Mail: Johnny Depp

Mail: Johnny Depp

The Holiday Movie Preview (#513, Nov. 19) was full of good tidings, not least of which was the happy couple on the cover. ”You pulled off the impossible,” said Paul Rosen of Lawrenceville, N.J. ”You got both Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci to smile for a picture—at the same time!” Jonathon P. Hageali of Ypsilanti, Mich., was all smiles himself when he wrote in: ”Rarely are the big names of Hollywood portrayed in such an honest form.” Alas, not all readers were so content. Mary Gellott of Old Hickory, Tenn., was miffed at our paltry Pierce Brosnan coverage: ”What does he need to do? How about reviving the James Bond series, taking 007 into the new millennium, while simultaneously helping to keep MGM afloat?” That sounds like a good start.

DEPP DEFYING

Job well done. Any issue that takes notice of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Freaks and Geeks, and the fact that Johnny Depp is guided by the fabulous Angela Lansbury in his new movie—wow. It was absolutely great, from cover to cover.
KRIS BERGQUIST
Lincoln, Neb.

Is it at all possible for you to produce a movie article that doesn’t give away plot details (”A Head of Its Time”)? Chris Nashawaty discusses a bloody scene in Sleepy Hollow where Johnny Depp’s character chops down a tree to discover the (presumably mysterious) location of the missing heads. Well, thanks a lot, it’s not a mystery anymore! If you want to talk about the crew’s curiosity or the director’s vision, great! There’s no need to mention the exact scene, especially if it contains key plot points. Be a bit more vague. There are ways to write around it, Chris: Just sit at the typewriter a little longer.
STEPHEN FRANCIOSA JR.
Bronx, N.Y.

How long are you going to promulgate the tired old stereotype that beauty and brains are mutually exclusive (”Gentlemen Prefer Bonds”)? Denise Richards is too pretty to be a nuclear-weapons expert? A woman can have brains or breasts but not both? I hope Mensa doesn’t hear about this—they may hold a grudge.
HADLEY BELCHER
hbbelcher@yahoo.com
Independence, Mo.

LATIN QUARTERS

Basically we know that Christina Aguilera’s half-Ecuadoran heritage gave her the power to record a Spanish album (”Latin Lovers”). Okay, she was born in New York, is not fluent in Spanish, and it makes her kind of mad because a lot of other people are jumping on the bandwagon. Isn’t she one of those other people?
JILL MORTENSON
Spokane, Wash.

MOTOR MOUTH

As a lifelong Detroiter, I take great umbrage at Jim Mullen’s slam at the Motor City (Hot Sheet). Mr. Mullen compares the Y2K disaster to life in Detroit (blackouts, fires, looting, gunshots, and giant traffic jams), when everyone knows Detroit doesn’t have traffic jams.
RON HALL
ronhall@pcc.net
Huntington Woods, Mich.

‘GEEKS’ CHIC

Freaks And Geeks is one of the few shows I actually find time to watch (”Geeks Love”). I am a junior in high school and can truly relate to it because it focuses on kids who aren’t in any of the popular crowds. I connect with the characters, I laugh with them, and I am glad I spent my Saturday nights watching them. Okay, I guess I’m a geek for staying home to watch a TV show, but what am I supposed to do when a network actually puts time and effort into a show?
DANIELLE PACINI
fourjjjcl@aol.com
Hoffman Estates, Ill.

DUELING ‘POWERS’

Ty Burr provided me much-needed vindication in his review of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (”Austin Taxes”). I thought I was the only person on this planet who considered the film to be trashy and unfunny. I started to doubt my comedic taste, but finally Ty Burr stepped forth to speak the truth. This Powers is a sloppy, overrated mess of a sequel that only apes and never matches the cheeky wit and spirit of the original. To Mr. Burr I say, ”Yeah, baby!”
JUSTIN SLOSKY
jjslosky@holycross.edu
Worcester, Mass.

Ty Burr needs to check the bottom of his shoes because he stepped into a dog mine of a review while attempting to portray Mike Myers as a smug top dog. Austin Powers is great because we get to watch Myers unleash his wacky, zany, and nasty monsters on the world. My advice to Burr is to scrape off his shoes and remember that Mike Myers is only playing the role of the smug world dominator.
MARC CATTAPAN
swing_is_king@yahoo.com
Hillsboro, Ore.