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First
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Films
AGNES OF GOD
Three of America's finest actresses, Jane Fon-
da, Anne Bancroft, and Meg Tilly are the leads in
this psychological quasi-mystery. A young nun
(Tilly) is found in a room with a strangled newborn
infant, presumably hers, but claims that a miracle
has occurred. Fonda is an inquiring psychologist
who squares off against the convent's Mother
Superior (Bancroft). At the Campus Theater, 1214
S. University, 668416.
AFTER HOURS
A black comedy about a young man who is
plunged into a night of bizarre, comical, and
frightening adventure after a first date with a
woman from SoHo. Critically well accepted. Stars
Tern Garr, Rosanna Arquette, Griffin Dunne. At
the Ann Arbor Theatre, 210 S. Fifth, 761-9700.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
A Speilberg-presented, Robert Zemeckis-
directed fantasy about a high-school student who
rides a souped-up DeLorean into the '50s, and is
forced to insure his own existence by playing mat-
chmaker for his parents. A little too cute, but well
handled. At the State Theatre, 231 S. State, 6624264
and the Wayside, 3020 Washtenaw, 434-1782.
THE BLACK CAULDRON
Sword and sorcery-filled animated feature from
Disney. Although aimed at restoring Disney to its
former reputation, the film wallows in its own
mediocrity. At the Movies at Briarwood, Briar-
wood Mall, 769-8780.
THE BRIDE
Sting and Jennifer Beals (Flashdance) don't
quite make this monster movie work. At the Fox
Village Theatre, 375 N. Maple, 769-1300.
COCOON
Gentle post-Speilbergian fantasy about
benevolent aliens, children, and geriatrics. Direc-
ted by Ron Howard (Splash). At the Movies at
Briarwood, Briarwood Mall, 769-8780.
COMMANDO
Arnold Swarzenegger's performance as The
Terminator was all in good fun, but this latest ef-
fort from Mr. Muscle looks a little too much like
Rambo. A retired mercenary is forced back into
action when his daughter is kidnapped. At the Fox
Village Theatre, 375 N. Maple, 769-1300.
FOLLOW THAT BIRD
Big Bird plays a golden fowl who gets lost wan-
dering away from Sesame Street. Includes a clever
scene where Big Bird finds himself (herself?) in
the same precarious field that Cary Grant en-
countered in North-by-Northwest. Cameos by
Snuful-Upagus. From the Children's television
Workshop. At the Movies at Briarwood, Briarwood
Mall, 769-8780.
THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY
A marvelously imaginative comedy about an
African bushman who mistakes a Coke bottle that
falls from an airplane for a dropped trinket of the
gods and decides to return it. The laughs are pure
slapstick, but ingenious and relentless. A cult
classic and deservedly so. Now approaching its fir-
st year of running. At the Movies at Briarwood,
Briarwood Mall, 769-8780.
THE JAGGED EDGE
A murder-mystery thriller that involves a
savage slaying, a man wrongly accused of the
murder, a female assistant district attorney, and of
course, a romantic subplot. Stars Glenn Close and
Jeff Bridges. At the Movies at Briarwood, Briar-
wood Mall,.769-8780.
JOSHUA THEN AND NOW
A free spirit traverses two continents in pursuit
of life, love, and success. Stars Alan Arkin and
James Woods. At the Movies at Briarwood, Briar-
wood Mall, 769-8780
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
William Hurt supplies the emotional power. This
film adaptation is faithful to the dialogue of
Manuel Puig's book, but lacks some of its heart.
Recommended nonetheless. At the Ann Arbor
Theatre, 375 S. Fifth, 761-9700.
MARIE
No information available at press time. At the
Movies at Briarwood, Briarwood Mall, 769-8780.
ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE
No information available at press time. At the
State Theatre, 231 S. State, 662-626.
PLENTY
A heroic Englishwoman is haunted by memories
of the passion and idealism of her experience as a
fighter in the French Resistance. At the Movies at
Briarwood, Briarwood Mall, 769-8780.
RE-ANIMATOR
A medical student develops a serum which can
bring the dead back to life. At the State Theatre,
231 S. State, 662-6264.
REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
An ordinary cop turned secret agent brings
justice to international criminals with the help of
his mystical training in the martial arts. Based on
the Destroyer book series by Warren Murphy and
Richard Sapir. At the Fox Village Theatre, 375 N.
Maple 769-1300.
