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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 23, 1994)
Daily Nebraskan Thursday, June 23,1904 ArtscoEntertainment Nicholson, Pfeiffer howl in graphic tale of lycanthropy Big-name stars deliver in new take on classic story “Wolf Joel Strauch Staff Reporter_ Easily the best werewolf movie ever made, “Wolf’ guarantees a howling good time. This supernatural talc begins with mild-mannered Will Randall (Jack Nicholson) running down a wolf with his car. Believing the animal to be dead, he start to drag it to the side of the road when it bites him. Randall gets a rabies shot and returns to normal life. He finds that he has been demoted at work and is too old and insecure to fight with his boss about it. Over the next few days, he finds himself growing stronger both phys ically and mentally. He uses his heightened senses and resolve to reclaim his job, discover that his wife is cheating on him and begin anew relationship with Laura Aldcn (Michelle Pfeiffer), the young and vivacious daughter of his boss. But Randall also discovers that his revivification may be too good to be true. He speaks to a shaman who tells him that his blessing is also a curse that will turn him into a wolf at the next full moon. People die, Randall struggles to hold on to Alden and his humanity, and the movie ends in a slightly predictable but still quite fitting ----- * Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Jack Nicholson (Will Randall) and Michelle Pfeiffer (Laura Alden) star in “Wolf,” in which Nicholson becomes a werewolf. manner. The film is chock-full of graph ic scenes, giving it the dark reality that a supernatural thrillcrdeserves. Unlike other namby-pamby horror releases of late (namely “Dracula”), “Wolf’ captures the essence of the fear that legends about creatures of the night used to instill in the com mon folk. The acting is superb. James Spader gives a great performance as Stewart Swinton, Randall’s rival for his job and Alden’s affections. Pfeiffer again shows her acting strength in her role as a woman who is attracted by Randall’s animal magnetism, but not quite ready to believe his tales of lycanthropy. Of course, Nicholson is perfect. A two-time Oscar winner. Jack plays the part of the man-wolf as if he had actually undergone the meta morphosis. Even more convincing is his ability to show the weaker, defeated side of Randall before he gains his wolfish abilities. The ending is not fantastic, but it is strong enough to hold together a truly phcriomcnal horrific thrill er. If you’re ready for a change, sec “Wolf.” ‘Ruby9shows audiences trials, triumphs of growing up » .1 • • . i j! ... : i.. a. a., D..K..V M a “It was a neat story,” the main character in “Ruby In Paradise” says of a Jane Austen novel, in response to her boyfriend’s overanalytical cri tique. The same can be said of the movie. “Ruby in Paradise” is a thoughtful, moody portrait of a young woman with a mature attitude. Ruby Lee Gissing leaves home after high school, moves to northwest Florida where she gets a job in a gilt snop, oecomcs involved with a couple of men in succession and advances her career after a setback. The strength of the movie is not in its relatively uneventful plot, but in the accurate glimpses it gives us into the moments of this woman’s life. It is a growing-up story, showing the struggle we all face at potentially any stage of our lives to maintain our independence even when we are of fered desperately needed help, and to fulfill our personal dreams while try ing to fit into a larger system. Written and directed by a man, Victor Nunez, the film accurately portrays a young woman’s perspec tive, aided by Ashley Judd’s excellent periormance. dcsiucs ucmg iditmtu and intelligent, the younger sister of Wynonna incidentally shows how beautiful a Judd woman can be with out henna and sequins. The movie also speaks about some general issues of human nature. The director gives us some lingering shots of the gaudy knick-knacks Ruby sells at the tourist trap where she works. Then we see her lovingly place a seashell figurine on a table at her home, while she talks to a friend about the rocking chair she has kept as a memento of her grandfather. People use objects — no matter how ugly or pretty—to help them remember peo ple and places in their lives. In the scene where Ruby dances at a club with Ricky, the boss’s homdog MJII, lilt UllttlUi imiuvou Vtijf flashforwards to the two of them in bed, and back to them dancing. This adds some original i ty and character to the lame cliche of sex scenes in the movies. By showing this relationship, the movie addresses the issue of romance at work, which in this case eventually turns into sexual harassment. Ruby is unfairly fired, and eventually finds herself doing grunt work in a laundry. In contrast, the early scenes be tween Ruby and Mike McCaslin, the “intellectual, sensitive guy” she meets at a greenhouse, capture some of the awkwardness, honesty and pleasure of dating between two people who have just met. There is a mythical element to the IIIV V IV. Ill HIV UUI IX |I\7IIII III II life, which occurs during winter, she is aided at the laundry by two older, protective women. One of them is named Persefina, like the Greek god dcssof spring, Persephone, who lived underground during the winter only to emerge triumphant each spring. The director then cuts tocclebratory scenes of spring break, as Ruby’s life takes a turn for the better. “Ruby in Paradise’’ is a funny, thoughtful movie that speaks to expe riences we all share, in particular to the experience of young people grow ing up. It is showing at the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater today through Sunday. — Jim Cihlar