Film

We remember film director John Frankenheimer. His films include The Manchurian Candidate, French Connection 2 and The Birdman of Alcatraz. He died this past Saturday, at the age of 72.

Film critic Henry Sheehan reviews Mr. Deeds, starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder.

Film critic John Powers reviews "Minority Report," the new Steven Spielberg film starring Tom Cruise.

He is touring the country promoting his new film, The Bourne Identity, a thriller about a man with amnesia flushed out of the Mediterranean sea, riddled with bullet holes. Damon has been in many hit films, including The Talented Mr Ripley, Saving Private Ryan and Good Will Hunting, which he co-wrote with close friend Ben Affleck.

Film critic Henry Sheehan reviews Windtalkers, directed by John Woo and starring Nicolas Cage.

Writer John Ridley wrote the screenplay for the new film Undercover Brother, which began life as a Web site animation. The film is an action comedy replete with 1970s fashions. Ridley has also just published a novel, A Conversation with the Mann, about a black comic in the civil rights era of the early 1960s.

Film critic John Powers reviews Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Directors Chris and Paul Weitz. Their new film, About a Boy is based on the novel by Nick Hornby and is playing in theaters now. The Weitz brothers, born to fashion designer John Weitz and actress Susan Kohner, first became famous for directing the 1999 teen comedy, American Pie. They also wrote the screenplay for the animated movie Antz and directed the Chris Rock movie Down to Earth. They live in New York.

Guest film critic Armond White who writes for the New York weekly, New York Press, reviews The Sum of All Fears.

Actor and rapper Will Smith. His film Ali in which he stars as fighter Muhammad Ali is now out on video and DVD. This summer he stars in Men in Black II. Smith also starred in the films The Legend of Bagger Vance, Men In Black, Independence Day, and Six Degrees of Separation. Smith got his start as a rapper, making his first record in high school. Known as the Fresh Prince he and his friend DJ Jazzy Jeff went on to make several albums and won two Grammys and three American Music Awards. He also starred in his own TV sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Film critic John Powers

Producers, writers, directors Justine Shapiro and B.Z. Goldberg. Their new documentary film Promises takes a look at the Palestinian-Isreali conflict thru the eyes of seven children living in or near Jerusalem. It was filmed between 1997 and the summer of 2000. SHAPIRO grew up in Berkeley, California and hosts and co-writes the award-winning travel series, Lonely Planet. Goldberg was born in Boston and grew up outside of Jerusalem and has been a television journalist. Promises was broadcast on PBS last December as part of the P.O.V. series.

Film critic John Powers reviews Lagaan, the new film from India made in Bollywood which he says may be one of the few Indian films to make it big over here. Its already been released in England and is also released on DVD.

Mexican film director Alfonso Cuaron. His new film Y Tu Mama Tambien is set in Mexico and is about two teenage boys and an 'older' woman who set out on a journey. The film has been described as a 'smart and sexy new road movie' and one that transcends the usual teen road-trip genre. Cuaron previously directed two Hollywood movies, A Little Princess, and Great Expectations.

Director, co-writer Stacy Peralta of the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys. The film is about the community of skateboarders in California in the 1970s who originated extreme skateboarding. They did so in rundown urban beach neighborhood near Santa Monica and Venice called Dogtown. They became international stars. Peralta was one of the Z-boys and is considered one of the founding fathers of modern skateboarding. The film won the Audience Award and Directors Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. Theres also a companion book, Dogtown The Legend of the Z-Boys (Burning Flags Press).

Film critic Henry Sheehan reviews Spider-man.

Actor Michael J. Fox got his start acting as a teenager in the popular sitcom Family Ties. He has appeared in many movies, including Back to the Future, The Secret of My Success, and Doc Hollywood. In 1998 he announced that he had Parkinson's disease and he now heads The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. He has a new memoir, Lucky Man, (Hyperion).

Actor Bill Paxton makes his directing debut with the new psychological thriller Frailty. He also co-stars in the film, along with Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe. Paxton previously starred in Twister, A Simple Plan, One False Move and Apollo 13.

French film director Laurent Cantet. He's made two feature films, both of which focus on the world of work, and the toll that work can take on our lives. His first film, made in 1999, was Human Resources. His newest film Time Out is about a middle-aged, mid-level executive who loses his job, but doesnt tell his family. The film has just been released here and has received critical acclaim.