Tony Bennett & k.d. lang – A Wonderful World (RPM/Columbia) Last year’s dual tour between old smoothie Bennett and former torch-and-twang gal turned chanteuse lang turned out to be a surprisingly smart pairing. It has now spawned this album; a tribute to Tony’s old pal Louis Armstrong. While the songs of the scratchy-voiced Satchmo may seem like … Continue reading
Jennifer Love Hewitt – BareNaked (Jive) There is a stigma out there when actors release albums that they are usually bad vanity projects. And often, that is deserved (J.Lo, take a bow.) But sometimes, that is not the case. Sometimes, the star can actually sing and has something interesting to say. Jennifer Love Hewitt fits into … Continue reading
AUTO FOCUS (2002) Starring Greg Kinnear, Willem Dafoe, Rita Wilson, Mario Bello, Ron Leibman, Ed Begley Jr., Michael McKean, Kurt Fuller, Michael E. Rodgers, Lyle Kanouse, Christopher Neiman, Nikita Ager and Bruce Solomon. Screenplay by Michael Gerbosi. Directed by Paul Schrader. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. Rated R. 105 minutes. The bludgeoning death of 60s … Continue reading
SWIMFAN (2002) Starring Erika Christensen, Jesse Bradford, Shiri Appleby, Clayne Crawford, James DeBello, Nick Sandow, Jason Ritter, Kate Burton and Dan Hedaya. Screenplay by Charles F. Bohl and Phillip Schneider. Directed by John Polson. Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Pictures. 86 minutes. Rated PG-13. Have you ever wondered what Fatal Attraction would have been like if Glenn … Continue reading
SIMONE (2002) Starring: Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Evan Rachel Wood, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jason Schwartzman, Winona Ryder, Jay Mohr and Rachel Roberts. Screenplay by Andrew Niccol. Directed by Andrew Niccol. Distributed by New Line Cinema. Rated PG-13. 117 minutes. Simone is pretty much a one-joke gimmick stretched to a movie length. But it’s a pretty good … Continue reading
SIGNS (2002) Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Cherry Jones, Rory, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Kalember and M. Night Shyamalan. Screenplay by M. Night Shyamalan. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Distributed by Touchstone Pictures. 107 minutes. Rated PG-13. M. Night Shyamalan is quickly becoming one of our best suspense directors. Though his last two films have not … Continue reading
Raphael Saadiq – Instant Vintage (Universal) Raphael Saadiq has logged well over a decade in the music biz as one of the brains behind Tony! Toni! Toné! and last year’s supergroup Lucy Pearl. But other than a few solo soundtrack singles over the years like “Ask Of You” (from Higher Learning) and “Get Involved” (from The PJ’s), he … Continue reading
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (2002) Starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O’Connor, Reese Witherspoon, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Anna Massey, Edward Fox and Charles Kay. Screenplay by Oliver Parker. Directed by Oliver Parker. Distributed by Miramax Pictures. 97 minutes. Rated PG. In my opinion, Oscar Wilde’s 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest is the greatest stage … Continue reading
SCOOBY-DOO (2002) Starring Freddie Prinze Jr, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini, Matthew Lillard & Rowan Atkinson. Screenplay by James Gunn & Craig Titley. Directed by Raja Gosnelll. Distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures. 86 minutes. Rated PG. My childhood is flashing before my eyes. First the Spider-Man movie, now a live action Scooby-Doo. All my Saturday morning favorites are … Continue reading
STAR WARS EPISODE II-ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002) Starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Temeura Morrison and Ian McDiarmid. Screenplay by George Lucas & Jonathan Hales. Directed by George Lucas. Distributed by 20th Century Fox. 142 minutes. Rated PG. Twenty-five years and five movies into … Continue reading
