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Spotlight J ^ M W&r Monday, November 25, 1905 iHE GAMECOCK I * I y Secret Service agents make an arrest in To Live and Di$ in Adventure film By PATRICK JEAN Staff writer In To Live and Die in L.A., director William Fricdkin makes an effort to return to the slick, thrill-a-minute chase film he so craftfully created in The French Connection. It does not work, to say the least. There is some great action, but the generic cast is poor; the script is cold and emotionless, and the gratuitous sex and gore arc tar trom entertaining. Richard Chance, played by William Petersen, is a Secret Service agent on the trail of a murderous counterfeiter. He is willing to bend or break the rules to get his man. He even endangers his young partner, John Vukovich, played by John Pankow, who wants to follow proper procedures. Chance's first partner is killed a few days before his scheduled retirement. He is investigating Eric Masters, the young counterfeiter, played by Willem Dafoe. Unfortunately, he discovers Masters' print shop at the wrong time and gets blown away. Masters has a knack for double-crossing his criminal cohorts, then violently executing them as they try to strike back. He's smart enough to stay . one step ahead of the agents who have him at the top of their most-wanted list. Chance treads a fine line between rightful justice and outright vengeance. When he poses as a businessman interested in the counterfeit money, he needs more money than his agency is willing to give. He resorts to unscrupulous methods to raise the rest. Whenever, when the agency tells him not to do something, he does it anyway. I he glut of sex and violence adds no value to tne film. Although there are numerous nudity scenes, their presentation is neither emotional nor entertaining. Suggestions of lesbianism were unnecessary and should have been left out. Ruth Lanier, played by Darlanne Fluegel, is an informant and ex-convict. Chance and Lanier talk New theater conf disturbing rape th By MARY JO MILLER ? ro . menacing rapis Staff writer .. .. u ? pathetic bully. The production of William accent seems ii Mastrosiinone's Extremities at Lorre and weak Trustus portrays a real-life situa- Trustus is tc tion, giving Columbians a distur- f deliverina a bing glimpse of a crime many a subjJ, , people would like to ignore. taboo in commi From the play's onset, the au- The producti dience is presented with conflic- uec 7 ancj tjc| ting but effective moods. Mar- at the box offic jorie (Libby Campbell), an attractive, scantily-clad blond, is relaxing in her house. She is at ease in her aloneness, but the : menacing backgroud music cues f __ the audience to expect danger. t - _ ' The audience immediately recognizes danger when Raul J : / : : ((..name Peterson), a lower-class j / Hispanic, barges in to use Mar- J:\ ;;V _ jorie's phone. In the ensuing powerful scene, I Raul begins to assault and jl degrade the hysterical Marjorie. _ However, before he can rape her, | she blinds him with a bottle of household insecticide, knocks him out with a poker and im- 1 prisons him in the fireplace. J When Marjorie's two roommates, Terry (Jane Turner) and ^ Patricia (Jeanette Arvay), return from work, they are embroiled in . Marjorie's determination to get * 111 revenge. \ \ Campbell delivers a convincing /! J performance as the victim/vic- "nxI timizer, Marjorie. When she overpowers her rapist, her delicate tear-streaked face becomes a mask of harsh j Peterson's Raul also makes an ~ effective transformation from a ^ftyi I P^' rannHA^ > L.A. after a man tries to hide in an airport restroom. dies in L.A. like partners instead of lovers, although they have sex regularly. Either she provides him with information, or she goes back to prison. Outside of this agreement, they can't seem to stand each other. There is not much to like about Chance. Although he is on the right side of the law, he is ruthless and headstrong and has no concern for anyone who gets in his way. He is not much different from Masters, and they seem to understand each other very well. Chance is so bent on catching Masters he does not care if he breaks the law or if he hurts or endangers fellow agents. every cnaracier in me mm acts street tougn, double-crossing each other and adding to a theme of corruption. It is a rough and reprehensible theme, which fails to leave the audience feeling good by the film's climax. There are plenty of chases, shootings and bloodsplattered bodies. There is one phenomenal 10-minute chase scene that starts under a bridge and ends up going the wrong way down the Los Angeles Freeway. This white-knuckle ride is one of the best chase sequences ever put on film. Other than that, the movie's supposed visual style never exists. very utue can oe saia tor trie acting, uaioe is the best of the bunch, stealing the show as the nearpsychopathic Masters. His rough face enhances his interna! turmoil. Petersen holds his own as Chance, but his character consists of little more than angry, rugged middle-age looks. Pankow has a few good moments as the troubled Vukovich. The rest of the cast is forgettable. To Live and Die in L.A. is a big disappointment. It can be exciting, emotional and even surprising, but those moments are few and far between. The film is too busy focusing on sex and violence to worry about credibility or quality. Therefore, To Live and Die in L.A. is already dead. rnnfc n ? Kamo sm ieme From staff reports WUSC-FM's first black-j black-oriented radio production t to a whining, 6 p.m. Wednesdays beginning t However, Raul's "Upbeat" is designed as an nspired by Peter informative voice for US( ens the character. students, according to producer be commended Fleming. i fine production The show will consist of five f< that shouldn't be segments covering issues of the unity theater. on runs through HAPPY kets are available tlnrr ? e 254 9732 THANKSGIVING THIS WEEK S CATCH L tegular Shrimp Dinner '?d with French Frtet, Huth Puppie* and Cole Slaw Special $3.99 Cmnlfl * QT I* vlmn ninnA? # ? dPIIfl III!QF WII1IVI red with French Friti, Hmh Pupplei and Cole Slaw tj Sptclal $3.29 J Expire* 11-30-85 I 1726 Broad River Rd. 1208 Knox Abbott Dr . I Ph 798 3032 Cayce, Ph 798-1664 3200 Two Notch Rd. Ph. 786 0180 ^^FRE^ce<^e?