*eauty screens
"American Beauty" screens at Lorch Auditorium. M-Flicks
resents a free showing of the new film, starring Kevin Spacey
nd Annette Bening. 8 p.m.
ft 3ad##=n uaiiu
Tomorrow in Daily Arts:
U W eeked. Etc. features Marshall Fredericks,. a Michigan
sculptor w hose work appears on campus.
A
Wednesday
September 22, 1999
5
ubject fails
o make
C hocolates
W w~
y Erin Podoisky
aily Arts Writer
"Better than Chocolate" is one of those movies
at believes far too unquestioningly in its own
ense of entitlement. "I will make a film with girl-
Sirl action!" I imagine director Anne Wheeler
unced to everyone within earshot. "It will be
redictable in every way and then some except
at it will have girls in love with girls!" Memo to
heeler: just because you've decided to become a
part of the oftentimes-lovely
current movement in gay cine-
ma does not automatically
make your film worthwhile.
Better than In the case of "Chocolate,"
Chocolate there's a whole lot out there
that's better than
e McIn a picturesque quarter of
Theater Vancouver, fresh-faced, recent
T college drop-out Maggie
(Karyn Dwyer) works at 10
Percent Books with a gaggle
of other lesbians, bisexuals
and transgenders.
Now, excuse me for one
moment here while I attempt
dig myself out of a potential letter-to-the-editor
eek-long protest. The only reason this is all
mentioned -- in a stronger film, say, "High
rT," it would be irrelevant because the script
akes it so - is because there are precisely two
eterosexual characters presented to us in "Better
an Chocolate." Everyone else is out and proud -
much so that they don't seem to have anything
Ise on their minds other than getting busy or
aking sure that everyone else knows that they're
ut and proud.
There is no middle ground with these characters
etween blatant. well, not exactly sluttiness, but
[[thing in that vein with a nicer surface, and
x l repression. Not that there's anything wrong
ith any of that.
Back at the bookstore, Maggie sleeps on a
ouch until she finds a sublet from a safe sex toy
ulptress. Just as she's moving in, mommy dear-
st (Wendy Crewson) calls to announce that she
adden return
dden NFL 2000 elimination t
A-:SPORTS their own las
fAySPORTSn it out with the
ayStation game can be
mats: traditi
main differen
Barry Sanders is back in a Lions uni- books featur
rm ... in "Madden NFL 2000." And Although.
, while the elusive runner may never levels, certain
t foot in the Silverdome again, Lions challenge for
ns can still fire rp their PlayStation for ball is no swc
e last glimpse of Barry's glory. out in a fe
avers can chose from the Lions or remains a m
y of the other 30 NFL teams (the pass coverag
pansion Cleveland Browns are will remain c
eluded) and guide them through a sea- One of the
n, complete with that team's 1999 announcing f
hedule. All of the actual players are and Pat Sun
atured, including such rookies as Tim work is well
ouch, Champ Bailey and Ricky mentary that
illiams. "Madden NFL 2000" also often about a
tiers the chance to choose from over 90 touch. "Madd
ifferent all-time teams ranging from gainers post
c63 Bears to last year's Falcons and doing by con
roncos. player stats th
"Madden NFL 2000" also gives play- Although
s the opportunity to create their own times, "Madd
----
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,Y y
One-man 'Rocko'
entertains Arena
4
By Daniela Ashe
For the Daill
"Uncle Rocko's T'rav eling~ Beetle
Circus,-'the brainchild of fifth- ear
senior Crai Mclldowne, has noth-
ing to do with beetles or Uncle
Rocko, but will seem somewhat like
a circus and is guaranteed to be loud
A 14-piece repertoire, the one-man
show will be packed with energy,
combining rock and roll music with
poetry readings and performance art.
It's very fast-paced .physical,,,
, '
'm. ,,,t
._ _
R
Uncle
Rocko
Arena Theater
Sept. 23-24
s a 3i d
McEldowney, a
musical theater
and computer
science double-
major "It's not
an autobiograph-
ical show. It
really is a big
mix."
t
_ _
Marya Delver and Karyn Dwyer play co-workers In "Bette
and Maggie's brother Paul (Kevin Mundy) will be
arriving in several days to live with Maggie. Oh
no! Whatever will Maggie do? Will she be honest
with her mother and come out? Will she pretend
that the not-very-good artist, Kim (Christina Cox),
is just a friend rather than the light of her life? Is
there any doubt whatsoever that Maggie will tell
her mother everything, live happily ever after with
Kim and become the central target of hatemonger-
ing by the end of the movie? Absolutely not. More
importantly, will we have to pretend to like and
endure musical number after awful musical num-
ber at the local girlie bar?
