12TV._ A l t. - 7%st4L. Kick out the jams with the kish! Are you a beginner harp player? Tonight, folk and celtic Harp players will gather to converse, listen to records and kick out the jams. Beginners are welcome. Come to Guild House. 802 Monroe St. at 7 p.m. $1. Page 5 Wednesday, January 24, 1996 Gilliam's new 'Monk Randy Kurstin and David Burtka star in "Remember Me," now playing at the Performance Network. .Moving 'Me'i unforgettable By Kelly Xintaris For the Daily Call it a "Brazil" for the '90s. In "12 Monkeys," Director Terry Gilliam offers the same grubby pan- orama, almost comically evil charac- ters and surrealistic techno-visuals present in his 1985 cult classic. Even the darkly humorous Saran-wrap face- lift scene in "Brazil" is filtered down this time- in "12 Monkeys" it appears as the grotesquely distorted reflection ofa scientist's face. The Orwellian slant combines with a Wellsian time-travel story, resulting in an often perplexing, 12 Monkeys Directed by Terry Gilliam; with Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt At Briarwood and Showcase equally profound apocalyptic thriller. Bruce Willis stars as James Cole, a 21st century man with a mission. Prom- ising a pardon from prison, where he literally lives underground, scientists send him back to 1996, ostensibly to save the planet. Cole must find the Army of the 12 Monkeys, who suppos- edly brought an unimaginable plague upon 5-million people with the help of a deadly virus. Cole mistakenly ends up in a mental institution in 1990, where he meets the looniest toon ofall, Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), as well as psychiatrist Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe). The scien- tiststhen sendColeto 1996, trustinghis immense willpower and infallible memory to get the job done. When he inevitably partners-up with Railly, it becomes them versus Goines and his mysterious "army." Through frequent shifts back and forth across time, Cole's dream se- quences and unpredictable character twists, the story line gets increasingly complex. In Gillian's playground of the inane, Cole and Railly struggle to distinguish between sane and insane, good and evil and justice for self and society. Essentially, Cole must decide between saving the world or saving his soul, which yearns to revel in nature and Railly's love. Ironically enough, Willis, Pitt and Stowe provide mainstream appeal in a film that is not exactly paint-by-num- bers. Willis is surprisingly effective in this role despite his "Die-Hard" repu- tation. In a particularly moving scene, Cole's normally icy eyes well up as he relishes the sounds of Nat King Cole's "Blueberry Hill." Willis successfully captures the anguish of a man bound by the confines of circumstance, un- able to transcend his fate as a pawn in the scientists' game. Pitt's performance as the impish nutcase Goines, however, is even more impressive. As he rambles on and on to Cole in the insane asylum, donning a velour shirt over his hospital pajamas, Pitt seems to truly enjoy portraying the scrappy, wild-eyed leader of the "12 monkeys." In a moment of the film's self- parody, Goines screams "Monkey Business!" in delight as Cole and other hapless mental patients watch the Marx brothers movie on television. Without overdoing it, Willis and Pitt blend into the film's already hyperbolic flow. Stowe also does a fine job in her role as Railly, Cole's relentlessly skeptical yet deeply passionate love interest. Railly's hope and Cole's despair complement each other well. At one eys'shines point, Railly reminds Cole to stop and "smell the flowers," to which Cole re- sponds in exasperation, "What flow- ers?!"When Railly's cool exterioreven- tually fades, her chemistry with Cole fuels the suspense - will they live happily ever after? Not quite. Never one for cookie-cut- Willis captures the anguish of a man bound by theu cofines of circumstance. ter clean endings, Gilliam halts the hyper-kinetic motion of this film with an unexpected conclusion. Although at first it may seem like a cop-out way to tie up loose ends, it is actually a fitting finale to a relatively absurd string of events. Without the somber final scene, the film would have succumbed to for- mula and softened its preceding impact. "12 Monkeys" may not be a barrel of laughs, but it is certainly worth the price By Melissa Rose Bernardo Daily Theater Editor Though many critics and theater afi- cionados argue the era of the AIDS play has come and gone, there is always room for drama like "Remember Me." The honest, heartful love story of Jack- son (David Burtka) and Marc (Randy Kurstin) is enough to move even the xREMEMBER ME ( (the young lovers, the lesbian pal, the unforgiving mother, the jealous older brother) are no strangers, and the dia- logue is filled with cliches. Still, the flashback structure provides a comfort- able frame, with props providing smooth transitions, and the' compatibility of David Burtka and Randy Kurstin gives the play much genuine emotional force. Until Marc is gone. In an attempt to portray Jackson's descent into self-de- struction, "Remember Me" actually self-destructs. The second act gets bogged-down early with the eulogies, repetitive monologues detailing events we've already heard of or seen, a re- corded montage of dialogue to the beat of a heart-monitor, and that solemn flute rendition of "Amazing Grace." But then the play goes on to Jackson's story - his drinking, his isolation. his anger, etc. - and loses its emotional