MOVIES/VIDEOS

compiled by Blase DiStefano

Movies

Kissing Jessica Stein

When we first meet Jessica (Jennifer Westfeldt)–a sensitive but neurotic New York journalist–she is at the end of her emotional rope. Her brother is engaged, her best friend is pregnant, she hasn’t dated in a year, and she can’t sleep. • After an optimistic but nightmarish dating spree, she happens upon an intriguing personal ad, whose only drawback is that it’s in the "women seeking women" section. On a daring whim, she decides to answer it. She meets funky downtown hipster Helen Cooper (Heather Juergensen) for drinks, and to her surprise, they click instantly. Their evening of banter, connection, and heated debate culminates in a kiss that confounds and intrigues even the reluctant Jessica. • With conventional gender roles absent, the two women proceed to muddle through an earnest but hilarious courtship, making up the rules as they go. Kissing Jessica Stein is a modern romantic comedy that breaks all the rules–it blurs lines between friendship and romantic love, and finds the funny, surprising, and ultimately poignant overlap between the two. • Scheduled to start at Landmark’s River Oaks Theatre on March 27. Check local listings for wider release.

Chop Suey

Famed fashion photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber (best known for his portrait of Chet Baker in the award-winning documentary Let’s Get Lost) returns with another documentary, which, just like the film’s title, Chop Suey is a delicious mix of ingredients, both amusing and flavorsome. Weber introduces gorgeous teenage wrestling star, Peter Johnson, to his personal universe. • Whether recreating the music and life of cabaret star Frances Faye, appreciating the wily wit of Diana Vreeland, or considering his own world-class collection of still photographs, Weber imparts a deeply felt humanity. He is a man for whom love, loyalty, friendship, humor, and beauty–be it a superb torso or sensitive jaw-line, a bounding, golden-haired retriever, or a pristine waterscape–is all important. • Chop Suey brilliantly encompasses Weber’s myriad passions and fantasies, his almost Peter Pan-like relationship to those objects of desire the rest of us experience in the glossy magazines or on towering billboards. • March 8—14 @ Angelika Film Center, 510 Texas Ave., 713-Call-AFC (for recorded info), 713/225-1470 (for questions).

Sorority Boys

In this comedy, Dave (Barry Watson), Adam (Michael Rosenbaum), and Doofer (Harland Williams) are about to go where very few fraternity boys have gone before. Our heroes are three playboy chauvinists who, strapped for cash, find themselves drawn to one last, desperate hope for free housing: one of their campus’ sororities, Delta Omicron Gamma (DOG). With a little makeup, a little pantyhose, and lots of "pluck," Dave, Adam, and Doofer go undercover in the sorority house as Daisy, Adina, and Roberta. Everything goes according to plan until Dave falls for Leah (Melissa Sagemiller), the alpha DOG. Life’s a drag as the boys see firsthand how the other half lives–their history of treating women badly comes back to haunt them when they walk a mile in another’s (high-heeled) shoes. Meanwhile, Dave wants to tell Leah about who he really is, but without destroying "Daisy’s" relationship with the girl of his dreams, What’s a boy (pretending to be a girl) to do? • Scheduled for wide release March 8.

Videos

• Salmonberries

A 20-year-old foundling, in search of father and mother, in search of the self, finds, for the first time, a person for whose love it is worth fighting: Roswitha (Rosel Zech–Aimée and Jaguar, Veronika Voss), a librarian from East Berlin, cast away at the end of the world. • Kotzebue is the name of the little town in Northwest Alaska where the story of these two people takes place. And Kotzebue is the name of the foundling, too, who looks like a young man, but in fact is a woman (k.d. lang). Following some inner compulsion, she pursues a path to Roswitha’s heart, finally declaring her love in a hotel room in Berlin. • Wolfe Video is celebrating the 10th anniversary of k.d. lang’s debut in this lesbian classic by premiering the film on DVD. This new edition includes a new 45-minute interview with lang, conducted at her Los Angeles home by director Percy Adlon as the two revisit the film and reminisce about the making of the film. The disc also includes the video for lang’s hit song "Barefoot" (also directed by Adlon) and a photo diary of the film’s making. • DVD $24.95, VHS $19.95. Available March 19 from Wolfe Video, 1-800-GET-WOLFE or www.wolfevideo.com.

• Johnny Greyeyes

The eyes of Johnny (Gail Maurice) have seen more of the world than most. A resilient and brave woman, Johnny tells her fellow inmates of her childhood dream to be a storyteller. She has spent most of her life in one form of prison or another. But her responsibilities to the outside world weigh on her as she continues to hold together her family. With a release date near, she valiantly strives to keep her two worlds together. • A journey through her own history and pain lead Johnny to love, a sense of spiritual purpose, and resolve with her past. Within the walls of Prison for Women, she finds her being, womanhood, and Lana–her lover and companion in spirit. • Made by an almost entirely Native American cast and crew, this acclaimed drama had its world premiere at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and won the Freedom Award at Los Angeles’ Outfest, going on to be nominated for Best Picture at the 2000 American Indian Motion Picture Awards. • Available March 19. DVD $24.95, VHS $39.95. From Wolfe Video, 1-800-GET-WOLFE or www.wolfevideo.com.

• The Monkey’s Mask

In a rare on-screen appearance, Kelly McGillis (The Accused, Witness, and Tom Cruise’s lover in Top Gun) stars in this provocative role as a bisexual married woman drawn into a torrid lesbian love affair with a private investigator searching for the murderer of a young woman. Susie Porter (Better Than Sex) plays the private eye who willingly, at first, dives into a world of murder and manipulation, only to be consumed by the ever-enthralling power of sex. Suspenseful, hard-edged, and lustful, The Monkey’s Mask is a smoldering story of two star-crossed lovers whose lives will never be the same. • DVD $29.99, VHS $59.99. Available March 15 from Strand Releasing, www.strandreleasing.com.

• The Cream Will Rise

With its premiere at Outfest in 1997, Sophie B. Hawkins: The Cream Will Rise proves that Sophie B. Hawkins is much more than a multi-platinum pop star. Both musical genius and enchanting performer, she combines imaginative musicianship and rangy vocals with a captivating energy and seductiveness that have made her one of the most exciting musicians of the last decade. Ultimately, Sophie B. Hawkins: The Cream Will Rise becomes a turbulent journey of transformation and self-exploration when a visit with her mother in New York City forces her to confront the dark and murky demons of her childhood. Brilliantly weaving Sophie’s powerful and insightful music together with rare concert footage and intimate moments about her haunted past, filmmaker Gigi Gaston delivers what Mark Woods of Variety has called "… a dark, surprisingly inspiring film which shines as an example of the magic and force of cinema verité in the right hands." • VHS $19.95, DVD $24.95. Now available from Docurama, 1-800-314-8822, www.docurama.com.