Other high drama involves bookstore proprietor
Frances (Anne-Marie MacDonald), who is busy .
giving unusually unimpassioned-yet-loud speech-
es (though they're more like rants, really) to unim-
pressed customs agents holding her sexually
explicit books hostage.
Then there's the as-yet-unrequited love and
attraction between she and Judy (Peter
Outerbridge). And let's not forget the "You're
good enough, smart enough and doggone it people
like you!" crap spewed by Judy that gets Maggie's
Cuiiriesyof Tmh-'d'. POT ~S
r than Chocolate."
mom, Lila, back on her feet again and in touch
with her, uh, inner self.
The violence and prejudice embodied by skin-
heads that lurk in the background of "Better than
Chocolate," while worth presenting to audiences
after the real-life violence that has been in the
news all too often of late with, is handled so ham-
fistedly that it might as well not be there. By the
time it moves from the background to the fore-
ground you're ready to smack your forehead in
disgust and annoyance. And that could be said
about the rest of the film, as well.
Unexciting, uneventful, uninventive, "Better
than Chocolate" is purely by the numbers. It trades
in on its status as gay-themed cinema and tries to
get us to look the other way, to use that status as
an excuse for its sheer mediocrity. That's not right.
The last several years have seen a burgeoning gay
film scene filled with original, well-made movies.
This is not one of them.
You want girls? You want impenetrably deep
relationships, love, drama, life taken seriously?'
Rent "High Art." It's better than chocolate, unlike
"Better than Chocolate."
b The show, pro-
pr-duced by
>A ' Basement Arts,
may shock audi-
ences with its
o u t r a g e o u s
improv skits, comedic clips and
experimental interludes. It won't just
be an hour of watching an actor in
vogue or boring monologue on stage,
McEldownev said with flailing arms
and animated eyebrows.
Reluctant to share too many
details, McEldowney said one skit
will be like watching a dating ser-
vice video and another will be an
actor auditioning for a role on
Broadway.
le will share one poem that nar-
rates, in metaphor, breaking up with
his last girlfriend and a beat poem
that touches on the experimental
side. It is the only piece that will be
performed with a microphone.
"It gets out there, definitely," he
said. "Be ready to throw yourself into
the show"
McEldowney began writing the
script last year, though one piece
dates back about four years He com-
pleted the work this summer in New
York City The show is simple and
honest and not really about anything.
Mclldownev said.
"A little like a circus, there's no
thread to it," he said. "Other than that
I will be alone on stage the whole
time."
Mcildowne. who is not big on
pop culture references, said the audi-
ence probably won't recognize any-
thing from other media, and lie would
be impressed if people recognize the
music.
Some songs that will be heard
include "I am Stretched on Your
Grave," by Sinead O'Connor, "Jesus
Built my Ilotrod," by Ministry and
tunes by Portishead and Bjork
The show will include few props
and v irtually no costumes.
"It's me, my Adidas, my jeans. a
couple shirts and a sweater," said
McEldowncy. "I'd rather have people
see me than a bunch of fancv cos-
tumes.
MeEldowney has performed in a
few Basement Arts productions,
including "Fat Men in Skirts" and
"24-Hour Theatre," and will be per-
forming in the upcoming "A Little
Night Music."
"Uncle Rocko" is his directing and
solo performance debut.
Since he began rehearsing last
month, McEldowney has juggled sta-
tistics homework with nightly prac-
tices. Despite the stress, he said, he is
eery excited, and a little nervous, to
share his work with an audience.
The show debuts Thursday at Il
p.m. in the dark-curtained Arena
Theatre in the Frieze Building and
should last about an hour. A second
performance will take place Friday
night.
Though the show mainly targets
college students, McEldowney said
he just hopes for a loud, energetic
crowd who will contribute to the per-
formance.
"It's a very MTV-generation
show," he said. "What you take from
it, what you hate, what you love, is
up to you."
s with 'NFL 2000'
i
ournament and to make up
st minute scenario and play
e teams of their choice. The
played in two different for-
onal and arcade, with the
nce being the beefier play-
ed n traditional.
the game has beginning
n aspects will still provide a
r first-timers. Running the
eat, passing can be figured
w minutes, but defense
nystery. Both tackling and
e are difficult to learn and
hallenging.
game's strong points is the
provided by John Madden
-merall. The play-by-play
done and the specific com-
Madden injects every so
particular player is a nice
den NFL 2000" also keeps
ed on how their team is
stantly flashing team and
roughout the game.
it may be frustrating at
den NFL 2000" is a very
fun game. The players are very fluid in
their motions and are always flying
around the field in an effort to make the
big play. When tackles are made, the
players don't just go down, they are vio-
lently upended, flipped or slammed into
the field along with a loud crunch.
"Madden NFL 2000" is a blast to play
- so grab your controller and prepare
to strut your stuff with the big boys of
the NFL.
- Matthew Bartett
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