‘FernGully’ is all-star animated adventure
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“FernGully ...
The Last Rainforest”
By Gerry Beltz
Staff Reporter
“FernGully ... The Last Rainforest” (Douglas
3, 13th and P Streets) is one of those rare
movies that is so visually and mentally en
trancing it can keep the mind from wandering
from the screen.
Based on the “FernGully” stories by Austra
lian author Diana Young, this movie sweeps
into an animated world of fairies, magic and
music.
The innocent, wide-eyed Crysta is the ap
prentice of the forest mother Magi Lunc.
Crysta is curious about the world beyond
FemGully, but is convinced to stay back by her
friend Pips and newfound friend Batty Koda, a
bat who has a radio antenna originally attached
by animal experimenters for tracking purposes.
Whenever the antenna is touched, Batty’s per
sonality shifts.
However, Crysta eventually does venture
outside of her forest home and finds a group of
loggers cutting down trees in a nearby section
of rainforest, including a young man named
Zak. She becomes entranced by Zak because
she has never seen people before — she has
only heard about them in “human talcs.”
She saves Zak from a falling tree by shrink
ing him down to her size, and takes him back to
FemGully. But unknowingly, Zak has released
theevil Hexxus, which could destroy the peace
ful FemGully. From there, the adventure be
gins.
The movie is all-star and guest-star from
head to toe. Samantha Mathis and Christian
Slater (both from “Pump Up The Volume”),
Jonathan Ward (“Steel Magnolias”), Grace
Zabriskie (TV’s “Twin Peaks ), Robin Wil
liams and Tim Curry head up the cast, with
guest appearances by Cheech Marin and Tommy
Chong as a couple of Beetle Boys, and Tone
Loc as a multicolored, rapping goanna lizard.
All of these talented entertainers combine
wonderfully to form a spectacular film. Wil
liams is especially hilarious, shifting his voice
from John Wayne to Luke Skywalkcr in “Star
Wars” to Scotty from “Star Trek.”
The music of the film is equally entertain
ing, with such talented artists as Thomas Dolby,
Shecna Easton and Raffi making contribu
tions. The soundtrack is available on cassette
and compact disc.
The animation is superb, showing both the
beauty of the rainforest and the horrifying
emptiness after its destruction. The scenery
and characters might rem ind one of the popular
“Elfqucst” scries.
This movie attempts to show concern for
what is left of the world’s rainforests and for
the mistreatment of animals. The movie runs a
dedication at the end: “For our chi Idrcn and our
children’s children.”
Proceeds from the film will benefit such
organizations as the Sierra Club, The Rain
forest Foundation and Greenpeace.
“Ferngully”
This movie is terrific from start to finish,
and is perfect for any age group.
Big-name, formula buddy flick new to video
By Anne Steyer
Staff Reporter
Video releases lean toward the
obscure this week, with two films that
did not play in Lincoln during their
theatrical run.
The exception from this obscurity
is the latest mainstream action/ad
venture movie, that in spite of itself,
is entertaining and rentable.
“The Last Boy Scout” (R) Bruce
Films on sleuths, cons and sex to hit stores
Willis bounces back from the dismal
failure of “Hudson Hawk” with this
entertaining, though formula, buddy/
action flick.
Willis is Joe Hallcnback, a former
secret-service agent turned private
investigator. Hired to keep an eye on
an exotic dancer (played by Halle
Berry, the crack addict in “Jungle
Fever”), he strikes up an unstable
alliance with her boyfriend, Jimmy
Dix, when she is brutally murdered.
Dix (Damon Wayans of Fox’s “In
Living Color”) is an ex-professional
football player who lost his career to
drugs and gambling.
Neither Hallcnback nor Dix is
particularly happy about their tenta
tive alliance.
But that is required of all buddy/
action films. First the main characters
have to be thrown together, then they
go through an intense dislike phase,
followed by a bonding period, usu
ally during a moment of extreme
danger. After that, they’re friends.
This happens here, loo. They strike
out on their own to find clues and
instead find a lot of trouble. Their
investigation finally uncovers a more
intricate crime than just the dead
dancer’s murder. This misdeed in
volves extortion, politics and profes
sional sports.
Willis returns here to the formula
that made him a star — the bumed
out, unshaven and wise-cracking hero.
He’s funny here and the chemistry
between him and Way an s works.
Sure, it doesn’t do anything new.
But it comes from the creators of
“Top Gun,” “Lethal Weapon” and
“Die Hard.” And that means it’s a lot
of fun. (Available lodav)
“Lonely Hearts”(R)Eric Roberts
(“Star 80”) is Frank, a professional
con artist who hustles women for a
living.
