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About What's happening. (Eugene, OR) 1982-1993 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1985)
CINEMA. Songwriter Alan Rudolph's Songwriter is a frenetic, fast-paced comedy set in the world of country music. Willie Nelson stars as Doc Jenkins, a composer/musician/self-styled outlaw with a "burning commit ment to succeed by his wits with out stooping to work." Kris Kris tofferson is his best friend and old singing partner Blackie Buck, a country rocker who still tours even though Doc has given up the road for a cushy producer posi tion. Melinda Dillon is Honey Carder, retired country superstar and Doc's ex-wife. A good ten years of their lives together is cov ered in the opening credits se quence before the story starts in earnest, but the introduction sets the style and tone for the film as well as the background. The opening shot has Doc and Blackie performing together in a southern styled bar, but a split second be fore their faces come into view we see a beer bottle hurled into the Review chicken wire that surrounds the singers. Like this opening image we never know what to expect. Blackie narrates the sequence with an informal attitude that carries on through the whole film and in particular sets the eclectic narra tive approach. Whatever precon ceptions one might have had before coming in, Rudolph erases in quick bold strokes. This is his film all down the line. Songwriter is a clever satire of the music business and a celebra tion of the people at its heart — the singers and the songwriters. Doc is a particularly famous song writer, but he hasn't written a verse since signing an exclusive' contract with Nashville mogul Ro deo Rocky (Richard C. Sarafin), a wheeling-dealing entrepreneur who has Doc by the balls and won't let him go. Doc is content to play around in his music studio until Rocky digs the screws in. It turns out that Rocky owns the studio, the master tapes, Doc's personal cash flow and, in effect, Doc himself. No more alimony payments, no more dub tapes, no more money until Doc writes more songs or releases an album, and Doc refuses to let someone else take his songs. The plot gets a little compli cated after this, but it can be nice ly summed up in Doc's declaration to Blackie: T got cheated and I want to get even." This is no or dinary revenge tale, though, not from the hands of Alan Rudolph. He makes the most of the oppor tunities afforded in Bud Shrake's witty script with his eclectic ap proach and his fine ensemble cast. Nelson is a natural as the happy go-lucky Doc, and Kristofferson brings an easygoing presence to Blackie. But by far the most out standing (and funniest) perform ance belongs to Rip Torn, who plays the sleazy but admirable Dino McCliesh, a would-be mogul who just can't get it together. Torn has been an underrated actor all his career, but this is a particularly crazed performance, meshing per fectly with the assortment of char acters populating this tale. Ru dolph pulls the unique individual performances togetner (whICn in clude a genial singer played by Leslie Ann Warren and the sweet est of all people in Dillon's Honey Carder) into a great ensemble pre sentation almost as good as his last film Choose Me. There's a lot here, in fact, that merits comparison to Choose Me: the personal, honest style; the satirical wit that doesn't leave anything (or anyone) untouched; the humanism that allows you to like all of the characters —flaws and all. Songwriter may not be as slick or stylish as Choose Me but its energy and drive and sheer amiability put it in a different category. Topping it off is the music. You don’t have to like country to enjoy Kris and Willie crooning their country rock be cause they just have so much fun performing. Their enthusiasm is as infectious as their spontaneity. Songwriter is a welcome fea ture, a genuinely adult comedy that is witty, honest and intelli gent, a satire that isn't too venal so as to forget the innate beauty of its characters. It may not be as per fect or as formally beautiful as Choose Me, but I certainly haven't had as much fun at an American comedy in a long time. — SeanAxmaker Oregon Repertory Theatre presents: FINAL WEEKEND! F 4. ■ . Vp 1 . 