The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 14, 1984 - Page 7
Not a classic but you
will want to dance
*
_t.
t .4,
By Mike Fisch
S OMETIMES A movie makes you
smile or laugh and that's enough.
# You leave your seat and you feel good.
Footloose is that kind of movie. From
the title, you'd think that it is just
another Spring Break or Hotdog -
heavy on the sex, beer and fun (and
probably in that order). Fortunately.
this is not the case. Footloose does not
pretend to be a message film but it does
have something to say. That's probably
what makes the smile enough: there's
something to think about, if you feel like
it, and there's something to remember.
In movie lingo, the film has a plot.
Footloose is the story of Ren Mac-
Cormack (Kevin Bacon), a big city boy
who moves to a small town in the
southwest called Bomont. Due to a car
accident a few years back, Bomont's
town council outlawed rock music and
dancing. Ren is the type of guy who
likes to rock and roll, but he is faced
with constant opposition from the town
council and other "upstanding"
citizens. Wherever he turns there are
new restrictions that keep him from
dancing, listening to music, or just
being himself.
In one scene, Ren retreats to an old
warehouse where he releases some ten-
sion by guzzling a beer, turning up the
music and dancing - just like he would
in Chicago. Although the scene is a
trifle unrealistic, it is a good release for
Ren as well as the audience.
The main purveyor of righteousness
in Bomont is Rev. Shaw Moore (played
by John Lithgow). He feels it a nec-
cessity to watch over every soul in the
town. Lithgow's Rev. Moore is not a one
dimensional character; he changes and
adapts as the movie progresses. The
Reverend eventually realizes that it is
not his right to protect every soul from
sin and that fun doesn't have to be im-
moral. Lithgow's performance gives a
touch of class to the film.
The deteriorating relationship of
Rev. Moore and his daughter Ariel
(Lori Singer) sets up the main message
of Footloose: you can't live life for your
kids - they need the freedom to make
mistakes, to express themselves. You
might have got this same message from
an "ABC Afterschool Special," but just
because you've heard it before doesn't
make the message any less relevant.
I'm not saying Footloose is a terribly
thought-provoking film - it isn't - but
unlike Spring Break, it makes the ef-
fort. If you're looking for intellec-
tualism, Footloose isn't for you, but if
you just want to smile, and see a kid
stand up for what he believes in, then, by
all means, check out this film.
Kevin Bacon can dance as well as act in 'Footloose'
Big Country plays for fun
4 aymt riv
T HE ONLY WAY you can tell how
well a band really performs is to
see them live. Sure, they might sound
great on a record that has been
produced in a studio for a number of
weeks or months mixing and remixing
the record to perfection. The only
problem is that when they hit the road,
the band doesn't sound the same
because they lose that security and
quality of the studio to make everything
sound exactly as they wanted.
Big Country is one of the few bands
that does not fit the above description.
The group needs to go out on the road
because they are a "live" band, not a
"studio" band. The only way to truly
experience the essence of Big Country
is to see them on stage, feeling and
being a part of the energy that is produc-
ed. In fact, their exciting live perfor-
mance last Saturday night could never
be captured on a record.
The Scottish quartet playedthrough a
most enthusiastically received and per-
formed ninety minutes worth of music.
Included in the set was everything from
the, band's debut album, a few new
songs that have not been released in the
Originalit
U.S. yet, and a touching rendition of
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles'
classic "The Tracks of my Tears" for
the second encore.
Even though each member of the
band played extremely well (especially
bassist Tony Butler), Stuart Adamson
stole the show. Adamson is the band's
lead singer, lead guitarist, and he
writes the lyrics and music - he is Big
Country. ,His powerful, singing and
skillful guitarwork kept him in center
stage for the entire evening. But don't
get the idea that Adamson is a con-
ceited and self-centered guy; without
the strength of the other band mem-
bers, Adamson's material would not do
so well.
One aspect about the show that was
greatly appreciated was the audience
participation that the band wanted and
received, especially during such songs
as "Chance" and "In a Big Country."
This seemed to close the gap between
the audience and the band.
Also, Adamson would make commen-
ts to the audience that made them feel a
lot closer to the group. "You are the
ones that make the record successful,
not us," he exclaimed as the crowd
roared back with cheers.
Wire Train, the San Francisco band
that opened Big Country's show, per-
formed a set that fluctuated between
two extremes: quite promising and
very mediocre. Overall, the band did
not seem to have much experience tap-
ping the full potential of their songs.
Songs such as "I'll Do You" and "I
Forget it all (When I See You)"
however, did use the skill that the band
has to their advantage.
Another problem besides the band's
lack of experience was the need for
them to find their own sound. The group
sounded too much like a disoriented
mixture of Translator, the Plimsouls,
and Modern English.
9eb Hall celebrates
the mist of baroness
wiirb closet au er
Nicharb Kattimore's
eves. Beratombs will
be offerebhin memorU
of ttis antiquated
acbolar.
