Mxb SMdii&u ltig 'Breaking the Waves' Cannes Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner continues its run at the Michigan Theater tonight. Lars Von Trier's film captures the plight of Bess, a young girl living on the northern coast of Scotland in the '70s. She marries an oil rig worker who becomes paralyzed in an accident. "Breaking the Waves" begins at 9:30 p.m. and is $5 for students, $6.50 for others. Verdict in:'Flynt' triumphs Superb performances make docudrama succeed By Neal C. Carruth the early years of Flynt's career, show- love, and a man who, while interestedi Fore Daily ing his ownership of an unprofitable protecting his investments, may hav A filmgoers, at times we are like the string of strip clubs, his first mild suc- glimpsed a higher principle. proverbial slack-jawed spectators, cess with a pornographic promotional The film must be given considerabl motoring past the scene of a gruesome newsletter, and the initial controversy credit for several reasons. First, it is accient. engendered by the publication of very entertaining film. This is largel it is in this fashion that Milos Hustler. due to the three standout lead perfo in ve le a ly )r- Fonan, a great filmmaker with lit- R tle°utput to hisR cradxl, draws one Tl into the life of p&u.ographer and puibshing titan Lawy Flynt, a man whom most would consider unworthy of a wrell-crafted, studio-produced bio- graplical picture. Forman brilliantly parlays a schema- tid slice of Flynt's story into both a riveting examination of the contested nafiie of "fundamental" rights, and an account of how a volatile mix of wealth an dynamism of character makes it possle to feed magnificently off of the system, while simultaneously battling against it. "The People vs. Larry Flynt" opens in rural Kentucky in the early 'Ss, where we find Flynt seized by the entre- preneurial spirit at an early age, selling potent moonshine to backwoods dwellers. The first minutes of the film sketch EVIEW e People vs. Larry Flynt ***A At Showcase The bulk of Forman's film details Flynt's often outrageous legal battles with authorities and his unconventional relationship with mances. Harrelson captures Flynt's bit- terness as well as he conveys his charm, leaving the ghost of "Cheers"' Woody Boyd far, far behind him, There is much to relish, particularly his unfettered courtroom behavior. Love does an uncompromising job as Althea. She allows herself to fully plumb the depths of this character. Edward Norton is also terrific as Flynt's fast-talking attorney Alan Isaacman. Forman must also be recognized for a stripper named Althea Leasure, played in a grand manner by Courtney Love. Flynt is portrayed by Woody Harrelson, who does a remarkable job Courtney Love and Woody Harrelson look at a copy of Playboy In "The People vs. Larr of humanizing Larry Flynt. Certainly we see the bravado and infantile antics that landed Flynt in news- paper headlines in the '80s. But we also see Flynt as a shrewd business executive, a man capable of making "The People vs. Larry Flynt" worthwhile. He shows that he still has an inti- mate feel for characters that are deliciously off - kilter (r e m e m be r McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and Mozart in "Amadeus"). Forman also has a keen sense of visual rhythm, creating a film that jitters with fascinating images of sleaze, opportunism and triumph. Of course, one may ask, "What need is there for this film? What purpose does it serve to magnify the life and struggles of Larry Flynt?" These are valid questions and to answer them as Forman would, you need to buy into his thesis that the cen- sorship that accompanies totalitarian- ism travels down a slippery slope from pornography to works that are deemed "inappropriate" only by those in con- trol. Much has been made of the omis- sions and distortions of "The People vs. Larry Flynt," and perhaps they should be addressed. Any biographer, especial- ly one working on film, is entitled to recreate a life bearing in mind the con- straints of the medium. Screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (who collaborated previously on "Ed Wood") don't give us any hint in the film that Flynt's mar- riage to Leasure was his fourth and that he has remarried since her AIDS-relat- Monday January 13, 19978 4 y Flynt." ed death. We don't Lear that he has five children, one of whom has recently. accused Flynt of years of sexual and. physical abuse. "The People vs. Larry Flynt" does not give the audience an appropriate sense of Hustler's contents, instead the film plays up the magazine as at worst outlandish and in poor taste Those battling Hustler (Charles; Keating, Jerry Falwell) are portrayed. as prudish, hypocritical stick figures.. While neither of those gentlemen arc counted among my personal heroesp' Larry Flynt isn't either A *, E nr<9 .1 rock 'n' roll motif are not going to do., wonders for his already talentless ban - Brian Cohe