i ionference on Organ Music dd Fair performs tonight. The carillonist will strut his talent as rt of the Annual Conference on Organ Music. The performance 11 be at the Burton Memorial Tower, and will be held outside. ]mission is free, and it all gets started at 7:30 p.m. You'll need .hair or blanket on which to sit. f1re icdfjm Dai L I Tomorrow in Daily Arts: It's Breaking Records time again folks so check out reviews of the music industry's latest CD releases. Tomorrow Daily Arts reviews the latest CDs from Cat Power, Sepultura and Depeche Mode. Monday October 12,1998 IA .1. RETOUCHING 'EVIL' I Welles' visi impressive' By Bryan Lark Daily Arts Writer "What does it matter what you say about peo- ple?" asks Marlene Dietrich's sultry madam Tanna in the final scene of "Touch of Evil." What is said matters very little, unless, of course, the dead have major objections to what you are saying. And for the 40th anniversary of "Touch of Evil," the objections of Orson Welles are finally recognized from beyond the grave in a new re- edited version of the film that is, in spirit, Welles' original vision. Much has been made of the recently exhumed 58-page memo in which Welles definitively detailed what his vision of the film should look like - definitely not the already ingenious film noir that was restructured and partially re-shot before its release by Universal in '58. The '98 "Touch of Evil" lives up to that hype with a newfound purity and brilliance that is a significant improvement upon the original. Significant, that is, for the major undertaking by editor Walter Murch, Oscar-blessed for "The English Patient." In restoring the film's stunning, flowing opening crane shot, he eliminated the pesky interruption of credits and Henry Mancini's perco- lating score. He quickened the film's pace and straight- Touch of ening out its time structure Evil through the reshuffling of many scenes. Not noticeable, in that the At Michigan reshuffling is so seamless and engaging that one can hardly tell what's been changed without seeing the two ver- sions side by side. The most notable and wel- come change in the spruced- up "Evil" is the excising of scenes involving Zsa Zsa Gabor, now just a glorified cameo. Billed as a "Guest Star," Gabor's lifeless scenes as the proprietor of a seedy strip joint, injected by the studio, were a rather large stumbling block in the original. Common among the past and present films is the intriguing story of upstanding Mexican diplo- mat Mike Vargas (a rather convincingly Latin Charlton Heston) as he matches wits with corrupt and rotund detective Hank Quinlan (Welles him- self, largely shot imposingly from below) in a byzantine case of murder in an unnamed border town. With the re-edits, the film is cleaner, crisper, easier to understand but just as sleazy and shad- owy as before. It does, however, give the equally on deepens TOUch' 'Evil' touched by genius Courtesy of Universal Pictures Janet Leigh and Chariton Heston get touched by the evil genius of Orson Welles in "Touch of Evil," now playing at the Michigan Theater. convoluted sub-plots and supporting characters time to shine. Populating the economically and racially tense Tex-Mex tapestry are comically menacing under- world boss Grandi (Akim Tamiroff) who desper- ately wants to bring down Vargas, Quinlan's unashamedly loyal partner Menzies (Joseph Calleia) who'll do anything but see the truth and Marlene Dietrich's matter-of-fact madam Tanna who memorably tells Quinlan to "lay off the candy bars." Perhaps the most prominent change with the new editing is the immediacy and sexual intimi- dation granted the sub-plot involving Janet Leigh's unfaltering Susie Vargas, the splendid portrayal of a new bride determined to have a happy honeymoon even as she's terrorized in a creepy roadside motel, an eerie precursor to Leigh's "Psycho" misadventures as Marion Crane two years later. But the most eerily prescient aspect of the film is the physical appearance of Welles. With the help of body padding, Welles' zaftig Quinlan foreshadows the weight that will eventually befall Welles and works well in the context of the film as a symbol of all that's weighing on Quinlan's conscience - if he has one at all. "Touch of Evil" was, after all, based on a pulp novel called "Badge of Evil," which also was Welles' intended title of the film, making the tale unmistakably Quinlan's - a nihilistic and unset- tling portrait of a man's unraveling, bringing down both those who love and hate him or even those who merely thought him "some kind of a man," as the sublime Dietrich did. If Universal's original "Touch of Evil" were already some kind of a film in its own right, then the new Welles-retouched "Evil" is a one-of-a- kind masterpiece that'll make Welles' cinematic legacy matter even more. By Ed Sholinsky Daily Arts Writer This past summer, the American Film Institute released its top 100 American films of the 20th Century. Topping the list was Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane." Some critics expressed great surprise at this, feel- ing that more popular choices such as "Gone with the Wind" or "The Wizard of Oz" might overtake Welles' epic. The great surprise, however, is not that "Citizen Kane" finished at No. 1, but that no other Orson Welles film landed in the top 100. With the reedit of "Touch of Evil," Welles' last Hollywood film, America's greatest director might get a second look from some critics and his first look from some movie fans. Welles had the misfortune of start- ing his career at the top although "Citizen Kane" was a financial flop and mostly ignored when it was released. The film school brats of the late '60s and '70s helped to resurrect it by acknowledging how remarkable an influence "Citizen Kane" and Orson Welles had on them. Filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese and Peter Bogdonovitch helped to elevate "Citizen Kane" into the pan- theon of great films. After "Citizen Kane," Welles had nowhere to go but down. In