Hey Gang.

I ended up watching two movies last night, one before I walked and the other right after that. Both funny, and both more upbeat than any of the other films I watched last week. It really got me in a better mood, but I think I'm ready to be bummed out again tonight. Regardless, here's what I watched last night (today).

American Splendor - imdb - d. Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman - Here in lies the life and times of Harvey Pekar, a depressed, anti-social file clerk who can't seem to get a break. After meeting and becoming friends with a young Robert Crumb, Harvey decides to write all of his stories down and try to turn them into a comic book series. The film has an interesting feel to it, as it uses an actor (Paul Giamatti) as well as the real person and his comics to tell the story, it's unlike any other comic book film you've seen before. It's hard not to feel for Harvey, even if you know he's not somebody you would want to hang out with. It's an extremely funny film, but has a core and a romantic side, too ... even if it's not very romantic. A-

Anything Else - imdb - d. Woody Allen - Although I'm a huge Woody Allen fan, I seemed to have missed this in the theater. I ended up only being reminded about this the other day while searching the archives of Ebert & Roeper at the Movies. It's the story of a young writer (Jason Biggs) and his mentally unstable girlfriend. He's the kind of person who can't say no to anybody and in turn allows people to walk all over him, his girlfriend (Christina Ricci) is the kind of person who wants to walk all over him. After he meets up with a fellow (although much older) writer, played by Woody Allen, he starts to look at his life completely different, and might even have enough strength to start over completely. It's one of Woody Allens best films recently, but doesn't quite have the wit and power of the Mighty Aphrodite. Still, it's well worth your time and effort. And I really wouldn't mind seeing Jason Biggs playing the Woody Allen part more often. B+

Trisetta Lilly Barnes