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The Battalion
Page 3A • Wednesday, September 1, 2004
PACE DESIGN BY JULIE BONE
PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES
James D Arcy as Father Francis in “Exorcist: The Beginning."
The Exorcist: The Beginning
Starring Stellan Skarsgard
and James D'Arcy
Morgan Creek Productions
ROBERT SAUCEDO The recent prequel to 1973’s ground
breaking horror film “The Exorcist” was
doomed from the beginning. The original director. John Franken-
heimer. dropped out of the film due to declining health that led
to his death. His replacement. Paul Schrader, was allegedly fired
after completion because the studio demanded a bloodier gore fest
than the psychological thriller Schrader submitted. Renny Hariin
was brought in as the replacement director to punch up the film a
bit but instead re-shot close to 90 percent of the original movie.
It’s no wonder, then, that “The Exorcist: The Beginning" is one
large, clumsy, steaming pile of celluloid ca-ca. Having more in
common with the Arnold Schwarzenegger action shoot-up Satan
flick “End of Days” than “The Exorcist: The Beginning" relies on
blood and guts where its predecessor w isely chose to utilize mood
and atmosphere.
What made the original "Exorcist” so darn scary was its use of
supernatural horror in an everyday setting. By setting the movie
in a typical family dwelling, audiences were left with the tingling
speculation that the neighborhood kid was indeed possessed by
evil spirits. In “Exorcist: The Beginning,” audiences are instantly
thrown into a world the average theater visitor knows nothing
about - East Africa. This does not instantly mark a bad movie; it
simply made the job harder for the filmmakers a job that Hariin
was not able to meet.
Set in the Turkana region of Kenya, “Exorcist: The Beginning”
reveals the story of the original's elder exorcist Father Merrin’s
first encounter with Captain Howdy, the naughty little demon that
has a penchant for possessing children. Lankester Merrin (played
by Stellan Skarsgard in the lone quality performance of the mov
ie) has shed his priesthood after a crisis of faith. Called upon to
lead an archeological dig, Merrin discovers a Byzantine church
where one should not be. Ignoring any nagging bit of common
sense, Merrin and his crew disturb a tomb that had been buried
and awaken an evil that proceeds to systematically lay waste to
the neighboring village.
The first film was notorious for its use of a slug-like crawl that
finally paid off in a whopper of an ending. At first, the prequel
attempts to create some kind of pace, but quickly loses patience
with atmosphere and mood and instead seeks to scare audiences
with clumsy computer graphics and cheap scares. Audiences may
jump in their seats when hideously rendered CGI hyenas ravage
a small child or at a gory battle scene that would make William
Wallace blush, but they would also jump out of their seats if a bal
loon was popped in their faces. The film relies too heavily on the
usage of out-of-place violence and loud noises to frighten audi
ences, which, unfortunately, makes the movie unsatisfying.
It’s hard to take any movie too seriously when the protagonist
insists on following the strict regime of Hollywood horror rules:
1) If you have to dig in a graveyard or enter a deserted tomb,
make sure you do it at night.
2) Extreme close-ups of the decent demonic make-up jobs will
convince audiences that bad pores are scary.
3) Introduce a cute monkey for a pet and then feed it to hyenas
on steroids.
“Exorcist: The Beginning” is a connect-the-dot horror movie
that does not deserve to ride the coattails of a classic. The cast,
minus the wonderfully nuanced performance of Skarsgard, seems
to be escapees of a made-for-TV melodrama and the use of bright
colors defuses any atmosphere the director may have attempted.
The computer graphics are pointless and clumsily executed. Some
usage of unsettling angles and a haunting score help the movie in
some regard, but unfortunately, it’s too little, too late.
Those who enjoy traditional horror films will probably get a
mild kick out of this phone-in excuse for a prequel, but audiences
seeking a little meat with their blood will come out empty-handed
and slightly angry with this dumbed-down flick that must have
been the work of Satan.
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All eyes on the arts
OPAS boasts classics and Yo-Yo Ma for fall season
By Allison Brown
THE BATTALION
With the beginning of a new school
year, many Aggies have one thing on their
mind: Fightin’ Texas Aggie Football. This
semester, the Texas A&M community can
take pride in knowing that football is not
the only thing they have to cheer about.
Thanks to MSC OPAS and the Aggie Play
ers, the fine arts should score a touchdown
this season, too.
MSC OPAS is bringing the world to Col
lege Station with its 2004-05 fall season.
“I'm very excited about this season,”
said Jason Ford, a senior biochemistry
major and director of OPAS relations. “It
should be comparable to our 30th anniver
sary season.”
Coming up in September is “The Foreign
er,” starring Jaston Williams and Joe Scars
of “Greater Tuna," a two-man satire of a
small Texas town in which they play all the
characters. The duo is returning, this time
joined by seven comedic actors.
“We’ve had Joe and Jaston here for sev
eral years with the ‘Tuna’ trilogy and people
really, really love them,” said OPAS Ex
ecutive Director Anne Black.
“The Foreigner” is a comedy about an
Englishman who comes to a small town for
some time to reflect on his life. He pretends
to be from another country and that he is not
able to speak English. As the characters be
gin to talk freely about their darkest secrets,
schemes and plans, thinking he cannot un
derstand, a hilarious plot ensues.
