Friday, March 23, 1G34
Pago 6
Dally Nebraskan
SI
A
By Eric Peterson
The screening of Berlin Alexanderplatz over the
last two weeks and the elaborate preparations
made for the Rainer Werner Fassbinder epic, includ
ing.lectures and a visit from guest critic Andrew
Sarris of the Village Voice, was a daring venture by
Sheldon Film Theatre Director Dan Ladely it
could have been difficult to find a large number of
viewers undaunted by a 15V-hour undertaking.
The screening went very well. More than 300 peo
ple bought $10 tickets for the entire event; others
went to see pieces of the film, which showed in
serialized form on weekdays. Close to 200, or two
thirds of Sheldon's capacity, were at weekend mara
thon showings in which the one-hour segments
were shown with occasional breaks all afternoon
and evening long. Many ate some very good German
food both Saturday and Sunday at supper time.
Ladely was so involved with keeping things run
ning during the weekend that he will only get to see
the entire film this Sunday and Monday, with the
final marathon screenings.
Ladely knows what to expect, partly from aud
ience reactions. "Most of them really liked it, found it
beautiful, found it depressing, but they liked it,"
Ladely said. He noted that one viewer remarked,
"What a miserable way to spend 1 5 hours of my life."
Ladely said he noticed a feeling of shared expe
rience during the marathon screenings. There's a
communal mood because everybody's there for that
number of hours." For some viewers the one-hour
pieces of it began to pass remarkably quickly.
Donna Stuver, a UNL student who worked with
Ladely during the marathon weekend, said she
thought the marathon viewings seeing it all at
once definitely helped build a deep and sad
impression.. "I'm glad I'm going next weekend with
out the fanfare (the lectures and panel discussion,
the catered German meals), because the movie isn't
conducive to fanfare."
Ladely said having extra information.available, in
the form of Sarris's lecture Monday and introduc
tory remarks by German scholar Peter Reinkordt,
was valuable, and many viewers took the opportun
ity to ask Reinkordt questions during the breaks
between screenings on the marathon weekend.
Ladely noted that Sarris was well disposed to
come to Lincoln because his wife, Molly Haskell, a
film reviewer for Ms. magazine, had a good expe
rience when the Sheldon Film Theatre had a series
of films related to a book she had written.
The Sheldon is selling T-shirts from the showings,
black with red letters, the Alexanderplatz street
sign logo and little Biberkopf figure underneath; the
shirts will say I SAW IT ALL, and are still available
for order.
O Mary Louise
i Knapp
Celeste pits her Hope against Hart
In our last episode, presidential candidate Celeste "Cocktails will be fine, Celeste," Addison sighed.
came under fire for receiving the Hope Diamond "But not before 1 0 in the morning, please. And make
from British ambassador Cooper Black. She also sure to have a little prayer er- moment of medita-
leamed the name of her running mate. tion beforehand. It might be good to have a few
"I still can't understand why they're making so small children around. Those Lewis twins they're
much fuss about my accepting Cooper's money and appropriately pious, aren't they?"
"We could get Huey to sing a hymn, and maybe
Sinclair could recite a Bible verse," Otis said.
. "We might even say we're running a public school!"
Celeste said enthusiastically. "Oh, this is going to be
such fun . . .Addison! Who is this flamboyantly
dressed woman coming up the walk? Get her out of
here! Shell ruin our image!"
Antoinette Chateaubriand, steak heiress and vice
presidential candidate, floated into view. Although
it was only mid-morning, she was dressed in full
evening regalia, complete with a beaded bag and
emerald tiara. The Hope Diamond, newly polished
and set, hung around her neck.
"Addison, darling, how kind of you to invite me to
tea," she said in a voice thick with late nights and
cigar smoke.
"And is this charming creature our presidential
candidate?" Celeste nodded. Antoinette looked at
her critically.
"You look so much older in the daylight. Oh well, a
little makeup will do wonders. In the meantime, I
think it's best that make all the necessary public
appearances from now on."
She settled into a lawn chair and poured herself a
bourbon. Celeste threw numerous glances at Addi
son, who remained unperturbed.
"We were discussing giving a cocktail party for the
incumbent, Antoinette," Addison said. "Do you have
any ideas on the subject?"
"Cocktails! My dear Addison, you are divine,"
Antoinette murmured. "But what shall we discuss at
this party? The Reagans and we do not exactly see
eye-to-eye, you know."
"Speak for yourself," murmured Celeste, who was
having serious thoughts about converting to Re
publicanism. Addison faltered. "Why the issues, "of course.
Isn't that what all politicians talk about?"
Antoinette brightened. "Oh, yes, the issues! How
silly of me. Addison, you are a genius."
"The issues sound fine to me, Addison," Celeste
said. Harley and Otis nodded. "Now, what shall we
have to drink?"
that lovely little jewel," Celeste complained to her
roommates Harley and Otis. "Why, Edwin Meese has
been on the government dole for simply epochs?
