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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 1991)
Arts & Entertainment l . ■ Courtesy of Touch tone Pictures Co-stars Bruce Willis (left) and Dustin Hoffman of “Billy Bathgate” are hoping crime will pay at the box office. Gangster movie lacks focus “Billy Bathgate” By Mark Nemeth Staff Reporter Director Robert Benton’s “Billy Bathgate” (Lincoln) is a light and stylish movie about the ambitions of innocent young Billy Bathgate. Selin New York City in the 1930s, the film stars Loren Dean as Billy, a boy impressed by the money making possibilities of working for a local gangster, played by Dustin Hoffman. Bathgate sneaks into the gangster’s well-guarded place of business by holding up a sack of what the guards think to be money, but turns out to be cupcakes— the gangster boss’ favor ite kind. Bathgate is “hired,” and begins to learn the new trade. Hoffman is impressed with Billy’s loyalty, confidence and assertiveness. Hoffman tells him he’ll go far. “There’s something to learn from this boy,” he says to the gang’s second in com mand. Bathgate gets his first “paycheck” from thegangsters, securing hisadop tion into the gangster family. He then buys new clothes and gives his poor mother some of the money. His absurd, pathetic-looking mother says to him, “Look at you, you’re the richest man in the neighborhood,” a moment that nearly pushes the movie into the realm of comical bad. Bruce Willis plays, with little en thusiasm, orc of Hoffman’s gangster associates. When Hoffman discov ers, through the help of Billy, that Willis is planning to double cross him for another local gang, he has him killed. Hoffman spares Willis’ girlfriend (Nicole Kidman) because he has his own romantic interest in her. Hoffman begins to lose control of himself and his business. He irration ally kills a fire inspector, and then a business associate. Little of Hoffman’s loss of control is explained, thus re ducing possible sympathy for his character. A potentially interesting relation ship develops between Billy and Kidman, who the young man prom ises to protect. Though she calls Hoffman “her gangster,” her atten tion goes to the young Bathgate. Billy tries to warn her against being naive about Hoffman’s destructive power, but she remains unimpressed and carefree. If the chemistry of their rela tionship had been more developed, Billy Bathgate would be a more suc cessful movie. As it is, it lacks focus. Bathgate and Kidman eventually sleep together, but their relationship never matures. They do, however, vacation together in up-state New York while Hoffman is on trial, providing beautiful footage of that part of the country, “Billy Bathgate” fails to provide any depth because its plot lacks focus and character development. The film’s strong points are in its style and re capturing of the time period, though neither excel. Decorative movies set in the past can diffuse the viewer’s identity with a character. This film may keep your interest, but the strong audience-char acter bonding of gangster movies like “The Godfather” or “Miller’s Cross ing” is nowhere to be found. Courtesy of Touchtone Pictures Bruce Willis decks out as gangster Bo Weinberg in ?Billy Bathgate.” V / Tr*-+ * " w —■—' Robert Borzekofski/DN Radio network to play Winnie-the-Pooh works By Anne Steyer Senior Reporter Christopher Robin calls him “that silly old bear.” His friends and neighbors call him “Pooh” for short Nebraskans will get to know him by his full name this winter on KUCV (FM 90.9), with the presen tation of “The Complete Works of Winnie-thc-Pooh.” _— Beginning Thursday, the Ne braska Public Radio Network will broadcast the program in 18 half hour segments every Thursday at 4 p.m. The scries includes 20 stories and 79 poems performed in their entirely. Sponsored by the NPR Playhouse, which specializes in national public radio drama, the program will run through Decem ber. “The time (slot) of the program is geared to young people,” said Chris Kohtz, NPR producer and host of the Morning Show. “There is definitely a need for children’s programming.” Kohtz said NPR is hoping to target the after-school audience that might otherwise be watching tele vision. While the Pooh scries is nation ally produced, Kohtz said NPR also is looking to bring in locally pro duced children’s programs. “This is a good chance to get our foot in the door,” he said. “The Complete Works of Win nic-thc-Pooh,” written by A.A. Milne, has not been broadcast pre viously on United States national radio. This production is the only one ever to be granted permission by the Milne estate for American broadcast. The works arc performed by Peter Dennis, a Briton who tours in a show that features a variety of Milne’s works and has been lauded by Christopher Robin Milne, the author’s son. “(Dennis) performs in a very traditional story-telling fashion,” Kohtz said. The stories themselves arc tra ditional. They arc authentic Milne, straight from his books and collec tions of verse. Listeners who are familiar only with the Walt Disney version of Winnie-thc-Pooh will hear something new, according to Kohtz. Disney, though licensed to re produce the Pooh characters, did not obtain the rights to the stories themselves. The audience that is acquainted only with the Disney talcs will hear a different series of adventures based solely on Milne’s works. Dennis performs every charac ter. In his dramatic reading, the voices and intonations of Pooh, Ecyorc and the rest of the Hundred Acre gang arc different from the Disney version. In spite of this difference, many of their charac teristics arc still familiar: honey loving Pooh, bouncy Tiggcr, wist fully gloomy Ecyore and knowing Wise Owl. Christopher Robin, the only hu man figure in the Pooh stories, pre sides over the animal world as the responsible adult figure. Milne, an English dramatist, nov elist and humorous journalist, ini tially wrote the stories for his young son, using Christopher and his stuffed animals as characters. Elric returns in new Moorcock fantasy novel I he Kevenge or the Kose By Michael Moorcock Ace Books By Bryan Peterson Senior Editor Michael Moorcock’s reputation as a science fiction writer has risen stead ily for the more than 30 years he has been editing and writing. Moorcock escaped the cult status gained with his Elric novels when “Gloriana” was published and won the World Fantasy Award, and has continued to gain readers and respect since that time. “The Revenge of the Rose” is another novel centered around the character Elric and its publication should do even more to establish Moorcock’s influence in the realms • of both fantasy and science fiction. Elric is an albino sorcerer from the .. i realm ol Mclmbonc and wielder ot a vampire sword which thrives on the souls of those whose blood it tastes, feeding itself and its wielder in a frenzy of death and destruction. But Elric is no petty wielder of trite magic spells; he is engaged in a struggle between the Lord of Chaos and Lord Arioch, a rivalry which stretches across worlds and realms within what Moorcock calls the “multiverse.” Elric is no lord, but he is vital to the plans of the warring lords, for he provides access through dimensions within the multiverse by providing a psychic path for the lords to follow in their pursuit of one another. Alas, poor Elric has other prob lems as well — his father’s soul is being used by one of the warring lords, and Elric must hunt across the multiverse first to find an ally, The Rose, and then to join forces with her against the forces of Chaos. They, with temporally displaced poet Wheldrake, unite with three sword-wielding sisters who provide sources of power and help in the grand confrontation. While the novel clearly revolves around Elric, Wheldrake is as inter esting a character, perhaps even more so. Long separated from his own time and world. His poems serve as both history and prophecy,and sometimes both. He foretells (unknowingly) many of the novel’s key events, except for his romantic rivalry with the enormous Khorghakh the Toad. Wheldrake also makes clear that Moorcock is working with a number of classic themes and styles: trios of sisters (the Fates?), grand confronta tions of Law and Chaos and a hero both epic and tragic. The writings of Spenser, Tolkien, Homer and tellers of Arthurian leg end all come to mind while reading “The Revenge of the Rose,” yet while Moorcock invokes their spirit, this novel is clearly his own. It is here that Moorcock achieves his greatest success: in building his own work upon the classic writings while invigorating and enlarging the fields of science fiction and fantasy. Courtesy of Ace Fantasy