Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • D1

10317TD2F01D Friday flair front 0317 10317TD2F01D ZALLCALL 66 031606 Bnaux FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2006 SECTION SUDOKU PUZZLE D7 TELEVISION D7 COMICS D8 ner Model Open TTi-Sat 11-3pm Flair a i ana (tearoom Luxury uonaos Historic Church Hill Secure Private Garage DwlMitn IjIma Piwrfa DwlMitn TltiMthiw iutuw fiuwaa viiici iutuw amvmiu Editor Margie Graves (804)649-6363 mgrawsStinwsdisp3tch.coni DELIVERY PROBLEM? 1-800-468-3382 www.1inwsDispalrii.coni Movies on the fringes The James River Film Festival starts Monday PAGE D4 Where to go, what to do Weekend Update's pull-and-save guide PAGE D5 (c) VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS "Rial Dan and Fruit Basket," a 1928 ol and sand painting on canvas fc ABC VIA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS "Idol" host and Nam anchor Ryan Saacraat Is becoming "i American Icon. 'Idol' guys sure know how to play their luck Georges Bisque, Is part of the Virginia Museum of Fine Via exhntt "Feast" yourqjes 'Cross-cultural banquet' offers tasteful art BY DOUGLAS DURDEN Times-Dispatch Staff Wrttkh ave you noticed how everything is about "Americas MoT these days? BY CLARKE BUSTARD Let me put that in less nurturing Times-Dispatch Star Wiirrni terms. he latest show to go on view at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is meant to bring out the foodie in an art lover. Or vice versa. IF YOU GO WHAT; "Feast," at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts WHEN 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Wednesdays through Sundays through June 25 INFORMATION: (804)340-1400 Had we known, when "American Idol" premiered in 2002, that SJmos Cowell and Ryaa Saacrett would have their own empires four years later, would we have been as eager to make the show a hit? This week, both judge from pre-Columbian pottery to a Tiffany punch bowl. "It's a cross-cultural banquet," says Lee Anne Hurt, assistant to the museum director. She curated the exhibit with Shawn Eichman, the museum's E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Curator of East Asian Art, and Delia Wat-kins, head of metropolitan education.

Most of the 85 works on display are shown alongside pieces from different cultures or periods. A still life of grapes and fruit by 17th-century Dutch painter Jan Davids- SEE FEAST, BACKPAGE and host got even more TV time. "Feast," second in the "Look Here" series of exhibits of works the museum has drawn from storage while its expansion is under way, focuses on food and drink: getting it, preparing it, presenting it. That takes in a lot of subjects and objects, from still lifes to hunting scenes, afj Seacrest became the nightly anchor for cable TVs Nam on Monday. And that's along Tiffany's "Punch Bowl With Three Ladies" to on view for the first time since museum conservators removed tarnish.

A Shang Dynasty bronze (above) and the oil on "Sob Ufa" (right), drca 1860, by American artist fea tured In "Feast." with hosting a morning radio show and a weekly national radio countdown show, plus being groomed to become the next Dick Clark. I didn't actually see that much of Seacrest on this week, and when I did, be was busy explaining he didn't have time to report because he was on his way to the next "American Idol" taping. But he did have time for an insightful on the scale interview with Hilary Duff in which the two compared the circles under their eyes. Orwell's empire building is less obvious. Last night, he launched his second try at an American show of his own ABC's fAnanoM lavestoriv Don't remember the first? It was "Cupid," a reality dating show even more forgettable than most of the early contestants on "AL" This time, Cowell is not taking chances that viewers wont be able to connect ABC's "American Inventor" to the most judgmental of judges on Fox's "American Idol." For one thing, there's the title.

For several more, there's the fact that starts with the same emotional audition process in which tearful inventors explain why they want to be the next Ameri-can Inventor (then mouth off to the camera when turned down); has a panel of critical judges, including a sarcastic Brit; and culminates with 12 finalists who'll then be voted on by viewers. But seriously, can the Bladder Buddy compare to William Hung? One more example of Idolization: TV Guide Channel's new "Mel Toabdrt," an hourlong celebration of "American Idol" airing at 7 p.m. Tuesdays. There are mini-interviews with the competitors, chats with audience members waiting in line, phis hosts Rosanna Tavarez and Kimbeiiy Caldwell finalist from season two) in a frenzy of excitement. See, contestants, there is life after "AT after all or at least the possibility of a regular spot on a channel that splits the screen between content and TV listings.

TV's weirdest moment of the week: How-anl Stan's rant on late Shaw With DavM Lrttanma." Stern complained throughout the entire segment. Nothing new there. He was complaining about the CBS lawsuit against him the corporation is now highly insulted that Stem talked so much about his satellite radio deal while still working for CBS Radio. Nothing new there either. The weird part was, he was doing all this complaining on a CBS show.

Even Dave was forced into the position of defending CBS. And he's normally the cranky one. Not Tony! But which not Tony? On Sunday, Teay Sopraeo was shot; on Monday, "24" killed off another popular recurring character, ToayAbnaMa. (If I were Tony Danza, I'd watch my back.) This is on top of the demise of Edgar last week and yet still Jack's daughter lives. What's on your mind or your DVR7 TVChat would like to know.

E-mail us atTVChatitimesdispatch.com Speeding into the good stuff sive whole. But Hopkins shows that when Burt really puts his mind to something, be focuses on it with keen and all-consuming concentration. The movie is like that, too. Once it gets down to the business at hand, it pushes aside the extraneous fluff and becomes thoroughly enjoyable. The change comes at Bonneville.

Before Burt arrives at Bonneville, it is one kind of film. But once he hits the salt flats, it is an altogether different movie. The meandering first part of "The World's Fastest Indian" establishes Burt as a spry old nut case given to urinating on his lemon tree (the film shows an unhealthy obsession with urination) and mowing his grass by setting it on fire. He improvises parts for his motorcycle and, in a similar way, improvises a way to get to the United States. Motorcycle movie starts with a fizzle but powers way to memorable end BY DANIEL NEMAN Times-Dispatch Staff Wrttkh Dt takes a long time for "The World's Fastest Indian" to get out of second gear.

But when it does, it surges ahead with surprising power and a burst of sudden speed. The story is simple and true. Burt Monro, an eccentric in a small town in New Zealand, rebuilt a 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle he bought new into an extraordinarily fast machine. In 1962, when he was already a grandfather, he took it to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to attempt to set a land speed record for a motorcycle with an engine smaller than 750cc. That is a charming little tale, but in itself is not enough for a full-length motion picture.

So writer-director Roger Donaldson tries to spice it up with a series of MOVIE REVIEW not always fasci-. uum, nating minor in-THE WORLDS ddents that feel FASTEST like they are be- lunillJ ingusedasex-IRUIApj tensions to lengthen the movie and give CAST: Anthony it the illusion of Hopkins, Diane Ladd depth. AT: Chesterfield, Burt is played West Tower by Anthony FYl: Running time: Hopkins as a bit 1:59. Rated PG-13 (brief of a scatterbrain, language, drug use and withahalf-dis-a sexual reference) tracted way of talking, not unlike Hopkins himself. The movie's tone follows the character's quirks, taking a little bit here, a little bit there, without forming a cohe Once in this country, he spends raoulbutier Aidlaaw Hopkins poitaya eccentric New Zee-SEE INDIAN, BACKPAGE and motorcycle buMer and racer Burt Monro..