Entertainment

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Andy Garcia overcomes problems with the storyline in "Night Falls on Manhattan."

Is it just me, or does Robin Williams make anyone else nervous? I certainly don't hate him. And his talent is a given. He was excellent in "Awakenings," "The Birdcage" and the various "Comic Relief" specials. In his interviews he comes off as someone far more thoughtful and likable than a pathetic pseudo-macho fraud such as Bruce Willis. But sometime around "Hook" (1991), Williams started giving me the serious willies.

If you're a Woody Allen fan, there are times when you suspect the man can do anything. Then you come to your senses. "Interiors" and "September" proved that straight drama is sometimes beyond his reach. And now, if "Everyone Says I Love You" is any indication, Allen probably shouldn't attempt to make any more musicals.

Two of Spokane's top jazz bands swing into Hobart's Jazz Lounge this weekend. Tonight, it's Fuego, a horn-heavy outfit led by the husband/wife team of Steve Maurer and Terry Cooly. Fuego cranks out bright, danceable Latin sounds and since they haven't checked in at Hobart's for a while, there's probably some pent-up dance energy floating around town.

Try as they might, Michael Richards, left, and Jeff Daniels can't save a poorly scripted movie.

Glenn Close and Julianna Marguilies in "Paradise Road."

The hot months ahead offer an eclectic mix of entertainment and fun things to do. To help readers plan their social schedules so they don't miss a beat, we'll publish an entertainment guide for summer. To be listed, send us the name of the event, the date, time, ticket information and a phone number where we can get additional information. Submit information by June 20 to: Weekend Guide, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, 999 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99210; fax it to (509) 459-5098; or e-mail it to susane@spokesman.com.

Two weekends down, 10 days to go and 74-odd films yet to see. We're three-fifths of the way through the 23rd Seattle International Film Festival, and some of us are getting a bit punchy. Maybe what's getting to us is the long hours spent watching dancing images of light waft through the darkened interiors of aging theaters. Maybe it's the uncompromising hardness of the seats in those same theaters. Could be it's just the 600-mile drive from Spokane to Seattle and back.

Check out Cuba Gooding's Oscar-winning performance in "Jerry Maguire."

Director James Cameron's megabudget film "Titanic" will sail past the long summer season and open instead on the weekend before Christmas, as the costliest movie of all time has proved too technically demanding to complete on time. By shifting the release date from July 2 to Dec. 19, sources at the two studios bringing the story of the doomed oceanliner to the big screen said Cameron simply needed more time to finish such things as the optical effects.

1. Be ready to dance to the music of Lol Tolhurst at Ichabod's. 2. Rick Derringer plays hard-edged blues at the Brewery.

There's something for everyone at the Spring Fair Spectacular, but it's truly for those who love the smell of vehicle exhaust and the earth-shaking rumble of trucks outfitted with tires taller than they are. The fair began Thursday and continues through Sunday at the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds. The fair's key draw is the Motorsport Spectacular, which will feature monster truck racing, a monster truck wheel stand competition, and an ugly truck competition for local vehicles. And if you thought snowmobiles were for use on snow, be sure to catch the snowmobile drag racing - on dirt.

I have seen the future of dining and it is at your neighborhood supermarket. There are now at least three spots in Spokane - the two Huckleberrys and Harry O's - to sup on flashy, yupscale food and pick up groceries at the same time.

Sam (Matthew Broderick) and Maggie (Meg Ryan) team up to spy on Sam's old girlfriend.

Last weekend was one of those magical times in Seattle when the sun was out, the air was warm and the blue sky competed for attention with the snow-tipped peaks of both the Olympics and Mount Rainier. Not that I saw much of it. When the Seattle International Film Festival is in session, I see mostly the dark insides of Capitol Hill movie theaters. The 10 films I saw on the opening weekend of SIFF 23 led me to believe that this year's lineup of 190 movies might be better than normal. And the descriptions of films that play today through Sunday only add to that feeling.

Frantisek Louka (Zdenek Sverak) is a Czech who is left to care for a young Russian boy, Kolya (Andrej Chalimon).

1. At top, a view of The Floating Restaurant on Lake Pend Oreille. Photo by Leslie Kelley/The Spokesman-Review 2. Diners enjoy a leisurely lunch at Klink's at Williams Lake. Photo by Liz Kishimoto/The Spokesman-Review 3. Sandy Klinkenberg prepares a salad in the kitchen of Klinks at Williams Lake. Photo by Liz Kishimoto/The Spokesman-Review

Imagine there is this multiple-choice question you have to answer one that will change your life forever. Do you want to: A) Continue with law school - the safe choice, something in which you've already invested years of your life. Or B) Join a band that has generated quite a buzz around the country, that has just lost its drummer and really wants YOU to step in. No, you can't pick both. A or B?