RTS
'Wood' shows off brilliant Burton
By SARAH STEWART
Tim Burton's newest film, "Ed
Wood," has an intriguing premise:
make a movie about a moviemaker
who's movies really stunk, but make
this one really good. Or at least, better.
(Martin Landau).
Lugosi's luck
when he refused
the role of Fran-
kenstein because
it wasn't as sexy
as his Dracula.
Now he's left to
rideon what's left
of his Dracula
fame, his addic-
tion to morphine
and eventually
the generosity of
Wood. Ofcourse,
Clearly Burton took a risk in making a
film about a filmmaker whose name
ran out years ago,
The entire film was
shot in black and white
and imitates the more
stark Hollywood of the
1950s ...the result Is
surprisingly effective.
survives only be-
cause he was so
bad, but Wood's
passion makes up
for the notoriety he
lacked in Holly-
wood.
It's clear that
Wood wasn't go-
ing to let anything
get in the way of
his filmmaking. If
ittakes abold con-
dress in women's
Ed Wood
Directed by Tim Burton;
with Johnny Depp
and Martin
Landau.
"Ed Wood," a true story, chronicles
the budding and ever wilting career of
Edward D. Wood, Jr., (Johnny Depp)
not to mention his transvestitism and
the development of his relationship
with his life long film idol, BelaLugosi
without Lugosi, Wood would be with-
out the "star" whose name convinces a
series of shady investors to take his
word that he'll deliver them a hit.
But to Wood, "Film making is not
about details. It's about the big pic-
ture," which is probably not the angle
to take if you're looking for success.
fession, "I like to
clothing," to convince the studio to
fund his first film, "Glen or Glenda," so
be it. He and the cast of "Plan 9" go so
far as to become baptized for the sake
of the Hollywood dream and more-
over, that of Wood.
When Wood runs into Orson Welles
in a bar, the man who he ironically
likens himself to, it's clear that Depp
has done his job. After Welles asks
Wood, "Why spend your time making
someone else's dreams?" Depp, nod-
ding in sincere agreement, is all Wood.
With slicked back hair and the
1950's trademark baggies, Depp looks
justas weimagine Wood having looked;
he's debonair when he calls himself a
"filmmaker," pathetic when there's no
where else to go but to his girlfriend's
closet and downright frumpy when he
comes out wearing women's clothing.
Unfortunately, the appeal of "Ed
Wood" wears thin, short of the ending.
Everyone knows he's a transvestite,
but his obsession for angora loses its
perversity after a while, and just as
Wood was the sole cheerleader for
Lugosi, Burton saw something dynamic
in his character that is not necessarily
worthy of the emphasis it receives
throughout the film.
On the bright side, the story's slow
progression provides an opportunity to
pay attention to Burton's never falter-
ing cinematic brilliance. The darkness
that characterizes his other films, such
as "Batman" or"Beetlejuice," is found
in "Ed Wood,"but this time there aren't
outrageous characters continually add-
ing to the gloom.
It was Burton's goal to make "Ed
Wood" look as much like an actual Ed
Wood film as possible. The entire film
was shot in black and white and imi-
tates the more stark Hollywood of the
1950s. Most outdoor scenes consist of
the respective characters with a drab
brick building behind them and a bare
street in the foreground; the result is
surprisingly effective.
Although the scenes of Wood shoot-
ing his films are often the dullest, they
are clearly where Burton's attention to
authenticity shines. He presents Wood's
scenes with the same bad lighting and
highly contrasted black and white that
the original audiences would have seen
and just as Wood would have had it.
ED WOOD is playing at Ann Arbor I
&2.
Johnny Depp has a good time with Patricia Arquette in "Ed Wood."
We're adopting new
family members at
tic
We offer a variety of positions,
FULL AND PART TIME.
Iw
Johnny Depp gives a striking performance as Ed Wood, making him pathetic, perverse and debonair as we expect.
Cops concentrate on rhythms, creating new sounds
cooks
servers
greeters
service assistants
buffet attendants
cashiers
By TED WATTS
Brooklyn. The old home of the
Dodgers. The place where some tree is
supposed to grow. And, of course, the
heartland of gobs of fine music that one
mightrefertoasrockin'. Andas sure as
you've heard of CBGB's you know
that Cop Shoot Cop is the band that
surpasses all others.
