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6 The best and worst of the past year I* v *** rS^^p,^:liJMB $mm**^~ r-iiWi E J^H ^^BW J&# BSPESc* W ^IB JL a Km Clockwise from above: Gary Oldman was looking for love in Brant Stoker's Dractila, Daniel Day-Lewis explored the frontier in Last of the Mohicans, Macaulay Culkin stumbled his way through New York in Home Alone 2, and Jack Lemmon sold worthless real estate in Glengarry Glen Ross. ; I ; g Jm l ' m 4 :^ '?m HHk 1 Drivin-N-Cryin help k< ^Sv**? lyrics and careful delivery. If you >-^-Cl\/l 11 Q i w^at y?u ^eart^ when you lis^ IVIlJOIw tened to Fly Me Courageous, D aiiJa ma# you' 11 proabably recognize some of w ? I W VV the guitar in Scarred but Smarter, B by Chris Muldrow some of the tracks sound like semi^ ^ . , , .. nal versions of later hits. The title Drivin-and-Cryin s last hits came .. . , , ... ie ... .. r, song is particiularly strong with a couple of years ago with the Fly . . ' , . . ,?. J 3 .,c , ... ripping chords contrasted to an Me Courageous album s title song ,*T ... , . , .u n . .. r ?n i , almost whispered chorus. and the naming strength of "Build Whiwer Tames the Linn is a o rim " Tho ationto wnisper tames ine Lion is a a x nw. iiiv nuuiua uanu o u uu - r . .. .. , skill is apparent, however, in their refinekmcen ?J ^ ,earher.:album * earlier offerings Scarred but Southern alternative nard Smarter, Whisper Tame the Lion II " ^ an experiment foi and Mystery Road. lhe band ,n slower' more fo,ks> Scared but Smarter is the first sonSs" Bolb [hQ beayy Perfor" album to feature Kevn Kinney's mances antl the slow songs are scratchy, high-pitched voice in a ve[y successful. power punch that is the group's ega^ ^un 1S 311 uni)Sl)al son8 loudest, most intense offering. This heavy on instrumental punctuations early tape features technical, high- ot 1yrics- Powerhouse brings a wattage guitar coupled with smart whole new meaning to the term %ht 0amecock Haroli BjP The Year in IS <U Movies g ^ by Lee Clontz To a large degree, movies took a turn for the bland in 1992 with a wealth of over-budgeted, under-talented losers filling up the multiplexes. Still, as with any other year, there was some action, comedy and a little scandal thrown in tor good measure. Here follows the best, the worst and the most mediocre of 1992's cinematic offerings. The Good Wayne's World ? Despite the hype, this one was as good as it looked. Perhaps the only comedy of the year that truly lived up to its potential, even surpassing it in such points of comic genius as the "Scooby-Doo" ending. A truly hilarious sampling of pop culture. Basic Instinct ? Sure it was smut, but it was high-energy, engrossing smut. Certainly, no one fell asleep in the theater watching this one. Marred by a ludicrous plot and a script that at times edged toward gratuitousness, this one still rode high with Paul Verhoeven's tight direction and Sharon Stone's unbelievable sexual energy. Last of the Mohicans ? Any film that could make James Fenimore Cooper palatable to the general public deserves some kind of recognition. Daniel Day-Lewis performed admirably as Hawkeye, a ranger who falls in love with the woman he is trying to protect. The romance was silly and forced, but the villains were effective and performances were good all-around. The Player ? An overrated but enjoyable spin on Hollywood, even though the cameos seemed like name-dropping. The film said many of the right things about the movie industry, packaged as a cynical comedy. A League of Their Own ? Sappy but enjoy able story about an all-women's baseball league during World War II. Tom Hanks and Madonna were underused, but Geena Davis' heartfelt performance was terrific as was John Lovitz' brief appearance. The film seemed to suffer from an identity crisis: Was it a drama or a comedy? Not even the viewer could tell for sure. Unforgiven ? Clint Eastwood back where he belongs: in the saddle. Good performances from Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman make a strong case for more '90s westerns. Malcolm X ? While he will probably never make as strong a statement as Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee gave this one his best shot and was right on target for two out of three hours. The film is a well-paced, well-produced account I BHHHHHBHHHil 3ep Southern roc i "heavy metal"; it promises to fades into I knock you off your chair. of "Toy N All ol the slow songs are smooth group pays and inventive. "Catch the Wind" days with has a medium-tempo, catchy "Malt'uncti< acoustic sound that conjures up everyone h brisk Sunday afternoon rides left me, I'i i through the South