Wednesday, December 10, 1986
Daily Nebraskan
Page 13
-Ji . I K jA I t - SI k ,
I'M .'W in-'
Paisley squad disappointing
; ? -h -" ' hit
By Charles Lieurance
Diversions Editor
Wecome to the new summer of
love, (winter of love? winter of dis
content?) sort of a cross between
the Munich Beer Hall Putsch of 1923
and "Father Knows Best."
Monday night the geriatric pais
ley squad pulled out the stops for
one of the multitude of retro-extravaganzas
touring our backward-lean-
Concert Review
ing land in the year of our Lord 1 986.
The venue: Omaha Civic Audito
riaum's Music Hall. The event:
Allegedly a reunion concert of the
Mamas and the Papas (spelled
"Mammas and Pappas" on the mar
quee, welcome to Nebraska), the
Byrds and the Turtles (with Flo and
Eddie) . . . with special guests The
Who, the Grass Roots, the Guess
Who, the Electric Spoonfed Baby
Buggy, the Chocolate Watchband,
the Four Preps, Four Tops, Four
Lads, Four Seasons, Four Freshmen,
the Four Plays and a debut appear
ance by the four horsemen of the
apocalypse. Year: Who can tell
anymore? Only the records depart
ment of the Los Angeles Nursing
Home knows for sure.
Although this horror show was
nowhere near as offensive as the
Monkees, Grass Roots, Herman's
Hermits and Gary Puckett and the
Union Gap tour last summer, that
was so wretched it put the bands'
future playing for brain-dead tour
ists at Knotts Berry Farm in jeopardy.
The Byrds, for instance, still had
the makings of a band. Gene Clark,
the only original Byrd in the house
(he played tambourine and wrote
songs for the first incarnation), led
the band with some sloppy but pas
sable acoustic guitar (should've
stuck with tambourine) through all
the hits and even a gorgeous new
number called "Mary Sue." The
Byrds actually added some new
touches to the old sound, a little
reggae inflection here and there,
new vocal phrasing.
The rest of the night was pure
Vegas schmaltz. The Byrds hauled
the good-taste machine off the stage
with them and all heck broke loose.
Some white guy came on stage alone
with a Stratocaster and did a
Hendrix-ization of the Christmas
carol "Noel."' At this point a man
made entirely of tie-dye stood on his
seat and began to sway to his own
private acid mantra, he kissed his
hands and raised them to the uni
verse. The universe whispered, "hi."
The Turtles, featuring lead Lau
rel and Hardy impersonators Flo
and Eddie, took the stage and the
lone guitariest, the last rock 'n'
roller we were to see that night,
stepped into the background. Flo is
a lounge comedian's bad dream, a
big, obnoxious fool who juggles
tambourines badly, scratches out
S.O.S. signals on a guitar, openly
mocks Eddie and sort of sings when
he feels like it.
Eddie, on the other hand, is the
old man from "Life of Brian" who sat
in a pit and hadn't talked for 20
years. His voice hasn't suffered
much, but when he leads the mostly
middle-aged yuppie crowd in a chant
of "Don't let your kids get hipper
than you" you want to throw up.
The Turtles joked their way
through "Eleanor, I Think You're
Swell," "Happy Together" and "It
Ain't Me, Babe." Somewhere deep in
the nature boy's jello mind, the
brown acid finally kicked in.
Flo led the crowd in a "Louie,
Louie" sing along, the "Kumbaya"
of the future, perhaps. Crowds
respond like this to anything that
even remotely sounds like "Louie,
Louie" or "Twist and Shout" with
the sort of frenzy normally reserved
for old people who can't seem to get
the spoonful of oatmeal to their
mouths.
Round three. Schmaltz-20, Sum
mer of Love-O.
Suddenly a swing choir pretend
ing to be the Mamma and the Pap
pas was on stage. John Phillips
looked like he'd been hit by a train
called time. The other faces were
strangers. In the nadir of bad taste
for the evening, the group even
included a token fat lady to replace
Mama Cass Elliott. Rumors that
Papa John had enlisted his daugh
ter, McKenzie to replace one of the
Mamas proved erroneous.
Rumors that the Summer of Love
was back were likewise dispelled.
Men
gives
at the lives
By Stew Magnuson
Staff Reporter
I have to admit that I had some
preconceived notions when I went to
the press screening of the West Ger
man film "Men." With a title like that,
combined with the fact that it's written
and directed by a woman, I just assumed
"Men" was some sort of feminist, anti-
Movie Review
male "Men are such jerks" diatribe.
