16 - North Shore News — Friday, August 25, 2000

Steve has his own charm

B The Tao of Steve werk
(out of 5) Directed by
Jenniphr Goodman.
Starring Donal Logue
and Greer Goodman.

- Looking for ‘an infalli-
ble philosophy that
allows you to seduce
beautiful women, even

__ though you’re a beer-

“ swilling, frisbee-golf-
playing, overweight
underachiever?
Dex (Donal Logue) has

From Page 18

24 Caprice Park Royal South
Vest Vancouver (926-6699 }

* Mission Impossible 2 (14A) — 7:05 p.m.

Photo Teri Thomson Randal

DONAL Logue stars as Dex in Jenniphr Goodman’s new comedy The Tao of
Steve. The film epens next Friday at Fifth Avenue Cinemas.

got a doozy. His philosophy, The Tao of Steve, i is based on the
machismo of Steve McGarrett ( Hawaii 5-0), Steve Austin (the
6 Million-Dollar Man), and — the coolest of them all — Steve

fos McQueen.

© Throw in a college degree in philosophy, and Dex can’t
lose: Women flock to the pot-smoking Kindergarten teacher
largely because he seems 50 disinterested. “We pursue that

which retreats from us,” is a Martin Heidegger quote Dex fre- -

ently uses when instructing: his buddies about the Tao.
‘The Santa Fe slacker meets his match in Syd (Greer
Goodman), a set designer for the opera who is immune to

: Dex’ 's dubious charms. As

Dex falls for Syd he develops a con-
an nd the lifelong pursuit of Steve-ness starts to lose its. -

isd bit ofa ‘stereotype, however: would .
“Dex have fallen for Syd; who drums in a band and rides
otor eles, if she were the Grade 1 teacher next door? But
an is nonetheless immensely likeable in the role.

Canadian Donal

¢, whom you might remember from

: Patriot; Reindeer Games and Runaway Bride, wonthe —__
pecial Jury ‘Award at Sundance this year for his portrayal of
Dex. Dex isn’t immediately endearing. The audience doesn’t.

lways root for him; he has to gain our sympathy the same way .

“he 'carns Syd’s forgiveness. ~

‘The -Tao‘of Steve is a refreshing addition to the cluttered
comedy genre because it doesn’t quite follow the -

“fori a. It takes pl

lace in New Mexico, and the pace is a lot.

wer than the frenetic, almost slapstick, pace of most big- .
udget romantic coraedies out there. The leads aren’t perfect,

and Greer

joodmian isn’t Meg Ryan, thank. God,

i: One criticism: the much-anticipated scene in which Dex
Foutlines his Steve philosophy is a bit dressed-up compared to
rest of the film, and looks like 2 scene from ‘Tarantino’ 's

eservoir Di

ons. a .
And And the Eis is defini ely low-budger, which shows in pars,

Britannia |

e ‘corporation. ./

“Known these diss as one of

“Sethe worst - pollution sites. in

Documentary
avid “: Vai

‘airs this Sunday, August 27, at

non VIV,-was ‘intrigued’

of the little town
‘along Highway
* between. ‘Vancouver ‘and

Mickey Jonpan a

: “director.
bord, whose - film” -
‘Company: Town,’

Baily: .

-: North America, Britannia was:
sconce a booming copper mine
‘centre, with its. own. school, -
bank, company store and even.

a swimniing pool.

Sound.”

—- < :
: SviniT OF TRE WIEN,

SHOWTIMES

7: 10pm -*
2. Addl Shows:
-. Sat & Sun.
12 2:18, 4:45pm

“at the north end of Canada Place
Catt (604) 682-IMAX (4629) :
-., Group sales: (604) 608-6166
“wWww.max.comivancouver —

bur not enough to affect the overall high-
An excellent feature debut ftom Jennip!

ality of the movie.
Goodman, who

co-wrote the screenplay with real-life Dex Duncan North and
her sister Greer. (A third sister, Dana, plays Julie the bar-

tender.)

The Tro of Steve? 't could have been worse. Imagine a disci-
ple of the Dave philosophy: David Schwimmer, David Spade

and David Letrerman.
Yikes!

* Tokyo: city of contrasts

"From Page

Scott recalls the mantra repeated by those around her with a
thinly-disguised horror: “Married couple,” the police and neigh-

bours say, “private business.”

