The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 16, 1996 - 9
iLong Kiss' may be
Geena Davis' last
Jam on the Groove
brings old school
dance back to Detroit
By Kristin Long
Daily Arts Writer
*In a film genre of "Pulp Fiction"-
ke themes, it seems that every new
action-adventure flick attempts to
cross the line into the realm of the
bizarre and unusual. Theaters are
crowded with films that thrive on the
peculiarities of modem society and
satirical concepts of cultural oddities.
The creativity and lack of innovative
twists of these films, however, has
diminished, leaving audiences dissatis-
fed in the end.
"The Long Kiss Goodnight"
attempts to fit into this category.
Geena Davis
plays suburban- R
ite school E
t e a cher Thi
Samantha Caine 1
who cannot
remember her At Br
wicked past. A
cent accident
vives her altered personality and
causes a clash between the PTA moth-
er and the counter assassin.
The dual roles of this bizarre woman
provide great intensity throughout the
plot; the differences between the loving
mother whose biggest concern is mak-
ing dinner and the fearless government
agent, Charly Baltimore, who makes a
living killing people develop into the
best facet of this plot.
In her attempts to understand her his-
'ory, Caine hires low-budget investiga-
tor Mitch Henessey (Samuel L.
Jackson) to find details. Henessey
thrives on earning an easy buck, and
soon after involving himself with
Caine, he questions the point.
As the two attempt to discover the
truth of the past, more and,more of the
mischievous Baltimore is revealed.
1Henessey finds he is in more trouble
*6an he can handle, and his frightened
approach to the whole situation offsets
the aggression of Charly.
Before the initial accident that erased
her memory, Charly had become preg-
,nant with Caitlin; the 8-year-old daugh-
tet becomes caught in the midst of the
NIELDS
4&tnued from Page 8
scene of Northhampton, Mass.
#hen they added a bass and drums,
*arid diversified their sound to pop and
rock domains, they shook things up a
bit at usually subdued concerts. "Folk
festivals have been great for us.
They've really been the high point of
our touring years, and we've tended to
go over really well there" Nerissa said
shows where they were often the
only act to go electric.
"I think there's definitely a folk thing
going on. I think the bands that all of us
loved when we were growing up were
sort of the classic rock bands of the
'60s' she said.
This sort of amalgam of influences
paiys to great effect on the band's latest
record, "Gotta Get Over Greta" (Razor
&- Tie). The shimmering vocal har-
p.monies created by Katryna and Nerissa
e in finer than ever, and complex
rhythms and counterpoint slip seam-
lessly into deceptively simple pop gems
like "Best Black Dress" and the title
track,
Almost as stunning as the music is
the record's packaging, an intricate
tapestry of pastel-colored cartoon
images modeled after the newsletter
the band's hardcore fans circulate.
As for The Nields live, expect the
Ocitement of a rock show mingled
with the intimacy of folk. "I think that
we're definitely theatrical, and definite-
ly do a lot of chatting with the audi-
ence'" Nerissa said. Since the band did-
n't see too many shows growing up,
their brand of live audience interaction
is pretty self-styled.
With folk music fast emerging from
underground status to the mainstream,
it's hard to deny The Nields a place in
*e resurgence, however much they
may want to play it down. "I'd be flat-
tered to be considered part of the new
wave (of folk artists)," Nerissa laughed.
But with raves in Spin and Musician,
that sort of praise doesn't seem very
far-fetched at all.
w
se
riarr
conflict by becoming the object of
Charly's aggression. She is the only link
her mother has to the wholesome world;
therefore, the opposing forces use her
as the bait to trap her mother.
Throughout the entire traumatic experi-
ence, Caitlin somehow manages to be
emotionally unscarred. All the changes
in both her mother's appearance and
personality leaves her amazingly unaf-
fected.
In such aspects, "The Long Kiss
Goodnight" lacks in a balance between
the imaginary and realistic worlds. The
beginning of the film has a pensive
tone, and the end has a satirical theme
playing on the
VIEW violence that is
scattered
Long Kiss throughout the
Goodnight plot. Scenes that
** would undoubt-
wood and showcase edly influence
human nature go
unnoticed, and
the discrepancies leave a bit to be
desired.
The film's special effects have the
potential to increase the action; howev-
er, poor cinematography creates a
mockery of the final scenes. The gap
between what really could happen, and
what only happens in Hollywood is spo-
radically intermixed, and the overall
impression is more humorous than sus-
penseful.
