FILM
October: Kill Bill Vol. 1
Release date: October 10
Quentin Tarantino’s fourth picture is a modern film noir about revenge and murder (which Tarantino film isn’t?). Kill Bill, written by the eccentric director for his Pulp Fiction darling, Uma Thurman, follows the story of The Bride (Thurman), an assassin who gets gunned down by her employer Bill (Kung Fu’s David Carradine) at her wedding. After a five-year coma, The Bride reawakens and sets out to murder all the members of her assassin circle, including Daryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, Michael Masden and Vivica A. Fox. Samuel L. Jackson, another Fiction alum, also joins in the fun. The movie, rumored to be between three and five hours long, will be split into two halves, with the second half appearing sometime next year. Is this Tarantino “epic” really worthy of two-part status? Or is forcing viewers to pay twice for the same film just another ploy to get more money out of us poor hard-working college students?
November: Bad Santa
Release date: November 26
In this very un-Disneyesque Christmas flick (which is rumored to be seeking an R rating), two con men visit shopping malls around the country disguised as Santa Claus (Billy Bob Thornton) and his elf, using the holiday spirit and good will of mall managers to rob every store they encounter. Things are going swimmingly until they meet an 8-year-old boy who teaches them the true meaning of Christmas. OK, maybe it is a little Disneyesque. But expect some twisted humor from director Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World) and producers Joel and Ethan Coen (Fargo, Raising Arizona). Bernie Mac as a detective and the late John Ritter as a mall manager round out the cast.
December: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Release date: December 17
At last, we get to see Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) take his rightful throne and complete the much-beloved Tolkien trilogy. The flick will be bursting with extravagant battle scenes and probably a few mushy moments between Aragorn and his ladylove, elf Arwen (Liv Tyler). More interesting, though, is the fact that in December, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers will be returning to about 150 theaters nationwide in anticipation of the release of The Return of the King, and on December 16, those same theaters will be presenting the entire trilogy as a 10-hour event. Expect the frenzy surrounding this to be no less crazy than The Phantom Menace caused a few years back. And hopefully director Peter Jackson will finally receive his deserved Oscars.
January: Along Came Polly
Release date: January 16, 2004
Considering the fact that January is usually a dud month for movies (and this year is no exception), a romantic comedy pairing Ben Stiller (Meet the Parents, There’s Something About Mary) and Jennifer Aniston (“Friends,” Bruce Almighty) feels like a belated Christmas gift. Reuben (Stiller), a corporate-risk analyzer, spends his life trying to live safely and avoid risks himself. But after his bride (Debra Messing) dumps him on their honeymoon for a French scuba instructor (Hank Azaria), Reuben runs into old school chum Polly (Aniston), whose adventurous, freewheeling lifestyle forces Reuben to take more risks than he ever thought he could. Even if Stiller’s last few films (Zoolander, Orange County) weren’t exactly comic gems, the physical comedy abilities of Polly’s four main stars promise a good time. The only unknown factor here is director John Hamburg, who’s only directed one other film (1998’s Safe Men). However, Hamburg was the screenwriter of Stiller’s Meet the Parents, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
MUSIC AND COMEDY
10/8 India.Arie at Carefree Theater – 7:30 p.m. Tix are $41
The sultry, sexy sounds of this young starlet are best experienced live. She is at the top of the list of music’s hottest up-and-comers, recruiting new fans with each CD sold. Besides, at a capacity of only 800 seats, every concert at Carefree feels like an intimate night of music.
10/25 Cher Farewell Tour at O.D.C. – 7:30 p.m. Tix start at $40
Love her or hate her, Cher is an American icon. From TV star to pop star to movie star, she has done it all in a career that has lasted almost 40 years. She has won both Grammys and Oscars, but despite that, some folks know her best from tabloid cover stories. This is allegedly the last time she will be performing live; go to the show and make up your own mind.
10/31-11/2 Fort Lauderdale’s 17th Annual Sound Advice Blues Festival at Ft. Lauderdale Festival Grounds – Tix start at $7
This three-day festival begins on Halloween night and celebrates every part and parcel of blues, jazz, and folk music. Also on hand will be countless vendors of arts and crafts along with some fine Creole and BBQ food. The festival even includes the Cool Blues Kids Zone to keep the little ones entertained.
