Entertainmentpage 21 Technique • Friday, January 19, 2001 • 21
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ENTERTAINMENTpage 21 Technique • Friday, January 19, 2001 • 21 Two Bits Horoscopes Tigers, dragons, oh my! ENTERTAINMENT Ever wonder what your choice of major Ang Lee’s subtitled Crouching Tiger, says about you? If so, the Two Bits Man Hidden Dragon is quite an exercise in Technique • Friday, January 19, 2001 has got just what you need. Page 24 epic filmmaking. Page 25 Don’t expect sudden rush to ‘Snatch’ up this garbled film By Andrew Pilsch luted caper. This time, the film use Mickey instead. Oh yeah, The editor needs bylines! is nasty instead of funny. and a lot of other people who Franky Four Fingers (Bene- the audience won’t care about MPAA Rating: R cio Del Toro) steals a “flawless” are involved in hunting for the Starring: Brad Pitt, Benecio Del 84-karat diamond from Antw- diamond. Toro, Dennis Farina, erp while dressed as a Hasidic So this description sounds like Vinnie Jones Jew. He then heads to London a great caper, but when com- Director: Guy Ritchie with the diamond in a briefcase pared to Ritchie’s last movie— Studio: Screen Gems strapped to his arm. Explaining which was great—this movie Running Time: 104 minutes how the rest of the characters really falls flat. I admit the mov- Rating: yy become involved would be an ie is funny, and one of the two exercise in futile confusion with- running jokes is actually quite If you were too busy laugh- out the use of flow charts and amusing, but overall, it’s just not ing during Lock, Stock and Two other visual aids. The story here as good. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels to catch the point, is a convoluted mess of charac- Smoking Barrels was so good be- director Guy Ritchie would like ters with clever names—Franky cause it came out of nowhere, to have a few words with you. Four Fingers, Bullet Tooth Tony, was acted by nobodies with in- Of course, you could just go see Brick Top, One Punch Mickey comprehensible accents, and left his new movie Snatch instead, O’Neil, Boris the Blade, etc. its audiences in stitches. In Snatch, since his calendar is going to be The main plot arc—or at least the audience is faced with a sto- tied up with his new bride, Ma- the one that directly involves ry that doesn’t allow any of its donna. Mr. Ritchie is a little the narrator, Turkish (Jason characters to develop and leaves miffed by the fact that Lock, Stock Statham)—concerns an unli- them with a vague sense of hav- and Two Smoking Barrels was so censed boxing promoter trying ing seen this movie before. funny that people didn’t get the to stay out of trouble with un- The most glaring problem film’s central message, that “crime derworld crime boss Brick Top. with Snatch is its complexity. doesn’t pay.” So, he hits the streets His fighter is put in the hospital Where most films focus on four of London once again, with a by One Punch Mickey O’Neil or five characters and develops By Daniel Smith / SCREEN GEMS vast cast of pathetic low-lifes in- (Brad Pitt), a gypsy bare-knuck- Brad Pitt joins an extensive cast as Mickey O’Neil, an Irish boxer, in the new film volved in a massive and convo- led fighter, and he’s forced to See Snatch, page 23 Snatch. This is director Guy Ritchie’s first film credit since he became Mr. Madonna! ‘Vampire’ escapes shadows King Johnson explores life beyond the blues By Bobby Bowman many levels. Malkovich’s frustrated ge- By Alan Back Mewherter had been one than Col. Bruce Hampton.) Finally, his story is here... nius and Dafoe’s melodramatic vampire Likes to juggle time bombs of Wood’s classmates at Geor- “It took us an album and a are exceptional, especially in their shared gia State and had stints with half or so to find a sound that MPAA Rating: R scenes. The production and direction of Music fans have always had Ray Charles and Al Jarreau to was ours,” Wood explained. Starring: John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe Shadow stays true to the silent film era. their own particular ways of his credit. James, who had “It’s been evolving over the Director: E. Elias Merhige This includes using film cards to narrate paying homage to their idols. played with everyone from the years…just us kind of allow- Distributor: Lions Gate certain plot elements. The scenes in which Some collect albums and mer- Ringling Brothers Barnum and ing ourselves to be creative and Rating: yyyyy Murnau is filming Nosferatu convert from chandise. Some follow bands Bailey Circus to the late Steve do what comes