Call ‘Phone Booth’ a failure

When a telephone rings, even a pay phone, we are compelled to answer

it. However, if it turns out to be someone who wants you to appear in

one of the all-time worst movies ever made -- hang up quickly. “Phone

Booth” is a terrible movie, but I mean that in nicest possible way.

It takes sincere commitment and vision to make a movie this bad. This

movie is so awful that I really can’t help but love it.

“Phone Booth” is an 80-minute movie that’s about 79 minutes too

long. It’s basically a straight-to-video quickie that could have been

PG except for some obligatory swearing that’s supposed to shock us.

Colin Farrell plays Stu, a shallow jerk with too much gel in his

hair. Stu is really rude, but he’s going to receive a wake up call

about the way he lives his life. Keifer Sutherland plays the menacing

homicidal maniac who calls Stu in the phone booth. In booming Dolby

stereo, with added bass and echo, Sutherland orders Stu to obey him

and confess his sins. Sounds riveting eh?

Truth be told, I think we’d all be more afraid of Richard Simmons’

voice booming at us and ordering us to obey. If that doesn’t scare

you, nothing will.

This movie is so bad that you can sense Forest Whitaker would like

his character to get shot so he can get out of the movie.

Overall, everything about this movie is terrible You really can’t

fake artistic vision, and this movie has none. The acting is weak,

the dialogue is silly, the overall look is laughably pretentious, and

the ridiculously bad story is just icing on the cake. When everything

is just so incredibly bad, however, a movie can become totally

satisfying and entertaining on a new level. “Phone Booth” is such a

farce that I may have to buy it when it comes out on DVD. This is

almost as good as “Red Dawn,” but it’s hard to top Patrick Swayze,

Charlie Sheen and Lea Thompson leading a group of high school

teenagers who defend Colorado from an invading a Soviet Army.

If you need a movie for that date when you’re going to break-up

with someone, “Phone Booth” is the movie to see.

My weekend wasn’t a total loss. I stumbled onto a movie that’s

very cool, and well worth renting. “Manhunter” is the exact same

story as “Red Dragon,” but without all the gimmicks. It was made in

1986, well before “Silence of the Lambs.” Michael Man, who also did

the movies “Ali,” “The Insider,” and “Heat,” directs this movie. It

stars William L. Petersen (Gil Grissom on CBS’s “C.S.I.”), Joan

Allen, Dennis Farina, and Brian Cox as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor. Cox’s

Lecktor is less charming and more psychotic than Anthony Hopkins --

and I love “Silence of the Lambs.” This movie is a real treat.

* JIM ERWIN, 40, is a technical writer and computer trainer.

‘Man Apart’ usual action thriller

The action genre has always puzzled me somewhat. What constitutes

a “good” action movie? As evidence of the fact I just don’t get it,

some of the most successful action films have bored me to tears.

So, what am I to make of “A Man Apart,” starring Vin Diesel? Is

the plot a bit ludicrous? Of course, but that doesn’t disqualify it

from being “good” in this arena. Is the movie full of macho

posturing, obligatory male bonding, and gratuitous violence? Yes,

yes, and yes again.

Before I go much further, let me say that I actually enjoyed “A

Man Apart.” The story kept my interest and moved right along. The

acting was passable and the plot had enough twists and turns to keep

me guessing. I don’t want to heap too much praise on this film

because I believe movie enjoyment is predicated on expectations. If

you expect “A Man Apart” to be two hours of fast-paced escapism and

nothing else, you won’t be disappointed.

As I noted previously, Vin Diesel stars as Sean Vetter, a DEA

agent from “the hood” who is teamed with his buddy Demetrius Hicks

(Larenz Tate). As the film opens, the DEA is assisting Mexican

authorities with the arrest of that country’s biggest drug kingpin,

Memo Lucero (Geno Silva). Memo nearly escapes through a secret tunnel

that emerges on the street only to be captured by the

ever-resourceful Vetter. As he is being handcuffed, Memo warns Vetter

he will be sorry for his actions.

Somehow Memo’s revenge is carried out from behind bars in a manner

I won’t discuss here, but is revealed in the trailers. Vetter can’t

be sure if Memo’s henchmen or those of the mysterious and ruthless

new drug kingpin, El Diablo, carried out the retaliation. Heedless of

personal danger or career suicide, Vetter decides to climb the ladder

of drug trafficking from street dealer to wholesaler to extract his

vengeance.

Diesel is one of those actors you figure will find the right

vehicle eventually and he does everything he can with the limited

material he is given to work with in “A Man Apart.” Diesel is

effective as Vetter and definitely has major star presence and

charisma. Tate milks the thankless sidekick role for all it’s worth

and Silva is sufficiently menacing as Memo. As expected, there are

physical confrontations and gunfights galore, all done well with

sufficient “splatter” and noise.

Diesel fans and action addicts will enjoy “A Man Apart.” If you

aren’t a member of either of these groups, you may want to spend your

money elsewhere.

* VAN NOVACK, 48, is the director of institutional research at Cal

State Long Beach.