And yet the director was fascinated by the contrasts she saw

“too: “There’ 's nothing,” she says, “quite as weird as walking

down a crowded street and seeing women out shopping for

computers and rice cookers, wearing full

kimonos ar

yukatas...(or) you walk into a really traditional restaurant in

’ Japan, the kind with all-wood interiors and tatami mats, and

there will be a great big mother of a television set hanging over

the bar.”

“This is the Tokyo I want to call my own,” she concludes,
but never will. I may only see through the keyhole that is my,

own experience.”

The film, which premiered at last year’s Vancouver

mechanics, and the lady behind

_the famous Mountain. Woman

cafe; Everyone has a different

take on the legacy and future of
” The documentary takes’ ayn °
“closer: look at the town's envi- -

“ronmental issues, and explores “\|°. .

“plans ‘to clean up the.tons of.) ~ -

-metals which: seep. daily from:
the: mine. site into. Howe. °

__ International Film Festival and has since won awards at both the.
 -Yorkton and Zoie film festivals, will screen twice next week at the ;
Blinding Light cinema in Gastown, :

Beach gets second look. |

Maisbord’ has also rounded
up a melting pot of Britannia ”
residents past and present: min-.
ers, ‘managers, historians, bike -

this unique community.

. The film’s narrator, appro-
priately enough, is former, ©

Hard Rock. Miner and_ local
author Michael Turner (Hard

Core Logo, American Whiskey

Bac, Company Tawn).

‘—Kathavine Hamer...

Up At The Villa (PG) — 7:10 p.m.
Bless The Chiid (14A) — 9:20 p.m.
Scary Movie (14A) — 9:25 p.m.
Peerfect Storm (PG) — 7, 9:30 p.m.

@ Fifth Avenue Cinemas

2110 Burrard at 5th, Vancouver (734-8700)

Saving Grace (PG) — 7, 7:30, 9:05, 9:45 p.m. plus

Sat/Sun 1:45, 2:45, 4, 5 p.m. and Tue 4, 5 p.m.

Croupier (14A) —?7: 15, 9:35 p.m. plus Sat/Sun 2 2, 4:15

p.m. and Tue 4:15 p.m .

Chutney Popcorn (PG) — 7:25, 9:35 p.m. plus Sat/Sun

1:45, 4:15 p.m., Tue 4:15 p.m. _—

Girl Gn The Bridge (PG) — 7:10, 9:15 p.m. plus Sat/Sun
2:20, 4:45 p.m. and Tue 4:45 p.m. wes

@ Park Theatre
3440 Cambie at 18th, Vancouver (876-2747) Pat
Saving Grace (PG) — 7, 9 p.m. plus Sat/Sun 2, 4 pn m.

® Varsity Theatre ous
4375 West 10th at Trimble, Vancouver (222- 2238). foes
Autumn in New York (PG) — 7, 9:10 plus Sat/Sun 5 3: 30,
p.m.

@ Van East Cinema

2290 Commercial Drive, Vancouver - (299-9000)

Aug 25 to 28: The Filth and the Pury (UK 2900) 7:30
p.m. Julian Temple’s “seminal” documentary about the Sex
Pistols. Late shows Fri and Sat at 11:20 p.m. Humian
Traffic (UK 2000) — 9:35 p.m. Justin Kerrigan examines
British rave culture. Matinees Sat and Sun at

@ Pacific Cinemathequ
1131 Howe St., Vancouver (684-3456).
Chinese Film Festival continues .

8 Blinding Light Cinema” :

36 Powell St., Vancouver {878- 3366). i

Aug 25 & 26: TV Carnage: The Atom Strikes plus ;
Dementia Feedbag — 8:30 p.m. Aug 20: Hospital.Live to -
Play Begotten .— 8:30 p.m. Aug 27: IDERA presents:
Nicarauga: No Pasaran -— 7:30 p.m. Aug 28 8 29:
Japanarama: Diary of an Alien; Cotton Candy plus rar
excerpts | from Shuji Terayama and R. Rihotoe 8:3

“Ye Leather 23.

--,@ Log Furniture .-
“=. @ ET Centres. ¢-
.-* Dining Rooms:
Desks
* Bookcases | ;:".,
* Occasional. .
Tables ©