Page 11
Review
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
By Lane Hollifield
Staff Writer
Awesome! Tubular! Gnarly! All
describe Teena^ Mutant Ninja
Turtles, the new action-adventure
feature which offers entertainment
for all members of the family.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is
the 'latest in a series of movies to
tuiti comic book heroes into big-
screen blockbusters. This began
last' year with the mega-hit
Batman, and continues this
suinmer with Teenage Mutant
Nii^a Turtles and the much
ballyhooed Dick Tracy.
The plot of Turtles is quite
simple. New York City is in the
middle of a crime wave which has
Getting to know...
left the already ineffective poh'ce
force baffled. However, this is no
ordinary crime wave; the man
behind this crime wave is an eril
master ninja called The Shredder.
Shredder is one mean looking
dude, with a costume covered in
spikes and claws. Not thei sort of
guy that one would want to meet
in a dark alley, or anywhere else,
for that matter.
The majority of Shredder’s gang,
known as The Foot, is comprised
of teenagers who steal for their
master while he trains them in the
art of evil ninja. Shredder has
brainwashed these teens by playing
on their insecurities. He tells them
that the outside world and their
parents have rejected them. He
tells them that he will be their
"father" and together they will
form a "family."
Their hideout is every teenager’s
dream, a vast warehouse filled
with every arcade game
imaginable, huge skateboard
ramps, free soda, food, cigarettes
and nonstop rap music.
What would a adventure movie
be without a heroine? The heroine
in Turtles is ace television reporter
April O’Neil. O’Neil is a modern
day Lois Lane with an attitude.
She’ll stand up to anybody.
When our girl April is attacked
in the subway by a group of evil
ninjas, what does she do, faint?
No, she attacks them with her
purse. This may not be the most
intelligent thing to do, but she’s
got guts.
What kind of heroine does not
have a love interest? Casey Jones
fills the requirement here. Jones is
a former hockey player turned
crimefighter. O’Neil and Jones
share a kind of love-hate
relationship which reminds the
turtles of old Moonlighting shows.
Now to our heroes. They’re
mean, they’re lean and they’re
green. So look out evil ninjas of
The Foot, ’cause "major league
buttkicking is back in town." In
case you haven’t guessed it, they
are the Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles.
The Turtles and their mentor
Master Splinter live in the vast
sewer system of New York City.
The TuMes are just like any other
teenagers, complete with their
surfer jargon, like "cowabunga,"
and a mad craving for pizza.
What would any self-respecting
hero be without a secret origin? In
the case of the Turtles, their origin
could also be a lesson in the
hazards of carelessly dumping
toxic waste.
Fifteen years ago, while
wandering the sewers in search of
food and shelter, a rat (Splinter)
Carla Berry
By LeeAnne Treadway
Staff Writer
Carla Berry, a UNCA junior
majoring in criminal justice, lives
and breathes sports.
"I don’t have much time for
other activities or hobbies. I go to
classes in the morning. Then I
have practice in the afternoon. We
get through with practice at 4 p.m.
Then I have to go eat at 5 p.m.
because I have study hall from 6
p.m. to 8 p.m. every night.
"And this is my schedule every
day. I don’t have much time for
anything else.
"I like playing sports. I get bored
sitting around reading or watching
television.
"I don’t like being inside. I like
to be outside riding my bike or
fishing.
"I always wanted to play college
ball and to be a college athlete.
"Sports is my life," said Berry.
Born in Alabama, Berry attended
Middle Tennessee State University
her first year. She then transferred
to UNCA.
"I went to Middle Tennessee
The Vinyl Opinion
State University to play basketball,
my favorite sport. Softball was
second and very close to being my
favorite.
"The basketball team there was
Division I. While I was there, we
went to the NCAA [National
Collegiate Athletic Association]
tournament.
"We went to a lot of big places
that you don’t get to go to while
playing ball at [smaller schools]. It
was a lot of fun.
"I really didn’t like Middle
Tennessee State University,
though. It really was too big.
"Even though I enjoyed playing
basketball there, I didn’t get along
well with the coach. Our
personalities conflicted.
"I was involved with the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
while at Middle Tennessee State
University.
"At the time, I was majoring in
psychology, and I knew that
UNCA had a really good
reputation for psychology. I talked
to a coach [from UNCA] and she
offered me a scholarship," said
Berry.
Berry accepted the scholarship.
Last year, she played basketb^
for UNCA and ran, cross-country
as well. This year, she played
basketball again but didn’t run
cross-country. Instead she plays
softball.
Berry
Sports has taught Berry more
than athletic skills and discipline.
"Through sports, I’ve learned a
lot about people. I used to think of
only sports and that’s it. There is
life after sports.
"Through sports, I’ve learned to
compromise and cooperate with
other people and to get along with
them. I’ve learned a combination
of things through sports.
