The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 15, 1976, Page Page 6, Image 6
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Earth, Wind, ]
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an excellent c<
Bv BARRY GLENN began clapping and dar
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uiiiiuTHi'K niau ?vnier v^uiuinuia periorrnance
Wind and Fire began.
The length of the lines kept
growing at the ticket booths out- IT IS I1A1U) to say wh;
side the Carolina Coliseum. music Earth, Wind and F
reopie waited patiently for it is a combination of rh
longer than an hour to pay $8.50 for blues, jazz with a disco be
a ticket that would give them a seat in.
behind the stage. Anticipation of a The band is a combi
great happening was in the air. music and showmanshi
About 10 p.m. the lights dimmed. Wind and Fire has bee
A cheer went up. Three giant since 1970, gaining prorc
transparent pyramids lit up on the the past two years. Now
stage. At the sound of a gong, the probably one of Americt
members of Earth, Wind and Fire, barn's because of their
dressed in bright red robes, walked appeal -four platinun
;Ut of the pyramids amidst smoke prove it.
Mild spotlights. The packed house
They raised their hands as if to Coliseum gave the bam
praise God and then proceeded to dous ovations throug
cast the robes aside, mealing evening.
ornate shiny costumes. White, the founder <
Lead singer Maurice White Wind and Fire, preach
Tron^n^iowe^^^^
nds the crowd at
ngeles Coliseum J[
ward the exits in lamLriS
4'Two-Minute
The film is
poor movie than
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L. IHV1N JR.
k Staff Writer
[iniltp Wprnina" ic tho nAH7ncf in o l^Mrt Kma ?f Ulw
.. ?, .u v?v nvitvoi hi a iv;ug line UI Ulg
.aster movies. It is certainly not up to par to the others,
;o. it should be enjoyable for those millions of people
nue to enjoy this sort of yarn.
f>se with more discriminating cinematic tastes,
"Two-Minute Warning" is a disaster.
>vie is typically set up. Several characters are in
111 buu-piois: uena rtowianfls is having
tting the attention of boyfriend David Janssen; Beau
having trouble with his bratty kids; Jack Klugman is
>uble with his not-so-friendly neighborhood mobster;
ptain Charlton Heston is having trouble rounding up
ficers to patrol the football game at the Los Angeles
Special Weapons and Tactics, (S.W.A.T.) Chief John
s is having trouble finding the free time to watch the
ame.
fcoes on ana on. rne audience, in fact, has trouble
i disaster that they have paid to see.
ost 100 minutes "Two-Minute Warning," sets itself up
;r, showing the scenes of the film's one dimensional
5, the anonymous sniper and the police force's
>n to quietly eliminate the gunman before he gets into
KI'DO-SLJSPENSE is built by holding the disaster
lm's last 15 minutes.
makers hoped to have everyone on the edge of their
:ead, most people keep looking at their watches,
~ 1
rire:
>ncert L_
:ing; the crowd about love and good spirit. Bass
?f Rjtrth - * 1 * *- -?J*--!
, ?it iu?u u ncnieiiuous rappori with guiians
the audience, shouting to them and teamed
drawing enthusiastic responses. at cen1
t form of White and Philip Bailey were in dance,
re plays, the forefront singing and playing The I
'thm and two of the four sets of percussion, were th
it thrown end of t
BAILEY PLAYED the congas star wa
iatj?n 4^ an(^ reached almost impossible as the g
?. cm in, heights with his falsetto voice. On "Shinin
i playing one song, he ran onto the stage with These
inenee in a wild African mask on and compar
they are jumped into a small compartment They <
's hottest in the rear of the stage, which separa
universal began to rise. There was a sudden songs h
albums explosion in the compartment, and yelling
Bailey came running out from the
at the opposite side of the stage in the THE
tremen- middle of a smoke screen. "Getaw
lout the These antics went on all evening, applaus
and the crowd loved it. stepped
f Earth, Each member of the group gave and at
id to the an excellent performance. lights c
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US w2 * *
A H W H A M ^
rig' kills itself
buying more popcorn, talking during the sadly boring dialogues
and basically wondering when?or if? the blood-bath will begin.
The audience actually begins hoping the sniper will hurry up J
and kill before he is captured by the police.
Fortunately, the disaster finally comes; the sniper shoots a
few people; the crowd panics through the exits, and Charlton
Heston as usual saves the day by shooting the gunnran. And,
suddenly, the film ends.
This movie's disaster does not warrant the drawn-out
preliminary proceedings. The script is so poor that its themes
nvpn rnntraHint oanh /\flinr
At one point, we are supposed to believe that the S.W.A.T.
team is a brutal, unfeeling and incompetent force; yet, at the
end of the film, we are blatantly told that the S.W.A.T. team is
very competent, just misunderstood. ^
DOES THE author like S.W.A.T. or not? He obviously does not
care either way, and this apathetic feeling permeates the film
and the audience alike.
Larry Peerce has mechanically directed this film. The?e is no
style or motivation. With Peerce's previous films?"Ash
Wednesday," "A Separate Peace" and "The Other Side of the
Mountain,"?how could we expect anything more than halfbaked
"schmaltz" anyway?
The cinematography was professional, but completely sterile,
lacking purpose in many ways. Subjective photography is used ? -
to keep the sniper's identity hidden until the end of the film. The
audience expects him to be someone famous or recognizable,
but instead he remains just as anonymous when the camera
ultimately reveals his face. The secrecy was a waste of time.
All in all, "Two-Minute Warning" should only be approached
seriouslv bv thoso who likp thp tvr?ir?ni rill-cfor- WJcoctnr
^ w ? |/<vu> uii uim uioaoici imivio.
For others, it stands as an unintentional comedy.
>
The Gamecock
m *
ntertainment
/
ist Verdine White and and Fire disappeared under a veil
;t A1 McKay constantly of smoke and darkness.
up with Bailey and White The performance was excellent
ter stage to prance and even though the showmanship^ f
interferred with the music at
jesi songs oi tne evening times.
le most familiar. Near the On some songs the instruments
he concert, a giant shining drowned the vocals. The brassy
is lowered above the stage sound of "Singasong" failed.
roup broke into a medley of The enthusiasm of Earth, Wind
g Star" and "Singasong." and Fire, however, made these
1 niltrihorc urnt'n 4 r *'
nuc im anui t iamis seem small. The musicians
ed with the other songs, were sincere about their perdeserved
to be played formance. They seemed to enjoy
tely. Nevertheless, both and love what they were doing.
ad the crew on their feet, (f- <
and dancing. White has said that the group
won't quit playing until it has
ENCORE song, reached the stature of a group like
ay", received the biggest the Rolling Stones.
;e. After that, the musicians with vibrant concerts like
back into their pyramids Saturday night's concert, it might
the sound of a gong, the not be long before Earth, Wind and
limmed and Earth, Wind Fire reaches its goal.
' f -