Outstanding action flick relies
on collaboration and comedy
“The Last Boy
Scout”
By Anne Steyer
Senior Reporter__
Bruce is back.
Bruce Willis, the star of the
enormously popular “Die Hard” films,
' finally returns in a good movie.
He stars in “The Last Boy Scout,”
a can’t-miss action film from the
makers of some of the best action
films of the 1980s.
Producer Joel Silver (“Die Hard”),
director Tony Scott (“Top Gun”) and
writer Shane Black (“Lethal Weapon”)
collaborated to return Willis to what
he does best— wise-cracking adven
ture.
Willis is Joe Hallenbcck, a self
loathing former Secret Service agent
who has turned to private investigat
ing. Assigned to protect an exotic
dancer, Hallenbeck finds himself
embroiled in violence and corruption
after she is brutally murdered.
He also finds himself, albeit reluc
tantly, with a new partner. The dancer’s
boyfriend, ex-quarterback Jimmy Dix
(Damon Wayans), insists on includ
ing himself in the investigation.
This investigation leads to a group
of bad guys, sports-team owners,
politicians, hit men and the like, who
are out to legalize sports gambling at
any cost.
As is required of an action film,
“The Last Boy Scout” is replete with
explosions, high-speed car chases and
lots of gun-toting. There is some
gratuitous violence, including a lot of
blood-spitting and some problems with
helicopter blades.
The story isn’t particularly plau
sible. The plot is paper-thin and pure
formula. But it works anyway, mainly
because of the powers in front of, and
behind, the cameras.
Silver and Scott are familiar with
the workings of an action/adventure
picture, and Black is an expert with
snappy repartee.
Willis and Wayans engage in a lot
of that and have a solid chemistry.
Their characters work well together,
lx>th being down on their luck. Both
are has-been heroes; Hallenbeck once
saved the president’s life, and Dix
was an all-star quarterback.
So, their relationship is a little
different than most male-bonding
buddy flicks, even though they are
the traditional “we-don’t-want-to-be
partners” partners.
Willis is at his dry, wise-cracking
best as Hallenbeck. The role takes
him back to his smirking days on
“Moonlighting.” He has collaborated
with Silver before, most recently on
the dismal “Hudson Hawk,” but more
impressively on the “Die Hard” films.
They return to that level of action
entertainment in this film.
Wayans, known mostly for his work
on Fox ’s“In Living Color,” is good in
this shoot-’em-up. He’s much bigger
than he looks on the small screen,
fitting the role of a former football
player perfectly. His comic timing,
always good on “In Living Color,” is
right on target in the film.
Regardless of succumbing to ac
tion-film formula, “The Last Boy
Scout” is humorous, action-packed
and thoroughly entertaining.
Fifth
Continued from Page 12
In “Tonight’s the Night,” male and
female vocals alternate as Yo-Yo insists
upon a woman’s ability to control her
own life. In this one, Yo-Yo calls for
consciousness both as women and as
blacks. She gives the audience a tiny
taste that leaves the listener waiting
for more when heard with some of the
more hard-driving cuts.
Shifting from Yo-Yo to the Dis
posable Heroes of H iphoprisy is quite
a letdown as its two members serve
up preachy diatribes against TV over
a dulling and repetitive beat.
the group’s label, 4th and BWay,
has put out much better, from the
powerful female pounds of Isis to the
dancy, jazzy funk of Dream Warri
ors.
Going back to the black conscious
ness of Yo-Yo but coming from the
male perspective is “2Pacalypse Now”
by I upac ahakur, wno avoids being
Yet Another Angry Young Black Man
by channeling his anger into solid rap
songs.
Tupac shares his anger but lets the
music carry it along, and that keeps us
listening and interested to this one
from Interscope Records.
We started this column with the
live music-of Anthrax and Public
Enemy and now close with Boogie
Down Productions’ “Live Hardcore
Worldwide” on RCA records.
Giving several tracks each from
performances in New York City,
London and Paris, Boogie Down
Productions pours out a wide range of
reggae and rap numbers that liven up
the crowd and listen up the listener,
whether live or recorded.
Peterson is a senior English major and a
Daily Nebraskan A&E staff reporter.
Matthew Sweet
“Girlfriend”
By Mark Nemeth
Staff Reporter
Matthew Sweet’s third major re
lease titled “Girlfriend” begins with
what may be the best song of 1991.
“Divine Intervention" is an angry
and beautiful breakthrough rock song
that features Sweet’s ominous bass
line and career great performances by
New York guitarist Robert Quine and
Television^ Richard Lloyd.
If Michael Stipe’s “Losing My
Religion” is a vague and unclear yet
catchy song, based loosely on losing
one’s religion, then “Divine Inter
vention” is a committed and catchy
work of intelligence and anger. It
inspires the listener to the personal
and political, and yet still, it’s a rockin’
good tune. The poignancy of the rest
of “Girlfriend” is reflective of per
sonal loss as well as religious loss.