s See RECORDS, Page 9A3 The real Larry Flynt appears In "Flynt" as the judge In the publisher's first obscenity case. Mint Condition still fresh on new 'Definition' Mint Condition Definition Of A Band Perspective Records Co'ntinuing in the trend of its previ- ous-two albums "Meant To Be Mint" and "From The Mint Factory," Mint Condition delivers yet another impres- sively, well-constructed album to its music audience. On its current album, "Definition Of A Band," the group does everything from song writing and pro- ducing to playing its own instruments in creating this musical masterpiece. One of the most appealing things about this 18-track CD is that it pro- vides listeners with a taste of the band's diversity and originality. Whether you're into R&B, jazz, funk or rock, this album has something to offer everyone. "You Don't Have To Hurt No More' "On & On" and "The Never That You'll Never Know," a few of the more laid- back songs on the album, emphasize the positive and romantic side of love and relationships. in complete contrast, "Sometimes," a more rock-inspired tune, deals with the confusion that can sometimes enter a relationship. On the more serious tip, "Missing" focuses on the troubling problem of child abduction plaguing our society today. The band members draw on their various tastes and skills to blend together a different style of music, which definitely works on this album. Although the members of Mint Condition pride themselves on being musicians, the vocal talent they display is not to be overlooked. Headed by lead vocalist Stokely, the band shows much vocal skill on songs like "Gettin' It On," "Let Me Be The One" and "Ain't Hookin' Me Up Enough." With "Definition Of A Band," Mint Condition sets out to define what good music is all about and definitely deliv- ers. Between the talented song writing, solid vocals and skillfully played music, the band comes up big. - Jessica Simmons Aunt Bettys Aunt Bettys EastWest The fact that Aunt Bettys has a record contract symbolizes everything that is wrong and aggravating about the music industry today. It reveals once again the all-too-common prac- tice of record company weasels mak- ing it their passion to push absolute rubbish just to fit into a certain demo- graphic. How anyone can stand to lis- ten to the Orange County quartet's eponymous debut release is simply beyond me, and anyone who can stom- ach this material deserves a special prize; I suggest a sharp blow to the head. "Aunt Bettys" falters from the get go, and gets worse as it progresses. The record is essentially a boring onslaught of lazy acoustic guitar, made all the worse by monotonous bass, dull drumming and discordant electronic textures. The pieces approach classic hard rock, bordering on the punk side of alternative with overly raspy vocals somewhere (seem- ingly intentionally) between Tom Petty and Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan. The opening track, "Jesus," combines an uninspiring acoustic intro with gun- fire guitar, screeching vocals and rapid drumming, all of which amount to absolutely nothing but a thoroughly pathetic and annoying display of noise. Singer / songwriter Michael Knott, a former long-time solo Christian Rock artist, has now seemingly turned grunge and his miserable attempt at a melody on this dismal opener does nothing to set this new invention off on the right foot. Nor do his lyrics: "I'm getting screwed, I'm getting used I/'m getting kicked, I'm getting tricked." Well, at least Knott shows that he can rival the rhyming ability of the average second grader. Unfortunately there are 15 other songs on the album left to endure, all equally as dreadful, if not worse, than the first. "Lush" begins with a lack- luster riff and is soon drenched by Knott's wannabe Dylan-esque story- telling. As you might guess, however, the song's message is just as over- whelmingly boring as the music itself. Nobody cares about some psychotic nymphomaniac who is covered in tat- toos from head to toe, or about the fighting couple in "Feel," about the abusive, drunk, old man who is the sub- ject of "Suicide Sex Doll." The same repetitive type of songs fall in line one by one as the record painfully proceeds. If on the off chance that there is a second album from the illustrious Aunt Bettys, (and for the sake of anyone These funky guys are Mint Condition. born with ears, I certainly hope there is not), perhaps Knott will climb out of his cave and realize that bad songs sat- urated with the bone-dry sex, drugs and The Office Of New Student Programs is looking for ORIENTATION LEADERS and DIVERSITY PROGRAM FACILITATORS for Summer 1997. We will be holding general information meetings on Thursday, January 16 and Friday, January 17 from 4-5:30 p.m. in the Maize and Blue Auditoriums in the Student Activities Building. a e MICHIGAN RECORDS -a real music. gra rcs 1 scheduled for - - Y - - i o Vt i * Svff fr ..-. Atie ae . *: a 4. e, !!