,, Tuesday, July 31,200! AGGIELIFE THE BATTALION People in the News esday, July Eriq LaSalle leaves 'ER/ filming movies Planet of the Apes Directed by Tim Burton Starring Mark Wahlberg & Helena Bonham Carter The movie of the summer has arrived, and it is Planet of the Apes. Burton’s latest film re visits the concept of an upside- down civilization where intel ligent apes rule over submissive humans. But do not let the science-fic tion idea of a crash-landed space hero confuse the validity of the film’s underlying anti-slavery and anti-racism message. Both films — the original from 1968 and the latest from 200 — use cinematic elements of plot, scenery, dialogue and action to portray a society where one group of individuals claims superiority over anoth er, while refusing to face the obvious truth of equality. The means to that end is unique to each movie, how ever. Burton, whose film credits include the visually extravagant Batman and Beetlejnice, spares no expense in making Planet of the Apes 2001 a stunning film. Costars Mark Wahlberg’s — instant classic — = don't buy it mmm (—i ^ B = a cut above C = average F = burn in effigy ? PHOJO COURTESY OF TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX OPAS Main Stage student tickets as low as $12! Buy Any! Buy Many! S ave M oney! Ragtime Spartacus The moment you have been waiting for is finally here: All tickets to the MSC OPAS 2001-02 season are on sale now! Buy any, buy many! Get the best seats now by purchasing tickets to any or all of your favorites. Save money! Be sure to ask about this season's small packages. These money-saving packages offer four OPAS programs and have been built especially for Broadway, music, and dance fans. By ordering a small package, you get all of your favorites while saving almost 10%! Order tickets! Call the MSC Box Office at 845-1234 or order on-line at opas.tamu.edu. .., MSC rts a u OPAS 2001-2002 SEA SO N 2C) Love Your Friends? 15% discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Inquire at 845-1234. MAIN STAGE RED, WHITE AND TUNA September 8 & 9 RAGTIME October 23 & 24 MARK O'CONNOR with Boston's METAMORPHOSEN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA November 3 MY FAIR LADY January 25 & 26 GRIGOROVICH BALLET COMPANY SWAN LAKE February 21 SPARTACUS February 22-23 DEATH OF A SALESMAN February 26 PORGY AND BESS March 19 & 20 GARTH FAGAN DANCE April 6 Student tickets only $10! WOVEN HARMONY October 19 Support provided by: OH HOLY NIGHT December 1 OAVld uarcJner's OUR SINATRA January 24 gsHOr BehsoN WAYANAY INKA March 5 JR. j Tickets only $6.50! FOR THE YOUNG AT ART! READING RAINBOW October 7 ST. GEORGE and the DRAGON Houston Grand Opera's Opera To Go November 17 THE BOXCAR CHILDREN February 2 MICHEL LAUZIERE March 3 2001 - 2002 SEASON MEDIA PARTNERS '¥m. aw mm ESEM1620 Generously supported oy: The OPAS Guild Supporting the arts since 1973. Due to pending contract negotiations, all programs subject to change. (Fear, The Perfect Storm) and Helena Bonham Carter’s (Fight Club) characters are de veloped by an outrageous, yet believable, ape world. Wahlberg plays Capt. Leo Davidson, an Air Force astro naut that crashes his spacofthip oh the planet of the apes after traveling ahead through time. There he meets Ari (Bonholn j; a rebellious senator’s daughter who strives to establish an klej* al society where all primatt^jj* humans and apes—are created equal. Leo’s struggle fot es cape moves on from there, taking the audience through torrid jungles and unforgiving wastelands. Fans of the original easily will pick up on shared similar ities and parallels between the two movies, but the latest does not borrow so heavily as to be predictable. Highlights from the film in clude a memorable ape versus human battle scene with origi nal uses of weaponry, a new-to- film ape style of martial arts and a dynamic performance by Tim Roth (Rob Roy) as the evil Gen. Thade. Being an action film and not a snobbish historical epic. Plan et of the Apes probably will not win the Oscar for Best Picture, but moviegoers are sure to enjoy their two hours spent and will definitely get their money’s worth. (Grade: A) LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eriq La Salle is checking out of "ER." The actors plans to quit the NBC hospital drama after next season to pursue directing and producing opportunities. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter reported Monday. La Salle has been with the show since its 1994 debut and earned three Emmy nomina tions for his role as brooding Dr. Peter Benton. La Salle is finishing Crazy as Hell, his first feature film as a director. He also served as producer on the upcoming thriller The Saltan Sea. "ER" will enter its 2002- '03 season with only two original cast members re maining, Noah Wyle and Sherry Stringfield. Anthony Edwards already announced he'll leave the show after the upcoming season. Cambodia for a short: during filming late last. Last week, she toure mer Khmer Rouge where the UNHCR | worked with displaced! pie and returned refill Civil war in Cambodiael in 1 998, but people ini war-ravaged areas corl to live in extreme pove - . rely on internationalaicl jolie's weeklong trij not made public until she left on Friday. Noprl graphs were released. Some Cambodian al officials have criticize:| film for showing thefici inhabitants of Angkor - ing Vietnamese conical! The Vietnamese, Gambol historical enemy, have I occupied Angkor. fire de: I CEDAR < destroyed t hog farm, k I Circle Fo an Mauldv\ proximately ings and $1 in the blaze 'Play' in courtfJ no child supportl Angelina Jolie visits Cambodia as guest PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Angelina Jolie paid a discreet visit to remote areas of Cambodia JOLIE — Thomas Phillips as a guest of the United Nations High Com missioner for Refugees, of ficials said Monday. Jolie stars in the action film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which includes several scenes shot in Cambodia at Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world and the best known of the scores of old Buddhist and Hindu temples around Cambodia. The 26-year-old actress, who plays the adventure seeking heroine in the film adapted from the "Tomb Raider" video game, was in NEW YORK (API Christopher "Play" Ma half of the old school group Kid 'N Play, isacc.| of failing to pay child suppl Martin, 38, wasarraigl Friday in federal courtinCl tral Islip, N.Y., on charge! he failed to pay $32,2/! child support to hisfc'-l wife, actress Shari Heaci They were married forw years and have a 7-year J son, Skyler. Headley, 37, isbestkrai for her role as Eddie Murpbl love interest in the 1988"; Coming to America. Afte' : || day's hearing, she said w never thought shewouldi in federal court. Headley said Martin* had no contact withhis.^l since the couple divorce® 1995. She told NwM that Martin, who now ; in Birmingham, Ala, failed to pay most oil® child support thatatesB County court ordere."*' to pay. Martin's attorney de.* : to comment.