■onday • October 27, 1997
Entertainment
PMI
'hallow Grave more
'Hlhan a Fiction wannabe
Shallow Grave
Starring Ewan McGregor
and Kerry Fox
Directed by Danny
Boyle
Written by John Hodge
’S' - ®! veiyone remembers the scene in Trainspotting
where Ewan McGregor’s character visits the “Worst
I ()ilet in Scotland.” Well, before McGregor shaved
‘fWWfcisread and “chose a life, chose a job and chose a ca-
lUu eei ’ and before he became Cameron Diaz’s kidnapper
Life Less Ordinary, he dug himself a Shallow Grave.
i®/Vhen I had first heard of Grave, I was walking
hrough the movie rental aisles in the grocery store on a
onely Friday night. I had passed by it a million times
iml after reading the box, thought, “Who really wants
J o aee the next Pulp Fiction again?”
Finally, Grave won out over playing Mah Jong with
ny sister, and I picked up this piece of what I thought
vas Euro-trash and headed to my VCR.
employee: ibh boy, let me tell you something, Grave certainly
)rth sidei mpressed me in more ways than one.
WShal/ow Grave is the first film from Danny Boyle,
ohn Hodge and Ewan McGregor, the triad of Scottish
neanor (Creativity that brought Trainspotting to the States,
nd yellow JBrhe premise behind the film is something straight
in bicycle out of a Hitchcock film, except no one dresses like their
ouilding. not Iter. Three flatmates — apartments are called “flats”
n Scotland — find a fourth roommate to move into
heir apartment. After a few days, they find him dead in
tis bedroom.
However, they also find a satchel — one of those
cute Limey terms — filled with money. They decide to
keep the money and ditch tire body of their dear chum.
Grave is a scary, suspense-filled film in the grand tra
dition of the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock.
Many filmmakers have tried to reproduce Hitch
cock’s power of terror and insanity. Movies such as Pa
cific Heights have tried to capitalize on the dark side of
human nature, but have failed miserably. Perhaps
Grave proves that such suspense techniques can only
be accomplished by the residents of a tiny, fog-en
shrouded island, where head cheese is a delicacy.
While McGregor’s performance as Alex, the loud
mouthed flatmate, may attract most fans, Chris Eccle-
ston’s performance as David, the nerdy roommate,
gives this film its terror.
Rarely has a such a mentally disturbed character
been given such humanity. Eccleston captures the
“scared little boy” aspect of psychos that is so often
overlooked.
Screenwriter John Hodge delivers a subtle and clever
script, nothing like the loud violence oiPulp Fiction as
Grave’s video box would have the viewer believe. Plot
twists dominate the film, which is masterful in its de
ception.
Director Danny Boyle borrows heavily from such
Hitchcock masterpieces as Vertigo and Rear Window.
Boyle’s brilliant camera work shows through in this film,
as it does in Trainspotting send A Life Less Ordinary.
While Grave may not be as exciting or as energetic as
the trio’s other two films, it proves they are not trapped
in genre’s like other artists of the day.
While I am sure McGregor will go on to bigger and
better things since he has been cast in the three new
Star Wars films, and Boyle and Hodge may go their sep-
arate ways, the fact these chaps were able to make three
incredible films in a row is staggering. This is a trilogy
that should be boxed and released in 20 years, only they
won’t need quite as many digital effects.
— By Aaron Meier
op Kid Fantastic lives up to name
ith latest performance at Dixie
Id Fantastic stepped into the
ring Saturday night through
the crowd and smoke of
Bryan’s Dixie Theatre. The Kids
Eaded pretty even odds against win
ning the crowd’s attention, already
tun ied by show opener Jack Rabbitt
King. Fortunately, the Kids mus
tered up a come-from-behind vic
tory/, chalking up a win with their
jrky personality and style.
|Kid Fantastic is a four-man tag
"team of welterweight power pop
from College Station. Nathan McK-
own, the band’s answer to Tommy
Stinson of The Refreshments,
made a big entrance with his pig
tails and low-slung bass. Drummer
Adreon Henry sunk into his junior
sized, jungle-print drum kit, and
while Henry may not be as funky a
dresser as McKown, he definitely
has the better moves, earning the
name “Dances with Drums.”
B Tim Austin took command of
the stage with guitar and lead vo
cals. Austin’s bulging eyes held the
crowd’s focus as he played and
sang, exhibiting throbbing neck
veins that could make Henry
Rollins jealous.
■ The only one who looked out of
place was Jason Schleter, who
sulked alone in the corner to play
lead guitar.
■ McKown and Schleter framed
Austin like polar opposites, like an
gel and devil on the shoulders of the
vocal conscience of the group.
I McKown’s court jester antics
tianklully grew less annoying as the
show progressed. He kept the night
Kid Fantastic is (from left to right):
drums; Jason Schleter, lead guitar
interesting by jiving with the crowd
between songs and throwing in the
occasional bass line from Berlin’s
“Take My Breath Away.”
The opening number began
simple and slow, like a stranger
beckoning with candy. Before the
crowd knew what happened, they
were kidnapped by the Kids and
forced to bounce and sing along
with the choruses.
The Kids came out punching,
but quickly succumbed to sloppy
band cohesion and awkward
pauses throughout the first half of
the show.
But when a couple of socially-lu
bricated audience members decid
ed it was time to slam dance, the
Kids brilliantly introduced the sub
dued “This Hamburger Helper
Tastes Gamey” to soothe the crowd.
