Senior Days sponsors a "Creative Dating Workshop." The program will look at ways to make a good impression and approach the dating scene with confidence. Angell Hall Auditorium A. 7 p.m. Free. ARTSmx&U This weekend, the University's department of musical theater will present Leonard Bernstein's musical masterpiece "Candide." Come back to Daily Arts for an interview with director Brent Wagner and musical director Ben Whitley. Tuesday April 13, 1999 A 5 Woods impresses in 'Paradise' By Ed Sholinsky Daily Film Editor Two years ago director Larry Clark shocked America with his mediocre exploration of New York youth, "Kids." Clark seemed more con- ced with shocking than telling a coherant story in his debut, but in his sophomore effort, "Another Day in Paradise" Clark's visual acu- men and his storytelling ability come alive. "Another Day in Paradise" chronicles the lives of two heroin-addict- *Pa ed thieves, Mel (James Woods) and Sid (Melanie Thursday at the Griffith), who take two ihigan Theater teenagers, Bobbie 7 p.m. (Vincent Kartheiser) and Rosie (Natash Gregson Wagner), under their wing. After Mel saves Bobbie's life - Bobbie botches a robbery and gets beaten by a security guard who he accidentally kills - with a little TLC and hero- in, he decides he might be able to use Bobbie in a burglary. long the way, Mel, Sid, Bobbie and Rosie me a family, embarking on shopping sprees, nights on the town and drug wholesaling. The dynamic between Woods, Griffith, Kartheiser and Gregson Wagner never falters, as the four actors bring life to these characters, instead of reducing them to stereotypes. Woods refuses to create a one dimensional representa- tion that a lesser actor might have of Mel. Mel knows that one day his heroin addiction is going to bring him and Sid down, but does nothing to get from under it. In Bobbie, Mel has found the son he and Sid can't have, and he delights in teaching him about being a man. Sid too finds a daughter in Rosie, who is preg- nant with the baby that Sid can't have. The pair delight in buying clothes and doing drugs (Sid shooting heroin and Rosie snorthing meth because she fears the needle) as they form an instant bond. As things start to come undone, though, the happy family turns dysfunctional as Mel slips into a drug and alcohol induced rage. This is compounded when the content foursome blow a wholesale drug deal to a group of Nazi bikers, who Mel insists on selling to despite the fact that he's Jewish. Larry Clark has a real eye for detail, and man- ages tell the story with an intensity rarely seen in film. His perchance for the gruesome only helps this movie that gets inside the characters and their addictions and tendencies towards vio- lence. Clark doesn't glamorize or judge the charac- ters, but rather lets their story unfold before the camera. It's easy to realize that theirs isn't a pret- ty story, but Clark manages to find both the beauty and ugliness in their rise and fall. Clark is aided by the incredible performances by his primary cast. The extraordinarily talented Woods bounces back from October's "John Carpenter's Vampires," and gives one of, if not the, best performance of his career. Woods never misses a beat, conveying both Mel's evil and desperation. Though there was no chance that he'd been nominated, Woods deserved an Oscar nomination for this movie. Griffith has also never been better, but that's not saying too much. It's a positive step to see her walking on the dark side for a change - something we haven't seen since "Body Double" Kartheiser switches gears from the kids' movies he has been doing ("Masterminds,' "Indian in the Cupboard") and shines in "Another Day in Paradise." His performance is complemented by Gregson Wagner's turn as his girlfriend. The two have more romantic chem- istry than Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, while maintaining the grit required for their roles. James Woods and Melanie Griffith star in "Another Day in Paradise." This movie isn't flawless, however. Griffith is not a great actress and never will be. Despite the overall strength of her performance, she slips quite noticably at times. Also, for a pair of long term heroin addicts Woods and Griffith look ter- rific. They have none of the physical symptoms that would accompany their substance abuse problem. While this doesn't derail the story in any way, it does take from the film's authentici- ty. Still, "Another Day in Paradise" ranks with the best films of 1998, and ranks only behind "Out of Sight" and "A Simple Plan" for the best crime film of the year. With its wonderful cast, direction and script, "Another Day in Paradise" is a "Bonnie and Clyde" for the '90s. Comedy 'Foolish' jsn't all too fuinny 'Loud' makes for lush DVD life By Laura Flyer Daily Arts Writer Giovanni's Club just wouldn't be the same without Foolish Waise. When Foolish steps on stage and grabs hold of the * Foolish At Showcase name given to him microphone, the crowd relaxes, smiles reappear, and hearty l a u g h t e r emerges. Dave Meyers directs his first movie on solid ground, as "Foolish" has its moments of hilarity emanat- ing from the nat- urally talented Eddie Griffin, who stars as "Foolish," a ever since he was pie, about a selfish "muthafucka" from his childhood who had stolen his toys. Years later, when he asks for a ticket to one of his stand-up shows, Foolish rejects him, saying, "Where's my G.Y. Joe? Where's my Sit 'n' Spin?" Frustratingly, the life of Foolish