"Jtfst get in good with the incumbent, baby, and
your transgressions will be forgotten," Harley re
plied. "Well, I don't see how that would be possible, since
I'm running against him," Celeste said.
"Celeste, my dear, why don't you invite the man to
tea?" Addison said.
"Tea?" Celeste inquired. "Addison, you know I
never drink anything stronger than . . . well, never
mind. I see your point, but cant we have a cocktail
party instead? I certainly can't deal with Ronnie on
anthing less than seven whiskey sours."
Kiddie Cornhuokero
seered in Moody film
Review by Stephanie Zink
The "joys" of living in a small midwestern town are
portrayed in Children of the Com, currently at the
Plaza 4.
Children of the Corn was originally a short story
by Stephen King, one of the masters of horror fic
tion, and was later adapted into this gruesome film.
In the first few minutes of the movie, pleasantries
are quickly dispensed with as the children of the
fictional town of Gatlin, Neb., kill all the adults in
town by slashing their throats open with knives
not butter knives either. So much for the in
nocence of youth.
A few years later, Burt (Peter Horton) and Vicky
(Linda Hamilton), a young couple on the way to
Seattle by car, decide to take a back road and
UteraUy riin into a young boy. Burt, an intern, gets
out of the car and finds the boy's neck viciously
slashed. He notices something is not right about
finding a bloody boy in the middle of a road from
which all you can see are cornfields. He puts the boy
in the trunk of the car and stupidly heads towards
Gatlin, the closest town.
It seems that these children are involved in a
religion which makes them hate all adults, especial
ly outsiders. They voluntarily and happily sacrifice
themselves to their god ("the man behind the rows")
on their 19th birthdays. They also have an obsession
with corn. They are led by Isaac, a demented little
squirt who was a preacher at one time, and his
right-hand man Malachi, the perfect example of a
country bumpkin.
Continued cn Pce 7
Ladely sent out a mailing on the Berlin Alexan
derplatz screenings all over the state, and said the
event has generated considerable interest.
Ladely said Berlin Alexanderplatz may possibly
be serialized on NETV as part of the Sheldon film
series on that channel. He has talked to a couple of
NETV people about having the serialized film intro
duced by a guest critic, and having that person give
the final wrap-up lecture.
Ladely said that while it was nice to get Andrew
Sarris to come to Lincoln, he kept thinking what it
would have been like to get Fassbinder here, were he
still alive. Although Fassbinder was "a scary per
son," he often liked to make odd trips, and as Sarris
. noted Monday, might have been intrigued by the
filmic possibilities of Nebraska's phallic state capitol.
Selleck movie offers
Nazis and cat burglars
Review by Glenn Stuva
Making the transition from the television screen
to the motion picture screen can be very difficult for
an actor. What people will watch on television, and
what they will pay to see in a theater are two
different things.
Tom Selleck star of television's Magnum PI, has
enjoyed d great deal of popularity during the last
three years while portraying the easy-going private
investigator Thomas Magnum. Despite the popular
ity of this show, (it consistently ranks in the top 10)
Selleck's first theatrical movie, High Road to China
was something of a disappointment. A critical flop,
and only a mediocre draw at the box office. It did
little to establish Selleck as a star of the silver screen.
His latest effort Lassiter is a different story. It is a
nice little film that revolves around the adventures
of one Nick Lassiter (played by Selleck) who hap
pens to -make his living as a very successful cat
burglar. He gets along just fine until an overzealous
London policeman frames him for a crime he didn't
commit.
The year is 1 939 just before the outbreak of WWII,
and the German government is smuggling $10
million worth of diamonds through its London
embassy in order to finance subversive acts in South
America. The British government doesn't want these
jewels to reach their intended destination, but they
can't very well just walk into the embassy and take
them.
So the cunning policeman manages to frame
Lassiter, and using the threat of a stiff jail sentence,
blackmails him into stealing the diamonds from the
embassy. Along the way we meet Lassiter's beautiful
girlfriend (Jane Seymour) and a cold-blooded Nazi
woman (played well by Lauren Hutton) who lusts
after the good-looking Lassiter.
It's not a remarkable plot, but it's not bad either!
The film as a whole isn't very weighty, but it is good
entertainment. The most interesting thing about the
movie is that Tom Selleck proves he can handle the
challenges of acting on the big screen. He's not a
great actor, but he does have a definite screen
presence. He's very convincing as a suave, debonair
ladies man who also likes a little danger and
excitemen just to keep him on his toes. Roger Ebert
of At the Movies fame compares him to a young Cary
Grant. I wouldn't go that far, but I would say Selleck
has what it takes to have a successful career as a
motion picture star.
If you don't like Tom Selleck then this is a movie
you probably wouldn't want to go see. On the other
hand, if you like Selleck, Magnum PI. Nazi movies or
cat burgbrs, then you ought to go see it. It probably
won't win any Acadamy awards, but its a fun movie
that will keep you entertained for 90 minutes or so.
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