Meet the Feebles dir. Jackson Opens Fri April 15 Clinton St. Theater It’s fairly mind-blowing–even now, after billions of dollars and 17 Oscars–that New Line Cinema would allow Peter Jackson to make an expensive, ambitious trilogy of fantasy films in his native New Zealand. Even knowing how commercially and critically successful The Lord of the […]
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
Hey, Batter Batter…
Fever Pitch Coulda Swung Harder
Fever Pitch dir. Farrelly Brothers Opens Fri April 8 Various Theaters Fever Pitch is set in the 2004 baseball season–The Year of the Red Sox. ’04 saw the Boston Red Sox ascend from decades of frustration and heartbreak to win their first World Series championship in 86 years. That season–and the loyalty of Red Sox […]
Posted inMovies & TV
The Need for Speed
The Baja 1000, Courtesy of Dust to Glory
Dust to Glory dir. Brown Opens Fri April 8 Cinema 21 I just had my first experience buying car insurance, which isn’t one of the cool things about growing up. (A cool thing is when you realize you can have ice cream and beer for breakfast. A lame thing is realizing you have to buy […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Sex & Violence
Get Ready for Sin City to Kick Your Ass
Sin City dirs. Miller, Rodriguez Opens Fri April 1 Various Theaters There are comic books, and then there’s Sin City. Frank Miller’s dark, pulpy graphic novels have always been the defining works of one of comics’ most talented creators, crammed to the margins with tales of lust, vengeance, and… well, that’s pretty much it. And […]
Posted inBooks
Brian K. Vaughan
I love monthly comics,” says Brian K. Vaughan, and it’s hard to argue with the guy’s rationale. “Post-Dickens, there’s not a lot of American serialized fiction. There’s television, but the idea of monthly writing–I think it’s terrific.” Vaughan has good reason to be so enthusiastic. The 29-year-old writer’s heading up a litany of comics’ best […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Geek Out
I Need a PSP
It’s probably a violation of journalistic ethics to use this space to ask for something from Mercury readers, but I’m going to do so anyway. See, there’s this videogame system that just came out–Sony’s PlayStation Portable, or PSP–and I really, really want one. Problem is, they’re 250 goddamn dollars. Sure, that’s a lot of money, […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Videogame Warmongering
Now 300% More Realistic, Thanks to Bush!
As a gamer myself, I can’t be too hard on other gamers. I mean, I like to shoot stuff as much as any of them, clutching my Xbox controller or Game Boy with fervent dedication, annihilating alien species, and sniping opponents with glee. Because shooting stuff, like videogames in general, is fun. But like any […]
Posted inNews
Why I Hate Air America
Or, Randi Rhodes is a Shrieking Harpy and Al Franken Hasn’t Been Funny Since 1981
By all rights, I should love Air America, right? After all, I do hate Bush, I’m a pretty liberal guy, and–when I’m not busy with other old timey hobbies, like stamp collectin’ or phosphate sippin’–I do enjoy listening to that antiquated device known as “the radio.” So you’d think that Air America–a nationwide talk radio […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Deer Attack!
No. Seriously. Deer Attack in The Ring Two.
The Ring Two dir. Nakata Opens Fri Mar 18 Various Theaters So the big surprise of The Ring Two is already spoiled by that headline. Don’t worry–it’s not a plot spoiler, it’s just that now you know what the coolest part of the movie is. Rachel (Naomi Watts) and her creepy-ass son, Aidan (David Dorfman) […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Spare Parts
Avoid These Busted-Ass Robots
Robotsdir. Wedge Opens Fri Mar 11 Various Theaters You don’t really need to know anything about the plot of the new kids’ flick, Robots, to predict what it’s about. Its story is as unimaginative as its title–a likable, cutely named robot, Rodney Copperbottom (voiced by Ewan McGregor), teams up with another robot, the supposedly wacky […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Claustrophobic Sci-Fi
Adrien Brody Wears The Jacket Well
The Jacket dir. Maybury Opens Fri March 4 Various Theaters It’s weird how much a bullet to the head can change things. Well meaning and out of his element, soldier Jack Starks (Adrien Brody) barely survives the Gulf War–after getting shot in the head in a skirmish, Starks miraculously makes it out of Iraq, albeit […]
Posted inMovies & TV
“Tony Motherfuckin’ Jaa RULES!”
After Seeing Ong-Bak, You’ll Shout It Too
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior dirs. Pinkaew Opens Fri March 4 Various Theaters It’s been tough, lately, for martial arts fans. There’s the once-amazing Jackie Chan, who–perhaps as a result of senility–is picking continually more insipid projects. (Around the World in 80 Days, anyone?) And there’s Jet Li, who’s doing better than Chan–he was in Hero, […]