The Kids hit their pace after the
break. The second half of the set un
earthed songs that broke away from
Tim Austin, vocals; Adreon Henry,
; and Tim McKown, bass guitar.
their standard two-and-a-half-
minute pop songs, and the extend
ed journey finally showcased the
band members’ talents. Schleter es
pecially shone through with a num
ber of well-placed solos.
One of the last songs featured
Henry picking out a tiny melody on
an ancient Yamaha keyboard. The
variety worked, but it was ten songs
too late.
The audience responded to the
vibe and energy of the songs in a
variety of ways, including a pecu
liar exhibition of the fabled
“Bertha-Butt Boogie” by an obvi
ously disoriented spectator.
The Kids have sucker punched
the rough edges of grunge in favor
of the bubble-gum refrains of‘77
punk. The results are optimistic
and, judging from McKown’s
wardrobe, way more chic than flan
nel rock.
— By Chris Martin
seniors
Class of ’98 pictures
are being made for the
iOOfiMSaHEHT
at A R Photography
(this semester)
Texas Avenue
TAMU
Campus
0
George Bush
□
>it
1410 Texas Avenue
between Jason’s Deli
and Academy
Visit
A R Photography
at their new
location on
Texas Ave. to have
your free picture
made today!
Last Summer a waste
of moviegoers’ time
IMtairie
.eview
I Know What You Did Last
Summer
Starring Jennifer Love Hewitt
and Sara Michelle Cellar
Directed by Jim Gillespie
Playing at Hollywood 16
★ ★ (out of five)
7 Know What You Did Last Sum
mer tries hard to recreate the
magic and success of Scream,
but in the end, the tired plot and
bad acting will only try moviego
ers’ patience.
The trailers for the film adver
tise it as being from the makers of
Scream even though the only
thing the two moves have in com
mon is the same screenwriter.
The movie starts off with four
teens celebrating the end of their
high school careers. As the quartet
speed home after a rowdy night,
they hit someone.
In a panic, our happy teens are
more frightened than a stray cat at
a dog show.
In a fit of brilliance and self-in
terest, the teenage road warriors
dump the body and vow to never
talk about the incident again.
Fast forward one year. The
dreams of youth have become the
nightmares of adulthood. Julie
James (Jennifer Love Hewitt), the
brain of the group, has almost
failed out of college. Beauty queen
Helen Shivers (Sara Michelle Cel
lar) is selling perfume at the local
five and dime. Quarterback king
Barry Cox (Ryan Philippe) is a
floundering alcoholic, and sensi
tive guy Ray Bronson (Freddie
Prinze, Jr.) is a fisherman.
The group’s boring lives take a
turn for the worse when Julie re
ceives a note saying “I know
what you did last summer.” Ter
rified someone has found out
their secret, Julie rounds up the
rest of the group. Soon, people
start dying, girls start crying and
basically that is I Know What You
Did Last Summer.
The movie’s first mistake is
aligning itself so closely with last
Christmas' hit Scream.
Where as Scream was a witty
horror film satire, Last Summer \s>
a straight forward slasher flick and
not a very good one.
Audiences shouldn’t let the
hype fool them — this is no differ
ent than the low budget schlock
they show on late night cable tele
vision.
The opening scene of a seaside
cliff on a dark night is a great one,
but it betrays the quality of the
movie. It is not a good sign when
the first scene in a movie is its
best.
The plot drowns in such
murky depths, the audience
might wonder if it did not cast it
self off the seaside cliffs in the
movie’s opening scene.
There are some chilling spots,
but they have been done a hundred
times before in similar films. The
rest of the movie will leave the au
dience snickering rather than shiv
ering.
The movie is full of the stan
dard stalk and slash scenes. Quak
ers could probably do a better job
when it comes to brutal killing.
Most of the cast acts as if they
are trying our for an after-school
special. The television back
ground of the leads is evident, but
not ina way to gather pride.
It is obvious Hewitt would like to
follow in the footsteps of “Party of
Five” co-star Neve Campbell as a
Hollywood Scream queen. Here is
some advice for Ms. Hewitt: If you
can make people laugh this hard,
maybe you should try comedy.
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star
Sara Michelle Cellar is not much
more than a whiny prima donna.
The use of actresses in the
movie took a nose dive when the
director decided to put them in
ultra tight, body hugging clothes,
rather than acting classes.
The male leads are quite unfor
gettable. They look and act like
they just missed the cover ofYM.
Ellen Degeneres’ gal pal Anne
Heche has an interesting minor
role as local white trash. She really
works the part.
If moviegoers want a good
slasher flick, this isn’t it. They
should try renting Scream or any
thing else on the horror aisle at
the local video store.
— By Travis Irby
PICK UP YOUR
COPY TODAY.
1997-98 Texas A&M Campus Directory
NOW AVAILABLE
S TUDENTS: If you ordered a 1997-98
Campus Directory, stop by room 015
(basement) of the Reed McDonald
Building from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday to pick up your copy.
(Please bring Student ID.)
If you did not order a Campus Directory
as a fee option when you registered for
Fall ’97 classes, you may purchase a copy
for $3 plus tax in room 015 Reed McDon
ald (by cash, check or credit card).
D EPARTMENTS: If you ordered Cam
pus Directories and requested deliv
ery, deliveries will be made within the
next few days.
If you did not order Campus Directories,
you may charge and pick them up at 015
Reed McDonald. Cost is $3 per copy.
(Please bring a work request with your
part number, FAMIS account number,
account name, billing address, contact
person and phone number where the
directories should be billed.)
The Texas A&M University Directory includes listings of departments, administrators,
faculty, staff, students, other information about A&M, plus yellow pages.