Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

When I speak at schools and civic groups, my topic is usually the same: Everyone’s a critic.

It’s true. You buy a ticket and speak your mind. Indeed, the single most important factor when people decide to see a movie is word of mouth: You are more likely to heed a friend’s recommendation than respond to ads or critics.

As one features editor recently put it, “We’re getting away from expertise.”

So now the Trib, having jettisoned its critic, is making do with Associated Press reviews. But they’ve added a trendy new wrinkle as Tommy D. just reported: Local film fans can apply to serve on a panel of unpaid reviewers, who will attend screenings and render opinions.

Hey, why not? In my nearly 22 years on the job, I never suggested that my opinion was inherently superior to anyone else’s. I simply tried to bring perspective and information to the table, so people who did read reviews could make, one hopes, more satisfying decisions at the ticket booth.

Maybe a panel of amateurs will do the job just as well. Maybe the new reviewing process will be seen as innovative rather than pitifully cheap and small-time.

Meanwhile, this old downsized dude carries on. We hope to have our Tampa Digital webcast going soon. Among the new releases we’ve seen lately:

“Next” (PG-13): What is up with Nicolas Cage? After flaming his skull in “Ghost Rider” he blankets his pate with a hideous yuppie wig in this mildly freaky suspense thriller about a seedy Las Vegas lounge magician who has a truly supernatural gift: He can see a minute or two into the future. It’s not much good for long-range planning, but it helps him earn a living making small bets.

The government learns of his talent and grabs him to help hunt for a renegade nuke in Los Angeles. About the same time, he falls for a much younger woman (Jessica Biel), who becomes a hostage as the feds pressure him to cooperate.

The film starts with gratifying energy and clever twists, but director Lee Tamahori (”Die Another Day”) and a team of screenwriters can’t sustain the strength past the midway mark. Based on a story by Philip K. Dick, Next” bludgeons an intriguing premise into pointless mush.

C-

“The Condemned” (R): The pro-wrestling school of drama sends another graduate to the big screen in this action-packed, brain-dead fight fest. This time it’s Steve Austin, living up to his “stone cold” stage name, as a reluctant gladiator sent to your basic remote island. That’s where 10 hardened tough guys duke it out, with the sole survivor winning his freedom. It’s great if all you want to see is brawny hulks swinging fists, sticks and whatever they can find at each other. A grunt-and-groan slugfest.

D

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