ARTS
Thursday, March 11, 1982
The Michigan Daily.
I
Page
-
A selection of campus film highlights
The 20th Ann Arbor
Film Festival
The festival of 16mm films continues
at the Michigan Theatre. A different
show of avant-garde, experimental,
and other independent films are
shown eachevening at 7, 9, and 11
p.m. Thursday through Friday; 1, 7,
and 9 p.m. Saturday; with highlights
from, the festival and winners
screened Sunday, March 14, at 7, 9,
and 11 p.m.
King's Row
m (Sam Wood, 1941)
A surprisingly well-acted movie
concerning a small town, its petty
squabbles, and its back-room greed.
Ronald Reagan does better acting in
the film than ,he's doing now. His
climactic hospital scene, "Where's
the rest of me?" will almost make
you cry. (Thursday, March 11; Aud.
A, 8:45).
Stir Crazy
(Sidney Poitier,1980)
Billed as last year's most successful
comedy, the film is really an em-
-barrassment to the comedic skills of
Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, not
to mention Poiter's direction. There
is almost no plot, just a series of in-
; cidents designed to keep your eyes
focused on the screen for two hours.
And as far as the comedy goes, there
,,,,re maybe three, four jokes in the
,entire movie. (Friday, March 12;
-Aud. A, 7:00, 9:00).
Heaven's Gate
'(Michael Cimino, 1981)
Yes, the "40 million dollar film that
was pulled from distribution after
the first reel is coming to Ann Arbor.
Hooted out of New York by the
critics, the film has been re-edited a
number of times. This version is the
- first reworking of the film and was
released last summer to a couple of
theaters. Heaven's Gate is not an
abysmal failure. Sure, its got some
problems concerning character
development and plot exposition,
and the ending is bizarre, but overall
the movie is remarkably textured.
Kris Kristofferson, Isabelle Hup-
pert, and Christopher Walken give
adequate performances in scenes
that are beautifully photographed by
Vilmos Zsigmond and backed by
impeccable music. The final battle
scene between the land barons and
the immigrants is truly spectacular.
You should really give this film a
fair chance. (March 13; MLB 4, 6:30,
9:00).
The Four Musketeers
(Richard Lester, 1974)
Not your typical stuffed shirt, great
books version of a story based on the
Dumas classic. Lester, director of
Help! and A Hard Days Night, has
punctuated his film with slapstick,
Three Stooges' comedy, visual flair,
sight gags, and a cheery, devil-may-
care attitude that is very effective.
With Richard Chamberlain, Raquel
Welch, Michael York, Oliver Reed,
Christopher Lee, and Faye
Dunaway-but this is not a spot-the-
star, anything-for-a-buck movie. It
is a wonderfully funny, modern
swashbuckler. (March 13; Aud. A,
7:00,9:00).
Seven Samurai
(Akira Kurosawa, 1954)
A dramatic film that overpowers the
viewer with sight and sound. Seven
Samurai warriors agree to defend a
village from bandits, and in the
bloody process teach a great deal
about loyalty and courage to the
townspeople. Better than any
Western remakes, and one of
Kurosawa's best. (Wednesday,
March 17; Michigan Theatre, 4:00,
8:00).
-compiled by Richard Campbell
By Elliot Jackson
WITHOUT A doubt, most of Ann
Arbor is serenely oblivious to the
fact that there exists, behind the Breast
Cancer Detection Center on West
Washington, a group of people known
collectively as the Performance Net-
work, who operate and hang out in a
space known as the "Space."
Now, though this may not seem like
news of earth-rumbling import, the
Performance Network, made up of
some six dedicated members, would
have the public know that it exists, and
that it believes itself something of a
new and innovative force among the
performing arts organizations in Ann
Arbor.
David Bernstein, one of the six, ex-
plained Performance Network's
origins. "Ned (Richardson), Jim
Moran and I were working on the same
show (R. G. Davis' adaptation of Dario
Fo's We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!) and
Ruth (Bradley), Linda (Pantry) and
Michael (Perry) were working on the 16
mm film festival. It was Jim who
brought in the Young People's Theatre.
