Love 101 (2000) is a college based romantic comedy with an attempt at examining relationships seriously as well. Michael Muhney is a stud, and, like most of his peers, majors in drinking beer, getting laid, and shooting hoops. His roommate, Jon Collins, is more of a nerd, and has a mad crush on a girl in his chemistry class, Mary Kay Cook. Unfortunately, she has the hots for Muhney, and, over the Thanksgiving weekend, the two get plastered at the local tavern, and end up in his bed. His parents divorce left him very wary of relationships, and he feels very bad about sleeping with the girl his roommate is crazy about, and so throws her out of the room very rudely the next morning. This, of course, causes tension in the circle of friends.

Cook shows breasts during the sex scene, ad then again in the morning getting up. A girl Muhney picks up at a kegger, and then decides against having sex with, Kim Wade, also shows breasts before he leaves. IMDB readers have this at 5.6 of 10. Most of the attempts at humor were by other members of the cast. It may be a generational thing, but I didn't relate to these characters at all, and it was a rather long watch for me. The photography was very nice, however, and the eastern campus was photogenic. This is a C-, an adequate genre effort.

The Good Thief (2002):

(spoilers)

The Good Thief is a terrific movie in many ways, but I predict that many of you will find it disappointing. I noticed in the online comments that many people went to it because of the excellent reviews, then found the film lacking. Many others disliked the way that the storyline tampered with the original French script, especially by adding the happy ending.

I have some advice to offer.

1) Don't be fooled by the plot summary into thinking it is a heist film. That is only true in the very broadest sense. People who enjoy a good heist film like to see the details of how the scam went off. This film doesn't explain, and doesn't really show how Bob and his men did what they did. Your enjoyment as a viewer is merely to see the result, and to smile at its impact.. This is because the plot pulls a flim-flam on the viewer. In the film we see Bob planning two simultaneous heists - a decoy and a real one. He lets word slip out on the street about the decoy, but the real heist is known only to his chosen cadre. The real heist is explained to the audience in detail.

Or at least that's what the film wants you to think.

All the while, the "real heist vs decoy" discussion has turned out to be merely magician's patter, the normal misdirection employed by the con man. But when the real scam is revealed, it comes as a surprise to the audience, and we know almost nothing of how it was done.

Therefore, if you like the normal pleasures of a heist movie, they are essentially absent here. You will think "what the ...?" at the end.

2) Don't expect it to have one of those existential endings like the original. Bob's best friend is not going to get shot, and Bob is not going to go to jail forever. This is not the same movie as Bob Le Flambeur (Bob the Flamer, originally to be played by Richard Simmons. Just kidding. I think the correct translation would be something like Bob the Big-Time Compulsive Thrill Gambler. or Bob the High Roller, or something like that. It was distributed in the USA simply as Bob the Gambler.)

3) If you don't like a bit of magic in the story line, you'll be irritated. The premise of the film is that Bob is a great guy and a great thief, but a poor gambler. At then end, merely trying to establish his alibi, he has such a streak of luck in the casino that he breaks the house and they have to pay him by check. That was all just a lovely, serendipitous spin, and was (according to the film) the greatest run of luck in the casino since 1873. 'Tis magic, and not for those with an anal-retentive need for script credibility.

4) Nick Nolte does some serious mumbling and groaning in this movie. (In addition to his other character flaws, the script made him a junkie in the remake.) Many people complained that they couldn't understand what he was saying.

The problem with the film was not with the critics, but at the box office. There was no audience for it. It didn't please the people who wanted a gritty, character-based European art film because of the happy, sappy ending. It didn't please the people who wanted a heist movie, because everything it told the audience was a lie, and the result was basically unexplained. OK, take a minute to adjust your expectations. Now that you know it ain't Ocean's Eleven or Bob Le Flambeur, you may like it.

I'm with Tuna. I thought Nolte got the role of a lifetime, a role that would have been perfect for Bogart in another time. I found Nutsa very charming in a gamin-like "Audrey Hepburn with an accent", "Leelee Sobieski on a starvation diet" kind of way. I just hope I don't have to learn to spell her name. Nolte and Tcheky Karyo did a very credible update of Bogart and Claude Rains; Nolte as the seedy, wisecracking American expat who hates when people find out that he has a good heart; Karyo as the garrulous French policeman who loves and admires a man he should be arresting.

The film is different. It defies expectations. It has some of the grit and depth of a European character study, with none of the cynicism. It's not really an important film, but I enjoyed it a lot, to tell ya the truth.

