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Page 6 ( 'Etc ) J presents j , % I I , a Q f ?JHc2lt 711 Saluda If you are under the age of 21, it is against the I; |UIJRASPANK&|i IflambookeyIs MARCH 23 -^^KESQSSS MARCH 25 THE NIXOI $0p2^ || 18 & UP EVERY NIGHT H Coenbri Newest reteas jrjsm&rt! ' KtAeriou gamecock critic ROB UNDSEY THE BIG LEBOWSKI (out of five stars) The Big Lebowski is a compound fracture; so mangled that even super glue, spackle and six months in a cast couldn't put Humpty back together. Joel and Ethan Coen (the infamous Coen brothers) have tried to create a quirky, satirical look at such genres as burnout buddy movies, kidnapping rancnm r?lnf o uraotovnc? r\rw^r\ OUU1 TTVOlVlllO anu ^?U1 n. In the hands of the usually fabulous Coens, this sort of mix should be clever, witty anjl well crafted, but Lebowski falls far short, appearing as a conscious attempt to follow (or to avoid following) the widespread critical success of 1996's Fargo. Attempting to push the envelope of quirkiness, they simply tear it to shreds. Even with the inherent incongruity of the pieces of this puzzle, a dominant central character, a foil against which the quirkiness could play out, could have pulled the mess together. "The Dude" (a lackluster Jeff Bridges) should have been that charflrtpr Kilt Vio cniflfora fmm tVio como nvov. load of strangeness as the rest of the film. As for the rest of the characters, none come close to possessing the enTown Thee gamecock critic JENNIFER STANLEY Despite some weak points, the Town Theatre's production of Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" was still de-lovely, to quote one of the play's famous songs. The play, which runs until March 28, is the stoiy/musical of Reno Sweeney, a red-hot evangelist turned nightclub act, and honest but resourceful Billy Crocker, who in turn loves moderately poor socialite Hope Harcourt, who is state's ipub Avenue Five Points aw to buy alcoholic beverages. All ABC regulations enforced. y HMthe c3 ivy WffCE r> a MONKEYS SMSa ALBERT ggjHILii ' IMOUNTAINI ibvODCCC EILAr IlLudl gliCOTTONQl I JIMMY'S DIESEL 4S/TREADMILL TRACKSTAR UK lie WWMLTICKEIWEB.COM >owroom.com ^SSmMSSBSW cock n't live u] vski, flops beca dearing qualities fans have come to expect from the Coens. There's Walter (John Goodman) as the stereotypically over-the-top Vietnam vet, the "Big Lebowski" (David Huddleston) as a perpetually yelling paraplegic businessman, and Maude (Julianne Moore) as his pointlessly eccentric daughter. Also, muddling up the plot are a group of nihilists, a producer of porn videos, and the Big Lebowski's smarmy yes-man. itre show en engaged to a wealthy, titled Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, who in turn loves Sweeney without knowing it. Crocker stows away on the S.S. American to be near Hope, much to the consternation of his boss, Elisha Whitney. The plot livens up even more when Public Enemy No. 13 and his side-kick Erma are aboard the ship. The music includes Cole Porter tunes such as Anything Uoes, rnend\ ~~ The (alii Freshly baked bread. F The best deli cuts. Nc The Much K,nead 827 Harden Street F Irmo Station Shopping Center 7 B3 I #i.n voiiegc 18 & Up a FREE sodas to ai 50< Draft $2 Drink You Know Whet rJJ ? if J 805 Hard< IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 21. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO PURC f The Qame< others do e,The Big Leboi ' K Ww, ||j As for the plot, it's much too con- ; trived and virtually unimportant, prob- 1 ably the least important part 01 the him. The characters are supposed to hold 1 the audience's interest, but they are so outrageous they offer little to relate to, much less to care about. The ever-confused and extremely under-used Donny (Steve Buscemi) , comes close to engendering some feelings of sympathy, as he continually tries to figure out what's happening. But, ijoyable des] ship," "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "Blow, Gabriel, Blow." While the songs are catchy, the three-man band provides the bare essentials. With percussion and keyboard i Night idmitted. lyunc uiiucr ? ii [ Specials 'e The Party >yDJ2J<o en Street :HASE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES All ABC REGULATIONS ENFORCED. $ on the stage-sized boat, the keyboardproduced saxophone music was too cheesy and seemed more like a shortcut than a real rendition of the saxsolo. The music selection offered a combination of humor, jazz and romance. fornian arm fresh vegetables, i preservatives, dude. led Alternative ive Points 254-3113 '491 St. Andrews Rd. 749-BEST p to exjx use of bad pU igPf HpQ just as the audience, his attempts are continually thwarted. If Donny indeed represents the audience, his eventual demise speaks volumes about the Coens' mentality after the success of Fargo. Instead of simply making wonderful movies as they did applic March Applications in the Student C If you have a please Danielle a Get it 3 Tirr before they gained the attention of the mainstream critical world, they are now conscious that they are and will be watched. In trying to ignore these eyes, the quality of their storytelling has faltered. Quirkiness only works to an expite casting But, most of all, the quick dance numbers stand out. Most of the cast delivered an excellent, applause-deserving dance performance that showed hard work and lively fun. The boat was a good point of the production, showing real effort on the part of the set designers. The two-story S.S. American, which has "sneak peaks" into the guest cabins, makes the production more believable and definitely It's si We have the lowesl Most new CD's: 1 Most used CD's: ! We have the best pri< and the b< Really, C 2014 Grei 256-009; H -; ^j| . w < Jl w is acc Wednesday, March 18,1998 ictations it, characters * * ? iHT 'K^m ytiopn. XPL.... * <>**m?f ,v?y iFjiiii iT\!w.^- **% SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK (left) From right to left, Walter, Donny and The Dude talk to a fellow bowler about the upcom- A ing championship games, (top) The Dude and Maude appear together in a dream. tent, but the movie has to work, too. And this one doesn't. The high point of the film is Joel Coen's beautiful direction. The scenes in the bowling alley (with a hilarious John Turturro cameo) are the best in the movie. If nothing else, the Coen brothers should be applauded for their fearlessness in tiying new things. Per- ^ haps they don't always succeed in creating a coherent vision, but at least it can be fun to watch them fail. I problems brings that big, Broadway feeling to the small, but comfortable Town Theatre. The cast works for and against the ^ success of guest director Jim E. Quick's production. While Leah McNeeley-Tudor (Hope) is talented, she did not fit the picture of a 20-year old debutante, and I did not see any chemistry or any "pretend" attraction between McNeeley and Moon (Crocker). ANYTHING GOES page seven w mple: t prices in Columbia. 17.95 to $11.95 54.00 to $8.00 % cesr the best selection est service, we do. ene Street Five Points 5 www.papajazz.com at 10-7 Sun 1-6:30 , ; > , v . ' : ? jP*J| H| HI idicial % Board * epting nations 116-27. i are available bvernment office. iny questions, contact it 929-1073 ies A Week. "ISamecocfr %