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THE ADVENTURES OF ROCKY
AND BULLWINKLE (PG) Jay Wards
original “Rocky And Bullwinkle" car
toons of the late-1960’s—a series fol
lowing wacky moose Bullwinkle and his
sidekick Hying squirrel pal, Rocky—
were intelligent, clever and original.
This weak big screen version is a mess.
Director Des McAnuff's blend of com
puter animation mostly looks forced
anc stiff. Jason Alexander, Rene Russo,
and Robert De Niro look ridiculous.
(Mall)
ANTZ (PG) A neurotic ant (voiced by
Woody Allen) tries to break out of the
totalitarian society he lives in to win the
heart of the ant princess. With the voice
talents of Jane Curtin, Dan Aykroyd.
Jennifer Lopez and Anne Bancroft.
Showing Thursday, 8/4. (Beechwood)
BIG MOMMA’S HOUSE (PG-13)
Martin Lawrence goes “deep under
cover* in inis crude comedy about a
slick city detective who poses as an
obese Georgia grandmother. This is a
derivative comedy consisting of little
more than a continuous string of gags
and one-'iners revolving around the
same joke, but audiences are howling
anyway. (Beechwood, Carmike,
Commerce Drive-In)
CHICKEN RUN (G) This is the first
full-length feature from Britain’s
Aardman Animation (“Wallace And
Gromit*), and it’s a wondedully whim
sical effort like none seen before. Set in
England in the 1950s, this off-beat,
whimsical Claymation action-adventure
follows a pack of chickens desperate to
escape from the prison camp-like
Tweedy's Farm. Go see it. Ends
Thursday. (Beechwood, Carmike)
COYOTE UGLY (PG-13) Producer
Jerry Bruckheimer’s updated version of
C(xJ<tail. This wild and sultry-looking
comedy follows 21-year-old Violet
Sanford (Piper Perabo) as she goes to
New York to pursue her dream of
becoming a songwriter. Her aspirations
are sidelined by the notoriety she
receives at her “day* job as a barmaid at
Coyote Ugly, the hottest watering hole
in town, run by Lil (Maria Bello). The
club features a team of sexy, enter
prising young women who tantalize
customers and the media alike with
their outrageous antics. Yowza. With
John Goodman and Tyra Banks. Opens
Friday. (Beechwood, Carmike)
DISNEY’S THE KID (PG) Director
john Turteltaub’s (Phenomenon) family
comedy is a warm and sentimental
offering that gets syrupy (thanks espe
cially to the obnoxious musical cues),
but stays pretty well on track. Bruce
Willis is an arrogant, sarcastic LA
image consultant w.io, on the eve of his
40th birthday, gets to meet himself as
an 8-year-old kid. He dismisses the
phenomenon as an oncoming nervous
breakdown. The pudgy kid, played with
convincing charm and wit by pouty
newcomer Spencer Breslin, can't under
stand why he's been transplanted to his
future, either. The two develop a decent
rapport, however, and Willis' cold heart
inevitably thaws. Look for wondedul
performances from Bhtish actress Emily
Mortimer and the great comedienne Lily
Tomlin. (Beechwood, Carmike)
“FUCKER" (NR) Friday and
Saturday’s program features Yasemin, a
1988 romantic drama written and
directed by German filmmaker Hark
Bohm about a young German man who
falls in love with a younger Turkish girl
Tuesday’s and next Wednesday’s pro
gram features a collection of films
called “Taking Animal Films From The
Golden Years Of Hollywood" consisting
of three films from the 1930s with real
animals (donkeys, chickens, dogs, cats
and horses) that are animated to speak.
Just imagine it! Call 546-0039 for more
information. (Flicker Theatre)
GORDY (G) 1995. A talking pig named
Gordy goes on a quest to save his
family from the slaughterhouse.
Showing Thursday. 8/4. (Beechwood)
HOLLOW MAN (R) A suspense-
thriller from director Paul Verhoeven
(RoboCop, Total Recall, Basic instinct}
about a group of young scientists at a
top-sec'et military lab who have just
unlocked the secret of ‘invisibility.* The
team's arrogant leader, played by Kevin
Bacon, ignores the risks and decides to
test the dangerous procedure on him
self—only to discover his fellow scien
tists (Elisabeth Shue and Josh Brolin)
are unable to re.erse the effect. Will his
new-found power turn him into a
menace? Sure. Opens Friday.
