University of South Carolina Libraries
Films depict :;"From thelll Video Vault By BRIAN SHELTON .Qtaff Writer The Video Vault is a column devoted to movies on videocasette. It basically involves a handsome and available reviewer who reviews all kinds of movies from dramas to comedies. My ultimate goal is to direct you to what's worth renting (or buying) on the shelves and to steer you as far away as possible from die nuclear bombs. Talking about bombs, the Soviet Union's latest coup comes to mind. Soviet President Gorbachev has about as much control of the USSR as I do over my love life and filling his void in power is Democratic President Boris Yeltsin. With, the efforts of Yeltsin, the one "red devil" will likely become a Democratic ally. Even though the complexities of the political world might change, the thought of Communism nurtures a certain kind of nostalgia. In a way its like Darth Vader or snmpthina mavhp. that's whv I sort of wish the USSR wouldn't change. But, change is a part of life, so I should probably just accept it and get on with this Video Vault which is about what else, but movies with Russians in them. "Red Dawn"(1984): Before he was dirty dancing, surfing and coming back to life, Patrick Swayze played a leader of teen commandos formed to repel Soviet commies from our own soil. Those commies, deciding to forego nuclear war, parachute into the United States and turn the teen's town into another Moscow. No one can stop them except these whining pubescents but throughout the movie, I was wondering where the National Guard was. Don't they get paid to prevent stuff like this? (C). "Red Heat"(1988): Arnold Schwarzeneggar, who this summer played a kinder, gentler and totally wussy Terminator, plays Ivan Danko, a lockjawed Russian cop who must enlist the aid of the nontalented Belushi brother (James) in ifi IT OAK G O L I Summer Sp 1-20 Exit #70 3 Miles North i I .'For-fea^y ^ Males w Special Bonu ,27391| Sllil M Coluifl 25m old Russia c order to catch a Russian bad guy. By the end, the two will be pals, but the movie somewhat overcomes its predictability by using some humorous culture-clashes. Schwarzeneggar has never heard of Dirty Harry and Belushi thinks Schwarzenegger looks like "Gumby," but they overcome their differences and realize their similarities. For instance, neither one can act worth a flap-doodle . . . (B-) "The Hunt for Red October"(1989): I'm sensing a color-scheme here. Is "red" in the title of every movie related to the Soviet Union? Actually, this is the title of a book which the movie is based on and, for my money, it's one of the best of the genre. Alec Baldwin plays a government intel UgClIL-C 4gCUl W1IU lillioL llgUl^ UUl whether a renegade Soviet submarine captain (Sean Connery) is defecting or not. The movie is full of action and suspense as both the Russians and Americans play "sink ' the sub" with Connery's boat and the acting is top-notch. (A) "Spies Like Us"(1985): An rT underrated comedy starring Chevy I Chase and Dan Ackroyd as spies. JL Actually, they're just decoys sent to detract attention away from the two real spies. Chase and Ack- By ] royd's misadventures are funny Staf and while the movie drags at D times, it always gets back its Dep momentum. There are also tons of Dan cameos, including one by Bob slag, Hope, "I'm 108 and still doing three specials a year." (B+) will 'The Experts"(1989): Did any- 5udj body else see this movie besides Tho me? If you haven't, you didn't Dep miss much. John Travolta and Dan Arye Gross play hip entrepreneurs "] who are offered a nightclub by a exci guy who happens to be a Soviet got agent. In the movie, Travolta and fessi Gross find themselves in a small had town that looks like Nebraska but T is really a KGB training site in mail Moscow. Isn't that hilarious? The What's more hilarious is the townspeople act like they're in the '50s. In short, you're lucky if you find more than one laugh in this, and truthfully, I'm surprised this movie didn't end glasnost. (D-) Well, that's the "Video Vault." Be sure to tune in next time when I'll probably discuss some other notorious topic. HILLS-g j ecrals jyyifl FOR TEE TIMES: on HWY 321 735-9830 rm xaoiun ?? Minimum HI er ith B blood types. 