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Sneak previews: A roundup of recent movie releases
ByJBM ARNDORFER
TheDaily Northwestern, Northwestern U.
Ah, Spring. The snow is melting, the trees are greening,
and people don't want to think deep thoughts anymore.
They want to smile again.
And Hollywood knows this. The upcoming crop of movies
is aimed at the audience's funnybone. Whether or not
they'll hit their mark is another matter. But hey, at least they
give it a shot.
Stop! Or My
Mom Will Shoot -
Leading off this
cavalcade of
comedy is "Stop! =
Or My Mom Will
Shoot," starring
Sylvester Stallone
and Estelle Getty.
Sly plays a Los
Angeles police COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
sergeant whose A pistol-packing Estelle Getty in "Stop!"
mother, portrayed
by Getty, witnesses a murder. Uppity old woman? Sly in a
comedy role? All heck promises to break loose in this latest
contribution to that most intellectual of all film genres, the
action-comedy.
Blame it on the Bellboy - For those of you who like your
laughs continental, two upcoming comedies follow the
adventures of stupid Americans in Europe. Dudley Moore
and Bronson Pinchot star in "Blame it on the Bellboy,"
where three guests in a Venice hotel - a mafia hitman, a
clumsy real estate agent and a small town mayor looking for
some carnal fun in the sun - find themselves stuck in a case
of mixed-up identity.
My Cousin Vinny - Ralph Macchit and Stan Rothenstein
play happy-go-lucky college kids who are nailed with a
murder charge in "My Cousin Vinny." They don't
particularly cater to murder suspects in backwoods Georgia,
and the arrival of their lawyer - cousin Vinny, played byJoe
Pesci - doesn't much help matters. The film also features
the gigantic talent of Fred Gwynne as the tough country
judge. Herman Munster playing a hick? It has to be seen to
be believed.
Medicine Man - Romance and laughter are two big
movie themes, and "Medicine Man" promises some of both.
Dr. Robert Campbell (Sean Connery) is a biochemist
working toward a medical breakthrough in the South
American rain forest, at least until he loses the formula.
Things get a little heavy when Dr. Rae Crane (Lorraine
Bracco) shows up to investigate the delays in research. At
first the two doctors loathe each other, but since this is the
movies, by the end they fall in love. Good enough, but
who'd believe that aging Connery could keep up with the
beautiful Bracco?
White Men Can't
Jump - Since bonafide
pool halls don't exist
anymore, hustlers were
forced to find some-
where else to ply their
devious trade. In "White
Men Can't Jump," they
head for - you guessed~
it - basketball courts. A
movie about pick-up
basketball hustlers
sounds off-beat enough
to work possibly, and the
team of Wesly Snipes
and Woody Harrelson
might turn this movie COURTESY OF TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
into a slam dunk. Taking it to the hoops to hustle.
Article 99 - Steve
Martin's statement that comedy isn't pretty might be true,
but from Charlie Chaplin on down it's had a social
conscience. "Article 99" follows that course, as doctors and
nurses battle bureaucracy and red tape to keep people alive,
but manage to crack jokes along the way. Actor Ray Liotta
actually stood in during an open-heart surgery to research
his part. Maybe it'll
he realistic enough
to get a president4
who cares about f
nation-al health j
care elected into
the White House.
Once Upon a_
Crime - In the
second of the multi-
national releases, COURTESY OF MGM
Monte Carlo's
intepidaInspectorAmix of doggone murder suspects.
intrepid Inspector
Bonnard (Giancarlo Giannini) investigates the murder of a
dachshund. Suspects include James Belushi as the definitive
Ugly American, Richard Lewis as an unemployed actor and
John Candy as a compulsive gambler. Cybill Shepherd and
SeanYoung also investigated.
Back in the USSR -The title is already archaic, but "Back
in the USSR," a look at Moscow's criminal underworld,
should be worth seeing if only for the American motion
picture debut of Russian actress Natalya Negoda. Negoda,
who starred in the controversial Soviet film "Little Vera,"
made her original American debut in the pages of Playboy
magazine.
Basic Instinct - Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone star
in this psychological thriller. Douglas plays a cop with a past
- an original character if I've ever heard of one - who tries
to catch a brutal lesbian serial killer in the streets of San
Francisco. I'm not sure how basic a scenario that is, but my
instincts are telling me this might be pretty good.
Straight Talk - This is more straight-ahead romantic
comedy, starring the unlikely team of Dolly Parton and
James Woods. Parton is a woman who forsakes Hicksville
and becomes a DJ for a radio call-in program in Sweet Home
Chicago. Reporter Jack Russell (Woods) investigates her in
more ways than one.
Book dishes up gourmet fare using cafeteria ingredients
a fit By SARAH PINNEO more from college campuses nationwide. dining halls," said author Lynn Harris. "T
YaleDaily News, Yale U. From "Some Like it Hot" breakfasts to idea is to make more creative fare out,
desserts like "Hot Vanna Bananas," the ordinary cafeteria food."
