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MOVIE REVIEWS
At the m o v i e s with w o r m s and s n a k e s
The following are capsule
reviews of movies recently
reviewed by the Office for
for Film & Broadcasting clas­
sification is 0 ~ morally
offensive. The Motion Picture
U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops.
ing is R - restricted. Under
17 requires accompanying
parent or adult guardian.
"Beerfest" (Warner Bros.)
Mindless and crude com­
edy about two brothers (Erik
Stolhanske and Paul Soter)
who, together with some
beer-guzzling friends (Kevin
Heffernan, Steve Lemme and
Jay Chandrasekhar, who also
directs) travel to Germany to
compete in an underground
beer-drinking Olympics
against a German team con­
sisting of a rival branch of
their family. The title says it
all, as the insufferably ado­
lescent plot is just a pole for
the foulmouthed frat-house
humor which is vulgar,
unfunny and irresponsible.
Pervasive crass and sexual
humor, lewd sight gags and
innuendo, much reckless
drinking, a couple of racy
sex scenes with partial
nudity, as well as some unre­
lated partial nudity, comic
violence, some irreverent
humor, a suicide, drug con­
tent, excessive rough and
crude language and some
profanity. The USCCB Office
"How
(New
costuming and choreogra­
phy and some racial epi­
thets. The USCCB Office for
Mm & iBraadr.fistir$.classifi­
cation is L - limited adult
audience, films whose prob­
lematic content many adults
would find troubling. The
Motion Picture Association of
America rating is R restricted. Under 17 requires
accompanying parent or
adult guardian.
t o Eat Fried W o r m s "
Line)
Loose adaptation of
Thomas Rockwell's children's
book about a weak-stom­
ached boy (Luke Benward)
who, desperate to fit in as
the new kid at school and
silence a bully's (Adam
Hicks) taunts, agrees to eat
10 worms within the span of
a Saturday afternoon. With a
yuck factor that may disturb
some parents, director Bob
Dolman's film sends a mis­
guided message about peer
pressure that undermines
charming performances and
themes of friendship, hon­
esty and standing up for
oneself. Scattered mildly
crude language and humor,
some bullying and gross-out
images and a scene of break­
ing into a shop. The USCCB
Office for Film & Broadcast­
ing classification is A-II adults and adolescents. The
Motion Picture Association of
"Invincible" (Disney)
Inspirational sports drama
based on the true-life story
of unlikely football star Vince
Papale (Mark Wahlberg), a
bartender who, falling on
hard luck, tries out for his
CNS PHOTO/NEW LINE
hometown Philadelphia
Luke Benward stars in a scene from
Eagles and makes the team,
the movie "How to Eat Fried Worms." winning over the coach (Greg
Kinnear) and eventually the
America rating is PG parental guidance suggested. entire city. Director Ericson
Core follows a generic under­
Some material may not be
dog formula but you'll find it
suitable for children.
hard not to cheer for this
feel-good film about over­
"Idlewild" (Universal)
coming obstacles and having
Prohibition-era musical
the courage to follow one's
drama set mostly in a Geor­
dreams. Some mildly crude
gia speak-easy about a timid
language, intense football
piano player (Andre Ben­
violence, and a presumed
jamin) who falls for the
off-screen premarital situa­
club's glamorous diva (Paula
tion, limiting its appropriate­
Patton) and his childhood
ness to older adolescents
friend (Antwan A. Patton), a
and up. The USCCB Office for
brash bootlegger, who, when Film & Broadcasting classifi­
not cheating with showgirls
cation is A-II - adults and
on his long-suffering wife
.adolescents. The Motion Pic­
(Malinda Williams), is dodg­
ture Association of America
ing the bullets of an ambi­
rating is PG - parental guid­
tious gangster (Terrence
ance suggested. Some mater­
Howard). Director Bryan Bar­
ial may not be suitable for
ber injects his period piece
children.
with a contemporary hip-hop
vibe, resulting in a bold,
brassy film brimming with
" M a t e r i a l Girls" (MGM)
visual pizzazz and jazzy
Leaden comedy about a
musical numbers but short
pair of spoiled cosmetic
on story. The film's obscen­
heiresses (played by real-life
ity-laden dialogue, gratuitous siblings Hilary and Haylie
raunchiness and brutality,
Duff) who, investigating
while objectionable, are off­
alleged product-related skin
set by a redemptive ending.
damage cases that threaten
Pervasive rough and crude
to sink stocks and tarnish
language and profanity,
their late father's reputation,
some strong violence, a cou­
suspect that an ambitious
ple of racy sexual encoun­
rival (Anjelica Huston) - who
ters, one with shadowy
wants to buy their company nudity, adultery, an
- is the culprit. Directed by
attempted suicide, risque
Martha Coolidge, the satiriz­
WILLIAM],
MURRAY, INC.
Electrical Contractors
118 HAMMOND LANE
PLATTSBURGH, NY 12901
COMMERCIAL AND
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CONSTRUCTION WORK
Established 1931
Supporting the 2006 Bishop's Fund Appeal Insert
ing of celebrity and superfi­
ciality is undermined by a
lame script and irritatingly
.diuy .performances by the
sisters, while a few sugges­
tive elements preclude rec­
ommendation for tweens.
Some crude language, mildly
suggestive situations and
wardrobe, innuendo, and
brief references to prostitu­
tion and birth control, limit­
ing its appropriate audience
to older adolescents and up.
The USCCB Office for Film &
Broadcasting classification is
A-II - adults and adoles­
cents. The Motion Picture
Association of America rat­
ing is PG - parental guidance
suggested. Some material
may not be suitable for chil­
dren.
"Snakes o n a P l a n e " (New
Line)
The witness (Nathan
Phillips) to a brutal murder
in Hawaii is flown to Los
Angeles with an FBI agent
(Samuel L. Jackson) to testify
against a vicious mob boss
who unleashes hundreds of
poisonous snakes inside the
aircraft, causing terror
among passengers and crew.
The setup of director David
R. Ellis' B-movie thriller is, of
course, wildly improbable,
and it's a wonder that the
capable cast (which includes
Julianna Margulies, Rachel
Blanchard and Bobby Cannavale) can deliver their
lines with a straight face, but
the premise is undeniably
original, and the film,
despite flaws, is never dull.
The snake attacks, though
yucky, are reasonably
restrained for the horror
genre, but the frequent
expletives and occasional
sexual elements are objec­
tionable, all the more for
being so gratuitous. Fre­
quent rough, crude and pro­
fane language, a premarital
sexual episode with upper
female nudity and drug use,
innuendo, intense peril, an
off-camera murder and
much midair death and dev­
astation. The USCCB Office
for Film & Broadcasting clas­
sification is O ~ morally
offensive. The Motion Pic­
ture Association of America
rating is R - restricted, der
17 requires accompanying
parent or adult guardian.