O, those halcyon days when I first heard the glorious premise for Snakes on a Plane—a premise so simple, so perfect, that everything is perfectly summed up in the title. How delightful! How fun! Samuel L. Jackson? Fighting snakes? On a plane? O! And then—as pretty much always happens—everybody ruined it. A billion blog entries, […]
Erik Henriksen
With honor and distinction, Erik Henriksen served as the executive editor of the Portland Mercury from 2004 to 2020. He can now be found at henriksenactual.com.
Posted inMovies & TV
Little Miss Sunshine’s Problem
Road Trippin’ with Dysfunction
Ten million dollars. Last January, Little Miss Sunshine made headlines at Sundance, where killer word of mouth and standing ovations convinced Fox Searchlight to drop a reported $10 million to distribute the indie film. That reception for the film—which had a budget of only $8 million—became both a blessing and curse. Sure, being the toast […]
Posted inMovies & TV
I’m Staying Home
The 43-Year-Old Comedian
Here’s the difference between Steve Carell and Will Ferrell, Luke/Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and any other major comedic actor working today: Not only is Steve Carell funnier than all of them, he can actually act. Carell, star of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and a one-time Daily Show correspondent, might be blowing up right now—he’s in Little […]
Posted inMovies & TV
We’re Ugly Americans
But Hey, At Least We Can Drive Fast!
The bad news: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is no Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Sure, the titles are suspiciously similar. And yeah, both star Will Ferrell, both are directed by Adam McKay, and both try to nail the same rambling, ridiculous style of comedy that’s Ferrell’s been perfecting since his days […]
Posted inMovies & TV
I’m Staying Home
Rent This Now!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a mental list full of films that you didn’t get a chance to see when they were in theaters. Luckily, Videorama and Netflix are cheap. Here are some of the flicks I’ve rented lately, so I can finally cross ’em off my list—but you should add ’em to […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Miami NICE!
Erik & Adam vs. Crockett & Tubbs
ERIK: Sweet! We just got back from Miami Vice, the big screen update of our favorite TV show ever, and the movie we’ve been most excited for all summer. No—for all of our lives. ADAM: Yeah, we’ve seen it! Before you! Which makes us… which makes us gods. ERIK: Indeed. So Adam—did it live up […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Geek Out
Goblins vs. Elves!
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II Developed and Published by EA Games Available Now for PC and Xbox 360 Ever since I started playing videogames, I’ve been doing so on consoles rather than computers. Okay, true: Just as any self-respecting nerdling in the early ’90s, I played the LucasArts PC classics […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Boy in the Corner
Painting the Floor with M. Night Shyamalan
There’s nothing interesting about geniuses. Flawless works—and those who create them—are usually boring as hell and twice as predictable. Yeah, there’s no denying the monumental impact that geniuses have had, and will always have, on art. But there’s also no denying that people—and the works they create—are far more interesting when they’re imperfect, messy, even […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Existential Angst… and Donkey Sex.
Talking with the Actors of Clerks II About Growing Up (Or Not)
Kevin Smith is my friend. Okay, admittedly, it’s a one-sided relationship: He doesn’t know who the fuck I am. But still, as an example of those weird, creepy, one-way relationships that we all have with our favorite artists, I feel like he’s been my friend for a decade or so. Here’s why: For better or […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Style vs. “Substance D”
Philip K. Dick’s (and Richard Linklater’s) A Scanner Darkly
Okay, so holy shit. It sounds reductive and pedestrian, sure, but still: holy shit. Let’s get right to the point: A Scanner Darkly is great. If you need to know more, keep reading—but if you don’t, just get to Fox Tower already. Here’s the deal: If we’re talking unadaptable books, Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner […]