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EVENTS 'The Watts Prophets." Three mi sician/poets perform works inspire by the Watts riots of the 1960s. 7:3 p.m., Sunday, Roger Cente Tickets: $15 adults, $8 student! Friday, January 15, 1999 Dirraru n h C Sound J Ont of four stars by Marcus Amaker Senior Writer Ani DiFranco - up up up up up up It's fitting that Ani DiFranco is pictured on a street corner on the cover of her new album, up up up up up up. DiFranco on the streets of New I York with nothing but an BjjMH acoustic guitar | before she start- |?| ed her own label, I IfL Righteous Babe Records, at the HRhHRPpT ^ age of 19. was the |ttri|^^KV| spirit of her first two albums and the passion be- pll hind up up up up fill up up. Though musically this new CD is far removed from anything she's ever done, up up up up up up finds DiFranco focusing more on political issues, much like she did on her r* urmcs sa _ Lights, i Camera, i?i Reaction " i ' i ' Out of four stars **** "Shakespeare in Love" Starring; Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush, Ben Affleck and Judi Dench. Written by Tom Stoppard. Directed by John Madden. Young playwright Will Shakespeare (Fiennes) struggles with his latest work until he meets Viola (Paltrow), a great fan of his plays who has dreams of becoming an actress. Because women weren't allowed to act on stage at that time (female roles were played by boys), Viola dresses as a boy and successfully auditions for the part of Romeo. Soon she and Will are caught in a forbidden romance that provides rich inspiration for his play, "Romeo and Juliet." by Rob Lindsey Gamecock Critic "Shakespeare in Love" is, quite conceivably, the best movie of the year. Director Madden and writer Stoppard ? along with their incredibly 11 i i 1 _*i _ J 1 i excellent cast ? use siy wit ana Dauay humor, tender love and simple lust, the harsh realities of Elizabethan England and the fantasy life of the theater, juxtaposing each for each masterfully 1 wm ^ iplarall I . I I 1d 10 r. s. :o puts first two albums, Ant DiFranco (1991) and Not So Soft (1992). DiFranco enthusiasts will find this comiorting, as some 01 ner nara-core fans were a little disappointed by the lyrical direction of Dilate (1996) and last year's critically acclaimed Little Plastic Castle. Both of those albums, as good as they were, seem to focus less and less on the issues that made DiFranco an icon and one of the most admired independent artists of our generation. Debates on the Internet about the "old" Ani vs. the "new" Ani fueled the idea that her days of singing about politics were over. Even DiFranco addressed this issue in a little interlude on the live double album Living in Clip. However, up between America s upper and lower classes and how money ties into each. On a sparse track called "Trickle Down," she sings about people who live iy 'Shake Joseph Hennes stars as William Shak in Love," which some critics have dub throughout to create an almost tangible feeling of time and place. Stoppard, writer of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," proves his extensive knowledge of Shakespearean verse. His characters at times even seem to lapse into the familiar iambic pentameter of the great bard himself. The film actually takes on many characteristics (gender confusion, mistaken identity, issues of class and starcrossed love) of Shakespeare's plays. Because the action of the film takes place early in Shakespeare's career, Stoppard perhaps suggests, by introHurinp thpsp thpmes. t.hp vprv rpalitv ' y that gave Shakespeare much of his inspiration. Young Shakespeare (Fiennes), suffering from writer's block in the absence of a definite muse, begins writing a play Nl hi The G* politics in a town that is "not the kind of place that money people go." The album's opener, an amazing song called "Tis of Thee," tackles issues of racism with lyrics like "they dragged his black ass down to the station / and said, OK, the streets are safe now / all your pretty white children can come out." Not all of up up up up up up is gloom and doom, though. There are many moments which sound as if Ani is having fun with these songs, as she does when she's performing on stage. This is evident in a weird little 11?1 ? A ?1 I? 1" A 10 uitty ^aiicu ruuu aiiu tut: j.ominute jam at the end of the album called "Hat Shaped Hat." "Hat Shaped Hat" is a lot of fun, much in the same spirit as the live performances of "The Diner" from Living in Clip. That song, as with many of the other songs on up up up up up up, are more band-oriented than Dilate ox Little Plastic Castle. Instead of Ani doing all of the instruments, she has enlisted the help of Jason Mercer on bass, long-time collaborator Andy Stochansky on drums and Julie Wolf on keyboards and background vocals. The result is one of Ani's most vital records in a long time, sounding a lot like an updated version oiNot A Pretty Girl. Over the past eight years, Ani's career can be looked upon as the platform many independent artists should look up to. Up up up up up up elevates that platform even higher. speare ir Special to The (.amecock ;espeare in Miramax's "Shakespeare bed "the best movie of the year." titled "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter" (you can see where this is going). Upon meeting Viola (Paltrow), the young poet is able to complete his masterpiece, "Romeo and Juliet." Just as those star-crossed lovers of the play, the love story between Will and Viola is powerful, tender and tragic. All of the film's performances are superb (notable among the supporting cast are Dench as the queen and Rush as the clownish owner of The Rose theater), and the direction is snappy and quite good. Both heartbreaking and inspiring, "Shakespeare in Love" is an intelligent, passionate, humorous film. Not only one of the best of the year, one of the best I've ever seen. tw donors ri WE NEED YOU! earn up to >215 per month! mrs out of your week Duld earn you $65! ) children, hemophiliacs id heart patients who ive products made from plasma of our donors. Ttw Quality Source NABI BioMedical Center 5 Assembly St., Columbia SC 29201 9u.mn tc. imecock back in Hi . d^0wT A Jmrn Am -V ^sIHbb Ani DiFranco 1 Love' on by Emilie Greene b] Gamecock Critic G; Finally, after a year of film disap- ni pointments, "Shakespeare in Love" has ye proved that excellent movies are still possible. My faith in excellent writing "E and acting has been restored. vi< Paltrow has already demonstrated W she can act ? and speak with a con- sp vincing British accent ? in such films bli as "Emma" and "Sliding Doors." "Shakespeare in Love," though, is her best per- pa formance to date. As Viola, who dis- sp guises herself as a boy to join a company N < of actors, Paltrow is radiant. Her pas- in: sion for the stage, poetry and Shake- th speare is utterly appealing. pit As wonderful as she is, though, her ar performance would be nothing without Joseph Fiennes, the actor who plays an young Shakespeare. The chemistry be- sp tween the two is palpable, and in each scene, Fiennes proves he has unquestionably made the character of ^ 1 Shakespeare his own. This year, Fiennes also created the character of Lord Robert in "Elizabeth," \ suggesting that he's a talented actor I who is here to stay. I The supporting cast is just as im- | fJlCOOl.VC J.VU.011, xyciiv^li, X XI til | and even Affleck are all outstanding. Stoppard's script is both hilarious , and heartbreaking, and it's completely accessible even to those who might not know or like Shakespeare. Any au- 1 dience member should appreciate it. With the possible exception of the Ital- [fl ian film, "Life is Beautiful," "Shakespeare in Love" is the most clever, funI < P. CAROLir SI Fi \ music As part of our recru have the opportunity to students a great first im University! If you or your organ join us for Outreach, pk Matthews in Undergradi (777-4070). You'll be * 10 WEEKS $75*' ?25 Huger St. Columbia, SC 4A OUTI Want to help welcon students to the C Here's a golden Beginning January 1 Admissions sponsors Ca Tuesday night from 5:11 Lieber College on the H< have pizza and soft drinl Special to The Gamecock e of yea: i Rob Fleming imecock Critic est and most touching movie of the ar. The commonly retold story of !omeo and Juliet" was brought to the swer through a different perspective, e actually get to follow William Shakeeare (Fiennes) through his writer's * ock. The film brilliantly displays a irallel between the events in Shakeeare's life and the events in his play. 3t only do the occurrences give him spiration for "Romeo and Juliet," but e film foreshadows future master jces of the playwright ("Twelfth Night'" id "Hamlet"). The performances given by Paltrow id Fiennes are phenomenal. As Shakeeare, Fiennes shines, showing us the / \ ^ At h I e TE OF THE PAY jnny But No; rejected greeting cards from Hallmark. ittp//www.shoebox.com/ funny/funny.asp Page 3 1 by Chris Richter Staff Writer lerrence Maiick is the o.u. Salinger of the motion picture industry. After making two of the landmark films of the 70s, he disappeared' for 20 years. Last year marked his return with the critically acclaimed World War II epic "The Thin Red ? * Line," opening nationwide today. The video pick of this week is Malick's 1973 debut film, "Badlands," starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek. Sheen plays Kit, a 25-yearold James Dean look-alike loser who falls for Holly (Spacek), a 15-yearold, baton-twirling schoolgirl. After the murder of Holly's father, the two go on the run. The film follows the couple as they flee from the law, encountering and provoking violence along-the way. "Badlands" belongs to the same "young lovers on the lam" genre as films such as "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Natural Born Killers." However, it is a much quieter, more subdued film. This is, in part, because of Holly's narration, which has a poetic innocence, as if she were reading from her diaiy. Kit is the violent half of the relationship, killing coldly and matter-of-factly. This is a quiet film that has much to say. It has nothing to do with bank robbery or the pursuit of celebrity but r _ x 1 xl 1 _x_* !_ iocuses msteau on me reiauonsnip between the two main characters and the conflict and harmony that arise from it. r's best personality of a man we really only know for his words. Paltrow also gives one of the best performances of her career as "Lady Viola." Her character is so wonderfully enchanting, it's easy to see why Shakespeare is moved to write words of such power and meaning. After seeing the chemistry between Paltrow and Fiennes, other "Romeo and Juliet" knock-offs seem childish. (You have a long way to go, Mr. DiCaprio and Ms. Danes.) The supporting cast of Rush, Affleck, Wilkinson, Callow and Staunton gives a witty aspect to the story. The screenplay does a magnificent job of portraying Shakespeare as the brilliant Doet he is. The dialogue is fast and Ks Tor you. itment team, you give prospective ipression of the ization would like to >ase telephone Molly jate Admissions dad you did! I o clever, and it portrays beautifully the language that Shakespeare was most famous for: the language of love. nTTrrrnri H1 I i J I I* 11 1 n *1 i tic C I u b j t Membership 4 MONTHS $120 \ TuWyVfjrTtTfiTfil In kWn * I u I *] I kl*m (803)256-9001 j I WM ? ? Ml ? Hi Mi MBi REACH ie newly accepted arolina family? i opportunity! 9, Undergraduate irolina Outreach each > until 7:00 PM at irseshoe. We'll also