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Honolulu Diary Michelle Ramos |
The price is right when
the movie is good funREMEMBER when you could watch a new movie for $5.50? You still can. Consolidated Theatres sometimes accepts GMTs at its sneak previews. We saw The Rock in "Walking Tall" Saturday at Ward Theatres and didn't have to pay the standard $9 ticket fee. You can purchase GMTs at Tesoro locations when you fill your tank. Based on a true story, The Rock plays Chris Vaughn, a former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces team who returns to his hometown and finds that there have been many unfavorable changes to the quiet, respectable area. Armed with a 2-by-4, The Rock sets out to become sheriff of the town and with the help of his childhood friend Ray Templeton (Johnny Knoxville), who he names deputy sheriff, the two beat out the gambling, drugs and corruption. "Walking Tall" opens Friday and is rated PG-13. Parents might be warned there are a few peep-show scenes and girls scantily clad in the casino and, as expected, lots of violence. The film runs about 75 minutes short.
Also previewed was "The Prince & Me" starring Julia Stiles. It's your average chick flick, relatively safe for the whole family (there's only one make-out scene). It also opens Friday.
I ADMIT IT, I loved Barry Manilow songs when he was churning out hits in the late '70s. He knew how to write the songs, so I jumped at the chance to see "Copacabana" at Manoa Valley Theatre last week. Manilow collaborated with Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman to write more songs for the stage production. Eletei Tatafu Jr. is the male lead, and is only 22. Manilow's song "Copacabana" came out in 1978 -- four years before Tatafu was born and he'd never heard the song before he landed the role. (Cast members were given CDs of the Broadway version to study.) He heard the original song after buying a Barry Manilow CD last Friday, more than two weeks after the production opened. Now that he's heard Manilow sing "Copacabana," will he change his performance? "I don't think so," he said. "I'm already locked into how we do it." "Copacabana" has been extended through April 11. Tickets are $20 to $35. Call 988-6131 ...
2 COUTURE designer Takeo is back in town after celebrating his birthday in San Francisco. We won't say which birthday ... Who knew Jason Momoa is an artist as well as an actor and athlete? Momoa spent eight months in Australia, where he had an art gallery show in Sydney. He'll be back in Hawaii soon to shoot a Fox TV pilot ...
THANKS FOR reading my first column. If you've got something to share and/or know of something going on, drop me an e-mail note. Snail mailers can write me at 500 Ala Moana, Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813, and the phone (529-4326) works too. See ya next Tuesday!
Honolulu Diary runs every Tuesday. Send items to mramos@starbulletin.com
