U. THE NATIONAL COLLEGE NEWSPAPER 19

APRIL 1988 Life And Art

M EE'Wall Street' indicts insider trading

By Gregory Robert Kzros
State Press
Arizona State U.
In Wall Street young Bud Fox listens
to corporate dynamo Gordon Gekko:
"You're not foolish enough to believe we
still live in a democracy, are you?" But
Fox is, like manyyoung business profes-
sionals portrayed in films, foolish
enough to believe it-for a while any-
way. Before long, the high pressure
business of stock commodities con-
sumes him, and "Gekko the Great," a
corporate king of sorts, takes Fox under
his dangerous wing.
And so goes the shifty story of stock
market shenanigans in the intellectual-
ly riveting 20th Century Fox drama,
one of the most powerful films of 1987.
Charlie Sheen plays the naive and ea-

ger Fox opposite Michael Douglas, who,
as Gekko, brings to the screen an
enigmatic performance-his most dis-
turbing to date.
Fox adjusts to the grueling hectic
workday as an account executive who
buys and sells stock for prospective
clients. His main ambition is to land an
account with corporate raider Gekko.
Fox eventually does land the account,
but only after revealing some "hush
hush" information about the airline his
father works for.
Papa Fox, played by Sheen's real-life
father Martin Sheen, is concerned his
son's get-rich-quick schemes will only
invite doom. And he's right. It doesn't
take Gekko long to figure out that what
he has in Fox is a sucker. Impressed by
Fox's determination, Gekko begins us-
ing him for his own good when an oppos-

ing corporate leader, Sir Larry Wild-
man (Terence Stamp), begins a cam-
paign to invest stock in. a prospering
company. Fox collects information by
following Wildman and eventually un-
covers his intentions, allowing Gekko to
buy more shares ofstockinthe company
before Wildman does.
Insider trading has never been so
maliciously portrayed as it is in Wall
Street. As the story unfolds Fox gets
swept up in the Wall Street power
struggle. Gekko molds him into his own
little devil and soon the young broker
can walk confidently down the corrup-
tion path.
Wall Street is indeed a nice encore for
Oliver Stone, who not only directs an
intricate screenplay well, but also sells
us on the fact that what we're seeing
may not be that far off from the truth.
Buy some stock in this one.

The cnarmmng Turnblau family
'Hairspray' sets
,wacky trend
for comedy flicks
By Jill Shomer
The GW Hatchet
George Washington U., DC
First and foremost, Hairspray, the
latest Strange Film from eccentric wri-
ter/director John Waters, is not a movie
for everybody. If you have a low toler-
ance for obese travesties, silly scenarios
or on-screen vomiting and pimple-
squeezing, Hairspray is not your pic-
ture. But if you, like me, think all this
sounds like the makings of a fun flick,
then pack a lunch and fasten your seat-
belts: we're going back in time ...
The year is 1962 and The Corny Col-
lins Show is the keenest TV dance party
in Baltimore. Tracy Turnbald (Ricki
Lake) and her best friend, Penny Ping-
leton (Leslie Ann Powers), love the
show, and Tracy wants to be a regular, a
member of the Council, on the program.
But, alas, Council members have to au-
dition to be selected, and Tracy is much
too fat. Her parents, Edna (the late gar-
ish, glamourboy Divine) and Wilbur
(Jerry Stiller), don't approve of Tracy's
ratted hair or her desire to be on Corny
Collins' show.
At the Corny Collins record hop, Tra-
cy dazzles the Council with her dancing
and is invited to try out, much to the
fury of the show's conceited princess,
Amber Von Tussle (Colleen Fitzpat-
rick).
Tracy is put into Special Education
for "hairdo violations" and meets Sea-
weed (Clayton Prince), a black guy
who's been kept off the Corny Collins
because producer Arvin Hodgepile (Di-
vine in a dual role) refuses to let blacks
on camera at his station. When Sea-
weed and his friends try to get on the
show and are turned away, Tracy, now
the new Council princess, and Link de-
monstrate to attract the press. Sudden-
ly they are political "hot potatoes," so
Tracy and Link run away and hide out
with two cool beatniks (Pia Zadora and
Ric Ocasek).
Hairspray's triumphant climax
occurs at the Miss Auto Show 1963 con-
test. Everyone is against Amber for
queen. She wins because Tracy is a poli-
tical fugitive. But Tracy returns wear-
ing her glorious roach-print gown to
dance "The Bug" onto the throne and
take the Auto Queen crown from
Amber.
Hairspray is ridiculous, good fun.
John Waters has created a comedy like
no other: part serious, part demented,
all hilarious. Divine steals the show, but
the whole cast is perfect and peculiar.

*4