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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1988)
Page 6rhe Battalion/Friday, March 25, 1988 ‘Bad Dreams’ offers suspense terror at AggieCon screening \f s s' t.e r e® es 0° By Mattew Stewart Rtiexver AggieCon 19 ^ened Thursday with an exclusiv screening of “Bad Dreams,” aVomedic-horror film directed by AfJrew Fleming. Cepheid Variably which spon sors AggieCon, aranged with Twentieth Century \ox to screen the movie to survey \e audience’s reaction before the fii\l edit. ^ clO© C ' 3^ ao' Sffera- M <3' “Bad Dreams” sta\ Jennifer Rubin, whose acting dents were introduced in “A NigWare on Elm Street Part 3: Dr«\ni War riors,” and are ratified tjh “Bad Dreams.” She plays Cynthia, the !>le sur vivor 0 f a ” 1 974 rnass Review suicide \ C om- m i 11 e c by member*pf a iil Auto Painting by spiritual commune. Cynthia\vas comatose for fourteen years, ftcl when she wakes she is hauntec^y terrifying visions of her “broth^s and sisters,” who feel Cynthia cheated them. To help her recover from the memory block of the suicide, Cyn thia is placed in a neuropsychiatric clinic. She is treated by the compassio nate Dr. Alex Karman, whose the rapy consists of group sessions for borderline personalities. Together, the group members realize the horrifying nightmares Cynthia has been having are about to come true. Cynthia constantly is being urged by the gruesome remains of the commune leader to commit suicide, and this main plot of whether Karman can save her in time is handled effectively, playing the audience with suspense until the final resolution. “Bad Dreams” combines the el ements of terror, suspense and gore. While these are not mutually exclusive, care must be taken if the direction of the film is to remain in focus. The main flaws, and the scenes whose removal would most help the film, involve the mishan dling of these elements. The disgusting ghost of the commune leader loses effect when viewed again and again. The cas cade of blood and guts during a major scene seems pointless since until then the film’s focus was ter ror, suspense and especially hu mor. The macabre humor of “Bail Dreams” is most present in Ralph, a member of the group sessions. His cynical and scathing wit pro vides a constant relief from the ter- However, some members of the group were represented as so op pressively nuerotic that their ac tions were tedious and grating. “Bad Dreams” uses the visions, memories and fantasies Cynthia experiences to riddle the audience. The overall effect of this unreality is heightened suspense, while the audience, in addition, learns what has happened in the spiritual and physical worlds as Cynthia regains her memory. Only Cynthia can see the ghosts of her past, and since she is in a mental institution, no one will be lieve her. Rubin is convincing in her portra)al of the beauiitult thia, a woman desparatelytryiiij maintain contact with the world. Puneet Sharma set vedastkt son between Cepheid Variable! Twentieth Century Fox, andln the screening at Texas AM ensure future screenings. A screening differs fromasu preview, because aftei a screej the audience completes a quei naire designed to help Inin and assess the film. More than 400 people atten the screening, and Aggid workers said that initial indb. showed that most of the audit members rated the film in the two of five choices for how® they liked it. Set for limited release Apt “Bad Dreams” is indeed acoit; ling and terrifying film. Improvements could ber by removing aspects of the that are confusing and wine sary and would contribute i spectable horror film to thin: mer’s movies. -OOMtOS* VftMOMc ■ wkxxvio VMMW- Our most popular value AMBASSADOR fn Quality preparation & painting for those on a budget $169 PRESIDENTIAL High quality look with extended durability $259 $349 95 ■ 95 95 Bryan 1300 South College Ave. (2 blocks North of Graham Central Station) 823-3008 MAACO Auto Painting & Bodyworks are independent franchises ot MAACO Enterprises Pnces and hours may vary II 111 I II Aerospace department gets $150,000faculty fellowship By Jennifer E. Townsend Reporter A $150,000 endowed faculty fellowship is being established for the Texas A&M Department of Aerospace Engineering. General Dynamics, a major de fense contractor, contributed $75,000, which will be matched by the University, said Carl Jaedicke, development officer for the College of