By Jared Curtis jared@dmcityview.com
‘Defendor’
Directed by Peter Stebbings
Rated R, 95 minutes
Move over Batman; step aside Superman; there is a new savior of the people. Arthur Poppington (Woody Harrelson) is an average, ordinary guy, but at night he dons a black suit with a duct-taped “D” on his chest and battles evildoers as Defendor. Arthur is a little on the slow side, but ever since his drug-addicted mother left him, he made it his life goal to wipe out drug dealers. He doesn’t have a cool, tech-filled lair (he lives in a rundown building) or super powers (he uses an array of common items such as road flares, marbles, sling shots, swarms of hornets and a trench bat), but he has heart and determination. “Defendor” isn’t as gory, action packed or over the top as “Kick-Ass,” but I enjoyed it more and encourage everyone to seek it out. CV
‘Kingpin’
Directed by The Farrelly Brothers
1996, Rated R, 117 minutes
Although “The Big Lebowski” is the greatest bowling movie ever made, “Kingpin” comes in at a close second. Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) is a bowling prodigy who wins the 1979 Iowa state amateur championship. On the professional bowlers tour, he meets Ernie “Big Ern” McCracken (Bill Murray in one of his greatest roles). Even though McCracken seems friendly, he ultimately gets Munson’s hand cut off after a hustle goes bad. Fast forward to present day — Munson is now a drunk who can’t pay his rent. But after discovering Ishmael (Randy Quaid), a talented Amish bowler, Munson convinces him to enter a tournament in Las Vegas. Once they arrive at the tournament, they discover Big Ern is also competing, and the battle begins. “Kingpin” is laugh-out-loud-funny and is easily The Farrelly brothers’ (“There’s Something About Mary”) best film. CV
