OCT 21-NOV 2 13th and Kincaid Mon-Fri 7:30-6 Saturday 10-6 Phone 3464331 FOR 1 N V 1T A T IONS BROCHURES FLYERS r o s r i: r s RESUMES AND M <) R K Graphics iTfc 300 ( King’s latest another disappointment Needful Things by Stephen King Viking Press, 1991 690 pages Hardcover price: $24.95 ir 1/2 * tfu «! •-*' •« • r a !»*•»•• t • • • »•*•> 1h« *<-» • * • » • ►»»< pif* M«•» It's sad but not surprising that Stephen King's latest effort. Needful Things, is u disappointment. His most recent books. Tour Past Midnight and The l).irk Half, went similarly bad, consisting of contrived plots and flat, uninspired characters And now Naedful Things becomes the latest addition to what has become a streak of bad King tnioks. The book bills itself us "The Last Cast le Rock Story.” referring to the fictional Maine town that has been the setting for a dozen or so of King's i>ooks and short stories. Castle Kock has been the home of a rabid tfog (Cu)o). a psycho cop ('Ihe Dead Zone) and four kids who walk some train tracks looking for a dead body (The Botly and the film version .Stand by Me). in short, The Kock has been good — if a little strange — to King and his faithful readers, which is why It's too bad ho ( hose to say goodbye to the town with a book as awful as this one. The story's had guy is [.aland Gaunt, who opens Needful Things, a supposedly charming and quaint downtown shop. Gaunt's shop has anything his customers want a personally autographed 1956 Sandy Koufax baseball card, a windup racetrack that picks winning horses for its owner; and a pair of blvis Presley’s sunglasses that magically transport a woman to sexual liaisons with the king of rock 'n' roll. Gaunt's customers pay ridiculously low cash prices for their treasures But in closing tho deals, the proprietor somehow manages to put tho townsfolk into trances, where they agrise to play evil tricks on each other. Tho result is a stale and predictable hut very mean — round of evil deeds and sinister paybacks, resulting in murder, mayhem and a final, bloody clash between the town's Catholics and Baptists. As the story muddles along, two feuding women go at it on a street corner with a butcher ktu' :nd a meat cleaver. A dog gets skewered with a. corkscrew. An 11-year-old boy lakes his own life with a shotgun And so on. Perhaps King is trying to make some kind of statement about people and what they will do to win and keep material possessions. But this is hardly enough to keep the story going for almost 700 pages. Needful Things lucks the intricate plots, complex characters and subtle but sometimes powerful endings of other King novels. Instead, we gel a thrown-together plot and a predictable finale loaded with thu literary equivalent of cheap special effects The people in Needful Things miss what King used to give his characters: personality. The one thing that could keep u King fan flipping through the umpteenth ghost and haunted car story was the characters. The reader could sympathize with them in The Stand and Salem's Lot because they were well-crafted. The folks in Needful Things and other recent King efforts are lifted right out of a bad movie. By now. we expect a fright or two from his books. With the loss of credible characters, the whole thing becomes forgettable. It's clear that after almost 30 books and God-knows-how many short stories (most of them really good), King has either lost his quirky talents or just worn them down. Maybe some time off would do the Master of Horror some good. By Christopher Blair Emerald Editor ANIMALS Continued from Page 6 "It's .1 great way f»>r the com munity to rally to a causo, not to mimtion that it's gld I ash»on«*d t >rni*e\ A Swimsuit • Pilgrim Man A Wonian • Unban Mart A Moman • l in U- Sam • Pratnc lady • Southern BHI<* • I lj|>f**r\ • .’O s (*angsttf • ( kit • Alt Baba • Hatrm • I Kis • Ptrati- Man A Woman • C an l art • t owUt\ • C ovsgir! • Nun • Ptm~\1 • AngH • Nbmk • ( anils a • i Urysns • Pierrots Fantasy AND l attain Hook • Peter Pan • Pme • Hompfy Dumpty • ( aids • t It • f vil I mprrss • Man 1 Woman • M»fmaid • Bruit* A (aonm (Spts ul> • R»*d Riding Hood • Raggetly Ann A Amis • Sleeping Beaut> •/rvro • Robin Mood • (*linda • Big Baby • l itlU* Carl • But t ar*i*f • C onvn ts • ( ave People Sexy MUCH MORE! I rrnr H Maul • Mae M eM • L twin I eaiie1 • Shi >vs l arl • Manly n • Baby l K >11 • Spanish • t .in’»t • ( an t an • Hula • Belly l >arv er • Sal«* >n ( ari • Bar n nmii Babe • l*!ayt»oy Bunny • Wonderful Wi«’« n Vegetables & Animals • at • Mouse • Ckirilla • Snake • Bunny • l arrot • Banana • Pt»mpk • !. »mati > • I igrr GHOULS • GHOSTS • WITCHES • DEVILS CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALITY WITH ACCESSORIES MAKE UP • MAKE UP • MAKEUP • MAKEUP • MAKEUP 41 VV BKOADVV At DOW MOWN MALI hWvihri J "Thu animal rights issue is broad enough that though there in.iv he many supporters, some buv into certain aspects where others don't depending on indi vidual beliefs," she said. "But despite this split down the middle, the response and dona tions we've received for the benefit performance is an en i ouraging sign that more peo ple are aware of the issue." And the hands involved are not chipping in just for the ex posure either. "Animal rights is a much ma ligned and misunderstood is sue." said Leo Schaefer, who handles bookings lor Mission District, one of the performing hands who was also in lust year's concert. "But though there may be differences in opinion, there's a general sym pathy toward the cause It's one of those lesser known issues that needs to he heard and Ani mal Jam is a good informative event for everyone." Kevin Shupcn of The Under takers, a vegetarian himself, is happy that the band is in volved. “This concert is a good thing," he said Ryan Tocehini, guitarist and vocalist with another group, In I orn a 11 on a I Anthem, agreed "We believe in unimui rights and besides, I doubt if anyone would support some thing they don't believe in." Social concerns aside, the hands are also excited about playing together under one roof, especially since most of them havo played together be fore ut one point or other. "This is a great time for the bands to get together and hear what each has to offer, and see how' our distinct sounds com ped the audience,” Schaefer said. " The range of music will be very wide and there'll definite ly be something for every body.'' Dunlap said. Most of the groups defy any labeling of their music. The rule seems to be to go with any thing and any sound they feel good playing Swing, jazz, punk or rock, In ternationul Anthem dabbles in almost every style of music. The band moved to Eugene af ter a few years in Astoria to ex pose themselves to a larger au dience. Boogie Patrol Express came together initially to provide a positive model for elementary school children in this era of "gangster-style rap mussiahs.” Today, with an original rep ertoire modeled after Finnish disco hits of the early ‘Htis, the hand says that, despite their upbeat sound, they aren't afraid to tackle serious issues such as animal cruelty, the Gulf Crisis and even nun-beating. For "garage-inspired" rock 'n' roll, l(X)k to two of Eugene’s popular alternative bands. The Black Dahlias and The Under takers. Hot Box magazine calls thu Dahlias "the kind of band that really gels into not only what they are doing, but how the au dience is doing also ... they just have a hell of a fun time play ing.” Pat Yonally. a member with both bands feels that "Ameri can rock 'n' roll" is what drives The Black Dahlias, whilu he de scribes the sound of The Un dertakers as "wild, chaotic and high-energy," inspired by such groups us the Miracle Workers and the Cynics. Also into the experimental, mellow-heavy sound is The Medicine Wheel, a three-mem ber bund of University stu dents. On the more conventional end of the line-up is Mission District, who remain strongly influenced by the bluos and K&B stylos of musicians like Eric Clapton. Advanced tickets are avail able at S4 at Record Garden, WOW Hall. Sundance Mercan tile and Face The Music. Tick ets are $5 at the door. Vegetari an food, adult refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages will be served. Doors open at 8.30 p.m. and the concert starts at 9 p.m. with each band playing a half-hour set.