filmland / By Heidi Walters

No Debate

Denzel Washington’s ‘Debaters’ exudes hope; plus: a warm, wet ‘Horse’

(Jan. 3, 2008)  Film fans, do not be alarmed: Charlie is out of town for the week, but he shall return! We also happen to know he is in a land barren of palatable movie offerings, a land desicate of modern culture, a land so pure as the driven snow as to be devoid of all cultural ambition unless it involves muttonchop sideburns and time-trampled cowboy hats. Yes, he really did leave town — ha ha. The point is, he’ll be darned glad to get back to the mecca that is Humboldt, aswim as it is in all the latest big city confections. And we will welcome him with parades and confetti!

OK, enough stalling: On with this week’s shows.

GALLERY >

— Heidi Walters

Previews

Two movies open locally on Friday, Jan. 4, and they are as different from each other as the desert and the rain forest. The comedy-drama Juno, directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking), stars Ellen Page (X-Men: The Last Stand) as Juno MacGuff, a diminutive teen with an extremely well-functioning brain except for the silly moment in which she gets herself with child by her best bud, Paulie Bleeker, played by Michael Cera (Superbad). But instead of everyone melting into childish rage and sentiment that turns to flowers, Juno and Paulie set about finding a set of good parents for the kid. What ensues is a megadose of quirk and circumstance, fast quippy dialog and non-sugary cuteness. Juno‘s screenplay was written by Diablo Cody, the LA writer admired for her “Pussy Ranch” blog and her memoir Candy Girl: A Year in The Life of an Unlikely Stripper, so the film likely will be a hit with the smart-cute, offbeat-hip crowd. Rated PG-13 “for mature thematic material, sexual content and language.” 92 m. At the Broadway, Fortuna and Mill Creek.

Juno‘s by far the best new offering this week, the veritable antidote to the other movie opening Friday, teenage horror flick One Missed Call, directed by Eric Valette. Yes, it involves cell phones (well, duh). Yes, it involves giggling (but not for long!) coeds. Yes, it features much terrifying suspense and obvious gore and ridiculous, frightfilled, no-way-out, unstoppable-future deliciousness. If that’s your sort of thing. Rated PG-13 for “intense violence and terror,” “frightening images” and “some sexual material.” 87 min. At the Broadway and Mill Creek.

Meanwhile, at the library, the “Based on the Book” film series resumes, this time featuring the “Films of Bette Davis.”On Tuesday, Jan. 8, NCJ’s Arts and Entertainment Editor Bob Doran hosts the first in the series, The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942; and actually based on a play), starring Monty Woolley as pompous pundit Sheridan Whiteside and Davis as his assistant. The free movie begins at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the main branch of the Humboldt County Library, 1313 Third St. in Eureka. Info: 269-1905.

— HW

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