8A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, November 23, 1998 Weekend, etc. returns next week with a look at the latest fad to sweep this generation. The weekly magazine features swing dancing. It's Sure to be a jumpin' good time. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I pire T UU Yogur pasifl n : V'~* w swungO To Be wo a9 Film & Video 200 ! ! F/V 200 is a hands-on survey course which" introduces students to ! the production process for Television, Motion Pictures and Video, u and it is the pre-requisite; course for more advance production courses. Students make projects in all three media." ! The course places production methodss rithin the context of History and Theory. To register: Sign-up NOW in the : Program for Film & Video Studies * 2512 Frieze Building Phone:764-0147; then go to the 1stf class meeting.th 'Tis the season i 10 to hit theaters By Matthew Barrett Daily Arts Writer Swish it around and spit it out. Really, how exciting would it be to drink nothing but water from now until Christmas? After gulping down Adam Sandler's aqua in droves, movie audiences can expect a barrage of high quality movies in the next month and a half. Traditionally the time when the majority of the Oscar-caliber films are released, the holiday movie season seems to have something for everyone. Things get started with Wednesday's release of "A Bug's Life." Coming from the makers of "Toy Story," this computer- animated insect comedy boasts the vocal talents of Kevin Spacey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late Roddy McDowall. "A Bug's Life" has an uphill battle ahead with "Antz," another computer-animated insect comedy, still in theaters. The other highly anticipated animated movie is "The Prince of Egypt," the story of Moses, Ramses and the Ten Commandments. Fans should plan on parting massive crowds to get into this sure-fire hit. Bickering brothers reappear in "Very Bad Things," a scathing comedy sure to offend many more than it pleases. This story of a bachelor party gone wrong features a blistering performance by Christian Slater as the ringleader of the wrong- doers. Also look for Cameron Diaz in quite a turn from her role in "There's Something About Mary." Speaking of things gone horribly wrong, a shot-for-shot remake of "Psycho" by Gus Van Sant has irked the ire of movie fans across the country. Starring Anne Heche, Julianne Moore and Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates, this may be the scariest movie ever made and not because of anything on screen. Audiences are left shaking at the thought of what's next: a remake of "The Godfather" with the Baldwin brothers and Kim Basinger or maybe an updated "Harold and Maude" with Gloria Stuart and Macaulay Culkin? More horror comes to theaters in "The Faculty," a story about high school teens who think that their teachers are really aliens. Hopefully, this collaboration between writer Kevin Williamson ("Scream") and director Robert Rodriguez will be a much-needed break from the usual teen-slasher films that pollute today's theaters. Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton play brothers who stum- ble on a crashed plane filled with money in "A Simple Plan." Courtesy of Disney Enterpises Hopper (Kevin Spacey) raids theaters in "A Bug's ie." Thornton owns the film in his performance as the overlooked brother and could be clearing off space on his mantel come Oscar night. Director Chris Columbus, usually known for his work in lighthearted comedies ("Home Alone" and "Mrs. Doubtfire"), turns serious with "Stepmom." Susan Sarandon plays a cancer- stricken mother, and Julia Roberts the woman that she must teach to care for her children. Another high-profile pairing, in a slightly more upbeat film, is that of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in "You've Got Mail." Hanks and Ryan play characters who hate each other in real life, but, unknowing are, e-mail buddies. Will they remain on friend- ly e-mail terms when they find out the truth? Only time will tell. After playing the president in "Primary Colors," John Travolta laces up his wingtips and gets ready to go to battle in the legal thriller "A Civil Action." Travolta plays a lawyer going up against a corporation whose contaminated water may have led to the deaths of several children. The film boasts an out- standing ensemble cast including Robert Duvall, Kathleen Quinlan and William H. Macy. And finally, the year's most anticipated film may well be "The Thin Red Line." Twenty years after his last effort, "Days of Heaven," director Terrence Malick returns with a war drama adapted from the James Jones novel. The film features Sean Penn, John C. Reilly, George Clooney, John Travolta, Woody Harrelson, Nick Nolte and several other well-known actors. Malick will have his work cut out for him because of the incredible power and success of "Saving Private Ryan." So whether it's Hanks, Travolta, Moses or Norman Bates, the holiday movie season looks sure to please. By Leam Zaiger Daily Arts Writer With bodies flowing, feet tapping, and legs leaping, "Reflections" brought an eclectic assortmnt of performances to the stage at the Betty Pease Studio Theater this past Saturday. This collection was pre- sented as a BFA/BDA thesis concert and was comprised of an artistic and varied batch of creative and interest- ing pieces. Just under two hours, the perfor- mance covered a variety of styles and themes. L