5 program for students. .aurel St. A k^Hgl|J nbia, SC H l"6537 Ad rhillin' out V % mi \ 1F1 I r ! I V rS m m sse USC students took a pool brei heatre U KATHY HF.RERfiF.R Ho f Writer respite budget cuts, the USC Jea artment of Theatre, Speech and the ce plans to present nine main e performances this year. anl We're in a real crisis right now i our budget. Cuts in our bel get have really hurt us," said Co rn Compton, chairman of the 1 artment of Theatre, Speech and ch; ce. Tir But for all the difficulties, I'm sta ted about this season. We've the most talented group of pro- tab ors, actors and designers we've be in a long time," he said. av; he theater department's next Lo n stage performance will be 1 Lark, which will be at Drayton mu ^| Hr^f' jM ?|pL g|B| ?WiarmtiwtW tm "Whamef PIm MJP ? 3pTrr f' W^a, s^^ppB > wE|L9|l^^4r More and more PhDs try are recommending financial and scientif to their students. An( strong reasons. "The HP 48SX Scient has powerful graphic remarkably helpful tx ing mathematical cor the equation solver f lent for applying ma engineering" accordi Rahmeyer, a profess* environmental engin . State University. k "The HP Business Co K y?lver and < . fifci mm5SS? vS p*%' gO^A mm^m ^WMB! mmmm *^pgyipi | \ I- < ^| jt, - Jpr J 4KMT **" ^ r i: w ^ ak in the Russell House Gamei i preset 11 Sept. 26 ? Oct. 6. r/ie Larfc by French playwright in Anouilh is an examination of ! life of Joan of Ark. 'This play is particularly relev1 in o OfWh pnn t n rxr iiJArlrl in L 111 a til VtULUl J WU11U 111 lich its hard to tell the difference ween right and wrong choices," mpton said. [n October, graduate student Riard Gilman will direct Hard nes at Longstreet Theatre. This ging of Charles Dickens' novel !1 feature undergraduate student rnt. Auditions for this play will Sept. 3?8. Scripts will be ailable Thursday, Aug. 29 at ngstreet Theatre. Hard Times shows a boy who ist mature after a terrible educa H A WJIJL. vtt|p % I * JmL ' j|)|BS8K<< 0 " Mnffl| mm 4 i across the coun! Hewlett-Packard s txx>ls that are ^ ^ Hi Slf!:2 ISJm I ^ - 1 .. '.< iY;'? j 1 \ * i n^^%c- - j ?p^$ \ ^itifessi W^ room last week. it array o tion. "It's a wonderful satire and a real indictment of education. It's about how people are able to grow through their childhood," Compton said. In November, Professor Jim Patterson will direct Bernard Shaw's Misalliance. This play is a comedy, a social satire, Compton said. The USC Dance Company will present a concert in Longstreet Theatre in December. The company plans to have another concert in April 1992. Other plays tentatively scheduled for the spring semester include Romeo and Juliet, The Frogs, The Diviners and Reckless. Compton emphasized that the theater department will be busy . . f. Slip:. . , |b T"^? -tj^ yg| % *tm H ' ' MFZHEm.,?M MtS&i^aer-i % "' * """?'<.| t SSI r *** sis ? ;M|>||S ^V *?ggmm " WB f:^ffiB^^mlT^M'' IHHr ( - stp J*, a { /^P^l B m -.Mi. t g euucauon < PPPPPII University. alJ j So go ehecl at your coll JliNlf I ^()U ^ a^ree i.,JT!c ^le pa'n $4+f" M calcula WBBBBBimiti&miJtoiB success. HI' Business Consultant 11 H IIIMS.SXScientifi " ' ^wmmmmwrnmrnwrn & - '< 4 HiiiM * " *** PPSMSK H Sn 1 I j||Mcp'J*iriioriiiiiil &&& 9HHHHI VNHRI IBnt/MWR ; I fflMgMI jw^^^PBJHRNHI M -1 Ttmmmmm m tv ig? ima gg i % * S\. ' ^ * 1 t I ^ #*iv ~ H *?$* *kmmmm? 1Vl fHH Mfii II M .. .^ ii| Keith Johnson/The Gamecock I f plays with many performances that are not mainstage. "A tremendous amount of theater goes on around here all the time," he said. In particular, the improvisational group We're Not Your Mother^ Players has attracted a loyal fo! lowing in the Columbia area sine it formed in the spring. Th? grou usually performs late /flights ; Trustus and the 50-s^at Bensc Laboratory Theater ^near Batt House. nru~ n?..D. x lie siuuyiu giuup ruypei x\< gime will be doing a productic this fall, but the date and nature ? this performance has not bet settled. \ tI \ ^hese free the students from anal tedium so they can nteract on a higher level'' j V. Stiff, a professor of math at North Carolina State < out the HP calculator line ege bookstore or HP retailer. Vthere's no faster relief from tough problems. tors. The best for your J // HEWLETT KARD i I) scx.ijj;; v imuopej^ A