ftJiz Stym Iod
Hopwood Awards Ceremony
The Hopwood Awards will be presented today at Rackharn Auditorium.
The esteemed award is given to top undergraduate writers. Best-sell-
ing author Elmore Leonard will also read at the ceremony. The ceremo-
ny begins at 3:30 p.m. and is free. For more information, call 764-
6296.
Tuesday
January 21, 1997
9A
That Farley put to waste in 'Ninja'
Kung-fu film doesn't utilize 'SNL' alum's vast talents
By Prashant Tamaskar
Daily Arts Writer
iIn what is becoming a familiar and
ncreasingly decadent trend, "Beverly
Hills Ninja" stars Chris Farley as a
blnoering moron with a big heart who
only wishes to be
helpful to those R
around him.
Burdened by an Beverl
expected lack of
plot, and surpris-
ingly inane comic
*vriting, the film
marginally manages to entertain solely
due to the talents of the former
"SAturday Night Live" cast member,
who continues to display the appeal that
hasnmade him an unlikely success story
Farley is Haru, an orphan who arrives
on the shores of Japan as a baby and is
raised at a secluded ninjutsu dojo. At
first believed by his adopted father and
sensei to be the "Great White Ninja" of
,,egend, it is not long before this idea is
ismissed.
However, Haru, unable to come to
grips with his inabilities, maintains
hope that he is this figure, leading him
to assist Alison (Nicolette Sheridan), an
attractive young woman from
California needing someone to spy on
her criminally involved boyfriend.
When a couple of people are murdered,
a white ninja is seen at the crime's loca-
gion and Alison is nowhere to be found,
aru decides to travel to Beverly Hills
toresolve the situation and come to the
rescue of the American beauty, who
may be in trouble.
The major flaw of "Beverly Hills
Ninja" is its use of physical comedy as
the primary focus of the humor. While
Farley appears to be the perfect individ-
ual to carry this out, the film wastes his
VIEW
y Hills Ninja
**
At Showcase
talents by setting him
up in absurdly con-
trived situations that
are continually
repeated to mind-
numbing exhaustion.
When the actor's
character starts
showing off his ninjutsu skills
to a lovely woman, what
could possibly happen
except for Haru to
break impor-
tant items
a n d
generally
wreak
havoc? And,
how many
times can we
watch the star run
into immovable
objects and yell in
pain?
Apparently, the writers
believe that if we see a fat
man collide at full speed
with a stationary truck,
we can't help but laugh x
Farley as a comic actor. He is at his fun-
niest when his lovably inept character is
combined with a sardonic, resentfu
lackey who is forced to watch over him
(like David Spade in "Tommy Boy")
Both Farley and his partner feed off o
each other, augmenting their own per-
sonality traits, while at the same tim
developing an odd bond.
The anti-Farley actually does exist in
"Beverly Hills Ninja" as Haru'
brother Gobei, played by
Robin Shou ("Morta
Kombat"), who is
sent to Californi
k by their father tc
make sure
that all is
well
4
Is the Great White Ninja in "Beverly Hills
- However, Haru is unaware of his pres-
s ence, and thus their interaction is mini-
I mal.
Haru is also helped out by Joey
. (Chris Rock), a smart-mouthed bellhop,
f seeking to become a ninja. Although
Rock is extremely funny in a small role
e that should have been expanded, the
premise would have even been funnier
n if Joey were a little more antagonistic
s towards the white ninja.
What ends up saving "Ninja" from
J being a complete disaster is the last
s third of the movie. The physical
a humor, which is toned down and used
o in more clever ways, gives way to
e Farley, who is finally allowed to
s improvise and bring his hilariously
uncanny line delivery to the film.
Consequently, the film moves from
being painful to actually being funny.
This movie goes a long way towards
proving that Chris Farley cannot be too
successful as a one-man show. Unlike his
eccentric, former "SNL" cast-mate
Adam Sandler, who is at his best when
he doesn't share the spotlight, Farley
requires a partner to tear down his
sweet, everyman character.
It is then that the actor is able to
answer with simplistically clever
replies that are made funnier by
the manner in which he offers
them. Unfortunately, "Beverly
Hills Ninja" does not provide the
actor with these opportunities,
making it easy to see that his tal-
ents are not properly utilized in a
Ninja." kung-fu comedy.
Tricky gave an interesting performance at St. Andrew's Hall on Friday.
