sometimes with Alig and St James fighting about whose film it is, creates an interesting mood d as a atmosphere becomes the home of horrific actions. Culkin, in his first film performance since "Richie Rich," works bravely, if not perfectly, to represent a reprehensible character. This film might make you start staying home on the weekends. of four) The same lonely mind that conquered the New York City party scene in the '80s may be the mind of a psychopath. "Party Monster" chronicles the rise and fall of an 3 reels (out PG-1- can hear the tone travel setups daruting along from the references to mysterious finds at a medieval s - M J' . i t . i I .1 RED Magazine December 4, 2003 I J ffj |
