Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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I 5 CONTACT US *' THEY SAID IT liUlUHlil UO ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: Story ideas? Questions? Comments? T have mhaled, exhaled E-mail us at gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com everything.” PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Newly elected California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, celebrate his win early in the morning Oct. 8 in Century City, Calif. Schwarzenegger defeated incumbent Gov. Gray Davis, who was the first governor in California history to be recalled. America’s favorite action star has had an enduring on-screen career — one that has prepared him, more so than most moviegoers realize, for the new political ’ role he took on last Wednesday as California governor BY MEG MOORE THE GAMECOCK They remain among the most famous lines in movie history. “I’ll be back.” At some point, many of us have assumed a pseudo-Austrian accent and uttered those words, pre dictably accompanying them with “Hasta la vista, baby” or “I’m gonna pump you up.” To the star ry-eyed child, those phrases have long epitomized the Hollywood ac tion hero, capturing his larger than-life, never-say-die attitude. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the sil <\ ver screen’s favorite Central European import, established himself as an icon in the movie “Terminator,” blowing away the box office competition with the successful trilogy. The name Schwarzenegger does not exactly roll easily off the tongue, but al most every American kid grows up knowing how to pronounce it. And they all recognize his face, whether on the movie screen, in advertisements or, most recently, as one of the 135 certified candi dates running for governor in the California recall election. The former Mr. Universe may never be able to evade the shadow of his Terminator persona, hut he has certainly capitalized on it. His star power helped him to win — and arguably secure — his victo ry in the California gubernatori al race. Ousting Gov. Gray Davis from office has propelled him to an even more prominent pop-cul ture status. Last week, the cable channel A&E announced it will be producing a movie about Schwarzenegger, and, more im pressively, the country of Georgia officially renamed a mountain af ter the governor-elect. Although his professional his tory has given him no formal training in the workings of gov ernment, Ahh-nold’s involvement in the zany world of show business has indeed equipped him for his new leadership role. On the sur face, the life of a Hollywood action star seems far removed from that of the average law-school-trained politician. But all of those explo sions and near-death experiences in the pursuit of justice can be bet ter preparation than the casual moviegoer might expect. Not only did he earn a bachelor’s degree in business and economics, but Schwarzenegger’s cinematic back ground, from “The Terminator” to “Kindergarten Cop,” has effec tively outfitted him to do battle with the ills of society. ♦ “CONAN THE BARBARIAN” (1982): The action-filled epic turned Schwarzenegger into a star and schooled him in the ways of avenging injustice. On-screen, he sought out his parents’ murderers; in California, he has been asked to even the score — and statistics — concerning the state’s budget. ♦ “THE TERMINATOR” (1984): Establishing the actor as an iconic action hero, the famed film showed Schwarzenegger to be a man who means business. His cyborg sense of unrelenting resolve allowed him to save humanity in the theaters — such determination will serve him well in the equally daunting task of finding low-cost housing for California’s underprivileged, ♦ “PREDATOR” (1987): The 1987 thriller pitted Schwarzenegger against murderous alien invaders in South America. His “predato ry” skills will likely also prove valuable in the quest to root out il legal aliens. ♦ “TOTAL RECALL” (1990): In this case the title says it all — the California governor’s race was the second successful recall in histo ry. Coincidence? Perhaps not — the 1990 film proved eerily prophetic in summing up Schwarzenegger’s recent win. The action takes place amid a techno logically advanced world in which Schwarzenegger, according to an Amazon.com review, “manipu lates his manipulators.” Hmm. The scenario seems strikingly similar to Arnold’s win in the Silicon Valley state, where he tri umphed over all of those schem ing politicians. ♦ “KINDERGARTEN COP" (1990): During his campaign, Schwarzenegger said: “You all know that I am very passionate about children’s issues... I’ve been involved in education and after school programs for 10 years.” His role in the comedy bridges his buff action-star background with that professed interest in child welfare. ♦ “TRUE LIES” (1994): As Jamie Lee Curtis discovers in this James Cameron film, Schwarz enegger’s appearance can be de ceiving. In “True Lies,” the main character has fooled his wife (Curtis) into thinking he’s been a salesman for 15 years, when he ac tually works as an intelligence agent. In tire real world — obvi ously taking cues from the movie — the governor-elect had us all thinking that he was just another brawny action star until he bran dished his political bent. ♦ “JINGLE ALL THE WAY” (1996): Arnold learned the im portance of giving good gifts in this Christmas film, a tactic that could win him increased support during the holiday season. He now knows that when it comes to find ing that perfect present for one’s child—or constituents =— one can stop at nothing. He will need such determination to turn California’s deficit around. ♦ “ERASER” (1996): Not only did he get to protect the lovely Vanessa Williams, but Schwarzenegger received some valuable law-enforcement train ing as an “eraser” for the Witness Protection Program. His in-the line-of-fire job credentials will look' almost as good as military service on his resume if he runs for president. ♦ “COLLATERAL DAMAGE” (2002): In an age when terrorism has become a major social con cern, Arnold’s vigor for tracking down murderous bombers in the film shows his commitment to cur rent issues. California will have a governor who not only abhors ter rorists but is willing to track them down in their secret overseas com pounds. ♦ “TERMINATOR 3; RISE OF THE MACHINES” (2003): The Terminator knows how to pre emptively start a campaign. Before voters even knew he might run for governor, Schwarzenegger was busy getting his name back in the newspapers — even if it was accompanied by less-than-stellar -movie reviews. Schwarzenegger has lived up to his promise that he would “be back”—both on-screen and in the public eye. Commentson this story? E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com MOVIE REVIEW Characters enchant in ‘Lost ’ “LOST IN TRANSLATION” ★★★★ out of *☆☆☆*' BY GABRIELLE SINCLAIR THE OAMECOCK Scarlett Johansson’s rear end demands analysis. In the opening shot of Sofia Coppola’s phenomenal second feature, “Lost In Translation,” we are confronted by a close-up of the sheer-pink-underwear-clad behind which lingers for a full minute in uncomfortable forthrightness. Trapped in the darkened theater, the audience collectively attempts to avert its eyes. We are forced to repeat silently to ourselves, “This must mean something.” It is the most direct shot of the film, a warning sign for those who dare to look i too closely at these characters whom we come to fall in love with during our all-too-short time with them. “Translation” is the sort of movie that seems to be taken straight from life itself, it is the story of fading movie star Bob Harris (Bill Murray), post-new lywed Charlotte (Johansson) and the relationship that develops be tween them. Bob is here for a $2 million whiskey commercial deal. Charlotte has followed her self-involved photographer hus band in search of some sort of direction. rnuiu br bL/IAL IU IMb LaAMbUU^r\ Scarlett Johansson plays Charlotte, an American in Tokyo, in “Lost in Translation,” Sofia Coppola's latest work. Bob is about, oh, 30 years older than Charlotte, but, for some rea son, that doesn’t seem to matter. It is best, however, to think of Bob as being too tall for his age. The film seems to be a love sto ry —but it also offers social com mentary. There are many mo ments where the audience is en couraged to laugh out loud at the “ugly Americans” as they at tempt to adjust to their sur roundings. Japanese culture is the only stereotype left unre solved in the film. The funniest parts of the movie are when Murray is able to improvise and interact with this alien culture. A trust exists between the di rector and the actors. With a shy, quiet script, the two leads are of ten left to experiment. Johansson manages to convey the entire spectrum of emotions with her pursed lips; Murray attempts to break the viewers’ hearts with his eyes. You wonder if he is per haps the saddest man alive. As opposed to Quentin Tarantino’s new film, “Kill Bill,” which loses itself in a one ♦ LOST, SEE PAGE 6 ‘Joan of Arcadia’ foreshadows new dramatic trend of religiosity BY FRAZIER MOORE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK - The search for truth takes many paths — espe cially on television. Truth-seekers can vary as much as Mulder and Scully differ from the schoolgirl of CBS’ new “Joan of Arcadia.” Think back to a decade ago, when “The X-Files” drew on the oc cult, the metaphysical and the just plain weird as it proclaimed the truth to be “out there.” Before long, a wave of me-too dramas were also tapping into viewers’ unease with their world, to join “The X-Files” in dangling the prospect of answers “out there” in some faraway realm. Then, three seasons ago, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” spurred a backlash against ex traterrestrial truth. On “CSI,” down-to-earth answers can be gleaned from material evidence close at hand. Truth reveals itself in rational terms. All Gil Grissom and his investigative team — or we — have to do is look. Embraced by viewers for its clinical detachment from death and doubt (particularly welcome after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001), “CSI” has spawned a wave of “forensics procedurals” — crime dramas like “Without a Trace,” “CSI: Miami” and this fall’s new “Cold Cas$” and “Navy NCIS.” But this trend, like every TV trend, could quickly fall victim to oversaturation and viewer burnout. So what will be the next big thing? The brashly offbeat premise for “Joan of Arcadia,” and its sizeable audience in its first few weeks, suggest a swing back to the sacred for TV’s truth seekers. Airing Fridays at 8 p.m., “Joan of Arcadia” introduces an ordi nary 16-year-old girl with a pen chant for running into folks who reveal themselves to her as God, then give her chores to do. The tasks — like getting a part time job at a bookstore or joining the chess club — may seem like odd things for God to be concerned with. And this is odder still: He doesn’t really order Joan to do them. “I give suggestions, not assign ments,” says God, facing Joan at that moment as a sanitation work er. “Free will is one of my better innovations.” The reassuring message of the show: Divine intervention, and the answers it might lead to, can conceivably occur with any per sonal encounter. But such deliverance can be ex asperating. When God pops up as a little girl at the playground, a cafeteria lady or a TV anchor man, Joan can’t help wondering, “Why me?” Joan’s father, Will (played by Joe Montegna), is a staunch real ist, especially when pursuing evil doers as Arcadia’s police chief. But Joan’s mother, Helen (Mary Steenburgen), is looking to regain her spiritual faith in the aftermath of a car wreck that put Joan’s brother Kevin in a wheelchair. A former high-school athlete, Kevin (Jason Ritter), must deal with this physical loss, while Joan’s younger brother, Luke (Michael Welch), takes grateful refuge in his intellect. Luke is a science geek or, in his preferred term, a man of science. On “Joan,” there is no vio lence, nor are there grisly dis plays as in the corpse-populated “CSI” genre. Another big difference: While those series try fo solve each mys tery surrounding a death, “Joan of Arcadia” confronts the myster ies of life. “Those are questions people wish they could ask God in per son,” says series star Amber Tamblyn, explaining why she identifies with her character. “Joan is starting to focus on things she’s never focused on be fore. But she’s also an adolescent, and I know how that feels,” says ♦ ARCADIA, SEE PAGE 6