"It's all run much more like a family
grocery store than an organization,"
Bernstein said.
Performance Network, explained
Bernstein, is an off-shoot of an
organization formed in 1980 known as
the Network of Artists for Political Ac-
tion (N.A.P.A.). This organization in-
cluded groups like the Radical Arts
Troupe, dedicated to political theatre,
and a variety of song-writers and poets
and such, who would meet upon oc-
casion to display, discuss, critique, and
re-work their material.
"The only problem with that," Ber-
nstein said, "is that everyone was so
busy with their own work that there was
no time for anyone to think of keeping
the network together.
"We needed a space to work in to sur-
vive, as a focus for our activities."
The Pertformance, Network seemed
at first nothing more than an out-
growth of the defunct N.A.P.A.,
acquiring a unique identity when Ber-
nstein and Moran recruited Davis, to
direct his adaptation of We Won't Pay!
We Won't Pay!.
The Network also acquired the long-
wished-for "Space" in a building on
West Washington Street. "We signed
the lease on December 15th, and the
rehearsals for We Won't Pay! began
two days after that," Bernstein
recalled.
As for their plans, the Network is em-
phatic in agreeing that the production
of We Won't Pay!-currently touring
the rounds of local UAW assembly
halls-and the work on the film festival,
are only the beginning.
"There is," according to Ruth
Bradley, "no consistent home for film
showings or the productions like the
ones we intend to do-there is no chan-
ce for discussion or intimacy. We want
to create a congenial atmosphere for
discussion and hanging around.
"It's a very versatile space-it could
be used as a studio for shooting film, or
dance."
. The group is emphatic about keeping
the "Space" open to outside groups,
who use it for diverse purposes, from
experimental theatre to assemblies.
"At the moment, the Space is being
used more for preparatory work than
for performance-we had the previews
of We Won't Pay! there, and it's where
we're doing the pre-screening for the
Film Festival," said Bernstein. "Right
now we think of the Space as being
home plate.
"Other people are seeing the Space
-now, and it's sparking ideas, because
there's no other space like it in Ann Ar-
bor. We may eventually rent it some
months of the year, and reserve bet-
ween 2-4 months for PN's own projec-
ts."
Meanwhile, Performance Network
continues with its own projects, and en-
courages outside interest. The public is
cordially urged to find out and get in-
vlved with what goes on at 408 West
NOON LUNCHEON
Soup 8 Sandwich $1 .00
FRIDAY, MARCH 12
Susan Edwards,
Women's Community Center:
"ANN ARBOR
WOMEN ORGANIZING"
GUILD HOUSE -802 Monroe St.
(662-5189)
375 N. MAPLE
769.1300
BARGAIN SNOWS $2.5 0Nfore 56PM
Network performs in'
SpaceCe'
Washington, behind the Breast Cancel
Detection Center. For more infor,
mation on volunteer work with the
Network or possible "Space" rental;
stop by or call 663-0881.
AN1 ARBr
-7
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Daily
Classifieds
Bring Results
i ii ' _ _
Iecords
Twv Falco's Panther Bur- also itsr
ns-'Behind the Magnolia Cur- Tav F
tam' Trade)argume
ain' (Frenzi-Rough Trade) far mor
One thing for sure about this album is than in
that no one else but the Rough Trade tain just
Records would put it out. Like The
Snashchords EP-which exaggerated
goozo-feedback-garage rock to such an
absurd degree that we had no choice Lipps,
but to call ,it Art-Behind the Magnolia (Casal
Curtain is an album you could dismiss
as h novelty if it didn't have so much to I don't
$ay about the very essence of the music ce that
that inspired it. music a
Basically, Panther Burns plays Lipps In
seminal rock and roll close to its coun- west. T
try' & western and rhythm & blues cultural
toots. You are not to be chastised if you it requi
think they just sound like .any old fun. All
drunken truck-stop bar band imitating found fu
Jerry Lee Lewis. That is precisely the For ex
point, my friend. that tool
Panther Burns flaunt the fact that Lipps.
