* I ’ - Í - -:'í f r K «**••’ • *» '-• ^ > ^ r 5 ^ B® ï ^ - Î 3 12a»iC7’' ‘’s. -. -U .W -S U a 'X a Í¿ * X ^ » » » .Á Í \ /. • ¿in P pk ii and * ■ ■ HHHHH O bserver « N ovember 8, 1995 (Tl|c IHortlanb OPhserticr Ç - ENTERTAINMENT The Duke Report: “Get Shorty », ABO UT TOW N Things Ain’ t What They Used To Be 79 Chih Palmer (John Travlota, left) and Karen (Rene Russo, center) team up to try and persuade Karens ex-husband Martin Weir (Danny DeVito, right) to star in their movie, in MGM’s contemporary | comedy Get Shorty. photQ Cnd/t: John Travolta redeems his star I status as C h ili Palmer, the gentle­ men gangster in “ Get Shorty” . | Shorty has to be Danny DeVito as Martin Weir who Palmer and his I ex-wife Karen (Rene Russo) tries [ to persuade Weir to star in their | movie. Palmer ends up in Hollywood I chasing a loan and as a favor to a casino owner he tracks down B movie producer Harry Zim m (Gene Hackman) who introduces him to the movie business. Palmer is a movie buff who is tired o f the loan shark business and his new supervi­ sor in crime Ray “ Bones” Barboni (Dennis Farina). Zimm is dirty and is avoiding drug dealer/Limo owner Bo Catlett (Delroy Lindo) who is still waiting for his name to roll in any movie’s credits. Zim m is sitting on a fantas­ tic script and Palmer becomes his j partner. "Get Shorty” has a few dips I and dives and you w ill be surprised at which script gets produced. This is a likable film but I wonder why the two characters o f color had to die. For Travolta "Get Shorty” dusts o ff his acting reputation and the public is introduced to a gangster, we all want to live next door to. matic presentations by this passion­ ate cast. Leading actor/vocalist D avid Sea’s velvety, charismatic voice and character projection left the audi­ ence spellbound and begging for more. His delivery cast a striking resemblance o f Isas H aynes and his tall torso that o f a model. H is leading lady, C h e ry l Denise H unter, was equally as strong, wearing an attrac­ tive, interesting wardrobe. She en­ dured the challenge o f line delivery with a miserable mike. Unm istake n ly, “ T h in g s A in 't What T h e y Used T o B e ” w ill leave Portlan d ta lk in g around about town. [ PORTLAND! j] Wailing To Exhale riage that grows ever stronger. Asante’ began when W il and Pharoah first hooked up and were on the lookout for other singers to fill in the sound oftheir fledgling group. It was at a Bronx studio that the duo ran into Warren and Andre who were each doing separate nrojects. “The four o f us just started vib in ’, singin’ andjammin' together,” says Warren, “and we enjoyed it so much we fig­ ured we could just take to another level.” O.J. Simpson Trial Series The Home Video Series Continues With Volume Three And Four Volume III: The Defense & Volume IV: Closing Statements and Verdict Available November 21st Special Consumer Savings o f $4.00 on Purchase o f Entire O.J. Simpson Home Video Series Courtroom Television Network (Court T V ) and Warner Vision En­ tertainment has announced the re­ lease o f volumes three and four o f an exclusive home video collection fea­ turing the most newsworthy cover­ age o f the O.J. Simpson trial. V o l­ ume III: The Defense and Volume IV: Closing statements and Verdict w ill be available on November 21 at a retail cost o f $ 12.95 each. Volume III: The Defense. A s the leader o f the defense team, Johnnie Cochran Jr. raises contro­ versial questions about the prosecu­ tion’s side o f the story. Is the D N A evidence reliable? Did detectives botch evidence with their sloppy in­ vestigation? Has Mark Fuhrman de­ ceived both the jury and the court with false testimony? In a rush to judgment, did the district attorney fail to investigate the real killer? Volume IV : Closing Statements and Verdict. In the final days o f and Mrs. Dorsey M cCullough. Rev. and M rs. Robert Kem p were a few o f the ministers whose ticket sales endorsement gave opportunity for