Arts & Entertainment
‘Dick Tracy’ falls short of pre-movie hype
By John Payne
Senior Editor
The long-awaited Warren Beatty/
Walt Disney production “Dick Tracy”
finally rolled into theaters last week
end, with curious movie-goers na
tionwide echoing a common senti
ment--”This better be good.”
Certainly, comparisons between this
summer’s heavyweight and the behe
moth “Batman” are unfair. But con
sidering the mountain of pre-movie
Ul^ vUII>yiCUUUMIC.Vs 1)1 US suus
and the inevitable marketing of eve
rything from Batsuits to Dick Tracy
wrist radios, films such as these sim
ply obligate themselves to be some
thing special. The rather sinister
“Batman” proved that it was special,
and for the most part, “Dick Tracy”
is loo.
True to Chester Gould’s comic
book hero, Beatty, as the two-fisted
detective, operates in a world ol pri
mary colors and grotesque villains,
an anonymous metropolis where
gangsters like Big Boy Caprice (Al
Pacino) grapple with fellow mobsters
and police for control of the city.
There is a meticulous sort of work
manship to be found throughout this
multi-million dollar offering, one that
has the unmistakable look of a Disney
production. “Dick Tracy” is every
bit the visual feast it was cracked up
to be, and there are moments when
one cannot help but be impressed by
the almost surreal environment cre
ated by its set design.
When asked last year about his
uncompromising eye for detail, pro
duction designer Richard Sylbert
explained that in order for the film to
be faithful to Chester Gould’s art
work, one of his first decisions was to
use only the seven primary colors
used in the “Dick Tracy” strip.
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“Every yellow is the same as
Tracy’s fedora,’’ he said. “Every red
is the same red, and every green is the
same green.”
Aside from the bold color scheme,
“Dick Tracy” is punctuated by
numerous camera angles that arc strik
ing to say the least. The already dis
proportionate dreamland where cops
fight robbers is made just a little more
bizarre by Beatty’s flare for unique
shot composition.
Any complaints to be registered
about this brave undertaking would
have to include the criticism that after
a while, the richly detailed imagery
gets to be a bit much. The moon
seems always to be swollen over this
urban kaleidoscope, where every dusk
illuminates like neon over the inner
city. This poses problems because
even at a visual feast, one can gorge
oneself for just so long.
Perhaps the strangest thing about
“Dick Tracy’’ is the rather sedate
performance of Beatty. It’s unclear
whether he was trying to give the
same sort understated treatment to
“Tracy’’ that Michael Keaton gave
to “Batman,” but the result is a hero
that often appears disinterested. This
cold detachment of his hurts the movie
nearly as much as his stylish direction
set it apart.
ine constant inuccisivcncss tnat
he brings to the role is annoying, and
the aging pretty boy often gets in the
way of his own movie.
What works surprisingly well here
is the role of Breathless Mahoney,
played to a fever pitch by Madonna.
Sexually speaking, her screen pres
ence races along at a speed that leaves
this mostly innocent film behind.
It should be mentioned loo, that a
lot of fun can be had trying to figure
out just which veteran actor is behind
the face of what deformed villain.
The make-up artists on this produc
tion have outdone themselves, although
for a truly authentic look, they might
have given Beatty the famous Dick
Tracy hooked-nose.
Even when a film as such as ‘ ‘ Dick
Tracy” falls just short of the hype,
which it certainly docs, one has to
i
marvel at its absolute ambition.
With the dust already beginning to
settle, Beatty and Disney seem to
have done pretty much what they set
out to do-deliver a movie that looks
every bit as expensive as it is, one that
is virtually guaranteed to rake in co
lossal box-office receipts.
(Above) Director Warren Beatty
on the set of this summer’s most
eagerly awaited movie, “Dick
Tracy. Beatty also produced
and plays the title role.
Madonna plays Breathless Ma
honey (Right), a sultry night
club singer who holds the key
to Detective Dick Tracy’s inves
tigation.
Courtesy of Touch tone Pictures
LP allows spontaneity
By Mark Munn
Staff Reporter
“Let’s (io Scare Al’’
Gear Daddies
Polygram
Two years after recording their
independent album “Let’s Go Scare
Al’’ on a a small label, the Austin,
Minncsoia-bom Gear Daddies were
signed to Polygram. This refreshing
collection of songs was re-released
because of the attention it had re
ceived across the country. “Let’s Go
Scare Al’’ combines booze,comedy,
country, steel guitar, a subliminal hard
rock twist, and more booze.
