V V V VW VJ w w I w w -IV W Poniewozik Continued from Page 14 at the cartoon couples. All of the same color, all of opposing genders. Pick up the Valentine's classifieds. Guys - be a Prince Charming. Girls-charm a prince. Last Valentine's Day, like I said, was on a Sunday. A news reporter at the time, I spent part of the day covering a protest at Liberty Square. It was a protest against Michigan's anti-sodomy laws - laws, the likes of which have been upheld by the Supreme Court, which could send you to jail for as much as life for unsanctioned expressions of affec- tion. Maybe you were there. It was cold as hell that day. I could barely feel my hands scratch- ing on my notepad. So between speeches, one of the leaders of the protest said it'd be a good idea for everyone there to take a break for a while, to jump up and down, warm up, and get our circulation back again. The protesters did. So did I, glad for the relief. And as we jumped around, hopping like ppgo sticks, looking utterly ridiculous, I noticed some of them holding hands, trading a little warmth with each other. Woman and woman, man and man, holding hands for all the world to see: for a minute, at least, unafraid. I write this card hoping I never have to write it again, hoping that next Valentine's Day, some Valen- tine's Day, I can look at you two, and your joined hands, with as much resentment as I would any other happy loving couple. But not today. It's hard enough to keep warm as it is. ( R E A D I N G & LEARNING S K I N L S C E N T E R READING & LEARNING SKILLS CENTER offers WORKSHOPS & TUTORING to help students: " Learn strategies for more efficient study. . Manage time efficiently. " Have more time for other interests. - Identify problems and tailor programs to Continued from Page 4, partnership, so there's an understanding. John writes every- thing down. I do the opposite. Sometimes I go onstage without, anything written. I just play." He also doesn't deny that, like former member Clarke, he often feels restrained by Lewis. But according to Jackson, it's not a problem. "That's why I do my own projects - so I can pursue my other, interests." So the Modern Jazz Quartet sur- vives by compromise and thrives on an inherent check and balance sys- tem. Lewis' deliberateness maintains Jackson within the quartet's musical structure by not allowing his improvisation to stray too far from the music's boundaries. No matter how brilliant a musician Jackson is, the Modern Jazz Quartet would never have been able to achieve such suc- cess - both commercially and artistically - without Lewis' direc- tion. On the other hand, Jackson's love for bebop and his ability to impro- vise doesn't allow Lewis' structure to dominate the quartet's music. Be- cause of this relationship, the music has maintained its roots - it can still hit the blues or push with swing. Few other musicians have been able to achieve such a dichotomy in jazz, but the name Ellington does come to mind. The Modern' Jazz Quartet's latest album, For Elling- ton, pays homage to the late jazz master. "The 'Duke' influenced MJQ the same way he's influenced everyone in jazz," said Jackson. "No one combines swing, jazz, and blues the way he did. No one can play jazz without passing through Duke Ellington." Aside from Ellington's versatility and brilliance as a composer ("Did you know if you played all of Ellington's compositions consecu- tively it would last for nine and a half days?" Jackson asked me), the quartet was influenced by the "Duke's" dignity. It's something they wanted to achieve with their music, something that hadn't really been achieved by a small combo be- fore. It's part of the reason why the quartet traditionally performs in for- mal tuxedoes. "When you go to hear symphony music, don't you wear coattails? My music is as dignified as the sym- phony." That's what Milt Jackson wants the Modern Jazz Quartet to be re- membered for - its dignity. "I would just like people to know that we've made a strong contribu- tion to jazz and that we brought a dignity to the music." But Jackson is frustrated by this country's refusal to embrace jazz, the music it has created. It was the rea- son he left the band temporarily in 1974. "Yeah, I was disappointed. I felt we weren't getting any recognition for what we did in music. No re- wards financially or otherwise. I thought, 'something's wrong' here. "This group has been together for 37 years and yet we've never been mentioned for a Grammy. The peo- ple who have been involved don't have the insight to what we've done. I can't explain it." Jackson thinks the problem may be racial. "If jazz had white roots, don't you think it would be