Beverly D’Angelo (of the “Vaca
tion” flicks) is Alma, one of those
hapless women hustled by Frank.
Even after discovering that Frank
has used her for her cash, Alma wants
him. Shejoinshim on hiscrimc spree,
posing as his sister while he continues
seducing other women for their bank
books.
This less-lhan-idcal situation brews
trouble as Alma’s jealousy starts to
get the better of her. (Available to
day)
“The Rapture” (R) Mimi Rogers
(“The Doors”) stars as a telephone
operator who lives for her allcr-hours
affairs until she suddenly becomes a
true believer in the second coming of
Christ.
“The Rapture” received much at
tention for its frank sexuality. It has
not played in Lincoln. (Available
today)
Plug into the outlet to
your success with a
Macintosh.
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If your graduating at the end of the semester, this is your last chance to cash
in on the special educational prices for a Macintosh computer system from the
CRC Computer Shop in the 501 Building. Along with a lot of computing for
your money, an Apple Macintosh computer system handles spreadsheets,
graphics, page layouts, and scanned images all at amazing speeds. So whether
you are a graduating senior or a returning freshman, stop by the CRC Computer
Shop today and discover the affordable power of a Macintosh.
/-\
The CRC Computer Shop
501 Building 10th St.
472-5785
^_8 a m. - 5 p.m, J .
1 Momix dancers to return to Lied
From Staff Reports
Momix Dance Company will perform at 8
p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Lied Center
for Performing Arts.
The avant-garde troupe combines gymnas
tics and visual effects with modem dance. The
company performs illusions by using props,
light, shadow, humor and the human body.
This weekend’s performance marks Mo
mix’s third appearance in Nebraska. This time
around the company will perform “Passion”
without intermission. The music for “Passion”
was composed by pop star Peter Gabriel. The
Momix production was conceived and directed
by Momix’s artistic director Moses Pendleton.
Momix takes its name from a solo dance
work created by Pendleton for the 1980 Olym
pics at Lake Placid. Momix also is the trade
name for a milk supplement that Pendleton
once fed to his veal calves.
Lisa Fusillo, head of the dance department
at the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln, will
give the pre-performance talks about the use of
gymnastics movement in modem choreogra
phy. These talks will begin 55 minutes and 30
minutes before each performance.
Tickets cost S22, S18 and SI4. Student
tickets arc half price.
Production to explore human ambition
From Stan Reports
Thcalrix will present “Line” and “Life in
the Bush of Ghosts” Thursday through Satur
day in the Studio Theatre of the Temple Build
ing.
“Line," is a black comedy by Israel Horo
vitz directed by senior theatre major Barbe
Marshall. The play will explore the American
success story through five characters who will
slop at nothing to secure first place in line.
“Life in the Bush of Ghosts5, showcases the
work of Paul Sieger, associate professor of
theatre and will feature a series of monologues
exploring humanity, relationships, love oppor
tunity and the struggle to get balance and
harmony with the elusive “American Dream.”
General admission is S2. For more informa
tion call the Department of Theatre, Arts and
Dance.
British spoof to show at Ross
From Staff Reports
Voted Best Film of 1991 by the National
Society of Film Critics, “Life is Sweet,’’ Mike
Leigh’s gastronomic view of family life in an
English suburb, opens at the Mary Riepma
Ross Film Theater on April 26.
Book
Continued from Page 9
ing has often feared to tread.
The story is complex and as subtle as all the
ways of sex:
Don Rigoberto has taken his second wife,
Lucrccia, into the home he shares with his pre
adolcsccnt son Alfonso.
The adults titillate each other by telling
stories to each other. The stories run the gaunt
let of passions as the author explores the aphro
disiac power of words, of talk.
Then the young Alfonso begins secretly to
“Life is Sweet” will show on April 26, April
30 to May 3 and May 7 to May 10. Screenings
arc at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. each day. Matinees arc
on Saturdays at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and on
Sundays at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Admission is S5,
S4 lor UNL.students and S3 for senior cili/cns,
children and Friends of the Ross Film Theater.
watch his new stepmother bathe.
One thing leads to another, as they say, and
soon Llosa has formed for us a strange love
triangle among his characters.
The novel, for all its dell power, remains
playful; never allowing the reader to lake the
events of the story to heart.
It’s part of the allure of the erotic in art that
it allows a kind of experience without the
consequences. It is probably this facet of erot
ica that gives it its socially redeeming qualities,
if such things arc to be required of art.
Llosa is an excellent introduction too, to the
South American literary scene — a scene as
rich and as different as the cultures that arc
giving birth to it even now.
