Ghost World isn't dull as tomb

<*J>Ghost World is a 21st century wonder that will have zombie-like followers for years to come. Terry Zwigoff directs a master cast, including Thora Birch (Enid), Steve Buscemi (Seymour) and Knoxville-native Brad Renfro (Josh), that gives an honest portrayal of change, prompted by the graduation of teenage cynics Enid and Rebecca. The characters are based on Daniel Clowes' underground comic, Ghost World. After the inseparable friends say good-bye to high school, dreams of getting their own apartment and pursuing a future as critics of humanity shift the friends into different directions. One of the last mischievous acts the girls pull off together involves the lovable Seymour, an avid collector of classic blues and ragtime 78s. After he places a personal advertisement in the paper, the girls decide to answer it, watching the pathetic man from afar as they stand him up in a local diner. Guilt gets the best of the girls, and they follow Seymour home, and a kinship is formed between "losers" Enid and Seymour that teaches the human element's impact on fate as the audience sees individual acts arch the overall future of the characters. Enid, usually clad in London, circa-'70s clothes, is brutal, yet somehow lovably redeemable, as she learns a lesson in self-indulgence, which finally leaves her evaluating flawed options and deciding what is best, though it might demand a change in not on ly her hatred for the 'normal' life, but also in a call for a loss of all critically-defensive comforts. The movie has something new and more concrete to offer after each viewing, and the eerie ending almost demands a second-go-around. Ghost World might not be a mainstream draw, but it is a cult-classic waiting to happen. Ghost World is now playing at Regal Cinemas Downtown West 8. Rating: A