Heya.

So I realized, lately I've been talking about all these movies nobody has even heard of. So today I thought I'd swing back a little and talk about a couple that acutally made money at the box office. These might seem odd when put next to I Am Curious and Secret Honor, but sometimes you just have to break down and watch the biggies. See if it made me a better person.

School of Rock - imdb - d. Richard Linklater - There have been a lot of movies about influential teachers, most gunned down in a hail of cliches. While School of Rock doesn't not stay away from cliches, it still manages to be one of the most entertaining "teacher" movies I have ever seen. The story picks up with Dewey, an out of work loser (Jack Black) who lives with his friend and overbearing girlfriend. After being kicked out of his own band, Dewey is desperate to find people to play with ... but even more desperate to get money and survive. As luck would have it a local private school is hiring, and offer Dewey's roommate a job as a sub. Dewey takes the job without letting anybody know, and ends up trying to find his niche as a teacher. Of course, Dewey isn't a trained teacher and really doesn't know much about the process. After some trials with the class, Mr. S (as Dewey likes to be known) realizes that he can get all of the students interested in a single class project ... rock band!!

Noting the kids talents Mr. S finds things for just about everybody to do, from keyboards and bass, to the road crew, lights, and a manager (at one point even suggesting there should be groupies). If anything the movie shows how the power of music (and of course being part of a project) can really give a life meaning, and goes a lot of way to teaching. Thankfully the movie isn't just a big after school special, it's actually really funny and loaded with cool music trivia and references. Personal favorites like the Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth find their way into the movie, and no matter your taste, chances are you're going to like the message given in the music. Unless you're a X-Tina fan, then you're probably not going to like this. It's written by Mike White who wrote and directed Chuck and Buck, one of the strangest male bonding movies I have ever seen. White also plays in the movie along side Jimmy Kimmel's girlfriend, Sarah Silverman, who gives you even more reason to hate her. Although this is probably Richard Linklater's least daring film, there's no denying that it's charming and a whole lot of fu. And if this doesn't make you want to pick up an instrument and play, nothing will! A-

Spider-man 2 - imdb - d. Sam Raimi - Say what you will, but I didn't like the first Spider-man. I didn't like the way it looked, I didn't like the special effects, and I didn't like how there were long scenes where two masked people were delivering lines and no mouths were moving. It just didn't do much for me, even though I like Sam Raimi and the cast was full of people I usually get a kick out of seeing. Having said that, I have to say that Spider-man 2 is not only one of the best sequels I have ever seen, but one of the best super hero films I have seen. This time around all of the problems I had with the original have been addressed, and they went beyond the call of duty for this one. Here's a story that actually feels fleshed out, it's a story that has several things going on at once, a movie that really feels so full of life it almost makes you feel bad for the original. There are a lot of things that are really refreshing about the film, too, including a villain who is not defeated, but rather understands his own fate. A super hero that is exposed to the woman he loves. And some of the best side stories I've ever seen in this style of film. There will always be people that nay-say hype, but as one of the largest skeptics going in, I have to say that I am convinced that Spider-man 2 is simply one of the best super hero films I have seen, and has set a high water mark that will be hard to match. A-

On a side-note: if I could talk about music for a moment ... one of the movies I talked about today was School of Rock which featured the always-entertaining Jack Black. Most of you have probably heard the Tenacious D album more times than you can count, so if you're up for something else, check out Trainwreck! It's Kyle Gass' side project, a country-rock parody band that is really a lot of fun, in a completely different way from the D. I'm not sure if they are selling the live album in stores yet, but you can get it off of their site, and I strongly recommend it. There are a few gems on it, including Rock (Responsibly), an ode to anybody who quits theirs job in the hopes of being the next rock god. Funny, funny stuff.

Trisetta Lilly Barnes