The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 29, 1999, Page Page 7, Image 7
[Friday, January 29,1999
'Out of
Sight' Out
of sight
by Chris Richter
Staff Writer
The goal of this column is to introduce
the reader to films I find entertaining,
that the reader might not
have seen and that are available on
video. Judging by the box office totals,
not many people saw my favorite
movie from last year.
The video pick of the week is
Steven Soderbergh's "Out Of Sight."
Soderbergh is one of the first independent
filmmakers to achieve sue
~ 1 1 _ tu l * ? J
reaa uxi a larger seme V sex, lies ana
videotape"). "Out of Sight" stars
George Clooney as Jack Foley, a
smooth, confident bank robber who
has a little bit of a bumbling streak
in him. While escaping from prison
with the help of his friend Buddy (Ving
Rhames), he kidnaps Karen Sisco, a
federal marshal played by Jennifer
Lopez.
The film focuses on the relationship
(or desire for one) between Foley
and Sisco. The two characters are
drawn together by their thoughts of
"what might have been" had they met
Entertainers j
,
masses, drive
'
by Frazier Moore
Associated Press
Ml?w vnoi/ "tn,.. -i.
*IJU if i viux?- mc yiipiiuiiipuuu M
What other culture would anoint a d
guy!"
like it matters. Neal Gabler kn(
clownish, roly-poly Simmons: He's en
a nation bathed in hot and cold runn
lis waste time on someone who doesn
But it goes a little further. Gabler
taken us beyond passive audience sta
has become art," he says, "so that th(
each other."
What happens when all of us Tickk
explores such questions in his new b
Entertainment Conquered Reality. ?
Welcome to the world of post-reality!)
"Entertainment drives the econoi
conventional entertainment, Fm also 1
form in our own lives, so that we buy cl
and we use a certain toothpaste, all c
we want to project as entertainers pt
ence of others ? and ourselves, as we
So it's one for the money, two fo
don't step on my Air Jordans!
"But Fm no prophet of doom," saj
and-pepper beard who wrote the spier
sip, Power and the Culture of Celebrit
cheer "I don't say, 'Entertainment deh
ues.' I love entertainment!"
Still, expect no happy ending in "1
ATJV flnifW fW frvr thA rvrnklami! ehofr fm
'JVWV**, ?Vi "W*" J/?VV?VA?k? V**v?? V4'
staged by sensation.
A cultural historian, Gabler has t]
doing so, he upends some popular ass
For one thing, he disputes the not
of society's ills. Television, he says, "is
revolution, not the cause of it.
And what about that common com}
ering has somehow shamed itself in t
ana, Monica-and-Bill and other realment
hasn't compromised journalism, <
pioneered mass entertainment.
But here's perhaps the book's bij
parents and busybody virtuecrats, TV
Springer* don't inevitably trigger mor
On the contrary, says Gabler, viewc
entertainment isn't only as American
harshest detractors?a democratic Bro
an ongoing declaration of independen
shirts.
I kwi BTS rSVal k
li'iwItlwM wJl"
1
under different circumstances. Mixed
in with this is a plot involving a diamond
heist from a Michael Milkenlike
character played by Albert Brooks.
Chemistry makes this movie. I
never really understood what cntics
meant when they talked about chemistiy
between two actors. I knew what
it was but couldn't see for myself.
Lopez and Clooney have a kind of
chemistry in this film that will make
people sit up and recognize its greatness
in years to come. Fate brings the
characters together, but not in the
way they both want. The rest of the
cast is perfect, making each character
memorable. Soderbergh's direction
is far from conventional, as he
makes jumps in time in a similar way
to "Pulp Fiction," but with a decidedly
different, original effect. He also
uses ffeeze-ffames and unconventional
editing to keep the viewer on
edge.
Just go see the movie; you won't
be disappointed. Samuel L. Jackson
makes a cameo, and there's even a
character named White-boy Bob.
What more could you ask for?
I
amuse the
mr t
TV economy
f a Richard Simmons fascinates me.
iet guru who's fiat? He's this fat little
>ws full well why America embraces
tertaining. As he would have to be. In
tag entertainment, why would any of
't amuse us?
says our entertainment whirlpool has
lie and absorbed us into the act "Life
S two are now indistinguishable from
ook "Life the Movie," subtitled "How
Starring Everyone." (Rolling! Action!
ny," Gabler says. "But while I mean
talking about the way we want to perothes,
we buy a car, we live in a house,
if which contribute to the image that
irforming our own lives for the audi11"
r the show, and ? uh-uh, honey ?
rs uamer, a dapper man witn a satttdid
Walter Winchell biography "Gosjr
* He also radiates unapologetic good
>ases us and destroys our cultural valife
the Movie." Nor, for that matter,
op up in a society when reason is upOe
presence of mind to look back. By
umptions.
ion that television is to blame for all
a subset of the larger entertainment
>laint that the business of news-gathhe
age of O.J. Simpson, Princess Dilife
melodramas? Not so. EntertainGrabler
argues. It was journalism that
mest insight. Despite the outcry of
' series like "South Park" and "Jerry
al decline and national decay.