isn't all laughs. He wants to reach out to audiences, so long as everyone fol- lows his rules. He won't listen to oth- ers telling him what to do - especial- ly big-shot producers who think he's willing to cross-dress for a movie. "It's not about the money," he says. Foolish only wants to have a good time. While Foolish fights the hardships of making it big in the entertainment industry, he also has to deal with relationship and family issues. His brother, known as "Fifty Dollah," (rapper Master P) always has an advantage over him, being wealthier and managing to steal Foolish's ex- girlfriend away from him. But Fifty also engages in some fairly shoddy business at a car deal- ership, a.k.a. undercover conglomer- ation of hard-core criminals. He, too, has to battle with the tensions of what's expected by him versus what he wants to be in society. Though his diamond-studded glasses, gold chains and fluorescent overcoats By Erin Podolsky Daily Arts Writer New Line has taken one of its less successful films from 1998 and turned into an excellent DVD. "Living Out Loud" didn't score with audiences last fall, but it should find new life in the hands of avid DVD watchers, thanks to a disc chock full of goodies that includes everything from a direc- tor's commentary track to a bundle of deleted scenes. Starring Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito and Queen Latifah, "Living Out Loud" is a Chekhovian story of love lost and friendship gained in the cement jungle of New York's upper east side. It goes the unlikely route of the non-standard happy romantic ending, instead leaving its characters untethered and, in some ways, better for it. They don't need people to get through life with, because the important les- son that they must learn is to rely on themselves. Writer/director Richard LaGravenese lays down his analysis of his work with energy and interest. Especially interesting is his discussion of his decision to rearrange the order of several scenes that were meant to be flashbacks and how stunned he was by an idea he'd had about shooting that he was able to bring to the screen without compromise through the mastery of his cinematographer, John Bailey. The deleted scenes include a flashback to Judith's (Hunter) youth, where she is played by up-and-comer Rachael Leigh Cook. LaGravenese also dropped a full- length performance of "Lush Life" by Latifah that proves that she's more than just another hip-hopper. Also on the disc are readings of the two Anton Chekhov stories from which "Living Out Loud" takes its inspiration, "The Kiss" and "Misery." "Living Out Loud" is a fairly quiet, non-effects heavy film, so the Dolby Digital soundtrack doesn't get much chance to perform. But that quiet is precisely the film's charm - things sneak up on the viewer, stealthily work- ing together to create a small, personal film with small, personal performances. Watch for a crucial cameo by Elias "Casey Jones" Koteas. New Line has set the standard for DVD content with its Platinum Series discs for "Pleasantville" and "Boogie Nights," but with titles like "Living Out Loud" and "American History X" it has chosen to include lots of special edition content without the special edition nametag. NFilm fans should know that "Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me" is already in DVD pro- duction and should be the jewel in New Line's 1999 DVD crown. Courtesy of Robert Isenberg 'Dice' Clay makes a "Foolish" cameo. make the fashion statement he's look- ing for, dealing drugs and killing people isn't so cool. "Foolish" has some pitfalls, howev- er. Often, the audiences reaction to Foolish's jokes are not in sync with the degree of hilarity at that point, almost as though Meyers realized he had to add some extra shots in the scene to add variety, but the continuity didn't match up correctly. As stubborn as Foolish is supposed to be, sometimes his grating charac- ter acts out in strange ways. When he lands an interview with a production company for a lead role in a movie, his comic timing is off and bitterness about the prospect of playing a cross- dresser goes a little astray. Still, about half of "Foolish" con- sists of long stand-up bits, of which certain parts are very funny. Even so, the pacing of the film is strong enough to sustain entertainment even during the bland moments. a wee boy in the 'hood. Although Foolish says "muthafuc- ka," "white boy" and "ass" about every four seconds during his comedic routine, it's not all about homie lingo in this film. He also spews out some pretty bitchin' jokes, and makes some valid criticisms about the ludicrousness of American st otypes and the absurdity of cer- people's daily rituals. Foolish tells one story, for exam- U r~ U SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING - .,.,i / '.'~, Sao 'I l ; ~ t.. \II Ill I l .. t ~ I II P RAEl r > Take the courses you need in your own hometown! + Choose from over 200 courses offered in 13 cities throughout Michigan * Elect to finish your courses in half the time through two 7-week summer sessions: May-June or July-August * Select undergraduate course options that are convenient for you- on-campus day, off-campus evening, and through MSU Virtual University Internet classes anytime, anywhere REGISTER NOW! To apply online, visit our web site at www.esp.msu.edu/ and select "For Prospective Student," then select the appropriate Lifelong Education option. 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