The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 17, 1994 - 7 *'Rivers' doesn't entertain, looks pretty By SARAH STEWART "Where the Rivers Flow North" celebrates the beauty of film, but is likely to go unappreciated by those ho judge movies by entertainment value alone. "Rivers," directorJay Craven's first Directed by Jay Craven with Rip Torn, oo Tantoo Cardinal and Michael J. Fox. full-length film, is based upon the novel by Howard Mosher. It chronicles Noel Lord's (Rip Torn) struggle to hold onto :his Vermont land and the livelihood in djeda oil that is attached to it. Lord, along with his housekeeper .ind close companion, Bangor (Tantoo Cardinal), is being forced to give up his land to make room for the hydroelec- tric dam that will ultimately put their cabin under fifty feet of water. He repeatedly refuses the offers of finan- cial compensation, settling for a new plot of land housing thousand-year-old pines that Lord sees as the means for a new start in Oregon. Yet, as Bangor prophesies, his dreams are never real- ized. Craven capitalizes on his viewers' sensitivity to environmental issues by using it to draw them into Lord's battle against the destructive power of progress. As the film itself progresses, the audience is too committed to Lord's plight to be turned off by his own destruction of the pines -- the focal point of the park to be built by the builders of the dam. "Rivers" is an unusual film because while it never makes you anxious to know what's next, it can't be called boring. And while you're never emo- tionally moved by Lord's hardships, the injustice done to him seems tragic and unreasonable enough to warrant a film. Because the film's action is about as slow-paced as the calm river it re- volves around, "Rivers" has time to show off the Vermont scenery. Lord and Bangor's rustic cabin says some- thing for roughing it, as do the bursts of ET ( Evidently, Rip Torn (righ t) thought he was in Wes Craven's film-, notays fall colors that compose their neigh- borly mountains across the river. Cra- ven avoids the trap of glorification by avoiding the dramatic music and cam- era angles that would imply that such natural beauty can be improved upon. It is in part this beauty that allows the viewer to sympathize with Lord's battle against progress, but more im- portantly, itis the flawless performances of Torn and Cardinal. Torn - whose character risks becoming the stereo- typical righteous mountain man-cre- ates a feeling of serenity as he is being bathed by Bangor or reminding her to hold the saw level as they take on the monstrous pines. Cardinal, with her ragged clothing, worn face and references to herself as "she" and Lord as "mister," at first seems a caricature. However, she quickly turns her awkward dialogue into the believable, but never followed, voice of reason that contrasts Lord's idealism. Craven has an understanding for the intricacies of film. Everything about "Rivers" flows; the conflict doesn't outweigh the characters, the actors don't overplay the characters and the setting serves to illuminate the conflict. Nonetheless, it's not a movie most people will have fun watching. WHERE THE RIVERS FLOW NORTH is playing at the Michigan Theater. ImprOV group looks promising By SARAH STEWART and whoop and holler in praise of a The University Club stage, if you successful scene. Since there was never want to call it a stage, consists of noth- enough time to brood over the unsuc- ing more than a bunch of rickety plat- cessful, the audience looked forward to forms shoved as closely together as the.promise of the next scene. possible. It'snothing fancy, butitserves Highlights of the night included a its purpose; it has a lot in common with spoof on "The Real World," sparked the newly formed improvisational com- by an audience member's suggested edy troupe, "Without a Net." setting of San Francisco. Hobey Echlin, With nothing morethan afewchairs, named to the character of Puck by his a well-prepared order of events and a scene partner, Bob Gilliam, pushed his talented cast, last Thursday night at the ear up to a make-believe booth during U Club, "Without a Net" proved that Gilliam's confessional, and Joe Lacey comedy done right can take any form. made a guest appearance as Pedro, Plunging the audience into the fun nailing the Hispanic accent of the and laughs that were to characterize the show's token homosexual. Without show, they took the stage singing a prior knowledge of the MTV series, the doctored version of "The Facts of Life" references might have gone over some theme-song. "You tell a joke, you do a heads, but as long as a neighbor could gag, you make them laugh, and there provide an update, the scene was ap- you have, 'Without A Net."' preciated for its sincere hilarity. The melodic introduction was the In another scene, called the "diary only planned skit of the night. From game," an audience member was sum- then on, "Without A Net" used a series moned to the stage to tell "Without A of improv "games," based mainly on Net" and everyone else that he had audience suggestions of places and locked his keys in his car that very day. character traits, to set up the scenes that From this basic scenario, Evan Makela unraveled on the spot. created the diary-like narrative that had The cast demonstrated surprising the rest of the cast acting outaday in the confidence in handling their audience, life of Spencer. He drove a snazzy new as their hyper enthusiasm encouraged electric car, he picked up some hot the audience to boldly yell suggestions babes and his boss forgave him for skipping work because he was a "nice, say you don't! !" was one of the hippie kind o' guy." evening's ample highlights. Three new While their debut performance can songs, including one Love co-wrote be called a success, it left "Without A with her late husband, showed that she Net" room to improve in their upcom- is growing rapidly as a songwriter, able ing shows. Some of the scenes ran too to express and include an increasing long, either because the actors intro- palette of emotions in her work. duced something new near what should But perhaps the best moments of have been the end of the scene or the the concert were saved for last. After casebers ofte wee o he vowing ntt upit h rw n cast members off-stage were too hesi- voignot to jump into the crowd and font to yell "Scene!" and end it. surf as she had at other shows, during Nonetheless, if the audience's re- the finale, "Rock Star," Love scanned Nntees fteadec' e the crowd and dove in, surfed for a sponse is any indication, flaws in the he rodand einurfed orphayperformance were minor and never in- while and then returned triumphantly terfered with the light-hearted fun. Not to the stage. Then, her mood changing fromjubilant to petulant, she raised her one scene went without a laugh and guitar and said, "This is for that almost nobody was able to overcome motherfucker" (Kurt Cobain, duh) and the curse of the perpetual grin. trashed the set. An evening with some WITHOUT A NETpeforms every miracles, somemayhem, andmore than Thursday at10p.m. at the U Club. a little magic. Admission is $3; cash or entree plus. HOLE Continued from page 5 World!"') ensued, which is exactly the appeal of Courtney Love; her quicksil- ver mood changes and general unpredictability make for fascinating, if uncomfortable viewing. Oh yeah, the songs were really good too. The band opened with the immedi- ately arresting howler "Plump." Nearly all of "Live Through This" (and a few from the band's first album "Pretty on the Inside") was played, including the singalong "Miss World," the current single "Violet" and others like "I Think That I Would Die" and "She Walks On Me." A shambolic cover of Duran Duran's "classic" "Hungry Like The Wolf," after which Love said, "You all have that fuckin' record! Don't lie and APARTMENT TO SHARE. Male rmmte. "FRIENDSHIP FOR SINGLES" C needed for big S. Univ. 2 bdrmn., fun., cable, COMPATIBLE INTRODUCTIONS CR, ldry., kitchen. Near Bagel Factory. SELECT & SINCERE DATING Avail. now. $375/mo. 665-0984. Meet New People MALE ROOMMATE needed to share two Since 1980. Tom/Katie 945-9422. 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