NCA Football 2000
U Win a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl in video game tournament.
For playstation systems, the EA Sports games begin at noon in
the Pendleton room of the Union.

are 3~tijian Eailg
L"

Tomorrow in Daily Arts:
U Check out a preview of Victor Wooten's Wednesday night
concert at the Ark-

8

Tuesday
October 12, 1999

A


'Italian Cities'

exhibit

provides urban beauty

By Nick Farizone
Just as Jerusalem and Mecca pro-
vide great reigious inspiration for
many people of piety. so Italy gives
unparalleled aesthetic enlightenment
to artists. And while some artists
find their stimulation in the coun-
try's rural regions, many others dis-
cover their motivation in the hustle
and bustle of the nation's urban

4

areas.
The results of
Italiani
Cities
Museum of Art
Oct. 9-Dec. 5, 1999
ws

several of these
artists' inspira-
tion are featured
in the Museum
of Art's newest
exhibit, "Italian
Cities." The col-
lection, which
debuted on
Saturday, is an
multimedia dis-
play showcasing
the work of both
Italian and
American artists
who have found
t h e m s e I v e s

paper. Cheng's rendition of
Florence's Duomo set against a blue
sky is unique to the collection both
because of its use of color and
because of its date of creation; it is
the exhibit's only work from the 20th
Century. Yet Cheng's work does not
eclipse the other works, bringing
instead a splash of color to the other-
wise black-and-white collection.
While Cheng chooses to depict
Florence in her watercolor collage,
the majority of the exhibit's artists
provide the viewer with their inter-
pretations of Venice. And although
author Henry James once said that
"there is nothing left to discover or
describe" in the City of Canals, the
exhibit's works clearly prove him
wrong.
While the collection features many
artists who denounce James' claim
through their work, James McNeill
Whistler stands out especially
prominently among them. Six of the
exhibit's 20 works are black-and-
white etchings that hail from his col-
lections "First" and "Second Venice
Set." Yet unlike the exhibit's Venetian
photographs that depict the city with
great clarity, Whistler's etchings are
less willing to disclose as much
information to the viewer.
The exhibit provides an example
of.this juxtaposition by placing one,
of Whistler's etchings, "The Rialto,"

directly to the right of Italian artist
Carlo Ponti's photograph of e
bridge with the same name. U k
the photograph, which clearly
exhibits the bridge and its surround-
ings, it is difficult to discern this
architectural feature from Whistler's
ink drawing.
In "The Rialto," Whistler instead
chooses to focus on a crowded steet
scene, placing the Venetian bridge in
the background. Yet even his depic-
tion of urban life is rather obe.
Whistler's etching of the bus° ng
crowd contains no facial details; the
people neither smile 'nor frown,
Unlike Ponti's photograph, which
offers a glimpse of two gondoliers'
solemn visages, Whistler chooses to
leave his faces blank, consequently
challenging the viewer to speculate
upon the mood of the crowd.
Although Whistler and Ponfti's
works fall at opposite ends o he
aesthetic spectrum, both the po-
graph and the etching succeed in
providing a look at Italy that the
viewer rarely sees in art. Desk j
James' belief that there was nothing
left artistically to portray in Venice,
the works in this collection still man-
age to give the viewer an unconvcn-
tional glimpse at this frequeritly-
depicted city, and the country that
surrounds it.

Marisa Coughlan (a Williamson alum from this summer's "Teaching Mrs. Tingle") charms Brad Rowe in "Wasteland."
Willamson works wonders
witi world of 'Wasteland'

By Kelly Watchowski
For the Daily
Ever wonder what the kids from
"Dawson's Creek" will be like ten
years down the road?
Once again, writer-recently-turned
director Kevin Williamson (creator
of "Dawson's Creek" and "Scream")
has answered his audience, providing
a time warp into the future with
ABC's new drama "Wasteland."

Wasteland
ABC
Thursdays at 9 p.m.

Circumventing
the lives of six
20-somethings
as they live and
learn about the
real world after
co 1 e g e,
"Wa ste land"
adds a smart and
sensitive look
into the trials
and tribulations
that characterize
the second com-
ing of age in the
years between

who (despite her terribly false
accent) tries adamantly to overcome
the stereotype and survive in the
legal world. Her ex-boyfriend Vandy
(Eddie Mills) struggles as a musician
by day and a bartender by night.
Formerly a hot college couple,
surely there will be some new twists
in this now-platonic relationship, as
Vandy tries to deal with his unrequit-
ed love for Sam. Of course, follow-
ing the Capeside Theory as applied
in this new world, one can suspect
that a soon-to-be relationship that
foils Sam and Vandy's friendly sexu-
al-tension.
Interestingly enough, this one
involves 26-year-old virgin Dawnie
(Marisa Coughlan) and her former
college sweetheart and big man on
campus Ty (Brad Rowe). As
"Wasteland"'s own version of
Capeside's Joey Potter, Dawnie is
"living and breathing" her graduate
thesis on the "wasteland" of the
twenties while attempting to find
herself and a man she can "brush her
teeth with" every night.
When her old flame Ty, who ended
their relationship by cheating on her,
saunters back into her world after a
six year absence, the sparks start to
fly. While their reunion is accompa-
nied by some intense face-slapping,
a silly re-enactment of a "Dirty
Dancing" scene leads to some inter-
esting bedroom activity that reflects
the newly mature side of playboy Ty
and leaves Dawnie questioning her
celibacy.
Completing the cast of characters

