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Director Michael Schultz's 1975 film, "Cooley High," hits Michigan
Theater this afternoon. You'll laugh yourself silly with this inner-city
coming-of-age story about high-school graduates. Check out the film
that inspired the television series, "What's Happening!" The screen-
ing begins at 4:10 p.m. Admission is $5.

Monday
December 1, 1997

8A

Ripley's believe it or not
Questionable resurrection doesn't detract from brilliantly revived Alien' series

By Matthew Barrett
Daily Arts Writer
Thought Ripley was dead? Think again. Sigourney Weaver
is reborn as Ripley and she's bigger and badder than ever.
"Alien Resurrection" opens with scien- _
tists in space who are trying to breed R
aliens. They do so by resurrecting Lt. A
Ellen Ripley and having her carry an alien
baby in her womb. Once they have theE
alien offspring, they could care less about
Ripley. She is left to struggle with the idea At E
of being re-created and knowing that it is
only a matter of time until the aliens break loose. The makers
of the movie did quite a respectable and convincing job of
bringing Ripley back to life.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet ("The City of Lost Children") does well
as the fourth director in as many movies for the series. He
keeps the "action" shots fresh and new. In fact, his only down-
side is that he lets the movie tail off badly at the end.
The script is very well done for an action movie. It moves
along rapidly and gives the characters
room to grow and develop throughout
the movie. The dialogue is good,
although most of the good lines have
already been exploited in the theatrical
trailer. Another weak point is that you're
hot too worried about the outcome of
the main character since she has already
died.
Excluding Winona Ryder (Call), the
supporting cast is made up of
unknowns, and none of them do any-
thing to make a name for themselves.
Ryder does a nice job with her part, but
it is hard to take her seriously when she
acts so violently.
Even with a strong performance from
Ryder, this is clearly Weaver's show.
From the beginning of the movie, she
owns the screen whenever she is on it.
She looks death in the eye and smiles. Weaver's Ripley Is i
She delivers her lines with a cool mat- to seduce and desti

E
Ri

ter-of-factness that leaves others shaking their heads. For
Ripley, the behavior of the aliens is so obvious that it's laugh-
able to her how long it takes the others to catch on.
Once the aliens break out of the science lab, Ripley teams
up with Call and her gang of space pirates
E V I E W to go up against them. The best sequence
Alien of the movie takes place when Ripley and
the pirates are trying to make it back to
esurrection the pirates' ship. They are forced to swim
*** underwater through part of the space ship
arwood and Showcase with aliens in hot pursuit. The expres-
sions of the characters are accentuated
underwater as they struggle to fend off the aliens and not lose
their breath. They shoot rockets back at the enemy, and the
underwater explosions look spectacular.
Another strong point of the movie is its set design. The inte-
rior of the spaceship is a maze of sliding doors with who-
knows-what behind each one. The sets are also very dark,
which helps make the explosions look even more vibrant.
The downside to "Alien Resurrection" is the last 20 min-
utes, during which we explore the rela-
tionship between Ripley and the aliens
that came from her.
Ripley has a strange bond with the
aliens (which is a little hard to swallow
considering the aliens have been chas-
ing her for the entire movie).
"Alien Resurrection" is not for the
weak of heart. It contains loads of
graphic violence and several shots of
decapitated bodies.
There is a great deal of bloodshed and
there are a few scenes that involve the
dissection of Ripley's new body (that
scientists create from blood and flesh
samples). So if you're queasy, be fore-
warned.
But if you can look past the violence
and bear with the ending you should be
in for an enjoyable movie - with a
ck from the dead great performance from Sigourney
y the aliens. Weaver to boot.

7{
"Frankly, my dear, I'm a resurrected part-allen and I don't give a damn how many Oscar nominations you have." Professional
alien-buster Sigoumey Weaver stars with first-time action heroine Winona Ryder In Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Allen Resurrection."

ba
,roy

Williams' flabby
'Flubber' flounders

The Cure presents hits
'Galore' on new CD

By Gerard Cohen-Vrignaud
Daily Arts Writer
Flubber is a movie that, from the out-
set, loses sight of its major star. No, I
don't mean the goofy Robin Williams,
but the actual sub-
stance of flubber, R
the sole gimmick
of this uninspired
movie. The green,
elastic and viva- V
cious concoction At B
that bounces its
way in and out of trouble falls prey to
one of-the most predictable and boring
plot formulas ever put on film.
Phillip Brainard (Robin Williams) is
a professor at Medfield College. A suc-
cess in the world of science but a failure
in the game of life, the absent-minded
professor manages to leave his bride-to-
be, Sara (Marcia Gay Harden), the dean
of the college, at their wedding altar on
three separate occasions.
The third time Brainard misses his

wedding, he is inventing a rubbery sub-
stance that flies, hence the name "flub-
ber." The green stuff, he figures, can
save his college from the loan shark
Chester Hoenicker (Raymond J. Barry).