u c i l l e ~, Andersen introduced the Reflections evening with a self-choreo- Pease Studio graphed, solo performance. Nov. 21, 1998 Her presenta- tion was pre- ceded by a spoken piece reflecting on the time when she was younger and had just completed a successful dance audition. With free and fluid motion Anderson moved across the stage portraying the expression of her character. Anderson concluded with another piece of reflection addressing her true youth at the time of the original audition. Anderson also choreographed another piece, "Stretch Marks." Starring her six sons, the piece was filled with enthusiasm, energy and a poetic expression of brotherhood. This masterful creation conveyed all aspects of the bonds between broth- ers, including playful fighting, the guidance of older siblings and the inherent friendships shared. These adorable faces moved in sync, and independently when expected, pleas- ing both the eye and the heart of the spectator. This piece sparked laugh- ter and warmth. Lily Baldwin, Kelly Hirina and Laila Sales showed their dramatic skills in "If the Shoe Fits," a clever piece in which the three women take on the roles that accompany the dif- ferent pairs of shoes they try on. From character to character, these ladies used dramatic humor enter- taining the audience through a col- lage of the roles they play. Other pieces included dramatic solos by Markus Van Zwoll, Erica Bjornstad, Josh Major and Amber Grauch. Their abstract performances ranged from colorful and energized, fast moving performance to somber, fluid, melancholy motion. At times some of the presentations seemed slow and more dramatic than neces- sary, with too much confusion to observe all aspects of the dance. But these numbers were complemented by those remaining which created a vibrant mixture. This colorful compilation of dance concluded with a bang. That's right, a big band swing number brought the evening to a close. This trendy quality, the swingers definite- ly grabbed the attention of its audi- ence. With flips, twists and turns and smiles galore, these bouncing pairs filled the stage and left the audience contemplating learning to swing. Thesis show swings 0 0 I I Garners skip football, head to Union convention instead I i By Chris Cousino Daily Arts Writer While a fleeting glimpse of the Star Wars uni- verse premiered Friday with the release of "The Phantom Menace" teaser trailer, people envisioned their own aspects of the Star Wars world by playing the "Star Wars" role-playing game, one of a number of events found at this past weekend's 10th annual U-Con gaming convention. Held on all floors of the Union, U-Con brings together people of all ages. Along with role-playing, gamers delved in much heated battles of miniatures, board games and collectible card games, such as the very popular "Magic: The Gathering." Chair of the convention Eric McGlohon, who recently won a "Magic" pro tour qualifier and trav- eled to Rome to compete, explained that the con- vention focuses on the student population, but they "try to pull in as much as possible." With a crowd ranging from junior high schoolers to 50-year-olds, the convention kicked off on Friday at 5 p.m. and ran until yesterday evening. All play- ers paid a fee for either a one-day or full weekend pass. Gaming lasted until around midnight on both nights. Trading the Ohio State game for a chance to show off their skills, gamers went head-to-head against one another with the watching eye of the game mas- ters, who McGlohon said were a combination of game fans and certified GMs. Along with these qualified leaders, the conven- tion invited various dealers to display their products and run demo tests of new, up-and-coming games. Bill Barber showcased "Baseball Tycoon," a hip, new board game that allows the player to feel what it's like to be George Steinbrenner, as you act as the owner of a baseball team, trading and signing play- ers en route to the championship. Along with "Tycoon, Mark MacKinnon's role- playing game version of "Sailor Moon, published by Guardians of Order, premiered at U-Con, after its North American release on Wednesday. Based off the hit television series which he researched by watching countless times, MacKinnon explained that "it's an easy game to learn, easy to catch on." Another highlight of the convention was the attendance of guest of honor Jolly Blackburn, cre- ator of the popular gaming comic magazine, "Knights of the Dinner Table." Winner of the 19o Origins Award for Best Professional Gamin Magazine, the quite jolly Blackburn explained that he's just, "enjoying the ride;" Blackburn participated in a live reading of hisv comic on Saturday evening as audience members were encouraged to dress up as their favorite "Knights" character and partake in the fun stories which Blackburn feels are "timeless." Costumes were donned again yesterday with a costume con. test featured as one of the convention's closing events. With the close of this year's convention as a su* cess, the U-Con Gaming Club is already planning, gaming fun for next year's festivities, to be at the Union on Nov. 12-14, 1999. I From Theodore Cardman's 4 Lackyard ....to over 450,000 locations around the world! 7 w, 5'a ri k~tri pe The ENHANCED Mcarc 11;~i '04 SI).?7 4 + DankStripe is now Mcard Debit and the change is automatic* + Use Mcarc Debit anywhere you see the 4AE and logos. Including: f'usch' Kmart-Iv " Meijzr Rite Aid .