To m's By Thomas LeClair Film Critic tjll9l@psu.edu Crash **—* Lions Gate Films presents a film directed by Paul Haggis. Written by Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco. Starring Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Ludacris, and Ryan Phillippe. Where oh where do I begin with a film such as Crash? This is a film every adult American needs to see. In this crazy, mixed up, post 9/11 world, it makes you wonder how, as a society, there is still so much hatred and bigotry in this country. The story revolves around a 36-hour time frame in which citizens all over Los Angeles and from every demographic imaginable interact and are downright hateful and racist to each other. The stories Jackson defense calls orthodontist who testifies she saw no sign accuser's family held captive By Tim Molloy AP Writer SANTA MARIA, Calif. - An orthodontist testified Monday in Michael Jackson's trial that she saw no sign that his accuser and his family were being held captive when they came to her office on a visit that the mother claims was an attempt to escape from the pop star. Dr. Jean Lorraine Seamount was called by Jackson's attorneys to counter the mother's testimony that she invented the need for her children to get dental attention as a means to get away from Jackson's Neverland ranch. Jackson, 46, is accused of molesting a 13-year-old cancer patient in February or March 2003 and plying him with wine. ProsecutorsalsocontendJackson conspired with associates to hold the accuser's family captive in order to get them to make a video rebutting a documentary aired in February 2003 in which Jackson is pictured with the boy and says he let children sleep in his bed during innocent visits. Seamount testified about a visit by the accuser, his brother, sister and mother on Feb. 24, 2003. She testified there was no film crew present, as the mother said, and no sign the family members were held against their will. She also said the accuser Tomfoolery o overlap with each other to the point where every character in the film ends up in a scene with characters from other parts of the world. It could be attributed to mere coincidence, or in this writer's opinion, to emphasize the fact that this is an extraordinarily small world we live in. Everyone, and I mean everyone, in this film is perfect for their parts. In the past, I have questioned some of the names in the credits, but rest assured everyone was excellent. Sandra Bullock plays Jean, who is the wife of Los Angeles District Attorney, Rick, played by Brendan Fraser. These two represent the upscale, rich class of Los Angeles. Jean and Rick are spending the night on the town and having a good time. When Jean spots two black men, Anthony (Ludacris) and Peter (Larenz Tate), walking towards them, she grabs Rick's arm tightly. Anthony and Peter approach Rick and Jean and carjack them. The next morning, Rick is preparing Michael Jackson is currently on trial because he has been accused of molesting a 13-year-old child. The trial is in Santa Maria, Calif.. behaved poorly and went through drawers, forcing her to throw away several sterilized items. On cross-examination, Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen asked why the children had been designated "VIP patients." Seamount said that if patients had special needs they were designated VIPs, which might grant them special privileges in terms of scheduling. She said Neverland ranch manager Joe Marcus had told for a press conference and cursing the fact that he cannot describe how is car was stolen because he was afraid of losing the African-American and young male demographic votes in the upcoming election. Jean hires a Latino locksmith to replace the locks of her house. When she spots tattoos on his arms, she demands that a new locksmith replace the locks again in the morning. Ryan Phillippe and Matt Dillon play polar opposite corrupt police officers. Phillippe is a somewhat rookie officer, which offsets the experienced officer played by Dillon. Dillon has been stressing because his father has a severe urinary tract infection that the insurance company refuses to have acknowledged by a doctor. He is under extreme pressure because of his daily stress on duty and his nights losing sleep as he listens to his father crying in the bathroom. Nothing more will be said about these two Photo courtesy of www.foxnews.com someone in her office that the children were high profile and may be recognizable. Defense attorneys are awaiting a ruling from the judge on a request to call a Jackson employee to testify that the accuser's sister said her mother and the mother's boyfriend were planning "something big" involving Jackson. Prosecutors say the statements are hearsay and should not be admitted. Entertainment except they were tremendous in their parts. The most shocking performances come in a scene involving the locksmith, his daughter, and an Arabic store owner. Don Cheadle plays a detective and it is revealed in the middle of the movie that he is also the brother of Peter. His saga revolves around his drug addicted mother and the cold relationship they share. Keep in mind too that this is the directorial debut for Paul Haggis, who just won an Academy Award this year for his screenplay for Million Dollar Baby. He wrote a fantastic screenplay that clearly shows that we can change our behavior, and that we have to be respectful of everyone in this world. Everybody is different, but we need to love one another instead of showing plain ignorance. Remember this name because even though we are still early into the 2005 film season, this will be a film recognized come next February. TV's Chappelle Show suspended By The Associated Press NEW YORK - Comedian Dave Chappelle wants to set things straight: "I'm not crazy, I'm not smoking crack," he tells Time magazine in an interview more than a week after his hit Comedy Central show was suspended and the rumors started to fly. "I'm definitely stressed out," said Chappelle, who took off last month to South Africa for a "spiritual retreat," leaving his fans - and even his agent and publicist - wondering where he went. "You hear so many voices jockeying for position in your mind that you want to make sure that you hear your own voice," he said. "So I figured, let me just cut myself off from everybody, take a minute and pull a Flintstone - stop a speeding car by using my bare feet as the brakes." After Comedy Central announced that the planned May 31 debut of the third season of "Chappelle's Show" had been postponed, the magazine Entertainment Weekly reported that Chappelle had checked himself into a mental health facility in South Africa. "I'm not in a mental facility," said Chappelle, who also said he did not have a drug problem but had consulted a psychiatrist for one 40-minute visit. The 31-year-old comedian f Cinema Thandie Newton (left) and Matt Dillon (right) star in the recently re leased "Crash." The film was written and directed by Paul Haggis. said he fled to stay with friends in Durban because he wasn't happy with the direction of the show, which is behind only "South Park" as Comedy Central's most watched program. "There's a lot of resistance to my opinions, so I decided, 'Let me remove myself from this situation," Chappelle said. Comedy Central president Doug Herzog told Time that the star has "complete creative freedom." He has told staff he believes there won't be a "Chappelle's Show" in 2005, but leaves the option open for the comedian's return. Chappelle, whose wife and two children live in Ohio, said he hopes to start up the show again, but did not indicate when he would return. Comedy Central had inked a reported $5O million deal to keep "Chappelle's Show" for two more seasons, and the comedian hinted to Time about struggles associated with the power and fame that come with that kind of success "If you don't have the right people around you, and you're moving at a million miles an hour, you can lose yourself," he said. "Everyone around me says, 'You're a genius, you're great, that's your voice,' but I'm not sure that they're right." The Capital Times, May 16, 2005 Mikado brings flavor to area live oysters and scallops on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. A lovely private dining room, complete with hibachi grill, is accommodating for large groups, and Mikado is currently BYOB. Reservations are encouraged, as both the hibachi and dining room seating fill up quickly. In days past, Mikado was a title used for Japanese emperors, and Americans loved the Japanese steakhouse concept. The latter remains true, and the experience and eye for detail incorporated into Mikado make it a burnished version of the original- kaokkii! MIKADO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR 4920 Carlisle Pike Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 (717) 761-5133 Fax: (717) 761-5132 HOURS: Lunch- Mon.-Sat.- 11am-2pm Dinner: Sun.-Thurs.- 4:3opm -9:3opm Fri.-Sat.- 4:3opm-10:30pm Credit Cards: All major No Smoking BYOB Take-out available Photo courtesy of www.joblo.com MIKADO cont'd from 9