Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

ABC will continue airing Ritter’s show BY LYNN ELBER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES (AP) - ABC’s “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter” will contin ue despite star John Ritter’s death and will show the TV fam ily coping with his character’s loss, the network said Tuesday. “Everybody recognizes that John loved that show.... He’d have wanted the show to continue,” Lloyd Braun, chairman of ABC Entertainment Television Group, told a telephone news conference. Braun and ABC Entertain ment President Susan Lyne said the sitcom will debut next Tuesday as planned and that the network will air the three episodes Ritter filmed before his death last week. After that, the series co-star ring Katey Sagal, will go into re-, peats while writers retool it and production starts. No date was given for when the show will re turn to the air. It hasn’t been decided if the death of Ritter’s character, Paul Hennessy, will mirror what hap pened to the actor, ABC execu tives said. Directions: Just across the Gervai^>t^ind«^J^fi^tS«j<^M^Ju^^^^ I I I I Movies CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 be sure, but still just a fight and lacking in rhyme or reason. The movie also lacks the sense of humor that the first film had. There are a few offbeat quips here and there, but in general, the movie almost drowns in its own seriousness. The ending is well done, but taken from one of the “Star Trek” movies. The film is good — just not as good as the first. “THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN" ★ out of Another major comic-book movie of the summer was “LXG.” Now, the premise of the movie is a clever and creative one, albeit one that depends on a presold au dience. The general idea is that the whole story unfolds in a world where all great fiction is reality. Thus, the league itself boasts, among others, such memorable names as Allan Quartermain (Sean Connery), Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend) and Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah). The movie’s plot is a relatively simple one with but a few turns, and its digital effects are far from convincing. The movie’s real as sets, however, lie in its characters and its choreographed action. First, the characters all have a series of connections and interrelationships that make the story engaging, from Quartermain and Nemo’s respect for each other despite adverse roles, to the subtle romance between Tom Sawyer (Shane West) and vampire Mina Harker (Peta Wilson). The characters also handle themselves with surprising grace in combat. The recent movie cliche that “any movie hero is a master of martial arts for no rea son” is dodged and disproved in “LXG.” Whereas Nemo does em ploy the martial arts, Quartermain brawls with a no ticeable likeness to Indiana Jones. Dorian Gray uses a sword like Errol Flynn would. The diversity of the action turns the film into, a wonderfully enjoyable spectacle. Furthermore, a number of direct literary references are made as in side jokes for the well-read viewer. For example, when Nemo intro duces the league to the crew of his Nautilus, his first mate’s initial line is “Call me Ishmael” (the first line of Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”). And the ultimate villain is, himself, a surprising combination of literary legends. All in all, the movie is enjoyable, but mostly so if one has read at least one of the many books that have influenced the screenplay. “THE MATRIX: RELOADED" ★★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ This movie is arguably one of the best science-fiction action thrillers of all time. The movie’s greatest features were a collec tion of incredible action se quences and an even larger col lection of glorious character dia logues. The cast members from the original movie reprise their famed roles in this second instal lation of the projected trilogy. i Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), Keanu Reeves (Neo) and Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith) are all back for this sequel. The major differences between this movie and the original “Matrix” of 1999 are size and per spective. The first movie’s purpose was to introduce the basic con cepts of the Matrix-world, includ ing the prophecy of the One, the Matrix itself, the Agents and so on. Now that we know. Neo is the One and have been introduced to his computerized dream world, “Reloaded” dives deeper into that world, expanding the action in both the real world and the Matrix. New heroes and villains ap pear, including classic TV actor Anthony Zerbe as the pious Councilor Hamann of Zion, and famed French actor Lambert Wilson as the evil Program Exile, the Merovingian — a classic-style villain in the truest sense. Also, the movie’s action se quences are even more incredi ble than the scenes in the first “Matrix.” Most notable is a scene dubbed “the Burly Brawl,” in which Neo is confronted by a countless number of Agent Smiths. The plot snakes through roller-coaster twists and contor tions, screaming to a cliff-hang ing halt that leaves viewers to catch their breath and wait for the finale, to come out Nov. 11. “PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN” ★★★*★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ This is arguably one of the greatest action movies of all time. “Pirates of the Caribbean” offers viewers the three things that make an action movie great: ter rific action, interesting and in triguing characters, and a plot so thickly twisted it boggles the mind. Johnny Depp’s role as Captain Jack Sparrow is collectively one of the funniest and one of the most brilliant characters ever seen on screen. He is the offbeat amalga mation of the ever-resourceful hero and the comic relief at the same time. Similarly, Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa plays the part of the ruthless and cold-hearted vil lain, but he breaks that character now and again when humor prevails. Other cast members include Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley as the romantic, heroic young lovers of this high-seas adventure. In the way of sheer action, there is something wonderfully nostalgic about an old-fashioned sword fight between swashbuck lers. However, the movie’s real catch is its utterly rich abun dance of laughs. Jack Sparrow is almost the human incarnation of the witty retort. Yet, even without him, there is not a single scene without a humbly comic line to lighten the mood. After sampling this partic ular work of art, one can only say this: Errol Flynn would be pleased. Comments on this story?E-mail ga mecockm ixeditor&Jiotma i l. com PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK “The Matrix: Reloaded” is overrun by countless Agent Smiths. PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK “Pirates of the Caribbean” stars Johnny Depp, left, as the pirate Captain Jack Sparrow and Orlando Bloom as Will Turner. ■ nS|jTR|T|9v9R|ST|oTEn1 . • > Tired of paying fees? Heritage Trust now offers a checking account designed for students between the ages of 16-24. j There are no , J monthly service mm charges* and mk no minimum 1 balance ■■ requirements. Plus, you have full access to your balances A at all times. m Please see a 4 Member Service M Representative or m visit our Web site 1 for additional Jj information. Heritage 0a Trust ^jr FEDERAL CREDfTUNJON WWW.htfCU.OrQ Creating financial security tor you and your family. "" 800.845.5550 • 843.832.2600 "There are no monthly service charges as long as the student account is in good standing T * V f