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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1981)
-L mmmm Malice’ a lesson By Gary Barker Battalion Staff After a fall season of such lar ger-than-life films as "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Arthur," and "Heavy Metal," it's refreshing to find that real life can still be interesting. "Absence of Malice," which showed as a sneak preview in theaters across the nation on Nov. 29, is realistically directed and acted at every level. Sally Field stars as a Miami newspaper reporter who is just doing her job. She prints a story she got "unofficiany" from the F.B.I. The scoop says that one Tony Gallagher (enter Paul Newman) is being investigated for his involvement in the dis appearance of a longshoremen's union president. Needless to say, Gallagher is shocked to see his face on the cover of the newspaper and to read that he is implicated in a crime he says he had nothing to do with. He gets mad. He loses his business, be cause the longshoremen, who also read the newspaper, won't work for him. Now he's really mad. Gallagher retaliates by con structing a clever scheme to get back at his accusers. In between his scheming there is time for a suicide, a love affair, funny and serious dia logue and some dramatic mo ments. MD dance entries now open Couples can sign up in the MSC through Friday and from Jan. 18-31 for the Feb. 5-6 dance- a-thon to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The dance will be the fourth annual MD Dance organized by Alpha Phi Omega and Omega Phi Alpha, the national service fraternity and sorority which sponsor the Aggie Blood Drive. Club members met with a MDA representative who advised them on recruiting, set ting up and making the project work, Jim Kaufman, dance co- chairman, said. Couples signing up receive re gistration packets and sponsor sheets and then find people to pay them for the hours they ex pect to dance, Kaufman said. The dance will last from 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, in the Aggie- land Inn. Refreshments will be provided during hourly five- minute breaks, and in the early morning there will be a two hour break during which dancers can sleep, Kaufman said. The couple raising the most money will receive a prize, which is presently undeter mined, Kaufman said. Last year's winners received Aggie diamonds for their senior rings. "Absence of Malice" is like a well-balanced gourmet meal. Every scene is trimmed of excess dialogue. Every dramatic plot twist is baked to perfection, nev er overdone or under-cooked. The right amount of spicy char acters and healthy jokes round off the meal. And Field and in ethics Newman together are a superb main course. Newman is wonderful as the man bent on revenge, only bare ly on top of the situation yet able to make it seem as if he is com pletely in control. Field is superb as the reporter looking for the fine line between ethical and un ethical reporting. Field never really finds that fine line. And director Sydney PoUack is smart enough not to force any morals on the audi ence. His conclusion: journalis tic ethics are complicated. How does one define unethical re porting? Nobody knows (except mavbe Bob Rogers, all-knowing and all-seeing head of the De partment of Communications). Even if you don't like news papers or reporters, the movie is still good. If you're a journalism major, the film should be re quired. (And if you're taking the journalism law course — see the movie and count it as hours spent studying for your final.) My favorite character in the movie was the official for the De partment of Justice (who must nave been from Texas) who comes to investieate the bribery charges. His ya'U-better-talk-or- I'll-siap-a-subpoena-on-you attitude was ninny and still be lievable. After realizing what has really happened, the Justice offical asks Gallagher (New man): "Are you that smart?" Yes, Newman is that smart. Field is that smart. The whole movie is that smart. LJrsUC^^F^ art on display The universal themes of child hood are shown in a UNICEF art exhibit sponsored by the Arts Council of Brazos Valley. The exhibit features art work by children from 13 countries and will be on display through Jan. 15 at the Brazos Center each day from 9-5 p.m. The United States Committee for UNICEF maintains a collec tion of international children's art from over 160 countries and territories. The pictures show some aspect of the social or cul tural life of the child, such as a family or social scene, or a group of children celebrating a holiday or playing a game. The exhibit is on loan to the Arts Council as a public service of UNICEF. Well, the first thing people notice when they order their very first Schlotzsky* sandwich is its size. Ham, salami, spiced luncheon meat, Cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, black olives, and our own special seasonings — all piled high on a lightly-browned Schlotzsky bun, baked fresh daily. And well, that leads us to the very next thing. Our sandwich is round. That’s not so unusual, except... when was the last time you picked up an entire balanced meal in two hands? Now, thatfs no small thing! 100 S. TEXAS CULPEPPER PLAZA (Across Prom Rebel’s Restaurant) ( Next to University Bookstore) 846-8933 693-0861