Arts & Entertainment
Postwar love story stormy and complex
By Julie Naughton
Senior Reporter
“Enemies: A Love Story” is the
story of a man with three wives.
Before rushing to the phone to
arrest this guy for polygamy, realize
the situation really isn’t entirely his
fault.
The story is set in New York, 1949.
The lime is immediately after World
War II, and many German Jews have
moved to America. Among them is a
man named Herman Broder.
Ron Silver plays Broder, a refugee
who has married the Polish Catholic
girl who hid him during World War
II. Broder is mourning his first wife,
Tamara (Anjelica Huston), who he
believes was killed in Hitler’s con
centration camps. He is haunted by
nightmares about the camps and about
dying and Germany.
And he is having an affair with a
German Jew named Masha (Lena
Olin), a woman who has more fire in
her bones than his second wife ever
could have.
Soon, Herman finds out that his
first wife, Tamara, was not killed by
Hitler. She is alive, living in New
York and doing well.
She is a bit peeved that Herman
has remarried so quickly, and espe
cially that he has married the girl she
terms his “German peasant girl.”
The story tells of Herman’s at
tempts to free himself from the mess
he has created and shows how strange
friendships can arise from strange
situations.
“Enemies: A Love Story,” a Paul
mopp
Mazursky film, is filmed entirely on
location in New York. The filming
locales range from the Bronx to
Brooklyn to Manhattan; there even is
some beautiful photographic work done
in upstate New York.
The title of the movie comes from
a line, said by Tamara to Herman
about Masha: “She’s not your lover;
she’s your enemy.”
It takes Herman most ot the movie
-- and a lot of heartache -- to realize
Tamara is right.
Ron Silver is excellent as Herman
Broder. Silver (“Blue Steel”), an actor
primarily known for his work on
Broadway (he co-starred with Ma
donna in David Mamet’s “Speed
the-Plow” in 1988), is subtle and
convincing as the mixed-up Broder.
Rather than hating Broder for deceiv
ing three women, the audience feels
sorry for him, and roots for him to
find a way out of the predicament he
is in.
Olin displays spunk and a whole
lot of charisma as the spirited Masha.
Masha is someone who is after what
she wants but not willing to hurt anyone
in her path to get it. Olin establishes
herself as a talented force in the act
ing world with this role.
Huston displays considerable tal
ent as the bitter, lonely Tamara. Tamara
lost her two children in the war, and
she misses them. But at the same
lime, she’s angry with Herman for
daring to begin life again without her.
Huston portrays the mix of anger and
loneliness beautifully.
“Enemies: A Love Story” is a
story of love and betrayal and fear. It
is a powerful and moving story .
“Enemies: A Love Story” is play
ing at the Cinema I & II Theatres, 201
N. 13th St.
National People’s Gang brings intensity to city
Courtesy of Dr. Dream
National People’s Gang
By Michael Deeds
Senior Editor
Funk pupstcrs National People’s
Gang will roll into Duffy’s, 1412 O
St., tonight.
This quartet from Orange County,
Calif., packs a hopping, bass-pop
ping punch sure to carry the young
and feeble away in a chaotic tornado
of love.
The group’s latest release, “Or
ange,” is fresh produce from the Gang
- not only is it a primary source of
vitamin C, it highlights the individu
ality of each member ingeniously.
Vocalist Chad Jasmine is a raving
Perry Farrell-like master of theatrics.
His intentional, overly dramatic power
whines accent the massive, jazz-in
fected chord-ripping of guitarist Chad
Forrello. At times, Jasmine’s elastic
ity borders on just plain silly, but
more often, it just kicks.
Bassist Deyo Glines is a funk-junkie,
whilcdrummcr Anthony Arvi/u pulls
COI^cprf^
his influences from somewhere on
the other side of ancient tribal beats.
Cumulatively, it is one hell of a
fruit-filled treat.
“Orange,” though a flying fol
low-up to last year’s debut * ‘The Hard
Swing,” still manages to capture all
of the band’s live intensity. The live
Gang is enough to freak out any Crip
or Blood.
National People’s Gang is just one
of those bands bom to play live.
Formed seven years ago by Jas
mine and Forrello, the band has, slowly
but surely, broken from the Orange
County/Long Beach area into national
recognition.
The Gang’s theatrics have mel
lowed somewhat since their early days
when spectacle seemed to come be
fore music. But, nowadays, the band’s
musicianship is nothing less than
exceptional during their performances.
“Orange” brings them to a new
level. From the powerful “Love
Button” to the funk/punk “Gettin’
Close To God,” and yes, a cover of
Simon andGarfunkel’s “The 59th St.
Bridge Song (Fcclin’ Groovy),”
National People’s Gang have settled
down in their own juicy niche.
Opening for the Gang tonight will
be acoustic guitarist Craig Nietfcld.