* support of rude, crude and lowbrow
as apple pie, it's pie in the face of its
nx cheer aimed at society's bluenoses;
ce against Old World-brand stuffed
eiw
Italian f
College students express themselves
in a variety of ways. One
of these ways is fashion.
?i Fashion
1 can give us
insights into
people's
ideas, mu
sical tastes,
I sonalities.
B Students
here
eluding
Nataha Cappuccio , wake
Fashion Sense , , r
up late tor
class, throw
on some wild pants, a sweatshirt and
a hat, and head to class. We work out,
then run to the grocery store in the same
clothes.
Being a world traveler, I realized
that Americans dress fairly casually
compared with people in other areas of
the world. I also understood, after transferring
here from the University of
Massachusetts, that the availability of
At only 5 feet 4 inches, Ole Miss
minutes in Wednesday's game a
Little Rock, Ark., scored three poi
Midseason
by David Bauder
Associated Press
NEW YORK ? It might have been a
littlp ton pnrlv to Hpplarp tho tploin'oioo
season a failure.
An unexpected string of midseason
success stories has buoyed the spirits
of broadcasters. The latest was the debut
of "Dilbert," which on Monday night
achieved the highest ratings for a comedy
in UPN's four-year history.
NBC's uplifting "Providence" is off
to a faster start than any NBC drama
since "ER," Fox is pleased with its animated
comedy The PJs," and CBS has
so far successfully cloned "60 Minutes"
on Wednesday nights.
core!
ashion i:
many different companies is quite 1:
ited. For example, Columbia has no ]
nana Republic, Abercrombie & Fi
or J. Crew, and the list goes on.
I started to wonder where peo
bought interesting, original and i
signer clothes in this area. So I wen1
someone who I knew would underst?
what fashion is all about and who o
sidprs annparanpp vprv imnnrfant Fa
to Pauluzzi is a professor of Italian 1;
guage and film here at USC. Born
Italy, he says that he, along wi
most Italian people, places heavy e
phasis on appearance and fashion
general.
Pauluzzi described how in It
ians don't go out of their houses in di
clothes to run to the store. Here in 1
United States, it's not unusual for sor
one to get covered in grease repairi
his or her car and then head to the stc
"Italy has such a high populati
density that people are forced in ea
others' faces all the time," Pauluzzi sa
"Therefore, Deoole fulfill a need
upkeeping a neat, clean, updated loo
He also saidthat beauty charges 1
spirit and has many payoffs. I rea
A
Sean Rayford Photo Editor
freshman Jason Harrison played 17
igainst USC. The point guard from
nts in the losing effort.
replacemei
All this has quieted, at least for no1
all the talk about the exodus of vie\
ers that had grown louder with
lackluster fall season.
arni_ _ _i iL-j i. i_ i < i
me snows mai launcnea tnis mi<
season all have one thing in commo:
Generally speaking, they're excellei
shows," UPN programming chief To:
Nunan said. "These shows all have a
original voice to them, and they're i
unusual quality."
But the initial success might ah
force executives to rethink the wisdoi
of launching dozens of new shows eac
September, overwhelming viewers wit
options.
"Everybody knew they were con
ing," said Sandy Grushow, president (
Twentieth Centuiy Fox Television. "Wh
Aerobic Ir
/'**'*' Cour:
Januar
::: i
in the
Campus Recreati
training course fo
instructor. This c<
theoretical and pi
( At the complet
opportunity to a\
Program. This
preparation to p
C.. To sign i
nspired b
c
im- couldn't agree more; all you have ti
Ba- do is look at the beauty in Italy's past
tch Italians have a history of really appre
ciating beauty. Michelangelo, da Vine
pie and Donatello are remembered am
de - cherished today by the entire world fo
t to their stunning^and exquisite works
ind Italians truly have a tradition of beau
on- ty that can be represented simply ii
us- the way they dress,
an- I asked Pauluzzi how he could keej
in a truly Italian look here in South Car
ith olina.
m- "Italian males have a tough tim(
in here in South Carolina because then
is very little choice; women have fai
al- more choice. There are no stores hen
rty geared specifically to the middle-clas:
;he salary, that provide clothes that express
ne- and contain the cultural markings o:
ng Italy."
ire. Pauluzzi said that in Italy he car
ion buy a stylish, high-quality jacket foi
ich around $200, as opposed to here ir
dd, America where a similar jacket woulc
by cost around $700.
k." I can feel his pain as I, too, wish Co
he lumbia provided more as far as shop
lly ping is concerned. I mean, it would b(
f] Columbia's
fashionabb
m
God bless Victoria's Secret witl
its indigo-washed bootleg jean;
As an exchange student fron
England,
am finding
it extremeh
difficult t<
^find shop:
with th<
kind o
clothes !
like. I admii
I've onlj
been to the
? . _ Columbian*
Katy Evans Centre s(
Columnist c L
far (though
T nroc nn.
able to find a pair of women's indigo
washed 501's, which distressed me
somewhat), but there's a whole genre
of clothing that's missing: the "going
out" section.
