18 U. & ATIONAI ('0 11 F('F NFW.,PAPFR di a s . 40 u. W.Josssa~L ei L IeoeuoAirt ,DW. 7nm inMRC 19 LfUWI 0512 " N °U. IOSNL COLLEGENEWSPAPE 1 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 of a de nd th he rst ris ys t 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- row by making a contribution in the community today. Brighter futures take shape when VISTA Volunteers mobilize and develop community resources to ad- dress the many faces of poverty. After your college career is completed, VISTA offers you the opportunity to put your education to work in realistic settings. VISTA Volunteers learn life skills -skills only a year of unique VISTA experience can provide. VISTA Volunteers are assigned to project sponsors which may be private or public non-profit organiza- tions. Volunteer activities may include, but are not limited to, organizing food distribution efforts, creat- ing networks to support literacy projects, or designing programs to combat substance abuse. In addition to acquiring valuable and rewarding experience, VISTA Volunteers may receive defer- ment or partial cancellation of certain student loans. VISTA Volunteers receive a living allowance based on the economic level of the communities they serve. As you look toward graduation, consider becom- ing a VISTA Volunteer. VISTA offers you the opportunity to shape a community and share a vision of a better tomorrow. For more information on becoming a VISTA Volunteer, please call 1-800-424-8867, hearing im- paired (TDD) 1-202-606-5256, or write VISTA, Room 11106-D, Washington, D.C. 20525. Vtluntoers in Senvie to America (VISTA) is parl of ACTION , the Fedetal Domestic Volunteer Agency, Washington, D.C. 20525