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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1996)
Arts ©Entertainment Friday, April 5,1996 Page 12 • i _ _'_ _ . Concerts highlight weekend This week, in honor of the captur ing of the Unabomber suspect, we here at TGIF would like to salute the FBI by presenting some entertainment opt ions for this weekend. Hey, get otT our backs, we really couldn’t do much more than this. At Knickerbockers, 901 O St., the Bystanders and Remember Alice? from New York City will play tonight. Sat urday will sec the Wild Onions and Chicago’s own Ignatius. Both shows start at 10:30 p.m. and have a $3 cover charge. At the Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th St., reggae will rock the house when Zelckc, a band that comes “from Ethiopia via Chicago” takes the stage tonight and Saturday. Both shows start at 9 p.m. and have a $5 cover charge. Mudslide Slim’s, 1418 0 St., will kick some local flavor tonight with Sideshow and Opium Taylor. Hie show will start about 10 p.m., and there is a S3 cover charge. At the Silk Cafe, 227 N. Ninth St., some rock for a good cause will be goingon Saturday night. Plastik Trum pet will headline the all-ages show, which is a benefit for Bosnian rape victims. The show also will feature Pavlov’s Triangles, Pitchfork, Broken Spindles, Think and Project Mercury. The music starts at 6 p.m., and there is a S2 cover charge. The “Laser Fantasies” scries will continue at the Mueller Planetarium starting tonight, featuring the music of Nine Inch Nails, a band that holds a special place in Bob Dole’s heart. “La ser Fantasies” shows run at 8 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. today and Satur day. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for UNL students with identification. It’s a slow week for new movies opening up. In fact, no new movies open up today, and only one movie is coming back. Three movies, however, did open this past Wednesday. “Primal Fear” stars Richard Gere as an attorney who is hungrier for headlines than he is the truth. He finds himself hip-deep in trouble concern ing the death of an archbishop. “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate” stars Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whit field and Bobby Brown, and looks *’ at what happens when a fast-talking ladies’ man crosses paths with the wrong woman. In the black comedy “Faith till,” Jack (Ryan O’Neal) wants his wife Marga ret (Cher) dead after 20 years of mar riage, and he hires hit man Tony (Chazz Palminteri) to do the job. The only returning movie is “Happy Gilmore,” starring Adam Sandler. Sandler brings professional hockey to the arena of professional golf. The scene with Bob Barker is worth the price of admission alone. At the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater, the 23rd Annual Student Academy Awards competition will be running all weekend long. Complete schedules for the competition are avail able at the theater box office. Admis sion to all screenings is free. Have something to contribute to TGIF? Send Information to “TGIF,” c/o Daily Ne braskan Arts and Entertainment, 34 Ne braska Union, 1400 R St, Lincoln, Neb. 68588, or fax ns at 472-1761. TGIF Is com piled by the arts and entertainment staff. Matt Miller/DN Wesley WiHis and the Wesley Willis Fiasco performed Wednesday night at Mudslide Willis’ unique character ignites devoted crowds A By Jeff Randall Senior Editor Wesley Willisdoesn’t look like atypical sales man. He is about six feet tall and weighs in at 300 pounds, with a jagged scar on one check and a half-dollar-sized welt on his forehead. His voice is a bellowing rumble, and his slightly bloodshot eyes roll around when he speaks. His pants hang a bit t(X) low and his stretched T-shirt hangs a bit too short. But Willis has one thing that — as any good salesman will tell you — is the good salesman’s most valued trait. He has the sales pitch. “Buy my CD,” lie says, thrusting the jewel case into the face of anyone who happens to be near. And whether people are prompted by Willis’ abrupt manner or genuinely afraid of the man who stands before them, they usually buy. It’s a Wednesday night, and Willis is in Lin coln with his band, the Wesley Willis Fiasco, for a show at Mudslide Slim’s, 1418 O St. Willis has come to, as he puts it, “rock the' place down like a cheese stick”—somethinghe’s been doing for quite some time now. The Wesley Willis Fiasco has been touring the United States with a few short breaks since the year began. The tour has included a big-time stop at the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, as well as an extensive tour with Califor nia hard-core/reggae band Sublime and New York rap artists Lordz of Brooklyn. The Fiasco definitely rocked at Austin, and they rocked in front of an audience that included major record label representatives, music critics and MTV, among others. “We played it just like any other show; we had fun with it,” says Dale Meincrs, lead guitarist and founder of the Wesley Willis Fiasco. “Then we get off stage and people are like 'Yeah, one of the editors from Rolling Stone was here,’ and 'There’s a bunch of record label guys in the crowd, and they really liked you guys.’” Meiners smiles and shakes his head in disbe lief. “It was just bizarre.” Now, after about 3 1 /2 months on the road, the Fiasco is ready for at least a short break. Lincoln will be the last stop before the band’s long See FIASCO on 13 Lawrence’s directing debut misses mark By Gerry Beltz Film Critic Martin Lawrence most certainly kept himself busy with his latest film “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate.” Movie _a rNoi oniy uoes ne carry me lead role as the womanizing Darnell, but he also directed and served as executive pro ducer. No wonder he couldn’t de cide what kind of movie he was making. Still, this is Lawrence’s first shot at direct ing, and for first films, this one isn’t half bad, except for the glaring indifference for film style. Looking back on his life as he floats in a bloody heap in the pool of a mansion, Darnell (Lawrence) shows us where he went wrong. Darnell has more women than Bob Dole has senior citizen discount cards, and he treats them all like crap. Enter Brandi Web (Lynn Whitfield, “The Josephine Baker Story”), a tough-as-nails real estate agent. Darnell sets his sights, aims, and after some well-placed comments and compliments, he wins Brandi. But when he tries to break things off to pursue Mia (Regina King), the relationship—and movie —enters the “Fatal Attraction” category, where every facet of his li fe starts to go straight down the toilet. With that, the movie splits off. Sometimes it is funny with Darnell’s reactions to what isgoingon around him. Sometimes it is dramatic, watching the damage Brandi inflicts in the name of re venge. Things escalate, Mia gets threatened and the club that Darnell and best friend Tee (Bobby Brown) work at gets firebombed. As usual, the cops are as helpful as steel-tipped ballet shoes. Lawrence is OK as the fast-talking Lothario, and is showing growth beyond his past work. Bobby Brown also turns in a splendid perfor mance as the best friend trying to help a man who is over his head, but who won’t ask for a rope because of his pride. Film: “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate” Stars: Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield, Bobby Brown Director: Martin Lawrence Rating: R (language, subject matter, nudity) Grade: C+ Five Words: Womanizer falls into personal nightmare For a film billed as a “comedic-lhriller,” Whitfield’s role is taken far too seriously, but for a serious role, it is handled well; she’s a freshwa ter fish stuck in a saltwater lake. Overall, if “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate” could have decided if it was a drama, thriller or comedy, then it could have worked. As it is, wait for cheap seats or a video release.