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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1987)
At the movies 'Hollywood Shuffle' offers hilarious comedy Entrance into the gilded halls of Hollywood still re quires eating crow, and the re cent Robert Townsend release, ‘‘Hollywood Shuf fle.” spells out the system's foibles in definitive detail. Review by Jackie Barry A hilarious comedy, it’s the story of an aspiring black ac tor, Bobby Taylor (played by Robert Townsend), and his struggle against stereotyped roles. Townsend acted most recently in "Ratboy,” and also played in “A Soldier’s Story." He produced, directed and helped write the screenplay for "Hollywood Shuffle,” his first official ef fort in these areas. In "Hollywood Shuffle." Taylor auditions for the leading role in an upcoming production from Tinsel Town Pictures called "liveman Jimmy's Revenge." If he gets the role, he'll play a street pimp: "jive, tough... Mur phonic.” the producers tell him. Taylor vacillates in his resolve to get this rule as he runs interference with his boss at the Winky Dinky Dog hot-dog stand (where he wears a white cap adorned with hornlike hot dog halves) and fields advice from co-workers, family and fellow actors. One co-worker criticizes Taylor for what he thinks are pipe dreams “You got an op portunity here.” he tells Taylor of his job at Winky Dinky Dog. “After five years, they let me lock up the place!” Peopled by a talented group called the Hollywood Shuffle Players, performances by Taylor's boss (John Withers poon) and his co-workers (l.udie Washington and I)amon VVayans) were par ticularly great, but most other supporting players were ex cellent also. The script, by Townsend and keenan Wayans. stacked up episodes from Taylor's real life and his day dreams, blen ding cliches and caricatures in a riotous fashion. One daydream depicted a commercial for the first black acting school where black ac tors and actresses can learn how to jive walk and talk frum talented token whites. Another daydream shows Townsend and another player as hosts of "Sneakin' In the Movies." on which they rate any movies they've been able to sneak into during the week. Townsend's crew blended a variety of film stocks and fast paced editing into visually dynamic entertainment. The editing also adds a few comic touches of its own, as in a dream sequence depicted the two-faced white producers of "Jiveman Jimmy’s Revenge." 'Assault' unconventional, unflinching Eddie Murphy s back "The Assault " showing at the Bijou is just that; an unflinching assault on convention, morals, betrayal, sacrifice and human motivation, all put to the acid test in this poignant tale of World War II Review by Mary Courtis Anton or "Tonny” is a 12-year-old Dutch boy waiting out the war and winter with his parents and brother Peter. Food is scarse. fuel scant and morale low. But the family clings together and to the hope that by remaining non-commital and avoiding the Germans, they can survive this time of conflict. Then fate throws them a cruel curve. Kake Pleug, a German collaborator and suspected cut throat. is shot on their street and their next door neighbors move the body in front of Tonny’s house. Tonny and the rest of his family are arrested, their house torched and more than 20 prisoners brutally shot on the site. The next day he learns his parents have been exec uted and the Germans bundle the boy off to Amsterdam where he has an uncle. Shortly afterwards the war ends and the rest of the movie focuses on the next -to years of Tunny's life as he at tempts to exorcise his psychological demons and make sense of what happened to himself and his family on lhal fateful night In this regard. Tunny’s pilgrimage is a sad and often suprising one. Through his eyes and later experiences we come to see that observations, which seemed obvious at first, are really ambiguous, and true motivations not so easy to pin down. Why do people act the way they act in war? This thoughtful movie suggests the answer to this question is complex and only half understood even in retrospect. "The Assault” pro ves it is an important film by showing the line between vie* tim and villan is a thin one and blame as relative as morality. "The Assault" shows nightly at the Bijou through Thursday. After receiving little critical acclaim fur his rule in the movie "GoldenChild." Kddie Murphy has humoruusly dancer! his way back on top in the newly releas ed action-comedy. "Beverly Hills Cop II " Murphy, who has been on a rollercoaster career ride since his first film success."4H Hours." in 10811. is again riding high as he is joined by favorite members of the original cast from "Beverly Hills Cop I." This time around, like last time, Murphy's shenanigans are supported by a seasoned group of co-actors. Some of the movie’s finest moments again include the hilarious antics of Rosewood (fudge Kinehold) and Taggart (John Ashton). These two. much Iikt> l.aurel and Mar dv. never Minin to know what's going OH as they struggle to find the answers Itehiml the attempted murder of their boss, Lieutenant Bogomil. Rosewood is still Taggart's naive second-man hut a new twist finds him obsessed with heavy weaponry which accen tuates his shy character just enough to grab laughs. Rosewood attempts ill advised counseling which sounds more like slapstick comedy. Together the two are as helpless as Siamese twins doing the backstroke. Then Axel Foley (Murphy) shows up! Personals PROBLEMS? 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