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Ffshi's latest essays snobbish ;'.but Iiihiiofoiis By MARK MURRELL Special to the DTH Fran Lebowitz is an elitist snob. That quality makes her latest collection of 26 essays and aphorisms in Social Studies all the more appealing. Although there is no humorist who can pull off a master piece on every page, Lebowitz, still in her twenties and always poised with a petulent pout, holds her own against such entrenched competitors as Woody Allen. She is um mistakably the Erma Bombeck of the Me generation that young, single and lonely crowd. review A militant smoker though a political conservative, Lebowitz is a loner, observing her world with an un pitying eye that zooms in on inconsistency. . The good thing about Lebowitz is that she realizes the ; negative qualities which have made her famous and she offers no apologies for them. "I've never had anywhere near the amount of money to justify my snobbery," she confessed recently. "It's innate.'' This book, her first after the best-seller of three years ago, Metropolitan Life, contains Fran's observations on people, things, places and ideas most of which she discusses with a humorously arrogant scorn. She offers many words of wisdom: "Polite conversation is rarely either." "Spilling your guts is just exactly as charming as it sounds." She is also quick to guide parents, teens, pet lovers and travelers on the dos and don'ts of life. Consider her advice for parents: "Educational tele vision should be absolutely forbidden. It can only lead to unreasonable expectations and eventual disappointment when your child discovers that the letters of the alphabet do not leap up out of books and dance around the room with royal blue chickens." . Or this tip for teens: "If movies (or films, as you are probably now referring to them) were of such a high and serious nature, can you possibly entertain' even the slightest notion that they would show them in a place that sold Orange Crush and Jujubes?" There are other longer pieces in Lebowitz's book. Many deal with Catholic humor, the trials of being a writer and Lebowitz's vow never to be poor again after leaving her one-room apartment with its Kord two burner hotplate. The author may have concocted the perfect remedy to poverty. If she continues to write best-sellers every three years that are only 150 pages long, sell for $10 and have selections that simultaneously appear in Interview and Newsweek, Lebowitz will soon have enough money and fame to justify all the snobbery she can muster. This, of course, is h?r definition of success. Fran Lebowitz is irreverent to humanity and is fun niest at those times when she is most cruel. This book is full of hilarious moments that inspire guilt in a reader who sees the humor. Some are sure to trigger a good deal of hate mail for Fran. ... A typical passage from Lebowitz an avowed hater of pets: "Even if dogs should be withheld from the frivolous, there would still be the blind and pathologically lonely to think of. I am not totally devoid of coihpas sion, and after much thought I believe I have hit upon the perfect solution to this problem: let the lonely lead the blind." Please address your letters of outrage to Fran Lobowitz co Random House not to me. But don't expect an answer. That's the beauty of this writer. She really doesn't care if she offends you on one page if she can make you laugh on another. She seeks to outrage. r " ' She shows little sympathy for New Yorkers, Catholics, the poor, parents, Californians, teenagers, children, pets, servants, her aunt, her own kitchen appliances, directory assistance operators, people with handicaps or those of varying sexual persuasions. . However, it's hard to picture Lebowitz bent double over her typewriter in derisive laughter. In the tradition of the best humorists, she does not seem to laugh at her best line, but rather delivers them with that unabashed, dead-pan precociousness that says "In this business unless you have a sense of humor you're dead." Friday, October 9, 1981Th6 Daily Tar Heel7 'Freetime9 .succeeds as joyful jazz fusion album 'Romeo and Juliet,' dramatic success By JEFF GROVE DTH Staff Writer The Paul Green Theatre was trans formed into the streets of old Verona Wednesday night as the UNC Department of Dramatic Art presented Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare's early tragedy is no toriously difficult to stage because audi ences have many preconceived notions, but this production racks up more plusses than minuses. book The ill-fated lovers, who challenge the feud between their families and pay with their lives, are played by Laura Sumner and Nicholas Searcy. Sumner creates a charming Juliet who convincingly ma tures from a giddy child to a strong woman. Searcy makes a less forceful im pression as Romeo. He gives a capable " performance, commanding the stage well during his scenes, but- the sight of his