^vittwnMUvltMJ8^f^| i Sj J Phone ahead for quick carry out service. _ - - ; . USC corned] iy RONI BEA KAYNE Spotlight editor A Midsummer Night's Dream oegins ana enas as a aream, heating up with the entangled affairs of young lovers in Athens. The USC theater production of Shakespeare's finest comedy opened Friday at Drayton Hall, incorporating a magical undertone with the grace of dancing fairies. The play opens with a mysterious aura. As the fog rises toward the moon, dancers prance across the stage, adding to the grace and beauty of the presentation. Susan Anderson's choreography is superb, dominating much of the play and uicaiuug iiuiu uic ui ct 111 ct ai various points. The USC Dance Company does a fine job, but at the start the dancing may be too much for a drama. Once the dancing finally gives way to storyline, however, the plot unfolds rapidly. King Theseus and Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, sit in judgment, deciding the fate of the young Hermia. Natalie Picow is not very convincing as Hermia, pleading her case before the royal family. She lacks the emotional strength of a woman who loves one man and is forced to deal with two men falling at her feet. John Emerson is wonderful as Demetrius, the rejected youth. He seems to have mastered the Elizabethan language, making up for other characters' speaking deficiencies. The most outstanding characters are Fuck and Pyramus, played by Harold Odom and Reid Davis, respectively. Veteran actor and dancer Harold Odom has a unique style. As in most of his previous perfor mances, Odom plays a Nothing fum By ROBERT O'CONNOR ~ Staff writer A Funny Thing Happened on Fnrum is the tvne of nlav that has t for an early intermission and pray Lavish musical arrangements, c humor that hits you over the head bimbos are all akin to theatrical latest extravaganza directed by Be Playing at Workshop Theatre th tried and rarely true play is at pleasing clunker. The ticket prices, $10, make each laugh count, liter; The large cast is headed by I Quick as Pseudolus, a slave in ar wants to procure his freedom. Ho master, Hero (Weldon Home), { JUV to voii news and events, r< produced, book reviews and In will air at Fleming said the i: his week. controversial theme insightful, black student audiei :'s black Black news will Katherine national and campu meetings, speakers 3ur-minute awards may be incc day, black ment, Fleming said T' HANKSG Share the fe Thanksgivi I 1 combines li ; ^mmem fjf t AM ^ M^B KSsi v^H|m Lfipnnfl t^ A\^K-^k- * m fl9?Sifl !-- -, i S ; ; I I 8 ^a- -; -- :^KBl i / Maria Katibah and John Emorson star as mysterious character with a unparalleled wicked laugh. Puck is instructed to play Cupid, but he mismatches young lovers and then must fix his mistakes. The characters become entangled in four plots and many subplots, which confuse the audience at times, but follow Shakespeare's intentions. Davis is extremely funny as Pyramus, the lead character in a performance for the royal family. Unsatisfied with his part, he tries to be every character but his own. ny happens < courtesan Philia l add to his troublt the Way to the 14 lengthy Steph he viewer hoping father (Steve Sti ing for the end. Philia himself, lancing Romans, Other charactei and scantily-clad sized cast. Lycus bondage in this Hysterium (Gera tte Herring. who evoke laughi rough Dec. 8, the Hero's mother :tually a crowd- seems to be the i at an outrageous tress in the play, illy. enough to rescue he pleasant Jim icient Rome who A funny thing wever, he has his the forum, but ilong with virgin Workshop Theat ce black c ;ggae, black film and focus on c /e interviews. South Afri ssues of the day will be The "E is of concern to the coverage o ice. history of explore international, formers an is issues; USC parties, Other topic , special events and Motown sc >rporated into the seg- Each epi I "I Inhpaf" also uuill ?, wuii a live; IVING IS A TIME OFS ?elings and excitement of tk tig card from American Cin uIniversity| BOOKSIOKE I "Your Partner WEW In Education ? i AMERICAN GREETINGS ove, grace hBP ! 1 - HHHH l^HI lovers in A Midsummer Might's Dream. He initiates the play's humor as he attempts to be a woman, a lion and ultimately ends up an ass, one of Puck's magical creations. Under the direction of Richard Jennings, assistant professor of acting, the play, in itself, is a successful interpretation of Shakespeare's comic work. A Midsummer Night's Dream will run Dec. 3-7 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. Tickets for the production are $3.50 for students, available through the Longstreet Theatre box office. it Forum i [Debra Hall), to contend with. To A :s, Pseudolus has to wade through icn Sondheim songs, and Hero's ickland) has a few ideas about rs add to the mayhem in this over(Randall Browning) and the slave Id Floyd) are the resident wimps, ter through their weaknesses. , Uomina (blena Martinez-Vidal), nost interesting character and acbut she never sticks around long bored members of the audience. may have happened on the way to nothing funny is happening at re. oncerns urrent events affecting blacks in ca and other countries, she said. ye On" segment will feature ^ f entertainment news, such as a reggae including the chief perd the music itself, Fleming said. :s will include blues, jazz and the )und, she said. sode of "Upbeat" will wrap up ly interview, Fleming said. j HARING... I m ye holiday with a i>e tings. , \\ Hop* you have a l \ Happy Thanfcagiving \ \ from tha time yon \ \ itutt your x?> \ \ bird... ( \ \ ^ 1 '