Volume 100, Issue 10
M Floater will play
the first of three
area (jigs tonight
at the WOW Hall
withHebutaat
8:30 p.m. Tickets
are $8 in advance,
$10atthe door. If
you don't get your
fill of dark alterna
tive rock at that
show, Floater will
join Moth and fel
low Elemental
Records artist Jol
tymon Friday at
the Hollywood
Taxi at 9 p.m. Tick
ets are $7 at the
door only. Finally,
Floater will join the
American Girls as
openers for the
ChenyPoppin’
Daddies in an all
Eugene show at
the Cuthbert Am
phitheatre August
15 at 5 p.m. Tick
ets are on sale
nowattheHult
Center.
■ Campus Radio
station KWVA
(88.1 FM) will pre
sent One Hour One
Band Friday at 4
p.m. This week's
featured band is
Catherine Wheel,
an English band
-that specializes in
textured music.
I
■ The Japanese
American Associa
tion of Lane Coun
ty and others will
present an Obon
Festival with
Japanese-style
dancing, Taiko
drumming, Wako
Daiko Drummers
and Asian food
and crafts at Alton
Baker Park on Sat
urday. The free
event runs from 5
p.m. to 9 p.m.
■ Belizbeha and
Soul Function play
funk at the WOW
Hall on Sunday at
8 p.m. Tickets are
$6 at the door.
» Finally, we
haven’t heard the
music, which is la
beled bluegrass,
but If you choose
which shows to
see based on the
artist’s name, then
you’ll love Jackass
Willie at Sam
Bond's Garage on
Tuesday. Tips will
be accepted.
Sometkma Qood,
SometUina Had
‘There’s Something About
Mary’ is a kick in the pants
By Amy Goldhammer
Oregon Daily Emerald
If you want a sublime
comedy, ditch the “Must-See
TV” reruns and surrender
yourself to a witty blond, a
lovestruck romeo and Matt
Dillon in plaid pants.
The directors of “Dumb
and Dumber” and “Kingpin,”
Peter and Bobby Farrelly,
have once again produced a
tasteless and outrageously
funny comedy, but this time
it’s a love story. “There’s
Something About Mary” may
very well be the next summer
movie sensation. It’s the sun
dae with an extra cherry.
Mary, played by Cameron
Diaz, succeeds in being ob
sessed over, lusted after,
whatever you want to call it,
by her leading men, Ted (Ben
Stiller) and Healy (Matt Dil
lon). The band of stalkers
keeps growing as each twist
introduces a new character
and his personal obsession
with Mary.
“Something” takes all the
stupid things that come with
crushes and enhances them
to create a flick that is excep
tionally hysterical and bit
crazy. Minus slipping the dog
speed, being charged as a ser
ial killer, or using a male, um,
fluid as hair gel, anyone who
has ever had some sort of
head-over-heels crush may
relate to this movie in an all
too familiar way.
The Farrelly brothers did
not hesitate to cast Dillon, a
newcomer to comedy, oppo
site comfortable comedic ac
tors.
“When you put real good
comedic actors like Ben
Stiller and Chris Elliott
against someone like Matt,
Turn to GOOD, Page 6
‘There’s Something About Mary’ is a kick in the groin
If you 're going to see a Farrelly
brothers movie this summer, save
money and frustration by
renting ‘Dumb and Dumber’
By Peter Broaden
Oregon Daily Emerald
“There’s Something About Mary,” Peter
and Bobby Farrelly's latest raunchy effort,
borrows the technique of rolling outtakes
and cast gags with the final credits. Sever
al successful comedies (“Grumpier Old
Men” and Burgess Meredith’s senile innu
endos; “The Nutty Professor” and Eddie
Murphy’s diverse voice antics; “Liar Liar”
and Jim Carrey's outrageous shenanigans)
take this opportunity to reveal their playful
casts’ offstage interaction. “Something” has
a similar approach in which the cast lip
synchs to The Foundations’ “Build Me Up
Buttercup.” In most films, this addendum
is a completion of the picture — sprinkles
on the proverbial icing. In “Something,”
however, we get glimpses of what might
have been a worthwhile film. One can’t
help but think along the same lines as the
song’s chorus: “Why do you build me up,
buttercup, just to let me down?”
The Farrelly brothers’ latest venture
lacks the direction of their earlier movies.
“Dumb and Dumber” has Jeff Daniels and
Jim Carrey haplessly launching off to As
pen and “Kingpin” sets Daniels’ and
Woody Harrelson’s sights on a Las Vegas
bowling tournament. Ben Stiller and Matt
Dillon vaguely stalking Cameron Diaz turns
the plot for “Something” in circles and
once all the characters have been laid out,
the audience is left wondering where to get
off the carnival ride that feels more like a
carousel than a roller coaster.
The most discouraging difference be
tween “Something,” “Dumb and Dumber”
and “Kingpin” is in the performers. The au
dience is not drawn to any one character.
In the love triangle that develops with
Diaz, Dillon, and Stiller, someone is in
evitably left out. In this case, it’s the audi
ence. Unlike “Dumb and Dumber” and
“Kingpin,” there is no powerful leading
role to latch on to, and the tired plot fails to
incite interest in a cast that stars secondary
characters.
Stiller is described by co-director Peter
Farrelly as “one of the best comedic, reac
tive actors out there.” Though Stiller gives
the best performance of the movie with his
love struck, finishing-last nice guy Ted
Stroehmann, his reactive style sets the tone
for the rest of the cast. A reactive leading
man makes it difficult to keep interest in
any movie, especially one filled with re-ac
tors. Stiller reacts well but falls short with
TurntoBAD, Page 6
«—
MOVIES
‘There’s
Something
About
Mary’
Comedy
Starring
Cameron Diaz
■ RATED :R
■ SCORE:
* *•