outstretched hands soon becomes monotonous. The comic stars of the show are Becky Lillie as the lusty, devoted nurse and Kevin Coffey as Sampson, a servant with a talent for stealing a scene by falling asleep on his feet. Glenn Roark; a bit young for the role of Friar Lawrence, , makes the character affable and at times, moving. Mercutio, as played by Carl Espy, seems somehow off the mark; but has a field day with the famous "Queen Mab" speech. George Kaperonis is aiiery, noble Tybalt. John Rowell has some trouble getting Paris' role started but gives a powerful portrayal in the play's latter half. And Warren Hartwell as Prince Escalus and Leslie Meeds as Lady Capulet also give excellent performances. But unfortunately all the cast members are not up to par. Montague (Randy Sharpe) is far too understated, and the servant Gregory (Jim Shores) is played as a cartoon figure in the midst of the other, more realistic characters. The lighting design by Tom Johns is at mospheric and creative, isolating the part of the stage being used and then enhanc ing it. Rick Brown's costumes comment on the characters without being ob trusive. And the fight scenes, staged by John Roth, are exciting, and Kate Hunter's choreography is simple but elegant. , Tom Rezzuto's set, a modern variation of the basic playing area used in Shakespeare's day, effectively evokes an ltalianate mood. And Rezzuto's direction of the actors sometimes seems too per functory but satisfies in the long run. If there is a problem with his basic concept, it is that he seems to view the story as be ing only about Romeo and Juliet antl not about the Montague-Capulet rivalry. v. Romeo and Juliet continues at 8 p.m. today through Saturday in the Paul Green Theatre. For ticket information, call 962-1121. JEFF GROVE "Sweetback" is realistic Hollywood was mostly deaf to the turbulent years of the 1960s. Instead of realistically examining such political problems as racism and the war in Vietnam, what was generally offered up were bland and inoffensive works like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and The Green Berets. But there were exceptions like Melvin Van Peebles' uncompromising film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, one of the few cinematic por trayals of black rage. Sweetback is the story of a pimp who kills two policemen and then goes on a murderous rampage. It is as con troversial today as it was when re leased a decade ago. The film isn't a pretty one the portrayal of violence and sex are disturbingly realistic yet it needs to be seen even if just as a re minder of what the times were like. By ED LFJTCH DTH SUff Writer Composing successful jazz, or what might be more accurately called jazz fusion, is a long and tedious process. A band can't rely upon the charisma of a lead singer or the structure of a song (a power-chord here, a primal scream there ...) to maneuver a weak number through the rough spots. records In jazz fusion, a loose framework is constructed in the opening moments of a song, and the musicians exploit it for all it's worth, knowing their success depends upon the degree of skill and creativity they display within the scheme. Fusion jazz musicians need techincal proficiency and creativity surpassing the run-of-the-mill recording artist to make it work; consequently, it takes more than a casual listen to determine the degree to which an album succeeds. Freetime, Spyro Gyra's latest release, succeeds. It'll wear you out to listen to it there's so damn much going on. The performers take more than pride in their work; they express a joy that sur faces throughout the production. Guita rist John Tropea wrings note after reluc tant note out of his instrument as if it were a sponge containing musical paint to be dabbed all around whenever a number needs some coloring. And he doesn't miss a note, either. Even if you aren't particularly thrilled with where a song is going at first Spyro Gyra will change keys or make some in credibly slick move and bring you around to their way of thinking. Bass guitarist Will Lee and keyboards magician Tom Schumann run musical circles around one another throughout the album. Individually, they play com-. plex music that builds upon whatever in credible sonic limb the other has climbed out on, saving the thing somehow instead of breaking it off. It's an impressive composite. This album could have been a miser able failure. It has all the ingredients in ample portions: complicated rhythms, "Elegy for Trane" recorded with no drums, and the individual input and crea tive temperaments of all the performers bashing together (five writers on seven songs), But probably the most important thing is that it requires the audience to sit down, put everything else aside and really concentrate for about an hour to appre ciate it. If you just want to relax or you think Boston's first album is the greatest music composed since Peter Frampton died (whadya mean he's not dead?) then maybe you ought to pass on Freetime. Otherwise, give it and Spyro Gyra some long and careful attention. Debra DeMilo, vocalist with the Raleigh-based 'Fabulous Knobs' informs me that the band's long-awaited sequel to their first album will be out sometime in November and will contain seven tracks this time around. 