Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Steve Buscemi stars as the frog-eyed and frazzled director of a low-budget independent film in
director Tom DiCillo’s low-budget independent film, “Living in Oblivion.
Oblivion
Continued from Page 12
“Oblivion” spares no excruciatingly
repetitive take, no actor’s tantrum, not
a single technical gaff (is that what
gaffers do?) in its long, exceedingly
long, and winding way.
A virtual nightmare of a film, it
makes the movie industry seem as nar
row and tedious as it no doubt actu
ally is.
The stars of “Oblivion” are easy to
watch. I’ll say that for it. Steve
Buscemi (“Reservoir Dogs”) is in ex
cellent voice; frenetic and hilarious as
the director of this bomb-within-a
bomb, his frog-eyed performance is so
intense as to make the other actors look
like laconic walk-ons.
Catherine Keener is beautiful and
disturbed as the leading lady of
Buscemi’s film. Her brief nude scene
is all that will stay in this reviewer’s
mind after the whole rest of the bloody
mess is forgotten.
And Dermot Mulroney is hand
some and pretentious as, um, a cam
eraman? Some kind of low-rung cin
ematographer? It’s hard to tell.
Everything else about the film is
pretty lame. Lamer, even, than
DiCillo’s earlier “Johnny Suede,”
which at least had the benefit of the
presence of Mr. Brad Pitt in his
1 1 r* .1
Film: Living in Oblivion
Stars: Steve Busccmi, Catherine
Keener, Dermot Mulroney
Director: Tom DiCillo
Rating: R (language, brief nudity)
Grade: C
Five Words: “It was all a dream ...”
Underoos.
Movie freaks should go ahead and
take their medicine, but all others may
stay away.
I A ^
rences tacmes family s survival
By Brian Priesman
Staff Reporter
Fatherhood is one of the most dif
ficult jobs available. Add on the
< struggle of being a
black man during
' \ 0$ the socially turbu
/.fL- lent ’50s, and the
neater I job becomes even
! ' * more difficult.
“Fences,”
Theatrix’s latest
production, tells
the story of an ex
Negro League
baseball player
doing his best to teach his family how
to survive.
Written by Pulitzer Prize winner
August Wilson, “Fences” is consid
ered by many to be a “must-see” for
theatre fans.
“The play is basically about fam
ily,” Director Mark A. Klemetstrud
4
said. " ,,r isn •
The family in this case is the
Maxson family. The father, Troy
Maxson, is stuck with the difficult task
of teaching his family how to survive
in a racist and harsh world — or as
the character puts it, to “take the
crooked with the straights.”
Set against the changing world of
an urban industrial city in the ’50s,
“Fences” explores the responsibilities
all parents feel toward their children
and the ways parents try to keep their
children from making the same mis
takes they made.
“It’s about a father trying to teach
his son how to survive,” KJcmetstrud
said. “It’s also about responsibility.”
Because of past mistreatment and
racism, Klemetstrud said, Maxson
tries to instill his family with the abil
ity to protect itself.
“It’s about how he approaches that
responsibility.”
The all-black cast includes three
■UNL students- and four Lincoln resi
dents, including Mikael Walter, a
fourth-grade student at Brownell El
ementary School.
“It’s not unusual in aTheatrix pro
duction to use community members,”
KJemetstrud said.
“A lot of people thought I would
not be able to cast the show in Lin
coln,” he said. “I really had no idea if
I could or not.”
But, Klemetstrud said, “Fences” is
not about race and racism.
“One of the great things about the
show is that it is not real heavy in the
race issue,” he said.
“There arc a lot of universal aspects
that hold true for all families.”
“Fences” opens tonight and runs
through Sunday at the Studio Theatre
in the Temple Building, 12th and R
streets. Show times are 8 p.m through
Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tick
ets arc $3 and arc available only at the
door.
Ravine
Continued from Page 12
cordings. Kozik, a celebrated poster
artist, has agreed to do a poster for the
band’s upcoming show with Seven
Year Bitch and Season to Risk.
As with any breakup, feelings were
hurt and some toes were stepped on.
“Certain people hold it against us
that the band broke up,” Saklar said.
- in me next lew weexs, me oanu
plans on recording a demo, buying a
van and lining up tour dates. By the
end of 1996, the band would like to
have both European and American
tours.
Ravine will join Rasputin in open
ing for Godplow this Saturday at
Omaha’s Cog Factory, 2224
Leavenworth St. Tickets for the all
ages show arc $4 and will be sold at
the door. The concert will begin at 9
p.m.
~ - I .. - - -- -'
Nebraska Department of Health
March 29th & 30th
Live entertainment
6 days a week!
Comer of 11th & K
477-3513
I Annual
Jewelry Sale
Entire Stock
20% to 50% off
"Lincoln's largest selection
of sterling silver jewelry."
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