are Russel (Dan Montgomery) and
Jesse (Sasha Alexander). These two
reflect the comic and light-hearted
friendship of the group. Russel is
Ty's former college roommate, a
closeted soap star and homosexual,
who has issues with coming out of
both closets. Jesse is a sassy and
smart promoter of public relations,
both professionally and socially, who
loves to counsel her best-friends on
their relationships, yet is trying to
understand the opposite gender and
find love herself.
This intricate web of love and lust,
professional and social lives, friends
and enemies provides a sensitive
peek at many of the obstacles plagu-
ing those alumni who return to cam-
pus every weekend in an attempt to
recapture their college years.
While a bit overdramatized and
predictable (could you expect any-
thing less from 'ol Kev?), once given
time to develop both in plot and
characterization, "Wasteland" car-
ries a strong potential for a positive,
hip future.
For all of you viewers out there
who are embarrassed to follow (or for
God sakes, even admit to following)
the lives of a bunch of high school
teen dreams, tune into "Wasteland"
for Williamson's older version of the
show many of us know so well.
For the rest of you, this mod urban
drama can provide an entertaining
escape from that wasteland between
"Friends" and "ER." Either way,
"Wasteland" will not be a waste of
your time.

enlightened by the urban beauty of
Italy.
In the exhibit, the work that most
grabs the viewer's attention is
American artist Migonette Yin
Cheng's "Florence, Italy," a combi-
nation of watercolor and collage on
'EDtv'
Imakes
for dead
DVADqPmmb
By Matthew Barrett
D~aily :aris Wiier
Meet Ed (Matthew
McConaughey), a video store clerk
from San Francisco without a whole
lot going on in his life. Until one day,
when Ed's shooting some pool at a
neighborhood bar, and, in a round-
about way, is chosen as the subject
for a new television program. The
show will tape his life and broadcast
it live, 24-hours a day, seven days a
week (excluding trips to the bath-
room and sex). And now Ed is some-
one.
"EDtv" follows the trials and
tribulations of its lead character as
he learns that fame and having his
entire life available for the world to
see isn't all that it's cracked up to be.
Throughout the story, most of what
we'd expect to happen does - Ed
sneaks away from the cameras for a
night, blows it with his ideal girl
Shari (Jenna Elfman) and sees some
dirty family secrets come to light.
Director Ron Howard assembles a
diversified and interesting cast for
the film, but much of its talent goes
to waste. Woody Harrelson is rele-
gated to being Ed's oafish and
money-hungry, older brother while
Martin Landau spends most of the
movie tooling around on a motor
scooter, trying to make the most out
of some bad jokes. Once again,
Elizabeth Hurley plays little more
than model with English accent and
then there's Dennis Hopper who, as
Ed's dad, is in the film for two min-
utes.


Ak,
2

teenage angst and mid-life crisis.
Like most shows geared toward a
generation of MTV watchers,
"Wasteland" is set in the fast paced,
viscerally stimulating world of New
York City. The plot of the show sur-
rounds the lives of six characters,
following various life paths that,
whether or not they like it, keep
intersecting.
Rebecca "Noxema Girl" Gayheart
("90210," "Urban Legend,"), a famil-
iar face in the recent Hollywood teen
scene, plays Sam, a southern belle

Courtesy o Uniersalr c'u
Catch Matthew McConaughey 'In The Camera's Eye' on the 'EDtv' DVD relea

,

The DVD version of "EDtv" is
packed with extras, although most of
them could have used a little work.
The deleted scenes segment consists
of what seems to be a random mish-
mash of footage, all smashed togeth-
er on one long chapter. At very few
times are actual scenes included, and
when they are, it's clear why they
ended up on the cutting room floor.
The featurette "Caught In The
Camera's Eye" which takes a look at
the making of "EDtv" features inter-
views with all of the film's principle
players, and provides an interesting
look at the process of making this
movie.

The disc also includes two conm
mentary tracks, one with Howart
and one with the writing team 0
Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandet.
Howard's track is fairly stale,
although he does provide some
insightful comments on the use &f
video as opposed to film for certai
scenes. And with such a well-known
collection of actors in the film, a cast
commentary would have been mel
come alternative to that of the writ.
ing duo.
"EDty" has a few funny moments
but its message and story are just too
simple for the film to succeed. Series
canceled. y


L 11

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