D COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES
PIERCE BROSNAH (center) plays a vslcaneleilst who tries to save a town mayor (Linda Hamilton) and her two children (Jeremy Foley and Jamie Reaee
Smith) from an erupting volcano in the new disaster film “Dante's Peak.”
After smoke clears, ‘Dante’s Peak’ plot caves in
By Gerry Beltz
Film Critic
Don’t get me wrong, there have been de
cent disaster films (“Tlie Towering Inferno,”
“The Poseidon Adventure”), but “Dante’s Peak”
just doesn’t cut the spicy mustard.
Why? Because there’s nothing new or in
teresting about it. This movie is so formulatic
it should have advertised itself in calculus text
books.
Let’s see, die setting is a small town which
is so Norman Rockwellian, it could make Ward
Cleaver puke. Enter Harry Dalton (Pierce
Brpsnan), the devilishly handsome scientist
with a jaded past and cinematically perfect in
tuition, plus Rachel Wando (Linda Hamilton),
the single parent, small-town mayor, and the
ever-present impending disaster that gives off
a few warning signs (in this case, “Dante’s
Peak”) but are dismissed by skeptical townsfolk
and co-workers of the scientist.
Gosh, could they all be wrong? Will there
be a disaster? Should they have listened to the
smart scientist in the first place?
Please turn to Page 257 in your Obvious
Cinematic Plot lines text and say (on count of
“3”)... DUH!
Of course, everything—and everybody—
goes nuts. Tremors, floods and human survival
instincts all combine to create chaos, mayhem
and an overabundance of cadavers.
Harry and Rachel are driving all around
picking up her two kids, a dog and her former
mother-in-law. Because of the delay, they get
to drive through all the volcanic ash coming
down, as well as traversing a river of acid and
a road covered with cooling lava.
It’s surprising to see quality performers
Brosnan and Hamilton turning in performances
that have all the charisma and power of pork
jewels. Considering the quality of the script and
story line, they probably just assumed this was
a made-for-television movie.
Director Roger Donaldson (“Cocktail”)
chose poorly for his work following the last
summer’s surprise hit “Species.” This,movie
has just nowhere to go but down.
The special effects are... neat. Nothing that
outstanding Just neat. However, I could swear
a couple of the shots of Dante’s Peak erupting
were still photographs with the camera being
jiggled like an old episode of “Star Trek.”
The most effective point of the picture comes
toward the end, which of course, I can’t really
discuss. Just let it be known that even non
claustrophobics will probably be squirming in
their seats for a couple of minutes.
Also, the team of experts called in to work
with Harry had the same oddball conic relief
found in “Twister,” but they weren’t given
enough time to have any fun.
The group is full of familiar faces, too, in
cluding Charles Hallahan (“The Thing”) as
skeptical team leader Paul Dreyfus, and other
— ---—) •
Film: “Dante's Peak”
Stars: Pierce Bresnan, Linda Hamilton,
Charles Hallahan
vital ivw iiaiiaioaii
Director Roger Donaldson
Rating: P6-13 (violence, language)
Grade: D+
Five Words: Volcano disaster film blows
rocks
members Grant Heslov (“True Lies,” “The
Birdcage”) and Tzi Ma (“Rapid Fire”).
But these small parts don’t warrant the full
price of an admission ticket. The scenery and
spectacle do warrant a big-screen visit, so if
you absolutely must see it, go for a matinee show
or wait for the cheap seats.
- _ ^
Go see “Star Wars” instead — again.
■ - 3
Jazz heats up Lied; second act cold
ByLaneHickenbottom
Music Critic
The Lied Center for Perform
ing Arts was full of roaring and
snoring Saturday night when two
jazz quartets entertained a full
house.
The roaring from the crowd
came during the first set when the
Christian McBride Quartet, led by
star bassist McBride, ended their
McBride and company sent the
audiencg,,ipto cheers throughout
the evening, dazzling them with
fast-paced ensemble and solo sets.
Pianist Charles Craig spent
most of the evening in mid-air, only
j touching the piano' bench long
enough to bounce up enthusiasti
cally. Saxophonist Tim Warfield
and drummer Carl Allen also
played over-dramatic solos.
The most entertaining part of
the evening was watching the mas
tery McBride had over both the
stand-up and electric bass. Several
McBride solos brought hooting and
whistling from the audience as his
fingers sped to a steady blur.
The second set, the Joe Lovano
Quartet, had a different effect on
the audience. The less-enthusias
tic jazz group sent some audience
members home well before the
show was over.
It was painful listening to bass
ist Dennis Irwin play a mostly-one
string stand-up bass solo only mo
ments after watching McBride play
spectacular and it didn t help that
one of the Lied Center’s speakers
was loudly crackling during his
piece.
While Lovano’s sax playing
was superb, not even he could com
pare to the spunk with which
Warfield played the sax in
McBride’s quartet. While the group
wasn’t soloing, they played songs
like “Imagination,” which would
be really good lobby music, but
nothing to spend undivided atten
tion on.
Other events that detracted from
the set included stage hands com
ing on and off the stage and Irwin
unexpectedly leaving his bass to go
backstage.
Even the quartet’s great mo
ments were ruined. Near the end
of the show, drummer Yoron Isreal
gave the audience its first thrill
since intermission with a long, fast
paced, powerful drum solo. But
iseslfiwh tdfflD^tuduring the solo,
”;Edvano fotenniptea with his sax,
which was tuned louder than the
drums. Isreal persisted through
several interruptions, but eventu
ally the rest of the quartet started
playing at .full volume before he
could finish, denying audience
members their desire to give Isreal
the applause he deserved.
Well before Lovano was fin
ished with his set, even some front
row ticket holders retired early for
the night.
When the Joe Lovano Quartet
was finished, members of the au
dience were quick io their feet.
lottiif juiced
: s-sgBgg—
} _____
From Staff Reports
The Atlanta-based rock and soul
band The Grapes (above) hits
Lincoln’s Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14 St., to
night for a scathing set of HORDE
style live music.
The Grapes have played to more
than 2,000 live audiences since they
formed more than a decade ago. They
have opened for acts ranging from the
Courtesy photo
Black Crowes to Widespread Panic to
Buckwheat Zydeco.
Although their jam-based musical
style has often been compared to that
of the Grateful Dead, the group’s
members often push their musical
range beyond the Dead’s roots-rock
base, injecting elements of funk,
rhythm and blues, soul and jazz.
Tonight’s 21-and-over concert be
gins at 9. There is a $3 cover charge.
