Yes, start reading Amazing Spider-Man issue 298-327 right now. Those were the Todd McFarlane/David Michelinie issues and you’re gonna wanna have them all under your belt by next week when Spider-Man 3 drops. This week, two new movies at the Village 8, neither worth getting all that wet over.
Up first, at least Next , opening Friday, has Nic Cage in it. Say what you like, that guy’s a performer, giving it at least 85 per cent every single time. Nic Cage can be brilliant (Leaving Las Vegas, Raising Arizona) or not (Ghost Rider,) but he’s never terrible. This time Nic plays a guy who can see a few minutes into the future, but is sick of doctors and government people poking and prodding him so he lives in Vegas where he gets by on “small time gambling winnings” and his day job as a “showroom magician.”
Now I haven’t checked this one out yet but if that didn’t sell
you, how about this: “
But
when a terrorist group threatens to detonate a nuclear device in Los Angeles,
government agent Callie Ferris must use all her wiles to capture Cris (Cage)
and convince him to help her stop the cataclysm.”
That’s
direct from the Paramount website, by the way. Directed by competent-but-not
brilliant Lee Tamahori
(
although
Once Were Warriors
was pretty good)
Next
is another Phillip K Dick
short-story adaptation but looks to be more in the vein of
Paycheck
than
Total Recall.
Remember
Paycheck,
another Dick sci-fi tale
that was adapted for the screen and starred Ben Affleck? It blew. At least
Next
has Cage and super hottie
Jessica Biel going for it, but it is PG-13 so look for lots of action but no
real nudity. I like Jessica Biel because she reminds me of my accountant, who
also tosses around lots of those purse-lipped come hither looks. But that’s
neither here nor there.
Next
(ha ha) up is
The Invisible,
another sci-fi premise, this time a murdered writer is somehow
trapped between the world of the living and the dead. He has to figure out his
own murder but he’s, you guessed it, invisible to the living. Of course,
there’s an entire time-is-running-out aspect as well.
Directed
by David Goyer, a screenwriter/producer with no directing experience to speak
of,
The Invisible
looks to be a pretty forgettable tense sci-fi/mystery flick in
the vein of
The Sixth Sense
but not as good. One bright spot is young Russian/American
actress Margarita Levieva, who despite having a ridiculous first name, gives a
strong performance in what may be her breakthrough role.
Speaking
of Margs, my friend Ace once sneakily tossed a few frozen hot dog buns into the
blender when we were short on ice. No one noticed. I suspect
The Inivisible
will have a similar fate.
Since
we’re talking substance, the DVD of the week is actually an entire set,
Not
Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show
. This box-set features 23 of the best episodes
of that epic mid-90s comedy about a fake late night talk show, hosted by Garry
Shandling and Jeffery Tambor (and featuring real celebrity cameos). Except
Larry
Sanders
was
way better than most real talk shows. In the days before reality TV and
Entourage, this self-reflexive gem was perhaps the best thing on TV. Packed
with tons of extra interviews
The Larry Sanders Show
set provides hours of
entertainment for old fans and new recruits.
Speaking
of new,
Spider-Man 3
has new villains, new conflicts and new love interests and it
drops next week so all you fanboy geeks like me, start getting stoked now.
AT VILLAGE 8 April 27-May 3: The Invisible; Next; Blades of Glory; Disturbia; Vacancy; Hot Fuzz; In the Land of Women; Fracture.
