As another baseball season rolls around and fans of many major league teams once again pledge their whole heart to their teams, imbued with a sense of optimism that this year could be the year their team wins the world series, "Chasing October" serves simultaneously as a celebration of this optimistic devotion and a cautionary tale.

"Chasing October" follows long-suffering die-hard Cub fan Matt Liston as documents the Chicago Cubs' 2003 season, explores the reasons for the Cubs' inability to win a World Series for almost a century, and tries to will the team to World Series glory through faith, fervent fandom and a mid-season trade that Liston himself tries to orchestrate. Be forewarned, although the 2003 Cubs experienced the best season the Cubs had in years, the trek is not for the faint of heart. After being inspired by a late night dream visit by the ghost of cubs sportscaster/icon Harry Cara...Read the entire review

Okay, so you've painted the baby's room Maize and Blue, sung "TheVictors" to him every night during bath time, bought every Michigan baby and toddler outfit they make (that little baby football jersey ispriceless) and are wondering what else you can do to make sure that thekid ends up at the right place (college at the University of Michigan,preferably with a football scholarship) and stays away from the bad elements (Ohio State, Michigan State and Notre Dame). Now you arewondering, what else can you do to accomplish this goal? Well, Team Baby Entertainment has the answer: Baby Wolverine!

Admittedly, this DVD is just for the Michigan faithful. But as aMichigan Law School alum with a strong love for the Maize and Blue, Ifound this DVD to be an entertaining and enjoyable way to betterintroduce my son to the University of Michigan experience.

The DVD is 30 minutes long (short enough that a 2 year ol...Read the entire review

The Movie
Although it arrived in theaters in the United States last winter unaccompanied by the fanfare of other Oscar contenders such as "Master and Commander" and "The Last Samurai," and contains a cast largely unknown in the United States, "City of God" is nevertheless an impressive, innovative film that ranks among the best films released in the United States during 2003.

"City of God" tells the story, through a span of approximately 20 years, of a young boy named Rocket and of the city in which he lives. The film tracks Rocket, as he deals with the problems of normal teenagers and as he becomes increasingly intertwined with the surrounding world of violent crime, despite the fact the each of Rocket's efforts for his intentional entry into the world of violent crime goes comically wrong. Nevertheless, through the eyes of Rocket, we see random criminal acts give rise to a system...Read the entire review

The Movie

Every year, for one week, the normally social satire heavy Simpsons delves a bit darker. The annual October tradition of terror - The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror. Rich in references to horror classics and classic horror themes, Treehouse of Horror episodes V, VI, VII, and XII are still a tremendous treat.

The creators of the Simpsons have often used these annual Halloween episodes to provide macabre twists on the show's traditions, from the Couch scene during the opening credits, to the changing of everyone's name in the credits to something scary. The Simpsons' trademark irreverence is definitely present within these episodes and there are some real gems to be enjoyed .

Simpsons Halloween Special- V - As a warning of what is to come Episode V Starts off with a public service announcement by Marge Simpson warning that the episode is so scary that it should no...Read the entire review

The Movie

Eddie Izzard is back. Presently engaged in a new tour called "Sexie," surely to see the light of day on DVD in the not too distant future, Izzard has just released a live concert DVD for his last U.S. tour, "Circle." Like "Dress to Kill," Izzard's prior released concert DVD, Circle demonstrates Izzard's great knowledge of history, his insights into popular culture and his largely unaparalleled ability to make people laugh. Although Izzard may never be able to top the inspired brilliance of Dress to Kill (perhaps it was because he took a lot of people by surprise with Dress to Kill), This DVD is definitely worth watching and makes a nice addition to any Eddie Izzard fan's collection.

"Circle" contains an eighty-minute live performance by Izzard from June, 2000. For those not familiar with Eddie Izzard, he is a british comic who is also a transvestite. His brand of c...Read the entire review

The Movie

It is surprising that so many people are unfamiliar with one of the funniest comedians working today- Eddie Izzard. Although Eddie Izzard has had notable roles in such films as "Mystery Men," "Shadow of the Vampire," "Velvet Goldmine" and "Cat's Meow" the familiarity with his stand-up comedy genius has been limited to those fortunate enough to see his live tours and those who have seen his HBO special "Dress to (a slightly abbreviated version of this "Dress to Kill" show. To the dismay of those of us hoping to get tickets to his upcoming 2003 U.S. Tour, the release of "Dress to Kill," along with Izzard's other concert videos, on DVD may increase both Izzard's exposure and his popularity. "Dress to Kill" is nearly two hours of standup - and rarely, if ever, misses its mark. This is a DVD that is definitely worth watching.

People unfamiliar with Eddie Izzard's material...Read the entire review

The Movie

Fans of the Simpsons have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season ever since they made it through the 3 DVDs from Season One. Fans of the Simpsons fear not, season 2, an expanded 4-DVD extravaganza is well-worth the wait. Although the masses seems to be hailing "The Osbornes" for establishing a new, unconventional loving family model, the Simpsons have been displaying the love and dynamics of a truly unconventional family for a long time and truly come into their own during the second season. The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season is truly a wonderful experience. While fans of the series may already get a special feeling each time the opening credits begin, those who have not yet become Simpsons fans may be heartily won over after watching this 4-DVD set. Although each episode in season 2 has definite highlights, (the Simpsons i...Read the entire review

The Movie

Much as the name suggests "Rites of Autumn: The Story of College Football" is a comprehensive ten episode anthology about the game of college football and everything that makes it great. The series, narrated by former College Football standout Burt Reynolds, seems to seek the comprehensive focus of Ken Burns' "Baseball," and "Jazz" and, for the most part, succeeds. This series truly captures the spirit, essence and joy of college football. Focusing on its heroes, its rivalries, its fans, its greatest moments and its greatest games, this series serves as both a celebration of what makes the game great and an examination of the ways in which the game has changed, developed and grown.

Although Burt Reynolds' narration is generally enjoyable and informative, without question, the true gems of the series are the selected pieces of game footage and the interviews with both...Read the entire review

The Movie

For over a decade, one of the best shows on television has been an a show that seemed unlikely to succeed right from the start…a cartoon for adults. While the heavy content of social commentary that has been the show's staying power developed largely in later seasons of the show, the writing that made the show a surprising success is showcased wonderfully on "The Simpsons: The Complete First Season."

Although Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie haven't aged much over the entire length of the show, a viewing of the first season demonstrates just how much everyone in Springfield has changed. It seems Waylan Smithers used to be black, Mr. Burns used to be a lot less feeble and a bit younger, Ned Flanders used to be a materialistic guy who seemed to be living the good life and the Simpsons used to have an elderly couple as neighbors who loved to comment on everything. <...Read the entire review

The Movie
Song Express has produced an entire series of instructional DVDs for guitar. Because the DVDs are nearly identical in sound and picture quality and contain some common additional features some portions of the reviews are identical. For further review of the DVD series, please refer back to the review of Austin Blues For Guitar Volume I

After an examination of various blues guitar styles in earlier volumes, Party Tunes For Guitar, Volume 1 takes the viewer out of the technical and into the fun! Of all the DVDs put out by SongXpress, this one is the best for beginners.. The songs included on the DVD are La Bamba, Louie Louie, Shout (immortalized in "Animal House") and Twist and Shout. All four songs are taught by the same instructor, Tommy Anthony. While not quite as good a teacher as his counterpart, Dan Warner, for the purposes of this DVD, he gets the job done...Read the entire review

The Movie
While the emergence of a movie on DVD can serve to provide a viewer a more complete presentation of the film and the intent of its filmmakers, sometimes a film's release on DVD will return a great film of the past to the consciousness of DVD connoisseurs. One of the great noir films of all time, "Sweet Smell of Success" is an enjoyable story filled with colorful dialogue laid on so thick you would need a steak knife to cut it. While the DVD's sound transfer is a bit disappointing, this is a film that definitely stands the test of time and is certainly worth watching.

Sweet Smell of Success centers on Sidney Falco, a press agent, instigator and sometime friend to powerful gossip columnist J.J. Hunsecker. Falco, played by Tony Curtis in a great performance in a role he obviously relished, is hired by Hunsecker, played by a young Burt Lancaster, to confirm the rumor that Hun...Read the entire review

The Movie
SongXpress has produced an entire series of instructional DVDs for guitar. Because the DVDs are nearly identical in sound and picture quality and contain some common additional features some portions of the reviews are identical. For further review of the DVD series, please refer back to the review of "Austin Blues For Guitar Volume I"

After an examination of various blues guitar styles in earlier volumes, "Classic Surf for Guitar, Volume 1" takes the viewer into the new realm of surf guitar. Popularized first in the 50's and 60's and later resurrected by the inclusion of Dick Dale's version of "Miserlou" at the beginning of "Pulp Fiction" (along with a number of other surf guitar classics), surf guitar often involves fast tremolo picking and simple recurring patterns. The songs included on the DVD are the aforementioned "Miserlou," a lesser-known song called "P...Read the entire review

The Movie
After having enjoyed and endured Ken Burn's 20 hour documentary/ anthology achievement Baseball, I was not sure what to expect from the documentary "Fastpitch." Considered by fans and players alike to be a sport in critical condition, fastpitch softball, the focus of the documentary, is a sped up version of softball in which pitchers hurl rocket like pitches from a pitchers mound approximately 15 feet closer to home plate than its baseball counterpart and teams representing bars, restaurants, small towns and entire tribes, sometimes filled with local players added to the teams rosters, regularly square off against each other with the goal of winning the world championship in a tournament style championship series. In his documentary, Jeremy Spears takes the viewer deep inside the sometimes unglamourous world of fastpitch softball, giving pause to reflect on the history and the s...Read the entire review

The Movie
For almost anyone without a professional art education, an examination of any of Jackson Pollock's later works for which he became so famous may elicit an entire spectrum of feelings. Frustration at its lack of a defined focus, confusion as to the artist's intention, wonder at the use of colors in distinct places, and awe at the manner in which this confusing conundrum of a painting still seems to work as a painting. With an enigmatic, artistic figure like Jackson Pollock as its focus, one could not help but have lofty expectations of "Pollock" as Ed Harris attempts to bring the painter's life to the big screen. If one is hoping to obtain a greater insight into the meaning behind the paintings for which Jackson Pollock is most famous, one is likely to be disappointed, however if one wishes merely to see a compelling drama and learn more about the man himself, "Pollock" is defin...Read the entire review

The Movie
Over the last decade, there has been quite a resurgence in crime movies in both America and England. Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, The Usual Suspects, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and the recent Snatch have all helped to revitalize and popularize the genre. Circus is most definitely a direct product of this resurgence. One need look no further than the first two scenes of the film to see this influence, as the opening scene involves a card game that seems to closely resemble that in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and the next scene is most certainly reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs, if not a Mike Tyson fight.

The main character in Circus is a compulsive gambler named Leo who is brought in to run a gangster's casino for a week, after the previous manager makes a mistake which causes him great harm. A bit formulaic, Leo dreams of making the cliched one last score ...Read the entire review

The Movie
Like many other forms of instructional videos, it was only a matter of time before guitar instructional videos made the leap to DVD. Austin Blues for Guitar, Volume I is an enjoyable four song instructional video, as the DVD takes an in-depth look at four Stevie Ray Vaughan standards: Cold Shot, Couldn't Stand the Weather, Crossfire, and Lenny, which range considerably in level of difficulty from rudimentary to complex. All four songs are taught by the same instructor, Dan Warner. For each song, Warner takes the viewer through tuning (all four songs are in E flat), the intro of the song, the main riffs and an additional section, usually the song's bridge. The DVD uses onscreen tablature to supplement Warner's instruction and his incremental approach to the songs prevents the viewer from feeling too overwhelmed by the occasionally complex songs. Throughout the instructional pe...Read the entire review

The Movie

An impressive film, "East/ West" tells the story of a French family who moves to the post-World War II Soviet Union after an edict is made by Soviet Union offering to repatriate those who left Russia during the events of 1917 and their families. Alexi Golovine, a Russian expatriate, brings his family to the Soviet Union full of hope and promises of a new and exciting life but finds something of a nightmare instead. While the film opens in grand fashion with a celebration on the ship on which these hopeful individuals are sailing to their new homes, the tone of much of the first half of the film is set by the events which immediately follow upon their arrival. After watching a father and son wrongly separated and then gunned down, the family realizes that they have made a mistake, but find that their realization has come too late, and that they are trapped in their new life. ...Read the entire review

The Movie

Although at times trying far to hard to be emotionally compelling, "The Tic Code" is an enjoyable homage to people suffering from Tourette's syndrome and to the beauty and richness of jazz music as a form of expression.

"The Tic Code" tells the story of a young boy named Miles who suffers from Tourette's syndrome. His Tics cause him to be ostracized at school and picked on by the school bully, played by a younger Robert Iler, who plays Anthony Jr. on "The Sopranos." Miles lives with his divorced mother, and his tics may or may not have been the thing which drove his Jazz Pianist father to leave his family. Miles is also, it turns out, an incredible Jazz piano player and he spends his afternoons in a jazz club bar playing piano before the customers come in. Soon Tyrone Staxx, a gifted jazz sax player to whom Miles and his friend look up, comes to play in the club an...Read the entire review

The Movie

While failing to make a ripple in its theatrical release compared to the wave of attention given to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Shower" quietly demonstrates much of the best of what Chinese cinema has to offer- "Shower" is filled with compelling characters, interesting relationships and a somewhat disarming poetic touch to storytelling without concern for any sort of "hollywood ending." From its opening scene, "Shower" seems to disarm the viewer of any preconceived notions about the film and, as it goes from good to great in the second half of the film, it becomes an extremely involving, enjoyable and impressive film.

In what may seem like a bit of irony, "Shower" is actually a story which largely takes place in an old bath-house in a small town in China. The film focuses on the owner, Mr. Liu and his two children, Er Ming and Da Ming. While Da Ming has att...Read the entire review

The Movie

The notion of spending approximately 20 hours watching a film about a single subject seems like a harrowing task- almost a test of the viewer's endurance. For those who find the time and the will to meet the challenge this film's length presents, however, a rich reward awaits. While Burns has often said that this is really a film about national identity and part of a trilogy about race, the greatest riches await those who already have a love of the game. The film is broken up into nine "innings," each approximately 2 hours in length, each chronicling a unique period in the game's history, and each filled with truly great stories and anecdotes about the game and its players. While many of those who will take the time to watch this film will already be avid baseball enthusiasts and amateur baseball historians, able to recite facts and statistics from many of the eras covered...Read the entire review

The Movie (continued)

5th Inning- While the other discs have clearly touched on the exclusion of black players from Major League Baseball, and the creation and development of the Negro Leagues, Disc 5 gives the league its greatest spotlight, coinciding with the time during which the Negro Leagues enjoyed their greatest feats. While the leagues did not maintain as keen an eye towards statistics as its Major League equivalent, it is estimated that approximately a half-century before Mark McGwire stunned the baseball world with his mammoth 70 home run season, Pittsburgh's Negro League Team superstar Josh Gibson did it, hitting 70 home runs in one season and 931 over the course of his Negro League career. Also, although the Major Leagues got a chance to watch Satchell Paige pitch brilliantly toward the end of his career, he was blowing away Negro League batters for much of his career, pr...Read the entire review

The Movie

"Wirey Spindell" is the kind of film that leaves the viewer asking a lot of questions. Such as, "Will this movie get any better?" "Why would this girl (or any other) actually want to be with him?" "What the Hell was (writer/ director/ producer) Eric Schaffer thinking?"

This somewhat autobiographical film tells the story of Wirey Spindell, a guy who finds himself days away from his upcoming wedding and unable to make love to the women he loves. While he deals with his problems, he revisits three earlier phases of his life as he looks at what has made him the way that he is, as he sees himself as a little kid, as a young adolescent, and, most extensively, as a college aged drug and alcohol addicted guy.

While the semi-autobiographical, nostalgic approach worked so well in "Almost Famous" here it falls flat. The attempts at humor in the film are often in bad ...Read the entire review

The Movie

"Anatomy of A Murder" is the exciting, enjoyable story of Paul Beigler, a small town Michigan attorney who is hired to represent and defend a man accused of killing a man who had allegedly raped his wife. While the plot seems a bit simple, it soon unfolds into a very complex film noir legal drama. Great writing, enjoyable performances and a soundtrack which really sets a rich, noirish tone throughout the film combine to make this film an enjoyable, intense drama which is definitely worth checking out.

The true strength of this film lies in its writing. The original story was written by John D. Voelker, a Michigan Supreme Court Justice who wrote the novel under a nom de plum. The great writing of the original story, possibly based on a similar case that occurred in Michigan is made even better by strong performances by James Stewart (as Beigler), Lee Remick as the a...Read the entire review

The Movie

When it was initially released, "I'm Your Man" was a bit of somewhat revolutionary filmmaking. Allowing viewers to choose which characters to follow and what to do, "I'm Your Man" is a bit of a "choose your own adventure" movie. Featuring Kevin Seal, Colleen Quinn and Mark Metcalf (Niedermeyer in "Animal House") star as Jack, Leslie and Richard, the three central characters between whom the viewer may choose to accompany.

While the birth of the concept demonstrates tremendous inventiveness, unfortunately, the story of the film (with any of the characters) is less than compelling. The movie itself lasts only about 15-20 minutes, and the story is only mildly entertaining. The film follows Jack's attempts to meet a girl at a party, Leslie's attempts to meet up with a Agent to turn over information which would implicate her supervisor, Richard, and Richard's attempts t...Read the entire review

The Movie

While numerous "teenage slasher flicks" have come and gone over the past twenty-five years, few films have fundamentally impacted the genre like the "Scream" Trilogy, and especially "Scream." A "deconstructionist" or "post-modern" horror film, "Scream" serves as both a fine example of the best the genre has to offer, and an examination of the trends and themes, the so-called "Rules" of such films present throughout the genre. This film is well-written, well-acted, cerebral and scary. These qualities are relatively rare among slasher films, and to find all of them present is absolutely unique.

Film school scholars have poured over the themes and patterns present in teenage slasher films. Possibly an outgrowth of the original Grimm's Fairy Tales, there appear to be many constants in the characteristics of the film's monster, victims, and heroes and heroines. While ...Read the entire review

The Movie

So you have an out-of-the-ordinary horror film which operates with an explicit recognition of the "Rules" of horror films, and in which the monster/ killer has proven to be very much human and is destroyed in the first film. How does one make a sequel for such a film? "Scream 2" is a surprising success as a film and a sequel, instead of simply trying to play around the rules from the first film, "Scream 2" builds a separate story while acknowledging the "Rules" of "Sequels." Again, Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson have teamed up to create an entertaining, suspenseful horror film that rises to a cerebral level unparalleled by all the films in the genre except its predecessor.

While the film contains an exchange between Dewey (David Arquette) and Randy (Jamie Kennedy) the film's slasher-fan movie geek about the rules of sequels, an even more impressive exchange is ...Read the entire review

The Movie

Not content to provide simply three great horror films, the Scream Box set also contains an exclusive bonus DVD that adds even more to this great collectible trilogy. On this DVD, the Bonus Materials are the main attraction, as the DVD contains a lengthy Documentary entitled "Behind the Scream," Outtakes from "Scream," screen tests from then-unknowns Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich and Jamie Kennedy, an editing game entitled "The Cutting Room" in which the viewer can select various pieces of the opening scene which takes place in Cotton Weary's apartment and edit them together in whatever order they wish, and finally a number of trailers from "Sunrise Studios," the studios who brought you the "Stab" films. In addition, the DVD contains a number of DVD-Rom features including a trivia game, a screen saver, and the complete screenplay from "Scream."

The Documentary- This ...Read the entire review

The Movie

"Not One Less" is the truly remarkable story of a 13 year-old girl who is brought in as a substitute primary school teacher in a small Chinese village, who must fill in for the villages teacher who is going away for one month. She is left with the instruction that, although it is difficult to keep children of the village in school, that she would only be paid for her month's labor if every student remained in the class, not one less.

Mainstream hollywood films have caused viewers to expect plots to unfold in a certain way. While it seems a world away, the viewer expects "Stand and Deliver" or "Dangerous Minds" or "Dead Poets Society" to unfold under the Chinese landscape. Instead, what unfolds is a truly unique and enjoyable story, and while the characters seem to obstinately refuse to act in the manner in which a viewer might expect them to, (especially the teacher...Read the entire review

The Movie

For casual basketball fans and devoted basketball lovers alike, USA Films' "Greatest NBA Finals Moments" DVD is an extremely comprehensive and enjoyable examination of some of the most incredible NBA finals games played during the history of the league. While the footage included weighs heavily in favor of the finals' matchups from the past two decades, this DVD really seeks to take an in-depth look at the NBA's great dynasties, and manages to do so while reflecting all the awe and excitement of so many different finals teams and games. From the Boston Celtics during the Bill Russell years, all the way up to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, this hour long documentary looks at the great players and teams who have transformed the sport and accomplished greatness.

The game footage remains intense and exciting, even if one already knows the outcome of the games. ...Read the entire review

The Movie

"Frequency" tells the story of John, a New York Cop who, after firing up his departed father's ham radio soon finds himself talking in 1999 to his father Frank, circa 1969 on the ham radio. After overcoming mutual skepticism, John seeks to get Frank to work with him to alter the events of the past. The alternate ending is amusing because part of it seems to be right out of the "Matrix" of all things. Nevertheless, the alternate ending proposed by the Director would have quite improved. The film is both a father-son story, in the vein of "Field of Dreams" and a legitimate murder mystery, and surprisingly, it works on both levels. Largely the result of a well-written and interesting script, this is an entertaining, enjoyable film with an intriguing plot-line and a good amount of unconventional plot twists.

While Dennis Quaid's Queens accent in the film seems to b...Read the entire review

The Movie
"East is East" is an enjoyable "slice of life" comedy about a traditional half-Pahkistani family living in England. As the film opens, the family is preparing for the grand ceremony for their eldest son's arranged marriage. When the groom to be runs from the altar, it brings tremendous shame on the father of the family, played extremely well by Om Puri. Nevertheless, the family carries on, with the youngest son in particular facing a bit of personal trauma along the way, as the family deals with the many conflicts which arise between traditional Pakistani life and modern culture in England.

As "slice of life" films go, "East is East" truly does a good job taking the viewer into the life of the family during good times and bad. The viewer is allowed to see the moments where the Father asserts his will and dominance within the family and acts violently towards his wife,...Read the entire review

The Movie

Sharing its star and similar themes, "The Patriot" cannot escape comparisons with "Braveheart," the new standard for epic blockbusters. While this film simply fails to rise to Braveheart's level of greatness, it is an entertaining, engrossing and enjoyable summer blockbuster, which is definitely worth watching.

"The Patriot" tells the story of Benjamin Martin, a war-hero turned farmer who seeks to keep himself and his family out of the Revolutionary War, to avoid the atrocities and loss which war would inevitably bring. His life is changed when his son joins the War effort, and the War begins to spread all around him. Ultimately, Martin is drawn into the war, and takes up the struggle with a vengeance, leading the local militia in guerrilla-style warfare against the British, leading the militia on a bloody quest for revenge and for independence.

While Mel...Read the entire review

The Movie
"Touch of Evil" has long been considered an absolute classic. While the film went on, along with films like "The Big Sleep," to establish the "film noir" genre, with seedy characters, unconventionally complex plot lines, hidden motives and a dark, grimy tone. Nevertheless, Orson Welles, the film's director and one of its stars was never really happy with it. Welles, the creator of the cinematic masterpiece "Citizen Kane" sent a 58 page memorandum to the studio pleading for the studio to make drastic changes to the tone of the film to reconcile it with his artistic vision for the film. For many years after Welles' death, this memorandum sat. Finally, four decades after the film was released, the cuts and changes suggested by Welles were realized, and a new version of the film with these changes in place. That version is now out on DVD.

The story involves the investi...Read the entire review

The Movie
"American Beauty" is an extremely enigmatic film. Unquestionably the most critically acclaimed film and an unstoppable force at the Oscars, "American Beauty" is nevertheless not a traditionally enjoyable film. While the film is filled with compelling characters, amazing performances, breathtaking cinematography and an impressive sense of realism the film is somewhat disturbing and can leave the viewer a bit feeling a bit uneasy throughout the viewing of the film and after. The film's "tag line" is itself enigmatic, suggesting that the viewer "look closer." While telling the complete story of the transformation of the film's central character, the film seems to leave the viewer with more questions than answers as to the meaning of film's climax and much of its imagery. Perhaps most striking are the film's various explorations of what constitutes "beauty." The film itself is o...Read the entire review

The Movie
"But I'm a Cheerleader" is the story of a teenage girl living a suburban 50's family, whose friends and family interpret a few behavioral quirks as evidence that she is a lesbian. They plan an intervention and ship her off to a radical treatment center where gay and lesbian teenagers are forced back onto the "right path" and where attempts are made to "cure" their homosexuality. The film offers an often funny look at the genetic vs. learned homosexuality debate and those who think that it is a problem which may be "cured." A great amount of the film's humor lies in the fact that almost all of the characters appear to match stereotypically "gay" traits to tremendous levels, and the anti-gay tactics seem to render the teenagers "more gay."

The cast of the film all put in enjoyable performances, as Natasha Lyonne from "Everyone Says I Love You" and "American Pie" does a n...Read the entire review