Capture the 'Fugitive' #he Michigan Theater plays host to "The Fugitive" and its screenwriter Jeb Stuart for a free screening and Q & A. Starts at 7 p.m. ARTS THURSDAY APRIL 6, 2000 michigandaily.com /arts 'Screenwriter Jeb Stuart makes campus appearance By Erin Podoisky Daily Arts Writer Screenwriter Jeb Stuart, never one to lie but certainly not above putting a spin on something, finally came clean on the origin of the classic Bruce Willis line, "Yippee ki-yay, motherfuck- wr!" from "Die Hard." "I think a lot of people take credit for it and that's usually the way it goes in the movies. It was not originally in the script, per se. I think Bruce added a little touch to it but there was something very similar to that in the script," Stuart, who wrote the film, said in a recent inter- view with The Michigan Daily. "That's the way it goes. What I will do is I always take credit for something that turns out great and I distance myself from it and blame it * the actor when it screws up," he said, chuck- ling. Stuart will be on campus this evening to show "The Fugitive," the Academy Award-winning film starring Harrison Ford. He will do a ques- tion and answer session after the screening. Primarily known for his work on action movies, Stuart had an interesting entry into Hollywood's ranks. "I went through a sort of academic course to get to screenwriting, which is kind of unusual. I did a masters at Chapel Hill in communications, and offofthat masters I was 'hen accepted into a program at Stanford University and did another masters in communi- cation which focused only on screenwriting" Stuart said. He then did a year-long fellowship through Stanford, although the program is now adminis- tered through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "It allowed me to write a screenplay which I then sold to a studio in Hollywood and got on the other side of the fence," he said. "It was kind of an unusual way to get into the business. Most people get in sort of non-acade- micallv." That first screenplay knocked around for 12 years before finally getting made and released in 1997 as "Switchback." "That was from what they call a 'calling card' script and it was optioned at Columbia Pictures. It was cast and all ready to go and then it never was made," Stuart said. "But on the strength of that script I was offered a five-script contract at Disney, which was just getting reorganized. This was 1985 and that's when Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg came in and took over the studio. They were sort of scouring film schools for tal- ent and I was in the right place at the right time. "I never got a movie made at Disney. In fact, I only wrote one script, but while I was in the down-time after I turned in a draft, I did a pro- ject over at Fox. It was an old novel that had bounced around from studio to studio called 'Nothing Lasts Forever.' Nobody had been able to crack it because it was about a 65-year-old man who, at the end of the movie, goes to Los Angeles to visit his daughter and the building is taken over by terrorists and at the end he's responsible for dropping his daughter off this 60-story building. "I kind of revamped that and made it more about a guy trying to get back in the good graces of his wife. That became 'Die Hard' and that was my second script. And then from 'Die Hard' on it was a little bit different. Again, it was kind of an unusual situation in that it was really, serious- ly the second professional script (I wrote)." Stuart said. "I never wrote an action movie before 'Die Hard.' 'Switchback' is really a suspense thriller. I like suspense an awful lot, I love Hitchcock, I love De Palma and people like that," Stuart said. His resume includes mostly suspense and action thrillers, making him a successful specialist in a tough genre. When asked if he felt his extensive action credits list limited him, Stuart admitted that they did, somewhat - and that isn't a prob- lem for him. "I do think I've been pigeonholed but it's one I kind of gladly go to. It's not to say I don't love screwball comedies. I'm not quite sure I would really be a good writer for that. "I don't really do as much action as I used to. Those movies are driven by forces that are greater than a great screenplay sometimes. It's a money game. You happen to get Tom Cruise or you happen to get Mel Gibson or Bruce Willis for a picture and hopefully you've got a script, And if you don't it can be a nightmare" Many of Stuart's screenplays have been used as vehicles for big-budget stars like Willis and Harrison Ford. Working with such demanding talent can constrain the development of a movie's story, Stuart explained. "That was the case on 'The Fugitive.' Hopefully, if you're lucky, you work with some- one like Harrison who has great feelings for character and for the story. Almost every great actor or big star has good feelings for the char- acter. But you have to wear the other hat, which is make sure the story doesn't get completely lost." Stuart took on three roles for "Switchback," on which he was not only writer but producer and director as well. "I love wearing all the hats," he said. "It makes it easy in some respects and at the same time if you like working with other Courtesy of 20th Century'Fox Bruce Willis stars in Job Stuart's famed "Die Hard" and plays cowboy cop John McClane. people you sometimes miss that great input of somebody from the outside that you really respect who wants to see it maybe in a different way." Since the release of "Switchback," Stuart has been slightly under the Hollywood radar. "I've done a couple of things, written a couple of scripts," he said. "I'm finishing up a project for Castle Rock called 'The September Alternate,' which is a thriller based in Washington D.C. It's a lot like 'Seven Days in May.' It's about an attempted coup on the government under the guise of a terrorist attack. "The other is an original for Paramount called 'The Lamb.' The producers are Garth Brooks and Kenneth Edmonds (Babyface), so it's about the music industrv. It's another thriller but its got a female protagonist. She's this rock star who's more like Bruce Springsteen than Garth Brooks. "The Lamb" will feature Brooks in his recent- ly-unveiled Chris Gaines persona. "What Garth was trying to do was set up the sort of history for