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This Week in USC History Oct. 29, 1986 - A judge ordered USC to release records of Jehan Sadat’s salary and all amounts paid to her by USC. She was paid $314,000 for three semes ters of teaching. ‘Bedazzled’ fun, not terribly deep by Jennifer Bowen The Gamecock Ever wonder what you would wish for if you found a genie? With those three wishes, the genie could give you fame, grant fortune and perhaps take away those extra pounds you’ve been dying to lose. Sounds easy, right? Of course, you would always hear in the background, “be care fill what you wish for, you just might get it.” “Bedazzled,” the new movie about a nerdy computer guy named Elliot Richardson (Brendan Fraser) who makes deal with the devil (Elizabeth Hur ley), proves this saying as true as ever. Elliot (Fraser) is hopelessly in love with Allison, (Frances O’Connor) who, as you might expect, hardly knows he’s alive. In order to earn her love, he makes a deal with the devil for not the pitiful three wishes of old, but seven wishes. Throughout the movie, however, every wish goes a little haywire, and in trying to fix all his previous mistakes, El liot makes all new ones. The audience will be waiting and guessing, “How will this wish be tainted by the devil?” The movie itself is wonderful. It com bines good acting and some funny lines that leave the audience laughing. Elizabeth Hurley does a brilliant job in making everyone think she’s on El liot’s side trying to make him happy, but manages to screw up his wishes in an original way each and every time. Brendan Fraser shows once again he’s one of the most diverse actors to come through Hollywood. Every char acter he plays, whether a basketball play er or a Colombian drug dealer, he does with style and a kind of absurdity that draws people into the movie’s light side. “Bedazzled” won’t win any Oscars or be remembered for its powerful message, however, it’s a wonderful movie that you can relax during and laugh about for two hours. After all, who wants to ponder symbolic messages and have his soul tom out of him every time he watch es a movie? (No pun intended.) The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspotlight@hotmail.com. Special to The Gamecock Elizabeth Hurley and Brendan Fraser star in “Bedazzled.” Angie Aparo soars with acoustic set by Patra Sinner Floyd The Gamecock Last time the talented 'Angie Aparo performed in Columbia at New Brookland Tavern, I had the opportunity to sit and chat with him. The sitting and chatting came after his sound check. Having done this enough to know, interviews almost never start until at least a minimum of one hour after they are scheduled — on a good day. During the sound check I worked on a class as signment, and it was like being encap sulated in my own little soothing co coon of music. I wish he could play for me every day I study. naving seen mis taientea musician .“Several times, I’ve had ample time to analyze just what makes his music so appealing. There is an incredible unique ness about his voice, and a novelty about his writing that distinguishes him from other singer/songwriters. Appar ently, I am not the only one of this opin ion. Angie recalled a meeting with some one unfamiliar with his music who com mented that it was “original” after catch ing a show in Charlotte. These are things he remembers for motivation. Using his voice as an instrument, jie likes to work with each song un til he has the exact sound of voice most appropriate for that particular piece. This is a fairly simple concept for some one who has such a broad vocal range and a means of transforming his writ ten thoughts into an audible feeling for the rest of us to enjoy. There is a notable calmness about Angie’s character, which he attributes to lengthy spans of solitude. Most of this “alone” time is spent driving, but usually not listening to music, although he mentioned he did like listening to Neil Young on occasion. The reasoning behind avoiding other musician’s work is that they come from the same place h| does, making their influence neutral. He feels it necessary to experience and fe^l other things to ach/eve inspi- ■ ration for his work. We talked briefly about his frequent referral to “the place” people are in their lives. It relates to his philosophy that the answers you seek are within yourself. When you can find them there, you need search no further. Exuding that sort of mysterious wis dom, it is no wonder legendary stories circulate of his playing from his recliner surrounded by candles on the back deck of the now-defunct Rockafellas. Ang ie was also a big influence on the At lanta music scene, bringing a well known acoustic night to Smith’s Olde Bar. These jam sessions would include a random assortment of other musicians from G. Love to Butch Whlker and any one touring in between. The rule was that it had to be acoustic, no matter what genre the mu sicians came from. It was a breaking down of the process to the simplest X*_• a* • a a i_ ivsiiu. lmuviuuoi aiiu aviig. Good songwriters are analogous with good storytellers, and Angie is no ex ception. He peppers his performances with an entertaining tale or two between songs. One involved an unexpected en counter with a cast member of the HBO series “The Sopranos.” The actor loved Angie’s album, reportedly unable to re move it from his player, but his com- , pliments were marred by an onslaught of swear words in the style of his TV series. In addition to the profound philoso phies, storytelling and musicianship, Angie is also available for medical ad vice. Upon learning I was experiencing a scratchy throat during our exchange, he diagnosed me with nasal drip and in sisted I drink plenty of water. There you have it: The miracle cure is out. “The American,” Angie’s current release on Arista, is available at most musical outlets to cure any other ail ments you might be suffering from. It is a transitional work in that there is a song there for every mood you’re in. Check it out, and work on your jour ney toward finding that comfortable place in your life. As Angie sings, “It’s all right, it’s all right. We are landing this ship soon.” The spotlight desk can be reached at game«;ockspotiight@hotmail.com. imibiidci rvunquuiu int Weekend Excursion took home more than $8,500 in prizes at the Band-to-Band Finals at Charlotte’s Neighborhood Theater. Weekend Excursion wins Band-to-Band competition by Erin O’Neal The Gamecock Even before the announcer walked on stage, the audience knew who had won the competition. They began cliant ing, nearly drowning out the announc er’s voice as she said, “The winner of tonight’s Lucky Strike Band-to-Band finals is — drum roll please ... Week end Excursion!” Lucky Strike hosted their fourth annual Band-to-Band competition this past Friday night at Charlotte’s Neighborhood Theater. Tesser, The Doubting Thomas Band, and Weekend Excursion competed for a $2,500 prize plus $6,000 in traveling money to perform in Miami and the chance to perform in Atlanta as well. Audience members were given bal lots at the door and were able to vote electronically at any time during the night. The winner was determined by 70 percemt of audience votes and three music industry judges who each had a 10 percent vote. The preliminary rounds were decided by audience votes alone. Though the first two performances made by Tesser and The Doubting Thomas Band received a positive re sponse from those gathered, Weekend Excursion’s audience was much more animated and excited. As soon as the equipment had been set up, the crowd was on their feet, cheering and ap plauding as Weekend’s six members took the stage. Weekend’s 45-minute set consist ed mostly of songs from the band’s lat est album “Radioactive,” which includes the tracks “Better Man,” “Radio” and “Reunion.” They also performed two unrecorded songs, “So Beautiful” and “Best Friend,” as well as “Moving On” from their second album, “Five From Six.” Weekend ended the evening, of course, with a cover of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Wfent Down to Georgia.” Weekend’s rabid energy was soon to catch on, sending the already singing audience into a swaying, jumping, danc ing frenzy. Despite the technical diffi culties experienced during the opening verse of “Moving On,” and the mo mentary power outage, the crowd’s ex citement didn’t dwindle. Weekend Excursion’s manager, Mark Zenow, said a previous Lucky Strikes Band-to-Band competition win ner has been signed to a recording la bel. Surprisingly enough, because com petitions like Lucky Strike’s Band-to Band can be very cutthroat, the mem bers of Weekend needed persuading before agreeing to play. “I had to talk the band into doing this event. They didn’t want to do it originally, but I stressed the potential up-side over the potential negative as pects, and they agreed with me,” Zenow 'I’m tickled stupid.’ Sam Fisher Weekend Excursion’s lead singer said. “I’m tickled stupid,” lead singer, Sam Fisher, said after Weekend was an nounced the winner. A few Weekend fans were almost forced to miss the show. Some were un derage, and others foigot their IDs. “I didn’t drive an hour and 35 minutes to beat somebody’s ass,” one Weekend Excursion fan said after finally being admitted into the theater. Before their appearance in Miami, Weekend Excursion will be perform ing Friday, Nov. 3 at Sundance Grill. The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspotJight@hotmaiLcom. Isaac Curry releases ‘Fear and Desire’ by Adam McGullfter The Gamecock ☆ ☆ OUT OF ☆ In the follow-up to Isaac Curry’s debut CD, “Lavender Bull,” the band is back with similar sounds and recog nizable flavor. Their most recent release, “Fear and Desire,” is a familiar but much more comfortable place for their sopho more rock effort. Singer Walter Houk’s lyrics act as an open door, dropping I social commentary and everyday rev elry that has been lacking in the mod em soap opera of music. These lyrics serve as a solid complement to Mike Hartnett’s lead guitar, which provides excellent life in combination to Marcus Williams’ percussion. The disk is highlighted with up beat, modern singles like “Wake Up” and “Ego the Giant” but also showcas es the instrumental “Fear & Desire.” What does fall short are the eclec tic sounds that kept us on our toes through their first disc. The rock has fallen the way of status quo without the kickbacks to other genres. No longer can we find the mixed drum beats and strong base lines, nor the diverse dia logue that could make it outside of rock V roll. Despite these facts, the boys have come through with an often poetic and mainly up-tempo second stab. The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspotlight@hotman.com. Special to The Gamecock -1 I Movie Times I Carmike Wynnsong 10 5320 Forest Drive, 782-8100 Bring It On (PG-13) 2:00, 7:30 The Cell (R) 4:30,9:30 The Contender (PG-13) 1:30,4:15, 7:00,9:45 Dr. T & the Women (R) 1:30,4:00, 7:00,9:45 The Exorcist (R) 1:15,4:15, 7:00,9:45 Get Carter (R) 2:00,4:30, 7:00,9:15,11:30 Ladies Man (R) 2:00,4:30,7:00,9:15,11:30 Legend of Drunken (R) 2:00,4:30, 7:15, 9:30,11:45 Lost Souls (R) 1:00,4:00,7:00,9:30, 11:45 Nurse Betty (R) 2:00, 7:00 Scary Movie (R) 4:30,9:15,11:30 What Lies Beneath (PG-13) 1:30,4:00,7:30, 10:15 Columbiana Grande Stadium Cinemas 1250 Bower Parkway, 407-9898 Almost Famous (R) 2:05,4:50,7:25,10:00 Bedazzled (PG-13) 1:15,2:10,3:30,5:00,5:40,7:15, 8:00,9:20,10:15,11:30 Best in Show (PG-13) 1:00, 3:10,5:20, 7:15, 9:20 Book of Shadows (R) 1:55,4:30, 7:25, 9:30, 11:45 Bring It On (PG-13) 1:05, 3:20, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00 Digimon (PG) 1:00, 3:15,5:35, 7:45,10:05 The Exorcist (R) 1:00, 3:45,6:30,9:10,11:50 Legend of Drunken (R) 1:05,3:25,5:45,7:50,10:00 Lost Souls (R) 1:40,4:00, 7:30,9:55,12:05 Lucky Numbers (R) 1:20, 4:35, 7:10, 9:40, 12:00 Pay it Forward (PG-13) 1:25, 2:00,4:10,4:45, 6:55 Space Cowboys (PG-13) 1:10,3:50,6:50,9:30 Dutch Square 14 800 Bush River Road, 750-3576 Beautiful (PG-13) 1:00,3:15 Bedazzled (PG-13) 1:50,4:50, 7:45, 10:10, 12:10 Blair Witch Project (R) 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:40, 10:00,12:00 The Contender (R) 1:30,4:20,7:10,9:50 Dr. T and the Women (R) 1:10,4:40,7:15,9:55 The Exorcist (R) 1:30,4:15,7:00,9:45 Ladies Man (R) 2:30,5:00,7:00,9:30,11:30 Little \hmpire (PG) 1:10,3:15,5:20,7:25,9:40,11:45 Legend of Drunken (R) 2:00,4:00, 7:00,9:20,11:40 Lost Souls (R) 2:20,5:10,7:30,9:40,11:50 Lucky Numbers (R) 1:40,4:10, 7:30,10:00 Meet the Parents (PG-13) 1:50,4:30,7:20,9:45,12:10 Pay it Forward (PG-13) 1:15, 4:00, 7:10,9:50 Remember the Titans (PG) 1:40, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30, 11:50 Urban Legends 2 (R)5:30, 7:50,10:10 Regal Cinema 7 Richland Mall Rooftop, 748-9044 Bedazzled (PG-13) 2:10,4:35,7:30,9:55 Book of Shadows (R) 2:30,4:35,7:30,9:55 Little Vampire (PG) 2:15,4:50, 7:40,10:10 Lucky Numbers (R) 1:40,4:20,7:10,10:00 Meet the Parents (PG-13) 2:00,4:25, 7:20,9:50 Pay it Forward (PG-13) 1:30,4:15, 7:05,9:45 Remember the Titans (PG) 1:50,4:30, 7:00, 9:40