more popular than it is today?" He also thinks the problem may be that people aren't educated about the music. "Most young people think jazz history started with Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett... and maybe a little Coltrane. They don't know who Charlie Parker was." But whatever the problem is, Jackson finds comfort in knowing he's created musical history - not only in the realm of jazz but also in the realm of Western music. Jackson is an artist in a country that wor- ships entertainers. He knows that. And he's becoming more comfort- able with it. "My roots will always be there. If I feel that people are tired with what I play, I'll quit," said Jackson, the owner of two publishing companies. "But as long as people come to me and say I've been giving them plea- sure for 35 years, that's all I need. comey Ted Danson is surprisingly good as a ballroom dance instructor, playing the role with flair, wit and (most importantly) believability. If you know Isabella Rossellini (daughter of Ingrid Bergman) -only from her kinky role in David Lynch's Blue Velvet, you are in for another sur- prise. She is positively radiant in this film. Rossellini's smile is contagious because she seems so ut- terly happy - the entire audience just beams whenever she appears on screen. Initially, the relationship between Danson, kind of a big American lug, and Rossellini, a refined Italian woman, appears contrived, but it re- ally works. Their relationship doesn't seem as if it was developed solely as a vehicle for the two celebrities during some production meeting at Paramount Studios. There is real, honest chemistry be- tween them. Sean Young (No Way Out, The Boost) and William Peter- son (To Live and Die in LA, Man- hunter) are also terrifically slimy as Larry and Maria's spouses. In smaller roles as elderly lovers, Lloyd Bridges (Tucker) and Norma Alean-. dro (The Official Story) are funny and exuberant. The mood of the entire movie exudes a lust for life. Director Joel Schumacher (Lost Boys, St. Elmo's Fire) keeps the film moving right along, never dragging, while simul- taneously creating a beautiful am- biance. Angelo Badalamenti's (Blue Velvet) musical score is fittingly lush and very classy, adding to the film's environment. meet students' needs. " Prepare for GRE, GMAT & LSAT. Call the RLSC for more Information. 1610 Washtenaw Ave. (near Hill St.) 763 7195 t .. op4, W r 71 0- Ted Danson (fresh from his suc- cess in Three Men and a Baby) and Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet, White Nights) play Larry Kozinski and Maria Hardy, who become cousins when Larry's uncle marries Maria's mother. At the wedding, Maria's husband Tom (William Pe- terson) and Larry's wife (Sean Young) link up for a quick affair while Larry and Maria are left alone. They soon become friends. The two pretend they are having an affair in order to get back at their spouses for their bad behavior, but soon the relationship between Larry and Maria develops while the other disinte- grates. The strength of Cousins is this friendship between Larry and Maria. O I E- Ted Danson and Isabella Rossellini have some fun h scheme to get back at their cheating spouses in Cou 00 7 65-2034 Judging from Schumacher's past films, he has a real knack for assembling casts which have a ten- dency to become confusing. Yet the screenplay by Stephen Metcalfe, adapted from the French film Cousin, Cousine, is very compact. Both he and Schumacher treat each budding or crumbling relationship with care and without pathos. Cousins may get a little sappy here and there, but like senior proms it comes with the territory and is ex- cusable, even necessary, in the ro- mantic-comedy genre. The relation- ship between Lloyd Bridges' charac- ter and his grandson (Keith Coogan), who are both sex-starved, is particu- larly amusing. Cousins is so fresh and adult that it is surprising to see it as part of the Hollywood mainstream. Producer William Allyn and director Schu- macher should be congratulated for creating such an intelligent, non-pa- tronizing film with genuine wit and cinematic beauty. Cousins is great entertainment that makes the price of admission more of an investment than a debit. 9 SK 2 ANN ARBOR - f r t1I L nenm See related interviewi Joel Schumacher in section. with Director today's Arts 1220 S. UNIKERSITY % .. VALUABLE COUPON T BABY I 59 Plus Tax ITwo adorable little individua-sized pan pizzas with cheese and pepperoni for one low price Valid only with coupon at participating Little Caesars. Expires: February 18, 1989 1989 Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. 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