(Beechwood, Carmike, Commerce
Drive-In)
THE IN CROWD (PG-13) A sickly,
implausible, uninteresting teen thriller
following a foxy, naive young woman
(Lori Heuring) just been released from a
mental asylum who has been placed in
a work program a! an East Coast
country club. She’s befriended by the
foxy, obsessive leader (Susan Ward) of
a clique of wealthy college brats.
Unfortunately, the rookie gets too far
“in* and sparks a murderous series of
sneaky, retaliatory events resembling
the worst elements of “Melrose Place"
and “Beverly Hill 90120." Directed bv
Mary Lambert. Not recommended. Ends
Thursday. (Beechwood, Carmike)
LOSER (PG-13) Yet another flimsy
romantic comedy aimed at the young
college crowd. The movie has a few
sweet and funny moments and almost
detours into darker territories, but, like
totally deserves to be tossed on the
mounting heap alongside She's All
That, Boys And Girls, Whatever It Takes.
Gossip ad nauseam. Written and
directed by Amy Heckerling (Clueless,
Fast Times At Ridgemont High), the plot
follows a ‘loser* (Jason Biggs of
American Pie and Boys And Girls,), who
goes to the big city as a scholarship
student where, of course, he's leased
and antagonized. He befriends Dora
(Mena Suvari of American Beaut}), who
happens to be mixed up in an affair with
a smirky literature prolessor (Greg
Kinnear). Nothing much of interest or
intrigue happens With briet appear
ances by Dan Aykroyd, Steven Wright,
David Spade and Andy Dick. Ends
Thursoay. (Beechwood, Carmike)
LOVE AND BASKETBALL (PG-13)
Director Gina Prince's smart and warm
hearted romantic drama gets at more
than just college hoop dreams, it fol
lows twc childhood friends, Monica
(Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar
Epps), as they grow up and into a com
plicated relationship in which basketball
becomes a catalyst. Ends Thursday.
(Malt)
MAD ABOUT MAMBO (PG-13) A
romantic comedy about a Catholic high
school student who tries to perfect his
soccer timing by practicing dance. Of
course, he fal's in love with his dance
partner. With Keri Russell, Brian Cox
and William Ash. Written and directed
by John Forte. Opens Friday. (Carmike)
ME, MYSELF & IRENE (R) Jim
Carrey suffers an extremely weird split
personality disorder in this disap
pointing “gross-out" comedy from the
Farrelly Brothers. He plays a mce-guy
cop living in Rhode Island in a town
where everybody constantly walks all
over him. One day, he totally loses it
and becomes “Hank," a completely
unlikable, overly aggressive, ser.ist
menace. Enter Renee Zellweger (Jerry
Maguire), who pouts her way through a
rather drab performance as the schizo
cop's love interest. With Chris Cooper,
Robert Forster. Richard Jenkins. Ana
and Little Tony Cox Starts Friday.
(Mall)
NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE
KLUMPS (PG-13) See Movie Pick.
(Beechwood. Carmike, Commerce
Dnve-ln)
THE PATRIOT (R) At times moving
and complicated, the film assumes its
audience has already brushed up
heavily on its Colonial history and
bounces from one scenario to another
without thoroughly setting up any of
them. Mel Gibson as a South Carolina
farmer who resists the call to arms pro
pels the film, but some scenes are so
poorly written it's hard not to laugh.
Heath Ledger stands out as the rebel
lious eldest son determined to fight for
the cause. English actors Jason Isaacs
and Tom Wilkinson are fantastic as fop
pish British officers. (Beechwood.
Carmike)
THE PERFECT STORM (PG-13) A
salty tragedy, directed with a heavy
hand by Wolfgang Petersen from
Sebastian Junger's best-selling book.
The story, set in the fishing town of
Glouces’er in 1991, gradually intro
duces a handful of characters struggling
to make life work, be it on the sea or on
land. As the boat’s serious-minded,
determined skipper, George Clooney
clocks in a strong performance as do
Mary Elizabeth Mastranlonio (Limbo),
Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, William
Fichtner and the invaluable John C.
Reilly. (Beechwood, Carmike)
POK^MON: THE MOVIE 2000 (G)
First off. if you are not familiar with the
Pokemon universe, then basically
Pokdmon are animals that trainers cap
ture and battle for points and badges in
the popular kids’ TV series and trading
card game. I liked this movie, aside
from small children yelling “Pikachu* in
the movie theater. The main thing I liked
was that this movie was not as cheesy
as the first Pokfrnon movie. So if you
have a couple of bucks to blow, go and
see a matinee, because it is surprisingly
funny. [Alex Moore] (Beechwood,
Carmike)
RETURN TO ME (PG) A surprisingly
touching and bittersweet romantic
drama from first-time screenwriter and
director Bonnie Hunt. David Duchovny
(“The X Files’) is a widower architect
determined to construct a building hon
oring his wife's life work. After a year of
grieving and working, he falls in love
with Grace (Minnie Driver), a gentle and
charming woman who by coincidence,
received h's wife’s heart in a transplant
surgery. With Carrol! O’Connor. Ends
Thursday. (Mall)
ROAD TRIP (R) Sure; this is a big.
dumb, derivative college romp filled
with obligatory nudity and hit-or-miss
jokes, but it’s worth a look-see if only
for the inspired pertormance from
gangly, neidy newcomer DJ Qualls as
the gleefjlly exploited, likable geek who
learns ihe ropes of life while on a
ridiculous cross-country road trip.
Partially filmed on the UGA campus and
around Athens. Directed and co-written
by Todd Phillips. (Mall)
SCARY MOVIE (R) Directing from a
weird script written by Shawn Wayans,
Marlon Wayans. and others. Keenen
Ivory Wayans (“In Living Color") has
assembled one of the most over-the-top
disgusting comedies ot the year This
movie skewers scenes from Scream, I
Know What You Did Last Summer, and
Urban Legend (as well as a few clever
“surprise" movies) and makes a satir
ical attack on some of the catch-phrases
and cliches produced recently by
American cinema. Most of the comedy
is raucous, nasty and hit-or-miss, but
the "gross-out humor* surpasses that of
American Pie. There's Something About
Mary and the recent Me, MysellS,
Irene. (Beechwood, Carmike.
Commerce Drive-In)
SHAFT (R) Samuel L. Jackson is a
tough, smart-mouthed New York detec
tive in director John Singletonts stylish
update on the 1971 “Sexploitation*
classic. The film maintains a cool, gritty
style similar to the original and touches
on serious social issues but loses its
balance along the way and almost
stumbles over its numerous implausi-
bilities and violence. Featuring music
from Isaac Hayes. Showing Wednesday,
8/2. (Georgia Theatre)
SHANGHAI NOON (PG-13) A silly but
MOVIE LISTINGS
Theater schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead.
ACC LIBRARY (613-3650)
United States Of Poetry, Parts 1-3 (NR) 7:00 (Th. 8/3)
BEECHWOOD (546-1011)
Antz (PG) 10:30 a.m. (Th. 8/3)
Big Momma's House (PG-13) 9:30 (ends Th. 8/3)
Chicken Run (G) 1:10, 3:10, 5:10 (ends Th. 8/3)
Coyote Ugly (PG-13) 1:20, 3:20, 5:20, 7:20, 9:20
(opens F. 8/4)
Disney's The Kid (PG) 1:30, 4:00. 7:10, 9:25
Gordy (G) 10:30 a.m. (Th. 8/3)
Hollow Man (R) 2:15, 4:45. 7:15, 9:55 (opens F. 8/4)
The In Crowd (PG-13) 9:50 (ends Th. 8/3)
Loser (PG-13) 7:20. 9:20 (ends Th. 8/3)
The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (PG-13) 12:45,
2:00, 3:00, 4:15. 5:15, 7:00. 7:30, 9:15, 9:45
The Patriot (R) 1:00, 4:30. 8:00 (new rime F. 8/4:~8:00)
The Perfect Storm (PG-13) 1:15, 4:10, 7:05, 9:50 (new
times F. 8/4: 7:05, 9:50)
Pokemon: The Movie 2000 (G) 12:55, 3:10, 5:25, 7:35
(new rimes F. 8/4: 12:55, 3:10, 5:25)
Scary Movie (R) 1:25, 3:30. 5:30, 7:30, 9:30
Space Cowboys (PG-13) 1:40, 4:30, 7:10, 9:40 (opens F.