fact, most people could not name another film Welles directed. So, despite the fact that Welles directed other great films such as "Othello," "Lady from Shanghai" and "The Trial," most people can't distinguish him from "Citizen Kane," which is a shame, because Welles had a very rich career after his stellar debut. Then in "Touch of Evil," when Dietrich tells Welles' Hank Quinlan, "Your future's all used up," she couldn't be further from the truth. Death has been good for Welles' career; Welles now adds two other, even if lesser-known, masterpieces, "Touch of Evil" and "Chimes at Midnight," to his revered "Citizen Kane." When Welles first edited "Touch of Evil," the studio bosses took the film away from him and recut it to their specifications. This was not the first time Welles had lost a movie, for parts of "The Magnificent Ambersons" were reshot by "West Side Story" director Robert Wise. This time, however, Welles left behind a 58-page memo, in which he told Universal Studios bosses how Courtesy of Castle Hill Productions Orson Welles, shown here directing "Othello," has taken "many bullets" for lis work. they could improve their cut by restoring it to his vision. The most amazing part of this memo is that Welles only saw the movie once. After that single view- ing, he left specific instructions about how to "save" "Touch of Evil." Not surprisingly, Welles was right, and the studio brass was wrong. Gone from "Touch of Evil" are the credits over the three-minute, 20-sec- ond tracking shot, which locates the car bomb that sets the film into action. Now, the stories of Mike Vargas (Charlton Heston) and Susan Vargas (Janet Leigh), the newlywed couple at the center of "Touch of Evil," are intertwined rather than kept as separate entities. Many more changes have taken place, but these are the two most noticeable. Nevertheless, "Touch of Evil" still retains its complex thematic content. It is a film about borders - when to cross them and when not to. The film explores the boundaries between good and evil, honest and dishonest, good cop and bad cop. These are not simple issues in the context of "Touch of Evil," rather the film leads audiences on a journey into the heart of human nature; it begs the question of the viewers' morality. Welles' Captain Quinlan is a cop who is bent, but not broken. Welles often framed himself against arches and curved surfaces to demonstrate this, leaving the audience wondering just how far Quinlan would go to solve a case and put a man in jail. Quinlan plants evidence and abuses suspects, yet remains firm in his belief he is doing the right thing. Quinlan's foil is Mexican drug cop' Vargas, who, as Welles' camera tells us by shooting him against pillars and upright objects, is a straight and narrow cop and husband. He dotests Quinlan's methods and he detests Quinlan. In turn, Quinlan detests Vargas. The movie tracks Quinlan as he crosses the border between good and evil and joins the drug dealers Vargas has sworn to catch to kidnap Susan Vargas. It's not surprising that Welle5' ver- sion of "Touch of Evil" is so good, but that the studio's cut is also fantas- tic. Though American critics maligned "Touch of Evil" when it appeared in 1958, European critics loved it. Subsequently, the film has gained a large cult following. "Touch of Evil" should now enjoy a much more mainstream success: the Welles' reedit proves it is one of the best films ever made. Orson Welles died a broken man - he had to go to Europe to get financing, then had to finance his pictures and finally he eaded up with nothing. So, when Welles says in "Touch of Evil," "That's the sec- ond bullet I stopped for you," it's prophetic. The first was "Citizen Kane" and the second "Touch of Evil." Welles should not have to stop anymore bullets. Rather, film schol- ars, film critics and filmgoers should embrace his genims and his labors of love. i 11 0 qw Audience follows 'Way' of Kravitz Yale Divinity School at Michigan Guy V. Martin, Associate Dean of Admissions for Yale Divinity School will be available to answer questions regarding YDS Wednesday, October 14, 1998 9:00 ~11:00 am Conference Room 4, Michigan League By Ryan Malkin Daily Arts Staff "Are you drinking?" the bouncers out- side the State Theater in Detroit asked Friday night. Many anxious Lenny Kravitz fans chose the "under 21" line to avoid the wait of checking IDs, but their rush was unnecessary because Sean Lennon's performance was definitely worth missing. Despite that it was his 23rd birthday, Lennon put on a near awful show. The best part of his set was the ball, placed above one of the speakers, that changed colors every so often. Aside from that, Lennon's performance was high pitched and excessively loud. His solos seemed planned, he tried to rap and he was com- pletely incoherent. The sounds blasting through the 20 or so speakers sounded as clear as the PA system in an elementary school gym. While the beer flowed and the crowd4 became more anxicqus, the crowd's "Lenny" chants alirost over thre Lennon's droning. When Lennon's 45- minute set finally carne to a close and the audience began to cheer louder than L.enny Kravitz The Palace Oct. 9, 1998 I ever. Despite having the flu, Kravitz thrilled the audi- ence from start to finish. Althougl> he did not come on stage until lIQ p.m., it was wort the pain of sittin, through Lennogn set. Kravitz's bard began by playing Z e p p e 1 i ns JESSICA JOHNSON/Daily Lenny Kravitz made his audience "Believe" in his music Friday at the State. t _ "Whole Lotta; Love." The back lighting made the drummer and guitarist, seem almost God-hike. Thenin the midst; of the lights and rhythm, Kravitz entered in a purple '60s style purple jean sui* The 30 lights flash ed sporadically creat- ing a star-like gperience each time Kravitz raised h* arm to the beat. He' immediately got the crowd clapping in unison. Kravitz put down the shiny silver bas' guitar in exchange for a six string: , , , . . , . ... ., .. .. ..... ,, r, .v. .... . , .. ._