Thursday, June 14,1990
The Battalion
Page 5
ideo releases feature romance, comedy,
un gossip in films ‘Always,’‘Magnolias’
By TODD STONE
Of The Battalion Staff
201 Live Oak College Station, TX 77840
Behind La Quinta
696-3411
rdone it’s tit,
1 is the afore;
The vehicle j
several timet!
t, then flip;
h Murphy’s;
is standing t; r
this happen
ven a wrinki;
Always (Rated PG)
I Director Steven Spielberg displays
a gentle and sentimental touch in a
piovie that is otherwise a huge pro
duction with big-name stars Holly
gflunter, Richard Drefuss and the
up-and-coming John Goodman.
Dreyfuss stars as Pete, a hot shot
ilot who fights forest fires from his
lane, but he flies through the most
iangerous areas. Holly Hunter stars
as Pete’s girlfriend, Dorinda, and
oodman plays their buddy, Al, who
also a pilot.
1 Pete takes one risk too many and
is killed. But he returns as an angel
HHiguyswJi 0 hel P ^ y° ut $ pi!? 1 , S ain confl -
i uctable e»- ® ence an “ ease Honnda s pain,
killers wt nF However, Dorinda is supposed to
J H be Pete’s true love. Now, Pete must
n ii.mr, 'Bight his own jealousy and Dorinda
stories (I J or g et h . im so she will accept Pete
. • ,f Dreyfuss is at his best, when Pete
iotorrvrl« d is suffer > n g without Dorinda.
, Hunter is charming as Dorinda, and
screen (bJa e ’ s extreme *>' effective in her dra-
dl I th thl I” 31 ’ 0 scenes - Goodman was perfect
u K li 1 .,*„P l f,‘ ssu PP 0 " l "« r0le - , ..
VKetawaytffll , Df ' s P ll< ' P™“e mS in storyline and
,,, the pacing of the narrative. Always
pen in AikhM-T . ? . 7
V , , still entertains.
on m ea a 5 out d ea ii n g with the
joss of a loved one, but there is a
feeling of optimism and reassurance
bout death. Release date — today.
Grade: B +
on
Jack Cates
led from the
body bother:!
iadge away
;e is almost
larged with
“ts into sec
but he never?
several automobile
plants
' igs
tils
inewherewaip'' nt ’ Michigan. The closings send
Roger and Me (Rated PG-13)
“Roger and Me” is a wickedly
Jvitty film that poses as a docu-
jnentary about General Motors’ clos-
one reason j £ 7
got made: i;j, Ijp
Jhe town into an economic tailspin.
, , Director, writer and star Michael
01311 ^ Moore pursues CiM Chairman
int ospen ® 0 g er Smithi for an explanation. Al-
t C oT" K 0u g h Moore ’ s efforts to meet
ic ke^anT i^°g er seem ^ ia ^-hearted, his pursuit
. ’ I of Roger is hilarious as he castigates
recast and^afong the way.
B The humor of Flint’s plight stems
ifrom Moore’s presentation of differ-
lliig perspectives of people involved.
Reveral big names — including GM
Tifficials — Flintourist agencies and
lelebrities such as Bob Eubanks, Pat
Clairee Belcher (Olympia Dukakis) and Ouiser Boudreaux’s (Shirley MacLaine) fiesty friendship
highlights the film, “Steel Magnolias” — appearing next Wednesday on video.
irill
;ert
Boone and Miss America 1988, get
burned during interviews with
Moore. Surprisingly, Moore doesn’t
trick them into their blunders —they
do all of it on their own.
“Roger and Me” is funny film
making but lousy journalism, so do
not mistake this film for a docu
mentary.
A documentary is supposed to be
factual and objective. Moore keeps
fairly close to the facts, but he isn’t
even in the same solar system when
it comes to objectivity. Still, this film
is entertaining. Go see it. Release
date — 6/20.
Grade: B
Steel Magnolias
“Steel Magnolias” is a film bloom
ing with offbeat characters, serious
situations and all the wit, candor and
innuendo one would expect from a
movie about six Southern women
grinding the gossip mill of a small
town
Featuring an all-star cast that in
cludes Sally Field, Julia Roberts,
Shirley MacLaine and Dolly Parton,
director Herbert Ross recreates the
successful Robert Harling play (Har-
ling also wrote the film’s screenplay)
with all the vibrance and humor of
the play.
Julia Roberts received a Best Sup
porting Actress nomination for her
role as Shelby.
The original story takes place en
tirely in a beauty salon in the fictio
nal town of Chinquapin. The play
was expanded for the big screen,
adding most notably male charac
ters, which were only gossiped about
in the play.
Although the film does have seve
ral serious moments, it is the comedy
that makes this film standout. Shir
ley MacLaine is especially hilarious
as the town grinchette, Ouiser.
Olympia Dukakis is equally strong
as the wealthy town busybody, Clai
ree. Clairee is the antithesis of
Ouiser because she is always happy,
sweet and supportive. Their
friendship is a highlight of the film.
If you are a fan of any of the six
actresses (Daryl Hannah and Olym
pia Dukakis also star), or just want to
see some vicious tongue-wagging,
you won’t be disappointed. This
movie actually lives up to the play.
Other releases: “The Wizard,” to
day; “Tango and Cash,” “Heart
Condition” and “My Left Foot,”
Wednesday.
