Is Great so Great?

June 24, 2006

The second feature film about the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States is out _ ""The Great New Wonderful.'' It weaves five stories together of various people affected by the destruction of the World Trade Center. It's getting good and bad reviews. Do you think it's unfair to make movies about the attack? Are filmmakers exploiting a tragedy to make money? Are you planning to see Oliver Stone's upcoming movie, ""World Trade Center?'' Or, have you had enough? I'm of two minds about the issue: worried that movies will misrepresent the horror of the day, yet convinced we need to remember so we can understand why the attack happened.

Stalled Cars?

June 9, 2006


The latest computerized feature cartoon, ""Cars'' is getting raves from prominent movie critics. But it struck me as an unsuccessful attempt to merge human experience with automotive parts. Not to mention that, at about 110 minutes, it's at least 30 minutes too long. Bring back ""Lady and the Tramp'' and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,'' cartoons with beautiful hand-crafted cels and strong stories. What do you think?