And hey, there's nothing wrong with
that. Personally, I get my male ego torn
down two or three times a day.
Well, that isn't what "Men" is all
about. But it isn't about men in gen
eral, either. Perhaps a better title
would be "Two Men" because "Men" is
an in-depth study of two very different
males.
The story revolves around Julius
Armbrust (Neiner Lauterbach), who
discovers on his 12th year anniversary
that iisi-wifey Paula, is-sleeping with
another man. Of course, he's upset
about the whole situation. In fact, he's
so upset that he tells his secretary he
can no longer have afternoon quickies
on his desk with her.
Here we see the classic double
standard. Julius is entirely comfortable
its audience a glimpse
of two complex men
having an affair until he discovers a
hickie on Paula's (Ulrike Kreiner)
neck. Julius becomes obsessed with
knowing what kind of man his wife is
sleeping with. He moves out, cancels
their family vacation and checks into a
seedy motel where a loud couple makes
erotic noises nightly.
Julius is thrown into a midlife crisis.
He tails his wife and the long, golden
haired hippie, Stephan, wherever they
go. One afternoon, after Paula and Ste
phan (Uwe Oshsenknecht) go their
separate ways, Julius follows Stephan
to his apartment where he is in the act
of tossing his girlfriend out. Now Ste
phan needs a new roomate. Julius
takes Stephan's "roomate needed"
announcement off a cafe wall and con
vinces him he needs a room.
Now, it's "Odd Couple" time. Except
this "Odd Couple" has a twist. Stephan
is totally unaware that his new room
mate is the husband of the rich, subur
ban wife with whom he's been having
an illicit affair. The two are classic
opposites. Both are former hippies and
in their mid-30s. But Julius gave up his
rebet ways for art-executive job at a
packaging company. Stephan chose to
continue his Bohemian lifestyle and
makes a small living as a freelance
graphic artist. Stephan rides a bike,
and Julius drives a Maserati.
Every situation and evey piece of
dialogue is dripping with dramatic
irony. When Julius grills Stephan about
the woman he's been seeing, he replies,
"Anyway, it's no business of yours."
Julius becomes a confused man.
He's full of hostility towards Stephan
while slowly building a friendship with
his bipolar opposite. Sometimes his
hostility gets out of hand. For instance,
when he spills scalding hot coffee on
the artist's hands, or when he starts
beating the heck out of him while
they're jogging.
There are some scenes that could
have turned into an American sitcom.
Paula drops in for an unexpected visit,
and Julius solves this conflict by put
ting on an ape mask. Director Doris
could have gone for big laughs like an
episode of "Three's Company" by hav
ing Paula blunder in and uncover the
whole situation, but thankfully, that
never really happens. I don't think
"Men" is the hilarious comedy that its
advertising makes it out to be. But the
ironies certainly will make anyone
smile and keep virtually everyone
entertained. The acting is. superb.
When I'm.forced to read subtitles and
-ean't understand the languagepcharac--terization
is sometimes lost on me. But
Julius and Stephan become very real
and multi-dimensional people.
"Men" is showing at Sheldon Film
Theatre Thursday through Sunday at 7
and 9 p.m. There are matinees Saturday
at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m.
Direct From Chicago's Southside
Mask Slim and
the Teardrops
Monday Dec. 8-Sunday Dec. 14
Chicago Blues At It's Finest!
136 N. 14th
30C
The Wait Is Over.
Men of Nebraska 1 Women of Nebraska
1987 Calendar 1987 Calendar
W AVAILABLE NOW J-q
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Wherever fine calendars are sold.
30C
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Photo courtesy of New Yorker Films
Julius (Heinsr Uutsrbsch) dons a gorilla mssk to hlda his Identity from his wits Paula (Ulrike
Krlsnsr) when eha visits the cpartment he fo sharing with her lover Stephan (Uwe Ochien
knscht, te'A) in Doris Dorrle's "Wen."
COLLEGE NIGHT
ONE NIGHT ONLY WED. DEC. 1 0
Featuring Omaha 's Premier Rock 'n ' Roll Band
IVORY
NIGHTIE CONTEST
THURSDAY DEC. 1 1
Bring your sexiest negligee and walk away with
$100 1st Prize $50 2nd Prize $25 3rd Prize
CUB KODA of BROWNSVILLE STATION
FRIDAY DEC. 12
The Original "Smokin ' in the Boy 's Room "
THE JACKS IN DANGER ALBUM PAJ1TY
ONE NIGHT ONLY SATURDAY DEC. 13
Album Giveaways and other Prizes!
i 27th & Cornhusker
4G4-1492
J
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