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"Revolutions" reveals that underneath the philosophy, allegory, and intellectual pretension of "The Matrix" is a great big wad of nothing.

11:00 PM, Nov 4, 2003 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

THE INITIAL IMPULSE is to declare that "The Matrix: Revolutions" does for "The Matrix" what "Return of the Jedi" did for "Star Wars." That isn't, however, entirely fair. It would be more accurate to compare "Revolutions" with "Attack of the Clones." After all, while "Jedi" might have cast aspersions on the worth of the original "Star Wars," it was "Attack of the Clones" which finally bulldozed the original trilogy's legacy.

"Revolutions" eats all of the goodwill built up by "The Matrix," and then some.

The new movie "Shattered Glass" believes that Stephen Glass's mad genius made it impossible to stop him before he was caught. There is evidence to suggest otherwise.

11:00 PM, Oct 30, 2003 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

"SHATTERED GLASS" is a slim, reedy film. It presents the now-familiar story of Stephen Glass as a cautionary tale and then offers up a hero in the person of Chuck Lane, the New Republic editor who fired Glass.

What the Scary Movie franchise means for the future of the film spoof. Plus, why won't Nicole Kidman get fat?

12:00 AM, Oct 24, 2003 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

WHEN YOU REVIEW MOVIES you occasionally have to go to more than one screening a day. This isn't any sort of hardship, but it can result in bizarre pairings. The weirdest movie day I've had was in the summer of '98 when I saw "Saving Private Ryan" at 10:00 a.m., followed, a few short hours later, by "There's Something About Mary."

A few days ago I caught a screening of the earnestly pretentious adaptation of Philip Roth's "The Human Stain." Lots of Anthony Hopkins's winter passion and Nicole Kidman's flat little stomach.

From the October 10, 2003 Wall Street Journal: Why Hollywood is ignoring the biggest story of the day.

12:00 AM, Oct 13, 2003 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

THIS PAST WEEKEND marked the beginning of prestige season at the movies. The rollout of Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" will be followed in the coming weeks by "The Matrix: Revolutions," "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King," "Cold Mountain," "The Human Stain" and other high-profile releases. What you won't see this fall--or winter, or spring, or summer for that matter--is a single movie about the war on terror.

It's a little hard to believe. Yes, we have had a small-screen documentary and the film version of a play ("The Guys"), both about Sept. 11 itself.

Quentin Tarantino and "Kill Bill" pay homage to the samurai epic, shower the audience with blood, and dilute pop culture.

8:15 AM, Oct 10, 2003 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

IT'S NOT NEWS to report that trailers are often better than the movies they advertise. Some of the best trailers in recent years--"The Phantom Menace," "Mission: Impossible 2," "Pearl Harbor," "Eyes Wide Shut"--have been for movies which can only be charitably considered middling.

Are movies getting worse, or are trailers getting better? Probably a little of both. No need to repeat the state-of-the-industry lament here, but it is worth considering whether the art of trailer-making is now entering its golden age.

The Dixie Chicks have decided that they aren't a country music group any more. What are they thinking?

12:00 AM, Sep 24, 2003 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

"I think [the Dixie Chicks] will go down as one of the biggest acts in the format, and by doing so--by staying true to their country roots and to country music--they will be a turning point for the industry.

A meditation on 9/11, thoughts on Mecca, observations of recall, and more.

12:00 AM, Sep 15, 2003 • By

THE DAILY STANDARD welcomes letters to the editor. Letters will be edited for length and clarity and must include the writer's name, city, and state.

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Editor's note: THE DAILY STANDARD received the following email at 9:01 a.m. on September 11, 2003; here is the text in full:

The keyboard is a coward's excuse to mutter words they would never in person . . . Zionist scum . . . you know nothing of Islam . . . give thanks and reflect on this holiday we've given you today. . .

Lionel Chetwynd's "DC 9/11" tells the story behind the policy change brought on by September 11.

12:00 AM, Sep 5, 2003 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

IT'S AN OPEN QUESTION as to whether or not a great movie will ever be made about September 11. Historical events don't always lend themselves to good filmmaking. The Holocaust has translated well; Pearl Harbor has never been done justice.

It is a small mercy that no Michael Bay or Jerry Bruckheimer has yet tried to make an epic September 11 movie.

From the August 29, 2003 Wall Street Journal: Infidels are forbidden from entering the city of Mecca (pop. 1.2 million). A look at Saudi Arabia's religious apartheid.

12:00 AM, Sep 2, 2003 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

IF YOU JUDGE by the pictures, the Makkah Hilton is a nice place to stay. There's just one catch, as the Web site notes. The five-star hotel "is exclusively sited within the Holy City which, by national and religious law, is only accessible to visitors of the Muslim Religion."

This law is something of a singularity among major religions, because it isn't merely the Grand Mosque that is off-limits to nonbelievers, the way, for instance, a Mormon Temple is. It's a city--a major city with hotels, supermarkets, schools and a population of 1.2 million people.

The case of the New Jersey valedictorian comes to an end as the teen settles her lawsuit with the town.

10:15 AM, Aug 20, 2003 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

BLAIR HORNSTINE has settled her lawsuit against Moorestown Township. Hornstine is the recent graduate of Moorestown High School who sued the town in order to remain sole valedictorian. The settlement was reached late yesterday afternoon.

According to the settlement papers, Blair Hornstine will receive $60,000--$45,000 of which is earmarked for attorneys' fees. Hornstine's original suit sought $2.7 million in damages and by the end of June insiders were estimating that her lawyers' tab was already near $50,000.

Kuwaiti conspiracy theory, a New York Times contributor defends the practice of lying to reporters, and more.

12:00 AM, Jul 21, 2003 • By

THE DAILY STANDARD welcomes letters to the editor. Letters will be edited for length and clarity and must include the writer's name, city, and state.

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Jonathan V. Last writes: "So here the Times is, acting no better than a flailing dot-com or a middle-rank member of Congress. They obfuscated. Then they lied.

In addition to making a spectacle of himself on "Charlie Rose," Howell Raines exposed the New York Times as having lied to reporters.

12:00 AM, Jul 18, 2003 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

HOWELL RAINES'S appearance on "The Charlie Rose Show" last Friday was filled with delicious moments. Andrew Sullivan (channeling Leon Wieseltier) has done a small dissection and other journalists have merrily piled on. It now seems possible that Raines could become not just a disgraced editor, but might actually descend into Pat Buchanan/Jack Kemp/Ramsey Clark territory.

From the July 7 / July 14, 2003 issue: The valedictorian sued, and the town turned on her.

Jul 7, 2003, Vol. 8, No. 42 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

Moorestown, New Jersey

From the June 2, 2003 issue: Jonathan V. Last, commencement spectator.

Jun 2, 2003, Vol. 8, No. 37 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

A DARK CLOUD sat low over Smith College on graduation Sunday. The venerable women's school had inexplicably decided to celebrate its 125th commencement by inviting a controversial ideologue to speak.

"The Matrix: Reloaded" piles on the detail, dabbles with higher math, and makes a star out of Cornel West.

12:00 AM, May 15, 2003 • By JONATHAN V. LAST

YOU MAY NOT remember this, but "The Matrix" earned a respectable, yet modest $27 million during its opening weekend way back in 1999. It went on to gross $171 million domestically, an impressive total. (As a rule of thumb, movies typically end up grossing about three times their opening weekend. In many ways this "multiple" is a better indicator of a movie's impact than its opening weekend performance.

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