Monday September. 29, 2003 michigandaily.com b artseditor@michigandaily.com iRTS 5A 5A A loss in faith drives spirited 'Holy Land' I ROCK SOLID HUMOR, ACTION SHARPEN 'RUNDOWN' By Hussain Rahim Daily Arts Writer MOVIE REVIEW ****I Writer/director Eitan Gorlin's debut, "The Holy Land", is a haunt- ingly solemn and provocative look into the underbelly of the most tragi- cally misrepresented place in history. A young yeshiva student, Mende (Oren Rehany), feels increasingly confined by ultra- Orthodox The Ho Judaism and can- y not control mas- Land turbating between At Madstone meals and read- CAVU Films ing profane liter- ature during rabbinical studies. Upon the revelation by the head rabbi of an unknown religious passage that allows unfocused youth to sow oats in a brothel, Mende experiences life as a five-second orgasm in a Tel Aviv strip club. His new love of the secular causes a move to Jerusalem, where he lives with an American expatriate bar owner. The narrative begins as he becomes entrenched in the countercul- ture of Israel. The dive bar serves as a religious neutral zone for weary Jews and Arabs, as well as a sanctuary for his love with Sasha (Tchelet Semel), a Russian prostitute. The confusion between paid prostitute, willing lover and neophyte is used to heighten ten- sion, and while cliched, it pays off. Unique premise aside, the film is shot with reathtaking photography that allows the beauty of Israel to shine in contrast to the character's behavior. Through depictions of the Wailing Wall, the vesper tine cityscape, to Mende and Sasha's romantic amble through downtown, the viewer feels Gorlin's love for his homeland. The superb cast manages to capture the full gamut of emotion. Rehany plays Mende with a restraint and simultaneous spirit of exploration that can only be described as a superior Jason Biggs. Dialogue like "You have nice eyes," "I wear contact lenses" and "He's the only Arab who likes Dylan" underscore the type of subtlety on dis- play here. Even the score is extremely effective with the music naturally cor- responding to every mood. Without redundant Zionist or Pales- tinian recitations the characters are simply allowed to be. A bus ride into Jerusalem with a terrorist update fol- lowed by a sports score is a scary real- ity. "No school this month, the soldier killed the teacher" says it all. The film plays like a subversive "Casablanca" with the idealistic Bogart sacrifice replaced by a different sacrifice and glance that will not be forgotten. MOVIE REVIEW ***I It's so alluringly easy to discount a movie starring The Rock before even see- ing it. As far as films are concerned, his performances have thus far been abysmal, sort of like his professional football gig as Duane Johnson in the CFL. But just when you thought things couldn't get any worse - that he couldn't release anything more atrocious than "The Scorpion King" - what does he do? He The stars in "The Run- Rundown down" and totally At Quality16 and redeems himself. The Showcase WWE superstud plays Universal Beck, a brutally straightforward retrieval agent who works for a local gambling shark. Aspiring some- day to open his own Italian restaurant - nothing large, maybe 15 tables - Beck has made a life of bashing those who fail to uphold their betting obligations. To set- tle down and end his career of professional thuggery, though, he must complete one last job: finding his boss's son, a college dropout and self-proclaimed treasure hunter living in the Amazon. The Rock certainly proves himself wor- thy of action stardom with this role. Arnold Schwarzenegger's cameo early in the film forces you to compare and contrast the By Zach Mabee Daily Arts Writer two, like it or not. The Rock comports him- self with a unique blend of bravado and charm that most muscle heads just cannot muster. He's more human and personal than the statuesque Schwarzenegger, and his dexterity with a twelve gauge is arguably better. Beck quickly locates his target, Travis (Seann William Scott), only to find that the object of Travis' treasure hunts is coveted by a local gold-mining tycoon and slave driver, Hatcher (Christopher Walken). When Beck captures Travis to take him home to his father, he also becomes a men- ace in the eyes of Hatcher. "Rundown" surely doesn't succeed just because of The Rock's involvement, though. The supporting cast members, namely Scott and Walken, turn in strong performances, tempering their characters with their own unique blends of humor and wit. These individual performances fulfill their potential through the dynamic, sharply orchestrated cinematography and choreography. The opening scene intro- duces characters in a Guy Ritchie-meets- "Sportscenter" fashion, and the many action sequences that follow entail precise camerawork and a balance of film speeds that make man-to-man combat all the more gratifying. The team responsible for "Run- down" had a clear sense of its goals, and we ought only to hope that big Duane can contract his mammoth frame and action buff charm to similar outfits in the future. Courtesy o Universal Do you smell what Tony Rocky Horror is cooking? Final 'Family Guy' falters with unimpressive special features By Jason Roberts Daily Arts Editor Seth MacFarlane tapped into a goldmine in 1999 with the creation of the quick-witted and edgy animat- ed comedy "Family Guy." FOX eagerly scooped it up, ran with it for only two seasons and then dumped it, leaving the show's hardcore fans longing for more. Fortunately for fans, MacFarlane brought back the series for a final 21-episode season that once again pushed the enve- lope in animated comedy. The third sea- son of "Family Guy" delivers, Family Guy: Season 3 DVD Fox MacFarlane lost a lot of the key writ- ers that provided the backbone to the two original seasons. This is evident in the first few episodes as many of the jokes feel more forced and labored than others. However, as the season progresses, the dialogue and scenes become much richer. With a show as biting and humor- ous as the "Family Guy," it comes as a disappointment that the features are not as fleshed out as they should be. The highlighted feature, an episode titled "When You Wish Upon a Wein- stein" that was banned from the air due to its controversial content, is surprisingly not superior to any of the other regular episodes. Additional features are mere padding to this already rich three- disc set. They range from the unin- teresting to the unnecessary. The audio commentary on select episodes fails because it's too slow. With the episodes, and all their pop-culture references, moving at such a light- ning-quick pace, the commentators are often left to play catch-up. Aside from its unexciting extras, the final season of the "Family Guy" is well worth purchasing for its superb 21-episode breadth alone. One can only wonder what the twist- ed mind of Seth MacFarlane will bring us next. targeting everything from religion to Bill Cosby to pornography. The jokes are fast and furious, weaving a deep and intricate tapestry. Unfortunately Show: **** Picture/Sound: **** Features: **I WB- ° aP . Ap S'Sx3 RM Mt' U U,°.:..