We cover the media beat from newspapers and e-books to silent movies and e-cinema (and everything else "media" too!).

The current weekly column can be found online in the columns section of HotSpots Magazine and also in the print version of HotSpots Magazine which is distributed throughout the Southeastern United States.

The current and upcoming monthly columns are posted below.

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Media Maven® - September, 2003
by Howard Hopwood, America's Critic (SM)

Matchstick Men is a new film from Ridley Scott that stars Nicholas Cage and Sam Rockwell.  Take the first two names, factor in a mid-September release for any film with them involved and you may sense that this might not have makings of a hit.  Definitely too late for the summer season and a bit too early for prime Oscar® potential, a mainstream film out in September does not seem to have the full attention of the studio that releases it.  On the other hand, the character that Cage plays is so quirky, that they may see this as leaning more toward art house fare.  Either way, you may want to pay close attention to the trailer before venturing into a cinema for this one.  If that looks good to you, then you may find it an enjoyable day at the cinema. If not, then it is best to probably pass on it.

Another September release, Cold Creek Manor, has a somewhat familiar storyline, a house that has past unpleasantness combined with unsuspecting new owners.  Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone are those new owners, and Stephen Dorff, just out of prison, is back to reclaim the property that was once his.  Not much good will come into the lives of Quaid and Stone once Dorff is on the scene.  The name of the house should give you a strong hint as to what’s in store for these former city folk who just wanted a quiet life in the country.

One film that actually will do well with a September opening is the latest light comedy from Woody Allen, Anything Else.  It is about an older man and a younger fellow artist who Allen helps to sort out a romantic entanglement.  The younger man is Jason Biggs and the person with whom he would like to be tangled is Christina Ricci.  Allen makes films for a small, select group but the inclusion of these younger stars may broaden the audience beyond the usual crowd. It also stars Stockard Channing, Danny DeVito and Jimmy Fallon.

Thirteen is a film with a bit of a dilemma, it is about the lives of young female teens and how adults do not fully comprehend what life looks like to them.  The dilemma is that it is very popular with young women under 18 but is also rated R, a fact that will prevent them from going to see it at many theatres.  All other age groups and males under 18 have not rated it as highly.  The irony is that it is a film reaching out to adults to help explain what their daughters are thinking, but it may well not interest them.  Holly Hunter stars, along with Evan Rachel wood.

The Battle of Shaker Heights is the end result of the second Project Greenlight that has been playing this past summer on HBO.   In theory, by watching Project you get to see the raw, unedited goings-on as this story was chosen, the players picked and the film taken from written word to final product.  In reality, you are just getting the highlights since making a film is a long and tedious task most of which is a lot like watching grass grow.  For those who have no prior knowledge of the project, it is a fair first effort, as befits filmmakers breaking into the business.  The story is about a high school lad whose favorite activity is recreating Word War II battles.  A new friendship allows him to make use of what he has learned in those battles to tackle a real life problem, the school bully.  Shaker may not be  the greatest comedy to come out of Hollywood, but is still worth a look

© 2003 Howard Hopwood, All Rights Reserved

Media Maven® - October, 2003
by Howard Hopwood, America's Critic (SM)
 

Mystic River is the latest film from Clint Eastwood.  With a stellar cast and a moody story, it should make for interesting viewing.  Eastwood films are always well crafted, and this is no exception.  The story of three friends brought back together after the loss of one‘s daughter, it is not a cheery tale.  Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins are the three childhood pals.  Lawrence Fishburne, Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden also star.  Worth a matinee.
 
Intolerable Cruelty headlines George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones.  The latest from the Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan, this is a romp about a very creative divorce lawyer with a client who is caught by his wife (Zeta-Jones) in the act of adultery.  Said wife has been through it all before.  She is building her fortune by marrying and discarding husbands, always with a nice settlement.  How convenient for her that opposing counsel Clooney is wealthy and available.

The Rundown is the latest action flick starring The Rock (a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson). He is dispatched by a bounty hunter to the Amazon to find Seann William Scott.  However, once there he finds that in addition to Scott there is treasure to found.  Local powerbroker Christopher Walkin dislikes his plan to scoot with Scott and the loot.   The lot thickens and mayhem ensues.

The Human Stain brings professor Anthony Hopkins into close proximity with Nicole Kidman.  He has a few secrets that his affection for and affair with Kidman bring to the surface in a devastating way.  Ed Harris and Gary Sinese also star.  Directed by Robert Benton from a screenplay by Nicholas Meyer based on the Phillip Roth book.  One of the more serious offerings of the fall.

Duplex is about the joy experienced by a couple when they find the perfect dwelling in New York City.  Who would have thought that could happen to Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore.  They didn’t, and as they find out, it hasn’t happened to them after all.  With their duplex comes a tenant, a lovely little old lady.  Well maybe not so lovely as she first appears.  Slowly but steadily she reveals herself to be a lot more high maintenance than they ever expected.  Danny De Vito directs a story full of slightly askew humor.

Under The Tuscan Sun stars Diane Lane as a last minute addition on a group tour in Italy.  Her life has changed dramatically due a recent divorce but will change even more when she decides to purchase a villa and settle down.  Lane is an appealing romantic lead in a light pleasant tale of transformation and rejuvenation in a warm climate.  A good film to see with someone you love.

The Station Agent takes one diminutive guy (Peter Dinklage) who moves to an abandoned railway station to be left alone, an actress (Patricia Clarkson) who is grieving from the recent loss of her son, and a thirty-something hot dog vendor (Bobby Cannavale) and puts them together in the same place.  That they form a friendship is unexpected.  How they do so proves to be an interesting look at the resiliency of people and makes for a pleasant time at the cinema.

© 2003 Howard Hopwood, All Rights Reserved.
 
 

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If you are interested in further information about any of the films listed above, we suggest that you click and paste www.imdb.com and go to The Internet  Movie Database and enter and search for the appropriate title information there.
 

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