SILVER BULLET
Another Steven King story turned into a movie.
King himself wrote the screenplay about a young
boy trying to save his town from a werewolf. At the
Fox Village Theatre, 375 N. Maple, 769-1300..
ST. ELMO'S FIRE
Seven young friends share their fantasies at a
D.C. bar. Call it The Little Chill. Stars Rob Lowe,
Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson. At the Movies in Briar-
wood, Briarwood Mall, 769-8780.
SWEET DREAMS
The story of legendary country singer Patsy
Cline and her turbulent romance with Charlie
Dick, her second husband. Stars Jessica Lange. At
the Fox Village Theatre, 375 N. Maple, 769-1300.
WARNING SIGN
Man meets virus thriller. Mutates drama. At the
Fox Village Theatre, 375 N. Maple, 769-1300.
miracle
here
By Richard Campbell
Agnes of God
Starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft,
and Megan Tilly
LAST YEAR, Norman Jewison
brought A Soldier's Story from
the wooden stage of theater to the
silver screen of cinema.
Under Jewison's direction, that
strongly emotional play barely sim-
mered in film. Save for some well
tended performances, moviegoers
were denied a glimpse of real drama
and instead treated to a safe,
sanitized version of the play, com-
plete with upbeat ending.
We've seen the same kind of safe,
non-controversial, and ultimately dull
productions from a few other
prominent directors. Because of their
temperments, we are, of course,
saved from outrageously altered film
versions of stage plays: It is nice to be
able to see a reasonable movie whose
exposition and characters are
developed just as they were on
Broadway.
But these movies also end up with
little energy in them and no passions
to drive them. In a film like Agnes of
God, a film which attempts to
question faith and miracles in the
modern age, energy and passion are
its very lifeblood.
In short, the film tells the story of
Agnes, an impossibly naive and pure
woman whose cloistered life in a con-
vent has shielded her from any con-
tact with contemporary society.
When Agnes gives birth to a baby,
which is found strangled to death in
her room, the state must decide
whether to charge her with mur-
der,manslaughter, or find her in-
nocent by reason of insanity.
This plot rises above its
melodramatic foundations when it is
revealed that Agnes hears voices ap-
parently from the Virgin Mary.
Because Anges cannot remember
even giving birth, let along killing the
baby, it is suspected that we could be
the film grow slack.
Rather than confronting the
audience with, serious issues of faith
and belief, Jewison concentrates on
the mystery-story, turning a good
play back into a mediocre
melodrama.
What works in the film, works
against the grain of the plot. Meg
Tilly is unimaginably innocent as
Agnes, a girl whose devotion to God is
as pure ar her innocence. But for her
performance, Agnes of God could
easily have been a farce; it is her ab-
solutely sincere expression, devoid of
any complexity or deceit that makes
us wonder whether the voices she
hears are real.
As filmed by Sven Nykvist, long
time cinematic collaborator of Ingmar
Bergman, the characters and settings
are for the most part peaceful and
muted. Jewison seems to be aping
Bergman in many compositions, but
his insistance on playing up the
elements of gothic horror ("Oh-
mygosh! What is Agnes going to find
at the end of the dark corridor?")
rather than the much more interestng
themes of the play, betray his real
talents.
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Enter Jane Fonda, the psychiatrist
charged with making a judgement on
Agnes' sanity. As Fonda interrogates
Agnes and battles with the Mother
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FRIDAY 4 in B-flat, exemplifications of the
composer's Romantic innovations.
Included in the program is guest
Bars and Clubs piano soloist Barbara Nissman, a
university music school graduate who
has performed with such Drestigious
The Apartment-(769-4060)-Reflect orchestras as the London Philhar-
on the sounds of the Detroit Top-40
band Glass..
The Bird of Paradise-(662-
8310)-Jazz with the Jeff Kressler
Trio, featuring vocalist Patty Richar-
ds.
The Blind Pig-(996-8555)-Ska
music with Detroit Panic, made up of
former members of SLK.
The Earle-(994-0211)-Rick
Burgess and Patty O'Connor in their
jazz ensemble.
The Heidelberg-(663-7758)-The
bittersweet sounds of country music
with singer/guitarist Shawn
Williams.
Main Street Comedy
Showcase-(996-9080)-Laugh to the
gags of Stuart Mitchell.
Mr. Flood's Party-(996-1133)-You
know him from Channel 7, now see
folk musician and comedian Ron
Coden really perform.
