AktsSEntertainment
Nebraskan
Thursday, January 20,1994
Lemmon and Matthau hold
hilarious 56-year grudge
“Grumpy Old Men”
By Gerry Beltz
Staff Reporter
Some people have a statute of lim
itations for holding a grudge, but
“Grumpy Old Men” shows what can
happen if you don’t forgive and for
get.
After working together in such great
films as “The Odd Couple” and “Bud
dy Buddy,” the team of Jack Lemmon
and Walter Matthau are together again
for another run at high jinks and end
less laughter.
This time around, John Gustafson
(Lemmon) and Max Goldman
(Matthau) are two next-door neigh
bors living in Minnesota. They have
been embroiled in a feud for more than
56 years and are just as feisty as ever.
The two regularly exchange barbs
and insults and the pranks between
one another abound.
Goldman plagues Gustafson while
he’s getting the winning lottery num
bers. Gustafson retaliates by booby
trapping Goldman’s roof. Well, you
get the idea ...
The battle escalates when Ariel
(Ann-Margret) moves in across the
street from the two. Ariel is a free
spirited widow that enjoys artwork
and flying around on her snowmobile.
The race is on. Who will win Ari
el’s heart?
The movie is a riot from start to
finish, with the rivalry between
Lemmon and Matthau providing many
high points.
Ann-Margret is quite good as the
object of the two men’s affection, and
neither of them can keep up with her
youthful exuberance.
Burgess Meredith shows up as
Goldman’s crusty, foul-mouthed fa
ther. Meredith rarely has a scene that
doesn’t evoke a laugh from the audi
ence.
Daryl Hannah slinks in as
Gustafson’s daughter and Kevin Poliak
bobbles in as Goldman’s son. Does
anyone care about them? No.
The movie belongs to Matthau and
Lemmon, hands down. The comedic
chemistry they’ ve had since their first
movie together has not dimmed and
shows no sign of dying.
A warning to fans of the older stuff
from Matthau and Lemmon: Their
language has been “flavored” just a
tad, and Burgess Meredith spouts off
at least half a dozen different euphe
misms for sexual intercourse. Let’s
just say the “PG-13” rating is well
deserved.
To those who go to this movie,
leave time to watch the credits. Sever
al outtakes from the film are displayed
and prove to be as funny as the film
itself. For those who stay for the EN
TIRE list of credits, Matthau has an
outtake directed toward the
moviegoing crowd.
Good, funny stuff here. It’s worth
seeing right away. Heck, go see it
twice!
■MUSIC REVIEWS
“Pale Sun, Crescent Moon”
Cowboy Junkies
RCA
Love, loss, longing and an ex
pression of inner power and sexual
pride fall into place on Cowboy
Junkies’ latest release, “Pale Sun,
Crescent Moon.”
The ethereal vocals of lead sing
er Margo Timmins lend to the touch
ing quality of songs such as “Ring
on the Sill” and “Anniversary
Song,” where the message of unre
quited love is the strongest.
The powerful lyrics provide a
strong basis for the subtle harmony
of bassist Alan Anton and the rest of
the Timmins family, guitarist
Michael and drummer Peter.
In opposing the two planetary
objects, “Pale Sun, Crescent Moon”
lends to a variety of emotions. It’s
the warmth of the sun and the cool
serenity of the moon.
It’s a compact disc to wake up to
on a beautiful spring day, when the
temperature is just right to go out
side and have a nice cup of coffee
with a strawberry muffin.
It’s also a CD to fall asleep to on
a cold, lonely winter night snug
gling beneath a fluffy quilt.
'Hie theme of prolonged engage
ment and matrimonial bondage
gives the CD a comfy feeling of
peace. It’s also a good companion
for someone who’s a sentimental,
sappy romantic.
Never fear, “Pale Sun, Crescent
Moon” isn’t all full of butterflies
and sunshine. The grit and power of
this CD comes from the blues-lad
en selections such as “Hunted” and
“Floorboard Blues,” which displays
the sad message of what comprises
the core of battery and sexual ha
rassment.
With a sleepy quality to the lyr
ical power, this Cowboy Junkies
release could become a real addic
tion.
— Paula Lavigne
Courtesy of Sire Records
“Songs of Faith and Devotion—
Live”
Depeche Mode
Sire Records
Just in time for the new year,
Depeche Mode’s second live al
bum, “Songs of Faith and Devo
tion—Live,” hits record stores.