pull. After a few minutes, we stop feeling for Jackson and begin feeling sorry for Burtka, who has been saddled with this immense burden. Though his physical- ity was at times too much for the Net- work space, Burtka wins major points for carrying offagood half-hour's worth of self-flagellating monologues, grief- and alcohol-induced torrents of self- pity, ranting and raving - the amount of which rivals your average Eugene O'Neill drama. But by that time Patterson and Pascaris have lost a good portion of their audience, who are fidgeting rather than empathizing, watching the clock instead of the action. Long-winded monologues bog the play down more than once;as Marc's motherEllen,Erica Dutton gets completely lost in her "it's a sin-you-choose-to-be-this-way-this- is-wrong-you-can-be-cured" lecture. In general, however, the performers handle the script and the structure with ease; Ingrid Eggertsen is a strong presence as Peggy, Jackson and Marc's mince-no- words lesbian chum. "Remember Me" is a good effort by these young playwrights, and it un- doubtedly achieves many of its goals. The story of Jackson and Marc will not be easily forgotten; would that the play's difficulties be less memorable. most hardened'90s theatergoer. If only it stopped there. "Remember Me" tells Jackson and arc's story through flashbacks, as we egin with Marc's sickness andprogress to his death; after he flatlines, the rest of the show remains in the present. Though the writing is generally quite solid, Ryan Patterson and Stephanie A. Pascaris' play is neither completely original nor unfamiliar; the characters .. ' .1!1, both a broad range, as well as a vulner- able quality. This can be heard with the mostpoignancy on "I Am SoOrdinairy," Cole's ode to the ex-girlfriend who swears she will still "be the one who will give when she's gone." The "she" being the new girlfriend she feels like "the morning after" in comparison. It is this type of honesty that makes Cole's music a personal journey for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider to the everyday intricacies of life. Backed up by acoustic guitars and vio- lins, Cole's voice displays a power all too rare in many female musicians. "Harbin- ger" carries off a very subtle sound that never aims to overwhelm the listener. Cole's ability to combine beat boxing and vocals in several tracks makes her one with her songs, as ifthere is no separation between the lyrics and the music. The album's sentiment is best illus- trated in "Bethlehem," which is about a 1 6-year-old living in a town of "picket fences, church at 10" whereshe's sim- ply "tired of standing still tired of liv- ing" though she still dreams of leaving. This track is an accumulation of the common hell of being a teen-ager and small-town mediocrity. The most personal exploration comes in "She Can't Feel Anything Anymore," which tells ofthe trials of a rape victim. Though this seems like heavy material for musical entertainment, it is Cole's storytelling technique that makes her songs unique; in addition, it brings the listener into the music as an observer, finding a common experience. - Shannon O'Neill Faith Evans Faith Arista Records Her name is Faith Evans, so don't call her"Notorious B.I.G.'s wife." She didn't ride to musical success on her husband's back; she doesn't need to. And regardless of the knock-downs the music business dishes her, she will remain on her feet, singing. Found in "Faith" are a myriad of excellent, first-rate songs that establish Faith Evans as an artist to watch in the nine-six. You've probably already heard her seductive coos in "Soon as I Get Home" or her duet with Mary J. Blige, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore," where the two pour out their sorrowful hearts. Her slightly hipper "No Other Love" uses a softer version of the beats Interview cool authors or directors.Write for Books or Theater. Meet Dean and Melissa.Come to the Mass meeting. Tonight. 420 Maynard St. 2nd Floor. 7:00. Be there. Plan to attend the. Multicultural Career Conference Tuesday, January 30, 1996 5:00pm - 9:00pm Michigan Union 2nd floor Connect with employers & graduate school representatives! " Explore career options and internship opportunities " Investigate graduate school options * Arrange interviews for January 31 Make the most of the conference! " Attend a pre-conference workshop to learn more about the event * Use the Conference Briefing Books to review organization information * Collect last minute tips from employers at the Sneak Preview - January 30 (4:104:50) Career Planningent See RECORDS, Page 9 a I Vd Paula Cole contemplates her chin. vraula Cole Harbinger Imago Recording Company "Harbinger" is a 14-track testament to the fact the female musician is alive and well. She's also willing to show- case lyrics about maternal guilt, stale relationships and the trials of being an intelligent female. ' Paula Cole's voice brings each track Alive with its ability to capture the es- *ence of unwavering honesty. It has 4Ae MUFFIN TOPS TRY ONE TODAY ALSO FEATURING: _ n rQ9Z hAv EE Vn R 1U oNS ,pCU t"t N yN P WaO Ni) Mon-Thurs 8:30am-6:30pm Fri 8:30am-5:30pm Sat 10am-5:30pm Order by Phone 761-CHIP Taking orders for Valentine's Day, Last day to ship cookies Feb. 12th SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY OFFERS " Unmatched academic programs I Internships with world-class firms " Business courses in three countries * Generous grants and scholarships . WVISIwwr elSMMiA TAALMlArfil&s- I