HOUSING DIVISION
WEST QUADRANGLE
RESIDENT STAFF APPLICATIONS
FOR SPRING / SUMMER 1984
Available Starting February 27. 1984
In 1500 S.A.B.
POSITIONS INCLUDE: Resident Director, Resident Advisor, Head Librarian and
Minority Peer Advisor
Advisory positions require the completion of a minimum of 48 undergraduate credit hours toward
program for Resident Advisory positions; Graduate status for Resident Director positions. Quali-
fied undergraduate applications may be considered for the Resident Director positions.
Qualifications: (1) Must be a registered U of M student on the Ann Arbor Campus during the per-
iod of employment. (2) Must have completed a minimum of 48 undergraduate credit hours toward
program by the end of the 1983 Fall Term. (3) Preference will be given to applicants who have
lived in the residence halls at the University level for at least one year. (4) Undergraduate ap-
plicants must have at least a 2.50 cumulative grade point average in the school or college in which
they are enrolled. Graduate applicants must be in good academic standing in the school or col-
lege in which they are enrolled (5) Preference is given to applicants who do not intend to carry
heavy academic schedules and who do not have rigorous outsidecommitments. (6) Consideration
will only be given to qualified applicants who will be available both Spring/Summer Terms. (7)
Proof of these qualifications will re required.
Current staff and other applicants must come to this office and complete a new application.
Staff selection and placement shall be determined in the following order:
1. Current staff in West Quadrangle.
2. Staff recommended in West Quadrangle for 1984-85 academic year.
3. Current staff throughout the Residence Hall system.
4. Other qualified applicants.
APPL ICATION DEADLINE IS 4:00 P.M., MARCH 16, 1984
a non-discriminatory affirmative action employer, Title IX
1By Paul Clipson
ROM LAST TUESDAY until the
following Sunday, Ann Arborites,
E residents from other parts of Michigan,
and film enthusiasts from around the
country were treated to a week's worth
of creative filmmaking from the U.S.
and other areas of the world. The event
was the 22nd Ann Arbor Film Festival.
r A wide variety of films were shown,
some of which the audience- applauded
and some that were not as well accep-
ted, but most of the films screened were
a breath of fresh air compared to the
vacuous commercial output of
Hollywood cinema today.
It was rumored that the festival
organizers were worried as to this
year's festival breaking even. All
through the week there were en-
thusiastic turnouts for the 7 & 9
-q showings, if not as much for the 11
? o'clock shows. Especially noticeable
r were the large groups of filmgoers for
Sunday evening's screenings of the
winning films, also supporting the
feeling that this year's festival was a
success.
Among some of the festival's most
enjoyable films were the humorous
ones. "Eat The Beat," by David Mc-
.. Cutchen, is a funny short animated film
of a pixillating cookie spinning, getting
baked and being eaten to Tchaikovsky.
Pixillation is an animation technique
in which objects are filmed as in car-
toons, but at a much smaller cost. The
technique was also used in one of my
favorte films screened at the festival,
"Sticks on the Move," by Pooh Kaye
and Elisabeth Ross. A New York film,
"Sticks" shows a group of people
pixillating down streets and sidewalks,
propelled by wooden blocks. The use of
animation adds comic tone to the film,
I JUNGLE
y in films
as the movements are jerky and ar-
tificial.
Another favorite was "La Pomme de
Terre" (The Potato), a clever parody
of foreign films with allusions to the
-works of Luis Bunuel and others. A
bourgeois couple dressed in evening
clothes (looking like they were out of
Alain Resnais' "Last Year at Marien-
bad") exchange hilariously gland, non-
secsical remarks like "I don't like hot-
dogs" and "Where is the library?"
"Remains to Be Seen," a film com-
bining both live-action footage and
animatiion, revealed some of the
technical quality that independent
filmmakers can present.
The festival's $1,000 grand prize win-
ner, "Seventeen" by Joel Demott and
Jeff Kreines, was the highlight of the
festival. A documentation shot
somewhere in the south, "Seventeen"
portrays a group of teenagers, their
friends, and parents. The film delves
masterfully into the racial tensions of
the area with the strained relationships
of black and white teenagers in a town
shadowed by the Ku Klux Klan. I found
"Seventeen" extremely funny yet
deadly serious at times. The subjects of
the film talk candidly and , with sh-
ocking openess.
My only criticism is that the film was
shown at such a late time on Sunday
evening. It started at about 11:55 and
ran two hours. Since it was the major
winner, I feel it merited a special
screening at an earlier time.
. Apparently the film was to be sold to
public television, but they found it too
candid and strong in its discussion of
racial attitudes. Too bad, because this
film deserves notoriety.
I had never attended before, but I
found it exciting and worthwhile. I only
hope more people, expecially of
younger ages will come to find the
festival as a valuable and important
community event.
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SWING ON DOWN TO
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