4B - The Michigan Daily Weekend Magazine - Thursday, January 30, 1997

* The Micnnaily Weee
!Emtertainment News

Williams' re-release of 'Star Wars'
soundtrack is out of this world

Madonna may go Broadway,
Pickett faces coke charges

By Brian A. Gnatt
Daily Arts Editor
They're re-releasing the movie, so
why not re-release the soundtrack too?
That is the theory behind the re-release
of "Star Wars (A New Hope) Special
Edition Original
Soundtrack
Recording." If they I5
can drum up
enough hype to sell
the 1977 master-
piece once again,
then they can do the
same with the
soundtrack.
Digitally remastered and re-pack-
aged, the Grammy Award-winning
score is back in stores just in time for
the film's debut tomorrow. With new
bonus tracks and outtakes, the new ver-
sion of the soundtrack is as new and
improved as the film.
First time out, the "Star Wars" sound-
track was great. It won three Grammys:
Two for the album in the categories of
"Best Pop Instrumental Performance"
and "Best Original Score Written for a
Motion Picture," while the main title
was named "Best Instrumental
Composition."
While the remastering may help the
sound quality a little, hearing the
album on two compact discs as
opposed to its original vinyl makes the
biggest difference of all. Composed
and conducted by John Williams and
perfurmed by the London Symphony
Orchestra, the new edition makes the
triumphant music sound as beautiful as
ever.
And this time around, there is more
music to enjoy. The new edition con-
tains hidden tracks of all five raw takes
of the "'Star Wars' Main Title" and
more previously unreleased music
including a recently discovered out-
take.

The biggest improvem
album is the packaging.
come in a fancy black c
emblazoned gold seal on
There's also the 30-plus pa
the very cool discs with a k
ing of
® _Star.
EVIEW But
Star Wars part o
A New Hope) isn't
Specal Edition Origal music
Soundtrack Recording mm
RCA Victor mem
#**** evoke
tracks

LI
(I

discs are all presented in
cal order, making it easy
what happens in the
movie when the
pieces are playing.
Some of the fan-
fares are easy to
pick out: The "20th
Century Fox
Fanfare" and the
"Main Title" aren't a
challenge. But after
a good portion of
the album, it
becomes somewhat
of a game to guess
the lesser-known pieces.
rable one is when Luke r
rescuing the droids on Ta

nent in the finds his aunt and uncle murdered
The discs and the moisture farm destroyed.
ase with an The Mos Eisley Cantina's theme,
the cover. "Cantina Band" is another one of the
ge book and great tracks that brings back vivid
aser engrav- memories of strange. aliens sitting
f the Death around having a drink. The liner
notes quote George Lucas on his
the best selection of the music: "Can you
f the album imagine several creatures in a future
the actual century finding some 1930's Benny
but the Goodman swing band music in a time
ries it capsule or under a rock someplace -
s. The and how they might attempt to inter-
on the pret it?"
chronologi- Williams brought nine jazz musi-
to imagine cians and wrote two pieces for trum-
pet, saxophone, clar-
inet, Fender Rhodes
Weekend piano, steel drum, syn-
thesizer and various
other percussion
instruments, and the
result was one of the
most memorable pieces
on the soundtrack.
The new soundtrack
is great. The music
sounds spectacular
remastered onto CD and
the packaging is impres-
A memo- sive too. The album was fine the first
eturns from time around, but even more impressive
ittooine and 20 years later.

The re-release of the soundtrack to Star Wars: A New Hope was composed and
conducted by venerable John Williams.

FILM
Now that Madonna is finally getting the respect she
deserves as an actress, Hollywood is banging down the
Material Girl's door. According to Entertainment
Weekly, Madonna has been offered a lead in the film
version of the smash Broadway revival, "Chicago."
Goldie Hawn has been mentioned as the other lead.
Are movie musicals back? You bet your sweet bippy.
Speaking of respect, according to USA Today, mas-
ter of law-thriller fluff John Grisham is doing just
fine. Now taking his case are high-profile directors
Francis Ford Coppola, adapting "The Rainmaker"
with Claire Danes, Laurence Fishburne and Danny
Devito for a summer release; and Robert Altman,
translating the original screenplay "The Gingerbread
Man," starring Kenneth Branagh, Robert Downey,
Jr., Embeth Davidtz, Daryl Hannah and Bond Girl
Famke Janssen for release by Christmas.
Show me the money, indeed. According to
Entertainment Weekly, Reebok has filed a $10-million
breach-of-contract suit against Sony's TriStar Pictures
for reneging on a deal to show a Reebok commercial
starring Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) over the end
credits of "Jerry Maguire." In k
the final version of Tom
Cruise's touchdown of a film, a
harsh, negative light is shined
upon Reebok, as Gooding Jr.'s
character continually criticizes
the corporation. What could've
brought on all this bad blood?
It's gotta be the shoes!
Show me the willy! In a
related Tom Cruise story,
Entertainment Weekly report-
ed, that Rose McGowan's
character in "Scream" was
correct. If you pause "All The Van Damme is coming
Right Moves" in exactly the
right place, you most certainly can see Mr. Top Gun's
bits and pieces. I guess seeing Cruise naked isn't such
a "Mission: Impossible" after all.

