Entertainment

PRIDE WEEK, packed full of events, is coming. Now, I know most of you probably are wondering what Spokane could have for Pride Week that possibly might interest you. Well, drop the pessimism. Pride Week has several fun activities. Definitely check out the films that will be here. Each film fest I've been to in the area has been much better than expected. This is also a primo opportunity to take advantage of my subject last week – dates. I've met several people at Pride activities that have become great friends.

"Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" (Bravo, Tuesdays) is back for another season of amazing heterosexual makeovers. That's great news for all of the fashionably challenged boyfriends out there, but my question is: Does this experiment really work? I bet if we followed up with a few of last season's "projects," we would find them wearing their old hockey jerseys, drinking tall glasses of Milwaukee's best while sitting on spaghetti-stained La-Z-Boys in front of their televisions. Wait, isn't that where the turquoise chaise longue used to sit? And what happened to the Feng Shui theme they were going for?

"Backyard Baseball" ••• (out of four)

"Monster"• Movies about murder are seldom pleasant to watch. Double that feeling for serial murder. Yet art isn't always pleasant, and while writer-director Patty Jenkins' film "Monster" is arguably not high art, Charlize Theron's savage impersonation of Aileen Wuornos certainly is. Wuornos is the woman who was executed by the state of Florida in 2001 for having shot and killed seven men in 1989-90. Jenkins' film tells a based-on-truth story of the murders, of Wuornos' relationship with her youthful partner (Selby in the movie, played by Christina Ricci) and of her eventual capture and trial. All of it is an exercise in artistic license, including Theron's performance. But what the normally lithe, leggy, Hollywood blonde does is grab the screen and put on a performance that is jaw-droppingly intense. She doesn't act like Wuornos so much as channel her, going far beyond the makeup, dark contacts, prosthetic teeth and added weight. The mannerisms are all hers, from the jutted-out chin to the stride of swagger that masks an insecurity dating back to childhood abuse. In the end, despite Wuornos' claims that she shot the men in self-defense because they were going to rape her, the movie doesn't make much of a case for her being a victim. But it does offer Theron an opportunity to show us the pain and angst caused by a life fueled on rage so hot that it virtually glows. – Dan Webster, The Spokesman-Review. (DVD, VHS; 1:50) Rated R (strong violence and sexual content, and for pervasive language).

Harry Potter is 13 now, an awkward age for anyone – even a boy wizard armed with magical powers. But "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," the third film in the series, couldn't be more self-assured.

WHADDUP, DAWG? You still usin' that wack steelo? Talkin' all last year? You need to bounce wit' that and get caught up on the latest lingo. How are you gonna floss with blingin' ice and fly gear if you have no game? That's my word, yo. If you want to keep up with the now, you have to keep it real, yo. You'll only get sick props if you're flipping the script right, aiight?

Coming off the heels of last year's ultra-eclectic lineup, this year's Sasquatch Music Festival roster reads like an all-star compilation of the top bands in the Seattle indie-rock scene, and indeed the nation. With representation from Seattle's infamous Sub Pop label, the biggest regional draws are sure to be The Shins and Postal Service at Sasquatch, which takes place Saturday at the Gorge Amphitheatre. Other highlights include Built To Spill, The Long Winters, The Decemberists, Sleater-Kinney, Donavon Frankenreiter, The New Pornographers, Thievery Corporation, and hip-hop act The Roots, who played at the Big Easy on Wednesday.

Q: OK, I've had it. I've just dumped my third boyfriend in a row for cheating on me. I'm half furious and half depressed. Are all men dogs or am I just in an unlucky streak? Steve: Arf, arf! I think the key here is maturity. Some men mature at a faster rate than others and some (often called Peter Pans) never grow up at all. Look for a guy who is mature, unselfish and has the ability to commit to (gasp!) long-term monogamy.

