Show IM includes laugh-out-lomoments that rival the unintentional hilarity of Mariah Carey's "Glitter” We're supposed to accept the sexy pop singer as the uptight school valedictorian y road who makes a trip with two old friends (Taryn Manning and Zoe Saldana) The ‘ three grow up and find love — and Britney along the way sings! But no matter what critics say her fans will flock to the multiplexes PG-1- 3 for sexual ' Opening this week I still showing o 5 “40 Days and 40 Nights” "Dragonfly" RatadR Josh Hartnett needed a comedy after playing brooding teens o B u ' Obi) Rated PG-1-3 What happens when you cross a weak suspense script with an even weaker comedy director? This of course Look no further for a great example of what happens when good ideas are executed baldly The writing and boring direction kill it in no time flat nearly destroying decent performances by Kevin Costner and Kathy Bates Hardly worth the time for anything other than the acting and even then wait for it to hit the discount shelf PG-1- 3 tor thematic material and mild sensuality 104 min — Michael Flood for The Herald Journal in "The Virgin Suicides" and V- “O" and brooding soldiers in r u "Pearl Harbor" and "Black Hawk o Down" But he didn’t need this comedy which is inconsistent at best and falls apart as it grows u increasingly absurd As a San mer who Francisco dot-co1 gives up sex for Lent Hartnett and his chemistry with co-st2 Shannyn Sossamon are about S the best things in the movie the two actors are likable and great0) look great E looking and they together But director Michael Lehmann achieves none of the -- o social commentary that he found 0) in his best movie 19898 “Heathers" R for strong sexual content nudity and language 90 3 --0 m 2 ar 2 A rotting corpse of : —The Associated Press “We Were Soldiers" Rated R A war movie at war with itself it’s a film about Vietnam with the patriotism of a World War II propaganda flick With its gung-h-o ideology it harkens to the days when war movies lacked the cynicism that came with "Apocalypse Now” and "Platoon” yet it’s Private Ryan" in its graphic violence The juxtaposition is jarring yet it’s hard to fault the filmmakers whose intentions are noble In adapting ' the book "We Were Soldiers Once And Young" writer-directRandall Wallace aims to ted a true story about good men entering a bad war Mel Gibson stars in the role John Wayne would have played 30 years ago leading his men into the first battle ( Vietnam R for sustained sequences of graphic war violence and for language 135 ' or ' min ' a movie that's a feeble nonsensical reflection of the previous adaptation of Anne Rice's "Vampire CKtonides" the Tom Cruise-Bra- d Pitt flick “Interview With the Vampire" The only noteworthy attraction: R&B singer Aaliyah killed in a plane crash last year as an ancient vampire queen (though the image of her munching a beating heart is unsettling) direction by Michael Rymer inane dialogue and sometimes incomprehensi-Me action join with cheesy special effects and a deafening rock score to make a stake in the heart sound desirable Stuart Townsend subs for Cruise as the vampire Lestat an immortal bloodsucker who reinvents himself as a goth-roc- k star R for vampire violence 101 min — The Associated Press “Crossroads" Rated PG-1-3 Britney Spears' film debut is corny but tolerable tor the first Then it coflapses into two-thir- ds — The Associated Press soapy teen melodrama which Rated PO-1- 3 Ifs hard to knock Denzel Washington's earnestness in ‘John Q” the story of a man who takes oyer an emergency room at gunpoint to force doctors to give his dying son a heart transplant The preposterous excess of zeal the overall film - TREAT THEM TQ A BOOK SENSE GIFT CERTIFICATE r IT'S NOMIEt CRAMER AT OVER T0 1001$ 1200 IRDEKHEIT 1 JO NORTH SOOKTOIES MOSS AlUIKAl 100 EAST MEAN UTAH ' he trashes al things related to health care The script is inane most of the characters are stereotypes and "John Q" hits one of many low points when captor and hostages sit around the ER condemning the inadequacies of the health care See FILM on p 8 New hope for stiff joints New research suggests that die progression of osteoarthri-t- i a form of arthritis characterized by Cartilage deterioration can be slowed by taking die nutritional supplement glucosamine sulfate Hmfthyjofctt Associated Press LONDON - The popular nutritional supplement glucosamine sulfate could be the first treatment to slow the progression of osteoarthritis new research suggests Boston University medical Center arthritis expert Tim McAlindon said the report by Belgian scientists published this week in the Lancet medical journal is a landmark in osteoarthritis research Scarce currency has been given to the notion that progression of osteoarthritis could be retarded pharmacologically let alone by a nutritional produce "he said "The report may radically change this situation"' Osteoarthritis is a painful degenerative joint disease that affects' the knees hips back and the small joints in die fingers It afflicts about 4 percent the population and is present in almost everyone by age 70 ' ' Glucosamine sulfate is a synthetic version of a body substance that helps build cartilage the tough tissue that lines the joints Laboratory studies have suggested it might impede cartilage destruction though whether it does so in humans remains to be seen ' Previous studies have indicated that glucosamine could dull the pain of arthritis but experts say die latest study is a watershed because it shows for die fust time that the compound could improved the structure of the joints The study by scientists at die University erf Liege Belgium involved 21? people with arthritic knees: Half were given glucosamine sulfate tablets daily for three years and die others were given dummy ' pills The researchers compared their knee at the beginning of die study' after one year on the tablets and after three years to determine die progress of die disease ' ys DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY AROUND THE COUNTRY? oozes is another matter Director Nick Cassavetes repeatedy bashes viewers in the head with a socially conscious hammer as "JobnQ" Health pill aids against arthritis Ham-hand- post-"Savi- ' Paid Advertisement "Queen of the Damned” Rated R a min cross-countr- content and brief teen drinking 94 min —The Associated Press Everyday low prices on glucosamine sulfate " "The results are impressive!" McAlindon said "Patients assigned to glucosamine experienced significant improvements in pain and disability that were sustained' for die three years of the study whereas die scores among die placebo group wore- eneo m m SHANGRI-L- AHEALTH fOODS 438 12 North Main Street Albertsons Shopfins Center Losan Hours: 9 am-- 6 pm :'y y v-- T |