FILM INTERVIEWS
Angelina Jolie: Yep, She's as Weird as You've Heard
Originally published in Synge.com on June 1, 2000
Angelina Jolie, SYNGE’s
favorite large-lipped actress, recently took the hot seat to promote her latest
film, Gone in 60 Seconds. Unfortunately for SYNGE writer Michael Alarcon,
things weren’t as exciting as you might think. “It was kind of
anticlimactic,” he was overheard saying the day after the interview.
Amy Sedaris:
Loving the Pole and the Hole
Originally
published in Synge.com on June 16, 2000
How do you describe a gal who
stars in her own twisted sitcom (Comedy Central’s Strangers With Candy),
works at a hip eatery as a waitress in the Village for fun (Marion’s
Continental), and caters parties in her spare time (she specializes in cheese
balls and cupcakes)?
Jason Mewes: Manchild in Los Angeles
Originally
published: Synge.com on May 31, 2000
You
probably know Jason Mewes better as Jay, the wisecracking, pot-smoking better
half of Jay and Silent Bob from all those hip Kevin Smith indie films. I got the
chance to speak to him while he was doing press in Los Angeles for the debut of
the series and we found out that Jay isn’t an act—it’s a reality.
Nicolas Cage
Originally published in Synge.com on June 1, 2000
Coming this week...
Robert Duvall
Originally published in Synge.com on June 1, 2000
Coming this week...
FILM REVIEWS
21
Grams
Originally
published: November 2003 for Malibu Monthly Magazine.
Sure
the third installment of The Matrix premieres this month and just about
every monthly publication is giving it major coverage, but frankly, the trilogy
has gotten a bit pedestrian. The rigid acting and cold dialogue (camouflaged by
once-revolutionary editing hokum) has now lost its novelty.
The
Barbarian Invasions
Originally published: November 2003 for Malibu Monthly Magazine.
November
just isn't a happy month for films at Malibu Monthly Magazine. First we
cover 21 Grams and although in our opinion it's the second best film of
2003 (top honors have to go to Lost in Translation), it's still an
extremely depressing tale. And so the same gets said for The Barbarian
Invasions - another gloomy story about the tragedies of strained
interpersonal-relationships, reunions with childhood friends, and the cinematic
classic: heroin abuse.
Kill
Bill, Volume 2
Originally
published: October 2003 for Malibu Monthly Magazine.
In what’s probably been the most
anticipated follow-up film for a director since George Lucas announced the first
sequel (The Phantom Menace) to his Star Wars franchise, Quentin
Tarantino -- the reclusive enfant terrible of the American cinema --
finally releases a proper full-length film after a six-year-plus hiatus.
The
Station Agent
Originally
published: October 2003 for Malibu Monthly Magazine.
Although
The Station Agent’s leading man (Peter Dinklage) is a dwarf, the
film doesn’t exploit Dinklage’s stature for sympathy (like in the sappy
tearjerker Simon Birch), nor does it patronize little people like so many
other films have done in the past. As a matter of fact, rarely does this movie
even make mention to Dinklage’s height and frankly, we feel a little silly
mentioning it here.
The
Human Stain
Originally
published: September 2003 for Malibu Monthly Magazine.
Admittedly,
The Human Stain doesn’t hit theaters until the last Friday of this
month (as we usually like to preview films closer to the beginning of said
month), but I’d be remiss if we let this one slip by us.
Party
Monster
Originally
published: September 2003 for Malibu Monthly Magazine.
While Party
Monster isn’t going to win any awards come Oscar night, look for it to
rack up its share of trophies at alternative galas like the Independent Spirit
Awards. Although this film is adapted from James St. James’ tome, “Disco
Bloodbath,” the horrific story is actually true.
Gigli
Originally
published: August 2003 for Malibu Monthly Magazine.
Surely
most people are going to spend the majority of their time looking for the
knowing glances and hidden romantic innuendos between Ben Affleck and Jennifer
Lopez that may have occurred during the filming of this movie, but rest assured,
they’ll be disappointed.
Le
Divorce
Originally
published: August 2003 for Malibu Monthly Magazine.
There
are certain names in the movie industry that set the tone for a film even before
you know what said film is about. For example: with Jerry Bruckheimer, you know
you’re going to get a shoot-‘em-up action-adventure with at least one big
car chase.
Legally
Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
Originally
published: July 2003 for Malibu Monthly Magazine.
Reese
Witherspoon has done something that very few young actresses have ever been able
to accomplish with success: create a young character with brains, style,
individuality, and most importantly, values.
Terminator
3: Rise of the Machines
Originally
published: July 2003 for Malibu Monthly Magazine.
Having
been hyped for months as the summer blockbuster of 2003, as well as
Schwarzenegger’s comeback (he really hasn’t struck box office gold since
1994’s True Lies), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is the
stuff that cult movies are made of.
Loser
Originally published: Synge.com on July 20, 2000
I won’t bore you with the
obvious “Never has a title of a movie so perfectly described the movie” or
“Only a loser would see Loser” opening paragraph for this film review
because a) this movie is so bad, it doesn’t even warrant one of my patented
cutesy-poo intros...
Coyote Ugly
Originally published: Synge.com
on July 15, 2000
Where
in the hell does one start when reviewing a car-wreck of a movie as bad as Coyote
Ugly? There are so many things that just beg for scathing criticism.
Me, Myself & Irene
Originally published: Synge.com on June 20, 2000
Just a little tip to anyone
who plans on plunking down an hour or two’s worth of wages this weekend on Me,
Myself & Irene. If you think you’re going to see another flawless
Farrelly production along the lines of There’s Something About Mary or Dumb
& Dumber, you’re in for a big, fat, smelly surprise.
X-Men
Originally published in Synge.com on July 12, 2000
Apparently 2000 is the year
of the big, fat, bloated summer
movie that fails to live up to everyone’s expectations. Examples: Mission:
Impossible 2, Gone in 60 Seconds, and The Patriot just to name
a few. Not wanting to be outdone, 20th Century Fox put
their bid in for the most unsatisfying, over-hyped movie of the season
with X-Men.