“You know I wrote another song,”
sings Sweet. “They keep telling me
the past is gone.”
Songs like “You Don’t Love Me,”
arc beautifully bitter with lyrics like
now can i uescrme me way you
slowly look my hope away, and all of
the lime, 1 thought I knew you.” While
“I Wanted to Tell You" is empower
ing and post-loss with the lyrics “I
was wrong, but I wanted to tell you
what I couldn’t say . .. Love, well
never mind.”
The first single from this addictive
record is the third song, “Girlfriend,”
a high-energy rocker that sounds like
much of Sweet’s record, but is diffi
cult to describe. If it wasn’t for Sweet’s
calming voice and sophisticated sen
sibility, the sound could be compared
to the modem post sub-pop of Bob
Mould, Nirvana or Teenage Fan Club.
“Girlfriend” is full of great songs,
both slow and upbeat. The upbeat
ones arc possibly more immediately
catching, like “Divine Intervention,”
“Girlfriend” and “Evangeline.”
“Evangeline” is a song about a
woman with whom the songwriter
thinks he’s in love. This woman’s
Catholicism is more important than
earthly desires, which is apparent in
the lyrics, “Try her on. She fits like a
glove. Too bad she only thinks about
the lord above.”
“What a beautiful moment,” Sweet
sings at the beginning of the personal
ballad “You Don’t Love Me,” re
minding one of Graham Parsons of
Flying Burritio Brothers or Byrds fame.
“The truth comes out at last,” Sweet
sings, “as my head comes apart. Drunk,
and in a manner of saying, wasted.
Because you don T love me. You can’t
sec how 1 matter in this world.”
“I cannot understand my God,”
sings Sweet with a soothing, rough
yet tense voice on “Divine Interven
tion.” “I don’t know why he gets to
me. One day my life is filled with joy,
and then we find we disagree.”
There is a beautiful discrepancy
between Sweet’s soft voice and the
pain and anger that the electric songs
play to. “Divine Intervention” may
be the best song of the 90’s because it
is an intelligent voice ol anger in a
lime with an ever expanding array of
things to be angry with.
Most major releases sound over
produced. “Girlfriend” does not Some
tracks are panned completely to one
side, reminiscent of the Beatles or
some David Bowie records.
Many reviews have compared
“Girlfriend” to Big Star or the Beatles.
These comparisons arc understand- ■
able, but this is an assertive record of "
mostly potent songs, undeserving of
the limitations provided by compari
sons.
It appears that either Sweet’s vi
sion is clearer than on his first two
major releases or that more people
arc understanding that vision, as the
press coverage, radio play and sales
of “Girlfriend” indicate.
“Inside” and “Earth”, Sweet’s
previous releases, show a steady per
sonal progression and self-discovery
leading almost to the greatness of
“Girlfriend.”
Sweet’s vision is inspired and in
spiring, particularly for a major re
lease: grungy pop-song grit with a
voice in a lime when most major
artists spend more time learning to
dance rather than writing songs.
Rooms
Continued from Page 13
recorded in years.
And, strangely enough, an artist
with pretentiousness to spare closes
out the album almost perfectly. George
Michael’s livecover of‘Tonight” is a
note-for-notc touching tribute to the
man’s two pop heroes. It makes the
album something worth keeping.
Cover songs arc rarely an improve
mcnion the original track. Thai’s just
a given. People liked the way it was
before, so why would some bonchcad
want to change it? It is necessary to
drop your guard and just let the hap
piness of this collection envelop the
aching for a simpler time of silly love
songs, like the ones John and Taupin
wrote so Jong ago. Rediscover them
through this collection, but never stop
buying the originals.
—Paul Winner
, •-——-i - ‘ 2... > ~ ; -M
MATTHEW SWEET | GIRLFRIEND H
Thursday, Dec 26
Starting Thursday, December 26th,
Everyday's a Beach Party at Penrod's with:
• Live Bands • Volleyball Games
• Beach BBQ • Limbo Contest * r
• Animal Raft Races • Muscle Beach
Starting at 11 am Seafood Grille Opens
Don’t Miss the 3pm Bikini Contest!! Miami Style!!
Tuesday, Dec 31 _
7pm Welcome 1992 at The Orange Bowl
New Year’s Eve Party Headquarters
Special Discount for University of Nebraska
Students $ 10 (Bring Your I.D.)
Alumni $15
Regular Admission $25
Upon Arrival to South Florida, Call
PENROD’S Orange Bowl Hotline
(305)538-1111 ©
For Official Pep-Rally and Events Schedule
I---1
Wednesday, Jan. 1,92
Post Game Victory Party!! : —.r'll?
. - '' ; • ■ v • .j. , V
Inspiring new release
emphasizes anger, loss
I