Unfortunately, everything in the
Victoria's Secret catalog is far too ex
pensive for a meager student budget
especially if I want to go away for spring
break, so I'm having to survive on the
few items of clothing I brought ovei
with me. I left my vast collection of "going-out"
clothes at home in order to keep
the suitcase to a manageable weight
But it's a good thing I did leave
them at home; I think people would
stare at me too much if I ever ventured
its add boos
iv, did everybody know they were coming?
v- . Well, they weren't competing with 50
a other shows."
A midseason start enables networks
d- to promote the shows one at a time,
a: which Nunan said particularly
it helped "Dilbert."
m January is truly prime time: Winin
ter forces more viewers indoors, and
if light post-holiday advertising gives networks
extra time to tout their own pro>0
grams, said Gene DeWitt of DeWitt Mem
dia, an advertising buying firm,
h Hollywood's tradition of starting
h most shows in the fall-is largely dictated
by advertisers. TV executives ani
nounce a fall schedule in May so ad)f
vertisers can buy commercial time on
y what they think will be hot shows.
istructor Train
se Held Fridays \
/ 29th-April 16th
1 -3 PM
Blatt P. E. Center
'*%. 0 f*
on Fitness Programs is
? _ :t ? M. '- ?? *
(anyone interested in c
?mprehensive course w
'actical components of
ion of the course, stuck
jply for employment wil
i course will also provic
ass a national primary
jp call Sara Morgan
Page 7
y beauty
0 nice to have more variety because it
- seems there's a demand for it among
~ students. Columbia just got an Old
j Navy, and it seems to be doing exr
tremely well. Also, on any given day,
students wear Abercrombie shirts, Urban
Outfitter's dresses and Banana Re1
public hats. If so many USC students
are native to South Carolina, where do
3 they go to buy these clothes?
I think Columbia's economy
j would benefit greatly from adding such
t stores, even if people had to drive a
r while to get to them. Stores like Ver
aaue aiiu vjriuigiu rummii iiiuat UKCiy
wouldn't do well here because there
f isn't a high demand for them. However,
there are many people here who are ^
i " very fashion-conscious and want more
European styles to migrate here from
Europe and the big cities.
Not all of us are fashionably loud
or care to dress prim and proper everyday;
however, looking good can never
; really feel bad.
; niaht life
J X XAX V
f reserved
1 to wear them here in Columbia. My first
s! taste of Columbia's night life was two
1 Thursdays ago when we went to Rafters
I (I was warned of the cheesiness factor,
y but actually I really liked it). Anyf
way, my point is that I felt like a com)
plete freak dressed in my pencil skirt
-? OTI/^ Q lrtnlt i'+vor\r\!r nn*?/Jnlr> T Un/1 n m/\?
3 cum u-mcn otiappj scuiuais. i nau a uuii
mal cotton/lycra top on that I would
f wear during the day, and in England I
I would have felt "dressed down," but
t here I felt like a tart.
j My question is this: Why doesn't
; anyone get dressed up to go out at night?
i Where is the 4-inch heel brigade? If you
) go to England, you see girls wobbling
t into student union bars wearing just
enough to cover their "bits" (even during
the freezing winter months), but no
; one thinks it's strange.
; I'm not suggesting that every girl
- dress like a complete slapper, but just
with a bit more finesse sometimes. It's
; fun; trust me.
My solution is that Columbia needs
, the following shops: Morgan, Kookai,
j Next, TopShop, Oasis, River Island,
; Dolcis, Faith and many more I can't
think of right now.
I know all these names mean nothi
ing to most of you, but believe me, Columbia's
night life would reach a whole
i new level just by introducing these shops
L to Columbiana Centre.
[
;t to ratings
None of last September's shows can
be called hits, despite critical praise for
"Sportsnight," "Will & Grace" and "Cupid."
"We are all to some extent a prisoner
of the system that has been in place
for so long," said Lloyd Braun, chairman
of Buena Vista Television Production.
Lately, that tradition has eroded.
?A or: u:u?
j-fawouii o aiiu iviii^ ui tilt; IIIII
are two shows that successfully
launched the last few winters. CBS's
"Becker" was an early-season replacement
that last week made Nielsen Media
Research's top 10 for the first time.
ling Program
%
offering an 8 week
becoming an aerobic
ill focus on both the
aerobic instruction.
;nts will have the
th the USC Aerobic
ie the necessary
certification exam.
it 777-4687