AT:MICHIGAN Peter Fonda returns from obscurity to star in 'Ulee's Gold,' garnering rave reviews in the process. Playing tonight Wednesday at 9:15 and Thursday at 7. July 9, 1997 Pynchon makes comeback with 'Mason & Dixon' Mason & Dixon Wicks Cherrycoke, follows the activ- mechanical duck and an angry, everything. He writes profusely on ness for detail. The opening2 Thomas Pynchon ities of Charles Mason and Jeremiah cheese. astronomy, geometry, 18th century pages mostly deal with the title ch Henry Holt and Co.. Dixon, the two English astronomers Such imaginative and colorful char- religious and political history, philos- acters' voyage to South Africa,G **** and surveyors whose work produced acters grace this book with humor and ophy, narcotics, coffee and cooking. run much longer than necessary. A 250 ar- a An How many lines affect us on a daily basis? There are the geographic kind - county, state and national. But there also run other, less-defined lines - racial, economic, rural and urban. Then there is the bloodiest barrier in American history, dividing the North and the South. These invisible manmade lines and the tragedies accompanying them provide the theme of Thomas Pynchon's "Mason & Dixon," a strange and magical novel over- whelming in its style, grand humor and infinite breadth of knowledge. The story, narrated by the Rev. the notorious North-South boundary bearing their names. But this is no straightfor- ward tale of his- ® torical fiction. '°= M Familiar fig- ures like G e o r g e Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Samuel Johnson materialize in the narrative for cameo appearances, but more noteworthy visits come from the likes of the seductive Vroom sis- ters, a farmer who turns into a large beaver, a smiling eel, a horny charm. The Learned English Dog speaks with more wisdom and elo- quence than his human counter- parts The black Jewish slave held by provides comic relief, but also a discomforting window to the barriers Pynchon laments. "Yet ifa Jew cooking pork is a Marvel, what of-a Negroe, working a Room?" Washington asks. When not posing such questions, Pynchon proves he is an expert on Not only is Pynchon's knowledge of these topics astonishing, but he describes them with Language, Spelling and Syntax archaic and abstruse - d__ed fond of Capitalizing the first Letters of ran- dom Words, censoring his own Profanity and using Punctuation of a most unusual Sort ...? If it wasn't for Pynchon's Fielding- like language, the book would lose its meandering sense of authenticity and sentiment. Pynchon's writing style is not as difficult to follow as some of the topics he favors. "Mason & Dixon" too often falls prey to Pynchon's tendencies toward digres- sion, dead-end sequences and fond- strangely, it wasn't until very late in the book that I felt fondness for or personal connection with the main characters. Yet, soaring above these flaws, "Mason & Dixon" can confidently be labelled a contemporary masterwork. Its pithy closing lines encapsulate the promise of America and the transi- tions of generations in a brutal and beautiful promised land, where "T Stars are so close you won't need a Telescope." But Pynchon never lets these stars shine too brightly. Because, as the villainous Wolf of Jesus predicts, "Walls are to be the Future." - Jeff Eldridge 'Speed 2' faiL By Bryan Lark Daily Arts Writer "Relationships based on extreme cir- cumstances never work out' repeated Annie Porter throughout 1994's mega- hit "Speed," even as she was falling in love with maverick Jack Traven on a doomed bus controlled by the whim of a madman. Similarly, sequels based on extreme box-office success and severe studio greed also never work out. Perhaps the makers of "Speed 2: Cruise Control" should have heeded Annie's advice and left this soggy sequel in dry dock. Less than seaworthy, "Cruise" concerns Annie's (Sandra Bullock) dream vacation with hunky daredevil cop No. 2, Alex (Jason Patric), after calling it quits with Jack. With an uncanny record for being in the wrong place at the wrong time that is beginning to rival Bruce Willis's, Annie's funship cruise is taken over by disgrun- tIed cruise worker Geiger (Willem Dafoe), who was dismissed from his software design post for being critically ill and, presumably, just a little too bug- eyed. Geiger threatens to run the ship straight into the island of St. Maarten if someone fails to comply. That some- one turns out to be Alex, who tries to s to match original film * keep the passengers, especially Annie, flair for special effects and ensemble from the whim of this particular mad- disaster-pic acting, "Speed 2" forgot man. that it was supposed to be an entertain- If this sounds all too familiar, that's ing movie that could stand on its own. because it is a carbon, Caribbean copy of Instead, it is a mass-produced piece of the first "Speed" excursion -- crazy studio fare, the kind that independent guy takes over speeding vehicle, girl gets cinema was created to remedy, that fea- on vehicle by chance, other guy tries to tures Bullock in a lacy frock and Patric slow down vehicle, crazy guy kidnaps on requisitely handsome heroic autopi- girl, mass destruction, girl gets tied up by lot attempting to thwart the plans o@ crazy guy, crazy guy dies, cute kissing leech-sucked psycho while things scene, fade out. explode, get shredded and just plain Under the impression that stealing the speed up. plot wasn't Still, "Speed 2" is enough, "Cruise" marginally enjoy- also steals itself R E V I E W able, what with some sSeotecee peed 2; Cruise rather innovative some of the clever 10 irreverence and Control action sequences sharp self-mock- involving the slow- ing wit that was a At Briarwood ing of the ship hallmark of the way of an oil tanW original, though and an island par- transformed here into forced one-liners adise, plus the sight of spunky Little and an unfunny Tim Conway cameo. Miss Sandy wielding a chainsaw in a Though primarily shooting aboard cocktail dress. the cruise ship, erstwhile action wizard What is most upsetting though is that Jan DeBont utilizes every major form of these people are stuck in this out-of- transportation except pogo sticks to give control mess - we paid for it out of our us the super-action and computer graph- own extreme circumstance of being ics wizardry audiences apparently now strapped for entertainment. crave. And, predictably, our relationship Trying so hard to out-do its predeces- with "Speed 2: Cruise Control" ne* sor and impress its audience with its even had a chance of working out. Don't Panic!! If you think you're pregnant... call us-we listen, we care. PROBLEM PREGNANCY HELP 769-7283 Any time, any day, 24 hours. Fully confidential. Serving Students since 1970.