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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1999)
Flannigan’s 2010 S. College Across from The Ptarmigan $ 3.50 Black & Tans 4-11 p.m. MONDAY Golden Tee Golf Local & National Tournament $1.25 Longnecks $1 Well Drinks Irish Bourbon $2 Shots February 8-12 American Red Cross Blood Drive Locations: Buses Commons 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Bio-Bio 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Veterinarian School 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Athletic Center 2 p.m.-8 p.m. Zachary 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Rudder Sbisa Blocker 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. You must be seventeen or older and minimum weight 1 10. * A t-shirt will be given with every donation. Page 4 • Friday, February 12, 1999 A GGIELIFE talion T Bones is open for Inncli on Valentines Day for all yon. sweetliearts! 809 E. University (Next to the Hilton) 846-6823 Payback Starring Mel Gibson and Maria Bello Directed by Brian Helgeland Playing at Hollywood 16 and College Park 6 Rated R Unfortunately for Cellar, SimplyIrmi m g McDonald's MCDONALD’S OF BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION IS NOW ON THE WEB!! m McDonald's www.bcsmcdonalds.com FREE FOOD INTRODUCTORY OFFER ON OUR WEB SITE!! Read about college scholarships, work opportunities, birthday parties, Happy Meal toys, coloring contests, e-mailing Ronald McDonald and much more. LOTS OF DISCOUNT COUPONS www.bcsmcdonalds.com m M McDonald's ■ ■ 1® P ayback is one of those post-Tarrantino, Elmore Leonard-knockoff neo-noirs that film students churn out like a factory. Only Gibson could pull off the role of Porter, a professional thief and baddie. He speaks in a gravelly voice, breaks peoples hands, sets mobsters on fire and rips out nose rings. Like all bad guys. Porter emits a painful scowl that seems like he is channeling Humphrey Bogart through a laxative commercial. Porter comes across like a sadist version of Riggs, Gibson's Lethal Weapon character. Naturally, the au dience loves him. Val (Gregg Henry) shot Porter and took Porter’s money so he could buy his way back into a shady organization known as the Syndicate or the Outfit. However, Porter did not die and is back looking to settle the old score. Along the way he hooks back up with Rosie (Bello, of “ER” fame), a hooker he used to “drive,” and says to her, “You're the only good thing in my life.” The two then set out to get Porter’s money. Porter encounters a plethora of smoothly dressed mobsters and corrupt cops and somehow manages to take down all of them in a Yojimbo-son of way. The money is almost an excuse for Porter to kick in some skulls. The audience gets the feeling he does not really care about the money (on more than one occasion, he is offered $130,000 and turns it down). Porter just wants to inflict pain on anyone in his path, even the audience, as they are lulled into this sadomasochistic farce. Payback becomes an exercise in film violence. Based on Richard Stark’s 1962 novel The Hunter — which also served as the template for John Boorman’s 1967 film Point Blank — Payback has one of those typical Hollywood backstories. Helgeland and his replacement use mostly grays in this film, desperately trying to capture the feel of the old noirs, but this film does not go anywhere, nor say anything. It is incredibly predictable and occasionally silly, but it does both with style. (Grade: C + ) description perfectly. The Kung-Fu and wo:* slaying is left behind as Cellar, star of “Bur ® pire Slayer,” takes the role of AmandaShetal gling restaurant owner/chef, in Simplyk Amanda meets a young, successful store executive Tom Bartlett (Flaneryjat love at first sight. Mysterious magic begins to turn her down as her cooking skills become pheno A relationship between Tom and Ami predictable as the movie’s ending. This movie leaves audiences askinga tions. No one knows where the magic can- why she was even given the gift in thefe: A few laughs are delivered, but alltnali Cellar for two hours should have been joy this movie. It wasn’t. (Grade: C-) Life is Beautiful Starring Roberto Benigni Nicoletta Braschi Directed by Roberto laying at Hollywood 1 Rated PG-13 Ai 1/ — Jeff Schmidt Simply Irresistible Starring Sarah Michelle Cellar and Sean Patrick Flannery Directed by Mark Tarlov Showing at Hollywood 16 Rated PC 13 T he crowd at Tinseltown seems to be getting younger everyday. With movies like Varsity Blues and She’s All That scoring big at the box office, there was bound to be a teen-movie flop. few critics have distorted themeae Italian film Life is Beautiful. Iksi film trivializes the Holocaust, usins to belittle this tragedy. They arewrongl Beautiful is not about the Holocaustbui: power of love and imagination in thefacen Benigni, an Italian cross between Char U and Jim Carrey, wrote, directed and stats;®: charming and beguiling movie that hasbuK nated for seven Oscars including Best Pic || Best Foreign Language Film, the first mo\ p (1969) to pull off this double feat. The film is a tale of two halves. The light-hearted first half is focusedc t • courting of Dora (Mraschi, Benigni's real- , .<• The film quickly fast forwards a few year; '(D ( IS °' do and Dora married and with a child,Gkv_f:\ w 'd The more somber second half is setinai^l tration camp. The family is rounded uparcffiP; t0 belie oned. In order to protect his >011 ironiibc ^nte.xt. Guido tells Giosue the camp is a big game, With all ner of which will receive a ival tank. ith the holi Benigni called the film a fable, and it feud hieaninj one. Suspension of disbelief is needed toe There are film as Benigni slightly alters historytoproilentine’s l point: love conquers all. r twist and He glides through the first halfoftheti ct — Valen whimsy of silent film star Chaplin. Thesid History pr change of tone in the middle is jarring,bine explana half foreshadows the coming storm. Benipe’s Day 01 slightly manic at times, has enough draman “There an to be convincing. His is the key role. (Graded a bishop >out 60 mi - Je had a ga play and ?ople came Refusing ?cause of li ■nt to prise Now that I’m grad e tied keys lay in the g ^ Other vei what next? A law degree is a terrific business degree. Practicing attorneys hold South Texas College of Law in high regard for the diversity and practicality of the school’s curriculum. Located in the heart of downtown Houston, South Texas is within walking distance of more than (»()()() attorneys, leading- law firms and headquarters of top national corporations. South Texas’ nationally recognized advocacy program teaches the communication skills vital for business success, while the growing international focus of South Texas introduces students to law and commerce abroad. You can afford a private law school education. South Texas’ tuition rates are among the lowest in the U.S. for private schools, and financial aid is available. The South Texas application deadline for Fall 1999 is Marchl. Think about it. For information on our programs, call the Admissions Office at 713-646-1810 or visit our website at http://www.stcl.tamu.edu. ANY TRUCK-Plmt who b a wealt iS love. “hi Lie / lf iints, then Tt, there is SOUTH TEXAS affiliated with Texas A&M University 1303 San Jacinto Houston, Texas 77002 South Texas College of Law provides equal employ ment, admission and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex or disability.