The Daily Utah Chronicle - Page Friday, January 24. 1992 Eight e the IlfiM By Andrew Wade Chronicle Film Critic To date, A- l r t - and president, Robert Swoon, directed by Tom Kalin, stars Daniel Schlachet and Craig Chester. This stylish black and white film deals with two wealthy Jewish teenagers who scandalized Chicago with their criminal behavior and a botched kidnapping plot that ends in the murder of a young boy. In the documentary vein I have two suggestions to offer. The first is Asylum. This view of the r Patton State Hospital for the criminally insane in California, gives a sympathetic portrayal of the men and women incarcerated as well as some enlightening Redford, calls the "diversity" and "vitality" of independent film. I have not been one of these people in the past and in fact have had no great desire to attend the Festival. But as of this year I have been indoctrinated, a subsequently becoming disciple of the Sundance Film Festival. So now let me relate to you with fervor the other reasons for this conversion Hallelujah! First, there are the roaming actors, which are many including Robert Redford, Jeremy perspectives on the realities of the insane. Then there is A Brief History of .Time. This venture into the brilliant intellect of world-renowne- Drew Barrymore makes a stretch as a slutty, underage seductress and homewrecker in Poison Ivy. It is a film from the Sundance festival. waiting for screenings in the theaters. There is also the electrifying milieu. An atmosphere of creativity swirls about and without you envelopes prejudicing your standing as Irons, Cheryl Ladd, Drew Sarah Gilbert, Barrymore, Jennifer Beals, Bill Duke and a artist or spectator. Of course you host of others. Even more must pay for this feeling by exciting are the filmmakers purchasing a ticket. And even themselves like Nora Ephron, worse, sometimes when you try Katt Shea Rubin and Steven to purchase a ticket for a film to Soderbergh who, when asked if once again "obtain that oneness he had any advice for film with the gods of creativity" you students intending to enter the are told the ubiquitous refrain, independent film market, said, "Sorry, this screening is sold "Save your tuition money and out." But it is a small price to pay make a movie." Granted I was for such an exhilarating feeling. given the chance to speak with And along with the feelings a some of these people simply purchased ticket affords you, it because there are press also allows you admission to an conferences encouraging writers example of the cutting edge of to do so. But I bumped into just as many of those actors while s and complex story revolves around the central character, Martin, who is blind and must trust his friend Andy to truthfully relate the contents of the photos that Martin has taken. - F? thousands of people have already attended and it is obviously no longer a secret. Now let me tell you something else; the Festival is a hell of a lot of fun. This holds especially true if you are into the production of film or are fatigued with the average $50 million Hollywood blockbuster. Are you the type that grimaces when friends or family choose to watch Home Alone or Ghost for the umpteenth time? Then rejoice in what Festival-founde- r ffiDm Following that is Proof directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse and starring Hugo Weaving and Genevieve Picot. This eccentric 13? I would like to usurp a few minutes of your time to let you in on a little secret: The Sundance Film Festival. Of course you're right, the Festival is no longer little. the SunitilsiinKBe IF cinema. Now this brings us to the final reason for attending the Sundance Film Festival; to actually view some movies. Thus bringing me full circle and providing me with the forum to expound on the following films which were chosen due to the fact that they conform to three simple criterion. The first .is that I saw them, the second is that I liked them, the third being this selection of films has screening dates which conveniently allow you the opportunity to view them this weekend after reading this article. My first recommendations are in the dramatic category beginning with Light Sleeper, directed by Paul Schrader and starring Willem Dafoe and Susan Sarandon. Centering around Dafoe's character, John LeTour, a fortysomething drug dealercounselor to the upper echelon of New Yorks social circles, who finds himself contemplating his life and future. Next is Poison Ivy directed by Katt Shea Rubin, starring Drew Barrymore and Sarah Gilbert. In a shocking and titillating role little Ms. Barrymore shows that she has indeed grown up in this erotic thriller which places her character Ivy in the position of seductress and home wrecker. unfathomable concepts of the universe in terms that are understandable to the layman. It is still not too late to partake of what I consider to be nothing short of a religious experience. The Festival will continue through Sunday, Jan. 26 when the Grand Prize and Audience Award winners will "Attainable Johnson Chronicle Music Critic Our throats are constricted, our eyes are red and our skin is dry and paling. There seems to be no escape from the plague of the fog. Of course, one always has the option to remove oneself to the high country. Next week, KRCL gives us even more incentive to take to the hills, bringing Christine Lavin (not to be confused with Linda Lavin, of T.V.'s Alice,) to town for two (and, it is rumored, possibly three) evenings of stories and song, Jan. 30 and 31, and perhaps Feb. 1. who has been out churning introspective, Lavin, bittersweet, and downright funny music for almost a decade, has the height and voice of a 10 year-ol- d, but the wisdom and wit of someone mature enough to comment wryly on society, relationships and humanity in general. From her first release, 1983s Another Woman's Man to the most recent Compass, Lavin has been able to discuss subjects and concerns with which most listeners can identify, such as "Blind Dating Fun" and the impossible standard set by models in glossy magazines, described in Love." She observes her surroundings and comments accordingly on what she sees, maintaining all the while a freshness and wonder at the world at large. Sometimes, but not often, her (mostly appropriate and accurate) comments offend those who relate a little too well with the objects of her gentle mockery. As she told me in a recent interview, she decided to drop a song called "Artificial Means," which dealt humorously with such things as inflatable dolls, frpm her playlists because many of her more sensitive listeners found it "in bad taste." She is currently working on a song, she claims, "in praise of bald men, because there is such a stigma attached to hair loss. I mean it's so silly!" Her songs are all derived from her real-lif- e experiences. She is trying to develop the ultimate politically-correc- t song, having something to do with "Just say no to Wilt and Geraldo." Her sense of humor and active mind pervade all aspects of her life, especially her live performances. If it's any indication, our interview lasted almost three-quarte- rs of an hour, throughout which she was attempting to dehydrate apples in a new appliance, "because this fruit is more healthy than the chocolate be announced. If you are still unable to attend this year there is always next year. And you can bet that I will not miss another chance to worship at the altar of alternative cinema that is the Sundance Film Festival. Christine Lavin, jokes and songs By KimBerly Famous physicist and Professor Stephen Hawking appears in a Sundance documentary that reflects his glimpses at and reveals his views of the universe in accordance with his book, A Brief History of Time. physicist d Stephen Hawking is truly a mind altering experience. But what makes this film so unique is Hawking's way of explaining the chip cookies I usually take with me when I go on tour." In between tangentially, my answering, hard-hittin- g questions, she asked my advice on the dehydrating process. She also gave me ski tips. "I've been skiing, like, five times. The key is to find the class in which you know how to do all the skills they're teaching and take that class. That way everyone thinks you're just this incredible natural ski talent." Though she stands 5'2", Christine Lavin is anything but short on stories. Her live performances are riddled with conversation, stories about her latest traveling escapades, ("Are you kidding?! I was born to live in hotels, although I pay more on hotel rooms than on rent"), stories about her family and neighbors, the day's triumphs on the slopes. Lavin has not limited herself to solo work. She's contributed to a couple of compilation albums, Winter's Night and When October Goes, and her collaborative effort with Patty Larkin and Megan McDonald, d and Patty Fingerlet "The Bitchin' Babes") was one of the most acclaimed releases of 1990. She still tours with these women, and in fact, is scheduled to do two shows with them previous to her (self-dubbe- Snowbird appearances. see "Lavin" on page nine