'Famous' depicts 70s rock era
FAMOUS from 8
Maguire.”
Penny gets a better gig for
William, a bus tour with
“Stillwater,” a four-man rock band
trying to break into stadium star
dom. For both Penny and William,
there’s an immediate connection
with Russell (Billy Crudup), the
lead guitarist who is good enough
(and good-looking enough) to
threaten taking the spotlight from
frontman Jeff Bebe (Jason I^ee).
The tour encapsulates most of
the film, as William gets a job with
Rolling Stone to write-up
“Stillwater.” He’s faced with trying
to get an objective story in the face
of free booze and women, along
with strange and growing feelings
for Penny, who spends every night
behind the “Do Not EVER
Disturb” sign on Russell’s door.
The surroundings are there -
it’s a plot-loaded movie that paints
on a wide canvas with broad
strokes - and Crowe, whose best
film remains the distant and pow
erful “Say Anything,” knows how
to fuel a scene with charm and a
weird mopey wit The set produc
tion delivers with its 1970s live-in
look.
And there’s the music - though
not as much as you’d guess - both
the original “Stillwater” songs
written by Crowe and a sound
track sampling of Elton John and
The Allman Brothers, among oth
ers.
But the film goes static when
you expect it to pop and bubble
into its next gear. Not to say that
carnage and hedonism have to fill
the screen, but outside a minor
drug overdose, life on the road
seems a princess affair for
groupies, their worst fears being
dumped by the rock stars.
"Almost Famous” makes these
girls heroes, as it must, I suppose,
because Crowe saw them as such
at 15.
"Stillwater” is a collection of
cliches - both in character and in
its typically, dumb, ego-driven
clashes between band members.
Of course, they’re cliches for a rea
son - nobody will ever accuse rock
stars of seeping logical brilliance.
Nonetheless, when the real
truth comes to a head during a
perilous lightning storm aboard a
plane, Crowe handles a most
important scene clumsily, top
ping it off with a painful joke that
lost its spin for me five years ago.
That's mostly my problem, I
suppose. For a movie made well
enough to breathe 1973 into the
movie theater, it’s alienating to an
extent. Crowe’s one of the seminal
rock journalists - other music
front-runners have applauded his
accuracy.
But accuracy can have bite
and groove - Paul Thomas
Anderson’s “Boogie Nights” is a
fine example - and not lose its
essential nature. Crowe’s camera
work is almost lazy as it catalogues
William’s journey - unlike “Boogie
Nights” which feels so alive, it
verges on filmed heart attack.
“Almost Famous” makes the sur
roundings seem more innocuous
and boring than they probably
were.
And, in the end, Penny’s char
acter is inserted with a tad more
emotional and intellectual range
than a 16-year-old girl might pos
sess and an end that seems down
right bizarre. Hudson, as comely
as she is, was 20 during the shoot
and acts every day of it.
Hoffman plays Lester flaw
lessly, and McDormand is graceful
and funny, no surprise there.
Other performances feel tweaked
by Crowe. William seems a bit
quick with life-involving advice.
The Band-Aide is too sharp, too.
It’s like watching "That 70s Show”
without the laugh soundtrack.
And I’m not sure a sitcom,
albeit a meticulous and showy
one, is what honest and unmerci
ful are all about. Love letters have
^ their price.
JTiTMaHBEliB
VfVmWVTInnrPI
|iU|ddJiUyjU|lJ
■CUIJU^gUJUUJ^BfnGQ
1
j 1
.
I
•New Edgewood 'Expanding
Location South 48th & R
of Target 30+ Units .
Sequel fails to meet potential
LEGENDS from 8
to produce a sequel, didn’t it? This
is what William Goldman meant
when he said in Hollywood,
nobody knows anything.
This “Urban Legends” sequel
hired one man to do the direct
ing, editing and composing for
the film - John Ottman - and
ripped off the “Scream 3” plot
line. In other words: this is a
movie about people getting
killed. And people who work on
the movie get killed in the same
way as they would have in the
film.
The movie was written by two
guys just out of University of
Southern California’s film school
in Los Angeles - strong adherents
to the clever, in-joke school of
screenwriting.
There’s an aspiring filmmaker
at a fictional film school, Amy
(Jennifer Morrison), who battles
hard to win the coveted
Hitchcock Award, which guaran
tees some sort of automatic
Hollywood career.
Her main competition is a
brooding genius, Travis (Matthew
Davis), on the verge of some mas
terpiece - he thinks. But when he
gets a low grade on his thesis film,
he commits suicide, or so it
seems, until a look-a-like shows
up, claiming he’s Travis’ twin
brother, Trevor.
After the suicide, the deaths
start mounting. Graham
(Lawrence), a Hollywood rich kid,
is a suspect. So is a host of other
film crew members. Oh, and if
you believe the filmmakers, it’s
quite possible that Amy is making
it all up... in her head. Maybe she
is, considering she mistakes the
killer, a tall, lanky-sort, for her
300-pound black friend.
