The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 16, 1998, Page Page 4, Image 4
^Etc^
M presents j
LIGHTS!
CAMERA!
REACTION!
ROUNDERS
out of five stars
"Rounders" begins with Mike
McDermott (Matt Damon), an
avid card shark or "rounder,"
swearing off the game and working
a real job to pay his law
school tuition. When his old poker
buddy gets out of prison with
old debts to pay, Mike finds himself
again caught in the game.
Starring Matt Damon, Edward
Norton, and John Malkovich.
Written by David Levien and
Prion ITnnnnlmon Kr;
i-fL mil JL/U^VbVU J
John Dahl.
guest critic BECKY MCCLELLAN
irickir
OK, IH be the first to admit
that I was a little biased going
in to see this flick because it
starred Matt Damon, but as it
turned out, "Rounders" was one
of the best movies that I've seen
in a long time.
The basic plot of the movie
follows Mike McDermott (Damon),
a card shark whose dream
is to make it to the World Series
of Poker in Las Vegas. He loses
his law school tuition in one sitting1
to Teddy KGB (John
Malkovich), a Russian rounder.
He vows to quit gambling until
SOUND ADVICE
staff writer BRIAN MARTIN
WONDERFUL BEEF Tain
"kifkii (out of five stars)
What would you have if Gree
and The Mighty Mighty Bosston<
a baby? Pain.
Wonderful Beef is the secom
length album from the Alal
ska/punk ensemble Pain, and lil
album's namesake, is quite a
The first track on the albui
25-second bouncy, kazoo-fille
strumental" piece that might ir
person think he had accidentally ]
up a copy of Saturday Morning'si
est Hits Volume Two. A majority
album is filled with an intere
brassy punk sound. Songs like
Band" are fast paced and fillec
horns and guitars but are surpi
ly filled with lyrics with whic
might even sing along after a ft
tens.
Less
1AI
AL
Put that college degree t<
Training School. Upon sue
School, you will become
earned respect and bene
AIM HIGH
?FORCE^^
www.airforce.com
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(jp UIHTCIMI^ Ull
111 Meets Sunday
A diverse, welcoming, non
U the inherent worth and dignity o!
Rev. Patrick D. Price, Minister, Revpdpri
UU Fellowship of Columbia, Sunday woi
and religious education, 11:00 AM
St. I h(
Sat. 3:3043
v, ^ PALM(
Partnership
Body &
PftOm Fellowship,
'Tending the Gan
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Sunday Worst
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BUCK
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his friend Worm cons Mike into
getting back into the game.
The plot has several unexpected
twists, so it keeps you engrossed
for the entire two hours.
The characters are well devel.
oped and believable.
John Malkovich makes for
one mean pool shark, especially
when he hurls Oreos across a
pool hall.
Matt Damon plays his part
well, showing the true emotions
of a man forced to help his best
friend out of trouble at all costs.
The film is narrated by Damon's
character, Mike McDermott,
which gives the film a personal
quality.
It has great camera angles
showing the dealing of the cards
and the placing of chips on the
table. If you don't play cards, you
still should see the movie for its
good acting and great plot. It's
worth your $4.75.
gamecock critic ROB UNDSEY
2
With such an amazing cast,
"Rounders" should have been
the best film of the year.
As it stands, however, it is
merely a watchable character
study, slogging slowly through
the lives of two marginally interesting
poker players.
Both Matt Damon and Edward
Norton turn in good performances
(along with John
Malkovich, whose Teddy KGB
Other songs, such as "r
drome," contain lines that
can't help laughing at ("Pe
ning everywhere, running li
itated chickens in the rain. N
the poultry, I'd rather stay a
n Day Pain manages to slip laughs
?s had into just about every song <
bum.
i full- However, too much of a g
3 a m a isn't always best. At times P
te the it on so much that the songs
feast, across as being goofy rather
ii is a ny. Regardless, the CD is si
d "in- tionally funny.
take a Wonderful Beef is at its 1
picked ever, when Pain abandons
Great- stylings and performs ball
of the OK, so maybe they don't b
ssting aside the punk, but some of
"In a actually tell stories-funny i
1 with course.
ising- The most memorable of
h one lads is "The Song of the Se
;w lis- Cowboy." This song tells th
a man who was manipulated
tons That
ill Last
ifetime.
