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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1996)
I I By Chris Bendet 1 Local bars offerweekend entertainment After a long, tiring first week of lines, parking hassles and classes, look to the bars for some hot enter tainment. At Knickerbockers tonight, check out the rockin’ sounds of Suckerpunch and Spelling Tuesday. One Size Fits Most and Borrowing Mark, from Bellville, 111., play there Saturday. Cover charge for both nights is $3. You could sit at the Zoo Bar all weekend long and be entertained. Starting at 5 p.m. today, The Led Jaxson Band, the No. 1 blues band from Seattle, will be playing with a $1 cover charge. After that, Indig enous, with a Texas-blues style, will play with a $4 cover. Sunday at 9 p.m. and for a $3 cover, Tfcngo Ray and the Tonics, the “in-house” Chi cago blues band, will take the stage. Tonight and Saturday at Duggan’s, The Led Jaxson Band will be ready to set your night on fire. Showtime is at 9:00 with a $4 cover. Don’t forget the Rail, sponsor ing “Grasshopper Takeover” to night in the beer garden. This Omaha band will soon be relocat ing to Santa Barbara, Calif., so if you’re a fen you’ll want to catch them before they head west. An added bonus will be two extra guests with the show, but they haven’t been announced yet. It’s at 9 p.m., but have.a $2 cover ready. If the bars aren’t on your agenda, check out the new movies down town. Although nothing really jumps out as a blockbuster, “Emma,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow will open at The Lincoln. Billed as a comedy, the movie follows the Jane Austen trend that seems to be sweeping the movie industry. Mike Stretz, owner of Filmstrip Video, recommends several new movies on video for those staying hone. Stretz said he recommended “All Dogs Go to Heaven II," “Mulholland Falls,” ‘.‘Gulliver’s Travels,” (the complete, uncut ver sion with Ted Danson) “Faithful” and “Mary Reilly.” N Another noteworthy releaseJs the re-mastered version of the clas sic “Sound of Music” (doe, a deer, a female deer...). After the bars or the movie, don’t forget to try the newest cof fee joint in town, “Coffee Culture.” This java stop is open until 2 am. on fee weekends and has everything a coffee lover (or even a non-cof fee lover) could possibly desire in a cup. Beadetis a sophomore news-edi torial major and a Daily Nebras . .>kjm stsff " v yy'. ' (lial) RakartCartyla, iwaa Mcfiraaar, Rally Naclaaali, Jaaaylaa Millar, aai Ewaa Film reveals highs, lows of drugs By Jeff Randall Film Critic When “Trainspotting” (the book) hit the United Kingdom in 1993, it be came an instant critical and commer cial hit. Author Irvine Welsh quickly became a wildly popular cultural icon. When “TVainspotting” (the movie) Kit the United Kingdom two years later, it followed similar footsteps. It is now listed as the the second top-grossing home-grown film in the United Kingdom's history (“Four Weddings and a Funeral” is first, by the way). And, now the “film that conquered Britain” is ready to take over America. Created by the same directing/pro ducing/screenwriting team (Danny Boyle, Andrew MacDonald and John Hodge, respectively) that was respon sible for 1994’s incredibly good “Shal low Grave,” “Trainspotting” is a thor oughly dark comedy about the ups and downs of a small clutch of heroin ad dicts in Edinburgh, Scotland. The central figure and narrator is Mark Renton (superbly played by Ewan McGregor), who is affection ately referred to by his friends as “Rent Boy” or “Rents.” As the film begins, Renton is mired in the depths of heroin addiction. He details the desires, pains and pleasures of his situation through both his words and his actions. Within a matter of minutes, the au dience is able to see Renton go from a Chnst-like position of post-injection bliss to a desperate search through a toilet for a pair of opium suppositories he unceremoniously and accidentally ejected.” These stark contrasts of filthy plea sure and pure torture continue through the whole film, as one moment’s hap piness shifts directly into the next moment’s agony. This certainly isn’t the typical character of a blockbuster film. ' Renton’s friends vary as wildly as his own emotions. “Sick Boy” (played by Jonny Lee Miller) is a suave and appealing womanizer with an affinity for