'Knobs' fans, take heed and save up your lunch money for this one. Bass guitarist Jack Cornell tells me they've gotten even better. Help Prevent Birth Dof octe Tho Nation's riumborOno Child Health Problem. Exciting Economical Entertainment 'Paternity borings disappointing By DAWN McDON ALD DTH Staff Writer Paternity, starring Burt Reynolds, is a boring account of a wealthy bachelor's campaign to find the perfect, surrogate mother to bear his son. ' ' . ,' ... Reynolds plays Buddy Evans, a promi nent businessman and the most eligible bachelor in New York, who is celebrating bis 44th birthday and feeling the absolute ness of his mortality In an effort to pro duce an heir and preserve the family name, he decides to have a son, though he has no wife. cinema Evans looks up all his female acquaint ances, present and past, in search for this madonna-to-be. And he receives respon ses ranging from flat rejection to hysteri cal laughter. But Evans finally discovers the perfect woman. Maggie, played by Beverly D'Angelo, is a beautiful waitress, tall, blond , and in need of money, who thinks pregnancy is simply a "biological func tion." The rest of the story is a sentimental fairy tale with a predictable ending. Directed by David Steinberg and fea turing the wasted talents of Norman Fell, Paul Dooley and Elizabeth Ashley in completely forgettable roles. Paternity is a slow-paced, semi-comedy. ,At the Ram Triple, - vo . a - THE CAROLINA THEATRE DOWNTOWN IMrtfrl 68M939 ACADEMY AWARD WINNER HUGELY E!JTERTU!!ii&! Gene Shalit. The Today Show. NBC-TV X. Jl Jii I UP ISAAC STERN-'IN CHINA United Artists Classics DAILY AT 7:30, 9:10 SUN. MATS. 2:30, 4:10, 5:50 DAY ) I IS HERE! y OCT. 9 ill ti tn iSiL& g,' NEXT WEEK AT UNC Mon 3 pm - JV Football vs. Ferrum flue 3 pm - Field Hockey vs. Duke 7 pm - Volleyball vs. ECU Phil 8 pm - Volleyball vs. App. State Fri 2 pm - Tennis vs. Clemson W Wr 'unr M liinif iiiMiiiiiiilMkf 21 3 West Franklin St. & '1800 Chapel Hill-Durham Blvd. $1.00 ADMISSION ALL SEATS ALL TIMES 3:00-5:05 "Eye of the Needle" (R) 7:10-9:15 JOHfi TRAVOLTA and JUAWCY ALLEN in Kir ''' iilii'iiiWuiilMX lilViil ''' 9 RICH, LITERATE, ELEGANT AND SUBTLE. An outrageous survey of the sexual mystique. IMMORAL TALES IS NOT ONLY AN EYEFUL, BUT ACTUALLY ABOUT SOME-THING-THE MYSTERY, POETRY AND HYPOCRISY OF MANKIND MAKING LOVE." y-Bruce Willianismi, Playboy TALES slamE Palsma Picasso DIRECTED BY VALERIAN BOROWC2YK PRODUCED BY ANATOLE DAUMAN AN ARCOS FILM IN COLOR A SYN FRANK ENTERPRISES FILM -1 PRIX DE L'ACE DT Jjff (Jk) V London film M FROM NEW LINE CINEMA - ART SCHOOL Friday Saturday 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. $100 momhors $4.00 non-members 929-2896 The Plaza Theatre announces a series of late shows starting Fri.-Sat. Oct. 9-10 "Rocky Horror Picture Show" (R) tho original 12:15 "Body Heat" (R) William Hurt 12:05 Only When I Laugh" Marsha Mason (R) 12:00 All seats $2.00 Qooo afternoon, ma'am. IS THIS THE SCHOOL FOR 6IRTEP CHILPREN? ( 'P LIKE To" I Q-9 THIS BAG?OH,THIS IS FOR THE GIFTS IF IT ISN'T BI6 ENOUGH, I CAN BRINS ANOTHER ONE TOMORROW -mf ..ft... ' It BARGAIN MATINEES $2.09 TILL t PM MON.-FRI. ALL SCREENS! I 3:00 5:15 7:30 9:45 12:05 BODY WILLIAM HURT IS V ITU i MAKE YOU LAUGH... i'TlLYOUCmt - : - . ?t ' ' 1 Mason ' McNichol 3 2:30 4:50 7:10 9:30 12:00 ( .... (Ml COlMMMffCTUMSIKDUSTmU C FictMm DOOMESBURY by Garry Trudeau FUWWMEMC&SOFIHS myiAtvwuxHsoam TMPL5A5VTOPSP0FTT0THB BOARD THAT A SPLBVIP OPPOZ TJVTYH&PP5- msemawHAsmjN you APmwNmBcmtGfOK. Mm, umsmvzLiFPOposa actjuiy W5J0!H THAJBFmTAW 60 POCK f' QWAS 0LR CM TOWCRV IL KBmmvi Pecos's YES, IF WiY, I WHAT IF titty P0USTHA7 THE MIDDLE U, SINCE OFPIMER BnmES! I ALWAYS 60 mii; PICK. jIi BE MATCH STICKY. mUL- mm '. v.-.-. : : : ''i! , L . . 1 ... . T-o brothers trapped by a murder... One hid behind his vows. The other behind his badge. A ROBERT CHARTOFF - IRWIN WINKLER PROOUCTION . ROGERT DE N1RO ROBERT DUVALL TRUE CXDNFESSONS-' Co-Starring BURGESS MEREDITH CHARLES DURN1NG ED FLANDERS CYRS.CUSACK and KENNETH MCMILLAN Screenpiay by JOHN GREGORY DUNNE ard DOOM Based cn the novd bj J-IN GREGORY DUNNE Muse GEORGES DELERUE Drectorof PhotogrEry-OWEN FOZMAN-A.S.C Produced by IRWtN WINKLER and ROBERT CHARTOFF Directed by UUJ GROSBARD-Read the rtovet from Pocket Books Ongnai nusc sccre swuw on v&rese sarstxndc nocords Capyrts MCM.XX XI Urwl Artists Carparauon-AFts Reserved rj"j" Art"t3 1 1. 0f I7!0U!K!S kCCCMniTIKS STARTS TODAY! 2:30 4:45 7:00 9:15
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Oct. 9, 1981, edition 1
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