this star. It's a pretty bold approach. The problem is it's a matter of timing. You can put out an album quite quickly. It's very hard to make a movie quickly. "I think it's on the right track and it should be -ery interesting once it gets going. He's got lots of tie-ins with MTV to bring people like Springsteen in and the Stones and people like that to talk about Chris Gaines in a past tense sit- uation, just to sort of set up this fictitious histo- ry into which we plop down the heroine. "It's been a really fascinating project, mainly because I've gotten to spend some time on the road with groups and talk to and interview a lot of record people. The music business is very dif- ferent from the movie business. It's always fun to visit other things. JAZZ GIANTS AND YOUNG LIONS John Uhl Daily Music Editor Ever wondered what it would be like to grow up with music? I mean grow up really surrounded by music? Well, the musicians performing around Ann Arbor this very musically-active weekend have a good idea. The critics are predicting that young vibraphonist Stefon Harris, who is set to perform two shows at the Bird of Paradise tonight, will be one of the most important voices in the near future of jazz. The 26- year-old earned his stripes playing under the wings of experienced musicians like Wynton Marsalis, Joe ,dA *Ilk. Henderson and Charlie Hunter, and has already been featured as an up and comer in "Down Beat" and won Best New Talent in "Jazziz Magazine." His latest recording, "Black Action Figure," is somewhat remarkable in that it is essentially a showcase for his instrum-ent, the vibraphone (which is notable simply for the fact that the vibes have a relatively short lin- eage of three primary players: Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson). The album focuses on Harris' composing and playing, with the occasion- al supplementation of horns and soloists. The slide guitarist Derek Trucks, at the mere age of 20, is an even better example of what effect early musical inundation might have. Trucks probably picked up the whole rock and roll gig by hanging out a little too much with his Uncle Butch (how'd you like do have an Uncle Butch?): Butch Trucks is one of the original drummers of The Allman Brothers Band. And in doing so, Derek probably picked up a few tricks from Uncle Butch's late friend, slide guitarist Duane Allman. This is a drastic comparison, since Allman is really the only slide guitarist to singularly emerge from beneath the shadow of the instrument's true innovator, Elmore James. But it is this same comparison that folks have been making ever since Derek started filling in The Allman Brothers' slide guitar role a year ago. In addition to The Allman Brothers, Trucks has schooled himself by jamming with the likes of Phil Lesh, Government Mule, Jazz is Dead, Bob Dylan and Widespread Panic since he was in britches. Although he is no longer really a youngster, gui- tarist John Scofield knows how to relate to a youthful audience. In 1998 he recorded the funky album "A Go Go" with the aid of the band Medeski, Martin and Wood and his latest, "Bump," continues the jazz- funk-rock trend, featuring members of Deep Banana Blackout and Soul Coughing. Which makes sense for a musician who got his start playing with Miles Davis, whose "Bitches Brew" was the original exper- iment in fusing jazz ideals with funk and rock rhythms. Moreover, the band that Scofield is bringing on the road promises to be no slouch. Rhythm guitarist Avi Bortnick studied under seminal bassist Richard Davis and has spent time exploring African, Caribbean and Brazilian music, while drummer Ben Perowsky has studied with Alan Dawson (ironically a noted collab- orator of Davis') and played with respected musicians such as Dave Douglas, Pat Martino and Don Byron. Scofield and Trucks will perform under a double billing tonight at Pontiac's Mill Street Entry, where the simple possibility of seeing the two guitarists trade licks onstage seems worth the drive. Bassist Dave Holland also got his first break play- ing with Davis, on "Bitches Brew" in fact. But his quintet, which will appear at the Bird of Paradise Friday and Saturday for two shows each night, is not known for catering to a juvenile audience. Although the quintet can certainly hang loose and celebrate a jubilant groove, its experience allows the band to also juxtapose such pandemonium against rigorous struc- ture. Holland's ensemble was formed in the summer of 1997 and released its first recording, "Points of View," in 1998. Saxophonist Steve Wilson has since departed, replaced by Chris Potter in winter of 1999. The group has been touring fairly consistently since their formation, becoming one of the finest acoustic ensembles working in jazz. The 'group recently released "Prime Directive,' which revels an even higher level of cohesiveness than "Points of View." Thus those interested in the contrast between the inquisitiveness of youth and the wisdom of experi- ence should be encouraged to explore the area's musi- cal offerings this weekend. (And on a personal note: last February's John Scofield show at the Ark and the Dave Holland Quintet's spring performance at the Bird of Paradise were the two best concerts of the year.) T S oq Live Sounds Around Town hursday Wfon Harris Quartet at the Bi j i aradise;8' 10:30 p.m. Derek~ Trucks and. John ScofieJd at Mill Street Entry in Pontiac;(7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday D e Holland Qintet t the Bird o aradise; 9 1: pr.. Photo courtesy of Rachel Bleckman In addition to his own group, Derek Trucks also plays with Southern rock legends the Allman Brothers Band. Pnoto courtesy of Blue Note Up and coming jazzer Stefon Harris brings good vibes to the Bird. I con tlto isthe winner of Best of Ann Arbor free ad raffle. Thanks to the following advertisers for their paticipation: Addans TShirt Studio,Hotdipat h.comAngelo's, Ann Arbor Trapotion AuthsrityAmy ROTCAshley's,Beyond the Wall, BivouacBrown J,The Buno,Chelsea Rower Shop. S.EE., David's Books, elong's Barbeque, Financial Aid Office, Fowler Center.Good Tnue Chadey's,.GrandValley State University, I Life is disappointing? In here life is Beautiful... Come to the Music by John Kander Lyrics by Fred Ebb Book by Joe Masteroff Direction & Choreography by Linda Goodrich Musical Direction