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Glam
Rock Drag Queen
John Cameron Mitchell
kicks butt.
By Lois
Wadsworth
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH: Directed
and written for the screen by John Cameron Mitchell from his staged musical. Music
and lyrics by Stephen Trask. Produced by Pamela Koffler, Katie Roumel and Christine
Vachon. Executive produced by Michael De Luca, Amy Henkels, Mark Tusk. Composer,
Stephen Trask. Cinematography, Frank G. DelMarco. Editor, Andrew Marcus. Production
design, Therese DePrez. Set deocoration Liesl Deslauriers. Costumes, Arianne Phillips.
Animation, Emily Hubley. Starring James Cameron Mitchell With Andrea Martin, Michael
Pitt, Stephen Trask, Alberta Watson, Miriam Shor, Rob Campbell, Theodore Liscinski,
Michael Aronov and Maurice Deane Wint. Fine Line Features, 2001. R. 92 minutes.
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No shrinking violet, Hedwig (James Cameron Mitchell) cranks
up the band for the first musical assault on the unwary sitting at small tables in
a seedy seafood franchise eatery called Bilgewaters. Slender and always dressed to
show off her body, Hedwig slathers on lots of eye makeup and layers of bright lipstick.
She dons whatever wig suits her mood and her costume, but mostly she prefers a platinum
blonde number that recalls Hollywood glamour stars of yesteryear. And why not? It's
appropriate for someone who received a musical education as a child growing up in
East Germany listening to American popular music on Armed Forces Radio.
Hedwig's music is contagious and deliciously subversive, like David
Bowie's phase as Ziggy Stardust. Through songs she tells her anything-but-ordinary
life story, camping it up and wallowing in the injustices she's suffered. We see
her story through ingenious flashbacks, disarming lyrics and a pop culture philosophy
that explains the evolution of human sexuality through clever animated figures that
dance across the screen.
And like everything about this spectacular little musical gem,
these techniques just whet our appetite for the rich tidbits Hedwig sends our way.
At the moment she's obsessed with a man she loved who stole her music and has since
become a big rock star. She stalks him, gig-wise. Tommy Gnosis (Michael Pitt) is
playing to a huge crowd in a big venue right next door this very night, she says.
"How did some slip of a girlie-boy from communist East Berlin become the internationally
ignored song stylist barely standing before you?" Hedwig inquires of a handful
of puzzled customers.
This exhilarating romp looks at who gets hurt when stars such as
the fictional Tommy invent themselves anew by swiping musical ideas from whomever
they meet along the way to the Big Time. And Hedwig releases rock from oldie's
prison and invigorates it with a contemporary angst that is pleasurable and funny.
Hedwig puts the fun back in playing dress-up.
But a leading character such as Hedwig, who slips in and out of
sexual identities, also raises the bar for a discourse on gender. Hedwig is not content
with being a girlie-boy but wants the feeling of wholeness -- the feeling of not
being fragmented, of not having a lost half out there in the world somewhere. In
the end Hedwig finds authenticity within, the only place our other half resides,
and makes a moving case for loving ourselves as we are. As the fabulous Mitchell
put it in a recent LA Weekly interview, "Everybody's got some inch that
they have to deal with."
Hedwig is in its second week at the Bijou. Don't miss it.
Highest recommendations.
OPENING
OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW publication unless
otherwise noted.
Cold Fusion: Warren Miller's new snow adventures takes you
to Kenya's glaciers, Iran's mountains, Utah's back country and Switzerland's pristine
powder. At 7 pm on 10/28 in S. Eugene H.S. Auditorium. At Ticketmaster and other
outlets.
Even Dwarfs Started Small (Germany): Allegory about the
depravity of wardens in which imprisoned dwarfs rebel against their keepers. Rating
unknown. At 8 pm on 10/26 in 180 PLC $2/$3
Fall of the House of Usher: Jean Epstein and Luis Buñuel's
1928 silent, surreal adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's story is enhanced with a live
score by avant-garde instrumentalist, Miss Murgatroid. At 7:30 pm on 10/27 in Beall
Hall. $5 students/$7 public.
Ghosts of Mars, John Carpenter's: Set in a future where
64,000 earthlings work on Mars, the movie pits policewoman Natasha Henstridge and
the planet's number one criminal, played by Ice Cube, against ancient Martian warriors.
R. Movies 12.
Hiroshima Mon Amour (France, 1959): Alain Resnais' moving
drama adapted by Marguerite Duras from her novel about an affair between a French
actress (Emmanuel Riva) and a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) living in Tokyo. Complicated
flashbacks tell the story. NR. At 7 pm on 10/30 in 122 Pacific Hall.
K-PAX: Ian Softley (Wings of the Dove) directs Jeff
Bridges, who plays a psychiatrist, and Kevin Spacey's the patient who says he's from
another planet. The good doctor notices changes for the better in the other mental
ward patients. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Latcho Drom: Critically acclaimed documentary portrait of
Romany gypsies and their music, as the filmmaker retraces the ancient road that took
them from India to Iberia. In Romany with English subtitles. No rating. At 7 pm 11/1
in 123 Pacific Hall. Free.
