Movies:
American Made
Stateside shows bump i
in background in RossTI
JSY MCKEWQN_
It’s a decidedly American slate for the fall Mary
Riempa Ross Theater schedule, a change-up from
the overseas fare of the summer and last spring.
Only three films outside the 2000 Gay and Lesbian
Film Festival can genuinely be called foreign; all
others either possess stateside stars or directors.
As usual, die slate scoops up many of the films
that should have but didn’t make the regular
Lincoln rotation. All but a few were released this
summer ("Hamlet” and "Croupier” played last
spring). If a few seem like deja vu from Omaha, it’s
because a few of them are. TTiey will have a short
ened viewing time in this bean town.
As usual, Ross shows run Thursday-Sunday,
with 7 and 9:15 p.m. showings Thursdays and
Fridays, 1 and 3:15 p.m. matinees added for
Saturday and matinees of 2:30 and 4:45 p.m. for
Sunday. Prices are $6.50 for adults and $4.50 for stu
dents.
The schedule:
Aug. 24-Sept 3
“Croupier” - A British version of the casino tale
that has been told in one way or another for years in
America. Clive Owen is a novelist who returns to his
casino job and becomes a bit too obsessed with his
research and lives through the eyes of his literary
creation, Jake. Critics mention dark and slick as
descriptions. A short feature entitled "Nighthawks”
plays along with it
Sept 7-17
“Hamlet” - A modern update of the
Shakespeare play that is ambitious and faithful in
the same breath. Director Michael Almereyda
finds a role Ethan Hawke can capably mumble his
way through and seem profound A troubling, gor
geously-shot adaptation that includes a thundering
Carter Burwell score. Short film feature "Lelong
Court” accompanies the film.
Sept 21-24
“Trixie” - An Alan Rudolph film, so expect com
edy in the manic, nuanced form.
Emily Watson is the title character,
mixing with miscreant criminals
Nick Nolte and Will Patton.
Rudolph has had a hit ("Afteigow”)
and a miss to end all misses
("Breakfast of Champions”). I don't
know where this one fits in. j
Sept 28-Oct 1
“The Cup” - A comedy about
teenage monks who, despite train
ing to be monks, desperately want
to know the result of a 1998 World
Cup match.
Oct 5-15
“Jesus’ Son” - Based on the
loosely joined together short stories
of die talented Denis Johnson, Billy
Crudup plays a University of Iowa
layabout who has nothing better to
do than get addicted to heroin
along with his new lover (Samantha
Morton). It’s a drug film, the
umpteenth one in five years, but it
ShawnBafaitn/DN
lormally foreign ticket
leater's fall lineup
opened to strong reviews. It will play with the short
film “Our First Flight’
Oct 12
“Love's Labour Lost" - Kenneth Branagh’s ill
received musical adaptation of the Shakespeare
play.
Oct 17-29
Gay/Lesbian Film Festival -Films cataloguing
the experience of gays and lesbians through both
feature films and documentaries. A more detailed
list will be presented closer to the playing time.
' Nov. 2-5
“Chuck and Buck* - The first feature film of
Mike White, who also wrote the script, about a boy
who has yet to let go of his childhood, or his child
hood friend, for that matter.
Nov. 9
“Women* - a compilation of international stars
explore the fears and desires of women.
Nov. 16-19
“The Eyes oflfemmy Faye” - Lauded documen
tary on die first lady of ’80s televangelism. Her hus
band put her through hell, then a second husband
did, too.
Nov. 30
“The Graduate” - Part of the UPC International
Film Series (International? I guess.), Mike Nichols’
classic plays out the story of troubled Benjamin
Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) caught between moth
er and daughter Robinson (Anne Bancroft and
Katherine Ross). An interesting subtext to the film is
the strange conversation between Ben and his own
mother, played by Elisabeth Wilson. Just what was
going on there?
Nov 1-3
“Grass” - Perfect name for a documentary about
marijuana. Perfect guy-Woody Harrelson - nar
rates.