11/7 – Comedy Central presents Dave Attell and Lewis Black at the Jackie Gleason Theatre – 8p.m. Tix start at $29
They may not be the next Abbot and Costello, but this duet makes for an unforgettable pair. Attell is known for his laidback, bar-hopping style, while Black relies mostly on brash, outspoken political commentary. It’s nice to know Comedy Central is willing to send some of their few human stars out on the road for America to enjoy. Don’t expect to see “Crank Yankers Live!” or “South Park on Ice” anytime soon.
12/4-12/7 Carlos Mencia at Palm Beach Improv – Tix start at $18
A regular performer throughout South Florida, Mencia is a must-see for anyone new to the comedy club scene. Perhaps the single hottest Latino comedian that you haven’t yet heard of, Mencia is a rising star. A loyal army of fans is going to make him a household name before long. Check him out live for a night of roaring laughter.
TELEVISION
“10-8”: Premieres Sunday, September 24, at 8 p.m. on ABC
This show hasn’t made up its mind whether to be a drama or a comedy. Rest assured that viewers will quickly figure things out when they discover that neither leading man is funny nor convincing as a cop. The premise of this new series is that Rico Amonte (Danny Nucci), a bad boy from Brooklyn, was heading toward a life of crime. His brother (another cop) sent him to Southern California in hopes he might clean up his act. Two years later, Rico is a graduate of the L.A. Sheriff’s academy and ready to fight for the good guys now. The (un?)expected twist is that his training officer, John Henry Barnes (Ernie Hudson), just happens to be the meanest, toughest veteran on the force. It’s a bit unrealistic for ABC to think that yet another unoriginal cop dramedy might be able to pull viewers away from “The Simpsons.”
“The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.”: Premieres Wednesday, September 24, at 10 p.m. on CBS
Hank Shaw (Randy Quaid), the police captain, Garrett Shaw (John Carroll Lynch), the mayor, and Waylon Shaw (Chris Penn), unemployed, are three former high-school hockey stars still living in their hometown. As adults, they are struggling with big-city and big-boy problems like families and careers. This could be one of the few new dramas to attract a male audience. A 10 p.m. start-time should only help its cause. What remains to be seen is if these three heavyweights can keep us interested in their sad lives after the novelty of their situation wears off.
“Miss Match”: Premieres Friday, September 26, at 8 p.m. on NBC
Essentially, Kate Fox (Alicia Silverstone) plays Yente by night while successfully playing divorce attorney in daddy’s law firm by day. Her gift for matchmaking is thrust into the public eye when a socialite bride thanks Kate in the media for her romantic success. Finally, all of the thirtysomething female viewers that kept “Ally McBeal” afloat since 1997 will have a new show to cheer about. Clearly, Silverstone has come a long way from pole dancing with friend Liv Tyler while they pranced about in Tyler’s daddy’s music video for “Crazy.”
“Tarzan”: Premieres Sunday, October 5, at 9 p.m. on WB
Once again the Edgar Rice Burroughs creation is being exploited onscreen. It is highly doubtful that at the time of his conception 91 years ago the author was enlightened by a vision of an ape-man removed from his jungle home and dressed to kill in a three-piece Armani suit beating his chest because he just missed the #6 train uptown. However, in this rendition on the WB, the loincloth-clad Tarzan (Travis Fimmel) has been captured by his uncle Richard Clayton (Mitch Pileggi) and brought to New York City.
“Tru Calling”: Premieres Thursday, October 30, at 8 p.m. on FOX
At last, something a little different! If the NBC satellites have some strange meltdown, or you are one of the six or seven viewers that isn’t glued to the final season of “Friends,” there is something else interesting on TV at 8 p.m. on Thursdays. This new show combines the best elements of Groundhog Day and “Quantum Leap” as morgue- employee Tru Davies (Eliza Dushku) relives the previous day so she might prevent the wrongful deaths of the corpses that talk to her at work.
