Page 16 - The Michigan Daily --Friday, September 5, 1986 'Extemities' extreme lack of quality 4 The Los Angeles-based band The Dream Syndicate, will be performing at door. Pictured above are band members Mark Walton, Paul B. Cutler, the U-Club tomorrow night. Showtime is 10 p.m., tickets are $7.50 at the Steve Wynn, and Dennis Duck. Dream Syndicate its U- Club By Joel Tractenberg The Dream Syndicate will be in Ann Arbor as part of their extensive tour to promote their new album, Out of the Grey. Three months in Europe (where they were very well received) and three weeks stateside precede their performance at our U-Club tomorrow night. For those unfamiliar with the band, The Dream Syndicate is a Los Angeles-based rock and roll outfit whose sound brings to mind both the Velvet Underground and Neil Young. What that musical combination breeds is ominous psychedelia strewn with power chords. Out of the Grey is the Dream Syndicate's first release in two years and follows their two earlier LP's, The Days of Wine and Rosesand Medecine Show. The band's new material is more refined, lacking the Hendrix-like feedback jams fea- tured on The Days of Wine and Roses. While Out of the Grey is by no means tame, it does mark a shift in the band's sound. When asked to explain the reason for this shift, songwriter/ lead singer Steve Wynn says, "The songs are more melodic in nature and were not intended to be freeform jams." Another reason for the band's different sound is a new line-up. Original members Wynn and drummer Dennis Duck remain solid. However, Mark Walton has taken over the duties on bass and teams with Duck for a tight rhythm section. Guitarist Karl Precoda has left the band and has taken his raw guitar style with him. He has been replaced by the talented Paul B. Cutler, whose skills are showcased on the song "Dancing Blind." Other noteable songs on Out of the Grey include "Boston," which is about a phase of songwriter Van Morrison's career, as well as "50 in a 25 Zone" and "Now I Ride Alone." Those last two songs in particular should rock when performed live. Indeed, despite the relatively polished sound of the Dream N OW Syndicate's new studio cuts, Wynn says not to worry. He says that onstage wild shit inevitably goes down, "We'll be full gear in Ann Arbor, we're ready to go." The band is excited about playing their new stuff for the local crowd and will mix it up with old fav- orites as well. Those fans who have seen the Dream Syndicate at the now defunct Joe's Star Lounge know that spontaneity is the main ingredient of any of their shows, whether the material they are playing is new or old. Says Wynn, "We reinterpret every .time out and improvise a lot." Tomorrow night's show promises to be hard-driving and energetic; it should not be missed by any fans of rock and roll. By Seth Flicker The latest releases from the film industry proves that the well of interesting, well-executed stories is quickly running dry. The past year has brought numerous stage plays-turned- movies to the screen: Agnes of God, Plenty, A Chorus Line, About Last Night...(Sexual Perversity in Chicago on the stage). With the exception ofRan (adapted from the Shakespearean play King Lear), these movies have been none too successful, either critically or financially. Unfortunately, the new re- lease Extremities does not break this static mold. No matter how hard the Hollywood moguls try to transform this into a spectacle, Extremities remains a small film in virtually every aspect. And, like most small films, Extremities attempts to en- compass such themes as life, death, friendship, trust , law, jealousy, anger and frustration; biting off much more than it can chew. Marjorie, played by Farah Fawcett, is attacked by a sadistic rapist in a mall.-parking lot. She escapes, leaving her wallet behind, and runs to the police to discover that since she has not actually been raped and has no definite description of the attacker, no police action can be taken. One week later, after' Marjorie's two roommates (Di- ana Scarwid and Alfre Woodward) leave for work, the rapist (James Russo), having gotten her address from the wallet she dropped during their first encounter, pays a visit to complete his unfinished work. In Extremities Fawcett re- creates her Burning Bed/Rambo- woman role that she played to rave reviews on Broadway. But the mo.ie is unbalanced, never quite sure of what it is. One half of the movie is dedicated to cries and whimpers and the other half to sadistic revenge. Neither one is very good, although the scenes with Fawcett and Russo are electrifying. They keep the movie and the pace going. Because of their intensity, these scenes are the only reason to see Extremities Russo, who starred in the original stage production, is excellent. The chemistry be- tween Fawcett and Russo is satisfactory, but he is by far the finest actor of the ensemble, especially over Scarwid and Woodward. These two actresses may have both been up for the academy award for Best Supporting Actress, but in Extremities their performances are. far from award-winning. They drag the movie down with a weight of lead and ruin the rapport between the audience and Fawcett and Russo earlier in the picture. E x - tremities is a movie that can be easily misinterpreted. At first it seems to be a movie about rQp- and the innocent woman, but.it isn't. It is about frustration and anger--it is a movie abott extremes. Marjorie goes to tFi* extreme of revenge but ends ip losing in the end. This is tM message of Extremities It is ti' rape of revenge rather than til revenge of rape. Stage plays-turned-movie are in high gear these da3 Extremities should be a lesson :ta be learned from. Small playe make small movies. We coud only hope that'night Mother arnd Crimes of the Heart, two films b this genre. to be released soon, wilJ be better. INTERES TED n German or Dutch Literature? ;, ,,erma n Languages and Literatures offers courses in English translation (3 credit hours). Dutch 491 Colloquium in Dutch Culture and Literature. Working with examples from American, English and Dutch writers, the instructor will guide students toward finding their own voice as writers. German 441 German Masterpieces Representative works by Kleist, Kafka, Mann, Brecht, and others, studies against the back- ground of social and cultural history from 1800 to WW Il. German 444/MARC 443 Medieval German Literature Features readings from various genres, eg.epic, romance, poetry: examination of manu- script facsimiles, early writing, and bookmaking. German 446 Contemporary German Literature Recent literary works from German-speaking countries in the context of social and political developments since WW 11. German 449 Special Themes: Existentialism and the Modern European Novel Tolstoy, Conrad, and Sartre., German 499 Seminar in German Studies: German Thought from Meister Eckhart to Hegel. An introductory survey of German thought from its beginnings in mysticism to the last great systematic philosophers. CALL 764-8018 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION HIRING MUG EATERIES AND COMMON MICHIGAN UNION FOOD SERVICES Buspeople Days/Late Nights Kitchen Cleaners Days/Late Nights Counter People Mornings/Days/Nights Prep People Mornings/Days Stock People Mornings/Days North Ingalls Building Mornings/Days University Club Dining/Catering U of M Students Only, Progressive Pay Structure 936-2704, Bob Liichow, Rm. 2406, Michigan Union. A Non-Discriminatory Affirmative Action Employer. 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