Release dates are courtesy of 2
Day Video.
erformer rfii
do hand staid
bsurdist play ‘Snow’ incorporates lively audience
;dit, he did f By DON ATKINSON JR.
Iplause disirapOf The Battalion Staff
ted to thestaj
rformances- Stagecenter’s Saturday matinee
inor” byRae iroduction of “Pure As The Driven
ide in F Majd inow” is probably the first play I’ve
:ver seen where the script is second-
ashy piece tli ^ry to the action.
/ off a pianki
le” was an it
because Rad
illy known Ii
jring thisce:
Prelude'’ w*
19th centiif
ring
drama, the audience is encouraged
to boo, cheer and throw popcorn at
the actors. Depending on your vol
ume or your aim, the actors them
selves may actually retaliate.
“Pure As The Driven Snow” is a
hopelessly silly melodrama complete
with a villian in a black cape and top
? senes was ns
ce began wi!
es for two»
itonin Dvoral
plifting,
t timing, plat
k of violinist
Cerone of tk
Institute at:
dsmith.
followed i
: of “Fantasia
with the Cf
Vheeler (viol
(cello) to p
F Minor"
ece featured:
and a model
led intoafe
dore a sereu
liner” is just:
isic, and tk
re been better
set, the saffi
ut the entittl
Cleveland Quartet performs
Monday at Rudder Theater
alion File F/r
ater
Battalion File Photo
The Cleveland Quartet performs Monday at Rudder theater.
Critically-acclaimed worldwide
as one of today’s top string quar r
tets, the Cleveland Quartet will
perform Monday at 7:30 p.m. in
the third of five Texas A&M
Chamber music concerts spon
sored by Humana Hospital/Bra
zos Valley and Texas A&M’s Col
lege of Liberal Arts.
The concert will be at Rudder
Theater as part of a series in con
junction with the Texas Music
Festival.
The Quartet’s performance
will showcase the “String Quartet
in A Minor,” by Franz Schubert,
“String Quartet No. 1” by con
temporary composer Daniel
Welcher and “String Quartet No.
12 in F Major, The American” by
Antonin Dvorak.
Seven-time Grammy nomi
nees, the Cleveland Quartet’s re
cordings include more than 40
classical works, and their perfor
mances take them all over the
world. They were the first classi
cal musicians to perform on a
Grammy telecast and have won
accolades from “Stereo Review”
and “Time.”
The quartet has been distin
guished over the last eight years
with the honor and history of its
Stradivarius instruments — two
violins, a viola and a cello. The
collection was once the property
of legendary violin virtuoso Nic-
olo Paganini. The quartet is using
the instruments on loan from the
Corcoran Gallery of Art in Wash
ington, D.C.
Tickets for the performance
are $8 for adults and $5 for stu
dents and senior citizens 60 years
or older. Tickets are available at
the Rudder Box Office. For more
information, call 845-1234.
hat, a good guy dressed in white and
a heroine named Purity.
The Stagecenter cast does a good
job of translating all this nonsense
on stage in classic style.
The show begins with the audi
ence invited to participate in a sing-
along, where such songs as “Happy
Days Are Here Again” and “In The
Good Old Summertime” are the
chosen favorites.
Then we are introduced to the
main characters, many of whom
have their own theme songs. The
good guy, Leander Longfellow
(Scott Bagley), is accompanied by
“Stout-Hearted Men,” while his
main love interest. Purity Dean (Ju
lie Haight), drags around to “No
body Knows The Trouble I’ve
Seen.”
“Pure As The Driven Snow”
doesn’t really take off until KTAM
radio personality Harold Presley,
playing the villian Mortimer Froth-
ingham, steps on stage.
Presley holds nothing back as he
plays the classic bad guy with all the
sneering, leering and jeering you
could possibly imagine.
Not only does he manage to steal
every scene he’s in, but he also gets
pelted with incredible amounts of
popcorn from the audience, amid a
chorus of booing and hissing.
The funniest moments in the play
come when the performers ditch the
script and improvise with the audi
ence.
At one point, an audience mem
ber threw a handful of popcorn at
Presley. Still in character and with
out missing a line of dialogue, he
jumps out of the way and laughs,
“You missed!”
Later, Presley and Haight are per
forming a scene when she suddenly
forgets a line. There is a pause, and
Presley says, “You were going to say
something about my skin? Right?”
Haight, of course, gets showered
with popcorn.
Overall, the entire cast does a
credible job of performing “Pure As
The Driven Snow.” They all seem to
be having a good time which is too
infectious to resist.
Aside from Presley, other stand
out performers are Bagley as the ro
mantic hero Longfellow and Sarah
Enloe in the small role of Alison
Hewlitt.
Also worthy of mention is Stage
Manager Will Greer for set design.
I can’t honestly say that “Pure As
The Driven Snow” is the best play
I’ve ever seen. But I can say that the
Stagecenter production of it is the
most unusual.
If you’re looking for an amusing
change of pace, this just might be it.
And don’t worry, the popcorn is
free.
Showtimes for “Pure As The
Driven Snow” are tonight, Friday
and Saturday at 8 p.m. For more
ticket information, call the Stage
Center at 846-0287.
TAMIL Itcifum Semester
Spring 1991
Study and live at the TAMU Center, “Santa Chiara,” in
Castiglion Fiorentino
INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS:
Friday, June 15, 9:45-10:30 a.m. or 3:00-4:00 p.m.
251 Bizzell Flail West
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Study Abroad Office
161 Bizzell West, Phone: 845-0544
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