3 use by enrolling into the Air Force Off
;cessful completion of the OfficerTraini
a commissioned Air Force officer with
fits like - great starting pay, medical ai
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opportunities. For more on how to qu;
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Air Force Officer Training School, cal
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www.airforce.com
itarian Universalists (U3)
s 7pm, Russell House room 304
-creedal religion, affirming and promoting
f every person and our common interdepender
ce@aol.com 2701 Heyward Street, Columbia
ship (803)799-0845 Events (803) 79
http://akamail.com/uucolumbia
)mas More Catholic Ce
tss Sunday 11:30 am, 6pm; Saturday 5pm
ssion Newman t_i
Opm or by appt. After 6pm Mass
Rev. Tim Lijewski, Chaplain
lienne Guy OSU, Director of Christian Formatioi
5^^^acros^fmn^h^Schoo^^hjr
:ampus ministry
Among Lutherans and Methodists
Sou! Wednesday 5:30 pm
singing, supper and program:
Jen: Christians and the Enviroment"
uce Coull, Dean of USC
ool of the Environment
tip (followed by supper) 5:30 pm
.L ARE WELCOME
iter ?728 Pickens Street 799-4993
itvjp!
En
is absolutely enthralling).
It would have been easy for \
Norton to pick up where Ben Affleck's
character in "Good Will f 1
Hunting" left off as Damon's
screwball best friend, but he I
doesn't fall into those trappings.
Both Damon and Norton play I
their characters?two life long Rj
gamblers?with the proper mix
of stoic disinterest and sweatypalmed
anxiety.
The biggest problem with the
film is this: poker is boring to
ttrli r? nn14" H
! at
, SC. 29205
>9-1746
lub
Sunday
i
Sing)
fe
*4?.rt(l<^
I
Summer Lei
Leader's Class
I more info or
McCulloh at
MARINE
uiuac wnu uun t uiiucistaiiu it.
The screenwriters, who don't
even attempt adequately to explain
the actual game, leave the
audience with a bunch of po
tentially interesting characters
engaging in an activity to which
more than half of the audience
cannot relate.
This kills, with a few ex- m
ceptions, any chance for tension
to develop.
Perhaps, had a more skilled ^
writer told the story, the film
would have given the audience P
more of an idea what these al- u
most-interesting characters are
doing. J
gamecock critic EMIUE GREENE ^
L
S
With a cast which includes
John Malkovich, John Turtur- ^
ro, Martin Landau, and Edward
Norton, I knew that at
least the acting in "Rounders" ^
would be good. I was right.
rhimble- scientist and made seve
one just This song serves as the c
ople run- the album. Performed
ke decap- western style, "Cowboy"
evermind tener a break between pi
t home."). The song is also one of tl
ible lyrics album with an identifiabl
3n the al- pie need to accept who th<
that message makes lisl
rood thing CD good for more than
ain pours Just when you think
just come is almost over, the instri
than fun- "Umbrella" recaptures t
till excep- nival feeling of the oper
nally, Wonderful Beef en
)est, how- Out," the song that con
its punk a soft melody, but even i
tads. OK, ing a punk song,
otally set Overall, Wonderful E
the songs fun album. Sure, ther
3tories, of thought-provoking, mea
or any sweet, gentle mela
these bal- just aren't what the
iven Inch Pain are trying to achieve
e story of shooting for is pure crazii
I by a mad hit the nail on the head
~i r
gg
icer
ng
id ***** j
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alify
cc
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att Damon and Edward Norl
Unfortunately, the movie
id not quite live up to its cast,
latt Damon is, of course, the
rotagonist, and he is convinclg
enough if not outstanding.
Once again Norton demontrates
that he is one of the
nest young actors in Hollyood,
and his performances in
Primal Fear," "The People vs.
arry Flynt," and "Everybody
ays I Love You" prove that,
nlike most of his peers, he
as true range and legitimate
ilent.
The only problem with
forton in "Rounders" is that
n inches tall. X TT "1
:enterpiece of I?I I
in a twangy J
gives the lismk
rantings. staff writer fi
he few on the
le theme: peo- At Colur
sy are. I guess the Bubba
tening to this Greek for a
just a laugh. "Onceyo
the madness become Gre
mentation of church secre
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with Easy f.
les closest to 0
it ends up be- aSa"1 P^a-V ^
dancing, Gi
kef is a great, Greek food,
e aren't any elude profess
ningful songs church toui
dies, but those thodoxfaitl
members of y0Ucanhai
. Whattheyre Thjs j ,
less, and they at,hefesti.
has the rou
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Marines
The Few. The Proud.
idership Internships throu<
Program. Don't wait, secui
i Aviation or Law guarante<
256-9015 or visit us at 110
OFFICER. THE FEW. TH
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:on star in 'Rounders,' now pL
he is not the main character,
though he should be, and he
overshadows Damon in every
one of their shared scenes.
Norton, Malkovich, and Turturro
are by far the most compelling
actors in the film, but
their characters are not adequately
explored or developed.