• Nutsa Kukhianidze. (Is she now the single hottest woman from the country of Georgia? I can't seem to name another one.)
• the obligatory strippers. (1, 2)

Mailbox:

"I saw a test screening of Kill Bill a few days ago. The thirty-minute fight scene will give the MPAA a stroke. Arguably the most violent fight scene in any film, animated or live-action. Blood sprays, people scream in pain... Truly incredible.  It has a level of violence not seen in cinemas in ages. A little light in the story department, but that's OK. This is a movie you watch for the action and the Tarantino-cool, not for the story craftsmanship. And when Uma Thurman sets her eyes on one of the villains, this amazing, 70s wakka-cha-wakka synthesizer cranks up. RZA did the music for this, and goddammit if his soundtrack didn't rattle my balls."

Mr X at www.popbitch.com. (From the Popbitch newsletter)

Scoop - Two pics. First, a slightly larger pic of Teresa Ganzel from "National Lampoon Goes to the Movies."  It is a marginal upgrade of images already in the encyclopedia. Second, an observation on the career of actress Odessa Munroe.  Have a nice day,

B

Gentleman George

Scoop says: Well, I doubt if we did much, but maybe we helped in a small way to spread the word.
 

Updates:

• Charlie's French Cinema Nudity site is updated. Charlie pointed out that Leelee Sobieski will play the Uma Thurman role in Dangerous Liaisons on French TV this week. It is difficult to imagine that she could avoid nudity in that role, but we'll see.
• new volumes: Brenda Vaccaro, Justina Vail, Charlotte Valandrey, Stacy Valentine, Willeke van Ammelrooy, Monika Van Campen, Alexandra Vandernoot, Mamie Van Doren, Kim van Kooten, Hilde Van Mieghem, Valerie Van Ost, Kristien Van Pellicom, Francesca Vanthielen, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Monique van Vooren, Leonor Varela, Roberta Vasquez, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Dana Vavrova, Astrid Veillon, Patricia Velasquez, Desiree Velez, Anna Veneziano, Petra Verkaik, Betty Verges, Tavaite Vernette, Kate Vernon, Cec Verrell, Victoria Vetri, Cerina Vincent, Sabine Vitua, Darlene Vogel, Susanne von Borsody, Sophie von Kessel, Heidi von Palleske, Dita Von Teese

OTHER CRAP:

• Teri Harrison - Playmate in October of last year - Free Nude Gallery Courtesy of PlayboyPlus.com!
• Casinos making book on California recall - Arnie a slim favorite in California
• Egyptians to sue Jews for stealing gold and cultural treasures from them - during the Exodus! Man, that jurisdiction must have a king-hell statute of limitations. The suit calls for charging 5758 years worth of interest!
• Top Eleven Cartoon Spinoffs
• Remember that silly application to be on Lapdance Island? 20,000 dopey blokes thought it was real.
• a vision of St. Padre Pio appeared in a toilet bowl -- and persuaded a grieving widow to put down the kitchen knife she was about to plunge into her heart. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and a lot like the Tidy Bowl man.
• your daily dose of mouseketeer buns
• Rev Al stiffs travel agency for $200,000 - or did he?
• UN upholds French 'anti dwarf-tossing' law

• Maya Stange, topless in the indie flick "XX/XY".

  Additional comments by Graphic:
  Maya has been making movies for about ten years but this is the first time I have ever heard of her. She looks good, but this film was very irritating to watch.

Be sure to pay Graphic Response a visit at his website. www.graphic-barry.com.

Now on to my big question....where is the nudity?!

Sasha Knopf plays "Ms. September", and Vejiita sent this collage of Sasha topless in deleted scenes. Since this flick was on cable today, I decided to head to the Video Shanty and rent this puppy to make my own 'caps. Imagine my disappointment when this scene was NOT on my rented copy!

So where can I find these scenes? A Euro-version? I'd love to 'cap it if anyone can point me in the right direction. In the meantime, here is Sasha showing a truck-load of cleavage.

• Sasha Knopf (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

Mena Suvari

A few notes about this flick...
1. Writer/director John Quinn started off his career producing and acting in the "Goldy" series of family movies about friendly bears (or some such crap). Now, he directs softcore porn for Skinemax.

2. Check out this cast...Bronson Pinchot, Loretta Swit, Victoria Silvstedt and Avalon Anders!

ARNOLD ADDRESSES ECONOMY
I Vill Blast Ze Deficit Viz A Bazooooka! - Wednesday, Arnold Schwarzenegger held his first press conference on the economy, saying that if elected California governor, he would appoint an independent auditing group to find ways to get rid of the deficit without cutting programs or raising taxes.