From the "Oh please no!" file, theaters have begun
running previews of the next Jean Claude Van
Damme vehicle called "Double Team," as reported in
USA Today. As if that weren't bad enough, the
Muscles from Brussels is costarring with a greasy
Mickey Rourke and a colorful Dennis Rodman, who
makes his film acting debut in the disposable sci-fi
action movie. Frankly, most would rather experience a
Rodman knee-to-the-groin than experience Dennis-
as-master-thespian.
MUSIC
Rumors are flying about Courtney Love collabo-
rating with Blinker the Star's Jordon Zadorozny on
songs for the next Hole album. But the real story is
even more strange. Addicted To Noise reports that a
collaboration has taken place, but the as-yet-untitled
song isn't for either of their bands. Rather, it's for
Stevie Nicks' upcoming solo record. The duo
hooked up with Nicks after she was impressed with
the cover of the Fleetwood Mac classic "Gold Dust
Woman."
A report in the Jan. 13 issue of Advertising Age
stated that America Online is at the forefront of com-
puter / online companies
vying to sponsor U2's
-. upcoming world tour,
which would mark a first
v qfor the traditionally
sponsorship-shy band.
Advertising Age suggest-
ed that the online giant
was close to signing a
sponsorship deal worth
$12 million for the tour.
Apple, IBM and
Microsoft are also report-
edly courting the band. U2
is expected to announce
ack to the silver screen. the dates for its eagerly
- anticipated tour on Feb. 11
in New York. The new album, "Pop" will be released
on Mar. 4, while the first single, "Discotheque," hits
stores on Tuesday.

Hole is working on their upcoming all
According to Addicted to Noise,
will touch down with a new albu
Titled "Blue Sky on Mars," the 12-so
co-produced by Sweet and Brendai
Jam, Rage Against the Machine, STP
tures pop prince Sweet playing virtu
ment himself, with the exception o
and drums by O'Brien and some dr
man Rick Menck. Sweet wrote, ph
lead and backing vocals all over the r
start a 20-date mini-club tour Jan. 25
N.M. before launching a full tour in
In related news, soul-legend Wih
up to five years in prison after b
cocaine possession charges Jan.
Hackensack, N.J. indicted the 55-ye
months after police said they found
narcotic during a search last April
precipitated by the sighting of a par
ing woman who was screaming
according to an Associated Press re
who was reportedly a frequent
Picketts', did not file charges and tc
injured when she fell on a glass-top

b


I

CD-ROMS
Continued from Page 5B
"TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM"
is the most difficult and probably the
least exciting of the collection. The
game is a high-tech flight simulator,
and it is sometimes difficult to keep
track of the dozens of commands and
keystrokes it takes to fly an Imperial
TIE fighter. The game's major virtue is
that players get to experience a slice of

life behind the controls in the Imperial
Navy. It gives the plot a new twist, but
lacks the excitement of some of the
other titles. "TIE Fighter," which was
originally released on floppy disk and
not CD-ROM, is also the least exciting
production-wise, due mainly to the lim-
itations of its original format and space
constraints. There were additions to the
game when it was re-released on CD,
but it still doesn't achieve the same awe-
some level of exciting play of the other
three titles.

The first-person, "Doom"-inspired
"Dark Forces" appears here in a sam-
pler edition and only contains three
playable levels from the original
release. Nevertheless, the play and
design are a thrilling ride in this shoot-
'em-up adventure. Players wander
through multilevel worlds, killing the
evil Empire's warriors. The game has
some great weapons, including blasters
and assault rifles with thundering sound
effects. Unlike "Doom," however, don't
count on seeing too much gore. "Dark

Forces" is tasteful, a
titles, stays away fr
lence.
While the games st
ic violence, their succ
to the "Star Wars" I
With the hundreds
video and dialog clips
movies, players have
incredibly close to
They won't ever haN
cardboard pieces aro
two-dimensional boai


BOOKS
Continued from Page 5B
who prefer lighter reading, there are
comic-book versions of "Heir to the
Empire" and the movie tie-ins.
Another facet of the "Star Wars"
genre is explanatory, nonfiction books.
The new "Star Wars" fan might begin
by flipping through "A Guide to the
Star Wars Universe," a dictionary of

"Star Wars"-related terms. More detail
can be found in "The Star Wars
Illustrated Guide to Characters," which
presents pictures and information about
the characters. There is also an
"Illustrated Guide to Vehicles and
Vessels."
Perhaps the strangest "Star Wars"
book available is "The Illustrated Star
Wars Universe." This book features pho-
tos of various settings in the movie, and
Kevin J. Anderson's accompanying text

describes them as if they were real places.
But the most unusual thing about the
"Star Wars" phenomenon is how direc-
tor George Lucas controls the merchan-
dising. According to Seabrook,
LucasFilms employs two continuity
editors to ensure the accuracy of the
"Star Wars" books. They keep track of
more than "400 major and minor char-
acters," according to "Secrets of Star
Wars: Shadows of the Empire." They
also make sure that events and timelines

don't conflict.
In addition to this,
be coordinated for ac
forms of "Star Wars
CD-ROMS, comic b
and video games and
Wars" movies.
This merchandising
ably best summed up
quoted in "I'd Just
Wookie: The Quotabl
"Don't underestim