The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • 38

May 5 2000 MM I The larger- S5 j- F--tV cements -'f 4s' 1 i i Russell star status -tfA v- By Donald Monro THB RESNO bee urColosseums today have 21 screens and cup holders But our urge for full-blown to applaud thundering heroes to gorge on pumped-up pageantry to cheer the piercing of someone vital organs as unrelenting as the days of ancient Rome i rf' Granted gotten a shade more civilized since then yti trading in the hard-core butchery of live human sacrifice for Weapon 4" and the flouncy excesses of the World Wrestling Federation We comfort ourselves witiht the knowledge that an entire special-effects industry has sprung up around lake IHg A1 -k4 A But at a fandamen- tal level our crowd instincts that far removed from the riled Roman mob for whom corrupt emperors dished up bread and THE ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE TO THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY Rating: (intense graphic -'V 'glcombat: i Starring: Russel Crowe Joaquin Phoenix Connie Nielsen--' rf'frIMrsctsdbyi jvj: Rkitey Scott's Written by David Ftanzoni John --f- Logan and William Nicholson "Gladiator a mn A DrsamWorksUniversal sitting behind me roloaao was ao caught up vVy! 2 hours 30 minutes in a scene involv- ingperiltoa particularly unlikable character that he screamed out the His impassioned jeer blended with the roar of the crowd on the soundtrack (provid- ed by the way by 2000 extras cheering alongside 33000 computergenerated spectators) The side speakers at Broadway Fain throbbed with raw enthusiastic humanity Where did the Roman mob end and the Fresno begin? It was a little creepy and yes a little exhilarating Talk about audience participation at its heartiest: For a moment at least some in the crowd were so caught up they felt moved from the gut not the brain Which is why with its grand themes sumptuous production design and stirring performance by Russell Crowe in the lead role is such an unabashed spectacle been a while since had a movie so big relies on brute strength to cut its epic swath no wisecracking jokey hero performing impossible stunts just a decent (and very angry) man great with a sword The graphic violence which includes a smorgasbord of blood-letting that nearly rivals Private at its most herky-jerky is never played for laughs- Even such distractions as flabby dialogue an anemic kiss a pro-democracy streak a little too ripe and a simplistic scenario of towering good vs unspeakable evil are swept aside by the staggering hyper-masculine no-deodorant heft of the film Please see GLADIATOR Rage E6 MOVIES 7 An Jordan IMAX brings a larger-than-life Midiad Jordan to the big screen topjobottorti Djimon 1 wHoufisou as Juba Connie YOU BE THE CRITIC as Lucillaand Joaquin Phoenix as Corn-modus corrjplete the anient Rbrriar) slice of liferin Gladiator 1 1 a- J- i FILM FESTIVAL CINCO DEMAYO Accent on Fun Watch these Kubrick gems with your mind wide open Now you have a reason to celebrate the weekend with music food and good company Friends Romans us what you think of PUgt E3 followed at 7 pm by the film that Piper considers most underrated Lyndon" and its story of social climbing (and felling) in 18th-century England grand and stately like the aristocrats of the time but also satiric in its own sly way Screenings are MOVIES Short stays If you wait too long you could miss the movie you wanted to see Page E3 performances by Teocalli (folkloric dance group) Climax (breakdancero) comedy skits by the theater group Chusma plus Grito Serpentino an artistic ensemble that combines a diverse range of musical styles Various local poets artists and musicians will be showcased throughout the evening Tower Theatre 815 Olive Ave 485-9050 $1250 Cinco de Mayo celebration 3-8 pm Saturday includes entertainment activities and various booths Downtown Lindsay 562-4929 Madera Singles Ministry Cinco de Mayo DinnerSilent Auction 2000 5 pm Saturday Madera Ranchos Assembly of God 35849 Avenue 13v2 Madera $650 Manchester Center Fresno 5-7 pm today at the carousel court near the south entrance of the mail Festivities will include Mariachi Nuevo Zapopan singer Estrella Vargas and folkloric dancers The bilingual event is non-alcoholic and aimed at families Hie Fresno Bee So you just rented the dreamy stellar Wide Shut and your reaction was that you want to see more of Stanley stuff not slit your wrists to the insistent plunking of a single demonic piano note No question: films can be an acquired taste But if you're in the mood Fresno City College gives you an opportunity this weekend to catch up on five earlier acclaimed works from the director who died last spring just a few months before Wide was released The Kubrick video festival organized by retired film instructor Jim Piper opens at 7 pm today with of often called the greatest antiwar film ever made Released in 1957 this black-and-white film starring Kirk Douglas is set in World War I a rare look at the behind-the-scenes politics that often drive wars Strangelove" nuclear-era satire at its juiciest and darkest screens at 3 pm Saturday followed by the intriguing psychedelic masterpiece A Space Odyssey" at 7 pm lineup features Clock- in the Music Recital Hall MS 132 and feature big-screen video and high-fidelity sound Admission is free Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman be featured ao you wont have to figure what was up with those masks But as Piper notes Kubrick always SCREENSCENE Movie Guide Pages E2 E3 With such a rich blend of cultures in the central San Joaquin Valley nearly every weekend this time of year marks a celebration This weekend is CincodeMayo Sure it is the time to celebrate victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 when Mexican revolutionaries defeated the French army and inspired the country on to independence But it is also a time to honor family and tradition and to have fun Celebrations are scheduled around the valley (See the Calendar inside for listings) Here are some highlight: Viva La Verbalution Cinco de Mayo 2000 8:08 pm today features 4 Stanley Kubrick Television Page E13 baa been a tough nut to crack for example stars a couple of big slabs of Btone Hal the computer a mind-spinning trip around Jupiter and an old guy having breakfast in a hard white room Good luck! Donald Munro The Fresno Bee work Orange at 3 pm punka porno i and rehab and the future of crime i Want Life Online? fresnobeexom A.