Arts & Entertainment
Cartoon comedian to perform at Barry’s
By Robert Richardson
Senior Reporter
If you’ve ever wondered what weird mind
was behind those “Ozzy Fudd” comedy bits
that have playing on local radio stations, the
answer can be found in Lincoln tonight.
Mark McCollum, thecomedian whocrossed
Elmer Fudd with Ozzy Osbourne in order to
“kill all the wabbits,” will perform at Barry’s
Bar and Grill, 235 N. 9th St., tonight.
McCollum is a “Star Search” champion, a
comedian with his own Showtime special and
has appeared on the “Tonight Show.”
For McCollum, a fifth-generation San Fran
ciscan, entertaining came at a young age. He
performed in a family band at weddings and
bar mitzvahs before taking to another kind of
stage — comedy.
Starting out at San Francisco comedy club
The Holy City Zoo with the likes of Robin
Williams and DanaCarvey, McCollum gained
experience early. But there was something
even more attractive about the atmosphere.
“There was no money involved, there was
no big picture involved,” McCollum said. “It
was, wow, a stage, a stage. The First Five
minutes were magical. It was like, 1 found a
place where I’m not crazy. I just needed a place
to vent. I’ll never forget it, those were magical
times.”
Those were also early beginnings for McCol
lum. The comedy industry has changed and so
has McCollum’s act, which now includes music
mixed with cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny,
Daffy Duck, Marvin the Martian and Elmer
Fudd.
“It’s kind of a climax of using the perspec
tive that you can take something that’s been
around like Elmer Fudd and what would it be
like if Elmer had a punk son,” McCollum
wondered. “And let’s say he had a hit video on
MTV: Ozzy Fudd, the Rabbit Slayer.”
McCollum said he uses cartoon characters
in his act because, for him, it’s what works.
“Trying to be totally different doesn’t really
work,” McCollum said. “What really works in
Mark McCollum
See COMEDY on 10
F/X sequel
hits; Hawk
takes dive
By Anne Steyer .
Senior Reporter
It’s a hit-and-miss week for
new releases. Bruce Willis’
“Hudson Hawk” limps in to video
stores, as docs another brain
dead action flick from Steven
Seagal.
Luckily, there arc two mov
ies worth watching this week.
“F/X 2” (PG-13) Bryan
Brown and Brian Dcnnehy re
prise ihcir roles as movie spe
cial effects (F/X) w i/.ard RoUie \
Tyler and cantankerous cop Leo J
McCarthy, respectively.
It’s five years and 15 million
dollars later from the first film.
Tyler, now retired from his “F/
X” business, spends his time
designing and creating fantastic
toys.
He is coaxed out ol retire
ment by his girlfriend’s ex-hus
band, who needs Tyler’s spec ial
talents for an undercover police
operation. As in the first film,
things hit a snag and someone
ends up dead.
Again following the origi
nal, McCarthy comes to the
rescue, and together they work
to outwit the mob. This time,
the Vatican and some priceless
gold coins arc involved.
Throw in a psychotic hit man
and an incredible, life-size,
remote-control Clown, and “F/
X 2” has a good mix of comedy
and adventure.
Though not as original as the
first film, “F/X 2” does have its
moments. The special effects
arc good, and the story is inter
esting, albeit familiar. Dennehy
and Brown work well together,
and their relationship still is
entertaining.
The critics unfairly panned
it, but as pure escapist adven
ture, “F/X 2” fits the bill. (Avail
able Thursday)
“Hudson Hawk” (R) Bruce
Willis is the title character, a
smirking, singing, thieving ex
con.
Hawk is a cal burglar who
has recently been released from
firison. He is hired by rich sib
ings to steal artworks by Le
onardo Da Vinci and help them
build a machine that will turn
lead into gold.
Assisting Willis in these
adventures is his pal Danny
Aiello (“Moonstruck”), who even
breaks into a schmaltzy song
during one of the heists. Andie
Mac Dowell (“Green Card”) is
the undercover agent from the
Vatican.
A $50 million flop, Hudson
See VIDEOS on 10
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“Comfort of Strangers”
By Mark Baldridge
Staff Reporter
Though it’s set in Italy, nearsighted
viewers will be relieved to learn that
“The Comfort of Strangers” (Ross)
has no tiny subtitles to read. The film
is in the very best English.
Harold Pinter is responsible for
that. It’s his screenplay, coupled with
the beautiful sellings of Venice, that
makes the film fly. Pinter is well
known as a playwright (“The Dumb
waiter”) with a masterful command
of the language. If that makes you
think of stuffy^classics,” think again:
Pinter’s characters are the most inter
esting and three-dimensional around.
The film also boasts a powerful
cast.
Christopher Walken plays Robert,
a sinister Italian sociopath. Walken is
an old hand at making audiences
squirm. He’s well within his fort6
here and operating with all the con
siderable resources at his command.
Natasha Richardson (“The Hand
maid’s Tale”) plays Mary, a beautiful
English actress on holiday with her
handsome lover Colin (Rupert Ever
ett). The two are trying to put their
relationship in perspective to decide
if it is worth continuing.
The young lovers meet — and
eventually come to stay with — two
strangers, Robert and his wife Caro
line, played by Hellcn Mirren. Robert
and Caroline form a bizarre couple,
bound by rituals of sex and violence.
The young Colin, perhaps vaguely
aware of his hosts’ attentions, be
comes fascinated with the older couple.
They are both magnetic in their own
way, and seem strangely drawn to
Colin and Mary.
The film is full of dark sexuality
and violent non-sequesters. It is the
fault of Hollywood that violence is so
often taken to mean a shotgun blast to
the head. There is a violence in the
world, and here in “The Comfort of
Strangers,” that has little to do with
the ends of violence, death or pain.
However, that is here as well;
There is more to sex here as well.
Certainly more than Hollywood tells.
Sexuality here has little to do with the
act. Just as rape has nothing to do with
sensuality, the sex in this movie is
rather a symptom of something else.
The movie has some flaws. Char
acters are well-developed individu
ally, but it is difficult to sec what
keeps Colin and Mary together, ex
cept, of course, sex.
Their growing fascination with the
bizarre Robert lacks conviction. Sure,
he’s an interesting person, but Colin
is disturbed far beyond what we are
shown good reason for.
Still,“Comfort” isabcauliful film.
It is beautiful with a slow-motion,
underwater feel.
Violence lies heavy like a blanket
in “The Comfort of Strangers,” just
beneath the surface of every action,
every thought.