Cover is $4. Show starts at 10 p.m.
ente^ainftient_
Nebraska poets to perform works
Four Nebraska poets will read from their works at 2 p.m, April 8,
when “Voices of the Plains” presents poetry at The Coffee House,
1324 P Sl
Readers include Greg Kuzma, Amil Quayle, Ella Robinson and Don
s Welch.
Kuzma was, for several years, one of the most widely published
poets in the country. Quayle captures ecological concern in his writing.
Robinson has had work appear in a number of periodicals and antholo
gies. Welch is the author of four collections of poetry.
Kuzma, Quayle and Robinson teach at University of Nebraska
Lincoln. Welch teaches at Kearney Slate College.
Tickets are $2.50 for KZUM radio members, $3 for nonmembers.
~-t biwwiwnn--—————
Overproduction of album
buries band’s true talent
By Michael Deeds
Senior Editor
I he Mission U.K.
“Carved In Sand”
Polygram
From a world of reverberating
passion and echoing depression
emerges The Mission U.K., that little
English band that cares.
Bom in January 1986 in Leeds,
Britain, The Missionaries came from
quite healthy musical backgrounds -
guitarist Wayne Hussey has Sisters of
Mercy on his resume; drummer Mick
Brown did a stint with Red Lorry
Yellow Lorry; guitarist Simon Hin
kler jammed in Artery; bassist Craig
Adams, well, he apparently is just a
lucky commoner.
So, noblesse oblige, and all that
jazz in mind, The Mission U.K. de
cided to embark on their conquering
of this planet.
Classifying the Mission U.K. is
easy enough — they fall into that U2
category, whatever that is. Lots ot
strumming, cutting guitars and a
straight-ahead drumbeat make a thick
enough background wall for Hussey’s
sometimes overly emotional vocals.
Songs like “Amelia,” which ad
dresses sexual abuse of children, and
“Paradise (Will Shine Like The
Moon),” mold tragedy and romanti
cism into a chilling, melodic state
ment that affects us all somehow.
At least some of us. The Mission
has cleaned up in readers’ polls in
several British magazines, and their
last album, “Children,” even fea
tured celebrity producer John Paul
Jones, of Led Zep fame.
But "Carved In Sand,” though it
has nice acoustic and power contrasts
to offset Hussey’s generally appeal
ing vocals, lacks feeling.
The Mission U.K. is a band that
feeds off emotion and need, and yes,
Hussey does,emit passion and pain.
But somewhere down the line, the
production squad took over. “Carved”
is slicker than Milli Vanilli, and any
true emotion is buried under echoes
See MISSION on 10
Eleventh Dream Day s Beet mixes
innovative guitar, understandable lyrics
By Brian Meves
Staff Reporter
Eleventh Dream Day
“Beet”
Atlantic
Don’t be surprised if Eleventh
Dream Day appears in a dream real
soon.
“Beet” is the third album and the
major label debut from the Chicago
basal quartet composed of Rick Rizzo
on lead vocals and rhythm guitar,
Janet Beveridge Bean on drums and
backing vocals, Baird Figi on lead
guitar and Douglas McCombs on bass.
At first glance, these guys look
like next-door neighbors because, quite
simply, they don’t look like musi
cians. But their album proves other
wise.
In “Beet,” Eleventh Dream Day
is able to accomplish something that
few alternative bands have ever done
before - a very innovative, guitar
laden, melodious album with lyrics
the general public can relate to.
Throughout “Beet,” Rizzo and
Figi combine in a twin guitar rage
that leaves only the strong standing.
But unlike other groups with great
guitar sound, they interfuse a con
stant rhythm guitar with the brash ol
the lead guitar to create melodies
previously unheard of.
Some of the group’s vocal charac
teristics can be compared to the Pix
ies. Rizzo’s vocals are boisterous and,
often, spoken or shouted. Blending in
an almost Pixie-esque way are Bean ’ s
soft, beautifully contrasting vocals
from song to song.
Lyrically, Rizzo concentrates on
everyday problems, sung by real-life
people. It is amazing just how many
personal problems can be fit into one
album.
On “Teenage Pin Queen,” he sing:
about the local flirt at the bowlinj
alley who keeps ignoring her boy
friend. The lyrics are satirical, ye
believable:
“She’s poised in her satin jacket/
Joe the plumber makes a strike/Hc
asks her for a kiss on the check/She’ s
all too happy to oblige him/Aftcr all
it’s Thursday night and she feels good/
After all she’s the teenage pin queen.”
On some songs like “Bomb The
Mars Hotel” the lyrics go beyond
real-life problems and border on the
absurd:
“No more traveling microbus
hordcs/Taking over my town/No more
tie dyed underwear/No more dancing
bears/I want to bomb the Mars Ho
tel.”
But not to worry, at the beginning
of the song Rizzo attempts to explain
the tune’s absurdity:
“I’ve had a few too many, so this
might sound strange.”
In all, “Beet” is completely awe
some.