The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 28, 1996 - 9

4ohn Dabis
latestfilm is
unfogival
By K*eft Xintaris
Daily Arts Writer
Since it's that time ofthe term, here's
achanceto gauge yourtest-taking skills:
Which ofthe following best describes
the film "Unforgettable?"
a. laughable
b. predictable
c. forgettable
d. all of the above
(When in doubt, choose d.)
The new suspense thriller starring
Ray Liotta is ano-brainer that would do
*ell as a TV-movie and even better as
a "Mystery Science Theater 3000" fea-
ture.
Liottaplays Dr. David Krane,amedi-
cal examiner whose trial for his wife's
murder was dismissed because of a
rookie detective's blunder. Like the O.J.
Simpson case, too many people believe
Krane committed the crime for him to
REVIEW
Unforgettable
Directed by John Dahl
with Ray Liotta
and Linda Fiorentino
At Briarwood and Showcase
emerge unscathed. Without evidence
at Krane leads a tormented life, how-
ever, it is difficult to care about him.
Eventhebad guys don't seem thatthreat-
ening. This cartoonish, one-dimensional
character creates major flaws in the
film.
Enter Martha Briugs (Linda

Outstanding 'Orpheus'

By Kristin Cleary
For the Daily
"Famous Orpheus" is by far the
most exciting piece of theater I have
seen in several years. Having never
been to the Performance Network
before, I was rather confused with its
hidden, unassuming location. The
entrance of the theater was equally
undistinguished: A small neon sign
and a stark lobby made me wonder
where I was going.
However, as soon as I entered the
theater I was overwhelmed with the
charisma and attitude of the actors,
who were already setting the mood on
the stage. As they danced to the reggae
music provided by a live band, the
actors grabbed audience members as
they entered the room, urging them to
join in the festivities, including the
limbo. I have never witnessed such a
creative and exhilarating beginning
to any piece of theater, and I felt very
involved in the play before it even
started.
"Famous Orpheus" is based on the
traditional Greek myth of Orpheus,
the son of the muse Calliope, who is
known through Greece as the best
singer and songwriter. He falls in love
with Eurydice; it is said throughout
myths that their love was the purest
and truest ever.
Soon after their marriage, Eurydice
dies of a snakebite, and Orpheus un-
successfully tries to rescue her from
Hell. The story becomes even more
tragic as a band of women, angry
because Orpheus has shunned their
advances while mourning for
Eurydice, cuts off his head and sends
it floating out to sea. Greek myths
claim that it washed ashore on the
island of Lesbos, still singing in
Orpheus' beautiful voice.
The playwright, University Prof.
OyamO, added some very creative
twists to this ancient story. Set on the
island of Trinidad during the pre-Lent

"I can't believe I made 'Operation Dumbo Drop.' What was I thinking? From Scorsese to Dumbo? I should shoot myself."

Fiorentino), a scientist who has discov-
eredhowtoisolate"unforgettable" memo-
ries in cerebral spinal fluid, or CSF. A
specimen injected with foreign CSF can
relive another's experiences if triggered
byavisual cue. Did someone say "Strange
Days" rip-off? In a twist that arises inex-
plicably, Briggs becomes enamored by
Krane, even after reading about his mur-
der conviction. Must have been his eyes.
Because the experiments with rats
are promising, Krane decides to steal
the chemicals from Briggs' lab. Toprove
his innocence once and for all,he shoots
up his dead wife's CSF in an effort to
see her final moments as she did. De-
spite the life-threatening damage Krane
does to his heart, he basically turns into
a CSF junkie as he tracks down his
wife's killer. Briggs tags along to moni-
tor Krane's nhysical side effects and

spew forth vapid dialogue.
In one scene, Briggs sits among the
remains of her burned-down lab, hold-
ing one last bottle that would help Krane
finally identify the murderer. When
Krane approaches her to take it, she
whimpers, "Is that all you care about?"
Obviously, the answer is yes, and such
scenes invite mockery. Fiorentino has
worked with director John Dahl previ-
ously in "The Last Seduction." As she
plods through this role, Fiorentino seems
like she might turn to the camera and
roll her eyes with dissatisfaction.
If any actor wastes his talents in this
film, though, it is Liotta. After a stun-
ning portrayal of mobster Henry Hill in
"Goodfellas," Liotta's career took a
downward trend with such films as
"Corrina, Corrina" and "Operation
Dumbo Dron." Sorrv. Ray. but that's

three duds, and you're out. The script is
so stilted, however, that few actors could
have saved it from mediocrity. The over-
done flashbacks of other people's
memories that Krane suffers through
leave little room for insight into the
main character.
It comes as no surprise that screen-
writer Bill Geddie has only written for
television. As the simple storyline moves
along at a snail's pace, intermittent fade-
ins and outs slow it down further, rather
than build up the suspense. Commercials
in between each section may have been
more appropriate.
In the final,most laughable insult to the
audience's intelligence, the closing cred-
its roll by to Nat King Cole's classic,
"Unforgettable." To its credit, the film
proves that one medical or technological
innovation does not a good movie make.

