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About What's happening. (Eugene, OR) 1982-1993 | View Entire Issue (June 21, 1984)
CINEMA _ Review: Reuben, Reuben Directed by Robert Ellis Miller: screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, from the novel by Peter DeVries and the play "Spofford" by Herman Shumlin: starring Tom Conti. Kelley McGillis. Gowan McGland (Oscar nominee Tom Conti) is a Celtic poet who has layed down his pen for the podium, content with a modest existence sustained by the meager stipends garnered on the lecture circuit. He now finds himself slowly waking the sleepy East Coast academic community of Woodsmoke, speaking to women's literary clubs and seduc ing as many of its members as possible in between. Gowan is a fascinating figure of a man. With a perpetual half-day's growth and an almost constant state of in ebriation, he attracts women by the score, content to bed them and insult their husbands at dinner parties, almost as if it were a sim ple game to fight off boredom. Gowan's only real friends in this community are an old philo sopher farmer named Jack Spof ford (Jack Davidson) and his Scot tish sheep dog Reuben. It’s only fitting that Gowan loses his de tachment and actually falls in love with Spofford's beautiful grand daughter Geneva (Kelly McGillis), an innocent young woman who is intrigued with Gowan and at tempts to probe him psychologic ally, with little success. True love seems to bring some real meaning into Gowan's life, but the price he pays seems to be retribution from God, ironic but ill-timed poetic justice. Conti brings the character of Gowan alive in a tremendous per formance that has the audience loving this figure of indolence and sloth. This is a man who steals tips off of restaurant tables and basic ally leeches off anyone in the com munity with money, but his bare ly concealed contempt and cyni cism seems refreshingly honest up against the preening, hypocritical academic community he moves around in. Gowan's behavior is almost a protest, albeit one he en joys. His biting sarcasm and sub tle wit exposes a high intelligence that he tries to hide with alcohol and sex. One really wonders what, though, Gowan is protest ing against or hiding from. He gives us no clues, but that's part of the fun of him. Gowan is the key to the story. Though well portrayed, none of the other characters approach his wit or charisma except for Spof ford, who is on the screen for too little time. Though Geneva is the more important character, Spof ford is much more interesting than she. Reuben, Reuben is an intelli gently written, sophisticated drama with two fascinating char acters, great dialogue and some wonderful humor. Conti's spot light performance is just one reason to see the film. —Sean Axmaker Review: Streets of Fire Directed by Walter Hill: written by Walter Hill and Larry Gross: starring Michael Pare. Diane Lane, Rick Moranis, Amy Madigan. Take the neo-noir atmosphere of Blade Runner and drop it into the Manhattan Island prison of Es cape from New York: that's a fair approximation of the setting for Streets of Fire, a curious amalgam of fifties and eighties that moves to the steady beat of rock 'n roll. Hill's film is a simple adventure tale. The characters are only mar ginally sketched out, but there isn't any need for real people in this story. There's only good and evil. Raven (William Dafoe) is evil. He leads a motorcycle gang known as the Bombers, who kid nap rock singer Ellen Aim (Diane Lane). Tom Cody (Michael Pare) is good. He and sidekick McCoy (Amy Madigan) trek into Bomber territory and get her out. Simple, isn't it? Streets moves along quickly to a pounding rock beat provided by Ry Cooder and various guest ar tists. Hill knows how to stage ac tion and he does it well here. Stripped bare of any thematic meaning, all that's left here is the aesthetics of speed, violence and music. With attractive set design