able ortjcl#wm ]Dtcdu ~Manchild Wham! Bam! A poetry slam! Born and bred In Saginaw, poet and arts activist Al Hellus will be the featured performer tonight at the Ann Arbor Poetry Slam. The program includes two open mic segments for all who have something to say. The Slam will be held at The Heidelberg Club Above, 215 N. Main St., at 8 p.m. Admission is $3. Tuesday-R February 6,1996 , Moore's Juror' is guilty of boredom E pomised By Alexandra Twin Daily Arts Editor British actor David Thewlis knows plenty about getting things the hard way; the acclaimed 30-something film actor - co-star of the new "Restora- tion" - toughed it out on the English stage for some 11 years before attract- ing the attention of most American moviegoers when he starred as the acer- bic Johnny in the acclaimed 1993 art- house hit, "Naked." But ask the soft-spoken Briton about =his international accomplishments and he's quick to shy away from any praise. "I know plenty of British actors who are brilliant, but who won't get an opportu- nity to act on a mass level," Thewlis said. "Just like in America, success is all a matter of getting your break, find- -ing the right stuff." . Since then, he has appeared in half a dozen films, including "Black Beauty," gnd the recent "Total Eclipse," playing Athe French poet Paul Verlaine opposite Leonardo DiCaprio's Arthur Rimbaud. He also has major roles in two soon-to- .be-released big-budget American pro- ductions. Yet, ask him which recent role he is most excited about and he is quick to offer up Michael Hoffman's "Restora- tion." It is the story of a doctor, Robert Merevil (Robert Downey Jr.), who loses sight of his true calling to become the king's glorified fool, and must ulti- mately re-examine his ideals to get back on track,'all in the age of the restoration. Thewlis plays John, another doctor who is a Puritan and Merevil's best friend. "I'd read the book before I heard about the film and had liked it. I found (John) to be a very compelling charac- ter... (the film) also gave me an oppor- tunity to study Quakers, as well as 17th century medicine, which is fascinating. I'm interested in all those kinds ofthings. By Ryan Posiy For the Daily Coming off the enormous failure of "The Scarlet Letter," in which all traces of Hawthorne's original novel were lost, Demi Moore apparently has opted for another movie in which she'll get paid a huge sum of money for something nobody wants to see. The movie in question is the adaptation of the best- selling novel "The Juror," and in typi- cal Hollywood fashion, it is not at all what it first seems to be. Moore, looking reminiscent of her "Ghost" days, plays Annie Laird, a single mother selected for jury duty in an important Mafia trial. She's likable enough, but some of her actions lack explanation. For example, during the jury selection process, the judge gives her every opportunity to back out, know- ing that it will be a long and arduous The Juror Directed by Brian Gibson with Demi Moore andAlec Baldwin At Briarwood and Showcase trial. But Annie rejects his promptings, cracking jokes and later telling her son that she "needs a little excitement" in her life. This movie proves the old ad- age: "Be careful what you wish for, because it might come true." Not long after she is selected for the jury, Annie encounters the man who has just bought several pieces of her art .if '9==.. Alec Baldwin plays a real baddle in "The Juror." --I (she is an artist whose sculptures can only be felt, not seen - the movie's most creative element). As played by Alec Baldwin, this fellow is handsome, charming, intelligent and loves her art - seemingly the perfect match in Annie's eyes. But just as soon as they I mean, I found it absolutely scary but fascinating nonetheless." The same might be said for Thewlis' first experience working with big American actors, who, in addition to Downey and DiCaprio, include Meg Ryan, Dennis Quaid and Marlon Brando. "They're a lot more self-confident, to put it politely," he said wryly. "Or perhaps to put it unpolitely. ... But really, it's been nothing but a learning process, with all the Americans I've worked with and even now just work- ing in movies. My education in Britain was through theater, television and Brit- ish cinema, so it's partly about learning how to work in film, as well." It was while taking bit parts on Brit- ish television that he was first intro- duced to acclaimed film director Mike Leigh. He met him "Just by audition- ing" for a film that ended up not hap- pening. This did, however, earn Thewlis his rite of passage into Leigh's reper- tory. He went on to star in a short, called "Short and Curly," the celebrated "Life is Sweet" and finally the film that was to become "Naked," a role that earned him a New York Film Critics Best Ac- tor award and inspired talk of an Acad- emy Award nomination. It also enabled the now