A quote from Morrison in the
press notes illustrates the inane
nature of the film better than I
can:
“It’s a bizarre urban legend
inside of an urban legend, inside
of an urban legend while you’re
filming an urban legend,” she
says.
Oh boy.
Exhibit examines hip-hop art form
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — They seem
unlikely items for a museum
exhibit - sneakers, handbills, a
microphone.
But viewed along with cloth
ing, lyric sheets and album
posters, the items document the
rise of one of the biggest cultural
phenomenas: hip-hop.
"Hip-Hop Nation: Roots,
Rhymes, and Rage" opened
Friday at the Brooklyn Museum of
Art, the first stop in a national
tour.
“The world is embracing a
new attitude, and that attitude is
influenced by hip-hop,” said
museum director Arnold
Lehman.
“Hip-hop has empowered so
many of us, it's unbelievable," said
guest curator Kevin Powell, who
has been writing about the music
and culture of hip-hop for years.
There are hundreds of pieces
to look at, from graffiti art to
Public Enemy’s set list, to a docu
ment from the 1994 U.S. Senate
Judiciary Committee hearings on
music and violence.
Fashion looms large, with
clothing donated by names from
every era of hip-hop.
There’s a hat from Kool DJ
Here, tennis shoes from Run
D.M.C., a suit worn by the
II^TOgr^y HTTP ■
FOOTBALL |
I6UJSJ S PUB 11
.20< WINGS
BUCKETS OF BEER (5 FOR 4)
PRIZES -T6HR15+ I MUTABLE
FOOTBALL CHAIR FROM COORS
I WiNG IW$ »* lot m iOitH fm WWfeS I
Notorious B.I.G. and a jersey worn
byDMX.
Four elements of hip-hop cul
ture are highlighted: DJing,
MCing, dance, and graffiti art.
The first section, “The Block
Party,” introduces viewers to
those elements with demonstra
tions and interactive terminals
where he or she can try his or her
hand at DJing.
“The Roots” looks at hip-hop’s
origins, and showcases audio
equipment from the 1970s and
early 1980s, as well as items relat
ed to pioneers like Grandmaster
Flash and Kurtis Blow.
Section three deals with the
mid-1980s to 1990, considered
hip-hop’s creative “Golden Era.” It
introduces acts like the political
Public Enemy, the feminist Queen
Latifah and the gangsta N.WA
"Controversy: Outrage and
the Rise of Gangsta Rap" focuses
on the 1990s, which were marked
by events like the deaths ofTupac
Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.
The last section, “Pop Goes
the Culture," examines how hip
hop has come to dominate
American youth culture.
j Authentic Chicago Style Deli j
Worlds Best
/''"’"""Targe Variety of Subs"""s'N
I V^_Open 7 Days_S |
Free Drink with Sandwich Order]
Live Music 6:30 - 8:30 Tues-Fri I
No cover, AH Ages *
C577-S30<r>
.
EARN $495
TO $2,210
Call 474-PAYS
ASSIST
MEDICAL
RESEARCH
*
EARN
$1,100
Call 474-PAYS
ASSIST
MEDICAL
RESEARCH
(402) 472-2588 $5.25/15 words ^0^^ U ■ 0m ■
FAX: (402) 472-1761 $3.50/15 words (students) 10^± 0^± 0^± 0^ 0^^
dn@unl.edu $0.15 each additional word ■ I
$0.75 billing charge VJTirW^I 1 ^
$0.75/line headline
____Deadline: 4 p.m. weekday prior
200s Ftrsalt tfr
All 2000 Models On SALE
Trek
Specialized
* Kona
Cycle Works, 27th & Vine, 475-2453
Full and Queen size mattress sets. New and in
plastic. Never used. 10 years warranty. Retail for
$439 and $639. Sell for $165 for the Full, Queen
$195. 477-1225.
BARTENDERS MAKE $100-$250 PER NIGHT!
NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! CALL NOW!!
1 -800-981 -8168 ext. 9073.
Dixie Chicks
Please help! I need two tickets to Dixie Chicks
concert in Lincoln October 8. 477-0372.
I desperately need 2 to 5 tickets to the NU vs.
Colorado Gama!!! I'm coming all the way from
Boston and I’ll pay well!!! E-mail me at
NPNebraskaOaol.com.
dailyneb. com
All home game validated tickets $100 each. Call
436-7829.
Will trade 2 non-student tickets to Homecom
ing’s Kansas-Nebraska football game on Nov. 4
for two non-student tickets to Nov. 24’s Colo
rado game. Call 483-0443.
1987 BMW 325 P/W. P/L. New tires. Kenwood
Stereo. SBL Speakers. Good Condition. Must
sell. $3900 OBO. 423-5944.j
1990 Plymoth Laser, good condition, rebuilt en
gine, new clutch, brakes & starter. $2500, OBO.
402-470-2923.__
‘89 Ford Ranger Supercab XLT, 4x4, topper, au
to, A/C, many extras, sharp. $4350,488-7879.
93’ Tempo for sale, good shape, new
brakes/exahst, blue, Auto, A/C, cruise, nice
stereo. $2000 OBO, 476-5651/Carl.