Although “Songs...Live” is not
as comprehensive as “Depeche
Mode 101,” it is well worth picking
up. The production and sound qual
ity are excellent, giving the album a
clean studio sound while still re
taining the screams of ecstatic 17
year-olds.
Also unlike “101”, which was
recorded at the Rose Bowl,
“Songs...Live” was not recorded at
any one place, but at six different
places around the world. Although
this was probably good for the band
— they* weren’t forced to play the
entire album at any one venue — it
is a minor pitfall for the listener.
One of the most exciting aspects
of a live album is the feeling that
you are there from the opening
moments to the closing encore. This
album does sound like it was made
from many recordings, because the
only thing that combines the songs
is the screaming of the fans.
Other than that, my only other
real complaint is that only songs
from the band’s last studio album
are included.
Those minor digressions aside,
this album is very enjoyable. David
Gahan’s vocals are backed by Hildia
Campbell and Samantha Smith.
These two ladies help add dimen
sions to the songs that aren’t present
on the studio album.
Gore proves again why he is a
master musician, twisting the mu
sic this way and that, making it all
seem new and fresh. There is an
exception to this, however. “Rush,”
one of the most powerful songs on
the studio album, comes out flat
and uninspired.
This album deserves a place in
any music lover’s collection and is
a must-have for any Depeche Mode
fan.
—William J. Harms
UNL professor to explore
language of music with oboe
Recital at Kimball
to include techniques
of jazz improvisation
By Paula Lavlgne
Senior Reporter__
In junior high, William McMullen was tired
of being last-chair flutist.
He wanted to try something different.
So, he picked up the oboe. Since then, he’s
never put it down.
McMullen, associate professor of music the
ory and oboe at the University of Nebraska
Lincoln, is a featured musician in the School of
Music’s Faculty Recital Series.
Because of its conical shape, the oboe is a
much different instrument than the flute or the
clarinet, he said. The shape of the instrument
and the size of the reed produce the varying
sounds of the oboe.
“The reeds are very small, and you have to
make them yourself,” McMullen said. He makes
his reeds from a bamboolike material imported
from France called cane.
Because the size of the reed allows little air
to enter the instrument, McMullen said, the
playing style varies.
“With an oboe, you don’t really use that
much air, unlike a flute player,” he said. “It
allows me to play some really long passages.”
All instruments pose a challenge, he said, but
the oboe may be harder to start playing.
“Every instrument has its difficulties, and
it’s easy to say that it’s more difficult,” he said.
“It’s certainly harder to get a good sound at
first.” '
McMulJen said he encouraged his students
to learn by listening to other musicians.
“Music is a language just like any other
language we speak,” he said. “When you’re
— II
A lot of people understand
the creativity of jazz.
Improvising is part of the
standard procedure.
—McMullen,
associate professor of music theory
and oboe
-- tf -
young, you’re not sure how to speak that lan
guage yet, and it takes a number of years to hear
other people, to hear what those sounds are that
you can imitate.”
Although oboe music doesn’t allow much
room for improvisation, there are still possibil
ities for creation, McMullen said.
“A lot of people understand the creativity of
jay/ ” he said. “Improvising is part of the stan
dard procedure.
“The oboe player doesn’t do that as much. In
other areas of music we do have some improvi
sation, but it’s usually rather written out.”
Improvisation takes place with older musi
cal selections rather than recent ones, he said.
In his recital, McMullen plans to use some
improvising techniques in his first selections by
Antonio Vivaldi. TTie recital will also feature
pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach, Kent
Kennan and Randall Snyder, a UNL professor
of music theory and composition.
“(Snyder) wrote the second movement called
‘Nostalgic (October Light)’ for me and my wife
when we got married four and a half years ago,”
he said.
McMullen’s wife, pianist Catherine
Herbener, will be accompanying her husband
during the recital.
McMullen said he was happy with the work
he was doing and planned to continue his teach
ing career at the university.
“My goal is to convey music to other people,
whether that be through performing or teach
ing,” he said.
McMullen’s recital will be tonight at 8 in
Kimball Hall. Admission is free.
v^uurv ramiuio/un
William McMullen, oboe professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
School of Music, will be performing tonight in Kimball Hall at 8 p.m.
McMullen’s concert is part of UNL’s Faculty Recital Series.