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Michigan Theater. Nov. 1.i16$5.5;'. FRIDAY
michigandaily.com /art s NOVEMBER 10, 2000
Sandier
(y Christopher Cousino
Dail Arts Writer
Maybe it starts with the director.
Maybe it starts with the actors. Or
maybe it starts with the premise. "If
"your father was the devil and your
mother was an angel, you'd be mixed
up too." Somewhere along the way,
"Little Nicky," Adam Sandler's hell-
bound fire and
brimstone fart of
a movie, gets so
discombobulated
Little that the mere fact
Nicky they pull off an
Grade D ending in the film
At Showcase shows a sign of
and Quality 16 some divine
intervention. Or
maybe I meant to
say bovine.
Along the lines
of Sandler's
other comedies,
from "Billy Mad-
ison" to his most recent "Big Daddy,"
"Little Nicky" sit on its post clearly
as the worst, filled with the stench of
burning poo in a paper bag left on a
neighbor's doorstep. All the standard
Sandler lowbrow sex and toilet jokes
&C o.lay deviled egg with'ittle Nicky'
slosh around throughout the film; this and jaunt off to earth to create a in portajohns at the last Lollapalooza
time, though, they just aren't funny new Hell there. Since this disturbs ... how Cassisus drops out midway
(I'm not saying they were necessarily the "balance of good and evil," the thorough the film ... how the fact that
funny in his other films, but somehow Devil slowly starts wilting away and his mother is an angel pops up in the
they found a huge audience). What's Nicky must go to Earth and bring his second act almost out of the blue (I
even worse, Sandler and company brothers back in order to save his dad. have a sneaking suspicion that New
seem to think a joke replayed over Whew. I could say here is where the Line included that plot point on the
and over will generate more yucks. movie goes wrong, but its problems poster so audiences going into the
It's otne thning to lake something funny begin tnucin earlier, film svould be aware of it and not find
and beat it to death; it's another to "Little Nicky" just needs another it completely out in left field when
take something you think is funny re-write. Scenes come in and out of the angel thing crops up because the
that really isn't and beat that to a the movie for no apparent reason. The writers failed to establish anything
bloody pulp. talents of Keitel and Rodney Danger- about it in the beginning of the film.)
In "Little Nicky," Sandier plays the field (as the original Prince of Dark- ... but what's the point?
soft-spoken, shy Nicky, the youngest ness) go completely wasted (yes, one While Sandler may not be hell
son of the devil (played by Harvey of Dangerfield's only line is "I still bound (like his other movies,he looks
Keitel), who spends most of his time get no respect.") And when we get to like he's having fun, which lends itself
in his room listening to Black Sab- Earth, what do we find but a talking to his incessant charm that makes you
bath. While his older brothers Adrian dog? want to root for him), "Little Nicky"
and Cassisus (Rhys Ifans and Tommy Once on Earth, Nicky receives is already a burning piece of trash. So
"Ttmy" Lister) vie for power of their guidance from a pontificating pooch many untapped talents (Quentin Tar-
father's throne because he plans to who teaches him how to be human. antino as a preacher, Nealon as the
retire, Nicky seems to not want to Except the only things Nicky seems Tithead, Dana Carvey as a high strung -
have anything to do with the demands to learn about life on earth is how referee), but the film does offer a few
of running Hell, which in t'Little to eat Popeye's Chicken and that lin moments of fun cameos by formter
lik~em o be a cotmedic Dante's shnostd not take dutmp in tine mniddie of Sandier aiums sueh as Carl Weathners, caurtesyni aL, Ne
"Inferno"-esque depiction filled with the street. And somehow, he still finds Rob "You Can Do It" Schneider and Adam Sandier's latest turd is called "Uttle Nicky." Avoid It like the plague.
a giant horny blackbird as well as his way into Valerie's heart (Patricia Henry Winkler. And that is the only points in the Sandier catalog (along While the idea ofa kid from helmw
Kevin Nealon sporting a pair of dou- Arquette) after taking her out for ice real fun in the entire hour and half. with "Bulletproof," which, yes, came bad (try"'Rosemary's Baby,""Tii
ble-D breasts on his head. cream ... blah blat blab. I could go on "Little Nicky" is a film to be seen out after "Billy Madison" and "Happy Seed" or "The Omen"), Sandle Z
When the devil decides not to retire, about how the plot and the story have and immediately forgotten. It will Gilmore") and may be only replayed hielluva lot better comedian th,
Nicky's brothers disobey their father more holes than the number of one probably go down as on e of the low some Saturday afternoons on USA. smoking firepit that is "Little Ni
ington to Acappellooza!unites vocal groups
By Jennifer Jeltes "Acappellooza!" was the idea of Mark Supre
ti Daily Arts Writer the Publicity Manager for Dicks and Janes. A fte'Ql
National Finals in May, Mark contacted those a cap
Bell, Norr
tcollaborat
By Jim Schiff
Daily Arts Writer
An international trio of talents makes
its way to the Hill Auditorium on Friday
night. Violin sen-
sation Joshua Bell
will collaborate
with the Camerata
Joshua Acadetnica Salz-
Bell burg, conducted
by Sir Roger Nor-
Hill Auditorium rington. in what
Tonight at 8 is sure to be one
of the year's high-
lights.
Tine success of
S ithe CamerataAca-
demica Salzburg
is attributed to its
deep roots in
chamber music dialogue. Founded in
1951 by Bernhard Paumgartner, Nor-
rington took over the group's leadership
in 1997, after the death of conductor
Sandor Veghi. The Camerata boasts a
broad repertoire, but it pays particular
attention to the lesser-known works of
Mozart, masters of the Baroque period,
the entire Viennese classics and some
influential twentieth century composers.
Though frequently touring the globe,
the group has done a significant numb-er
of recordings for Capriccio. Decca and
Philips records.
Apart from the Camerata, Norrington
has had a remarkably accomplished
career. From a very early age, he began
to show his talents both with his voice
and the violin bow. After founding the
SchatznChoir in 1962, Norrington started
on what would be a thirty-ycar study
of historical perfortance practice. Con-
sequently, he has ample expertise in
period instruments, orcliestra size. seat-
ing and playing style.
Through the years, lie has recorded a
variety of composers' work, including
Hayden, Mozart and Beethoven. Nor-
rington has even made a name for him-
self in the Opera world: For 15 years he
was the conductor of the Kent Opera.
Currently, he is tlie ChieftConductor of
the Radio Sinfonie Orchester in Stutt-
gart and the Camerata.
At age 31, Joshua Bell has earned the
reputation of one of the world's lead-
ing musicians. Bom in Bloomington,
Indiana, Bell quickly rose to fame after
his orchestral debut with Riccardo Muiti
and the Philadelphia Orelnestra in 1981.
Since then, he has worked with the New
York Philhartonic, the Boston Sym-
phony and the Chicago Symphony, and
conductors such as Vladimir Asike-
nazy, Riccardo Ciailly and Roger Nor-
Joshua Bell will play Ann Arbor tonight.
rington. Bell's musical interests aren't
limited to classical violin literature. He
recently collaborated with his long-
time friend, bassist and composer Edgar
Meyer, to fonn a bluegrass quartet.
John Corigliano's Oscar-winning score
to "The Red Violin"talso featured Bell's
harrowing violin solos.
In performance, Bell is known to
exude calm confidence while envel-
oping the audience in his fantastic
sound. He will make his third IMS
appearance, with Norrington making
his fourth and the Camerata debuting at
Hill.
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