success. Award winning Delilah Rashell, writer-producer-director o f her third play, addressed the senseless disre­ gard for the family and disregard for women as our young men rape us publicly with the distorted lyrical content o f some o f today’s music. The show format educated and enter­ tained and offered God as the ulti­ mate solution. A dazzling billboard o f stars had Portlanders’ standing to their feet and keeping beat to the sizzling musical sounds and the dra- sisters T riffa n y and Ashley. Rev. A .sa n te 9 Asyou listen,yourm inddrifts... ...to summer nights, to distant lovers, dreams lost and found, slow dancin' and good good lovin'. Yes, the mood is old school ‘ 70s but the setting is strictly ‘90s. One look and half-a-listen tells you straight-up that this team is working o ff a whole other level than the racks o f male group clones with their Xeroxed vocal yodels. From the under-your-skin hook o f “ Look What Y o u ’ve Done,” the hypnotic opening track, to a righ­ teous, soul-filled a cappella workout on The Impressions’ “ People Get origin), the tender “A ll About You", Ready,” there’s no doubt about it: the or the uplifting anthem, “Anything Is four talented gentlemen who com­ Possible” (which features additional prise Asante deliver the goods. Few vocals by Tawatha Agee, formerly o f groups would attempt to cover The the group Mtume, and keyboard work Isley Brothers, but Asante’s sensual by Bernard Wright.) reading o f the 70s classic, “ D on’t Asante’ (Swahili for “thinkyou” ) Say Goodnight” not only does ju s­ consists o f Pharoah Oyewole', War­ tice to the original, material, Asante’ ren Robinson, Andre Zachery and compete with the masters. Listen to W il Townsend. They’ve been togeth­ the slammin' jam, “ Dopest Ethiopi­ er as a group since 1991, when a an" (an Asante’ - penned props-giv- chance meeting at a New Yo rk re­ ing shout out to sisters o f African cording studio led to a musical mar­ No tape recorders, no videos, no camera’s, “Things A in ’t What They Used To Be,” premiered Thursday a, the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The stage play that has Am eri­ ca talking, played to a capacity house. With a look similar to that o f the Apollo in New Yo rk, Portland supported the event with a maximum black audience. Theatre-goers, experiencing the first indication ofwinter, were dressed in ambience, style and warmth - glam­ our at it’s best. Basic black accented with gold and pearls, with splashes o f red, continues to be the look for fall/ winter 1995. Seen were Laverne and K im Brooks, C a lv in Allm on, Keba and son, AntoineStoudanieir, BenitaSeamster, N a’im and Hakim Hasson, to name a few. The Albina Ministerial Alliance came out in full force, holding court in preferred select seating. Rev. Jam es M artin and wife, Lynette. were there in part to celebrate daugh- ter’s T a r a 's I3thbirthdayalongwith | California v. O.J. Simpson, prosecu­ Narrated by Court T V anchor Gregg tors, in closing statements, ask the Jarrett. ju ry to consider the “mountain o f Court T V is a registered trade­ evidence” that Simpson is guilty o f mark o f Courtroom Television Net­ murdering Nicole Brown Simpson work, acable television network ded­ and Ronald Goldman. Defense attor­ icated to educating viewers about the neys maintain that "something is ter­ judicial process. The newtwork is a ribly wrong” with the state’s case. joint venture o f American Lawyer Eight months and 159 days o f testi­ Media, L .P ., Tim e W arner Inc. mony come to an • ad with just two (T W X ), N B C (G E ) and Tele-Com ­ words, “not guilty O .J. Simpson is munications, Inc. (T C O M A ). acquitted amid tears o f anger and WarnerVision Enter Entertain­ elation inside the courtroom. ment, a full service home video and The O.J. Simpson Trial home television company, is a Warner video series features trial footage Music Group Company. and reporting by Court T V from its Consumers can save $4.00 on