Blade II. Guillermo Del Toro. In a post-
Matrix world, a
Blade sequel needs to play catch-up, and visually Del Toro's film does so. Vampire skeletons not only shatter; they burst into flames,
then shatter, then leave ashes that scatter to the winds. A severed fragment of head contains an eye that continues to look around. Vampires unbreak their own bones, and perform open-spine surgery on one another. Del Toro also brings in many of his own peculiar fascinations, such as rust, sewers, things floating in hazy translucent liquid, graphic dissection, addiction metaphors, S/M gear and Ron Perlman (
Cronos). The villains this time around are the Reapers, a recent mutant vampire strain impervious to everything but sunlight, who can walk up walls and fly through the air, requiring Blade (Wesley Snipes) to ally himself with a group of regular ol' vampires. Kris Kristofferson's back from the dead, and Norman Reedus is Blade's new sidekick and weapons man, Scud. Although Del Toro's visuals are cool, he's bogged down by a trite script from Marvel Comics' favorite hack screenwriter, David S. Goyer (remember the Nick Fury TV movie with David Hasselhoff?). Go for the action, laugh at the lame dialogue -- you should still have a decent time. And the soundtrack, which pairs hip-hop and techno acts, rocks. Opens March 22 at multiple locations. (LYT)
The Business of Strangers. Patrick Stettner. Opens March 22 at the Tivoli. Reviewed this issue.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: The 20th Anniversary. Steven Spielberg. Opens March 22 at multiple locations. Reviewed this issue.
Sorority Boys. Wally Solodarsky. Three dudes want to score, and they unhatch a zany scheme sure to cause chuckles: They pose as chicks and pledge a sorority! Dude! Craziness no doubt ensues as they're "exposed" to the lives of sorority girls. When one of the guys falls in love, all hell breaks loose because the dude-chick doesn't want the real chick to discover that she's a he. Sexual politics are examined up close and in depth. Opens March 22 at multiple locations. NR