The Nectarine Ballroom-(994-
5436)-Domino's powerful and hugely
popular Detroit dance band will send
you tumbling.
Rick's American Cafe-(996-
2747)-From reggae to songs of the
60s with (Bop) Harvey.
U-Club-(763-2236)-DJ Tom
Simonian flips the discs of new-music
dance bands.
Performance
Ann Arbor Chamber Or-
chestra-Washtenaw Council for the
Arts
Carl Daehler conducts the 35-
member local ensemble, which is
reputed to be one of the region's finest
classical orchestras. The group opens
its 1985-1986 season with Bethoven's
Concerto No. 4 in G and his Symphony
monic, the Royal Philharmonic, andI
the Boston Pops. The concert opens+
with the best-known works of univer-
sity professor Bill Bolcom. 8 p.m. at
the Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty.+
Tickets $6-$12 in advance and at the
door. For information and to charge
tickets by phone, call 996-0066.
Ann Arbor Dance Works-University
Dance Department
The newly-formed resident
professional dance company will
present a diverse program which in-
cludes a special reconstruction of Jose
Limon's classic solo Chaconne and
works by the company's -faculty
choreographers. The group will per-
form' the works of Gay Delanghe, Bill
DeYoung, Peter Sparling, and Jessica
Fogel. Scores written by David
Boden, Frederic Rzewski, Chick
Corea, and University Dance Depar-
tment Artistic Director David
Gregory. Performance at 8 p.m.,
University Dance Building Studio A,
1310 N. University Ct. Admission is $5
for students and seniors, $6 for others.
For more information call 763-0450.
Kate Clinton-Act II Productions
"We are each equal to the task of
making light," says Clinton. "Light
enough to see where we are going in
these dark times, and light enough to
make women visible to each other," is
the philosophy of this feminist-
humorist ("fumerist"). Clinton's first
comedy album Making Light is a fine
showcase of one who uses humor as an
abrasive yet illuminating force.
Singer Deirdre McCalla opens the
show. 7:30 and 10 p.m., at The Ark,
6271= S. Main. Tickets $7-$9 at the
door, or at PJ's Used Records,
Schoolkid's, and Earth Wisdom
Music. Call 769-1298 or 761-1451 for
more information.
Loot-Suspension Theatre
Directed by Andy Mennick, this Joe
Orton farce mocks drawing room
comedy and other genres by tran-
sposing immoral characters into
traditionally comic situations. Orton,
one of few counterculture playwrites
to eventually realize commercial suc-
cess, wove this lampoon about a
struggle between a corrupt police in-
spector and his prey-a wicked mor-
tician and his equally evil sidekick
who have cached stolen loot in a cof-
fin. This production stars Mickle
Maher, Christopher Flynn, Alison
Maker, Scott Palmer, and John
Nicolson. At Performance Network,
408 W. Washington, 8 p.m. $6 in ad-
vance and at the door ($5 students and
seniors). Tonight only, two for one.
For more info, call 665-1400.
Manuel Lopez-Ramos-Ann Arbor
Classic Guitar Society
Lopez, winner of the Argentine
Chamber Music Society's highest
award, performs works composed by
Sylvius Leopold Weiss (a contem-
porary of J.S. Bach), Scarlatti,
Granados, and Albenis. Lopez teaches
guitar classes and workshops around
the world and is founder of Estudio De
Arte Guitarristico, an internationally
famous guitar studio in Mexico City.
Performance at 7 p.m. at the
Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N.
Fourth Ave. Tickets are $7 in advance
and at the door. To reserve tickets or
to obtain more information, call 769-
2999.
University Chamber Choir-Univer-
sity School of Music
Klaus Roy's Canticle and Handel's
Dixit Dominus are just a few of the
works to be performed. Thomas
Hilbish conducts the student ensem-
ble. Concert begins at 8 p.m. at Hill
Auditorium. Admission, free. Call 763-
4726 for more information.
Campus Cinema
Entre Nous (Diane Kurys, 1984)
Alternative Action
Two women become friends and
find that their relationship keeps the
rest of their lives on an even keel.
MLB 4, 7:15 p.m., 9:30 p.m. $2.50.
