iaist plays Chopin rIJ tj r a fttg RIorrow n Daily Arts:
Itsuko Uchida brings renowned talent to Hill Auditorium. The U Take a look at a preview of University Productions' upcom-
University Musical society presents the world-famous performer in ing presentation of Verdi's "La Traviata," performed by stu-
a special recital of Chopin's "Two Noctures" and "Twenty-four dents in the School of Music's Opera Theater.
Preludes, Op. 28." Also planned is Bach's English Suite No. 3 in g
minor" and Chopin's "Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, Op. 61."
Hill Auditorium. 8 p.m. $14-$40.AWednesday
November11, 1998
Sandier dilutes humor inWaterboy'
By Erin PodoIsky
Daily Arts Writer
Adam Sandler has-made a movie career out of
playing the underdog (and ultdarintelligent): First,
as the charming rich boy Billy Madison, then vio-
lent and raging Happy Gilmore, sweet-natured
wedding singer Robbie Hart, and now as water-
*-turned-football star Bobby Boucher.
But it appears that four years after the debut of
this ever-evolving underdog character, Sandler
needs to find a new shtick. "The Waterboy" is as
stuck in unamusing sub-adolescent humor as
Bobby's ramshackle house is in the steamy
Louisiana swampland. I really did try to like it, but
Sandler was hell-bent on preventing me from even
tolerating his latest aberration of a characteriza-
tion.
obby is a stuttering, lily-livered, tractor-riding,
I o-headed Forrest Gump of a 31-year-old inno-
cent with none of that other fictional gridiron
star's appeal. Bobby is
obsessed with providing the
University of Louisiana foot-
ballers with rejuvenating
The water, even offering choices
Waterboy of rain, spring or distilled. In
his 18th year as a "water dis-
tribution engineer" (Bobby is
At Briarwood prone to fits of strangely
and Showcase refined vocabulary; the rest
of the time, he babbles about
his mama), constantly the vic-
tim of the players' ire and the
> coach's hatred, he is finally
fired by Coach Beaulieu.
Despondent, against his over-
protective swamp mama's (a garishly comic Kathy
Bates) wishes, he offers his waterboy services to
down-on-his-luck Coach Klein (former Fonz
Henry Winkler). He offers them for free after see-
the vat of putrescence Klein dispenses as
refreshment to his team.
In the midst of a 40-game losing streak, the Mud
Dogs are as cruel and unusual to Bobby as his old
team. Coach Klein, though, takes a shine to the back-
water boy and tells him to stand up for himself. Stand
up he does, and in doing so Bobby becomes the star
linebacker and NCAA sack record-holder in a matter
of days. He imagines his targets as the people who
were mean to him all his life: The nasty athletes, his
old coach, even his mama who claims everything is
"he devil." Dehydration, once his greatest enemy,
tis a backseat to his vengeful tackle-fest and Bobby
takes his team all the way to the Bourbon Bowl,
where he is pitted against (surprise!) his mortal
enemy, old Coach Beaulieu. In a not-so-bizarre twist
of fate, Beaulieu is also an old adversary of Klein's.
Jennifer Lien, Beverly D'Angelo, Edward Norton and Edward Furlong star In
"American History X." A sneak preview of this fim runs tonight at Lorch.
Controversia
plays LoreHall
Adam Sandler gets some laughs "compliments of Captain insano" in "The Waterboy."
Meanwhile, Bobby must deal with his dear,
sweet mama, who is vehemently opposed to her
son playing "foosball," as the game is apparently
known in Cajun territory. Mama Boucher dispens-
es such pearls of wisdom as that happiness comes
from rays of sunshine that appear when you are
sad, or that "little girls are the devil."
That, of course, puts a kink in Bobby's budding
romance with recently paroled astrologer and
mechanical whiz Vicki Vallencourt - but not too
much of a kink, seeing as Bobby has never even
kissed a girl.
He spends his free time watching wrestling with
a special place in his heart for the great Captain
Insano, who like everyone else, after talking to
him during a WWF call-in session, thinks Bobby
is a big bayou zero.
"The Waterboy" operates under the same basic
premise as all of Sandler's previous films. While
his other films were entertaining variations on a
theme, this one plays more like a defective deriva-
tive.
The good-for-nothing Sandler character finds
his hidden talent, a goal to reach and manages to
overcome all of the evil villains that try to stop
him along the way. He has a love interest far too
sophisticated and mature for his sophomoric men-
tality and libido.
Heartwarmingly complicated, isn't it? Except
that "The Waterboy" is neither heartwarming nor
as funny as it tries to be. Its humor is tepid and
lines that want to be side-splitting are only mildly
amusing.
It tries to expand its scope by showing the
dumber-than-thou Bobby getting some of that
book-learnin' in college (he's a student-athlete,
you know) and having him claim at the end that
he's going to go back to school after his football
victory. This ploy fails to engage the audience in
caring about anything that happens to Bobby-on-
the-bayou and only serves to skew the film's nar-
rative thrust.
It's a shame to see the talented Sandler sink to
such a level of contemptible "creativity." He is
capable of so much more than this tripe and has
been in an upward trajectory with every movie he
has made - until now, anyway.
"The Waterboy" is a huge disappointment, espe-
cially after his more adult (and more sweetly unaf-
fected, since Robbie and Bobby in the two movies
seem to share a lot of the same romantic sensibil-
ities) outing in "The Wedding Singer."
Sometimes the adage "Why change what works?"
doesn't work at all.
