The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, June 09, 1994, Summer, Page 9, Image 9
Harrelson, Sutherland teachaudiences ‘Cowboy Way ’ “The Cowboy Way” By Joel Strauch Staff Reporter There is probably a better way, but “The Cowboy Way” isn’t the worst one possible. An action-comedy that sets two contempo rary New Mexico cowboys in the wild and wooly streets of New York City, the flick is enjoyable but far from believable. Sonny (Kiefer Sutherland) and Pepper (Woody Harrclson) arc two rodeo cowboys who can’t stand each other. They set aside their personal differences and journey to New York to investigate the disappearance of their friend Nacho (Joaquin Martinez), who went in search of his daughter Teresa (Cara Buono). Through a scries of culture clashes and misadventures, the pair of cattlemen manage to rescue Nacho’s daughter, tear down an illegal wage-slavery business and reconcile their friend ship. Although unrealistic and sadly predictable, the show rises above mediocrity by means of Harrelson’s character. Sutherland gives a decent showing, but it is Harrelson that makes the movie with his cocky attitude and brutal naivete. With a chew-dip slur, he delivers biting insults and witty rejoin ders to friend and foe alike that save the flick from going the way of the buffalo. Most of the other acting is lackluster at best. Dylan McDermott (“In the Line of Fire”) plays Stark, the whiny anti-hero. Although the part is poorly written, McDermott attacks the role with the ferocity of a hog-tied kitten, making the villain seem non-threatening (even though the way he manages to escape from the cowboys a dozen times would put Houdini to shame). Emie Hudson (“The Hand that Rocks the Cradle”), normally a fantastic actor, is dealt a similarly poor role as a mounted police officer who readily breaks the law to help the two cowpokes. He shows the part a bit more gusto than McDermott, but hardly shines. The plot is barely original and has more holes than fish-net stockings. But the show docs have its moments of hilarity. It’s a good one to catch at the dollar theater. Jazz group to jam at Lied By Paula Lavigne Staff Reporter In New Orleans, jazz grew from tiny back rooms and makeshift stages into a great American art form passed on through generations. Wendell Brunious, coordinator of the seven-piece Preservation Hall Jazz Band knows this heritage well, and will be bringing it to the Lied Center this weekend. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, from NewOrlcans’ Preservation Hall, originated at the heart of the jazz influence and continues to bring jazz back to its roots. Brunious, who picked up the trum pet at age 7 and recorded an album two years later, said his talent was inher ited from his father—also a trumpet player. “He was a great musician, a mon ster,” Brunious said. His father wrote and pi ayed for mus ic ians Cab Cal loway and Jim McShane, amone others. “I can write a poem?’ Brunious laughed, when compared to his father, “However, my pitch is pretty good.” But his father wasn’t so intent on his son following in his footsteps. “My degree is actually in busi ness,” Brunious said. “My dad was hoping I’d get a real job someday.” The 39-year-old musician, born and raised in New Orleans, remembered the night he literally stumbled into the Preservation Hall. Brunious said he was a relatively young guy with a “big, bushy hairdo which looked 1 ike Jimi Hendrix” with quite a bit of pride about his talents. • “1 was coming home from Bourbon Street one night and 1 was going by the Preservation Hall when 1 stopped in to say hello.” he said. “The band they were playing with didn’t have a trum pet player up there, so I thought I’d volunteer my services.” ' At first, the band refused, but since they knew Brunious’ father, they let him play for awhile. A man came from the back, along with the owner, gave him a thumbs up and said, “Hey man, you sound good." Seventeen years lat er he still docs. This improvisation and spontane ity is what has kept the Preservation Hall Jazz Band going ever since. Their impressi ve seven-piece band features Michael White on clarinet. Bob French on drums and John Royan on piano. Worthia Thomas still blows the trombone at age 87 alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bassist Frank Fields and native Lincolnite Neil Untcrseher on banjo. Their music, called traditional New Orleans jazz, is a combination of the traditional music out of the Creole, African, Spanish and French cultures of New Orleans, Brunious said. It rests on simplicity and soul unlike modern jazz. “We still go for people’s hearts, not their brain,” he said. “If you touch their brain, fine, but if you touch their hearts, you’ve done your job.” Brunious said a lot of the band’s tradition rests on the unique atmo sphere created by New Orleans itself. Because it was affected little by out side influence, he said, the New Or leans culture is very respected by its people. “Once you see New Orleans, it’s so picturesque,” he said. “You see build ings and you see commitment. Some one with with a real love for his culture and heritage made this building. “Most pcopl c i n Ne w Orleans don ’ t have much, but they’ re will ing to give away whatever little bit they have.” He said when people hear New Orleans jazz, they hear something incredible. “It’s very warm music. We just do whatever we do and the end result is people like it — if they have any feeling at all,” he laughed. “If you’re sitting totally still with all that going on on stage, there’s something wrong with you.” As simple and honest as the music, Brunious has a comparable message for audiences. “We just want people to have a good time. We want them to witness it,” he said. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band will perform at the Lied Center Friday night at 8 p.m. Tickets arc $20, $16 and $12 and half-price for students. Tuition Continued from Page 1 making it even easier for them to put their children through college. Raising tuition, puts more empha sis on scholarship. Loudon said he saw the increase as a state-imposed increase on a stu dent’s taxes. In voting for the tuition increase, he said he wanted senators to see what they were forcing the univer sity to do. Yet tuition at the University of Nebraska is 20 percent oclow the av erage of its peers, NU officials have reported. And UNL ranks next to last in its peer group. Joe Rowson, NU spokesman, said that while there hadn’t been an effort to make up that difference, it could not be a primary concern to keep tuition low. Smith said that if too much focus was given to keeping costs down, Nebraska could wind up with a cheap university that is ineffective and un used. But Loudon said the students shouldn’ t be forced to take on so much of the cost burden in making sure that doesn’t happen. “I don’t think state government has any higher calling than tocducatc its people,” Loudon said. Come this fall, he said, NU student governments will be working together to convince senators that education is a priority. “It’s a huge numbers game,” Loudon said referring to budget time. “Everybody wants their piece of the pie. “We’re going to do everything short of storming the capitol.” Courtesy of Universal Pictures Woody Harrelson stars in “The Cowboy Way” with Kiefer Sutherland (not pictured). New videos average out By Gerry Beta: - v -: ;. '. The ‘New Release’ shelves at the video stores haven’t seen that much activity for the last couple weeks. Only one major release came out last week, and this week has only twodecent releases. The pick of-the-week, however, is a classic for anyone that has gone to high school. “Short Cuts” (released 6/1) comes from highly-talented direc tor Robert Altman, who received an Academy Award nomination for his efforts. Featuring a bevy of talented performers, all intertwined in a variety of short stories, it’s worth finding. **My Life* (released 6/8) is a film about Bob Jones (Michael Keaton), a man who is diagnosed with incurable cancer and also dis covers that his wife (Nicole Kidman) is pregnant with their first child. Jones then begins to make a video series for his unborn child, recording whohe is, and what made him what he is. The acting from Keaton is great, despite the manipulative hand that the film uses on its watchers, but Kidman’s performance doesn’t match up. Use a two-for-one cou pon for this one. “Wayne’s World 2” (released 6/8), the sequel to the hugely suc cessful “Wayne’s World” just isn’t very good. Wayne, Garth and company are backhand this time they’re trying to get the music extravaganza “Waynestock” off the ground. Lots of stale gags, a few funny bits* and one hilarious scene where Wayne and entourage emulate The Village People all mix in to make one incredibly average film. Don’t go too far out of your way to find it. P1CK-OE-THE-WEEK: A movie that gave philosophy and one-liners to an entire generation, and anyone that has seen it cringes when it shows on national televi sion, thus getting all of the “color ful metaphors" dubbed over or cut out. It’s “The Breakfast Club.” Featuring a cavalcade of (then) young talent (Emilio Estevez Judd Nelson* Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, and Molly Ringwald), director John Hughes made a mas terpiece that still speaks to today’s youth, and reminds many adults of what life in high school is and was like. Quick! What was the name of the janitor? Smith Continued from Page 1 That means universities can no longer begin a new program without guaranteeing it will be world class, he said. Smith said universities must also define aspccific mission. The Univer sity of Nebraska-Lincoln’s mission, he said, was to be Nebraska’s research institution — and the state can only have one. In the wake of collapsing budgets. Smith said he expects some of the United States’ 3,000 universities will go under. Tcn-to 15 years from now. students will have less of a choice in where they get their degree, he said. Smith said he often has people tell him that, “Well, once this budget cri sis is over, things will go back to normal.” But, unfortunately, that time has passed, he said. Nebraskans have to realize that and start deciding where they want to go from here. “What kind of university do you want?” Smith said. “It will never be the way it was.”