Muddy River (Kohei Orugi, 1981)
Japanese Film Society
Engaging and subtle look at life in
Japan in the late '40s as seen through
the eyes of two young boys. Aud. A, 8
p.m. only. Free
Ordinary People (Robert Redford,
1980) Mediatrics
Redford's years in front of the
camera are put to good use behind the
scenes. The Judith Guest novel of a
preppie family's emotional instability
is directed with clarity and acted with
sincerity. With Mary Tyler Moore and
Donald Sutherland as mom and dad
and Timothy Hutton as the mixed-up
kid. MLB 3, 7:30p.m., 9:45p.m. $2.50.
Poletown Lives (INFFAC, 1983)
Bullard Film Society
When the city of Detroit and
General Motors decided to build a fac-
tory, the only thing standing in their
way was the neighborhood of
Poletown. East Quad, 7:30 p.m only.
Donations requested.
Two English Girls (Francois Truf-
faut, 1971) Cinema Guild
Truffaut delicately directs the story
of one man's love for two sisters. Nat.
Sci., 7 p.m., 9 p.m. $2.50.
Furthermore
International Folk Dancing-Univer-
sity Folk Club
Every Friday the Folk Dance Club
teaches steps from 7:30 to 9 p.m. or so,
and then fills the rest of the evening
with open invitation dancing. No par-
tner is necessary. 8 p.m. at the Ingalls
Mall. Call 665-0219 for more infor-
mation.
" "
Raining
(Continued from Page 4)
sound. I mean, we do our own thing.
W: You mentioned the Damned,
any thoughts on them?
S: They're the most underrated rock
'n roll and ever. And their new album
is just great. Even with their constan-
tly shifting personnel, the spirit of
their music improves constantly.
They're one of my all-time favorite
bands.
W: What about local music
favorites?
S: I like Viv Akauldren, Sleep, the
Frames ...
W: Tell me about the Frames.
S: They write really great songs.
W: Aren't they pretty old?
S: Yes they were doing that guitar
kind of '60s-flavored music several
years ago. (They started in '82).
They've been doing it very sincerely
and from the heart since then. I think
they do it better than most bands that
made.a claim to that kind of stuff.
W: Regarding your songwriting,
*********
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" ski vacations are being reserved. Our 3 3
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526-0064-(303)945-6065.-
HARRY'S
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OFF ALL I
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coupon expires Oct. 24, 1985
I .I
201 E. Washington
! CORNER OF FOURTH AVE.
9 3Open 7 days a I
43 week to better
mm.m-...serve you. MJ
what kinds of things went into writing
the EP?
S: Radioland is a strange culmination
of all sorts of images from my
childhood and dreams. It just sort of
came together. It's kind of hard to ex-
plain. Other songs on that record, like
"Go Along With You" are about per-
sonal experiences and "Looking
Glass" was written for Stefan (Ver-
nie, synths/keyboards).
W: As far as the sound of the EP, it
seems very ethereal. Nothing's mun-
dane, everything's real airy and
moving.
S: Well, the Simmons drum
machine isn't there anymore. We
used it on the EP, but we've found our
sound is more powerful with more
drums. The results have bee,
pleasing.
W: Game Theory ditched them, too.
Speaking of them, what do you, as a
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AANNl 1ARBOR
LOCAL
local musician, think of the national our current lineup, it's a mo
success of local scenes like spired band. Live, we're mo
in Sacramento, Athens, and Austin? volved and there's more
S: I think it's good,but there's been munication. That's the only
too much good music that's been we've played in a while.
ignored from Detroit. Too many good W: What about your new
bands have come out that just haven't player?
gotten anywhere. I find it kind of anti- S: Well, Brian Salk and I have
climatic seeing all these bands like friends for several years and
Dream Syndicate and Green on Red worked together on and off, so
making it so big. our last bass player left the
W: What local acts do you think are Brian was immediately our c
more deserving? Things have managed to work'
S: Urgent Action, Western Arrest. tistically and he contributes a
Bands like that could have gone on to the band. He's really incredible
do amazing things. W: Does Brian do any writing
W: I know your band just recently S: I used to do a majority
formed. How long has it been since writing, but it's gotten to the
you played a show? where Brian will just start p
S: We played a show in Detroit last something and then we'll all ju
August at Paycheck's. I think it was playing. Songs just tend to h
the best show we've ever played. With sometimes and there isn'te
re in-
re in-
com-
show
bass
e been
d have
owhen
band,
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out ar-
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I
RALPH'S
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Open 10 a.rn. - 12 a.m. Sun-Thur
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MONDAY-THURSDAY T1
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S--- -- -- -- --
8 Weekend/ Friday, October 18, 1985
Weekend