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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 16, 2002)
Filmmakers need creativitv This weekend presented audi ences with a number of great examples of post-modernist recycling by the film industry. Originality in films seems to be gauged these days by how well the filmmakers steal ideas from other films, rather than by how they use their own imagination. First up on the critical dissection plate is “Reign of Fire,” which mix es “Mad Max” style post-apocalyp tic imagery with, of all things, cas tle and dragon epics. The film opens with a psuedo artistic shot of the streets of London covered in birds, which seems out of place in a film that also has a hel icopter fighting a dragon. With ma terial like this, coming off like a half-assed Fellini is poor judgment on director Rob Bowman’s part. The set-up is that some under ground railroad workers acciden tally open up a cavern that releases dragons back into the world. Soon, most of civilization is dead, and survivors are hiding in under ground compounds. The film continues its lapses in judgment by telling us about the destruction of the world through voiceover narration and newspa per headlines — rather than by showing us. At one point, a copy of Time magazine is shown with the headline “Is This the End?” It’s good to know that as the world burns we can still get good coverage of the whole thing. The film stars Christian Bale and Guest Commentary Ryan Nyburg_ Matthew McConaughey as the leader of a group of survivors and the leader of a gung-ho militia, re spectively, both showing that in fact they can’t act, and all that stuff before was a put-on. The rest of the cast isn’t much better, each one coming off as a step lower than cardboard cutouts. What’s worse is that neither the cast nor the director seem to be aware of how campy this material is, and they make the deadly mistake of taking it seriously. Things might have worked out better if someone would have let them in on the joke. One-and-a-half stars out of four — and I’m being generous. Next up is the latest in the long running “Halloween” series, “Hal loween: Resurrection.” Here, slash er films get mixed with the Internet and reality television for a big ball of bloody, violent fun. The plot has the usual gang of dumb-ass teens staying in killer Michael Myers’ home on Halloween night for a webcast of the evening. You can take it from there. Most of them die horrible deaths, the lead fe male lives and the whole thing is left open for a sequel. The film does transcend its stan dard genre formula in one sequence, when leading lady Bianca Kajlich gets directions on a Palm Pilot from a group of kids watching the webcast. They tell her to do all the things that the audience would usually be shouting at the screen, such as “Don’t scream” and “He’s in the hallway,” thus blurring the lines between audi ence and character, making this, I believe, the first existentialist horror film. Three stars. Finally, I offer the best film of the weekend—and possibly the sum mer. “Road to Perdition” mixes the gangster film, road movie and period piece without becoming caught in the trappings of any of those genres. Tom Hanks stars as a hitman for the Irish mob. Internal jealousies cause his wife and youngest son to be killed, so he grabs the oldest boy and hits the road, trying to keep them both alive while exacting his revenge. Everything in the film, from the haunting score to the beau tiful cinematography, is perfect. Hanks delivers a somber perform ance as the hitman, and the support ing cast couldn’t be better, with Paul Newman as a mob boss and Jude Law as a morbid assassin. Director Sam Mendes shows that “American Beauty” wasn’t a fluke, and he is fast becoming one of the best directors in Hollywood today. This is more intel ligent and well-made film than much of the paltry nonsense out there, and well worth seeing. Four stars. Ryan Nyburg is a freelance columnist. His opinions do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald. All pinned up with nowhere to go li Art installation opens in EMU 1950s pinup girls cover a wall of the Adell McMillan Art Gallery in the EMU. The display is part of artist Erin McKillip’s “Can vas and Collage” installation, which continues through mid-August. The show is sponsored by the UO Cultural Forum and is open to students and the community seven days a week. In addition to the collection of retro porn-looking cutouts of women, other work is on A M _J Adam Jones Emerald display, including two mattresses plastered with paint and undergarments. The show also includes unique wall lamps that shine light through a canvas painted with black silhouettes. All pieces are available for purchase from McKil lip. Prices range from $50-$300. The gallery is located adjacent to the EMU Ball room on the second floor. For more information, contact the UO Cultural Forum at 346-4373. —Jenni Schultz Kleckner continued from page 5 Eugene-Springfield is hosting a free barbecue at 6:30 p.m. Thurs day at Emerald Park, which is off River Road. Venture Club aims to change the lives of the group’s members, their community and the world. Check it out — the group is providing food, drinks and volleyball... Morcheeba, England’s no longer-underground trip-hop sen sation, releases its new album, “Charango,” in North America to day. The band has outdone itself with this album, blending atmos pheric, lounge-like overtones and a plethora of outside influences with its signature sound. I defi nitely heard tinges of St. Etienne and Cibo Matto. Psychedelia and