naturally. I color to black and white seamlessly. The from city to city during tours. Allen, came in at a friend’s think it has taken us away from F.W. Murnau (John Malkovich) com- dialogue is nostalgic while the plot stays Some set up fan clubs and/or suggestion to replace original traditional things, which is ments at the end of Shadow of the Vam- inventive, providing a creative gem in a turn into deranged stalkers just sax player John Longo. Re- good, I think.” pire that “if it’s not in the frame, it doesn’t year of mostly unremarkable films. to keep everybody honest. garding the departure, Wood King Johnson shopped exist.” It is Murnau’s attempt to capture Shadow of the Vampire defies genre Then you have groups like stated, “He’s more of a stay- Luck So Strange to various la- authenticity on film that fuels the plot. classification and smoothly blends the King Johnson, which chris- at-home kind of guy, and we bels in order to distribute it to In 1921, Murnau directed a retelling of elements of horror, drama, and comedy. tened itself in honor of all the were starting to travel quite a a wider audience, but the job the Dracula story in the German silent This is not merely a horror film, as it blues greats who have carried bit. We needed somebody who proved easier said than done. film Nosferatu. Shadow of the Vampire avoids cheap thrill elements common to either of those two names. could travel and do what we Wood asserted that one label charts the filming of Nosferatu with the modern horror films. Its horror is more While this local five-piece has were doing, and we were lucky was ready to put out the al- fictional premise that an authentic vam- reminiscent of Boris Karloff and Lon since been tackling nearly any- bum, but suddenly found it- pire, Max Schreck (Willem Dafoe), was Chaney pictures. The ending, more sur- thing its members cook up, self caught up in a lawsuit that hired to star. The crew leaves the sound- real than horrific, seems to recall the disil- they never lose sight of where put the plans on hold. stage to film in Luxembourg. The crew lusionment of Sunset Boulevard’s they started or what a mix of “It’s common for “It left us very nervous and endures odd stipulations in filming— conclusion. The final scene fits perfectly, tradition and originality can us to reach back left them temporarily para- they may only film at night and in re- as director and vampire reach their differ- do in the right hands. lyzed. We were anxious to put mote locationss. The director attributes ent goals with similar consequences. The band began to take to the music of the it out and excited about it, so this odd behavior to method acting. Mur- At the heart of this vampire story is shape when guitarist Oliver good old days.” we figured, ‘We’ve done it be- nau bargains with Schreck; if he abstains authenticity and reality. As Murnau med- Wood and bassist Chris Long fore; we’ll do it again and put from his vampire urges during produc- itates on the power of the camera to give crossed paths in 1994. Wood Oliver Wood it out ourselves,’” he said, re- tion, Murnau will hand his lead actress life, the question of reality-based enter- was touring with blues gui- King Johnson ferring to the way in which to the vampire upon completion of the tainment is addressed. In a time when tarist Tinsley Ellis, while Long tthey handled their first two film. But when Schreck has trouble sup- The Real World and Survivor are popular had written for Delbert Mc- albums. pressing these urges, the film crew suf- television fare, this film comments on Clinton and Francine Reed. enough to meet Marcus.” “There are a lot of advan- fers. The plot builds until Murnau is modern times while being set in the 1920’s. Soon after their first meeting, Their latest album, Luck tages to putting albums out chasing his vision of authenticity to in- Entertaining and thought provoking, Shad- they decided to strike out their So Strange, benefits greatly from yourself…There’s a piece of the ordinate lengths. ow of the Vampire is well deserving of any own, but they needed some- the members’ individual in- pie that you save,” Wood con- The film works remarkably well on accolades it receives. one to cover rhythm. Enter fluences. Early jazz elements tinued. “On the other hand, drummer Greg Baba, who bubble up when Mewherter it would be nice to sign a record turned up at a Northside Tav- hoists his tuba—frequently deal with a really competent, ern jam session the same night used as a bass by the first New established company that’s as the pair later that year.