The live in-depth coverage o f California O.J. Simpson Trial Collection with a v. Simpson. O.J. Simpson is charged mail-in rebate on vol. I-IV as follows: with two counts o f first-degree mur­ • Volume III, The Defense, cata­ der in the June L , 1994 slayings of logue number 52153-3. Nicole Brown Si npson, his former • Volume IV , Closing Statements wife, and Ronald Goldman. The vid­ and V e rd ict, catalogue number eo series takes a comprehensive look 52153-3. at the intricate workings o f the ju d i­ • Volum e I, B ackground and cial system and a trial that has cap­ O p en in g Statem ents, catalogue tured the attention ofthe nation. Each number 52150-3. video includes explanations o f the • Volume 11, The Prosecution, cat­ law, rules o f evidence and procedur­ alogue number 52151-3. al technicalities, along with expert Suggested Retail price is $ 12.95 commentary and analysis o f both each with a running time o f approx. prosecution and defense strategies. 60 minutes each. Arista Records Releases “ Wait ing To Exhale soundtrack album to be in stores on November 14. The record features an unprecedented powerhouse lineup o f music’s hot- test“divas” . Whitney Houston (who also stars in the film), Toni Braxton, Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, T L C , Brandy, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle Faith Evans, SW V, CeCe Winans Shanna. For Real, Chante Moore and Sonja Marie. The album was written and produced by Kenny Babyface” Edmonds, who wrote 14 new songs plus the film ’s score. The first single w ill be by Whitney Houston. The title is “ E x ­ hale (Shoop, Shoop),” and it’s a warm, lifting ballad that summa­ rizes the overall theme o f the film and its soundtrack. On assembling this all-star fe male cast for the soundtrack, Edmonds explained. “The film was written, from a female perspective, so it felt quite natural to have all the music written for and performed by women. What makes the soundtrack unique, though, is the diversity of female artists from Whitney Hous­ ton, Chaka Khan and Toni Braxton to Brandy, T L C and SW V . This is one o f those once-in-a-lifetime op­ portunities that you dream about as a songwriter/producer. A Dazzling New Exhibition TODAY! NEIGHBORHOODS DAY. COME ALL! T h e C e le b r a tio n C o n tin u e s Thurs.— Celebrating Seniors Day Fri.— Students Day. W ay Cool! Special Hours: 10:00 a m - 7:00 pm S to p by a fte r w o r k F r e e A d m is s io n th r o u g h F riday O u r G ift t o t h e C o m m u n ity ! THE OREGON HISTORY CENTER ALIVE ON H IE PARK BLOCKS! 1200 SW PARK • PORTLAND, OREGON • (503)222-1741 Grand Opening Week Sponsored By W tri - mp Qty (Oregonian mi J* Show proof at the information desk of Tri-Met fare to the event and receive a free ticket home. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK! DEBORAH COX At age 21, its Deborah C o x ’s turn to stand in the spotlight. The Toronto-bred songstress was exposed to an electric mix ol Jazz, Reggae, R & B and Pop music from birth, and began singing at Hie age o f live. I ler debut features production from Babyface, Dallas Austin ( T L C , Madnna) and Vincent Herbert (Toni Braxton). TM I S T U N N IN G D fBU T ALBUM FROM T H I M OST SOULFUL M I N A B O U N D F e a tu rin g the hit tin g le T O N IT I, L IT '* TA K I A DIB an d H A V I I N IV IB $12; 99 Cassvllc M E N nmpncl Disc D I p Originating from Indianapolis and Atlanta, A Few G ood Men were brought together by long-standing songw riter and producer Daryl Simmons. Their special sound is matched only by a powerful passion. A s band member Aaron puts it, “everything we pul into the music we want people listening to feel.” |H m STUNNir*. dtbci I lailrls SENTIMENTAL WHO D O V LOVE I'M YOVR NATURAL WOMAN ÇC44 sjJ 0 ( USSVI $12 Cniiipad Disc MY FIRST MIGHT W ITH YOU WHERE D O WE CO FROM HERE Offer good thru 11-7-95 East Portland 32nd & Burnside 231-8926 MUSIC MÌLLCNNIUM N W Portland 23rd & N W Johnson 248-0163 1 » »