EVIEW
Flubber
*a
Briarwood and Showcase

Brainard has a per-
sonal assistant in the
form of a flying robot
named WEEBO, one
who loves her master
from afar and sacri-
fices herself to make
her little professor

happy. The whiny contraption finally dies
near the end of the movie, eliciting quite a
few tears from the professor and a sigh of
relief from this reviewer. This scene is pro-
foundly funny because of the absurdity of
the whole situation.
One of the few entertaining scenes
takes place as the flubber is let loose
within the professor's house. What
results is pure magic and majestic silli-
ness, as flubber characters dance with
tutus and authentic steps. Amusing and

Robin Williams plays with his magic goo.
almost comical, this scene is about as
interesting as the movie gets.
To prevent his love from being
wooed by the creep and all-around bad
guy Wilson Croft (Christopher
McDonald), Brainard must help the
Medley basketball team win a game. He
proceeds to dilute the green goo and
spray it on the hands and shoes of the
players. Of course, the team wins by
one as the buzzer signals the end of the
game, and the end of our patience, with
this ludicrous movie.
Rarely does "Flubber" approach the
state of hilarity, yet it makes a quite
laughable attempt at plot development.
The evil loan shark, who is curiously
identified with the Mercedes automo-
bile, steals the bouncy potion from the
professor just as he sells his invention to
Ford Motor Company. Are we supposed
to get the message that Germans are
evil and sinister while good old

American companies are our friends?
Whatever the message, that line of plot
gets old and predictable very quickly.
Robin Williams gives an absent-mind-
ed performance. He is hardly likable as a
sort of gauche genius, but he does give the
professor a childish quality that evokes the
love of science inherent in his character.
The end features a not-so-hilarious
repeat explosion at the professor's
house, while his understanding girl-
friend strides down the isle with the
robot assistant filling in for Brainard.
Perhaps Disney and the film's produc-
ers need to understand one tough concept:
Bouncing people are funny once -
maybe twice- but a whole movie of aim-
less and ridiculously scripted characters
bouncing, being bounced on and playing
with bouncing stuff isjust plain boring and
annoying. Originality may be the name of
the game for Prof. Brainard, but it seems
that formula is all Disney knows.

The Cure
Galore
Elektra Records
More, Robert, more!
Robert Smith and The Cure have
compiled a new album of previously
released singles. This album, titled
"Galore,' was recently released to the
delight of devout Cure fans every-
where.
As an added bonus, just for the glo-
rious, adoring public, this beautiful
band has added the brand-spankin'-
new song "Wrong Number"
to ease the craving for
new Cure sounds.
Granted, the other
17 tracks on
"Galore" are not all
fresh as daisies, but
the classics age well
with time.
Since The Cure is not
just another rock band,
"Galore" is not just another
singles album.
Listening to "Galore" is like that sur-
real dream that can't fully be remem-
bered. Or like taking that trolley in "Mr.
Rogers' Neighborhood" to some fantas-
tic place in the imagination. A place
where the past is played out with pup-
pets instead of people.

This band's music invigorates the
spirit. It makes one stand up tall and
dance around in front of a mirror on tip-
toes.
Remember being spellbound by the
video for "Lovesong" while seeing it
for the first time on MTV? RemembO
screaming the words to "Friday I'm In
Love" in your best friend's basement?
This is the essence of "Galore."
It includes captivating songs from
albums such as "Kiss Me, Kiss Me,
Kiss Me" and "Wish," as well as the
greats from "The Head On the Door."
Great lonely-lazy tunes such as "Just
Like Heaven," "Letter to Elise" and
"Pictures of You" are just a
sample of the various fl
vors on the ne
release.
Some critics say
The Cure has ai
overly whiney,
depressing image,
but they don't see the
whole picture. The-
mood set by The Cure,
last few albums have pre.
gressed to more colorful topics. F
example, "The 13th," which is on both
The Cure's previous release, "Wild
Mood Swings," and "Galore," relays:
"Everyone feels good in a room she
swings / Two chord cool in the head she
sings / A-buzz a-buzz a-buzzing like
See RECORDS, Page .W

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The University of Michigan
School of Music [SI
Tuesday, December 2
Opera Workshop
Students of Joshua Major and Timothy Cheek perform
extended scenes from L'Ormindo by Cavalli, Orfeo by
Gluck and Measure for Measure by Braxton Blake
McIntosh Theatre, E. V. Moore Bldg., 5p.m.
Early Music Ensemble
Edward Parmentier, director
Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, E. V. Moore Bldg., 8 p.m.
Jazz Combos
Gerald Cleaver, director
Rackham Auditorium (1st floor), 8 p.m.
Wednesday, December 3
Opera Workshop
Students of Joshua Major and Timothy Cheek perform
extended scenes from operas by Donizetti, Rossini, Puccini,
Boito, Offenbach and Tchaikovsky
McIntosh Theatre, E.V. Moore Bldg., 5p.m.
Composers Forum
Evan Chambers, director
Britton Recital Hall, E. V. Moore Bldg., 8 p.m.
Thursday, December 4
Opera Workshop
Students of Joshua Major and Timothy Cheek perform
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He grew up a hellraiser and a punk
Now suddenly he's King...Beware
Shakespeares
HENRY V

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