Dec. 7-17
“Cedi B. DeMented” - Latest offering from John
Waters, who spoofs Hollywood with the kidnapping
tale of star Honey Whitlock (Melanie Griffith). “Keys
to kingdoms’ accompanies as a short film.
■ Long lines, bad weather and
old rock and rollers made
concert experience forgettable.
gv*»HNisHaa
A little over a decade ago,
Poison, Cinderella, Nightranger
and Slaughter on one ticket
would have been a dream show
for rock and roll fans.
In the year 2000, it’s still a
dream ticket to some of the glam
rock, big hair band faithful.
And Saturday at Z-92's
Birthday Bash at Omaha’s Levi
Carter Park, these fans had the
opportunity to see the bands
that were permanent MTV fix
tures in the late '80s.
Those fans were probably
taken back to a time of white
high top sneakers, stone
washed jeans with holes in the
knees and multi-colored bangs
sprayed rock hard with hair
spray.
FOr those fans it was a time of
reminiscing. For me, it was just
weird.
Going to area concerts, I’ve
become accustomed to feeling
old.
Above: Bly
Crudupand
Samantha
Morton play
dmgaddktsin
'Jesus'Son.'
Left Owe Owen
works a casino
in'Croupier*
Bottom
LeftOwenand
Alex Kingston in
‘Croupier'
Bottom rognc
unity watson
with Nick Note
in the Alan
Rudolph fin
Tibae.'
Courtesy photos
The glam is gone from nostalgic bash
I’ve gotten kicked in the
head by body surfing girls no
older than 15 and been pushed
around by 14-year-old boys in
mosh pits.
But at this concert, I definite
ly felt young and it made me
uncomfortable.
This feeling, along with a dis
interest in the music on stage
and continuous rain throughout
the afternoon, made for a crappy
day.
This is how it went.
We walked through the gates
at approximately 1 p.m. to the
distant sound of music coming
from a stage over 200 yards away
at the opposite end of the park.
Of course, we didn’t go
directly to the stage, we went to
the beer and food ticket line.
The guy told me it cost five
dollars for nine tickets. A beer
was seven tickets.
I knew the corporate spon
sors were taking advantage of
me somehow, but I didn’t even
try to figure out how.
It took 20 minutes to get a
beer.
Because it took so long my
friends and I decided buying
two beers at once would be the
best idea.
Toting a beer in each hand,
we headed to the stage, but then
stopped after noticing we had
lost a few in our group.
At this time, I spotted the
portable toilets and decided I
should relieve myself before
heading into the crowd.
I told my friends I’d be right
back. Little did I know, there was
a 15 minute wait at the john.
They left without me.
I wandered up to the stage,
didn’t recognize the band and
decided to go back to the beer
line.
What I just described, sums
up the afternoon.
I’d stand in line for the bath
room, drink my mixture of beer
and rainwater, then have to get
back in die beer line.
In between, I’d mindlessly
wander looking for my friends.
Oh, I also stood in line 45
minutes for two slices of
Godfather’s Pizza.
In the course of my wander
ing, I did see one middle-aged
man trying to fight every person
in a 20-yard radius and a guy
running naked and sliding on
two tarps laid out on the ground.
He did this until another guy
stepped out of the crowd and
laid him out on one of his runs.
A fight ensued.
The evening did improve.
The rain stopped and Mound
my friends.
I was able to watch the entire
sets of Cinderella and Poison,
despite a burning need to return
to the portable toilets.
Both bands still looked in
good shape and their skills were
still intact
They played songs off the
tapes I have stashed away in my
room somewhere.
Those tapes my buddies and
I used to listen to on our boom
boxes in elementary school
It should have been an
enjoyable, time of remembrance
for me, but it didn't seem right,
The music those bands put
out in the ’80s was meant to be
played by young, ruthless, wom
anizing, crazy men.
What I saw was middle
aged, former addicts who have
lost that certain aura they once
had when glam rock ruled.
The rock 'n' roll in them has
n't died, but honestly, it wouldn't
be all bad if it did.
