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Show FRidAy, OcrobER 2, 1987 Paqe Seven acg NT ON ENTERTAiNMEMT to era eairtfylly scruBinizsd By Scott Rivers (well played by Ellen Barkin). Director Jim McBride gets the most out of Daniel Petrie's Chronicle staff writer script by eliciting an authentic Cajun to the atmosphere proceedings, while the picture moves at h, break -- neck speed. The supporting cast is also including Ned Beatty's portrayal as the police chief caught in the middle of this deadly mayhem. Fueled by the vibrant chemistry between Quaid and Barkin, The Big Easy is terrific entertainment until it reaches a predictable, unsatisfying climax you've seen many times before. Despite this regrettable lapse, the film remains a minor treasure highlighted bv Quaid's best role to date. finely-detaile- Rather than write the usual grab bag of movie capsules, I decided to focus this week on the craft of film in relation to acting. , It's easy to take certain performers for granted since they make their work appear so natural and spontaneous. However, do they receive proper credit? The Meryl Streeps and Robert De Niros are always praised as "great actors" because it's obvious they are acting you can see the mechanics, chameleonism and emotional gymnastics involved with a "great (i.e., Academy Award) performance." On the other hand, the Sean Connerys and James Garners are constantly overlooked and taken for granted until their later years because they don't "act" in the classic sense they are playing themselves, which is the most difficult task of all. Not until we see their full body of work do we appreciate the consistent professionalism involved. To quote Michael Caine (whose current film is reviewed here) from a recent British Broadcasting Corporation television special titled Acting: "Theatre is like operating with a scalpel. Film is operating with a laser." Nothing could 4 be closer to the truth. The following three movies place the burden of their success upon the lead actors. Since film is a collaborative process, all the elements have to click. In this instance, they do: i ' " w " ; Jim Belushi stars as Rick Latimer, a tough high school principal faced with even tougher kids. Lively By John top-notc- The Whistle Blower Simply put, Michael Caine is one of the screen's finest and most reliable actors. He appears in so many films that anv occasional turkey such as Jaws the Revenge is forgivable, and his batting average remains high. Following his Oscar-winniportrayal in Hannah and Her Sisters, Caine has reached a new phase in his career he can only improve with age. The Whistle Blower boasts one of the all-tigreat Caine performances, which makes this intriguing espionage thriller doubly enjoyable. The story unravels slowly as former British Naval officer Caine investigates a mysterious death surrounded by British Intelligence conspiracy. When Caine discovers the truth, he reacts in shock and dismay, vowing to find the person ng responsible for this tactless cover-uI can't explain the plot any further, but I must say Caine does some of his best acting in The Whistle Blower, especially in scenes where he displays instant rage and melancholy. In one pivotal sequence, Caine must feign drunkeness to elicit a confession and the results are extraordinary. Luckily, Caine gets to share the screen briefly with an old pro John Gielgud, who appears in a memorable cameo. Simon Langton competently directs the adaptation of John Hale's novel, assisted by the cast's yeoman contribution. p. See "Films" on page eight music characterizes 3 summer releases Pecorelli Chronicle assistant feature editor Babble That Petrol Emotion Polygram Records I live for Babble. I lent it to a friend for less : than 24 hours in July and suffered continual headaches and nausea until it was returned. I was waking up two or. By three times a night, feverish and shivering, with an immediate need to hear just a few verses from the thrashy opening track, "Swamp." Late in September my turntable broke. I couldn't listen to Babble, but slowly its tunes and melodies crept up and overtook my mind at work, on the bus, in public mid-Augu- The Big Easy What a pleasant surprise it is to find a decent film noir crime thriller that doesn't rip off the 1940s masterworks. The Big Easy is such a movie. But there's one difference. The difference lies in a charismatic, upbeat performance by Dennis Quaid as Lt. Remy McSwain, a New Orleans cop whose investigation of a murdered thug supposedly leads to Mafia gang wars, police corruption and a heated relationship with Assistant District Attorney, Ann Osborne d st, restaurants. The psychedelic melancholy of "For What It's Worth," or the primal energy of "Split!" would build in my mind until I could no longer stand it. I would burst out singing, frightening those around me with the passion of my yelps. Last week I got my turntable fixed. I convulsed spasmodically while putting the record on not having heard it in over 72 hours. I watched the needle touch down on the imported black vinyl, then collapsed in ecstasy, as if I'd been pierced with a syringeful of morphine, as the opening bars of "Belly Bugs" hit my central nervous system. All in all, That Petrol Emotion made my jobless, poverty-stricke- n summer worth living. Grammy winner to perform How often do we Salt Lakers get the chance to see someone who's won six Grammy awards, a whole slew of "Performer of the Year" awards, and has been described by critics as one of the best trumpet players of our time? Not often. But there are exceptions. Wynton Marsalis is performing at Kingsbury Hall tonight at 8. Marsalis, who will turn a scant 26 this month, has racked up a professional respect many artists don't recieve until much later in life. Marsalis studied classical music at age 12j which won him a seat in the New Orleans Civic Orchestra while still in high school. At 18 he performed as a pit musician in Broadway's Sweeney Todd as well as performing with the Brooklyn Orchestra Since then, Marsalis has become one of the most respected trumpet players in the classical world, winning Grammys for "best soloist with an orchestra" in both 1984 and 1985. In July of 1984, Marsalis went on a classical tour which included concerts in 16 cities throughout the Eminent trumpeteer Wynton MarsaUnited States, Canada and England. lis will entertain Friday at Kingsbury But despite all this, Marsalis maintains Hall. that his real love is for jazz. Lonely Is An Eyesore Various Artists 4AD Records The Young Gods The Young Gods Organik Records The Young Gods live up to their name. Incorporating elements from industrial music as well as hardcore punk as well as orchestral synth noise as well as metal, this Swiss trio has hammered out one promising debut album. Lead singer Franz Treichler literally belches and vomits out phrases in French while the remaining Gods pound away mindlessly and mercilessly, creating a terse, grating sound that's sure to stamp out the likes of Andreas Vollenwieder and Lionel Richie forever. And that is a good thing. l2 One must generally avoid compilation,, albums, since almost every one of them contain at least one track by Jan Hammer. But this is one compilation album that shouldn't be missed. Not only does it offer some of the most innovative stuff being released in the U.K. and United States today, but it only has one poor track, a called "Hot Doggie" by Colourbox. There are plenty of great moments from This Mortal Coil, Clan of Xymox and The Wolfgang Press, as well. All in all, Lonely is an Eyesore makes for a great album of moody, original songs. dance-throwaw- ay Do you have the write stuff?? The Daily Utah Chronicle would like to announce its first ever Fiction and Poetry Special Issue! This will be a very exciting issue, one that every writer (student, staff or faculty) at the University of Utah should consider contributing to. Each fiction submission should be from pages in double-spacesubmission Each poetry typed length. should be no longer than 50 lines in length. Include your name, major, year and telephone number(s) with your submissions. Also, please bind or staple your works together and place them in a manila envelope. 20 d, The issue's size will be dictated by the number and quality of the submissions, so get going! Three cash prizes will be awarded. The First Place winner will receive S50, the Second Place winner will receive S25 and Third Place will receive S 10. And aside from the prizes, this issue presents a great opportunity for you to get published!! Submissions will be judged on merit by staff members of the Chronicle and Quarterly West. Send or deliver your submissions to: it Fiction and Poetry Contest Utah Chronicle 240 Union Building University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 co Daily |