US – Friday, March 12
The Grid
The week's releases
Metro staff reviews the latest CDs, DVDs and books for your reading pleasure.
 
My Television
Back in the trenches
Steven Spielberg makes strikingly vivid, breathtakingly poetic movies about some of the most terrifying conflicts in the history of man. The filmmaking aesthetic he pioneered with “Saving Private Ryan” — and continues to perfect in HBO’s new WWII miniseries, “The Pacific” — was born out of a desire to translate as honestly as possible his conversations with veterans on their combat experience.
 
My Entertainment
THE WEEK THAT WAS
Guardian of poor taste?
When British newspaper The Guardian wanted to illustrate their article on the Vatican’s gay sex scandal, they used this photo of Cardinals lining up for the pope’s blessing. The picture, however, has nothing to do with the actual Vatican scandal — except to imply that the pope is running some sort of old-white-guy sex ring.
 
The Word
Is nothing in her life real anymore?
When we first read that Heidi Pratt was firing husband Spencer Pratt as her manager, we thought, “Yay! Heidi’s new face is finally doing something right!” But then we found out that although she did fire Spencer, it seems like she’s replacing him with psychic Aiden Chase to take the reigns on her “career” — and then we got scared.
 
Movies
Pattinson: A vampire in Brooklyn
Robert Pattinson has been playing Americans so often that he has forgotten how to talk like a Brit. In his latest, “Remember Me,” the “Twilight” heartthrob stars as a soulful young New Yorker attending NYU, but he insists he didn’t need any help sounding like a native. “I’ve never had a dialect coach or anything,” Pattinson says. “Ironically, I’ve only had a dialect coach for this film I’m doing now, which I’m doing in an English accent. I guess I’ve forgotten how to do an English accent.”
 
Updated 18:01, June the 24th, 2007
Send
 

`Evan' can wait

No need to board this ark

DESPITE HAVING the usually hilarious Steve Carell as its leading man, “Evan Almighty” fails to induce much laughter. Trading in his seat in the news anchor chair for one in the halls of Congress, Evan is called upon by God (Morgan Freeman) to build an arc because … well, you know the story, right?

The gags - mostly centered around cute and highly trained animals - are the stuff of movies of the week on ABC Family, not a big-budgeted summer comedy featuring the star of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”

The special effects are impressive, but even flashy visuals get washed away in the flood of mixed messages. In trying to play to both sides of the ideological fence, director Tom Shadyac and his team wound up landing squarely in the middle. Hard. Anyone who’s ever experienced that knows it’s an exquisite pain. To most anyone who isn’t a devotee of the “700 Club,” this god-awful movie will feel a lot like that.

 "Evan Almighty"
Genre: Comedy
Director: Tom Shadyac
Stars: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham
Rating: PG
Grade: 2 globes

 
 
 
Share
 
Music
MMMpod
The March MMMpod features conversation and music from Surfer Blood and The Allman Brothers Band (There's a double-bill you're not too likely to see. However, Gregg Allman does mention Hannah Montana!). We also speak with Vampire Weekend and the Dropkick Murphys.
 
 
 
Metro Life Panel
Read more