Engineering. “By investing in our program, General Dynamics is helping to maintain and enhance the quality of the engineering college,” Jaedicke said. “They have been supporting A&M for at least 20 years.” The income from the endowment wi» be delegated to a top faculty member in the aerospace engi- neeing department, Jaedicke said. Thetunds will be used for research and <\her professional expenses. Dr. Valter E. Haisler, the depart ment yead for aerospace engi- neeringsaid the funds will be avail able in Sy-ing 1989. “Durirt the next year, we will for mulate phis with General Dynamics to establisfthe critera for selecting a faculty merber,” Haisler said. and keep the best possible faculty,” Robbins said. “We thought by en dowing a faculty fellowship, we could help ensure that our company would continue to receive the best engineers in the future. “In order to remain competitive, we need to have the best possible technical minds,” he added. “We hire a lot of people from A&M — it is a fine institution for the kind of employees that we need.” Jaedicke said that by establishing the faculty fellowship, General Dy namics is obtaining more visibility. The money will be invested with the interest producing the income, about $9,000 a year, he said. “They have given us a very valu able gift because it keeps giving year after year,” he said. Norman Vibbins, the community relations representative for General Dynamics, saij a tremendous num ber of Genera Dynamics employees are A&M gradqtes. Charles Anderson, vice president and general manager for General Dynamics Fort Worth Division said he hopes other corporations will as sist A&M in a similar manner. “We were ma\e aware by the Uni versity how comjetitive it was to hire “I challenge other corporations to do their part to support the College of Engineering,” Anderson said. Appeals cou! gives inmate execution st; HUNTSVILLE (AP)- T exas inmate scheduled to4 injection early Thursday 1982 stabbing death won a from a state appteals court BS Wai i Wa Michael Eugene Sharp,i to die shortly after mid: Thursday, but the TexasCoa Criminal Appeals grantedli 60-day stay last week so her pursue the appeals process 50 WHII SWCE [ CCSPEF BATHE KNEW NISSINI Sharp, a former worker, was sentenced to die jury in Ozona for the June! murder of Brenda Kay way, 31, of Kermit. A jury in Lubbock conn him of murder in the stall death of Broadway’s 6-year daughter, Christie Michellefl and sentenced him to prison. AggieCon 19 MO VIES March 24-27 1988 THURSDAY * Bad Dreams Robocop A Clockwork Orange The Largest Annual Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention in the Southwest STUFF FRIDAY Heavy Metal Fire and Ice Wizards SATURDAY The Running Man Predator Terminator Guest of Honor: Joe Haldeman \\ Artist Guest of Honor: Bob Eggleton Special Guest: Katherine Kurtz Toastmaster: Kerry O'Quinn DEALERS ROOM Find all the books, comics, games memorobiliayou need (ordon'tm in our large and spacious showroa SF collectibles. COMIC ARTISTS Scott McCullar-creator ofWARPE seen daily in the Battalion Ben Dunn-creator and artist ofthe comic book Ninja High School Tom Tenney-illustrator of Roboiec' TAMU Student Prices: MOVIE PRICES # Special Sneak Preview- Only 600 tickets available. Those who buy Aggieon passes automatically get tickets to the preview. All other tickets will be given out beginning at 5 Full Con $10.00 One Day $5.00 Non-Student Prices: Full Con $14.00 -JijL. nr One Day Pass gets you into all the movies for that day! Midnite Movie Only $ i.OC EVENTS Masquerade Ball Art Show and Auction Quest - live role-playing game Beat the Klingons trivia game Banquet Demonstrations by the SCA ...and much more Sciei nados A&M ( day of annual conver films a and a tured. The of scie rangin Trek’s to paii corns, dent i charge works play at ists, M pi'ices 1 percen be sold One play th dray, ; drawin hibit. } are a < Kevin 1 mental the pe drawin ink. Core strane “My work is Cordra ink dra but less Core fhe ink >matior get as pressec said. Show Times: 1st show 7:00 p.m. 2nd show 9:30 p.m. 3rd show midnite One Day $6.00 Quest Tickets Available through Ticketron Special Event Prices: Banquet $10.00 $4.00 For More Information, writ? MSC Cepheid Variable Memorial Student Center Texas A&M University Box J-l College Station, TX 77844 Or call (409) 845-1515 The MSC. ( admiss In t Purch; irom < Cona fiction such a Chairr of th- items, ers an selling The I