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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1997)
Actors’ performances save tough storyline DEVIL from page 12__ in Belfast, he escapes to America and hides in Tom O’Meara’s basement. The only thing the two men have in common is their heritage — Tom doesn’t believe killing solves prob lems; Rory doesn’t believe in anything else. Nonetheless, the two become friends. The sappiness factor in the male bonding between Tom and Rory is relatively low—the two share a pool game and drink some beer together— but it’s just potent enough to tug at the heart strings. Tom’s three young daughters fall in love with Rory, and he’s the perfect brother-figure. Of course, O’Meara isn’t blind. He discovers what Ray’s been up to, and he’s tom between his duty as a cop and his gut-level understanding of what the young Irish man is doing — if he were in Rory’s shoes, he’d do the same thing. So it comes down to a con frontation between the unlikely duo who share nothing but a common an cestry and a strong friendship. Rim: The Devil’s Own Director: Alan J. Pakula Cast: Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt Grade: B Rating: R (language, violence) Five Words: Good acting but tough The movie, has sufficient acting, and Pitt’s Northern Irish accent isn’t half-bad. Throw in some traditional Irish music along with the mandatory Cranberries song, and the score is complete. The only problem with the movie is that there’s never any historical con text given. Most everyone knows the Irish are fighting, but a word on ex actly why would’ve been helpful. It’s just close to impossible to cram hun dreds of years of warfare into a two hour movie and expect it to have a convincing plot. The issues involved are too complex for a scope this nar row. Pavement carves its way through solid pop career PAVEMENT from page 12 music available to them. And as a re sult, they have become one of America’s most important bands while selling a relatively small number of records. And they probably wouldn’t have it any other way. Pavement’s creativ ity and musicianship are matched only by their decidedly anti-industry ap proach to both their recordings and the promotion of them. In 1995, Pavement’s “Wowee Zowee” was widely ignored as a re sult of its anti-industry posturing and series of rock snippets that usually lasted no longer than 90 seconds. That album was — in the eyes of many hard-core Pavement fans — a sorely misunderstood work that stands among their best. Unfortunately, in the eyes of most critics and music fans, “Wowee Zowee” was a slump period that required a strong and spirited comeback album. Enter “Brighten the Comers.” But Pavement’s latest release is anything but, pushing the limitations of their listeners as far as anything they’ve released. As they wear their influences and distastes proudly on their sleeves, the members of Pave ment are as snotty and oft-indecipher able as ever. Frontman Stephen Malkmus still throws his vocals over the songs in either a tired moan or a high-pitched falsetto, and the rest of the band still plods along behind him with a steady but-intricate mess of guitar-driven melody and noise. The lyrics are as twisted as ever. In the opening track alone, Malkmus throws a sing-song attitude into words such as “Pigs they tend to wiggle when they walk” and “the Kaiser has a cyst,” and pokes indie fun at such sacred rock institutions as Rush frontman Geddy Lee. But despite Malkmus’ penchant for nonsensical lyrics, he occasionally drifts into a real nugget of truth or honesty that makes all of the manic wordplay worthwhile. And content isn’t really what rock should be about anyway. The words sound good where they are, even if they don’t make sense when they’re read aloud. Musically, Pavement is still a won der to hear. Their snail-paced arrange ments are the epitome of all that sounds easy but plays harder than nearly anything out there. Guitar lines are woven into bass lines, and rhythms are skewed, stopped and started again with a delicate sense of aesthetic tim ing. And by the time the occasional twisted pop song is thrown into the mix, it sounds so beautiful it hurts. The result is an album that bends the ear like nothing else that has been released so far this year. And the truly strange part is that for Pavement it’s just another record. — Jeff Raatfall SOME THINGS ARE MEANT TO BE CLOSED For decades, MDA has YOUR MIND ISN’T p^H^Z ONE OF THEM. . ltare J°,sofe,?(,We believe talent, ability and desire are more lJ important than strength of a person’s muscles. The one barrier these people can’t overcome is a closed mind. Keep yours open. 1-800-S7S-1717 | http;//www.unl.edu/DailyNeb/ | “283* Mj’ttf* How *367" Schwinn Hifh Timber »u ‘539" Now *412” •» ;«$/: - -if#-*.. -J .- -.2 A»--V ■-V= JUWMOUNIIMNKES £> CROSS BIKES MY 1 tET 2ND 1/2 MICE MmmWiS1 O-Lodu 20% «FF All (Mint m Sale l: I ARMr tnniT Uaiiv #VMRI iwii Open 'HI 7pm kMiy-JhumUy I • 437 SmA 13Hi 435-3333 3331 Nommv 433-3101 American Heart Association^^ Fighting Mean Disease and Stroke ___ ------- April 19 8 p.m. Centennial Room Nebraska Union Bobcat has starred in films such as "Police Academy II" and "Scrooged" and has appeared on HBO and Comic Relief. His voice has been featured on "Beavis and Butthead” and he is currently the man behind the voice of "Moxie" on The Cartoon Network and "Mr. Floppy" on the WB's series "Unhappily Ever After." . *T Advance ticket sales ONLY beginning April 1 vNOI Available only at . Nebraska Union Information Booth Davis, a Minneapolis singer and nqwriter, has on favorable mparisons to ob Dylan and is idol Loudon ainwriqht ill. Free_ Event SUMMER SESSION 1997 This summer, attend Colorado State University and earn credits during our 4-, 8-, or 12-week terms. Courses begin May 19, June 16, and July 14. No formal admission requirements. Call 1-800-854-6456 for a free Summer Class Schedule