“Bringing something like this to a small,
conservative town should open some eyes,”
Ford said.
Next up on the main stage is a one-
night-only performance by Hubbard
Street Dance Chicago, a world-renowned
dance troupe that was founded more than
25 years ago. Its newest piece, “Rooster,”
contains eight songs by the Rolling Stones
and will be a feature of this performance.
“It should be like a good taste of‘Chicago’
mixed with the Rolling Stones,” Ford said.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
will also do master classes and lec
ture demonstrations with the dance
students in the College of Educa
tion while they are in town.
“That link back to academics is
very, very high in our mission and
what we're here to accomplish,”
Black said.
In November, Aggies can ex
pect a treat from “Fiddler on the
Roof.” This Tony Award-winning
Broadway musical tells the story
of a Jewish family in Czarist Rus
sia. It features such memorable
songs as “If I Were a Rich Man”
and “Matchmaker.”
“Everyone loves ‘Fiddler on
the Roof,’” Ford said. “It’s an all-
around classic.”
Last on the OPAS lineup for the
fall semester is a concert by cellist
Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Emmanuel
Ax. The duo is only stopping in
seven cites for its two-week North
American tour. According to Black,
this show has received the most at
tention of the whole season and is
selling well.
“Yo-Yo Ma is the No. I seller,”
Black said. “We have taken tickets
off sale from the public in order for the stu
dents to have tickets to buy.”
Wells Fargo is sponsoring the perfor
mance in order to underwrite the cost of
student tickets. The price is yet to be
determined.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity
for college students,” Ford said. “It's going
to sell out. I know it.”
OPAS also has two performances this se
mester in its “Intimate Gatherings” series.
The Youth Orchestra of the Americas will
perform with Grammy Award-winning jazz
saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera in October,
and The Aim Trio will perfonn in Novem
ber. The “Intimate Gatherings” series is
different in that artists will stay on stage to
discuss their performances after the show.
While OPAS is bringing artists from
around the world to campus, the Theatre
Program of the Department of Performance
Studies is showcasing fellow Aggies in its
productions this fall. They are known as
The Aggie Players, and this
semester marks the beginning
of their 59th season of live
theater at A&M.
The Aggie Players' sea
son starts off with a student-
directed double-bill called
“The Death of Innocence/In
nocents.” Dan Steele, a se
nior English and theater arts
major, will direct “No Exit.”
Senior theater arts major and
Aggie Theatre Council Presi
dent, Keisha Key will direct
“Patient A."
“Patient A” is the true
story of a 22-year-old woman
who contracted the HIV virus
from a routine dentist visit.
It tackles the debated issue
of mandatory AIDS testing
for doctors. Key said she
chose this show because she
thought it was relevant (o the
upcoming elections.
“I thought bringing this
play to the stage, especially
in a more conservative community, presents
another side,” Key said. “It never says which
side is right, but it presents the idea and lets
the audience decide for themselves.”
In October, former A&M student and
faculty member Robert W. Wenk returns
to campus to direct “The Diary of Adam
and Eve.” This show is the story of cre
ation with a comical twist and is based
on Mark Twain’s amusing stories about
Adam and Eve.
The Aggie Players’ main stage produc
tion this fall is Anton Chekhov's “The
Seagull,” which will run in November.
Key said student attendance at these per
formances is important to maintain a well-
rounded university, and Black agrees.
“The arts are the window thorough which
we view the world,” Black said. “They!
give us the ability to think, feel, and have,
discourse about things. Having a greater!
understanding of the world when you come!
out is really what it’s all about.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MSC OPAS MAIN STAGE
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma (top photo) and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (above) are among the acts
scheduled for the fall season of MSC OPAS Main Stage.
Wimbledon
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany,
Sam Neill 6r Jon Favreau
Universal Studios
GENRE: Romantic comedy
RELEASED: September 17
Richard Lon-
craine’s “Wimble
don” is a tale of
romance across
the net. Peter Colt
(Bettany) is seeded
near the bottom of
the world tennis
ranks, hut man
ages to score a
wild card, allow
ing him to play
in the prestigious
Wimbledon tour
nament. There,
he meets and falls
for American tennis star Lizzie Bradbury (Dunst). Fueled
by his newfound luck, love and on-court prowess, Peter
works his way up the ranks of the tournament players adn
actually stands a chance of fulfilling his lifelong dream of
winning the men’s singles title — if his luck can hold out.
Alexander
Starring Colin Ferrell, Angelina /olie, Val
Kilmer & Anthony Hopkins
Warner Bros. Pictures
GENRE: Action adventure drama
RELEASED: November 5
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.
Oliver Stone’s “Alexan
der” is based on the true
story of one of history’s
most luminous and influ
ential leaders, Alexander
the Great (Colin Farrell)
— a man who had con
quered 90% of the known
world by the age of 27.
The film chronicles Alex
ander’s path to becoming a
living legend, from a youth
fueled by dreams of myth,
glory and adventure to his
lonely death as a ruler of
vast Empire. “Alexander”
is the story of a life that
united the Known World
and proved, if nothing else,
fortune favors the bold.