8/4)
Thomas And The Magic Railroad (G) 1:00. 3:05, 5:00.
7:25 (new times F. 8/4: 1:00, 3:05, 5:00)
What Lies Beneath (PG-13) 1:20, 4:10, 7:15, 9:55 (new
times F. 8/4: 1:30. 4:10, 7:05, 9:55)
X-Men (PG-13) 1:45, 4:20, 7:05, 9:35 (new times F.
8/4: 1:45, 4:20, 7:20, 9:35)
CARMIKE 12 (354-0016)
Big Momma's House (PG-13) 12:30. 3:00, 5:15, 7:30,
9:45 (new times F. 8/4: 5:15. 7:30, 9:45) (add! rime F.
8/4 & Sa. 8/5: 12:00 a.m.)
Chicken Run (G) 1:00, 3:00. 5:00 (ends Th. 8/3)
Coyote Ugly (PG-13) 12:45. 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45
(add! time F. 8/4 & Sa. 8/5: 12:00 a.m.) (opens F. 8/4)
Disney's The Kid (PG) 12:20, 2:35. 4:50, 7:05, 9:20
(ends Th. 8/3)
Hollow Man (R) 12:15. 2:30, 4:45, 7:00, 9:15 (add!
time F. 8/4 & Sa. 8/5: 12:00 a.m.) (opens F. 8/4)
The In Crowd (PG-13) 7:10, 9:35 (ends Th. 8/3)
Loser (PG-13) 7:20. 9:40 (ends Th. 8/3)
Mad About Mambo (PG-13) 12:30, 2:45. 5:0C. 7:15,
9:20 (addl time F. 8/4 & Sa. 8/5: 11:25 p.m.) (opens F.
8/4)
The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (PG-13) 1:15,
1:45. 4:00. 4:30, 7:00, 7:30, 9:30. 10:00 (addl rimes F.
8/4 & Sa. 8/5: 12:00 a.m., 12: ,, 0 a.m.)
The Patriot (R) 1:15, 4:45, L.90 (addl rime F. 8/4 & Sa.
8/5: 11:15 p.m.)
The Perfect Storm (PG-13) 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00
(addl time F. 8/4 & Sa. 8/5: 12:45 a.m.)
Pokemon: The Movie 2000 (G) 12:25, 2.40, 4:55, 7:15.
9:30 (ends Th. 8/3)
Scary Movie (R) 12:15. 2:30, 4:45. 7:00. 9:15 (addl
time F. 8/4 & Sa. 8/5: 11:30 p.m.)
Space Cowboy* (PG-13) 1:15, 4:00, 7:00. 9:30 (addl
rime F. 8/4 £ Sa. 8/5: 12:00 a.m.) (opens F. 8/4)
Thomas And The Magit. Railroad (G) 1:30, 3:30, 5:30
(new time F. 8/4: 1:30)
What Lies Beneath (R) 1:00. 4:00. 7:00, 9:45 (addl
rime F. 8/4 £ Sa. 8/5: 12:30 a.m.)
X-Men (PG-13) 12:15, 2:30. 4:45. 7 00, 9:15 (addl rime
F. 8/4 £ Sa. 8/5: 11:30 p.m.)
COMMERCE DRIVE-IN (335-2486)
All shows begin at dusk, Monday through Sunaay
The Nutty Professor The Klumps (PG-13) Screen 1
(opens 7/28)
Scary Movie (R) Screen 2
Big Momma's House (PG-13) Screen 3 (ends Th. 8/3)
Hollow Man (R) Screen 3 (opens F. 8/4)
FLICKER THEATRE (546-0039)
Yasemin (NR) 8:30 (F. 8/4 £ Sa. 8/5)
"Talking Animal Rims From The Golden Years Of
Hollywood" (NR) 8:30 (Tu. 8/8 £ W. 8/9)
GEORGIA SQUARE MALL In (543-1632)
The Adventure Of Rocky And Bullwinkle (PG) 5:40,
7:50 (12:25 Sa. £ Su.) (new rime F. 8/4: 5:40)
Love And Basketball (PG-13) 5:30, 8:05 (ends Th. 8/3)
Me. Myself & Irene (R) 5:30, 8:10 (12:15, 2:50 Sa. &
Su.) (starts F. 8/4)
Return To Me (PG) 8:00 (ends Th. 8/3)
Road Trip (R) 5:35, 7:55 (12:20. 2:45 Sa. £ Su.)
