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Director Billy Wilder's 1960 film, "The Apartment," screens this
afternoon at the Michigan Theater. Starring Jack Lemmon, the film
follows the adventures of a junior executive who tries to get ahead
by loaning his apartment to his superiors. This classic won an Oscar
for Best Picture. Don't miss the chance to see it on the big screen.
The screening begins at 4:10 p.m. Admission is $5.
Monday
November 17, 1997
U
Metheny jan
vibe, experic
By Henry Roberson
For the Daily
xperienced listeners know good music when they hear it.
past Wednesday night, The Michigan Theater audience
was full of those "experienced" music listeners. They knew
what they were there for. The few inex-
perienced people who came waited anx-
iously, not knowing what to expect. It all RE
happened so suddenly, when Pat. P
Metheny made his entrance. No words
were spoken. Only one of five guitars
rested on a stand, waiting to help MiC
Metheny create the magic with which all
hi ongtime followers are familiar.
r the unprepared, there was no time to anticipate what
was to come. Metheny commenced the show with a guitar
solo, displaying that he definitely can hold his own without
the talents of his surrounding cast. The solo led to an ener-
getic performance of "Have You Heard" from the '93 release,
"The Road To You."
The tone was set, as The Pat Metheny Group controlled the
audience right from the start. There was a response by the
crowd to everything done on stage. Some just sat motionless,
hypnotized by the talents of the seven individuals creating a
chemistry like no other. Others were inspired to jam along,
suing their heads while tapping open palms on already
bouncing knees.
The Group continued, not missing a beat with "A Story
Within The Story," from its new release, "Imaginary Day."
This song was definitely an early illustration of what the night
would later bring. Every note mirrored the sound of the stu-
dio-engineered version, showing that these guys don't need to
hide behind fancy technology to deliver a superior sound.
Breaking into "Follow Me," the Group gave the audience yet
Updated, meandc
By Michael Zilberman ruthlessness freed
Daily Arts Writer responsibility or re
If nothing else, "Tpe Jackal" joins necessity to actual]
the ranks of several recent films with a But to relate to
title sequence so great, it makes the fol- key: a glimpse of t
lowing two hours unnecessary. A at least a minor hu
grainy, distorted vis-
of a red flag REVIEW
b ks on and off to
the strains of a
Russian chorale - The Jackal
which dissolves into **
a furious techno
stomp as a barrage At Briarwood and Showcase
of snapshot images
briefs us on the rise and demise of the that look like an ac
Soviet Union. Call it the shortest atten- He speaks decen
tion-span theater yet. Canadian and Cal
Why the history lesson? Well, the bet- convincingly hits o
ter to understand the motives of a - and nobody's g
wigged-out Russian mafioso who hires Directed by Mic
an international assassin to avenge the man behind the su
shooting of his brother. Exactly why he film practically exu
decides to wreak vengeance on a promi- the time we give u
nent yet completely irrelevant out Jackal, the filmn
Washington figure (instead of, oh, on to a new mai
someone directly responsible?), we shall Mulqueen (Richar
never know, since the movie happily IRA terrorist with a
shifts focus on the assassin himself. ta against the guy.
is name is Jackal, and he is played FBI as a possible le
Bruce Willis in a succession of takes over the ma
toupees. The main hook of the movie is "don't make it pers
supposed to be the spooky plasticity of ish international
Jackal's identity: He might be an obese winds up as a w
simpleton this moment, a suave gay contest, as homoe
businessman the next. A great game, movie. Every time
and pretend-identifying with this guy each other, the fil
would be tons of fun - it's as if his with the strings sv
s with good
'nce in A2
)at
another taste of what the new release has to offer. This num-
ber was also aided by an intense light show that enhanced the
group's stage presence. The use of a real railroad crossing
sign (flashing red lights and all) made the moment even more
exciting.
Metheny and company decided to
slow the pace a tad, soothing the audi-
V I E W ence with their rendition of "My Funny
t Metheny Valentine." This song added the use of
Group blue lighting, creating a mellow atmos-
gan Theater phere. Viewing this song's performance
gave more support to the claim that The
Nov. 12, 1997 Metheny Group is one of the best jazz
groups out right now. The septet was
able to take a music classic in "My Funny Valentine" and per-
form it in a way that is unique to its sound, showing not only
the group's versatility, but also its creativity.
The Group went right into a crowd favorite. "First Circle,"
an older release that was immediately recognized, set the
crowd on fire. People applauded in excitement as soon as
they heard the first hand clap sound. This definitely can be
targeted as the highlight of the evening, as it was the point
when the crowd reached its peak of excitement.
"First Circle" closed out an intense first hour of music,
with Metheny taking time to introduce the other members of
the group. Metheny was set on keeping his words short and
sweet, as he let the group's musical talents speak for them-
selves. The next hour gave the audience a chance to hear more
of the musical gems that "Imaginary Day" holds captive.