Carolina upstate, my dog," v i "Good Day Everyday" is a happy "Straight tc ode to the rain. "Check Your Tears Mystery i at the Door" is the most touching come wil , of the slow selections. Its speaker "Peacemak I is a dead young man telling his help. "Witi friends to "check their tears at the sage for th door...and get on with their lives." "A leader The group's masterpiece is then fall tx Mystery Road. Where one album people." was a little too heavy and another Drivin-a went a little soft, this one features a Southern r , perfect blend of songs. great mix < [ "Ain't it Strange" has a boppy just waitin t country and western sound that wail out an ina! of Malcolm X's life without the Perot-esque . paranoia which clouded Oliver Stone's JFK. Dracula ? Warts and all, Francis Ford Coppola created a tremendous spectacle which served as a powerful response to previous Dracula offerings. Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder were splendid as the Count and his resurrected lover. Anthony Hopkins was underused as Van Helsing, and even Keanu Reeves was passable as Johnathan Harker. A worthy effort, with striking visuals to boot. Sneakers ? Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier and Dan Ackroyd helped make this Wargamesish story about a team of high-tech burglars work. Sure, the premise is dumb, but for pure adventure fun, it was hard to top this year. The Bad The Bodyguard ? Who died and made Whitney Houston an actress? Apparently Kevin Costner, who played the title role like he had never read the lines before. Long enough to make Malcolm X seem like a music video, this attempt at melding action-adventure and romance succeeded at neither. The racial difference between Costner and Houston was handled very well. It was simply never mentioned. Cool World ? Quite possibly the worst movie of the year, this debacle had horrible writing, bland acting, Crayola-esque art and quite possibly the worst animation ever produced. Boomerang ? Despite a few amusing mnmontc pmirtocw nf thp PrnHp HrQCP I nnPC 111V/111VIUO) VVUIIVOJ V71 U1W VJ*MW j v/?ivo, this one was simply an exercise in misogyny. Raising Cain ? Somehow, casting John Lithgow as a homocidal maniac was just a bad idea on the part of Brian De Palma. This poor excuse for a horror movie was just on overwritten, pointless piece of babble. Leprechaun ? If you saw this thing free at the Russell House, shame on you; you will want those two hours back when you are on your deathbed. A film which made Cool World positively brilliant by comparison, this one really made you hope that Star Wars IV will come out soon so midget actor Warwick Davis can get his Ewok job back. One of the worst films ever made. Passenger 57 ? Hopes were high for this Die Hard wanna-be, but Wesley Snipes was unable to save this dud. Beginning as a hijacking movie, it ends up taking place in a fairground ? located oddly enough at the end of a runway ? with Snipes being chased by podunk policemen and...forget it. Far and Away ? An overlong, overplayed drama with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman wasting time in Ireland and America. As a romance, Far and Away was a great comedy. Prelude to a Kiss ? Another horrible romance with Meg Ryan and Alec Baldwin starring in a film about people exchanging bodies UT> h es. Students want to re and celebrate the holid these celebrations inch w ? amounts of alcohol, ere; cation and leading to d important to be support 2H||| party and set an examp HH conducive to overdrinki ichim I, 1 loudly because it drow versation and people di the time. kl If you decide to serv Oil \7"your party, remember I ** ^ well as your guests, are the more metallic strains Tp* . r i <. ever Played With." The r 01*110110 'ssssss ss" :>n Junction." Just about ???: las heard the "my wife Portfolio. Out Loud n drunk and I just shot f?r ^ec- bas been /hining country sound of until late January. "R< > Hell." joint with the distribut Rood's real high points magazines, and the wini th two slow songs. been delayed," Portf er" is a plaintive cry for juiie Frick said. 1 the People" has a mes- Portfolio: Out Loud ?se who would lead us: forum for students to must start the march, original work, ihind and walk with the "The whole theory c , ~ . . . r. . is a celebration of creat md-Cryin is redefining .. MA ock and roll through a fd, Anyone f" P't of styles and ideas. I'm don 1 have ,0 ?f,,Pub" ig for Kevn Kinney to magazine to read. other hit. Wednesday, December 9, 1992 with grotesque old men. Decent acting but a lame story and a horrid ending. The Babe ? John Goodman looked the part, but this story of Babe Ruth's