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:

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (PG-13)
Gigantic, relentless snakes pick off members of a somewhat anonymous human cast, one victim at a time—again! This sequel to the 1997 Anaconda places a new group of attractive, yet equally witless, heroes in Borneo in search of a rare black orchid, a legendary flower that promises immortality. Will they accomplish their goal or become pet food?
Now Showing: Tinseltown USA, Farragut Towne Square, Knoxville Center, Wynnsong 16, Foothills 12

Festival Express (R)
After being divided, misplaced and nearly destroyed, the footage that makes up this documentary has finally emerged after nearly 35 years to reveal a fascinating portrait of some of history’s greatest rock musicians. Back in 1970, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, The Band and other musical legends boarded a cross-Canadian train, which turned into a five-day jam session on rails only interrupted by the occasional concert layover and liquor run.
Now Showing: Downtown West

Hero (PG-13)
Legendary Asian director Zhang Yimou and Bill Kong, producer of Hidden Dragon, Crouching Tiger, team up for this historical epic set in ancient China that pits a martial arts master (Jet Li) against a slew of lethal foes with cool names like Broken Sword, Flying Snow, and Sky.
Now Showing: Tinseltown USA, Downtown West, Farragut Towne Square, Carmike 10

Super Babies: Baby Geniuses 2 (PG)
Once again, talking babies (in diapers!) explode onto the big screen in order to thwart evil and restore justice. In a race against time, the drooling band of clever infants are handed the tricky task of squashing evil media mogul Bill Biscane’s (Jon Voight) plan to use a powerful mind-controlling device in order to overtake the world’s adult population.
Now Showing: West Town Mall, Carmike 10, Foothills 12

A Touch of Pink (R)
The only problem with Alim’s (Jimi Mistry) devout Muslim mother flying from Canada to London to visit and find him a “proper Muslim girlfriend,” is that Alim is a closet-homosexual who moved away from his disapproving family in order to take part in the swinging sexual freedom of London. To make matters worse—and more hilarious—Alim also lives with his flamboyant boyfriend and has an imaginary “friend” who looks, acts, and talks like Cary Grant (Kyle Maclachlan).
Now Showing: Downtown West

Suspect Zero (R)
FBI agents Thomas Mackelway (Aaron Eckhart) and Fran Kulok (Carrie-Anne Moss) are thrown into a psychological labyrinth of murder, and mysterious telepathic renegade Benjamin O’Ryan (Sir Ben Kingsley) is quite possibly their only link to the horrific source of the growing pattern of homicides.
Now Showing: Knoxville Center, Wynnsong 16

Twist of Fate

Bob Dylan does not have a traditionally great voice. Yet his prophetic songwriting and purposeful presence have catapulted him to legendary status as a musician. Similarly, though his lack of actual acting skill is apparent in the first few scenes of Masked and Anonymous, his stoic stare and matter-of-fact delivery are captivating in a way only he could pull off.

Dylan co-wrote the script with director Larry Charles, whose involvement in this grim flick strays from his previous comedic credits including writing and producing on TV’s Seinfeld and Mad About You. Masked and Anonymous chronicles a fictional America in the midst of a civil war, sharing overt themes with many of Dylan’s musical anti-establishment rants.

Jack Fate is an aging musician, who, unlike the real-life Dylan, has fallen from grace in the biz, and is now regarded as somewhat of a joke. Nevertheless, Fate’s former manager, Uncle Sweetheart (John Goodman) finagles to oust him from political imprisonment in order to have him perform in a benefit show. Goodman shines as a robust swindler whose motive for recruiting the “virtually free” Fate is to siphon most of the money to pay off some grisly debt-collectors.

On Fate’s surreal journey through the war-torn land to the concert site, he runs into a handful of misfits, played by a stellar ensemble cast including Cheech Marin, Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi and Val Kilmer. Each encounter seems to have mythical undertones, as each eccentric character attempts to teach Fate, an ostensible prophet, some sort of lesson.

Once he reaches the concert, Fate is accosted by Nina Veronica, a sassy promoter played by Jessica Lange, and reporter Tom Friend (Jeff Bridges). Bridges’ performance is a highlight, as he exemplifies disillusionment with humanity brought on by witnessing the horrors of war. His cynicism is tempered by Penelope Cruz, who plays his wide-eyed, zealous girlfriend.

The hodge-podge of characters boils down to embody a chaotic storm surrounding the unshakable Fate. The film’s steadfast theme is punctuated beautifully by dreamlike imagery and transient glimmers of hope amidst a stark wasteland.

—Molly Kincaid