heroin and an even stronger one for Sean Connery. Spud (played hilari ously by Ewen Bremner) is an intro verted, awkward junkie who follows the others around with a near rever ence. Tommy (played by Kevin McKidd) is the innocent of the group, an initially clean young man who slips into addiction after his girlfriend leaves him. And Begbie (played by Robert Carlyle) is a drug-hating alcoholic who is more adept at communicating with violence than words. Boyle, MacDonald and Hodge have done a superb job in translating Welsh’s masterpiece, which was more of a collection of short stories than a novel, into a coherent and singular film. Although some of the more appeal ing sections of the book have been downsized or omitted because of the film’s time constrictions, “Trainspotting” maintains the book’s desperate and manic tone without sac rificing any of its harsh realism. McGregor’s portrayal of Renton is as believable as any performance so far this year. He drifts from insane scene to insane scene with his own identity intact and his inner struggle fully vis ible to the audience. Miller’s approach to “Sick Boy” is equally impressive. His charm and his dark side are both displayed at their best (or worst), blending the seductive and the appalling so effectively that it’s hard to know whether (me should love him or hate him. Bremner’s “Spud” is also memo rable. Relying'on his character’s igno rance as a motivating factor rather than an inhibitor, Bremner elicits both sym pathy and.laughter from the audience, Film: “TVainspotting” Director: Danny Boyle Stars: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robot Carlyle Rating: R (language, violence, drug use, nudity) Grade: A Five Words: Heroin addicts’ sorry lives exposed providing an almost Shakespearean comic relief from the film’s otherwise dark, albeit energetic, tone. But despite these outstanding per formances, Boyle, MacDonald and Hodge’s presence is felt throughout the film. From Hodge’s seemingly effort less writing to Boyle’s innovative em ployment of the camera as another character in the film—something the book could not relay. What “Trainspotting” ultimately becomes is an entirely new beast, a haunting and exhilarating story sup ported by intensely believable charac ters and imaginative and energetic di rection. It may not be the blockbuster here that it was in England, but it cer tainly deserves to be. By Sean McCarthy FUm Critic If you were lucky, you never had to endure the first scene in Todd Solondz’s film, “Welcome to the Dollhouse.” In this scene, Dawn Wiener (Heather Matarazzo), a mou sey, profusely unpopular 7th grader, dries to find a place to sit during lunch. Students fit at each of the tables like the cereal section at a supermarket But Dawn is like the discounted store brand cereal of junior high. Constantly squinting from her thick, plastic glasses and wearing clothes that seem perfect for fee 5th grade, Dawn naturally draws humilia tion towards her. Even a wimpish 7th grader, fresh from a beating tty 3 bul lies, calls her “wiener dog”. Matarazzo skillfully downplays these punishing moments, trying to put on a happy face. Bottling her rage, she unleashes it on her pampered little sister, Missy (Daria Kalinina). Dawn’s trials in adolescent hellare hilarious, but affecting. After having her hair littered by spitwads, Dawn fires one back ai her attackers She mistakenly hits a teacher’s eye, and gets a visit to the principal's office for punishment. When she tells on a kid who tries to cheat on a test, she gets detention as well. Dawn’s few escapes from her mis erable life are few and desperate, her love interest is Steve Rogers (Eric Mabius), a dim, guitar strumming kid who is a computer course away from flunking out of school. Dawn’s brother, Mark (Mathew Faber) agrees to help Steve with his course if he will play in his band. Steve is one of the only people who will acknowledge Dawn’s existence. She mistakes this general politeness as feelings of love. Steve It w. .■ ~ ‘ i , ' 4 Film:"Welcome to the Dollhouse” Director: Tbdd Solondz Cast: Heather Matarazzo,Victoria Davis, Brendan Sexton Jr.,Daria Kalinina, Matthew Faber Grader Five Words:”’Saved to the Bell’s* antithesis” ~ . says “Hi” to Dawn, later she makes a miniature shrine of Steve. Another tormenter of Dawn, Bran Please see DOLLHOUSE on 13