and a curious costume design that combines eighties punk and fifties styles, the film is attractive and in teresting on a surface level, yet Hill makes it all work. The energy level stays pumped up throughout and the action comes fast and ex pertly choreographed. Cody is an ideal hero—reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's classic westerns. Though he can't quite fill Eastwood's shoes, Pare makes a valiant attempt, and the rifle he totes seems almost a tip of the hat to Eastwood. This is myth, pure and simple, on a level so abstract that it doesn't go much beyond pure good and evil. Cody is Han Solo with a harder edge, a hero for the inner city. Walter Hill keeps the pace fast and furious without pausing for simple things like characterization or motivation, but none is needed. Except for some major dialogue inanities. Streets works on exactly the level it is trying for—the aesthetics of sound and image and the power of myth. —Sean Axmaker Street Market 17th & Lincoln 344-1803 Fresh Ground Coffee Hours: 9am-ll pm Sun.-Thurs. 9 am-Midnight Fri. & Sat. Cat's Meow Jazz & Blues Corner ( sa Jazz & Blues, REGAE & Gospel Records Books, Tapes & CollecTOR’s Accessories In rhe Fifrhpe arI BuildiNg Fifrk & PEARL • EUGENE 686-8742 QVTIE DBJJE RC STRINGED D 1 DAAAMIVA INSTRUMENTS 1417% Olive #2 484-0615 Meet The Challenge — Stephen's new Challenger electric A great look, a bold sound at an astonishingly low price Play it now and hear why we re Eugene's custom guitar shop What's Happening's Summer '84 VISITOR GUIDE is the place to advertise your business! CALL 484-0519 r “Let Them Eat Cake” Sale Super Savings on Eugene’s Finest Granolas. Available at most local stores or visit our bakery. Solstice Bakery Collective 350 E. Third, Eugene, Oregon 97401 &INEAAT 8673733 Eugene Premier June 22-28 Kamilla "Kamilla is real life from a wom an's eye view. A rare and mem orable portrait with gentle humor and unusual sensitivity," says S.F. Chronicle. Set at the end of World War II and told from the point of view of Kamillo (beaut ifully acted by Nina Knapskog), a 7-year-old who watches the break up of her middle class family. Ms. Lokkeberg, who also wrote the screenplay, stars as Kamilla's mother in this loving, bittersweet film. Shows Fri.-Sat. at 7:30 & 9:30 pm Sun-Thurs at 8:00 pm only All shows Sunday at reduced admission with 2:00 pm matinee FINAL WEEK! “REUBEN, REUBEN ... is cer tainly reason enough for a grown-up to go back to the movies again.” — Richard Corliss. TIME MAGAZINE eabet EXXZEEEEEEEEEEE KKKKKLL DONT MISS THIS INTELLIGENT COMEDY shout a slightly over-the-hill Welsh poet Gowan McGland (imagine Dylan Thomas & Brendan Behan combined!) who is on the northeastern college lecture circuit charming just about everyone he meets An AMAZING bit of trivia the screenplay is by Julius ) Epstein, who with his brother Phillip. won an Academy Award in 1943 for the script of CASABLANCA!! FFTTTT Twn’d WCRTuA/itAs tH I1 (TRIAra/*" COMPANY are AW"ASASOPODUCTON TOM CONTI Oscar Nominee Sun.-Thur. 7:00 & 9:00 Fri. & Sat. 7:25 & 9:30 Sat.-Sun. Bargain Matinee 4 pm >KZEL Welcomes Bijou Late Nite 980 Willamette St. DOWNTOWN EUGENE 485-2729 _ _ 683-2215 Classes begin July 2nd Parent/Child Mon 9:30-10:30 a.m. Children’s Dance (4-6) Mon 10:30-11:30 a.m. Children’s Dance (7-9) Wed 1:45-2:45 p.m. Jazz III (Chicago Style) Tu&Th 5:00-6:15 p.m. JazzI Sat 10:15-11:30 a.m. Basic Dance Sat 9:00-10:15 a.m. Modern! M&W 5:00-6:15 p.m. Modern 11 M&W 8:00-9:15 p.m. Modern III Tu&Th 8:00-9:15 p.m. Modern IV Tu&Th 6:30-7:45 p.m. Qualified students will have performance in end-of-season concert. COUN Take the bus for free from downtown Eugene right to the Fair’s entrance! For more information 345-1163 July 13,14 & 15 in Veneta ... near Eugene The Pacific Northwest’s finest display of Crafts, Entertainment, Good Food, the Energy Park and the Community Village Admission Friday $4.00 Sat. and Sun. $5.00