Add front-man Marlin Zcllar’s
crisp, uniquely honest, vocals and
you’ve got a catalyst for drinking.
“Cut Me Off,’’ the first song on
the LP, instantly sways heads. “Statue
of Jesus” is a weeper, soaked with
Zcllar’s small town repression. “Boys
Will Be Boys” is about boy-girl rela
tionships, as is “Don’t Forget Me.”
With “Heavy Metal Boy/.,’’ Zcl
lar reminisces of growing up in a
small town, listening to heavy metal
and enjoying simple things. One high
light of this LP is the steel guitar
genius contributed by Randy
Broughicn on “This Time,” and his
work on the remainder of the album is
just as enticing.
All the songs on “Let’s Go Scare
Al“ were written by Zellar, except
“Blues Mary,’’ which was written by
drummer Billy Dankcrl.
Zellar, Dankart and bassist Nick
Ciola had played together in high
school bands around Austin, Minn.
Zellar went away to college in Min
neapolis and met up with guitarist
Randy Broughicn, who happened to
be substitute teaching in Austin. They
began building a reputation among
tire pub-dwellers of Austin, then graeju
ally went on to bigger and belter
things.
Mellow to the core, this LP main
tains a certain spontaneity through
out. Zcllar’s true-to-life lyrics make
for a style that is both vibrant and
inspirational. And for those clcan
guitar oriented listeners, “Let’s Go
Scare Al“ is a sure ear tinglcr.
The Gear Daddies will record their
first major Polygram album with
producer Tom Herbers, who has
worked with such bands as Soul
Asylum, the Church and the Jayhawks.
The album is scheduled for release in
l($fiptcpibcr. -J
Courtesy of Polygram Racorda
Lincoln, Omaha provide variety of art,
entertainment events throughout week
By Bryan Peterson
Staff Reporter
Here’s a list of arts and entertain
ment events in Lincoln and Omaha
for the week of June 21 through June
27.
ART
The 16th annual Omaha Summer
Arts Festival runs Friday to Sunday in
downtown Omaha (Famam to Har
ney, 17th to 19th streets). Eighty
thousand people are expected to view
the works of 175 artists and crafts
people. All displays and events arc
free except for a variety of children’s
activities, which cost 25 cents each.
Saturday night, the 38-ycar-old
Modem Jazz Quartet will give a free
performance. The festival will con
clude Sunday with a two-hour per
formance by the Nebraska Wind
Symphony. Musicians, storytellers,
comedians, jugglers and food courts
all can be sampled from noon to 9
p.m. Friday and Saturday and from
noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Gallery 335 in Lincoln’s Haymariect
is exhibiting paintings by Gerardo
Meza until June 30. Gallery 335 is
open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday
through Saturday and from noon to 5
p-.m. Sunday.- ^
The Sheldon Memorial Art Gal
lery currently is featuring two exhibi
tions. “Gordon Cook: Twenty Etch
injgs” will run June 12 to Aug. 12,
with landscapes and floral studies by
the northern California artist who died
in 1985. “Charles Rain: Magic Real
ism” will run June 12 to July 8, and
will include paintings and shadow
boxes by Rain, who lived in Lincoln
until graduating from high school.
Rain died in 1985 and left all of his
work as well as an endowment to the
Sheldon Gallery. His works will be
shown in the Charlotte and Charles
Rain Gallery, adjacent to the Sheldon
Gallery.
it m w mi n
lviuaiL
Omaha’s Ranch Bowl will host
live music every night this week,
beginning with guitarist Steve Morse
on Thursday at 8 p.m. The all-ages
show costs S10 in advance and $ 11 at
the door.
Local top-40 band Finest Hour will
open for Morse and then have the
stage to themselves Friday night.
Saturday at 6:45 p.m., the heavy metal
band Hurricane will play to an all
ages audience. Tickets arc S8.50 in
advance and $9.50 at the door. Elec
tric Angel also will play with Hurri
cane.
Those who missed wild piano man
Jason D. Williams at the Zoo Bar
earlier this week can sec him at the
Ranch Bowl Sunday at 9 p.m. for $4,
although the show is limited to those
See CITY on 9
