Arts & Entertainment

Nothing acceptable about weekend films

'Barbershop,' 'Miracle' should fly to the top on wings of people with horrible taste

By Geronimo Rodriguez
The Daily Cougar

Filmgoers should be ashamed of themselves if they pay to see either Barbershop 2: Back in Business or Miracle. They should be so lucky to choke on their popcorn while watching these piles of nothing rather than have to sit through a waste of film.

But a great deal of people will feel the shame this weekend and Ice Cube and Kurt Russell's latest flicks will work their way to the top of the box office list.

All this while Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles is unleashing endless laughs and flatulence into the night.

Ice Cube, returns with Barbershop 2: Back in Business, a weak comedy that takes too much off the top, leaving audiences feeling a little light-headed. Cedric the Entertainer steals the show, but in this case, that's like taking candy from a crippled baby.

In the sequel, Cube's Calvin fends off the chain barbershop that just rolled into the neighborhood, trying to keep his father's pride and joy alive. The rest of the crew returns, including Eve and Queen Latifah, in director Kevin Rodney Sullivan's dud.

Miracle, starring a bunch of guys who have something against haircuts, will attempt to heat up the screen with some of that good old American jingo ... err ... I mean patriotism. Based on a true story, Kurt Russell's character (Herb Brooks) motivates the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to knock off a fierce Russian team.

Unless the filmmakers aimed to rewrite history, the guys in red, white and blue should be raising their hockey sticks in victory by the film's end.

Meanwhile, Blazing Saddles will be shown Saturday and Sunday as part of Midnights at the River Oaks Theatre, 2009 West Gray St.

The story about a black sheriff's arrival in a small western town is perhaps one of the strongest "stupid-funny" films of all time.

The 1974 comedy stars Cleavon Little as Bart the sheriff, Gene Wilder as Jim the Waco Kid, Alex Karras as Mongo and Madeline Kahn as Lili Von Shtupp ? all of whom deliver entertaining performances.

If these films don't grab you, get a handle on the year's finest works and get in line for the gripping 21 Grams, Lost in Translation, Monster or Mystic River.
 

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