Rand McNally's got nuthin' on me. I'm all over the map

Another roundup of multiple movies, mainly because I'm not sure any warrants a full post. (This from the guy who devoted several paragraphs to "Lord of the G-strings.")

Heroin good company: "The Panic in Needle Park"

Not sure why, but this always stuck in my head as a must-see. Now I realize it's because it was the last big role for Al Pacino before Michael Corleone came calling and started his amazing 1970s run. Take a look ... "Serpico," "The Godfather: Part II," "Dog Day Afternoon" ... not bad, not bad at all. "Panic" was a worthy launching point, too.

Pacino plays a heroin addict/dealer in New York's Upper West Side who brings his girlfriend down into the dumps with him. Did you ever see "Requiem for a Dream?" This isn't as stylish and doesn't have the diet pill plot, but it's a pretty stark look at people hooked on junk. (That's what they call heroin on the street. I've seen "The Sopranos.") We get needles in arms, strung-out junkies and the inevitable "addicts will do anything -- anything -- to get money for a fix."

I have no idea if movies before "Panic" showed drug addiction in such a brutal light, but regardless, it's a solid film. Pacino is good -- slick at times, wasted at others -- but I was more impressed with his girl, played by someone named Kitty Winn. Not sure I'd ever seen her, but she nails the part of innocent turned to the dark side just because she's in love. Looks like she didn't do much after that, though. That's where drugs will get you, sweetheart.

Dam if you do, dam if you don't: "Northfork"

I watched this just because it was shot near Great Falls, Montana, which I visited a couple of times for work a few years back. Never saw any film crews, but hey, Montana is a big place.

Released in 2003, "Northfork" was made by the Polish brothers, the guys who brought you -- and starred in -- "Twin Falls, Idaho," a moody, quirky tale of conjoined twins. Here they give us a moody, quirky tale of a doomed town. A group of men in the 1950s must clear out the residents of Northfork before a dam is built, forming a lake over the area. Meanwhile, a sick little boy has weird visions while hovering between life and death.

The cast is impressive: James Woods (whom you don't see much these days, it seems), Nick Nolte, Daryl Hannah, Anthony Edwards ... well, maybe that's not "impressive," but the cast isn't bad, I'll just say. I mean, we also have Jon Gries, who may be Uncle Rico to you but will always be Lazlo Hollyfeld to me. (You know, from "Real Genius." Love that movie. Kilmer needs to do more comedy, and I don't mean "The Island of Dr. Moreau.")

As for the movie overall ... eh. It seemed to be all mood and atmosphere and not much story. I'm not saying I need car chases and CGI dinosaurs, although that would have been cool in 1950s Montana. But I don't dig heavy-handed style without a sense that real stuff is happening. It was the same thing with "Twin Falls," but at least then we had conjoined twins. Ewww, gross!

Nipples? We don't need no stinkin' nipples!: "Batman Begins"

I weighed in on this after seeing it in the theater last year, and it was just as good the second time around on HBO. Seriously, what an intelligent "comic book" movie, and proof that you can tell a grown-up superhero story without pandering. (Although, technically, Batman isn't a superhero. Gadgets and ninja training aren't really superpowers, Bruce.)

While there was little chance this movie would be worse than the last installment of the previous "Batman" franchise -- Clooney can't stop making fun of his part -- who knew "Begins" would be better than all of those movies? We get a much deeper look at what led orphaned heir Bruce Wayne into crime-fighting and how he got all his toys, and there's generally a much stronger sense of purpose and dueling philosophies at stake vs. "Hey, that Joker is nuts!"

My criticisms are only minor quibbles. Michael Caine might have had too much screen time as the butler Alfred, but then again, it's nice to see that role and relationship with Bruce Wayne fleshed out. Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman are capable of so much more, but they filled their roles as Wayne's tech guy and police officer Jim Gordon just fine. Otherwise, I liked the variety of bad guys and how they were linked, and thought the story, if long, was entertaining.

That leaves the girl, and ... well, why waste time on Katie Holmes these days? All I'll say is this: Sure, it might be because she's a beard for Mr. Crazy, but I don't really think she's all that cute anymore. Back in the Dawson days, woof. Now, I'm feeling an Ellen Barkin, "eyes too far apart" thing from her. Maybe I should watch "The Gift" again and see if that changes my mind.