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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1985)
Movies Breakfast Club’ honesty hits home By MARCY BASILE Movie Rei’iewer Thev are just like us — thrown together by circum stance, unable to control their destiny. They are “The Breakfast Club," five high school kids sentenced to nine hours of de tention. Five completely differ ent personalities that, under normal circumstances, would have clashed. But nine hours of constant nothing does some thing to a person. Barriers crumble; innermost thoughts surface. We’ve been there; we know. All of us know a jock, a prin cess, a brain, a basketcase and a criminal. We might fit into one of those catagories — mavbe not. Even so, the feel ings shared and the heartache endured brings back mem ories. It all seems so real. Reality is what makes “The Breakfast Club’’ good. These kids exist, not only on the screen but in every American high school. Imagine the most popular girl in school, the prin cess, blackballed, doomed to vegetation. Now imagine the class clown, the criminal, lurk ing in the shadows only to plant himself at the table be hind her. Enter the jock, out to save the world — or is he just trying to impress someone, anybody. The brain, a nerd of sorts, who strives to fit in. Turn to the basketcase, the loner. For once, kids are allowed to be kids. Trying to “make it” with the school slut isn’t a hot topic with these kids. Sure, they discuss sex, but, mirac ulously, the talk is real —just as we would have broached the “forbidden” subject. Adolescent emotions fuel the movie. The most casual of comments turns into a major discussion. Major discussions elicit confessions. Confessions of guilt, anguish, hopelessness and virginity. Beyond the ques tion of “why are you here?” is the ominous “what made you do it?” Therein begin the char acter studies. The princess, played by Molly Ringwald, is the girl who refuses to wear the same thing twice. Ever. Her biggest worry is shopping withdrawals. Mommv and Daddy ignore her emotional needs. Her life is a big facade. Ringwald (“Sixteen Candles”) portrays a snob well. Through her, the princess comes down from her pedestal and fraternizes with the peas ants. Just as she gets comfort able in her new position, pro priety steps in. Once again she’s a snob. The jock. He’s a wrestler, re ady to pounce. He’ll take on anyone — and win. Dad wants it that way. “Nothing but the best from my son. He’s a chip off the old block,” echoes in his mind. Gotta make Dad proud. The jock, portrayed by Emilio Estevez, might have been a characterization of Estevez’s life. As the son of Martin Sheen, Estevez probably felt some of the same type of pa rental pressure that the jock feels. Regardless, Estevez per formance made the hurt seem real; hurt from someone he loves. The brain is in the process of ruining a 4.0. No matter what he does the lamp just won't turn on. Mom and Dad don't know their perfect son is fail ing shop, the easiest class in the school. Or is it? Anthony Michael Hall (“Sixteen Cand les”) interprets the brain as a nerd. His clubs are academic; his time for socializing dimin ished. Like the usual nerd, he’s small of stature and big of heart. He won’t turn against his friends. The basketcase adds a touch of humor to the movie just by arriving on the scene. She’s bi zarre — bag-lady material. Her huge purse contains the se crets to her life and to a few other people’s lives as well. Ally Sheedy (“Bad Boys”, “Warga- mes”) uses facial expressions, pantomime and hidden good looks to create the basketcase. She does a goodjob. Finally, the criminal. He’s scum from the gutter. He chal lenges authority. He's no stranger to the nine hour de tention scene. But why, if he’s so anti-establishment, does he bother to show up? Without the criminal, none of the soul searching, pot smoking and joke making would have evolved. Confrontation with the brutality of the real world urges the others to answer his probing questions. Judd Nelson uses more than enough bra vado to carry off the comincing portrayal of the criminal. He’s gross one minute and strangely sensitive the next. Of all the characters, Nelson’s criminal drains the most emotion from the audience. That’s good. Very good. We are like them: “The Breakfast Club.” All of us snub people. All of us want to escape reality. We search for people with whom to share our mis ery; people who understand. Maybe that’s what makes “The Breakfast Club” so good — it hits close to home. \ Music You cannot judge an albui Shakatak By WALTER SMITH Music Ra’idver One good reason to buy this LP would be for its cover art; let’s watch the humanoid Day- Glo ink blots trip the light fan-" tastic. But before you get too entranced, you should slip the record onto the turntable. I mean, that’s the real reason vou bought the record, isn't it? Shakatak's “Down On The Streets,”- their third U.S. re lease, reveals them to be your basic run-of-the-mill British pop-funk-jazz-neo-disco-quas- i-blues sensation. They man aged to obtain that sound by recruiting members from those segments of the music world. A "bold venture, but it works. Jill Saward’s soulful vocals are featured in the title track and “Summer Sky,” both of which are extremely dancea- ble. Thev keep things rolling with a nifty instrumental called “Hypnotised,'' but the pace slows considerably for “Photograph” and '“Don’t Blame It On Love,” two mellow pieces that aren't exactly happy tunes. With “Lady,” they pay tribute to Billie Holiday. Versatility and flexiblity are the underlying forces that the listener is constantly re minded that they refuse to be come monotonous. Although they’ve been around for vears, One of the few reasons you should buy this LP is for the cover art. This is a pop album in its purest form. Eleven origi nal songs unadulterated by originality. The slight tempo changes from track to track don't really constitute a new song, especially when thev all share the same guitar hooks and keyboard lines. But all isn’t lost; Martin manages to get ly rically creative The title track, “Dangerous Moments,” is a quaint ditty about being separated from loved ones while the missies fiv. Definitely not your average musical fare, is it? “Ghosts”, a soon-to-be classic, contains spiffv lines like “...But the ghosts of your former lovers still haunt me in my sleep, I’ve been counting them instead of counting sheep...” and “...But there were more men stuck on you darling than magnets to the fridge....” Need I say more? Well, I will anyway. “It Shouldn't Have To Hurt That Much” is the time-told story of a bovfriend-beating make Shakatak as interesting thev just might break through as they are. From song to song, with “Down On The Streets.”" cover Martin Briley woman who’s suffered a trau matic childhood. Now that’s pretty creative, huh? It’s pop, it’s consistent, it’s extremely formula, it’s booor- ingA -3-