Wednesday, April 29, 1987
Daily Nebraskan
Page 7
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H O . O
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By Chris McCubbin
Diversions Editor
f"hc Nebraska Air Nations
H Curd's trip to Honduras ha
1
3
sense local activists are expressing
their views in i:z::.',.
bepn wcrkir cn the son; "Ccn
trAddiction? Just Ezy NoP cn April
15, at the su-sticn cf his wife,
Davm Watson, an eraplcyce of Nc
trc,I;:.r.,3 for Peace, I!:rdy said.
'Down
By Stew Magnuson
Senior Reporter
Zack is an unemployed disc jockey,
framed for murder when a stolen
car he agreed to drive across town
turns out to have a corpse in the trunk.
Jack is a small-time pimp, set-up by his
enemies for child molestation.
Movie Review
They're both innocent and meet in
the same New Orleans jail. Enter
Roberto, the energetic Italian tourist
who did kill a man. He threw a pool
ball at a gambler's head and killed him
instantly.
"Down By Law," playing at Sheldon
Film Theatre this weekend, is director
Jim Jarmusch's latest film and a superb
follow-up to his best-known work,
"Stranger Than Paradise." -
It's difficult to put a finger on what
kind of film Jarmusch makes. If I had to
narrow it down to one genre, I'd say
"comedies."
No, they're not conventional comed
ies. There aren't too many belly laughs,
but there are some. And the characters
don't tell formal "jokes." But Jarmusch
can elicit humor without these tradi
tional methods. He creates humor out
of situations, a quick change of camera
angles or a funny conversation that
totally goes over the heads of the
characters.
Most of all, Jarmusch depends on his
characters. He's not only the director,
but the writer. And he has a knack for
picking out the perfect actors for each
role. Singer-songwriter Tom Waits plays
Zack, the disc jockey who sits looking
sheepish as his girlfriend throws all his
belongings out into the street.
Lounge Lizard sax player John Lurie,
also the star of "Stranger Than Para
dise," looks perfect as Jack, the slimy
pimp.
"My mamma always said America is
like a big melting pot," one of Jack's
prostitutes tells him. "When you bring
it to a boil, all the scum rises to the
top." She points a gun at his turned
back, but decides not to shoot.
By Chris McCubbin
Diversions Editor
Here's the longverdue conclusion
on how DC Comics is overhauling its
long-term superstars.
"Shazam! The New Begin
ning," Roy and Dan Thomas
and Tom Mandrae
Technically the original Captain
Marvel isn't a DC character. He's
actually a creation of the defunct
Fawcett company. During the '40s
and '50s Captain Marvel rivaled and
sometimes surpassed Superman in
popularity.
DCs
The sor.3 was fret pcrfcrr.ed
April 18 at a rally at tha airport Air
National Guard ecnplcx when the
faord unit shipped out, he said.
Alu. 'h laiy
were Jcs Itur.cv ca fid "3 ar.d Jin
Piphsr, boss player for Lhcch's
Elo-eyass Cruaada.
"CeatrAddictien" is a bouncy
blucrors tur.e v.ith lyrics !;!:?:
So ifDereutcr asks for your
support, JUSTSuWNO!
IVs just not your idea of
by
John Lurie, Tom
Both actorsmusicians provided
music for the sound track, which blends
into the film perfectly.
The two losers wind up together in
jail, constantly bickering, spending
time totally without imagination until
the dreaded pool-ball killer, Roberto,
winds up in the same cell, leading the
The Fawcett Captain Marvel books
were chaotic, nonsensical a little
frenchy, unapologetically juvenile,
and amazingly good fun.
I was scared when I heard that
DC was reviving the character to fit
into its new "realistic" universe but
the four-part "New Beginning" series
was much better than I ever ex
pected. DC dropped the talking tigers,
kid sidekicks and other silliness
that made the first series such a
delight, but somehow writers Roy
and Dann Thomas managed to retain
the innocence and charm that have
Law
sport, JU3T SAY NO!
Intinridais and then invade.
We'll call it economic aid.
And hire the refugees as
maids, JUST SAY NO!
Tha rcrp ho. recorded a cr-;::; : tte
cf "CcntrAddieticn." The f.rat run is
airaost gcr.e, &ad it nay be awhile
8 because
the company that produced the
ccsccttc, Cruise ?du:;:c, has gone out
cf business, Hardy said. Cut a few
said he'll try to get mere ss soca as
oion
T7 r
a
1
Waits and Roberto Oenlgni in the
whole prison in chants of "I scream,
you scream, we all scream for ice
cream!"
Roberto, played by famous Italian
actorcomedian Roberto Benigni (fam
ous in Italy, not here), can get laughs
just with expressions on his face. He
carries a notebook full of incorrect
ueer
always been part of this character
without becoming precious or
swarmy.
Much of the miniseries' plot was
stolen from the first four issues of
Comics Now
Alan Moore's "Miracleman." But
that's OK, because "Miracleman" is
just the American version of the
UK's Marvelman, an updated version
he con.
The tape has been sent to several
Lincoln radio stations, and has re
ceived airplay oa KLIN and KZUM,
Larry Zink, state coordinator for
Nebraskans for Fe ace, said his group
plans to use the sir.;;!e as a resource.
He said his group Is aware cf the
value cf entertainment as "aa alter
native v.ay to resell out to people."
. Watson is the coordinator far the
1st Ccryecaicnal District for Ndbras
kans for Peace.
Hardy said the band was "tossed
i-miss
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m
s
comedy "Down By Law."
English phrases and tells the two
miserable conficts, "Ef looks could
keel, I am dead now!"
The three escape jail into the Loui
siana swamp, and the real adventure
begins.
The black-and-white photography of
the New Orleans ghettos and murky
thrive
s cars
of a-'50s character, which was a
rip-off of Fawcett's Captain Marvel.
(See why I love comics?)
Maybe the best thing for Captain
Marvel right now would be an honor
able retirement, but at the end of
"New Beginning," I found myself
wanting more in spite of myself.
The Green Lantern Corps,
Steve Englehart
After the Cris's shook up the DC
Universe, Green Lantern came home
with six of his buddies, all of whom
have the same powers as he. These
seven, four of whom are space aliens,
together" on the spur of the moment.
But he said he wouldn't be sur
prised if the group played together
asain for a different project. The
group has planned no further pro
jects. Hardy also sometimes plays with
Poultrydst, a bond that plays only
"chicken sor.s, ghost son's and
dead chicken sors," he said.
Ccpies cf "Ccr.trAddiction? Just
Say No!" are available for $1.50.
Write Dave Hardy at 345 W. Eio Ed.,
Lincoln, NE 6S505.
j lick
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Courtesy of Island Pictures
swamps is stunning, and the acting and
script are excellent and entertaining.
"Down By Law" is a "don't miss" film.
"Down By Law" plays Friday
through Sunday with screenings
at 7 and 9 p.m., a Saturday
matinee at 3 p.m. and Sunday
matinees at 3 and 5 p.m.
have inhabited Earth as crime fight-,
ers.
I can't really get into this series,
because a Green Lanten ha3 the
power to do just about anything he
wants, and it seems like seven of
them on one planet could easily
make all other crime fighters re
dundant. Englehart solves this problem by
ignoring it. Instead he concentrates
on the characters, mostly the slightly
goofy aliens. The Green Lantern
See COMICS on 8