Many aspects of the film, too, are left
underdeveloped. Multiple scenes have
little significance and mostly deter from
the effect, rather than add to it.
Davis does a remarkable job with the
conflicting personalities. The transi-
tions between the two lifestyles give the
film strength. Coming off her recent
bomb, "Cutthroat Island," Davis
redeems her career as the secret agent
turned mother-of-the-year.
Jackson does a decent job as the pri-
vate investigator who is only out to earn
a living. He adds comedy to the sus-
pense, and his personality, as mischie-
vous as it is, checks the high-strung
Charly. The film's role reversal, places
Caine in charge and Jackson as the
Kurtis Blow,
except for the
heart-stopping
dance moves that
often accompa-
nied them. From
the slithering
snake to card-
PR
At Detroit
Sunday
By Eugene Bowen
Daily Arts Writer
As the late Tupac Shakur said, "Ain't
nothin' like the old school." Almost
nothing compares to the familiar,
upbeat sounds of '80s hip hop as per-
formed by Whoudini, the Fat Boys and
board-requiring
break dancing to
I ,.
the staccato robot, the moves of '80s
hip hop were as important an ingredient
to hip-hop's unique flava as was the
music coming from the icon of the '80s
hip-hop era, the boom box.
The familiar acrobatic dancing
which, for a while, seemed a relic of a
hip-hop age long gone, is being brought
to life in Detroit as 10-man dance
troupe Jam on the Groove. The per-
formers fill the Music Hall with the
sights and sounds of the old school
through Sunday.
The troupe's purpose is to take hip
hop back to it's roots. Members con-
cede that rap music today is following
some scary trends, and they want to
remind the world that what many see
today is not where hip hop was born
and not necessarily what it should be
about.
"I was there when hip hop started,"
dancer Jorge "Fabel" Pablon explained
in a recent interview with The
Michigan Daily. "Then it wasn't vio-
lent, and there
were no drugs."
E V E WBut Jam on the
EVIEW Groove's on-
Jam on the stage perfor-
Groove mance is more
t's Music Hall through than just random
. Tickets are $15-$29. dancing. Each
dancer's appear-
ance is, accord-
ing to dancer Adesola Osakalumi, part
of a slow, converging storyline of aspi-
rations, fears and social concerns.
"We work on the numbers and start
flowing with the music," he said. "Then
one or two people may have an idea and
take a lead. It's like a big gumbo. (But)
it's not about exhibitionism or machis-
mo. We take hip-hop to a whole new
level."
Greeted with the stirring sights,
sounds and soul of the old school, per-
formance attendees will have a feeling
of being back home. Don't miss a
chance to see, hear and feel what
Pablon calls hip hop's deep-rooted cul-
tural origins as tribal African and
Native American music and dance.
Geena Davis
attempts a come-
back of sorts by
starring in "The Long
Kiss Goodnight," a
film directed by her
husband, Renny
Hartin. And, as you
can plainly see, she
loves shooting guns.
fearful sidekick.
The plot of "The Long Kiss
Goodnight" bares much resemblance to
the recent Arnold Schwarzenegger
flick, "True Lies." Both present the life
of a suburban family, caught in the tan-
gles of government espionage. As an
audience, we get the feeling that we
have definitely seen this somewhere
before.
The film is produced and directed by
Renny Harlin, Davis' real-life husband.
His repertoire shows his insight for
action and comedy including block-
busters such as "Cliffhanger" and
"Speechless."
The obscurities of "The Long Kiss
Goodnight" place it perfectly into the
trend of modern film. The story
attempts to weave multiple plots
combined into one; however, it lacks
the continuity and balance that have
made other films of its kind a suc-
cess.
READ
W~eekei d
M A G A Z I N E
TOMORROW IN THE DAILY
I
The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
Regardless of race, creed, color,
or the number of times you've been born.
'I
CANTERBURY HOUSE
serving students, faculty, and staff
Holy Eucharist:
Sundays: 5 pm at Lord of Light Lutheran Church
801 S. Forest Ave., 6 pm Supper
Daily Meditation and Prayer Every Tuesday - Friday
at 9:15 - 10:00 am at Canterbury House
Canterbury House is located at 721 E. Huron St.
(between State and Thayer)
for in formation abolut programs, activities, counseling, call
665-0606
The Rev. Matthew Lawrence, Chaplain
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- - mon.-thurs.: 9:00a-10:OOp sundays
! fri. & sat.: 9:00a-11:00p 11:00-8:.OO
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