hip-hop never sounded so sweet and mellow... Get on the train to Portland right now and get in line for Fri day’s Mrs. Portland Mercury Beauty Pageant. The event is hosted by the Portland Mercury’s most fabulous Wm. Steven Humphrey, and incredible celebrity judges will be on hand — including Art Alexakis from Everclear, who is supposed to have a new album and supporting tour happening in early fall — to determine Portland’s loveliest lady. Trip and fall while running to Berbati’s Pan. Doors are at 8:30 p.m., show at 9 p.m., only $4. There will be door prizes and pro mos from cool Portland locales, including the luscious Cricket Cafe and the supremo Leepin’ Lizards Hair Place... The Saturday Market Stage will be stuffed this weekend — and not just from the fantastic Sara’s Tamales or Afghani Cuisine’s re markably delicious “bolani.” Be ginning at 3 p.m., the 11-member Orquesta Alto Maiz delivers a fresh crop of Latin-jazz-dance mu sic straight from the heartland. The group is known as Iowa’s best salsa band, and corn does indeed go wonderfully with salsa, so it all makes sense. For an even bigger dose of music (and beer, too), head to the Wild Duck later Saturday night to hear Orquesta Alto Maiz again. Doors are at 9 p.m., show at 9:30 p.m., $10. A stimulating art show by Kathryn Reese runs through Aug. 17 in The Buzz Coffeehouse in the EMU. The summer staff in The Buzz are lovely, which makes “Multiferious Combustion” all the more worth an extended look. Reese offers a beautiful assort ment of explosions of color and swirls of fancy... And finally, the Mayor’s Art Show 2002 — held in the Jacobs Gallery at the Hult Center during Eugene Celebration — is now ac cepting entries for this most-es teemed hometown art competi tion. Entry forms are available at the Jacobs Gallery or at the Lane Arts Council office. But here’s a tip: The real Eugene Celebration art show won’t be at the Hult Center. For 11 years, the Salon Des Refuses has been showing the pieces rejected by the May or’s Art Show, giving more artists a chance to reach the people. Sources say the Salon will proba bly be at the Heron Building, as it was in 2001, but if not, volun teers will be on hand outside the Jacobs Gallery so that artists picking up their rejected pieces can find out where to go to have their art welcomed. Contact the editor in chief at editor@dailyemerald.com. His views do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald. Hyde continued from page 5 than the original,” Zingo said. Lucy Harris, played by Kristina Seleshanko, is an entertainer at a bordello called the Red Rat. Seleshanko’s glorious voice soars through numbers like “Bring on the Men” and “A New Life,” and her soulful acting enriches her character. “In the Broadway production, the character wasn’t especially well-de veloped,” Seleshanko said. “So, it was like starting from scratch.” Jekyll meets her when he stops in for a drink, but he does not ac cept when she offers a trip to her bedroom. Instead, he offers his friendship. Jekyll is loyally engaged to Emma Carew, played by the sweet-voiced Jessica Rose Rossi. However, Hyde carries out the relationship with Lucy that good spirited Jekyll could not. The music conveys the passion sparking between the characters. Desire and love blossoms amidst the harsh Dickensian mood creat ed by the set and lighting, and the bewitching combination casts its dark spell on the audience. Tickets are $17 in advance and $22 the day of the show. Students and seniors get in for $14 in ad vance. Purchase tickets online at www.actorscabaret.org, at the box office, or call 683-4368 or 1-800 310-4368 to order. Contact the reporter atjilliandaley@dailyemerald.com. NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU TRAVEL, YOU’RE ALWAYS CLOSE TO CAMPUS. bregon daily emerald on the world wide web www.dailyemerald.com To place an ad, call (541) 346-4343 or stop by Room 300 Erb Memorial Union E-mail: classads@dailyemerald.com Online Edition: www.dailyemerald.com Room 300, Erb Memorial Union, RO. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 Classifieds...catch hs on the web! jiHpVAv ivucifm lye irieui Found Diamond Earing. Call to identify. 915-1799. campus coffee break daily grind > knight library hearth cafe > lawrence hall atrium cafe > Willamette hall 105 TYPING/RESUME SERVICES At 344-0759, ROBIN is GRAD SCHOOL APPROVED. 30-year the sis/dissertation background. Term papers. Full resume service. Editing. Laser pr. ON CAMPUS! 120 MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE ”Give Me Five!” Run your “FOR SALE” ad (items under $1,000) for 5 days. If the item(s) doesn’t sell, call us at 346-4343 and we’ll run your ad again for another 5 days FREE! Student/Private Party Ads Only»No Refunds ^ B U'YE'R B £ W A it 5 The Oregon Daily Emerald assumes no liability for ad content or response. Ads are screened for illegal content and mail order ads must provide a sample of item for sale. Otherwise, ads that appear too good to be true, probably are. Respond at your own risk. Is Aries due for, a pay raise? HOROSCOPE. ODE CLASSIFIEDS. EiHTCI-lMHil Morning Person? MAKE SOME EXTRA CASH! Now Hiring for Fall! Deliver the Oregon Daily Emerald 6:30-8:30am on campus, Mon.-Fri. Requires your own reliable vehi cle. Work study ok. Apply in person, Mon.-Fri., 8-5, 300 EMU The Oregon Daily Emerald is an equal opportunity employer com mitted to a culturally diverse work place. Work with your Student Government Senate Seat #9 -ADFC Job descriptions and application Available in the ASUO - Executive Office. Suite 4 - EMU. Deadline Wed. July 17, 5:00pm
