Monday, October 1,1990
The Battalion
Pages
Photo by Eric H. Roalson
Robert Earl Keen Jr.
A keen eye for his audience
Standing ovation ends show
By JOHN RICHTER
Robert Earl Keen Jr. received a hero’s welcome
Friday night in his second appearance at the Front
Porch Cafe. The A&M graduate and Sugar Hill Re
cords signee combined a talented wit and storytel
ler’s observation with some touching ballads and a
Steve Earle rocker to delight his already converted
audience.
Keen was definitely among friends Friday night.
Although an established national act and rising star
mcountry/folk circles, A&M lent a slightly more “ho
mely” atmosphere for the talented songwriting.
Keen repaid the hospitality by going the extra mile
on the “good ole boy’’ routine.
Sporting a freshly cut, mod-layered haircut with a
casual suit and paisley shirt, the urbanized, Austin
Keen quickly adapted to the fond memories of his
undergraduate days in Bryan-College Station. Hav
ing the opportunity, to listen to a great songwriter
from any place is wonderful, but Keen’s observations
and sometimes cutting wit on B-CS and A&M were
especially entertaining.
Starting off with “Coin’ Down In Style,” a smart
See Review/Page 12
Keen reveals observations
By JOHN RICHTER
After Robert Earl Keen’s performance at the
Front Porch Cafe Friday night, I had the opportu
nity to exchange thoughts and beer brands (Shiner
Boch) with the reserved, talented songwriter. Sport
ing a full chew (Copenhagen), Keen discussed his
music, ties to Bryan-College Station and friendships
with Lyle Lovett and Steve Earle. The following is a
portion of that interview.
How did it feel playing in front of a “homeco-
ming”-type audience? Did you enjoy it?
“It was great. Great audience and wonderful peo
ple. 1 feel real comfortable here because I spent so
much time in Bryan-College Station. My show actu
ally relates more to Aggie experiences and I have a
lot of old fans here, so it was a real special perfor
mance.”
You place a high priority on your storytelling
ability. Are you an active observer of people? Do
you spend a lot of time talking to different people?
"No. In the storyteller vein I’m more of the aloof
observer than the participant. I just don’t talk to peo
ple as easy as others do. I feel much more comfort
See Keen/Page 12
Michael Keaton stars as Carter Hayes and Melanie Griffith stars as Patty Palmer in “Pacific Heights,” a
less-than-thrilling thriller.
Plot sinks 6 Heights’ as thriller
By CAROL GLENN
From flying high as Batman, Michael Keaton
plummets to disaster in the movie “Pacific Heights,”
sinking to the depths of a human-cockroach.
Directed by John Schlesinger and written by Dan
iel Pyne, “Pacific Heights” is the most disappointing
so-called “psychological thriller” known to man.
I have never seen such a misuse of talent in my
life. I couldn’t believe that Twentieth Century Fox
invested so much time and money into a story with
such a stupid plot, insulting not only the writer but
also the actors, director and anyone associated with
the film.
“Heights” stars Melanie Griffith (“Working Girl”)
as Patty Palmer, Matthew Modine (“Vision Quest”
and “Gross Anatomy”) as Drake Goodman, and Kea
ton (“Batman” and “Mr. Mom”) as Carter Hayes.
The story begins with Patty and Drake (girlfriend
and boyfriend) buying an enormous and expensive
Victorian home on the outskirts of San Francisco.
They remodel the gigantic house and create two
apartments out of the first floor to rent out to ten
ants so that the rent payments can help them meet
their inflated mortgage.
Patty and Drake rent the first apartment to a
quiet, older Japanese couple, Toshio and Mira Wata-
nabe. They just want a serene apartment with no
surprises.
Then Carter weasels his way into the other apart
ment and gives lame excuses to Patty and Drake why
his wired money hasn’t reached their bank yet. At
first Carter seems to be the ideal tenant; he’s a busi
ness man who travels a lot; he wants to pay for the
first six months rent in cash, and he seems quiet. But
as the plot unravels, the audience learns differently.
Carter changes the door locks and begins ham
mering and drilling at all hours of the night and
breeds cockroaches.
Eventually the Japanese couple can not take the
noise or the cockroaches any longer so they move
out.
Patty and Drake try many times to evict Carter,
but the law seems to be working against them.
Refusing to be driven from their new home, Patty
and Drake stop at nothing to exterminate their hu
man-cockroach tenant, Carter.
I won’t bore you with the details, but the plot
doesn’t progress too much beyond this point.
Oh, the trails and tribulations of being a landlord.
Keaton’s portrayal of Carter is pathetic. It’s like
taking Mr. Mom and turning him into Jack Nichol
son. It simply cannot be done. But, I also thought
that Keaton was unsuited for the role of Batman.
Griffith and Modine also try but they, too, seem
unsuited for their roles as well.
I guess I shouldn’t criticize the actors too much;
they did the best they could with their shallow char
acters.
There really wasn’t anything in this movie that
seemed to work. The music by Hans Zimmer didn’t
create the eerie feeling that thrillers need. The cine
matography by Amir Mokri didn’t seem all that im
pressive or scary, and the suspense and excitement
that makes a movie a thriller was nonexistent.
This film is rater ‘R’ for brief nudity and intense
profanity.
Unfortunately, the only thrill in “Pacific Heights”
occurred as the credits started to run, and you real
ize that you are no longer the victim of movie tor
ture.
MSI VISUAL ARTS
PROUDLY PRESEMTS
by Timothy Vanya
Memorial Student Center
Visual Arts Gallery
On display from October 1 to October 31, 1990
Reception will be held on October 2, 1990 from 7:00-8:00pm
IN CONCERT WITH
Special Guest: Baillie and The Boys
VINCE GILL
Sunday, October 21, 7:00 p.m.
O. Rollie White Coliseum
Tickets: $17.50 public
$15.50 student
ATT
RESERVED
SEATING
Tickets on sale:
TODAY!
8:30 a.in. MSC Rox Office
10:00 a.m. all Tlcketron
outlets, or
Charge by phone at
1-800-275-1000
into the 90s:
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