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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 2001)
KUBRICK'S HUE! CUSS C ‘The Killing’ Starring: Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook, Jr. and Joe Sawyer ★★★★☆ By Lisa Griffing and Rebecca Wilson Oregon Daily Emerald Gangsters, machine guns, pan cake makeup and a hyperactive poodle contribute Mafia excite ment and a nostalgic charm to this week’s Forgotten Film. We decided to deviate from the usual reper toire of cheesy ‘80s flicks and go all the way back to Stanley Kubrick’s 1956 thriller, “The Killing.” It’s a far cry from “Dr. Strangelove” or “Eyes Wide Shut,” but Kubrick’s sixth film is great en tertainment nonetheless. Rebecca — I’m glad Mason did n’t get to pick this week. I like hav ing cinematic diversity. Lisa — Now we don’t have to discuss ‘80s lingo or talk about movies nobody would ever dream of watching. Rebecca — Heehee. Yeah, this movie is actually worth seeing, even if it doesn’t change your life. The story begins auspiciously with a notorious gangster’s release from Alcatraz. Johnny Clay, played with sinister perfection by Sterling Hayden (“The Outsider” and the Godfather movies), returns to his hometown of Chicago and to the woman who loves him, faithful Fay. Johnny has paid his debt to society and wants to make a new life for himself and his woman. But rather than taking the con ventional route and getting a job, taking night classes or finding God, he plans an elaborate heist to rip off $2 million from a local race track. Rebecca — Some people never change. Unfortunately, Johnny can’t pull off the heist by himself. The plot thickens when spineless bookie George Peatty (Elisha Cook Jr.) re veals the shady plan to his devious wife Sherry (Marie Windsor). Of course, Sherry immediately spills the story to her handsomely greasy boyfriend. Rebecca — Big mistake. Lisa — Ahhh ... how I love the stereotypical evil woman who ru ins it all. Rebecca — Now, now, Lisa. Maybe all women really were evil in 1956. Lisa — Yes, that must be it. A cast of bizarre plot twists and characters make this seemingly typical mob story a cinematic gem. Bryan Dixon Emerald For example, the requisite hitman is hired to shoot a horse, not a hu man; a thug hired to create a diver sion at the racetrack is really a Russian chess master; and in the end, it all comes down to poor ol’ George Peatty and his bad aim with a machine gun. Lisa — And don’t forget the cra ziest thing of all: All the people working at the airport are men! Rebecca — Umm ... I think that was normal in the 1950s. Lisa — Oh. Rebecca — But the poodle on the runway was definitely not nor mal. The machinations combine with the gangster lingo and several out bursts of classic lines such as: “ If people didn't have headaches, what would happen to the aspirin industry?” Lisa — My personal favorite is, “This is a bad joke without a punchline.” The mobsters thought they would get away clean; like the Ti tanic, the heist was supposed to be unsinkable; an infallible plan where “no one gets hurt.” At first everything goes smooth ly. Then, slowly but surely, things start to disintegrate. But don’t wor ry, we won’t give away the ending because you’ll definitely want to see it for yourself. Rebecca — Just remember, never refuse a “lucky” horseshoe. “The Killing” is worth watching. ^ The complicated plot line is sur prisingly easy to follow, even with the nonlinear time sequences — think “Pulp Fiction.” The ener getic, faceless narrator adds humor and cohesiveness to the story by giving frames of reference: “Earlier that day ...”; “At 10 o’clock that morning ...”; “Half an hour earlier Most importantly, “The Killing” doesn’t require mental gymnastics. The story isn’t particularly intense, which allows for a full apprecia tion of Kubrick’s innovative writ ing and directing techniques. And » at only 85 minutes, the film won’t consume your evening. We are giving “The Killing” four well-deserved stars. So this week end, we recommend you rent this movie and sit back and relax with your fedora, malt whiskey and fa vorite sawed-off shotgun. Guarneri del Gesu sells for $3.5 million, no strings attached NEW YORK (AP) — Who says you can’t buy anything for $3.5 mil lion anymore? That’s how much 15 investors spent on Monday on a rare violin— tut hi st ncTiwi or Tin: year tm5£S3Sutm Tiger, Hidden Dragon Shows Nightly at 5:15,6:10,7:45,8:35 & 10:15pm - Sun Mat 2:45 & 3:20pm Evening Prices Thurs.-SatAdults$6.0CSun.-Wed.$4.50 Starting Soon: House Of frlirtH Before Night Falls BIJOU LateNite S3 TH-SA/S2 SU WE Nicolas Cage & Tea Leoni .. Fatmly Ma«aJ1:00pm a 1735 Guarneri del Gesu. Violinist Robert McDuffie, who found the in strument five years ago and will get to play it, organized the purchase. “I had fallen in love,” McDuffie, 42, told The New York Times in Tuesday’s editions. “It was more than an extension of my body. It was an extension of my musical person ality.” The violin was in perfect condi tion, with previous players includ ing 19th-century virtuosos Nicolo Paganini and Ludwig Spohr. The only problem was that it was a tad pricey. So Dietmar Machold of Machold Rare Violins, who owned the instru ment, allowed McDuffie to play it while he looked for a way to buy it. It was difficult and it took a while, but he found 15 investors, each of whom paid shares of $100,000. They call themselves 1735 del Gesu Partners L.P. “As one family member said to me, ‘It’s going to be hard to convince busi ness people in America that a piece of wood costs $3.5 million,’” he said. Limited Student Tickets Available! $5 for Thursday 1 /18, $7 for Sunday 1 /20 Pearl stein 1506 Lord Leebrick Theatre Company 540 Chamelton, Eugene “And that turned out to be true.” An established violinist who has performed extensively around the world, McDuffie won’t pay rent — he just has to play the violin so it can keep its tone rather than gather dust in a museum. He also must pay for its insurance and maintenance, which he estimated at $15,000 to $20,000 a year. 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