turbulent life was marred by a basic silliness that robbed it of any power. Singles ? A bunch of whiny twentysomethings complaining about how hard it is to be in love nowadays. The soundtrack was great, but the movie itself seemed hollow and sillv. Complain about world peace, complain about homelessness, but shut up about your failed relationships. The Rest Under Siege ? A decent action flick starring Steven Seagal with surprisingly effective military footage. This is Seagal's best movie, which is like saying drowning is the best way to die. Glengarry Glen Ross ? The only thing more confusing than the title was the movie itself. The dialogue was excellent and the acting was top-notch, but, for some reason, the actual movie was not that good. David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning play feels like just that: a play. Unfortunately, it was supposed to be a movie. Lethal Weapon 3 ? Supposedly, Danny Glover was supposed to retire in this redundant sequel. He should have. While the action had a few prime moments, it was nothing new. Batman Returns ? This one felt less like a sequel to Batman than an attempt at a remake. Sorry, but Tim Burton and Co. did better the first time. Michael Keaton was underused, and the movie was disappointing. Still, it had some worthwhile moments, and was better than much of the summer crop. Sister Act ? Better than expected, the summer's surprise hit was still only mediocre. Whoopi Goldberg once again cashed in on her dubiously-obtained reputation as a murder witness relocated in a convent. Silly, but with enough moments to make it worth a viewing. Home Alone 2 ? John Hughes, Macaulay Culkin and director Chris Columbus remake the first movie, with many of the same jokes, stunts and lines. The movie is funny in places as Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci get beaten up, but a surprise or two would have been nice...like the two crooks catching the little brat and shooting him between the eyes. Well, for better or worse, that was 1992 at the movies. Much of the time, nothing seemed worth seeing. Other times, like right now, with the imminent releases of A Few Good Men, Hoffa and Toys, there seems to be not enough time or money to see everything. Regardless, rumors are circulating about the possibility of a Die Hard 3, so things cannot be all bad now, can they? > hosts can curb at holiday parties for the wise consumption of alco Always serve food with alcohol. gjiP High protein and carbohydrate foods such as cheese and meat take I longer to digest and slow alcohol absorption in the body, ind exams Do not mix alcohol with carbonis is placed ated drinks. The body absorbs alcono oomnnc. hnl factpr u/hf>n miYPfl with rarhnn. V(Ull|/UO~ "V/X xuuvvx ff UV1I *T >V wvu W.? lieve stress ation. ays. Often, BDo not hurry to refill a guest's ide copious alcoholic drink. They may want to iting intoxi- take it easy, or you could suggest linking and another nonalcoholic drink instead. Stop serving alcohol at least two party, you hours before the party is over, e host and At all costs, it is your duty as a : drinks as host to prevent intoxicated persons rages. It is from driving. Find the person ive of those another ride, or call a taxi, to drink so If the person insists on driving, ble at your take away the car keys. Perhaps it le for all of would be better to let the person sleep at your place than to allow ditions are them to drive. If an intoxicated pering because son is asleep, make sure the person ortable and is not lying on his back because he eir tension, could suffocate by vomiting while ve dancing, sleeping. played too Of course, the best way to avoid nC r?nf mn. a bad hangover or tragedy is not to ink to pass drink at all. A party can be just as fun without alcohol. Consider have alcohol at ing kegs of root beer, 'round-thehat you, as world banana split parties or responsible rib/wing-eating contests instead. Out Loud' postponed ,S Frick also said anyone wishing to participate in the forum can call , scheduled the Portfolio office and schedule an postponed appointment so they can be guaraneadings are teed a reading time, ion of new The ^ast Out Loud was held fpr kc.ip hn? 0ct- 29> and there was a S??d TuTZiZ turnout- Frick said 10 to 12 people olio editor . . , , t , ? were scheduled to read, and many others read at the forum's "open is a literary floor ? ' rea<t ttie'r "Anyone can come read or listen," Frick said. "It's more fun to >f Out Loud |!ear something they've written ivity," Frick instead of reading it in a magaicipate. You zine." ished in the Appointments can be made by calling Portfolio at 777-5793.