October 12, 2000

Cover Story
Making Tracks
Racing fans make their weekly pilgrimage to Sunshine Speedway where, around every bend, there's a wreck just waiting to happen.

• Cow pasture was built for speed
  With its wooden bleachers, cheap food, rock-concert loudness and occasional drivers' feud, Sunshine Speedway is a reminder of what racing was like decades ago.

Film
A vote for 'The Contender'
This partisan drama doesn't hide its liberal bias, but moviegoers of any political stripe can enjoy its strong performances and compelling story.

Charmed, I'm sure
Women of many sorts are celebrated in director Robert Altman's entertaining, if not important, movie. Richard Gere's Dr. T is at the center of the swirling story.

These dogs know only one trick
Writer/actor/director Christopher Guest and collaborator Eugene Levy aren't at their brilliant best, but their latest "mockumentary" is a fun show.

Satan takes a walk on the mild side
Evil on film has never been as innocuous and downright confusing as it is in Lost Souls. Forget what The Exorcist led you to expect of devilish doings: Here, your head is the one that will be spinning.

Subtitles galore and more
The 11th annual Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival continues through Sunday with a bunch of foreign language films, several more in English and a street fair on Franklin Street Mall.

Family Movie Guide
The Family Movie Guide should be used along with the Motion Picture Association of America rating system for selecting movies suitable for children. Films are categorized as "recommended" for family viewing, "recommended with reservations" and "not recommended" for family viewing, with a description of content that led to that categorization. Compiled by St. Petersburg Times film critic Steve Persall.

Also in Theaters
Hank Greenberg was a trailblazer in professional sports, the first Jewish baseball star when our national pastime was an exclusively white, Christian endeavor. Aviva Kempner's wonderful documentary, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, returns this weekend to Tampa Bay after two showings at local Jewish film festivals this year. The film is packed with celebrity commentary on Greenberg's impact, from actor Walter Matthau to lawyer Alan Dershowitz, along with marvelous archival footage. The film, which received an A grade in a Times review, will be shown at Veterans 24 in Tampa, Woodlands Square 20 in Oldsmar and Beach Theatre in St. Pete Beach. See Steve Persall's column in Friday's Floridian section for an interview with Kempner about her project.

Persall's Top Five
Recent releases recommended by Times film critic Steve Persall

Art
More galleries, art lovers walk the walk
The Downtown Arts Association's number is up. Take it as a sign of life.

Art: Best Bets
Art critic Mary Ann Marger's recommendations for this weekend. .

Art: Hot Ticket
Art follows life

Pop
A few words with Brian Wilson
Pop's most famous recluse talks (a little bit) about his tour based on his great album Pet Sounds.

Pop: Ticket Window
On the horizon

Pop: Hot Ticket
Little Feat reborn

Team Pop Trivia
Last week's question: Whoa, you

Video
'Eastern Western,' romantic comedy rate second looks
Here is what reviewers thought of this week's new video releases back when they were released on the big screen. Second thoughts include hindsight about the movies, what they'll be like on video and suggestions about who might want to rent them.

Stage
Harpist comes home for recital
A lot has happened for the principal harp for New York's Metropolitan Opera since she graduated from St. Petersburg High School. Among her experiences: a life-changing illness.

Stage: Ticket Window
On the horizon

Stage: Hot ticket
Solo flight

Night Life
Get comfortable in the Living Room
Dress to impress, but expect the comforts of home -- sofas, an eat-in kitchen and big-screen TVs -- at this Clearwater night spot.

Night Life: Check these out
Some other, similar night spots in the Tampa Bay area:

Dine
A waltz of flavors
Cafe Vienna offers cream sauces that comfort, a delicacy in salads, refinement in meat and potatoes and desserts to linger over.

Side Dish
NEW IN TOWN

Cheap Thrill
Chris Sherman designates his favorites where you can eat happily for $10 or less as Cheap Thrills.

Get Away
Prepare to be scared
Halloween used to be just for kids, but that ended years ago, once the kids grew up but didn't grow out of their love for dressing up.

Busch Gardens digs up Howl-O-Scream
The Tampa theme park sets out to scare you more than the Orlando attractions.

A frightfully good time
The haunting has begun around Tampa Bay.

Get Away: Hot Ticket
Hot rods roll in