Page 20 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • March 24, 2010 Kinnear’s Poundstone is a typical Hollywood villain -- the guy in power whose goal is far different from the one he is supposed to pursue. Greengrass never really gets into the mind of Poundstone, settling instead on depicting him as a wormy, deceitful martinet. Ryan’s Dayne, based on “The New York Times” reporter Judith Miller, is a composite of the many reporters who failed to probe the rationale behind the invasion. She tries to get to the bottom of why the intelligence is leading nowhere, but is being duped. Movies about the Iraq war have not been successful at the box office. Even “The Hurt Locker,” this year’s Best Picture Academy Award winner, earned only $21 million at the time of the awards. After such films as “Rendition” and “Lions for Lambs” tanked at the box office, Hollywood switched gears by toning down politics in favor of emphasis on the people on the front lines. “Stop-Loss” and “Brothers” are effective movies that dealt with the psychological effects of war on those who fought on foreign turf. “The Green Zone,” rated R for violence and strong language, attempts to tackle the bad politics that got us into war, but defeats its own purpose by putting too many ingredients in the blender. There is enough here for a couple of movies, and the issues are merely skimmed so action can dominate the screen. Army is a legion of “warrior monks” with psychic powers who can read the enemy’s thoughts, pass through walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it. When the program’s founder (Jeff Bridges) goes missing, Bob decides to tag along on Cassady’s mission to find him. This quest leads them to a secret training camp run by renegade psychic Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey) and the reporter becomes trapped in a grudge match between the New Earth Army and Hooper’s personal militia of supersoldiers. However, the movie never makes a point. The movie is available in DVD and Blu-ray. Banshee!!!” (MVD Entertainment) is a horror flick about a group of college pals on a camping trip who are stalked and slashed by an unknown creature with the ability to make them hallucinate in response to sound waves. Except for the sound causing hallucinations gimmick, director Colin Theys incorporates practically every horror cliché. The mouthless banshee is creepy, as it is equipped with vibrating flaps enabling it to emit sound and shape shift. There is a fair amount of suspense, but the characters are mere creature fodder. ‘The Green Zone’ (continued from Entertainment page) of what Miller is encountering. Of course, the viewer has the benefit of hindsight, while Miller is first wandering through a maze of inconsistencies, politics, clandestine agendas, and red herrings. Damon’s Miller is appropriately courageous, highminded, patriotic, and intelligent, so the viewer is in his corner. The script by Brian Helgeland, however, is like a burst piñata, with a shower of subplots, characters, and themes. The movie eventually settles into a competent action picture rather than a methodical look at the waste the war has caused in lives, money, and political capital. It also touches on journalistic complacency, one of the reasons many Americans initially accepted going to war with Iraq. Damon dominates “The Green Zone,” and it might have served the film better if director Greengrass had provided more screen time to Gleeson, whose character is merely a sketch. When a director has an actor of the caliber of Gleeson, he should exploit that talent and provide a larger role. ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 ARIES - - Mar 21/Apr 20 Spend the week in bright, upbeat Spend the week in a abright, upbeat mood. Others will find your positive mood. Others will find your positive state of mind contagious and will join state of mind contagious and will join in. Expect some romantic company on in. Expect some romantic company on Wednesday, Aries. Wednesday, Aries. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 TAURUS - - Apr 21/May 21 Be kind to everyone you meet this Be kind to everyone you meet this week, Taurus. You never know when week, Taurus. You never know when someone important close by. A consomeone important isis close by. A confirmation on Thursday gets you thinkfirmation on Thursday gets you thinking about new work ventures. ing about new work ventures. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 GEMINI - - May 22/Jun 21 Jokes and gossip will get you noJokes and gossip will get you nowhere, Gemini. Don’t waste time in where, Gemini. Don’t waste time in idle conversation around the water idle conversation around the water cooler. Someone you trust turns on cooler. Someone you trust turns on you this week. you this week. CANCER Jun 22/Jul 22 CANCER - - Jun 22/Jul 22 You are suspicious of someone’s genYou are suspicious of someone’s generosity this week, Cancer. Stop worerosity this week, Cancer. Stop worrying about the motives and enjoy the rying about the motives and enjoy the surprise with appreciation. A family surprise with appreciation. A family member needs you today. member needs you today. LEO Jul 23/Aug 23 LEO - - Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, don’t match wits with SagitLeo, don’t match wits with Sagittarius or Aries. This will only lead to tarius or Aries. This will only lead to trouble or unruly competition. Unless trouble or unruly competition. Unless you want an adversary this week, steer you want an adversary this week, steer clear of those signs. clear of those signs. VIRGO Aug 24/Sept 22 VIRGO - - Aug 24/Sept 22 There cannot be two alpha dogs in There cannot be two alpha dogs in a a pack, so accept that you cannot alpack, so accept that you cannot always be in control, Virgo. Concede to ways be in control, Virgo. Concede to the person who challenging you this the person who isis challenging you this week. week. LIBRA Sept 23/Oct 23 LIBRA - - Sept 23/Oct 23 Your presence in demand, Libra, Your presence isisin demand, Libra, much more so than in recent weeks. much more so than in recent weeks. Keep up the honesty and amiability Keep up the honesty and amiability and others will continue to flock to and others will continue to flock to your side. your side. SCORPIO Oct 24/Nov 22 SCORPIO - - Oct 24/Nov 22 Romance in the air, Scorpio, but Romance isisin the air, Scorpio, but youcan’t help but have feelings of can’t help but have feelings of you jealousy in relation to your romantic jealousy in relation to your romantic partner. Stop worrying, this person partner. Stop worrying, this person only has eyes for you. only has eyes for you. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23/Dec 21 SAGITTARIUS - - Nov 23/Dec 21 Positive energy and grand gestures Positive energy and grand gestures make you hit with people both at make you a ahit with people both at work and home, Sagittarius. Just don’t work and home, Sagittarius. Just don’t let all the attention go to your head. let all the attention go to your head. CAPRICORN Dec 22/Jan 20 CAPRICORN - - Dec 22/Jan 20 Believe in your senses first you usuBelieve in your senses first ---- you usually have good way of determining ally have a agood way of determining ifif danger lies ahead, Capricorn. If you danger lies ahead, Capricorn. If you need second opinion, trust Scorpio. need a a second opinion, trust Scorpio. AQUARIUS Jan 21/Feb 18 AQUARIUS - - Jan 21/Feb 18 Exclusive opportunities come your Exclusive opportunities come your way by Wednesday, Aquarius. Take way by Wednesday, Aquarius. Take this information as confidence boost this information as a a confidence boost and the chance to have leg up on the and the chance to have a a leg up on the competition. competition. PISCES Feb 19/Mar 20 PISCES - - Feb 19/Mar 20 You have been feeling bit down and You have been feeling a a bit down and will look to friends to help you through will look to friends to help you through this rough patch, Pisces. You’ll bounce this rough patch, Pisces. You’ll bounce back fast enough. back fast enough. DVDs (continued from Restaurant page) look of a tough Marine, but when he frolics with his kids, he is silly and playful. The contrast between these scenes and those in Afghanistan is dramatic. Gyllenhaal has the less showy role, but he undertakes it effectively. “Brothers” is not political. It is about people whose lives are touched by someone fighting a war on two fronts, in a foreign land and on the home front, where comfort and security have given way to tension and fear. Extras include director’s commentary and two featurettes. “The Men Who Stare at Goats” (Anchor Bay) focuses on reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), who is in search of his next big story when he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a shadowy personality who claims to be part of an experimental U.S. military unit that is changing the way wars are fought. According to Cassady, this New Earth Answer to Last Week’s Puzzle Answer to Last Week’s Puzzle