movie update

Shrek 2- Banderas steals what's left of the show that Murphy steals. The role of straight man suits Mike Myers; interesting since Cat in the Hat bombed and Austin Powers is so, so over. As entertained as I was, in less than five years I predict the Shrek films will be unwatchable. While I appreciate introducing kids to the works of Tom Waits and the Buzzcocks, a finale set to "Livin' La Vida Loca" already has a certain stale whiff to it. But I can understand where Dreamworks needs to focus on commerce vs. art to establish itself against Disney and the soon-to-be independent Pixar.



Super Size Me- Compeling despite the fact that it doesn't convey anything that any American over the mental age of 12 doesn't (or, okay, shouldn't) already know. Spurlock may be a Moore wannnabe, but he's agreeable and never shrill. Ironically, it may have had the unintended side effect of promoting fast food: just try to get the opening summer-camp song out of your head. It's the worst earworm I've had in months.



Coffee and Cigarettes- This collection of black & white shorts is sometimes uneven but frequently hilarious. My favorite was the Iggy Pop/ Tom Waits one; least favorite was Alfred Molina/Steve Coogan, which seems to be everyone else's fave. Along with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it's one of the best movies of '04.



Napoleon Dynamite- A very hard-to-describe film. Like Welcome to the Dollhouse without the misery and abject cruelty, or John Waters without the porn or scatology. But neither of those quite captures it. Things are so absurd that the whole movie teeters on collapse to the point where I was tense watching. And no one's particularly likeable, except maybe Tina Majorino (remember her from Waterworld?) as a deadpan "like-interest." But things held together, and I laughed a lot.



David Cross:Let America Laugh (DVD)- To those lamenting Bob Odenkirk's work in the Miller Beer campaign: it could be worse, as his Mr. Show partner proves. This "tour diary" features precious little standup, several run-ins with hecklers, and lots of shaky interviews with drunk and/or high people. A chore to watch.