1 p.’lended - "erforman. • s Only ySun. 24th 5 Cretter okdq a comedy by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, Ed Howard A hilarious send-up of nearly everything! Come prepared to have a good time! Directed by ORT’s guest artist Phil Scarpaci November 15-17; 20-23 At the Hult Center For Reservations 687-5000 Stop Making Sense, a performance film of The Talking Heads, opens this week at the Bijou. NOW SHOWING Agim Of God: A court-appointed psychiatrist (Jane Fonda) Investigates whether a young nun (Meg Tilly), charged with murdering her newborn baby, is capable of standing trial. Anne Bancroft plays the mother superior. McDonald (344-4343). Back to the Future: A boy trips back to the past, and meets the teenagers who'll become his parents. West 11th (342-4142) and Springfield Quad (726-9073). Bad Medicine: Comedy. A pre-med student fur thers his education at a shady foreign medical school. Stars Steve Guttenberg (Cocoon) and Alan Arkin. West 11th (342-4142). Death Wish III: Charles Bronson Is back on the streets, doing what he does best. Playing with Sweet Dreams at Mayflower (345-1022). Jagged Edge: Murder mystery. Glenn Close as a lawyer wondering whether her client deserves love or prison. Co-stars Jeff Bridges. Cinema World (342-6536). Kid Colter: Starts this week at Springfield Quad (726-9073) and West 11th (342-4142). King Solomon’s Mines: Adventure. Richard Chamberlain looks something like Indiana Jones while searching for African treasure. National (344-3431). National Lampoon’s European Vacation: Chevy Chase and family rip the continent. Playing with Summer Rental. Fine Arts (747-2201). Once Bitten: Comedy. Lauren Hutton plays a vampire in need of virgin blood. What, in Califor nia? Springfield Quad (726-9073). On Magic Christmas: Non-animated holiday fare from Disney. Starts this week at Springfield Quad (726-9073) and Valley River Twin (686-8633). Pes-Wee’s Big Adventure: TV nerd Fee-Wee Herman stumbles onto the silver screen, where he's out to recover stolen goods. Showing with Real Genius at Oakway (342-5351). Plenty: Meryl Streep as a woman reaching for much too much while sliding deeper and deeper. Playing at Cinema World (342-6536). Rainbow Bright end the Star Stealer: Animated feature for the little ones. West 11th (342-4142) and Springfield Quad (726-9073). Real Genius: A brilliant college prankster gets even with a nasty professor. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. With Pee-Wes’s Ng Adventure. Oakway (342-5351). Songwriter: Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson poke tun at the country music business. Lots of original songs round out this satire. Directed by Alan Rudolph (Choose Me). Cinema 7 (687-0733). Stop Making Sanaa: The performance film of wonder David Byrne and the Talking Heads. Starts this week at the Bijou (686-2458). The Stuff: Comedy. A very strange, delicious, yet evil dessert has a bizarre effect upon Its con sumers. Cinema World (342-6536). Summer Rental: John Candy takes his family for a stressful vacation at the beach. With National Lampoon’s European Vacation. Fine Arts (747-2201). Sweet Dreams: Jessica Lange portrays country western singer Patsy Cline. Co-stars Ed Harris. Plays with Death Wish III. Mayflower (345-1022). Target: A father and son search tor their ab ducted wife and mother. Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde) directs Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon. Springfield Quad (726-9073). That Was Than, This is New: Two boys grow up as brothers, then come to a time for change. Starring Emilio Estevez (The Breakfast Club, Repo Man), who also wrote the screenplay. Valley River Twin (686-8633). To Live and Die In LA.: Action-drama. Secret Service agents on the trail of a murderous counter feiter. Cinema World (342-6536). —Michael "Senseless" Sussman NENAT Arnimbk obt-ar. NOVEMBER 22-28 SONTL "A very fun, very entertaining movie” Gene SIskel SHOWS FRI & SAT 7:15 & 9:00 PM SUN thru THURS 6:45 & 8:30 PM SUN BARGAIN MATINEE 4:30 AND ALL SHOWS MONDAY $3.00 prime Rib dinn“s9s gitaxasynigns thetactory RESTAURANT' RESTAURANT1 4740 MAIN ST. SPMNGFHLD,ORECON 747-7900 T W J =9= Expires 12-31-85 Kitchen Korner CHEFS SPECIAL Acrylic combination pepper grinder & salt shaker... $9.95 Come in! Have some coffee and browse around. "For the Chef in all of Us!" In the Fifthpearl Building at the corner of Fifth and Pearl. 343-4170 Mon-Sat 10-5:30 • Sun 12-5 Validated Parking BIJOU 492 F 13th 186 2458 4 Blocks West of Campus Back By Popular Demand! 1 WEEK ONLY Must End Wed.. Nov. 27th Pha soe-ae vatea%, ‘AO"co g V.oN A.%P $83 N0 W DM 20 [SHOWTIMES: Nightly 7:30 6 9:30 General Adm. $3.75 Students w/ID $3.25 Miser Monday $3 Bargain Mat. Sat & Sun— 4 pm $3 Tuesday Nisht-FREE POPCORN Thurs 11:30 pm $2.50 V7AL Fri-Sat 11:30 pm $3.00 ‘*W9 Next: Dance With a Stranger P
