The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 18, 1995 - 13

'Dredd'ing the
'Waterworld:' A look
at this summer's films

By Alexandra Twin
and Scott Plagenhoef
Daily Arts Writers
The summer film season is when
the studios parade their big-budget,
big-star, popcorn entertainment into
the theaters to compete for your sum-
mer vacation time and, more impor-
tantly, your money. It is the season of
unqualified flops, career-halting
bombs, and, like last year's "Forrest
Gump," surprise windfalls. The race
for the magic number, $100 million
domestic gross, gets underway Me-
morial Day weekend and McDonald's
is sponsoring as much of it as they
possibly can.
The late spring crop of films, not
summer films proper, but late spring
teasers which open soon, such as
"Kiss of Death," "The Basketball
Diaries," "Jefferson in Paris,"
"Amatuer" and "New Jersey Drive,"
may point to a promising season.
Yet "Waterworld" can't be stopped!
Run for the hills. Anyhoo, a partial
list of some of the larger and / or
more interesting summer pictures is
as follows:
"Apollo 13," Tom Hanks' latest
juggernaut is a Ron Howard film

about the true-life story of the
aborted lunar mission. Also featur-
ing Kevin Bacon and "Forrest
Gump" co-star Gary Sinise. Poten-
tially the highest-grossing film of
the summer.
"Batman Forever," No Tim Bur-
ton. No Michael Keaton. Yet it does
have flavor of the month Jim Carrey
as the riddler, Tommy Lee Jones and
the introduction of robin. Val Kilmer
stars as the new Batman.
"Bridges of Madison County,"
This cheap romance novel packaged
as literature, is now a cheap romance
movie packaged as a quality film.
Clint Eastwood stars and directs and
has our pity. Meryll Streep co-stars.
Please don't go.
"Waterworld," It cost almost
$200 Million and stars Kevin Costner
as -- get this - a half-man, half-fish
fighting pirates in a post-apocalyptic
world. Permission to laugh out loud
granted.
"Die Hard: With a Vengence,"
Set in New York, this latest re-unites
Bruce Willis with "Pulp Fiction" co-
star Samuel L. Jackson.
"Judge Dredd," Sly is a futuristic
jurist who probably kicks someone's
ass.


Kevin Costner's career might be sunk with the expensive 'Waterworid'

"The Scarlet Letter," Five
words: Demi Moore as Hester Prynne.
"Mary Reilly," The Jekyll and
Hyde story as told through the eyes of
his maid. Julia Roberts is said maid
and John Malkovich is said mad sci-
entist. Stephen Frears directs.
"Pocahontas," Disney's latest
animated film is the tale of the Native
American maiden, this along with
their Spring release, "Jefferson in
Paris" just happen to coincide with
the unveiling of their American his-
tory theme park. Go figure.
"Nine Months," Babe-o-licious
Hugh Grant shows off his charming
mop in this maternity comedy co-star-
ring Julianne Moore and Tom Arnold.
Features a cameo by Robin Williams.
"Johnny Mnemonic," another
futuristic thriller, this time featuring
Keanu "Olivier" Reeves.

"Braveheart," "Cutthroat Is-
land," "First Knight," A trio of over-
blown epics featuring Mel Gibson as
a 13th Centruy Scot, Geena Davis as
a female pirate, and Richard Gere and
Sean Connery as Sir Lancelot and
King Arthur.
"Smoke," Wayne Wang directs
Harvey Kietel and Forrest Whitaker
in what is probably another hit for
Miramax.
"To Die For," Gus Van Sant tries
to live down the disaster, "Even Cow-
girls get the Blues" by re-uniting with
"Drugstore Cowboy" star Matt Dillon.
"The Underneath," Steven
Soderbergh's fourth film looks to be
his least adventurous.
"Dead Presidents," Second fea-
ture from "Menace II Society" direc-
tors Allen and Albert Hughes, again
starring Larenz Tate. Vietnam Vet
turns to violence when he fails to
assimilate back into society. "Taxi
Driver" anyone?
"Amelia and the King of the
Plants," "The Boys," "Sabrina,"
"Forget Paris," Romantic comedies
featuring Christian Slater, Winona
Ryder, Harrison Ford, and Billy Crys-
tal respectively.
"Casper," "Free Willy 2: The
Adventure Home," Self-explanatory
kiddie fare.
"Clueless," Latest Amy
Heckerling film features the product
of Stephen Tyler's pedophiliac mar-
keting skills, Alicia Silverstone.
"Fair Game," Cindy Crawford
tries to act. As a lawyer.
"Faithful," Cher tries to act.
Chazz Palmenteri does act.
"Copycat," Sigourney Weaver
and Holly Hunter in an action film.
"Under Siege H: Dark Terri-
tory," Substitute the boat for a train
and Tommy Lee Jones for someone
far less interesting and voila! - a
really bad movie.