frequently sought-after Thewlis to be more choosy about the roles he See THEWLIS, Page 9 begin to get along, he admits his true purpose: To scare her into voting "not guilty" in the trial. Alec's character, known as "The Teacher," follows Annie's every Imove throughout the trial - he even bugs her See JUROR, Page 9 Shoebox E.P. Barenaked Ladies Reprise Records U The Michigan League Programming in cooperation with Center for the Education of Women, Women's Studies Program, and MSA Women's Issues Commission presents More beautiful, beautiful, 'Beautiful girls' for you We still have a dozen passes and many full-color glossy posters left for the new film "Beautiful Girls" starring Max Perlich, Michael Rapaport (left to right, pictured) as well as Uma Thurman, Lauren Holly, Matt Dillon, Mira Sorvino and others. If you can tell us which recent film featured Mira Sorvino and Michael Rapaport as a couple, you can win a pass and poster. Stopabythe Arts office, 2nd floor of the Student Publications Building (420 Maynard), after noon today. I Date/Time Thursday, Feb. 8 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Feb.22 4-6 .m. Thursday, Feb.29 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Mar.14 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Mar.28 4-6p.m. Speaker Topic Place Prof. AnneLkrman Women Studies: Interim Ditor, Women Educating Women or Studies Program Changing their Condition La e Fortlage The Lure of the Diet Huth Educator and Industry: the Impact on Nttionist, University Women Heth Services E. Royster Harper Women in the Executive: Assocae Vice-President Position in Academe: for Student Affairs and Insights and Experiecs Dean of Studt Rhetaugh Dumas Women in Leadership Vice Provost for Health roles: A Perspective Affairs Prof. Laura Ahearn C ross-Culural Department of Anthro- Perspectives on Language pology and Gender State Senator Alma Women in the Political Wheeler-Smith System Prof. Nancy Burns BartmLan+ f4 A DPlt ;o Henderson Room, 3rd floor Room D, 3rd floor Henderson Room, 3rd floor Vandenberg Room, 2nd floor Room D, 3rd floor Koessler Room, 3rd floor A LA DAMA RAZA Open-Mic Night Wednesday, February 7, Not Another Cafe, 1301 South University Poets Live! 8-10 PM Poetry Reading with Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. Friday, February 9, 1-3 PM Kalamazoo Rm., Michigan League ,it's 4An-A 1#nz4 - T41ng, 46 ! Sponsored in parr by OAMI, Student Affairs Programming Council and Student Academic Multicultural Initiatives. In all fairness to Canada, it does a great job of promoting the tay-man. The Barenaked Ladies, a foursome from the Great White North, all h their natural hair color, wear khakis and have been members of the work- ing class. None of the 'Ladies have been arrested for indecent exposure or arrested on heroin possession charges. All of them bear a remarkable.,resem- blance to either Alan Thicke, Michael J. Fox or Anne Murray, or maybe a mixture of the three (well, notreally). No wonder they haven't hit it bi j America. While still trying to break through in the States, the 'Ladies, a platinum act in Canada, are poised to release their third album, Born on a Pirate Shij In the meantime, the 'Ladies have released a multimedia EP, chock-full of oodies for the die-hard fan and music critic alike. The EP has four music tracks, two versions of the upcoming single "Shoebox," an acoustic versionof ""' I Had a $1,000,000" and the ptevio*' unreleased "Trust Me," in addition to a 20 Megabyte multimedia file=es, the music is cool; it seems to fail some- where in the newly designat~d "roots rock" genre, with a strong emphasis on humor, especially with regards to pop culture. The group's style is marked by simple, catchy melodies and harmo- nies built around contagious, foot-6 ping rhythms and wicked cool bass lines. The songs are pleasantly pre- dictable, meaning that even' though you might know which direction a song is going in, you're still realty happy that it's going there. However, what really shines ir this release is the multimedia file. Thos in- cludes video clips from music videos and concerts, in addition to soun4clips from every song off of eve.an they've recorded, including thf7 W ing release. It gives new fans ac Ice to catch up on what they've misse n the past eight years, not to mention ggood idea of who these four fellowsfrom Ontario really are. For those whe care, yes, the file works on both Macintosh and IBM, provided that you haven CD- ROM drive. If you're a Barenaked Ladies.an, I sincerely hope this is enough to hold u over until the next album. If youge6t, and enjoy good music and computers, this might do well to pique your iiiferest. Not only is it a treat to the ears,alkbeit a very small treat, but it is worth ,lot o laughs. - Brad Harwood Chicano History Week 1996 RNAA Qovt"e4 N:4 1G44 Y,1D$SSPANISH AND 1 "M~EN WONDERWH I D~A & I i I. I