James Keith La Croix
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Recent Articles
- Arts & Culture, The Scene Aug 25, 2004
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She Hate Me
A young corporate exec blows the whistle on his unethical employer (a pharmaceutical firm working on an AIDS vaccine, no less), finds himself pink-slipped and discovers a new line of work as a stud for lesbians (beginning with his ex-girlfriend, no less). Does this sound like director Spike Lee once again packing a film with too many ideas (and polemics) for its own good? It is. Does his visual panache — not to mention a Terrence Blanchard score — help balance his excesses? They do.
- Arts & Culture, The Scene Jun 16, 2004
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The third episode of the Harry Potter saga suffers from a bit of sequel-itus, attempting to substitute new-and-improved, bigger-and-better effects into a rather familiar plot. But while the zooming, soaring and whipping about pleased the Chuck E. Cheese crowd, it left some of us adults snoozing in our seats for a butt-numbing two hours plus. Then, to make matters worse, a rapid-fire series of plot twists near the end will confuse many.
- Arts & Culture, The Scene Jun 9, 2004
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Baadasssss!
This indie biopic tells the tale of Melvin Van Peebles and the making of his groundbreaking, controversial and most famous movie, Sweet Sweetback’s Baad Asssss Song — considered the first Blaxploitation film. Baadasssss! is written, directed and stars Van Peebles’ son, Mario. The film often strays into stereotype but the underlying tale is about people coming together.
- Arts & Culture, The Scene Apr 28, 2004
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Man on Fire
In Mexico, Creasy (Denzel Washington) is a man attempting to drown his demons and his traumatic past in alcohol. Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony) hire him to bodyguard Ramos’ young daughter. When she’s abducted, he leaves a trail of righteous destruction behind him.
- Arts & Culture, The Scene Apr 28, 2004
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Kill Bill Vol. 2
Thurman’s cool, lily-white Bride seems the photographic negative of Grier’s hot, full-bodied mamas in iconic blaxploitation flicks. But Tarantino is an ironist who juxtaposes, twists and expands stock characters and plots into something unique. Plugging his pale bride into a blaxploitation-esque plot is this year’s model of his genius.
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