He started with the title track, introducing the audience to
what has been keeping him from any major tours - the
Group took much more than its usual amount of time off the
road and in the studio recording the new album. At this point,
the Group really seemed to be enjoying the energetic
The Pat Metheny Group brought an inspirational performance to the Michigan Theater last week.
Michigan Theater atmosphere. This vibe continued as the
band rolled through "The Heart of the Day" and "Across the
Sky" The continual lighting effects were especially promi-
nent during the performance of "Across the Sky."
"The Roots of Coincidence" was also a crowd favorite, as
it showcased Metheny, Lyle Mays and bass player, Steve
Rodby, creating the aura of a heavy-metal concert, with hard
guitar notes complemented by violent changes in the lighting
effects. This energetic display yet again showed the versatili-
ty of the group, as it switched gears from hard rock to smooth
and mellow tempos within the song. "Too Soon Tomorrow"
followed, creating more of the good vibe that was present all
night.
Metheny capped the show with four more songs, including
an acoustic solo and a sentimental performance of
"September 15th," from the album "As Falls Wichita, So Falls
Wichita Falls." Metheny explained that the song and perfor-
mance were dedicated to the late Bill Evan, whose writing
was an instrumental part of that album. Metheny added that
this is the first tour where the Group has included "September
15th" in its performances.
Throughout the 2 1/2 hours of musical genius, a few obser-
vations could be made. Each member was able to, at one
point or another, display some individual talent. Vocalists
Mark Ledford and Phillip Hamilton showed true singing tal-
ent, duplicating notes with CD-quality sound. Percussionist
Jeff Haynes got his chance to shine along with drummer Paul
Wertico, holding the crowd's attention with ease. At one
point, Haynes played the bongos with his elbows, making the
crowd even more excited. Mays, Metheny and Rodby each
had similar spotlight opportunities, yielding similar results.
The Group had no problems making transitions between
songs, creating a smooth-running concert. Metheny had this
concept perfected, as he shifted gears many times during the
show, changing instruments and guitar effects midway
through songs while keeping the Group on pace.
ring 'Jackal' hides true focus
.1
d him not only of
ason, but also of the
]y be anybody.
a killer, we need a
the inner demons, or
umanizing quirk like
Jeremy Irons' split-
ting headache in
"Die Hard With A
Vengeance." "The
Jackal" provides
nothing of the sort.
We're stuck watch-
ing Willis in a vari-
ety of situations
ctor's versatility test:
t Russian, puts on
ifornian inflections,
n a guy in a D.C. bar
giving a damn.
bael Caton-Jones (the
perb "Rob Roy"), the
udes indifference. By
p on trying to figure
m has already moved
n character: Declan
d Gem), a convicted
n outstanding vendet-
Approached by the
ad, Declan eventually
nhunt amid cries of
onal!" - and a styl-
thriller gracelessly
who-has-a-bigger-gun
rotic as any Rambo
Willis and Gere see
m goes into slo-mo
welling in the back-
ground (no kidding).
The most disturbing part of
Jackal,' however, is how entir
arbitrary its good-guy-bad-gu
characterizations seem. Richar
Gere plays an IRA assassin, and
he could have been the movie's
villain without changing a single
note of his performance.
Likewise, Bruce Willis,
in his parade of guises,
may as well be a
version of "The
Saint"'s Simon
Templar, a J
t or tur e d
could
have
fact, they could
have wandered off
to their separate
films. Halfway
through "The
Jackal' you real .
ize that the only
reason to root for
Declan is because he's
the only one into
whose personal life
we're allowed a sem-
blance of an insight.
In the end, most of
the film belongs to
... its women. Both Isabella
"The -(Mathilda May), Declan's
ely K past lover, and Valentina
ay (Diane Venora), a
d Russian officer joining
the investigation, hold
's more mystery and
interest than anyone
else around.
Valentina, a
w o m a n
scarred emo-
{ C tionally and
K\ literally, in
fact marks off
a new era in
portrayals of
foreigners by
H olly w ood:
Neither a vil-
lain nor a
curio, not a
representa-
tion of the
behind her
shoulders,
just someone
singular and
real. Well, as
real as
Hollywood per-
mits a gun-tot-
ing, globe-trot-
ting, scar-tis-
sue-brandish-
mg Russian
Bruce Willis in "The Jackal." to be.
Attention Senior History
Concentrators
Colloquium sign-up for Winter Term 1998 is
Monday, November 17, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in
1014 Tisch Hall.
No preference given to early arrivals.
STAY OUT LATE.
SEE MOVIES.
GET PAID.
Working at a Star Theatre is
no ordinary job. You'll enjoy
,,
io
&1
a great work environment
and work with good people.
Every Star Theatre offers
advancement opportunity,
flexible hours, health
benefits, 401K and college
tuition reimbursement.
Now hiring full/part-time,
and seasonal cast members.
Apply in person at any
Star Theatre or online at
www.star-theatres.com.
Star Theamr Locations:
ii
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I -, E"Ma
I -" I