D.C. MOVIE GUYS

The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green
Directed by George Bamber
Coming out in select theatres 8/11/2006

When I worked in the city, I used to routinely pick up the Washington Blade, the District’s gay weekly (OK, Seinfeld fans on the count of three: one-two-three-”Not that there’s anything wrong with it.”). It had two things that I generally like in a publication: it was free and it had a lot of news, features, etc. not found elsewhere. The Blade and I came to a parting of the ways over the whole price thing, when they felt I should start paying for their paper and I preferred our relationship under the already-established parameters. One of the things I missed the most were the comics especially the two regular features Dykes to Watch Out For and The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green (TMUSLOEG-my fingers get tired even typing the acronym). The latter of these has been turned into a funny feature film as enjoyable as the comic in its rendering of the gay community.

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World Trade Center
Directed by Oliver Stone
Rolling out nationwide 8/9/2006

“Too soon,” an unidentified heckler yelled out when Gilbert Gottfried tried to tell a 9-11 joke at Hugh Hefner’s fall 2001 comedy roast (thus initiating The Aristocrats). Too soon, people explained away the paltry interest in the movie adaptation of The Guys and Spike Lee’s 25th Hour which added a 9-11 subtext to David Benioff’s picaresque novel. And “too soon?” people are asking with this year’s release of big screen docudramas United 93 and Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center. The question not being asked that should is: Are they good enough to be worthy of their subject matter? Paul Greengrass’ United 93 has already proven its merit. Thankfully, Oliver Stone’s look at rescuing the rescuers is every bit the master filmmaker at his very best.

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Lady in the Water
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Emerging into theatres nationwide beginning 7/21/2006

It is the too rare, but most-treasured movie experience to be as completely surprised to same degree that I was by M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense. And I do not just mean the brilliant surprise ending. The entire film was terrific with a near perfect script and direction far beyond the one movie of his released previously, Wide Awake. In one of the few cases where box office matched quality, the movie was a huge hit and made Shyamalan the golden boy at Walt Disney. The follow-up, Unbreakable, was undeniably solid if maybe a bit too conscious of trying to duplicate too much of The Sixth Sense. Unfortunately, the declination followed with the filmmaker delivering decreasing results with Signs and The Village.

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Little Man
Directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans
Infesting multiplexes nationwide beginning 7/14/2006

The concept of marketing (at least as I understand it) is that you are supposed to promote your good or service in such a way that you will encourage people to purchase or patronize. In the world of movies, advertising will often allude to other beloved films of the past involving one or more of the current participants. Others make a terrific coming attraction trailer using the best bits of the movie to entice potential audiences.

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The OH in Ohio
Directed by Billy Kent
Entering select salons 8/4/2006 (reviewed on DVD)

I made special note above of the circumstances of reviewing the art house farce The OH in Ohio because I have long worried that the home viewing of a movie yields a mediocre experience. The great is only pretty good, the good so-so, and the bad nothing special. Like a lumpy old mattress everything tends to fall towards the middle with blunted highs and lows. One reason that I distrust the two stars given above is that I do not recall laughing aloud during this supposed comedy (or, at least, what I was told was a comedy-I only have the filmmakers and their publicists word that this flick should eventually be shelved in the comedy section at Borders).

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