SCREENLISTINGS Edwards 21
Speedman) takes the school project too far when he replaces the characters in the stor y with his own real-life tragedy of his mother and father dying in a car crash. (R) Flicks
Eckhar t) tries to convince flower shop owner and selfproclaimed man evader Eloise Chandler (Jennifer Aniston) to let go of her painful past and let love in. (PG-13) Edwards 9
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS—Based on Judi Barrett’s children’s book, the animated stor y follows the adventures of inventor Flint Lockwood who creates an apparatus that makes water into food. (PG) Edwards 9
SERAPHINE—Actress Yolande Moreau plays the par t of Seraphine Louis, aka Seraphine de Senlis, who in 1905, went from a middle aged housekeeper to a self taught painter. (NR) Flicks
THE INFORMANT—Matt Damon bulked up for his role as Mark Whitacre, the highest ranking corporate whistleblower in U.S. histor y. Director Steven Soderbergh exposes the FBI’s inquir y into price fixing at agriindustr y giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). (R) Edwards 9
continuing
ADAM—(PG-13) Flicks
INGLORIOUS BASTERDS—(R) Edwards 9, Edwards 21
LOVE HAPPENS—In Seattle for a conference, self-help therapist Dr. Burke Ryan (Aaron
ALL ABOUT STEVE—(PG-13) Edwards 21
JULIE & JULIA—(PG-13) Edwards 9, Edwards 21
DISTRICT 9—(R) Edwards 9,
PAPER HEART—The stor y
9—(PG-13) Edwards 9, Edwards 21 500 DAYS OF SUMMER— (PG-13) Flicks, Edwards 21
EXTRACT—(R) Edwards 9 THE FINAL DESTINATION—(R) Edwards 21 GAMER—(R) Edwards 9 G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA—(PG-13) Edwards 9 Ends Thursday, Edwards 21 HALLOWEEN II—(R) Edwards 9, Edwards 21 THE HANGOVER—(R) Edwards 9, Edwards 21 HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE—(PG) Edwards 21 IN THE LOOP—(NR) Flicks Ends Thursday
VIDIOT
“Shall I host Alien Autopsy, Captain Picard?” “Make it so, No. 1. Make it so.”
BY TRAVIS ESTVOLD
’MOONER MATINEE PART I: SHODDY SCI-FI SEQUEL WITH A SIDE OF DICED E.T. As I boarded a plane for Kauai, I wondered what, if any, TV or movies I’d view during my honeymoon. Mrs. Vidiot and I regularly consume loads of visual entertainment, but in paradise, would the thought to turn on a TV even cross our minds? Arriving at our tropical condo to stacks of VHS tapes and two VCRs awaiting us, we were unable to resist. On the first day, I spotted the film s. Darko in the island’s superstore. I’d been waiting some time to see the sequel to sci-fi masterpiece Donnie Darko—this time focusing on the original hero’s little sister—and was shocked to see it had gone to DVD without my knowledge. I bought it on the spot. Unfortunately, s. Orry would’ve been a more fitting nomenclature—as in, too bad you paid money for this P.O.S. The storyline was confusing, the direction and dialogue were weak, and there was scarcely the same vibe from its prequel, though a few thematic similarities remained. I know loads of Donnie Darko fans, and I won’t be recommending the sequel to any of them—which is doubly sad because I had planned to devote an entire column to hyping this title. (By the way, it went directly to DVD. That’s how I missed it.) Among the surprisingly eclectic list of tapes in our room were some Hollywood underachievers, old-school Westerns, shoddy horrors and a title that so fascinated us, we ordered a pizza and planned an evening around watching it: Alien Autopsy (Fact or Fiction?). Fox’s 1995 made-for-television quasi-documentary, hosted by Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. Riker from my beloved Star Trek: The Next Generation), covered a dubious video short supposedly filmed in 1947 after the famed Roswell UFO crash. Allegedly procured from the Army cameraman who filmed it, the 20-minute autopsy segment featured a radiation-protected surgical team dissecting an extraterrestrial-looking humanoid. Frakes’ hour-long investigation led him to a Kodak film specialist—who upheld the film’s potential authenticity—and a pair of Hollywood technicians whose opinions varied on the ability of a moviemaker to fake such a stunt. He also met a greasy private investigator who attempted to track down the mysterious cameraman. The fact this program originally ran on Fox—home of the World’s Scariest premises for TV shows—and that it was hosted by a science-fiction/fantasy actor, didn’t lend it any credibility. But the way it was presented would make it a fun watch for the conspiracy theorist in anyone. Based on the arguments, one could finish feeling wholly convinced the U.S. military cut up a Martian 60 years ago in New Mexico or that a jokester with a large bankroll staged a hilarious parody. Of all the films I endured while R&R’ing in the tropics, Alien Autopsy was by far the most interesting. I checked and it’s available on Netflix, so you won’t have to fly all the way to Kauai to get it. Besides, I know what you’re thinking: “Who watches TV on a Hawaiian honeymoon?” Hey, a Vidiot’s work is never done.
LISTEN LOCALLY.
Surf over to boiseweekly.com now for ’Mooner Matinee Part II featuring a pair of “Gold” nuggets and my frightening introduction to the … (ROWRRRR!) … Cat People.
WWW.BOISEWEEKLY.COM
THINK GLOBALLY.
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| SEPTEMBER 16–22, 2009 | 27