Falling Sensation
An interview with Nic Cage. [2]
Ray Pride

Coming to a Home Entertainment Center Near You
DVD might just make laserdiscs go the way of the 8-Track. [3]
Bud Simons

Whither DVD?
Don't succumb to new-toy syndrome. [4]
Margaret Moser

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Pig Tale
Director Neil Jordan's "The Butcher Boy" re-creates the world of the adolescent imagination gone berserk and proves the Irish don't need the Troubles to act that way. [5]
Peter Keough

Film Tip of the Week
This week's must-see film: "The Butcher Boy." [6]
Ray Pride

Moore and Less
Michael Moore bites "The Big One"; "City of Angels" is close but no "Wings of Desire"; short takes on "Live Flesh," "The Players Club," and "Species II." [7]
Jim Ridley and Noel Murray

Awakenings
Both "Ma Vie En Rose" and "City of Angels" use whimsy to give wing to profound thoughts. [8]
Hadley Hury

Going Dutch
If Dickens collaborated with Kafka and both lost their sense of humor, the result might loom as darkly as Dutch director Mike van Diem's Oscar-winning first feature, "Character." [9]
Peter Keough

Wings of Desire
Michelangelo Antonioni's "Beyond the Clouds" may not be "Red Desert," but it blows away 99 percent of what's on screen these days. [10]
Jeffrey Gantz

Heart of Ice
The Movie Guru shuts the door on "The Winter Guest." [11]
Coury Turczyn

Warm, Fuzzy Giant
Review of "My Giant." [12]
Mary Dickson

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"Deathwish IV: The Crackdown" and "American Pop"
Mind-bending video reviews from our psychotronic couch critic. [16]
Scott Phillips

Scanlines
Oliver Stone's hits and misses. [17]

Videos a Go-Go
Every week, we explore a movie genre for your enhanced rent 'n' view pleasure. This week: Sean Penn flicks! [18]
Brett Lancaster

The Ice Storm
The '70s weren't as warm and fuzzy as people say they were. [19]
Ray Pride

Now What?
What's the matter, couldn't find a review of that blockbuster film you're excited about? We certainly don't want to leave you disappointed -- why not try some of these larger-than-life movie links? [20]

'd like to discuss the week's movie articles, but first, my obligatory video recommendations:

If you prefer your classic movies simultaneously upbeat and gloomy, rent "King's Row" immediately. This is the one where a fun-loving Ronald Reagan loses the love of his life, loses all his money, and then loses both his legs -- leading to his famous line, "Where's the rest of me?!" But it all ends in laughs and joy when Reagan finds a new life selling real estate from bed. They don't make them this bizarre anymore.

If, however, you prefer the brutal pseudo-realism of the '60s, check out "The Incident." As in-your-face as anything Sam Fuller has done (but unfortunately not as funny), the picture examines what happens when a couple of drunk hoodlums decide to harass, one-by-one, a microcosmic set of subway commuters. The film becomes an extended metaphor for how our culture's selfishness has undermined our ability to act as a community. It's an unpleasant film, but as an exercise in pure conflict, it's rather exciting. Your heart will pound.

Finally, for some atypically gloomy '70s nostalgia, check out "The Ice Storm." The movie's dark view of the '70s makes "Boogie Nights" look like "The Brady Bunch." Naturally, the title pertains as much to the characters' emotionally frozen souls as the weather. Solid performances and well-observed details don't save the movie from its own go-nowhereness, but they do make it worth renting. This review tells more.

Okay, now to recommend some articles in this here movie section. Be sure to read the interview with Nicholas Cage to find out how he prepped for his part in "City of Angels." No, he didn't induce a near-death experience; it's not quite that exciting. Also, check out these opinion pieces about the new DVD craze. What's the world coming to when you can hold "Gone With the Wind" in the palm of your hand? And take a look at a balanced critique of Michael Moore's new documentary, the feel-not-so-good movie of the year.

That's just the beginning. We got additional reviews galore -- just glance to your left, you'll see. Now if you don't mind, I gotta go prepare for the big summer movies by emptying my head of all mental activity.

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Boston Phoenix

• The Object of My Affection
• City of Angels
• I Love You, Don't Touch Me
• Nightwatch
• Suicide Kings
• Sonatine
• Paulie
• Species II

Austin Chronicle

• Men With Guns
• City of Angels
• Comrades, Almost A Love Story
• Deceiver
• My Giant
• The Next Step
• The Object Of My Affection
• Paulie
• The Player's Club
• Species II

Chicago Newcity

• The Big One
• Fest of the Best
• O Amor Natural
• The Player's Club
• Taz Gone Looney

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