they respect this music mostly as just them to
an excuse to get really rowdy. Behind music h
the Magnolia Curtain pretty much They see
demands that you get pissing drunk, if the star
only because that's the only way that "Funky
it's going to sound right. that it
If nothing else, you have to respect tinue on
a band that would release an album as too ser
unabashedly unpracticed as this one. resigne
Even if you can rightly call it repeat t
amateurish, you would have to be un- the arti
salvagably narrow to deny that that is finally p
............... .............
most charming quality.
Falco and company make the
nt that with rock and roll it's
e important to be in the swing
sync. Behind the Magnolia Cur-
might have you convinced, too.
-Mark Dighton
* * * *
Inc.-'Designer Music,
blanca- Polydor).
t think it's any mere coinciden-
some of the cleverest dance
round-Was (Not Was), Prince,
nc.-is coming out of the Mid-
'he heartland has always been
ly sheltered in such a way that
red people to make their own
of these bands have simply
nk a good way to do that.
xample, I have heard few bands
k themselves less seriously than
Inc., an attitude that allows
clearly telegraph through their
how much fun they're having.
em to have had that knack from
t. That demeanor both made
town" the throwaway wonder
was and allowed them to con-
after that. Taking that success
iously probably would have
d them to eternally trying to
themselves. Instead, they took
stic long-shot and succeeded,
producing an album full of en-
tertainly diverse and yet impressively
onsistent tunes. . . none of which sound
anything like "Funkytown."
The only comparison to
"Funkytown" this LP will bear is in,
recognition of its well-managed balan-
ce between production polish and atten-
tion-grabbing edges. Chief sharp edge
is vocalist Cynthia Johnson, who
somehow combines the earthy
toughness of Aretha Franklin with the
heart-on-her-sleeve vulnerability of
Tammy Wynette. (No, really.)
The only current touchstone for Lip-
ps, Inc. would have to be Kid Creole and
the Coconuts. Only a patchwork as
ingratiatingly demented as a Kid
Creole production could hope to carry
off the merging of orchestral
manoeuvers and flamenco breaks that
Lipps, Inc. achieve so winningly on the
title track of this LP. Eat your heart
out, Kid.
As for me, I'll take my funk with a
healthy dose of good humor, thanks.
-M.D.
* * * *
Irene Cara-'Anyone Can See'
Elektra)
Remembering that Irene Cara first
hit the bigtime portraying a talented
(and beautiful) young artist doing prac-
tically EVERYTHING to "make it", in
a movie directed toward our continuing
sentimental-fantasy fascination with
young anguish ("Fame"), you might
expect her new album to feature more
of the marketable slickness which
made her (and her voice) the object of
many a somewhat fawning light touch
ear:
You might be right. Anyone Can See
hails from the Power Station, New
York's factory of slickness. Studio
musicians all over the place, including
guitarists Leon Pendarvis and Hugh
McKracken and producer Ron Dante.
Money slides all around the post-disco
rhythm.
Not that one. can't say some good
things about commercial stuff,
especially when it's pretty well done, as
it is on tracks like "My Baby (He's
Something Else)," "Why," as well as
the hit single title track. The music does
what it's supposed. to-not grate.
Smoothness is enjoyable once in a
while, right? At least Cara is honest;
she doesn't pretend to be saying or
singing anything original.
-Ben Ticho
Count Bill of Rights
Article VI
Article VI:
An Act to Make Your
Wholly
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Specia
Life Whole Again.
Molly
Pan
The Wholly Molly Whole Pan Pizza
$2.00 Off Whole Pans of Count-za
Everv Wednesday Night 5-12 Midnight
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868-8411 t
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Sat. March 13
8pm
$2.50 Union
SUNDAY UNNIES
March 25,2e,27