ARTS Wednesday, June 19, 1985 4 Page 8 The Michigan Daily 'Prizzi' suffers from disheveled tone By Byron L. Bull OF THE PEOPLE I know who've - seen Prizzi's-Honor a small per- centage seem to have genuinely liked it; a larger number really hated it; and the great majority seems com- pletely ambivalent, liking it initially only to grow disenchanted, if not enraged by the end. Any film that deals with a love affair between two professional killers is unlikely to strike an agreeable chord with many people to begin with, and director John Huston's uneven handling of the film's tone-a crucial element in a film with such a touchy premise-blows most of the true charm the film might have had. Prizzi's Honor rolls out initially as a clever little black romantic comedy about a hard-nosed mafia hitman, Charley Partanna (Jack Nicholson), a dogfaced, streetwise Brooklyn thug who is completely enchanted by Irene Walker (Kathleen Turner), a smart, sexy, sophisticated California lady, who it turns out is in the same line of work. Their romance is handled with disconcertingly cursory, if not sloppy, brevity by Huston. Not ten minutes in- to the movie, the two are in bed and married, skipping through initial courting with a few cheap laughs. Huston provides scant ingredients for chemistry between the two and then abruptly thickens the plot with melodramatic heaviness. True, both are eminently likable, quirky characters. Nicholson plays Charley with an engagingly warped sense of caricature, with a thick See UNEVEN, Page 9 Records I 4 4 0 Jack Nicholson (right) stars as Charley Partanna, a hard-nosed Mafia hitman who is completely enamoured of Irene Walker, played by Kathleen Turner (left), of the same profession. Although the two hit- people hit it off pretty well, their brands of humor are confoundingly at odds. The Knitters - Poor Little Critter on the Road (Slash) A hoot. This record is a hoot. I don't know why Country and Western music is now synonymous with the overproduced material by Kenny Rogers and Alabama. It wasn't always that way. Country and Western once meant Johnny Cash singing "I Walk the Line," or Ray Charles. Turning a country radio station on today is enough to make one almost dispense with the entire genre. Whiney, slick songs looking to cross over onto the Top-40 charts bat- tle Elvis and Willy Nelson for space. Kenny Rogers isn't country, dam- mit. He wears a suit, and probably cologne even. He trims his beard. Kenny Rogers can't convince me he was ever...poor, or lonely, or even drunk. Blue jeans on Kenny Rogers seem like an affectation. Well, hell, The Knitters aren't coun- try either really. Exene Cervenka, John Doe, and D. J. Bonebrake (along would lead one to believe. Doe has with producer John Doe) are better emotional range, a full voice with a known as Los Angeles post-punk band controlled, manly tremble that X, and Dave Alvin, well he's almost sucker-punches the listener. Exene's country, he's in The Blasters. John vocals are more spirited than Ray Bartel, who plays stand-up bass, musical, but she too exhibits a range I ain't never heard of, and I ain't untapped by her work in X. In X, heard of his band the D.l's either. Exene at times verged on an odd sort But even if they aren't real country of spirituality with her foghorn country, The Knitters revive elemen- howl/wail harmonies. Here she ts of Country and Western music that exhibits an earthy little-girl jubilan- have been conspicuously absent - ce. specifically drive, a sense of humor, The Knitter's bring a vital, energetic and underneath it all a sort of mour- sensibility to Country and Western nful, pofolks mentality that says, music. "Poor Little Critter on the "Well, hell, why not make music - Road" moves like a highballing train, we got nothin' better to do." as does "The Call of the Wrecking Instrumentally The Knitters are Ball." Other songs sashay. "Love terrific. D. J. Bonebrake's drumming Shack" just bounces. is surprisingly authentic, although It's hard to believe how well John I'm sure that the demands made on Doe sells Merle Haggard's "Silver him aren't extraordinary. Bartel's Wings." The ballads seem so genuine bass lines are clunky and driving. so gut. Doe's acoustic guitar work is good, The inclusion of X's "The New and Dave Alvin's electric work is World" gives the listener a taste of tremendous. Alvin fires up the band what the Knitters began from. This with bright, clear, and simple slowed down, slightly countrified ver- guitar work on the upbeat numbers, sion of X's quasi-anthemic rant has a and mournful moans on the ballads. new verve and venom, albeit a venom Vocally Doe and Exene are quite different from that of the technically better than the X records See RECiORDSPas pes 4 w . F.dty