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Sylvester Stallone gives you something to 'Dredd' this summer, If you know what we mean ...

It always seems that when the class-work is the hardest, the concerts
are the hottest. These next two weeks are no exception. If you have the
chance, check as many of these shows out as you can.
First off is the Mott Child's Hospital Benefit, featuring three of Skillet
Records' best bands, whirlingRoad, the Lollipop Guild and the
impatients. All three bands contribute songs to the recent benefit
album "Sounds of Ann Arbor," along with Kiss Me Screaming and the
rockabilly upstarts Lucky Haskins, plus the defunct trio the Melba.
"Sounds of Ann Arbor" shows that Ann Arbor does indeed have a fine
local scene brewing, with a diverse array of melodic guitar-driven pop
and rock. After their successful appearance at the influential and
prestigious South By Southwest Music' Festival in the past month,
whirlingRoad is arguably the most prominent group in the scene.
Certainly, their muscular rock would fit in comfortably on most modern
rock radio playlists, as well as MTV's "Alternative Nation." With a new
full-length album scheduled for release in the early summer,
whirlingRoad is primed to break big.
Of course, the Lollipop Guild and the impatients aren't doing badly
themselves. Featuring a new guitarist, the Lollipop Guild's crisp pop
has earned a rave from Alternative Press (their "White Knuckle
Days" was called "heartfelt and flawless). The impatients' debut
album "kickball" was produced by power-pop god Scott Miller (Game
Theory, Loud Family) and is a sterling set of chiming guitars and
ringing melodies; again, this is a band primed for some national
attention.
Catch them all this Friday at the Blind Pig - whirlingRoad is
headlining, the Lollipop Guild is appearing second and the
impatients open the concert. The show begins at 9:30 for those 18
and over; call 996-855 for more information. And if you can't make
it to the show, pick up "Sounds of Ann Arbor" anyway - it's for a
good cause and it's some cool music.
One of the bands on "Sounds of Ann Arbor" is choosing to join the fun
at Rick's Cafe this Friday instead. And considering the line-up, who
could blame them? Once again, the Happy Hour Records Roundup is in
town, featuring some of the best damn garage rockers and punkers
around. Kiss Me Screaming is co-headlining with Wendy Case's super-
fine outfit Ten High, but they are by no means the only cool bands on
the bill. For one low price you get those two local titans plus five other
groups that define rock 'n' roll, American style - Fortune & Maltese
and the Phabulous Pallbearers, the Hentchmen, the Navarones,
Bootsey X and the Lovemasters, and the Loose Stools. The show
blasts off at 8 p.m. sharp, but doors open at 7 p.m.; call 996-2747 for
details.
If your tastes aren't quite as brutal as the Happy Hour Records lineup,
catch jazz legend Mose Allison at the Bird of Paradise. Allison has
been an American musical institution for decades and he gets better
each year. He'll be playing on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22;
>call 810-645-6666 for ticket details.

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Ann Arbor's whirlingRoad is about to make a big splasn.
country-rock styling, sweet pop and pounding rhythms - into a
distinctive sound that makes them deserving of some adulation. So go
down to Rick's on Monday and give them some - you won't be
disappointed by their show. Call 996-2747 for more information.

And if you go down to Rick's the next day, you'll see two of the hippest
bands in the country - Archers of Loaf and Helium. Both bands have
been piling up glowing reviews for their new albums, but more
importantly, the kids love 'em. Helium opens the show (see the plug on
page 10 for more information), but the fractured pop of the Archers
brings the evening's festivities to a glorious, frenzied close. Fresh off
an opening tour for Weezer and preparing to play a few dates with the
Flaming Lips, the band should be ready to blow the roof off of Rick's
next Tuesday. They rock hard and they make an awful lot of noise, yet
they somehow manage to pull some pop out of all the cacophony;
when every band in 2007 says the Archers were the reason they picked

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