!B! “Best In Show”!B! “Lost Souls”!B! “Ladies Man”!B! “Dancer in the Dark”!B! “Meet the Parents”
“Best In Show” — While not nearly as hilarious as Christopher Guest’s “mockumentary” “Waiting for Guffman,” this satirical look at the world of competitive dog shows unleashes plenty of laughs. Among the contenders for Best In Show at the prestigious — and fictitious — Mayflower Championship are Eugene Levy’s and wife, Catherine O’Hara’s, terrier Winky; preppy lawyers Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock’s high-strung Weimaraner; hair-salon owner Michael McKean’s and his longtime companion John Michael Higgins’ Shih Tzu; and Guest’s good ol’ boy bloodhound from Pine Nut, N.C. But it’s Fred Willard as the out-of-his-element sports commentator who takes top comic honors.
“Lost Souls” — This tale of demonic possession certainly looks good, but in the end, offers nothing new or memorable to scare us. Directed by famed cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, the movie prefers to build tension rather than a gory body count, choosing to creep us out rather than gross us out. Winona Ryder plays a devout Roman Catholic who believes that the author (Ben Chaplin) of books about the criminal mind is about to be inhabited by the devil. Unfortunately, the actors and the movie’s haunting look can’t rise above the plot.
“Ladies Man” — OK, call me a cockeyed optimist, but you know, I was actually looking forward to catching this latest “Saturday Night Live” skit expanded to a full-length feature. I mean really, the trailer looked funny. Didn’t it? Sadly, Tim Meadows’ cognac-swilling, ’70s style Lothario Leon Phelps ends up just another victim of trying to stretch 10 minutes of humor into an 85-minute comedy. Put this one on your video rental list for the coming winter.