Sell your CAR or TRUCK with pictures FREE on
the internet at www.ezcar1ocator.com.
300s Sendees
I A young, happily married couple with much I
to give want to share their love, laughter I
and zest for life with a newborn. Medi-1
cal/legal expenses paid. Please call Sue I
and Tom at 888-810-0852.
I would love to raise and nurture your newborn
in a loving and secure home. I am a registered
nurse and have a supportive extended family
and friends. Legal and medical expenses paid
Please call Lila 1 -888-416-7888.
Attention
Need 31 people who seriously want to lose
weight. Great business opportunity. Flexible
hours. Call (402)730-3745 or 1 -888-390-5645.
Natural Herbal
Breast Enlargement
Safe, effective, and affordable. Please visit
www.figureplus.com, 1-888-603-9800. Distribu
torships also available.
Math Tutors needed. Noon-3pm or 5-8pm.
Good pay. Great experience. Call 437-2474 for
more information.
The Hewit Academic Center is looking for Histo
ry 171 and Physics tutors. We are seeking
upper-level undergraduate and graduate stu
dents with a GPA of 3.0 or above. Excellent
communication skills are a must. Tutors will earn
$7.13 per hour and will have flexible and varia
ble hours. If interested apply at 300 West Stadi
um (underneath Memorial Stadium) or call Leah
at 472-9985.
Volunteer Tutors are needed at Cedars Youth
Services. Assist with homework and general
studies. Call 437-8845.
Auto Accidents & DWI
Other criminal matters, call Sanford Pollack,
476-7474.
Auto Accidents/DWIs
And all other criminal and civil matters, call
Franklin E. Miner, 423-4417.
Automobile Accidents
in OWI
Call Jeffery F. Dean at 435-2424.24 hour line.
For all your insurance needs: auto, home, health,
life and business, call Jim Wallace at American
Family Insurance, 1340 L St., Lincoln, NE 68508
or call 402-474-5077,
Need Affordable Health
Insurance?
Call 24 hours. 477-8383.
Free
Pregnancy Test
Birthright is a confidential helping hand. Please
call for appointment or more information,
483-2609. Check out our website
www.birthright.org.
400s Housing *
Female to share nice 2 bedroom apartment at
Thomasbrook near 56th & Van Dorn. $285 plus
1/2 deposit and electricity, cable and heat paid.
Many extras. Call 327-8015. _
Looking for quiet, mature, upper-class/grad stu
dent who likes cats to share 2 bedroom apt.,n/s,
$200/month plus half utilities. Kate 435-3918.
Roommate needed to share 4 bedroom/2 bath
duplex. Just minutes to campus. Rent
$250/month +1/4 utilities. Call 360-3570.
dn @ uni. edu
3, 4, 5 bedroom, close to UNL. Several
available. Now until December. 730-7368.
4700 South St. Immaculate 2/3 bedrooms, c/a,
finished basement, garage. $850+deposit, refer
ences, no pets. 483-4887.
Large 4+2 bedroom, 3 bath. Central air, dish
washer, porch. 835 S. 12th. $895. 435-2552.
$780. 1135 North 32nd, 4 bedroom, 2 bath.
Pictures at www.geocities.com/webwinters.
580-1121.
$820. 1135 North 32nd, 4 bedroom, 2 bath.
Dishwasher, W/D, new carpet & paint. Pictures
at www.geocities.com/webwinters. No pets
580-1121.
Duplexes
NEW! 3439 A, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, W/D, C/A,
D/W, DBL Garage. Call HIP at (402)465-8911.
Large, 3 bedroom near east campus, 1405
Idylwild. New paint, carpet, re-finished oak
floors, lots of storage, central air, garage,
available now. No pets. $650/mo. + utilities.
475-9663 or 430-7593.
♦♦♦Efficiency
Apartments***
Close to City Campus
Water, Heat, and Gas Paid
Available now. Call 477-4490.
Phone: 472-2588
Fax: 472-1761
***Close to City Campus***
2 bedroom, electric-entry building,^439.00 &
up. 475-7262._
Two 2-bedroom condos for rent in historic Hay
ward Place. Within walking distance from
downtown UNL campus. All appliances, secure
building, 12’ ceilings, parking and on site laun
dry. Available now. Call 421-2316. Leave mes
sage
1810 H Street/Secure Bldg.
1 BR/5-plex. $410 plus electricity. Includes
utilities/cable. Balcony, laundry, parkina
488-6707, 450-8895._a'
I^043HUN™GTo!iri
Studio apartment off street parking, Rent I
$325 central air conditioning. Rent $365 I
One bedroom across the street from Wes- I
leyan. E.O.H. 475-8776.
I AVAILABLE NOW!
1, 2 and 3 Bedrooms
402-465-8911
www.HlPrealty.com
AVAILABLE NOW!!!
1630 & 1640 North 56th Street, 2 bedrooms
$460-$475 electric only - off street parkina
N/P. E.O.H. 475-8776. a
AVAILABLE NOW—studio close to campus, 405
N. 25th, large deck, central air, laundry, parkina
$305,475-1449. * k 9