Trcky tranCe
Detroit au dien-ce1
over and over again.
Unfortunately, the
movie does not utilize the
often-overlooked skills of
Chris Farley 1
vita' X-Fes wn bi at Golden Globes
Once called "Oscar's ugly stepsister," the 54th Annual
Golden Globe Awards reared its newly glamorous and 'rr
*espectable head Sunday night, doling out statuettes that
honor excellence in film and television. Mostly unnecessary,
yqt-sinfully enjoyable, this year's Golden Globes were made
memorable by an odd, overlong tribute to Dustin Hoffman, r
Jada Pinkett's cheerleader-like enthusiasm, Edward Norton's
Milos Forman impression and Madonna's post-partum cleav-
age. Still, nothing could compare to last year's "Kaopectate"
speech, courtesy of Brad Pitt.
-Bryan Lark )
By Use Harwin
Daily Music Editor
Tricky's Friday night show at St.
Andrew's Hall proved that you can be
anything but normal and still sell out a
venue. Tricky was a non-standard per-
former in every sense of the word; he
performed in near
blackness, brought
along a live band R
(rare for electronic
music performers)
and instead of St.
working the crowd
into a dancing
frenzy, he had everyone entranced,
heads nodding along with each number.
Though the music may have been more
conducive to a venue in which atten-
dees could sit down, smoke, drink and
just absorb, the audience at St.
Andrew's seemed more than content
with Tricky's outstanding talent and
sheer trip-hop skills - despite the
overcrowded main floor.
With two albums under his belt,
"Maxinquaye" and the new, critically
acclaimed "Pre-Millennium Tension;"
Tricky's show adeptly combined ele-
ments and songs from each album
while maintaining a cohesiveness
throughout. Though neither Tricky or
his female vocalist, Martina, were
much for on-stage banter with the
crowd (the most Tricky shared was
"Thank you" and "Good-bye"), the
audience was enraptured throughout
the show's 16 songs.
Tricky opened with "Ponderosa," off
of "Maxinquaye," a trance-inducing
atmospheric track highlighting the
haunting vocals of Martina. Next came
"Christiansands," the first release off
"Pre-Millennium Tension," which, due
to its intense futuristic reggae groove
and rather unique video, can be spotted
regularly on MTV. Following this,
E
Tricky alternated between the old and
the new albums, highlighting tracks
from "Maxinquaye" like "Overcome,"
"Strugglin"' and "Feed Me" as well as
"Pre-Millennium Tension"'s "Sex
Drive," "Tricky Kid," "Ghetto Youth"
and "Bad Dream.
Other standouts
in the show were
V I E Tricky's revamping
Tricky of Eric B and
Rakim's "Lyrics of
Andrew's Hall Fury," Martina's
Jan. 17. 1997 searing vocals on
"Makes Me Wanna
Die" and the last song before the
encore, "Vent." Originally a 3 1/2
minute choked and frustrated rhythm,
Tricky turned "Vent" into a striking 10-
minute opus, during which he was
shaking like a leaf- an artist in touch'
with his own music.
The encore consisted of three songs,
two of which were from "Maxinquaye.'
After the sonic melange of "Hell Is
Around the Corner,' Tricky once again'
paid homage to the roots of hip hop by'
performing his own version of Public
Enemy's "Black Steel'
Overall, Tricky's show was an excel-
lent way to relax and merely sit back
and let the sounds take you away. There
were no fancy lights to distract you
from the reality of the music, and
Tricky himself frequently turned his
back to the audience when he wasn't
performing. The performance seemed
based on the theory that less is more -
that the songs would carry themselves
without the added elements of perfor-
mance. Though some audience mem-
bers may have been disappointed with
the less-traditional show, Tricky
reminded them that what is really
important in a concert is the music. And.
his came shining through in its own
dark way.
The recruiting seminar for the
ancial Services
will take place on
January 21, 1997
from 6-8 p.m.
in the Parker Room
of the Michigan Union.
Refreshments will be served " Dress is casual
We are looking for all interested juniors and seniors to
attend. All majors are considered. Applicants should
Michigan Union Board of Representatives is accepting
membership applications from interested students.
UNION
'
Applications are available at the
Campus Information Center in- the
Union and at the North Campus
Information Center in
Pierpont Commons.
Applications due February 10
Return to Terri Petersen,
at 5pm.