After headlining a wildly well at-
tended show at St. Andrew's last year,
CSC dispelled any doubts that could
have been held by the local scene in
general about their ability to blow the
roof off of whatever venue they happen
to be at. The five dollar price of admis-
sion undoubtedly led to dozens of
people gaining much needed first ex-
posure to this New York juggernaut.
And they were even wilder live than on
record, if that's possible.
Well, whether it's in their ability to
mesh keyboards and horns with some
powerfully cool bass heavy tunes or
their independence from guitars as a
driving force, CSC sounds both differ-
ent and better from pretty much anyone
else making music today.
"I'vealways felt therhythm section
is what makes arock band," said CSC
crooner and high-end bassist Tod A.
"You can have some jerk-off with a big
ego wanking off on a guitar all you
want, but for me what makes good,
exciting rock music is the rhythm sec-
tion. Just look at the Jesus Lizard or the
old Laughing Hyenas or Mule. You
can slap whatever you want on top of
that, but really, (the rhythm section) is
the core.'
Although they've become better and
better produced on each of their al-
bums, their new CD "Release" is the
most pleasing to Tod. "We'd always
been dissatisfied with the drum sound
we'd gotten, and the bass sound, but
(Dave Sardy of Barkmarket) was re-
ally able to provide it.. We heard
(Barkmarket's) "Gimmick" and it was
one of the best produced albums I've
ever heard. It didn't sound produced, it
just sounded really full, like a tidal
wave of noise but with distinction be-
tween the instruments ... We're happy
wAwpt ih hm
I've always felt the rhythm section is what
makes a rock band. You can have some jerk-off
with a big ego wanking off on a guitar all you
want, but for me what makes good, exciting
rock music Is the rhythm section.'
- Cop Shoot Cop crooner and bassist Tod A.
Barkmarket and Motherhead Bug, is in
the process of making a great new
sound. Go see them live and figure out
exactly what that means.
COPSO COP iscmin' to St.
Andrew's tonight with Girls Against
Boys and Soul Coughing. Doors at 8
and tix are only $8.50 in advance. 18
on up only. Call 961-MELT.
Contrary to popular belief CSC is
NOT playing at the Blind Pig on
Thursday. Sorry!
We Offer:
.Flexible schedules to work around your classes
*Competitve wages to ease the high cost of education
" Book reimbursement for those who qualify
Apply in person at BIG BOY!
Washtenaw & Huron Pkwy * Plymouth Rd and U.S. 23 " Briarwood Mall
Equal Opportunity Employer
S
those (soundscape) type of things off
the record. I was inspired a bit by
playing with the Jesus Lizard. I learned
that making a good rock record was an
OK thing. We left off the more
soundtrack oriented stuff. They'll sur-
face in other places, but we decided to
make a good rock record. I think it's the
most rock thing we've done so far."
Of course a CD is more than just
digital information on a plastic disc.
It's also visual information on glossy
paper. The consummate artists, the band
had important hands in that as well.
"Jim Coleman (the guy who runs CSC's
samples) and I basically went to walls
in the city and wrote on them with
chalk," related Tod. "Then we stuck
things (like animal skulls) to them. Phil
Puleo, the drummer, took all the pic-
tures. For the front and the back we had
somebody cut the letters out of metal
and then we showed a welding torch
through the letters. But that didn't re-
ally work out the way it was supposed
to." Well, it's the thought that counts.
At any rate, Cop Shoot Cop, along
with other fine New York bands like
jiSTED IN
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Come to our table tomorrow at Law Day Wednesday,
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Rm. 4121 in the Union. (DUES: $15)
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10
"Peace Corps and AIDS Education:
Combating an International Epidemic"
Special Guest Speaker
Carol Bellamy, Peace Corps Director
Opening remarks given by Richard Cornell,
Acting Dean of the School of Public Health
Professor of
Guest Lecturer Arnold S. Monto, M.D.,
Epidemiology, Population Planning & International Health
THE DEVELOPINGWORLD HAS RECOGNIZED THE
URGENT NEED FOR AIDS AWARENESS AND
EDUCATION. PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS ARE
WORKING ON THE FRONT LINES IN THE FIGHT
AGAINST THIS EPIDEMIC IN THAILAND. MAL AWI
CAMEROON. AND THE CENTRAL AFRICAN
RE PUBLIC.
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