I 0Mad about mystery meat? Tired of tuna? book and its entertaining layout are a Even if it is impossible to duplicate
Fear no more. scream to read. recipe exactly, a great dish can still be mac
Three recent Yale grads have just Each recipe is measured in cafeteria out of the available foods. Substitution an
published a zany new cookbook called "Tray dishes, like "one heaping teaspoon" or "half experimentation are the key to success wi
Gourmet - Be Your Own Chef in the of a teacup." And everything can be cooked "Tray Gourmet" - after all, that is how tf
College Cafeteria." in the dining hall microwave or toaster, authors developed the recipes in the fir
Larry Beer, Lynn Harris and illustrator using ingredients from the serving line and place. "And anyone can do it," H arr
Chris Kalb have compiled their own favorite the salad bar. insisted. "Even if back home you alwa
Tray Gourmet: Cooking a la cafeteria food. table-side recipes and gathered dozens "We don't take an adversarial view toward burned the salad!"
'he
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This is the official entry form for the U. If you pick them all correct and are
Pick the Oscars Contest. Stick it on the selected in our drawing, then you win
back of a postcard or mail it to: U. Pick some of our fabulous prizes mentioned
The Oscars Contest, 1800 Century Park on Page 6.
East, Suite 820, Los Angeles, CA 90067. Enter today. Then watch and win!
Name
Address
City State Zip
Approx. No. ofmoviesyou attend each month
School Phone
Best Picture
BestActress
BestActor
BestSupportingActress
BestSupportingActor
BestDirector
Fill out this ballot and either put it in an envelope or paste it on a postcard and send it to:
OSCARS, U. The National College Newspaper, 1800 Century Park East, Suite 820, Los
Angeles, CA 90067. Deadline for entries is March 27, 1992 Winners will be notified by mail
and announced in the Mayissue of U. The National College Newspaper.
Douglas, Gblt fil to shine
ByAARON DOBBS
TheDaily Bruin, U. of California, Los Angeles
Out of Time... Lord Magnus O'Carr and
His Lordship Lawrence Taillifer (aka
the "Leech") faced off in battle on the
Wichita State U. campus, cheered on by
Lady Lora Anne the Silent, Lord Rand
and others. No, it wasn't the World
Wrestling Federation championships -
merely the Society for Creative
Anachronism, an educational organiza-
tion devoted to the study of the Middle
Ages and the Renaissance. The histori-
cal recreation society, sponsors tourna-
ments, revels and university sessions
where members dress in period cos-
tumes and recreate the better aspects of
the Middle Ages, including the ideals of
honor, nobility and courtesy. "As a
recreational society, we research it, then
we turn around and do it," said Lady
Annys de Vernun of Kettering, who in
"mundane" life is a storekeeper at the
WSU chemistry department. Warfare, a
large part of medieval life, is the major
focus of many SCA events. SCA
originated in 1966 in Berkeley, Calif., as
a theme party, and currently has more
than 14,000 dues-paying members,
although participants number close to
70,000. U. of Florida student Scott
Huegal said the SCA provides a great
opportunity for escape. "It allows
people to go out and be a totally
different person, a different character,
and really just get away from everyday
stress."n Diane McCartney, Sunflower,
Wichita State U.
n""
Grade A relationships... Forget the
concept that dating is non-existant on
college campuses, at least at Lehigh U.
Thanks to professor Bruce Smackey,
many students have started going out.
The catch is, though, that they're dating
for grades. Sort of. Smackey, a
marketing professor, believes it is
important for students to interact with
one another. Students in his senior
marketing class who went on dates were
given extra credit, though it did not
change their final grade. "Dating is an
enjoyable experience," Smackey said. "I
wish more students would forget the
fears of rejection and get motivated to
meet other people." The idea for this
addition to his marketing class came
from his concern about the future of
relationships for younger generations.
"There is a serious problem with dating,
not just at Lehigh, but in society as a
whole," he said. Rachel Beck, Brown
and White, Lehigh U.
It has all the pieces for a great movie - two
talented Hollywood stars, a great supporting
cast, an accomplished writer/director and a
story from a novel that spent three months on
the New York Times Best Seller list. Yet for
some reason, none of the elements of "Shining
Through" fit together.
The story is told as a flashback. Linda Voss
(Melanie Griffith) plays a secretary from
Queens who becomes a spy in Berlin during
World War II. She recounts her experiences
during a BBC interview many years later.
As the tale progresses, the audience not only
sees Linda in action, but receives periodical
narration from her. She falls in love with Ed
Leland (Michael Douglas) - a high-ranking
American agent who can't speak German,
incidentally. After America's top spy is found
dead in Berlin, Linda convinces Leland to let
her go, as she conveniently speaks German.
When Linda stays in Germany beyond the
original two-week limit, she ends up under-
cover deeper than she ever anticipated.
The first half of "Shining Through" is
fantastic. The foundations for the story are laid
out and set the stage for Linda's time in Berlin
to be very exciting. But that point marks where
the film begins to falter.
In simple terms, the story falls apart. Linda's
actions don't make any sense whatsoever. In
fact, the movie unintentionally turns into a
comedy, as events are so implausible. Scenes
BE A VISTA VOLUNTEER
Douglas and Griffith can't carry "Shining."
are farfetched, plot points are randomly
inserted into the dialogue, and the annoying
narration runs throughout the whole thing.
Writer/director David Seltzer is to blame for
most of the problems, but the casting also
leaves something to be desired. Douglas is
adequate in his role, but he is barely featured
in the movie. His character never stretches
beyond a stereotypical cold Army colonel who,
before he met Linda, cared more about his
country than another person.
But Griffith is the worst miscast. Her airy
quality carried her through "Paradise" and
"Working Girl," but Linda's part needs
someone strong, and Griffith looks as if she's
about to break down.
VISTA Volunteers share the vision of a better tomor-
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Brighter futures take shape when VISTA Volunteers
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