In one of the most anticipated
and critically lauded perfor-
mances of the year, Edward
Norton is hitting the big screen
tonight in a
special sneak
preview of
"American
American History X,"
History X which is
being present-
Lorch Hall ed by M-
Tonight at 8 p.m. Flicks and
C i n e m a
Guild.
The film's
poster art is a
bit intimidat-
ing, display-
ing bare-
chested star Norton with a swasti-
ka tattoo glaring from his upper
torso.
"American History X," howev-
er, is not a piece of neo-Nazi pro-
paganda. Far from it, in fact. In a
performance surrounded by
Oscar buzz, Norton plays a for-
mer skinhead who undergoes a
moral metamorphosis in prison
and emerges a new man. Once
paroled, he must save his younger
brother, played by Edward
Furlong, from walking the evil
path and prevent him from run-
ning with the same persuasive,
clean-shaven crowd. The film
looks hard at the events, choices
and tragedies that plague the
brothers and their family.
Norton ("Primal Fear,"
"Rounders") looks rougher,
tougher and buffer than he ever
has before. Will the two Eds make
good on the promise of this fea-
ture debut by megalomaniac
director/cinematographer Tony
Kaye, who has been on a smear
campaign against his own film
since claiming he was refused
final cut?
Will this controversy-begging
movie crash and burn? Odds are
that it will be good clean fun for
everyone. Admission is free, but
expect lines to form as entrance is
first come, first served.
- Erin Podoisky
99 game
itS ar
and wins
NCAA Football '99
Electronic Arts
Sony Playstation
By now, most fans have quietly
recovered from the travesty of the
University of Michigan having to
share the college football national
title with Nebraska. Alas, critics
and fans alike may never find out
the truth behind who was truly
number one.
Unless fans break out
Electronic Arts. EA gives game
*ayers the opportunity to find out
for themselves who they think
should be number one through
"NCAA Football '99" for Sony
Playstation. This game features
powerhouse teams such as
Michigan and Florida State as
well as those dreadful Ohio State
Buckeyes.
Players have the opportunity to
play through exhibition games, a
full season or to create a dynasty.
*ay a team all the way to the post-
season to get a spot in the Fiesta,
Sugar or possibly the Rose Bowl.
But a player who loses games,
may be fired as coach of the team.
Fans also have the opportunity to
pick from dozens of stadiums
across the country. Throw in the
injury factor, penalties, and three
levels of difficulty to choose from
u nior varsity, varsity or all-amer-
va), and you have one of the most
in-depth college football games to
date.
One of the game's most exciting
features is the ability to create
players and then stick them on a
favorite college team.
There are quite a few com-
mands for offense, defense, spe-
cial teams. Players have the oppor-
tunity to sift through tons of plays,
r even make their own. But the
eplay is surprisingly easy to
handle, and control is simple and
concise. Power tackles and defen-
sive line shifts add a new dimen-
sion to football video games.
EA sports once again has creat-
ed a strong sports game. "Football
'99" is in-depth, yet contains great
gameplay. It may keep players
hooked for hours.
- Gabe Smith
1 'Lovelines' prints advice
A Survival Guide to Life
and Love
Drew Pinsky, M.D., and
Adam Carolla with Marshall
Fine
Dei
Dr. Drew and Adam Carolla are the
Masters and Johnson of the new millen-
nium. The two have journeyed from
radio to television, and now, with their
new publication, "The Dr. Drew and
Adam Book," they try their hand at
print.
Drew and Adam have become well-
known for their amusing and helpful
commentary on questions about sex and
life - with an emphasis on sex. Drew is
actually a medical doctor who special-
izes in addictions. He is the straight
man of the couple while Adam, a former
stand up comedian, is the funny one.
Whereas Adam tries to shock people
with his brutally honest and sometimes
crass opinions, Drew tries to remain the
voice of reason. But thanks to Adam,
Drew has become much less uptight
over the years.
The book does a wonderful job of
capturing the relationship between the
two. Since Drew and Adam are accus-
tomed to performing in front of an audi-
ence, the print medium presents chal-
lenges ofanswering questions while still
coming across as funny. Fortunately, the
dialogue that made them famous has
been preserved. Both Adam and Dr.
Drew show their personality through the
book and they have even more freedom
of speech because absolutely no one is
listening.
While Adam in constantly injecting
humor into his answers, the questions
themselves often do not need any comic
relief. Adam's sarcastic commentary
simply brings out the irony. Examples of
some highlights are: "Can I get pregnant
if I have sex in a Jacuzzi?" and "Is there
a psychological reason not to use acon-
traceptive?"
Obviously Adam and Drew have
some interesting material with which to
work. Adam expands on the ordinary
answers with several self tests, some of
which determine both one's attractive-
ness to other people and if one is homo-
sexual. Though the tests are not neces-
sarily reliable, they do make the reader
laugh. In addition, Drew contributes
with his "Myth Busters" which dispute
popular myths about sex.
Adam and Drew play off of each
other extremely well in the book and
even seem to be getting more alike.
Maybe the years of working together
has been a positive influence on both of
them. In the book Adam is less obnox-
ious and Drew is less anal. Print could
be their best medium yet.
In addition to being extremely funny,
the book is helpful. Drew and Carolla
give accurate advice and explain their
answers in a non-intimidating way. They
use humor to make light of things that
are often taboo. The book makes embar-
rassing subjects much more accessible
and even, at times, hilarious.
-Caitlin Hall