Instead, more time is spent
on the weakest link in the film
- Matt Damon's love interest,
played by Gretchen Mol.
The conflict between Damon
and Mol is uninteresting
and unconvincing, and I would
have much rather seen that
y Trinity 1
IARTHA WRIGHT
corp
nbia's Greek Festival, even over
i-est of Bubbas can be 1
day. bus)
iu step on the property, you outd
ek," said Patricia Nadden, mer
itaiy at Holy Trinity Greek dan<
hurch. mor'
. 17-20, Holy Trinity, home
ml for 12 years, will once
ost to connoisseurs of Greek ^
eek history and of course,
Attractions this year insional
dancers from Atlanta, to a1
rs and lectures on the or- <
i, and all the spanikopita q<ha
idle. said
only Nadden's third year ]
val, but it seems that she crov
tine down pat. and
" t
M
Bi
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M|BH
Si
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gh the Platoon
re yours now! For
ss call Captain
1 D Harden St. > w
IE PROUD.
!
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SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK
lying at area theaters.
screen time devoted to one of
the true talents in the cast. '
On the whole, the movie is
a. i. I r_:_i _ll 7
entertaining anu lairiy wen- i
written. f
It was not too transparent <
or predictable, which I appre- g
date, but it was not as power- i
ful as it had the potential to j
be. (
The end could be extreme- ?
ly climactic, and while it is (
satisfying, it is not really mov- ?
ing. J
It is the impressive sup- (
porting cast that really makes ,
this movie worthwhile.
host to Gr?
You just walk in, and you're inorated
in this massive stimulus the
load," she said. gro
rhere's enough to keep the crowd 0rtl
< both inside and outside. There are ebr
ioor vendors, clothing and jewelry
chants and whirling circles of veg
:ers who always have space for one ge^
e.
[he Greek Festival's appeal draws
iwd of all ages. For the college crowd, ^
e's plenty to eat and drink. .,,
2hris Porter, a USC sophomore, 1 8
a't been to the Greek Festival in 1 8
e years. This year, he said, he'd like
ttend for one specific reason.
They have a lot of good food there,
t's the best thing about it," Porter Su
Pn
Madden said that a majority of the da]
irH ia drawn in firat hv t.VlP arpnt.S is f
then by the sights. 67{
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8 Diamond Lane, Columbia.
e you ready to look RADIANT
1 Precision cuts Waxing Custom colorinj
techniques) Your "Up-Doo's'
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miilttSU
id "A- (Excellent!" by A.M. Beet Company
available In all states
195 Celtic Life Insurance Company, A Celtic Grou
Artifact I.D., 2 - 4 p.m., Sept. 20,
South Carolina State Museum.
Admission fee required. For more in
brmation, call (803) 898-4921.
NatureSpace, throughout Sept.,
Jouth Carolina State Museum.
Admission fee required. For more inormation
call (803) 898-4921.
Come On Thunderchild, 12 p.m.,
>ept. 17, Elbow Room.
Ellis Paul, Sept. 17, The Coffee Unlerground
(Greenville, SC).
USC September Series (Music of
5ozza, Franck, Ravel, Stein and Vivaldi),
3 p.m., Sept. 20, School of Muiic.
For ticket information, call (803)
>51-2222.
Southern Circuit: "Dear Jesse,"
5:30-7:30 p.m., Sept. 17, McKissick
Museum. Fee required. For more in'ormation
call (803) 777-7251.
"Beach Sweep/River Sweep," Conjaree
Swamp National Monument
s looking for volunteers, 9 a.m. -12
).m., Sept. 19. For more information
:all 776-4396 ext. 304.
Fall Fun Fest (to benefit services
)f the Alzheimer's Association), 8
i.m. - 3 p.m., Sept. 19, Central
Carolina Health & Rehab Center.
"West Side Story," through Oct.
), Town Theatre. Call (803) 799-2510
or ticket or additional information.
:k culture
If you want to take a break from all
hoopla and oom-pah, join a tour
up of the church sanctuary. If s from
tiodox church traditions that the celation
originates.
The public is invited to witness a
ipers service in the sanctuary on
)t. 19 at 6 p.m.
"When all the dancing and food is
d and done, the faith is the imporit
part behind it," said Nadden. %ut
not onlv the faith-the spiritual part
just the joy of being Greek."
The four-day Columbia Greek Fesal
will begin Thursday at Holy TrinGreek
Orthodox Church, 1931
mter Street. Hours are 10 a.m. -10
a. Thursday through Saturday. Sun/
hours are noon to 6 p.m. Admission
ree. For more information call 25258.
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