Page 8-The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 11, 1991 De Palma does wrong stuff The Bonfire of the Vanities dir. Brian De Palma by Gregg Flaxman t seems ironic that Brian De Palma, whose directorial style is the cinematic equivalent of the most tumid, bloated prose, should have chosen a novel of such pop-journal- istic style as Tom Wolfe's The Bon- fire of the Vanities to bring to the screen. The result of the unlikely confrontation between De Palma and the novel is a film with all the deft- ness of the average Three Stooges production. Apart from Peter Fal- low's (Bruce Willis) sparse narration of the story that is presented in one enormous flashback, The Bonfire of the Vanities captures startlingly lit- tle of the spirit of Wolfe's novel. The film is barren of both subtlety and satire. As the already drunk Fallow be- gins to reflect on the tale that brought him his story and his fame - that of Sherman McCoy (Tom Hanks), Wall Street Baron and Mas- ter of the Universe - it's difficult to avoid that sliding, dreadful feeling that De Palma and screenwriter Michael Cristofer have completely disregarded the nuances of Wolfe's novel. Sherman, married, uptown man that he is, gayly and somewhat secretly cuckolds with also-married Maria Ruskin (Melanie Griffith). But when the two take a wrong turn in the Bronx one fateful evening on the way back from the airport, they leave a martyr - an injured African-American teenager - in their asphalt wake. Slimy Mayoral candidate Abe Weiss (F. Murray Abraham) and demigogue Reverend Bacon (John Hancock) demand a scapegoat - and nothing less than an affluent, white stock-broker will See BONFIRE, Page 9 If ~II The University of Michigan SCHOOL OF MUSIC . w a : , i'. K ' i' i. !' ' N g . t .g . r r i Sun. Jan. 13 Fri. Jan. 18 Stearns 2+2+2 Winter Lecture Series: "Trumpet Talk" lecture/recital by Armand Ghitalla School of Music Recital Hall, 2 p.m. Faculty Piano Recital by Arthur Greene Mozart: Sonata in C Major, K 330 Chopin: Ballade No 4 in f minor Scriabin: Eight Etudes, Op. 42 Ives: Sonata No. 2, "Concord, Mass. 1840- 1860 School of Music Recital Hall, 4 p.m. "Biomechanics and Physiology in Musical Performance" Lecture by Dr. Frank Wilson, neurologist and author of Tone Deaf and All Thumbs? School of Music Recital Hall, 4:30 p.m. Collage Concert School of Music ensembles and soloists, in conjunction with the 46th Midwestern Confercnce on School Vocal and Instrumental Music Hill Auditorium, 8:15 p.m. Conference Admission at 7:30 p.m. General Admission at 7:55 p.m. Michigan Youth Symphony Donald Scleicher, conductor 46th Midwestern Conference on School Vocal and Instrumental Music Dvorak: Symphony No. 8 in G Major Hill Auditorium, 11 a.m. Agree. Disa ree? What's your opiniont The Daily wants to hear from you. Send or bring letters-to the Student Publications Building at 420 Maynard Street. Or, you can bring in letters on Macintosh disk or send - them via MTS to "Michigan Daily." Rich guy Sherman McCoy (Tom Hanks) gladly accepts a shot of hooch from drunk reporter Peter Fallow Willis) after finding out that the train don't stop at Park Avenue. VI WRITE FOR ARTS!!! CALL 763-0379!!!! I 1 j - +Y G . } 1 ;u 0 PONCHO-SANCHEZt L A T I N J A Z Z nJi an Eclins Jazz Preenttio 'S Sat. Jan. 19 I %waff w mb-%O'wgv%.,%O, %,%A60.0. a 1 %0%0%08 ISSA60%olf I February 3, 1991 x .r r t X _!4 +ti . . Aerial Dance Company Tickets $5 (763-5460) Dance Building, Studio A, 8 p.m. All events free unless specified. Wheelchair accessible. For up-to-date information on School of Music Events, call the 24-Hour Music Hotline - 763-4726 Mendelssohn Theater 0 NEA at 8pm 'f. Tickets and all' available at the Michigan Union Ticket Office Ticketmaster outlets or call 763-TKTS. ( I- NEEDTHESE? FIND THIS O SHELF TAG Pal189 o RE UIRED p TITLEF PUBL "EDITION PROFS______________ 0 0 Course, Course Number O ~SectionO 01 1 HERE! Michigan Union Bookstore rxf , I #,' ,I Notice i Effective January 2, 1991, the Undergraduate Library will become a smoke-free building. The reason for this change: There have been continual problems with smoke from the basement study room reaching other parts of the building causing difficulty for students and staff in these areas. The University Plant Department has determined that the air circulation system in the building makes it impossible to prevent this from occurring. In accordance with University policy on smoking in campus facilities and current policy in other campus libraries, on January 2, smoking will no longer be permitted anywhere in the building. We ask your understanding and cooperation. .J ib f eI ,4 I