Drug movies stumble into theaters
By Meriah Doty
CNN
 |
Suvari's character is hooked on speed in "Spun."
Story Tools
ON CNN TV
|
'Eye on Entertainment' on CNN's 'Live Today' looks ahead to the Academy Awards, Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon ET.
|
|
(CNN) -- With drug-related films "Spun" and "Prozac Nation" opening along with suspense film "Willard" and action film "The Hunted," theater goers will be in for a bumpy ride this weekend.
Eye opener
Stay out of trouble by getting Hollywood's take on drugs -- illegal and legal.
Follow Mena Suvari, Brittany Murphy, Jason Schwartzman and John Leguizamo on a three day drugged-out escapade in "Spun," which opens in New York Friday. Suvari recently told Conan O'Brien it is an anti-drug film because the characters, who are hooked on speed, are not glorified. West coasters, look for the film next week in L.A.
Another post-teen starlet, Christina Ricci, is in a drug-themed movie all her own -- "Prozac Nation." Based on Elizabeth Wurtzel's novel, the film follows Wurtzel's struggle with depression during her first year at Harvard. Anne Heche, Michelle Williams, Jason Biggs and Jessica Lange also make appearances.
On screen
• "Willard," starring Crispin Glover opens nationally this weekend. It's a horror film about a social misfit (Glover) who raises rats. Tormented by his coworkers, he loses his grip and unleashes the little creatures in the office.
• Tommy Lee Jones is an FBI deep-woods tracker who captures an assassin (Benicio Del Toro) in the action flick "The Hunted." When he escapes, Jones' character teams up another FBI agent to hunt him down.
On the tube
• "Tyler's Ultimate" debuts Friday night at 9:30 p.m. ET on the Food Network. The show follows host Tyler Florence on his global search for the world's most delectable foods.
• This weekend's"Saturday Night Live" host is Oscar-nominated actress Salma Hayek. The musical guest is Christina Aguilera (NBC, Saturday, 11:30 p.m. ET).
• Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson mix humor with drama in HBO's "Normal" which premieres Sunday at 10 p.m. ET. A Midwestern factory worker's family is in shock after he reveals he wants a sex change operation.
Sound waves
• In their fourth decade of playing, touring and recording, The Allman Brothers Band releases "Hittin' the Note" on Tuesday (Sanctuary Records, March 18).
• Also on Tuesday, country singer Deana Carter releases "I'm Just a Girl" (Arista, March 18).
Paging readers
• Major leaguer David Wells chronicles his unbelievably wild life in "Perfect I'm Not" (Harper Collins, March 14) available on Friday.