Shanghai Noon (PG-13) 5:45, 8:05 (12:30. 3:00 Sa. £
Su.) (starts F. 8/4)
litan A.E. (PG) 5:45 (ends Th. 8/3)
Where The Heart Is (PG-13) 8:00 (2:55 Sa. £ Su.)
(starts F. 8/4)
GEORGIA THEATRE (549-9918)
Shaft (R) 7:00, 10:00 (W. 8/2)
entertaining martial arts Western that
makes little sense but gets big laughs.
Starring Jackie Chan. Lucy Liu and
Owen Wilson. Starts Friday. (Mall)
SPACE COWBOYS (PG-13) Grumpy
old astronauts. This elaborate, comedic
action-thriller follows a gang of veteran
“space cowboys" (did John Glenn ever
consider himsell one?) as they return to
space one last time on a dangerous
NASA mission involving a Russian
space module-gone-haywire. The
crusty cast of leading men includes
Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland,
Tommy Lee Jones, James Gamer and
James Cromwell. With Loren Dean.
Courtney B. Vance, William DeVane,
and Rade Serbedzija. Directed by
Eastwood. Opens Friday. (Beechwood,
Carmike)
THOMAS AND THE MAGIC RAIL
ROAD (G) The incredibly popular ani
mated children's television series.
“Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends"
and tne later live action/animated
“Shining Time Station" hit the big-
screen for the first time in a part live-
action, part animated new film. Eleven-
year old Lily (Mara Wilson of Matilda)
finds herself in the scenic town of
Shining Time after she takes the wrong
tram on a visit to see her grandpa (the
smiling Peter Fonda), a once happy
railway engineer who now lives a soli
tary life. In Shining Time, Lily meets Mr.
Conductor (Alec Baldwin) and embarks
with him on an adventure via the Magic
Raiuoad to an island toy world. Expect
some mischief from Thomas, the tiny
blue steam engine, and Diesel, the
tramyard bully. (Rebecca Lake]
(Beechwood, Carmike)
THAN A.E. (PG-13) Computer-gener
ated animation meets comic book sci-fi
and “Friends’ script writing. Featuring
the voices of Matt Damon, Bili Pullman.
Hank Azaria, Drew Barrymore and other
such stars. Ends Thursday. (Mall)
“UNITED STATES OF POETRY"
(NR) The first installment of a month
long series of documentaries on
American literature. (Athens-Clarke
Library)
WHAT LIES BENEATH (R) Director
Robert Zemekis’ (Contact, Formst
Gump) troublesome, watery' supernat
ural thriller really, really wants to be this
summer’s The Sixth Sense, but drowns
in its own undertow of preposterous
contrivances and eventually drips out
like a tancy Friday The 13th sequel
Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford are
apparently a wealthy, happily married
Vermont couple. She’s a worrisome
mother dealing with her daughter's exit
to college. He’s a gruff, wine-sipping
geneticist with a perpetual frown living
in the shadow of his late father. She
starts hearing things. He dismisses it as
stress-induced delusion. She suspects
her neighbor of murdering his wife and
becomes convinced that the wife’s ghost
is crying out for help. He mutters things
under his breath about workloads and
his father's legacy. Taking a few cues
from Hitchcock. Zemekis effect vely
builds up to frightening moments,
shifting from eerily slow-moving scenes
set in silent, empty foyers and steam-
filled bathrooms to extreme action and
horror. Unfortunately, he relies too
heavily on the new trick of startling the
audience with a loud, sudden blast of
orchestral accentuation, in other words,
the movie is cheating. Clark Gregg's
flaky script—which completely crum
bles by the second or third big plot
twist—could have used a few rewrites
as well. Be warneo: your date may have
fun screaming at the “scary parts* while
he leaves you sitting there seething in
disbelief. With Diana Scarwid, Joe
Morton and Amber Valletta.
(Beechwood. Carmike)
WHERE THE HEART IS (PG-13)
Natalie Portman plays a perky, pregnant
teen stranded by her hick boyfriend at a
Wal-Mart in a small Oklahoma town.
With Ashley Judd, Stockard Channmg,
FLAGPOLE AUGUST 2, 2000