O Othello: One of summer's most anticipated films is Tim
Blake's contemporary retelling of Shakespeare's famous tale of treachery and jealousy.
Set in elite Southern boarding school, film stars Mekhi Phifer as the only black
student and athelete on campus, Josh Hartnett as his best friend and Julia Stiles
as his girlfriend. Also, Martin Sheen, Andrew Keegan, Rain Phoenix and Elden Hensen.
R. Movies 12.
On the Line: The Village Voice says: "Head for
the hills" as two-fifths of 'N Sync -- Lance Bass and Joey Fatone -- make their
acting debut in Eric Bross' "romantic comedy." PG. Cinemark.
Rock Star: Mark Wahlberg is the ultimate fan of a heavy
metal rock legend, but he also plays with a local tribute band until the night he's
called to replace the lead singer he worships. Jennifer Aniston is his hometown girlfriend.
Stephen Herek directs John Stockwell's script, based on a true story. Also stars
Jason Flemyng, Timothy Olyphant, Timothy Spall and Dominic West. Recommended. R.
Movies 12. See
review.
Rocky Horror Picture Show, The (1975): Let's do the time
warp again! This 1975 cult classic stars Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick
in Jim Sharman's Halloween favorite. At 9 pm 10/31 EMU Ballroom. $5 students/$7 public.
Solaris (Russia, 1972): Andrei Tarkovsky's 167-minute sci-fi
drama was made before the special-effects era. It's about Russian astronauts aboard
a space station orbiting the planet Solaris, who are losing their minds to nightmarish
hallucinations caused by the planet's brain-like ocean. At 6:30 pm on 10/31 in 115
Pacific Hall. Free.
Spriggan: Not on anybody's radar. R. Cinemark 17.
Thirteen Ghosts: Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis produced
this special effects remake of a 1960 horror film that stars Tony Shalhoub, Embeth
Davidtz and Matthew Lillard. They're given keys to a fantastic house that contains
the spirits of thirteen murder victims. R. Cinema World. Cinemark.
CONTINUING
America's Sweethearts: Directed by Joe Roth stars
Catherine Zeta-Jones and John Cusack as famous Hollywood couple breaking up. Also
stars Julia Roberts. Movies 12. PG-13
American Pie 2: Same cast -- Chris Klein, Jason Biggs, Mena
Suvari, Seann William Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas -- now directed by J. B. Rogers. R.
Movies 12.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire: Disney animated tale directed
by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale. Voices include Michael J. Fox, James Garner and
Leonard Nimoy. PG. Movies 12.
Bandits: Bank robbers Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Willis
visit bank officers, spend the night, and take them in to open the safe the next
morning. Real trouble comes when they fall in love with their kidnap victim, housewife
Cate Blanchett. Barry Levinson directed. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Cats and Dogs: An inside look at pet wars at home while
grown up people are at work. Kitty (Sean Hayes, voice) has grandiose plans other
critters want to stop. Live-action comedy directed by Larry Guterman also features
animatronic, computer-generated action. PG. Movies 12.
Corky Romano: Corky (Chris Kattan) is a kindly veterinarian
who gets drawn into becoming an F.B.I. agent to help out his long-lost Mafia boss
father (Peter Falk), who's being investigated. PG-13. Cinemark.
Don't Say a Word: Based on Andrew Klaven's novel, film is
about a child psychiatrist (Michael Douglas) who tries to save his daughter from
a kidnapper by getting critical information from a disturbed patient. Gary Fleder
directs. R. Cinemark.
From Hell: Jack the Ripper's murders recreated by the Hughes
brothers from Alan Moore's novel about the Whitechapel murders. Johnny Depp is the
compromised, psychic investigator. Also stars Ian Holm, Katrin Cartlidge and Heather
Graham. R. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Hearts in Atlantis: Anthony Hopkins and Hope Davis star
in Scott Hicks' late-1950s adventure drama. Written by William Goldman, based on
Stephen King's novel. PG-13. Cinemark.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch: John Cameron Mitchell plays the
glam rock character he created for his hit off-Broadway show. Hedwig's a lad from
East Germany who falls for an American soldier and has a sex-change operation that's
less than successful. Mitchell's star turn in this rave musical that went over big
at Sundance 2001. Highest recommendations. R. Bijou. See review.
Iron Monkey: Miramax re-releases this vintage '93 Hong Kong
action picture directed by Yuen Wo-Ping, who choreographed The Matrix and
Crouching Tiger. Rongguang Yu stars as a village doctor who has a secret life
as a Robin Hood-like figure. PG-13. Cinemark.
Joy Ride: Scary road trip about a practical joke turned
lethal stars Paul Walker and Steve Zahn, who play brothers, and Leelee Sobiesky.
John Dahl directs. R. Cinemark.
Jurassic Park 3: Sam Neill reprises his role as paleontologist
Grant. Joe Johnston directs. Grant takes a rich adventurer (William H. Macy) and
his wife (Téa Leoni) for a fly-by of the forbidden island. Lots of dinosaurs!
PG-13. Movies 12.
Last Castle, The: Rod Lurie directs Robert Redford as a
defrocked general in a maximum security military prison and James Gandolfini ("The
Sopranos") as its corrupt warden. R. Cinema World. Cinemark..
Legally Blonde: Reese Witherspoon plays a LA natural blonde
who goes to Harvard Law School to persuade Warner (Matthew Davis) that she's the
one for him. Directed by Robert Luketic. Also stars Selma Blair, Victor Garber, Holland
Taylor, Jennifer Coolidge and Luke Wilson. PG-13. Movies 12. See review.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): Re-release of famous
comedy about the Arthurian legend directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones stars
Gilliam, Jones, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin and Graham Chapman. Brilliantly
manic and gruesome. A cult classic. PG. Bijou.
Mulholland Drive: David Lynch's neo-noir fantasy about Hollywood
set in a nebulous time-frame stars Naomi Watts, Laura Harring and Justin Theroux.
The first two-thirds is a love story between women, while the last third contains
more typical Lynchian plot convolutions and role-switches. Highly recommended. R.
Bijou. See
review.
Pearl Harbor: An over hyped WWII drama that critics have
correctly drubbed and audiences largely ignored. Director Michael Bay and producer
Jerry Bruckheimer's $135 million WWII epic stars Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Kate
Beckinsale. Forgettable. PG-13. Movies 12. See review.
Planet of the Apes: Re-imagining of the 1968 original by
filmmaker Tim Burton has great makeup and quicker-witted, stronger apes who act more
like real ones. Tim Roth walks away with the show as the menacing chimpanzee who
wants to kill all humans. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke
Duncan, Paul Giamatti and Tim Roth. PG-13. Movies 12. See review.
Riding in Cars with Boys: Drew Barrymore stars in Penny
Marshall's film about a woman who wants to be a writer but ends up with a baby at
15 and a junkie husband. Based on a true story. With Steve Zahn and Brittany Murphy.
PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Score, The: This Frank Oz action movie stars Robert De Niro
as a career criminal who breaks his own rule to take an unknown (Edward Norton) as
partner on a heist. Also stars Marlon Brando, Angela Bassett. Great acting. R. Movies
12. See review.
Serendipity: Destiny has them meet by chance in a department
story, and fate parts them right away. Now it's 10 years later, and John Cusack and
Kate Beckinsale try to find each other again. Directed by Peter Chelsom (Town
& Country). PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Shrek: Computer-animated fairy tale (by DreamWorks' Pacific
Data Images, makers of Antz) stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz
and John Lithgow. Entertaining and funny for kids and grown-ups. PG. Movies 12. See
review.
Training Day: Directed by Antoine Fuqua, this cop show features
a rookie nark (Ethan Hawke) who spends his first day 4 a trial by fire 4 with a rogue
senior officer (Denzel Washington). With Scott Glenn, Eva Mendes. Snoop Dogg, Dr.
Dre, and Macy Gray make cameos. R. Cinemark. Cinema World. See
review.
Zoolander: In his first foray in directing since The
Cable Guy, Ben Stiller also writes and stars in this comedy about a male model
brainwashed into taking on a secret mission. With Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor and
Milla Jovovich. Moments of mad genius. PG-13. Cinemark.
MOVIE
THEATERS
Use the links provided below for specific show times.
Bijou
Art Cinemas
Bijou Theater 686-2458 | 492 E. 13th
Regal
Cinemas
Cinema World 342-6536 | Valley River
Center
Springfield Quad 726-9073 |
Cinemark
Theaters
Movies 12 741-1231 | Gateway
Mall
Movies before 12:30 are Sat. Sun. only. $1.50 all shows all days.
Cinemark 17 741-1231 | Gateway Mall
NEW RELEASES
ON VIDEO:
Releases subject to change. Available the Tuesday following date of
EW publication, sometimes sooner:
Animal: Wimp Marvin (Rob Schneider) becomes a super cop after surgery
following an accident leaves him with animal organs. Now, his instincts are taking
over, and it isn't a nice picture. Luke Greenfield makes his directorial debut; also
stars Coleen Haskell. PG-13.
Swordfish: John Travolta plays a C.I.A. spook who persuades a sexy colleague
(Halle Berry) and a hacker (Hugh Jackman) to help him steal $9 billion. AP reviewer
says after the first 10 minutes, this fish begins to smell. Directed by Dominic Sena
(Gone in 60 Seconds). R.
Next week: Baby Boy, The Golden Bowl, Legally Blonde, Santa Who?, Shrek,
The Soprano's Second Season and Sweetwater.
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