What It Is: "Van Lear Rose," a collaboration between country legend Loretta Lynn and alt-rocker Jack White (yes, that Jack White, of White Stripes fame), is arguably the most anticipated album of the year. It might also be the best. What It's About: Lynn hasn't just recorded some 70 albums of classic country-music lovin', drinkin' and fightin' songs – she's lived them. From her childhood as a barefoot coal miner's daughter in the hardscrabble mountains of Butcher Holler, Ky., to her tumultuous 48-year marriage to Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn and her remarkable success as the first lady of country music, the singer has always had an extraordinary set of pipes and an innate talent for crafting a perfectly realized country tune. Now, thanks to longtime fan and newfound collaborator White, the honky-tonk girl is back on top of the Nashville heap and darn near at the top of the Billboard charts with what just might be the album of her career.

It's no secret: With its pristine beauty, sprawling panoramic view, and middle-of-nowhere charm, the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Wash., remains the pinnacle outdoor concert venue for music fans in Eastern Washington. Since the White River Amphitheatre opened last year, a couple of shows that typically have happened at the Gorge in the past – Ozzfest, Lollapalooza – have relocated to the outdoor venue outside of Seattle with similar capacity. Still, the Gorge retains some of its heaviest hitters as it announces its 2004 summer concert season, which includes big draws The KUBE Summer Jam, Dave Matthews, and the Sasquatch Music Festival, which happens Saturday (see accompanying story).

The first half of my notepad for "Raising Helen" is littered with "No ways," but the second half has more "I likes." In other words: Starts out bad, gets better. Ads make "Helen" look like a romantic comedy, but it's actually a serio-comic story in which Helen (Kate Hudson) has to grow up fast when she becomes the guardian of two nieces and a nephew. Early on, I also was annoyed to see the drably photographed Joan Cusack stuck in the pinched, no-fun role of Hudson's Laura-Ashleyed sister. And it bugged me that, like every 20-something woman in the movies, Hudson works in the fashion industry, that Paris Hilton has a cheesy cameo and that a prominent slapstick bit at a fashion show is lifted from "Sex and the City."

Boxing fans, please bow your heads in reflection. Today we say goodbye to button mashing. Who'll be first to say amen?

When Chris Pierce started jamming with Adam Jelsing a couple of years ago, the two didn't have any big ideas. They just liked playing music. Those informal jam sessions spiraled into one of the more popular, albeit younger, rock bands on the local circuit – Horrible Disaster. "We started as a two-piece. I didn't think it would become a full band. We were just trying to have some fun. I'm surprised that we've been playing a lot of shows," Pierce said. It's not just the number of shows Horrible Disaster plays, it's also the quality of the shows.

We walked into Kim Do, the friendly little (50-seat) Vietnamese restaurant near the Gonzaga District, and the aroma hit us like heady perfume. We detected lemon grass, cilantro, fresh basil, lime and other sweetly aromatic flavors of Vietnamese cuisine. "That's a good sign," said one of our dining companions, who we'll call the Culinary Curmudgeon. "This joint even smells good."

There are three things on this Earth my 2-year-old son will sit still for: SpongeBob SquarePants (what is it with that yellow bedlamite?), raisins (shhh … he still thinks they are candy) and, well … OK, so there are two things. Giving him a bath has been like Ali-Frazier since he was a year old, especially when it comes to washing his hair.

When rock star gods The Makers return to Spokane on Saturday night, it is sure to be packed at The B-Side, 230 W. Riverside Ave. What is there to say that hasn't already been said about The Makers? You know the story of how the former Spokane band did what every Spokane band dreams of doing: moving to Seattle, blowing up, and signing with the famous Sub Pop records. You know they give one hell of a rockin' show, complete with audacious rock-star posturing that's obnoxious to the point of endearing and, in fact, essential. So, since you know The Makers M.O., let's focus some attention on one of the band's who will carry the burden of getting you sticky with sweat before The Makers take the stage – openers local female-fronted rock outfit Mang.