Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Nov. 11, 1987, edition 1 / Page 6
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
6Th3 Daily Tar HeelWednesday, November 1 1, 1987 'Less than Zero lives up to title It's film-of-lhe-book time again, folks, but this time we Ye really in trouble. Anyone who has read Bret Easton Ellis bestseller "Less Than Zero" will know that it doesn't lend itself easily to a mass teen audience. Indeed, it is argu able whether there is a movie in it at all. The bock, which many say is controversial, is strong on stream-of-consciousness, drug abuse and child rape, but it is perhaps lacking a captivating story line and often cajoles the reader into the state of lethargy that Ellis purports that our friends in Beverly Hills expe rience on a large scale. "Hey, no problem," one can almost hear the scriptwriters saying. "Stick in our own plot, bring in a bevy of Brat Packers, slap out the soundtrack, and well be laughing all the way to the bank." It would perhaps be too much to ask for the joke to be on them. But guess who's in the cast? Go on, guess. We have Andrew McCarthy as Clay, the narrator of Ellis book, who, on screen any way; becomes a fierce anti-drugs advocate. J ami Gertz is his coke snorting girlfriend Blair, who miraculously spurns drugs in the 79th minute ("Call the plumber," she exclaims to amazed onlookers as she pours cocaine down the sink). And there's Robert Downey Jr. as Julian Wells, the guy with such promise for whom everything goes wrong, and he consequently gets as heavily into debt as he does into drugs. James Spader plays great name this is Rip, who is Downey's evil reckoner. So does this degenerate into "The Pick-Up Artist Meets Pretty In Pink? Not quite, but it's close. Based on such a "controversial" novel, the film has to say some thing, and one can give it points for trying, though it is undeniably caught in the no man's land between mass teen appeal and a more serious adult approach. One could call it the Brat Pack Sound track syndrome, but that would be unfair, and it would also be wrong to discard the performance of these teen idols. These kids, though certainly lacking good scripts, are not without talent, and they no doubt find the Brat Pack label somewhat limiting. Downey, for instance, "emerg ing as a fine young actor of considerable charm. As Julian he lies well, his highs are believable, were fighting for ydurufe AQ (liP is now (J (iiBy part-timo iLJ You can make $4.50 per hour by workins part-time during lunch hours Join our growth-oriented company. We promote from within. Get a fresh new job with our new management team. Transportation easily accessible by bus. Call Ray Green at 967-8624 V?JIXMIorth Carolina's GONtTOMl MM TOMOmOVK. SHIItYLOMO U :0 4:40 7:40 r r i wihi you WERESHEREI 1 rr m VOLLEYBALL vs. