Metro Pulse Online: Movies, Past &Amp; Future

Armed only with his mysterious mental connection to the feral minds of studio executives, the Movie Guru reveals just how good or bad this week's new releases will be:

Hellboy (PG-13)
Born in the flames of hell during World War II, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) was summoned to Earth by Russian monk Rasputin as part of a Nazi experiment. Rescued by Allied Forces, a professor developed his paranormal gifts to battle evil forces that challenge our world. When Rasputin, thought to be dead, returns to destroy mankind, Hellboy and his supernatural team of humanoids are recruited to stop him.
Prediction: Director Guillermo del Toro directed another comic-based film Blade II, so he knows his way around this genre endowed with the potential for striking visuals and cool effects. But loveable characters and a good story make the difference between X-Men and Daredevil.

Home on the Range (PG)
Before Disney gets out of the animation business for good, they’re serving up the barnyard comedy Home on the Range. When foreclosure threatens Patch of Heaven dairy farm, the animals band together to catch a no-good cattle rustler, claim the reward money and save the farm. Celebrity voices include Roseanne Barr (as a sassy cow), Judi Dench, Cuba Gooding Jr., Randy Quaid and others.
Prediction: Even with songs performed by k. d. lang and Bonnie Raitt, it probably won’t hold a candle to any Pixar film. Sorry, Disney.

The Prince & Me (PG)
Julia Stiles brings her Everygirl charm to this modern-day fairytale about Paige, a brainy pre-med student, who meets a cute undergrad named Eddie (Luke Mably). Their courtship progresses nicely until the sudden arrival of tabloid photographers. Turns out he’s the Prince of Denmark. Question:“What if there is a Prince Charming, and he makes you laugh, and he’s a really good kisser?” Answer: Go for it girl, even if it means trying to please his mother, the Queen (Miranda Richardson).
Prediction: When the moral of the story turns out to be “You don’t have to be a princess to be my Queen,” girls will swoon and guys will have a new lame pick-up line.

Walking Tall (PG-13)
After returning home from a military stint, Chris Vaughn (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) finds his hometown plagued with drugs, gambling and crime. In an effort to clean up the town, Vaughn dubs himself sheriff and enlists childhood friend Ray (Johnny Knoxville) for his crusade. Based on the real-life Tennessee sheriff Buford T. Pusser.
Prediction: Joe Don Baker raised the bar and set a standard for his portrayal of Buford T. Pusser in the 1973 film version that kept the redneck name and the rural Tennessee setting. But now Hollywood’s too good to keep the facts straight? Well, Hollywood, you and The Rock can just kiss our Pusser. And somebody call the East Tennessee Film Commission. We want answers.

Enormous Laughs

In his weekly sketch comedy show on Comedy Central, stand-up comic Dave Chappelle spoofs stereotypes, icons and society. That’s nothing new. However, Chappelle tackles issues of racism and culture from unique angles with acerbic wit sharp enough to cut through bone. Recently released on DVD, Chapelle’s Show—Season One skewers targets more succinctly than Saturday Night Live, Mad TV or In Living Color could hope.

The material is daring and offensive, wrestling with taboos previously left untouched. By not singling out any ethnicity as a target, Chappelle effectively flays universal stereotypes stapled to every race.

One of Chappelle’s more inspired characters is the black White Supremacist, Clayton Bigsby. Bigsby is a blind member of the Klu Klux Klan who doesn’t realize he’s black. When Bigsby discovers that he is African American, he divorces his wife “Because she’s a nigger lover.”

Over the course of season one, the sketches become increasingly sharp and resourceful as Chappelle finds his footing in the transition from stage to screen. Even in his earliest attempts, Chappelle manages to significantly hurdle any current sketch comedy programs.

Another Comedy Central show recently released on DVD is Upright Citizens Brigade–The Complete First Season. Akin to Chicago’s Second City, the troupe began in 1997 in New York before their foray into television. The troupe’s live performances became so popular that it evolved into a training program with instruction on the art of improvised theater.

Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh were recruited by Comedy Central to combine their popular stage sketches with original material for the series. The episodes traditionally feature four bizarre sketches that are tidily wrapped up in an even weirder grand finale.

One highlight is the story of Little Donny. “An inspiration to us all,” Donny is a child born with the rare condition magnimus- obliviophallocytis; he’s oblivious to his gigantic penis. The episode winds up the first season, rewarding viewers with the musical number “Enormous Penis” and characters introduced throughout the season.

—Clint Casey