The Michigan Daily - WedaI 4c. - Thursday, October 12, 1995 - 3B Epic film genre lights up screen with magic releases DEAN BAKOPOULOS Sound and Fury "Here's my soul on side B." That's what a friend of mine says about mix tapes, they're ourgeneration'smost intimate way of communicating. This same friend doesn'thaveane-mail account. Shewrites me letters. In longhand. They come by U.S. mail. Into a box. It's really a novel idea. But sadly, she's quite behind in communication technology. Our genera- tion has a novel way of communicating (mix tapes and e-mail), and that shines a bitoflightonourattitudesandrelationships. You know all about mix tapes. They are strings of broken promises and faded memories on Maxell. They collect under carseats and in underweardrawers. They haunt you like a plague years afterwards when certain songs don't allow you to forget that ex-lover, ex-friend or ex-fatal attraction. But it's our generation's form ofpoetry. Take a delicately arranged col- lection of songs from your favorite CDs, and there you have it: a bold, touching declaration of love and loyalty in 90 min- utes. Curtandterseandimpersonal. Some- one else's words. It's the same way with e-mail. The act of physicaly writing a letter, enclosing photos and clippings, and addressing an envelope are gone. Now we send cutesy three-line messages via e-mail and re- spond at least once a day. They are curt and terse and impersonal. Your own words, true but restrained enough to pub- lish on the Internet, and meaningless 'enough for you to find the inspiration behind them in a campus computing cen- ter. What if this impersonal communica- tion disorder had existed throughout the centuries? For example, if the classic Shakespearean lovers Romeo and Juliet had communicated through e-mail: To:juliet@estate.capulet.com From: bigragu@montague.edu Subject: Wherefore art thou? Text: Juliet- Just letting you know I hadagreattimeatyourparty. Itwasgreat fun. Maybe we can get together some- time, eh? Gotta run. Have a BIO exam.:) >smile< -Romeo Or what about mix tapes? What if, say, Cyrano de Bergerac relied on our use of dubbing to paint a portrait of his love for Roxanne? Imagine the scenario: Cyrano: Uh, Roxanne? I made you this. Roxanne: Ooh, a mix tape. Cyrano: You know, I know I'm notthe best-looking guy around, but I feel very strongly about you, as you should gather from side A. Roxanne: Oh Cyrano, you put the Po- lice song on here that's got my name on it! Tee-hee! Oh, I love you! I love you! Cyrano: Uh, I havetorun Roxanne. I'll e-mail you later. The revolutionarypossibilities areend- less, ifonly our generation's communica- tion technology had arrived earlier. Pic- ture Jesus condensing the gospels onto a 90-minute audio tape collection of his favorite songs. It'd be much easier to understand. Picture the wars that could have been averted with an apologetic mix tapes. "General, call off the air raids. The enemy's made us a mix tape with Jim Croce onit. That's a surrender if I've ever seen one." Maybe some of our manic depressive cultural icons wouldhave been spared via e-mail. Maybe Ernest Hemingway wouldn't have killed himself ifhe could have sent an e-mail message out on a Drunken Writers electronic chat room: "This is Papa. I am sad. It rains. I have a gun and I am broken and lonely and bitter." Sooner or later, some other writer may have come to his aid on-line: "Hey, Papa. It's me, Steinbeck. <>:) Feel better?" Sounds silly, doesn't it. Well it is. It's silly to think that three-line messages with cute symbols for smiles and hugs can replace the genuine emotions of ac- tual human interaction. It's silly to think that a collection of someone's favorite songs is the closest many people come to an intimate correspondence. But we're a silly and impersonal generation. That's why people are checking e-mail at any given hourofday or night on this campus. It's the way we talk, and it's a bit disturb- ing to technophobes like me. Leave me a message. Fax me. Page me. Keep it im- personal and brief. Make me a mix tape. Buy a Hallmark card. Declare your feel- ings with someone else's words. "Here's By Joshua Rich Daily Film Editor Part of the magic of motion pic- tures is that they frequently manage to transport us into another place or time. Sometimes we achieve this voy- age when we adopt a character's per- sonality; sometimes a setting so alien and different from anything known today engulfs us in all its intricacies and grandeur. On rare occasions throughout movie history, films of the latter nature have been crafted. Initially, we may re- member the classic epics of Cecil B. DeMille - "The Ten Command- ments" or "Cleopatra" - as examples of this trend. Yet other filmmakers have pre- sented motion pictures with like splen- dor and historical value. For example, Stanley Kubrick brought us "Spartacus" in 1960 and then "Barry Lyndon" in 1975; David Lean fol- lowed his triumph in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) with many large-scale productions ending with 1984's "A Passage to India." Unfortunately, this genre of film creation has, with few exceptions, been rather inert since the days of De Mille' s grand historical productions. Moreover, in the past few years (es- pecially since 1990's Oscar-winning western, "Dances with Wolves") we have had a great dearth in the amount of epics emanating from Hollywood and elsewhere. This year, however, has seen a rela- tive flood in the amount of large- scale, richly-designed historical mov- ies released. Three such films have enjoyed a ride on this fierce tide, al- though they have all met with (to put it kindly) limited success. The most profitable and arguably the best member of the lot was "Braveheart." Mel Gibson's beauti- ful and gruesome film stood out from the rest of this crop with intelligent acting by a cast of relative unknowns, sumptuously exquisite locations and cinematography, and stunning battle scenes. The sappy and unsuccessful Sean Connery-Richard Gere-Julia Ormond (who is she?) star vehicle "First Knight" also came out this past sum- mer of 1995. This film is so shallow and dumb that, from what I hear, it makes even more sense when dubbed in French and suave Dick Gere is heard saying: "Madame Guinevere, je t'aime!" But the whole trend began early in the 1995 season with the release of the historical Scottish fable "Rob Roy," available on video this week. On the surface, this film seems to be a multi- million-dollar excuse to put mega-popu- lar celebrities like Liam Neeson, Jes- sica Lange and Tim Roth on the big screen again. Instead, it actually winds up a touching tale of love and determi- nation. And hopefully it will help re- kindle the style of entertaining and edu- cational epic cinema that has been ab- sent for much too long. Other recent releases include: "Casper" - This flick features a post-pubescent Christina Ricci hangin' with a post-"Last Seduction" Bill Pullman to try to understand just what is with that pesky little white guy. "Destiny Turns on the Radio" - God Tarantino plays a magical genie- like guy who helps loser Jim Belushi (in his signature role) get back on top. Hey, Quentin, a word to the wise: Stick to directing. "Eriday" - One of the last surviv- ing members of the eloquent and po- etic rap posse N.W.A., Ice Cube stars in another weak film capitalizing on the success of John Singleton's "Boyz N the Hood." After all, who needs a plot or decent acting when you can sample classic tunes from George Clinton and Sly Stone? "Tommy Boy" - Wait. I forgot. Which pathetic, stupid "Saturday Night Live" cast member stars in this embarrassing excuse for a movie? Is it Adam Sandler? David Spade? Oh, please God, NO! Or Chris Farley? Yep. That's it. Now what do I win? Hopefully a chance to correct all the great wrongs and cardinal sins of my life and pretend like I never had to watch this drivel in the first placer "Village of the Damned" - No joke: This movie actually stars Chris- topher Reeve. Enough said. Uam Neeson is epic ... In a kilt. " FREE Laundry Bags " 120 Washer & Dryers Bulk Dry * Attendant always Cleaning on Duty Open 24hrs. IT'S MILNOR 31dy TIM E! Every Wednesday Washers $1.50a N In Colonial i Lanes Plaza " " 1958 S. Industrial Charbroiled Burgers & Chicken Weekday In-House Specials Homemade Soup Columbo Frozen Yogurt Try Our Cereal, Candy, & Fruit Shakesi Sandwiches " Salads Buffalo Wings * Chili * Fries Smoke Free Environment Open 7 Days a Dine In or Carry Out Evening Campus Area Delivery 812S. State Street 769-5650 Motor Town Juke Boys "White Folks Havin' Fun" I-- Tapes and CD's Exclusively Available at Schoolkids Records E. Liberty Ann Arbor, Ml VILLAGE CRNER Ann ro~ B EST IUR t9- 1995 P OP' e. to hurs. aiam rv Sat. S4m - 2am S. Forest' t S. Univ. 995-1818 Goldman, Sachs & Co. invites University of Michigan undergraduates to explore the many opportunities for professional growth within the firm. Monday, October 16, 1995 Opportunities in the Investment Banking Division 5:30 p.m., The Michigan Union, The Pendelton Room Casual dress. Wednesday, November 15, 1995 Opportunities in the Information Technology Department 7:00 p.m., The Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Building, Room 1005 Casual dress. m I