"I got the opportunity to go
places, do things, and meet people
that otherwise I would have never
gotten to do in my life if it wasn’t
for sports.
After years and years of playing
sports, Berry is looking ahead to
her future.
"I’ve played basketball since I
was 6 years-old and softball since
I was 8 years-old.
"After playing basketball for
fourteen years, I’m burned out and
I’m having to learn that there
really is life after sports," said
Berry.
Berry has decided to leave
UNCA after this semester and
move closer to home.
"I’m leaving UNCA after this
semester. I’m going home to
Alabama, and I’m going to finish
up my degree at a senior division
college which only has upper level
classes, probably at Athens State.
"Plus, Athens State is near my
house. Four hundred miles away
from home is a little bit too much
for me.
Although Berry will enjoy being
close to home at Athens State
University, she doesn’t regret
came across a broken terraritun
with four little turtles (our heros),
which were drinking liquid oozing
out of a container marked
"RADIOACTIVE." Splinter took
the turtles home and discovered,
the following morning, that they
were growing and taking on semi
humanoid form. The turtles next
developed the ability to speak.
Splinter trained them in the
ancient art of Ninja, which he
learned from mimicking his
master. He named his four
"children"Michelangelo,Leonardo,
Donatello and Raphael, after great
Renaissance artists.
The action in Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles is nonstop. The fight
scenes are excellently staged,
especially when the Turtles go into
battle on skateboards.
Probably the most outstanding
aspect of this movie is the
costuming. Costume designer John
attending UNCA for two years.
"I’m really going to miss the
people. I’ve had a lot of good
times at UNCA.
"I won’t miss the mountains,
though. I’m used to land being flat
like it is in Alabama. I’m certainly
not going to miss the cold winters
either.
"People said it would be cold, but
I didn’t expect it to be this cold."
Snow is not an everyday winter
occurrence in Alabama.
"This year in Alabama was my
first white Christmas. When I
woke up, there was maybe one-
fourth of an inch of snow, not a
lot. But by the afternoon, I was
wearing a T-shirt and shorts again
like usual. We had a big snow my
senior year in high school. It
snowed maybe three inches."
There’s not much Berry sees
which needs improvement at
UNCA. However, she does
complain about people misusing
authority here.
"There’s a lot of politics involved
at UNCA. Some people try to
abuse their powers, both
faculty/staff and students.
"I don’t think this should be in
college. If you’re going to be my
teacher, that’s fine, but don’t try
Hay has created imbelievably
realistic costumes for the Turtles,
Shredder and Splinter. Not only
are these costumes great visually,
they allow the actors high mobili^..
The Turtles do a great number of*
backflips and other martial arts
moves without any noticeable
difficulty.
Teenage Mutant bHoja Turtles is
a film that the whole family will
love, not just the kids. Even those
who go in with the attitude of,
"God, I can’t believe I am here,"
will enjoy this film. The entire
audiences find themselves rooting
for this band of heroes as they
face the evil of The Foot. The film
is fast paced, full of great one-
liners and is the kind of
wholesome entertainment that
made the Star Wars and Indiana
Jones series so popular. This may
well be the box office hit of the
to abuse it and boss me around. If
you’re my friend, tell me you’re
my friend. But if you don’t like
me, tell me and don’t talk about
me behind my back.
"I try to be honest with people.
I’m shy at first, but when people
get to know me. I’m outgoing," she
said.
When thinking back about what
influenced Berry to play sports,
her big brother comes to mind.
"Most big brothers try to get rid
of their httle sister. But [my big
brother] would always invite me to
play ball wth him and his friends.
"He would always pick me to be
on his team. Of course, we would
always win.
"We could always go out, go
shopping or something.
"He graduated from Auburn
University where he was a big
partier. Now, he’s a youth director
at his church. He’s going to quit
his job and go overseas and be a
missionary. He’s real honest and
real caring.
"I most admire my big brother.
He’s 26 years-old, but we’ve
always been real close."
Berp- wants to work with
juvenile delinquents in Alabama
once she receives her degree.
The Netting Hillbillies
By Andrew Turman
StaffWriter
■ The Netting HillbiUies are sort
of Mark Knopfler’s warm-up
before going in to record a new
Dire Straits album this fall.
Missfng—Presumed Having a
^ood Time is the name of this
^bum, which was recorded by
JCnopfler and longtime friends
^teve Phillips, Guy Fletcher and
^rendan Croker.
Musically, the songs on this
^bum are an altogether pleasing
collection of laid-back country
tunes. The country sound is
augmented by the addition of
J^ashville session man Paul
J^ranklin on the pedal steel guitar.
The album contains one
Knopfler original, one Fletcher
.original and one Croker original.
The rest of the songs are remakes
of traditional or traditional-
.sounding country tunes. All of the
songs are, however, highly
polished, despite their origin.
They all also contain bits of
Knopfler’s patented picking style
which, in the more simplistic
context of the songs of this album,
is reminiscent of the first two Dire
Straits albums.
The three songs with the most
Dire Straits sound are "Your Own
Sweet Way" (the Mark Knopfler
composition), "Will You Miss Me"
(the Steve Phillips original), and,
somewhat smprisingly, "Railroad
Worksong." This is surprising
because it is a traditional, it uses
a banjo, and Knopfler doesn’t sing
on it. Of course it doesn’t sound as
much like a Dire Straights song as
do the other two, but it does
incorporate licks more distinctly
Knopfler’s than do some or the
other covers.
"Your Own Sweet Way," is the
song that has been released on the
radio. This is my personal favorite,
though I wouldn’t go so far as to
declare it the "best" song on the
album. Rather, I’ll just admit to
preferring Dire Straits to country...
The interweaving of Knopfler’s
electric guitar echoed by Fletcher’s
keyboards with Phillips’s and
Croker’s acoustics and I^opfler’s
soft singing style give the song an
almost etheretil feel.
Of the country songs, the most
primitive sounding is a cover of
the Louvin Brothers’ "Weapons of
Prayer," an Appalachian-sounding
gospel number. Another sound
with an "old timey" feel to it is
Croker’s song "That’s Where I
Belong."
One of the traditionals is "Run
Me Down," a song done in a
honky-tonk style. Another
traditional is "One Way Gal,"
which is a song done in the
"Western" half of country-western.
Lyrically, however, it is traditional
blues, which just helps to point out
the interrelatedness of the two
styles. This stylistic relationship is
further brought out in the next
song, "Blues Stay Away From Me."
In an interview with Rak
Tannenbaum for Rolling Stone,
Knopfler said that he had asked
band members to rack their
memories for old songs, the more
obscure the better. For Ae most
part they succeeded, with the
possible exceptions of Charlie
Pride’s "Feel Like Going Home,"
(the album’s closer) and the oft-
covered traditional "Please Baby."
These are good songs, just not
"obscure."
The Netting Hillbillies are
currently on tour in England, but
no plans have been revealed to
come to the US. Therefore,
Misring..JPresumed Having a
Good Time, may be your only
chance to ever hear them. And,
you at all like country music, or if
you are a Mark Knopfler fan,
hearing this album just might not
be a bad idea.
The Blue Banner’s Top 11 Album Purchase Tips for
Concerned Parents
1. Avoid Blues and Blacks in rock group names.
2. Avoid groups named after instruments of torture.
3. Avoid album covers with pictures of women in lingerie.
4. Avoid album covers with pictures of men in lingerie.
5. "Puff the Magic Dragon" is a drug song.
6. Pat Boone albums are O.K.
7. Skulls, skeletons and dismembered body parts are
probably a no-no.
8. Avoid artists whose hair adds another five inches to
their height.
9. Groups with place names tend to be very tame.
10. Frank Zappa: probably not O.K.
11. And for heaven’s sakes, don’t buy anything that has
ever been reviewed in The Blue Banner, it might be
neato.
THE FUTURE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
AT UNCA
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, MAY 5 1990,
OWEN CONFERENCE CENTER
Ule/tern
Carolina
ineclKal Clinic
STRICTLY co.yylDFTlrr.^
• FREE PRECNANCY TESTING-IMMEDIATE KUSULl'-S
• ABORTION SI-RVICI'S • ULTRA SOUND AVAILARI.E
•DlR'Dl CON TROL
• WELL WOMEN'S HEALTH CARE STimENT RATES
HOURS: 8 A.M.-6 P.M. Mon.-Fri. 8 A.M.- ] P.M. Saturdays
•Quality Health Care Since 1979’
(274-7460)
900 Hendersonville Rd.
P.O. Box 5962
Asheville, N.C. 28813
8:15-9a.m.
9- 9:15a.m.
9:15-9;30a.m.
9:30-10a.m.
10- 10:45a.m.
10:45-lla.m.
11- ll:45a.m.
n:45-12:30p.m.
12:30-l:30p.m.
l:30-3:15p.m.
3:15-3:30p.m.
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
ORIENTATION
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN NORTH CAROLINA
INTERNATIONALIZING THE CURRICULUM
BREAK
RECRUITMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, RETENTION AND ADVISING
THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN A CHANGING WORLD
LUNCH BREAK/LUNCHEON SPEAKER
WORKSHOPS
Workshop I -INTERNATIONALIZING THE CURRICULUM
Workshop 11 -INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND ADVISING
Workshop III -STUDY ABROAD AND FACULTY EXCHANGE
Chose tvo. Each session will last 4S minutes and be repeated once.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
?; All members of the UNCA community are invited to attend.
IcOonald at 2S1-M19