Carnival, he draws upon a wealth of
African and Caribbean heritage, giv-
ing "Famous Orpheus" a new ap-
proach. The actors speak in well-pol-
ished Caribbean accents and wear or-
nate costumes resembling, one as-
sumes, Trinidadian clothing.
The music in "Famous Orpheus" is
absolutely amazing, allowing the char-
acters to convey the feelings involved
in the original myth as well as the con-
temporary aspects of the modern play.
From the very beginning, the choreog-
raphy helped to enhance the overall
disposition of the play, attimesconvey-
ing the laid-back idea ofthe Caribbean,
at other times revealing the complex
emotions and cultural implications of
everyday life.
The actors in "Famous Orpheus" were
consistent with the flawless manner of
the play. Orpheus, played by Donald
McNeal, holds true to his mythical de-
scription as the best singer in the land.
His counterpart Eurydice, played by
Nyima Anise Woods, is every bit as
captivating. Although Eurydice and
Orpheus were the main characters in
the play, the cast is made up of so many
star performers that it would be impos-
sible to list them all.
I find it nearly impossible to un-
cover a flaw in "Famous Orpheus."
Although there are several jokingly
biting comments pointed at theater
critics during the play, this critic has
nothing but positive things to gay
about this masterpiece of modern the-
ater.


Replicants
%eplicants
Zoo Records
Never before has an entire album of
covers sounded so good. Created by band
members of Tool and Failure, the
Replicants have combined their musical
interests to produce an album ofremakes
of everything from '80's New Wave hits
-o Steely Dan. Despite the cheesy nature
Wf such a project, "Replicants" is an al-
bum that will make you both laugh and
tap your toes.
The idea stemmed from Tool's "Un-
dertow" tour, where Failure was the
opening band. After rehearsing without
intent, Failure members Ken Andrews
and Greg Edwards and Tool bassist
Paul D'Amour decided on a purpose
and added keyboardist Chris Pitman,
orming the Replicants. What followed
as a combination of influences rang-
ing from David Bowie to Neil Young,
resulting in an eclectic album that cov-
ers a wide spectrum of rock'n'roll.
Some of the best covers are the long
ones, particularly the 7 1/2 minute ver-
sion of Paul McCartney's "Silly Love
Songs." Maynard Keenan of Tool is the
guest vocalist on this creepy track. He
screams "Love isn't silly at all," making
the listener think that it's most likely
icious and cruel. The cover of Missing
Persons"Destination Unknown" is also a
standout; it's also received a fair amount
ofradio play. This version is more darkly
haunting, with an industrial appeal as
opposed to the poppy original. It also
features special guest Syd Kato rambling
in the middle ofthe song in what's termed
a "special alien debriefment." Maybe
*#.** . Classic
** ... Excellent
*** ... Good
** ...Fair
* ...Poor
Zero ..A Bomb

those Tool and Failure boys were having
just a bit too much fun.
Some of the other tunes don't pack the
same punch. The Cars' "Just What I
Needed" sounds more or less like the
originalSteely Dan's"Dirty Work"sound
is dreamy, but also a little like it's playing
on a Walkman with low batteries.
For those '80's buffs out there who
love new versions of old favorites, this
albumis afind,as long asyou're comfort-
able with change. Truthfully, it's just a
bunch of guys playing some of their fa-
vorite songs with their own twist. Amaz-
ingly, it turns out well, though clearly the
product of four twisted minds.
- Lise Harwin

MARRIAGE
Continued from Page 8
its short history, it will be performed in
its entirety in front of an audience. The-
ater doesn't get much more exciting
than this.
There must have been moments like
this for Arthur Miller, when plays
like "The Crucible" or "Death of a
Salesman" went up for the first time.
Even the beloved Neil Simon must
have had a few butterflies when "The
Odd Couple" had its first viewing.
Imagine what it must have been like
for those who attended those perfor-

mances, when such renowned and
often copied pieces were still fresh
and cutting edge. The stories of those
performances have probably been told
a million times.
No doubt on opening night there will
be more than a few hearts beating fast.
Both Bochan and Font will have their
share of nerves.
It's only natural when the project
you've been working on for the last
two semesters is finally reaching frui-
tion, especially when it's doing so in
front of all their peers. From what
I've seen, though, with the talent these
two women have, it's only the begin-
ning.

Here we see the Replicants.


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THE ADA PTEC WEB' SITE.
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Charges for dial-in access
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if you compute from home
} using your UMCE account,
check your account balance
regularly. Remember-the
more you use, the more
it costs!

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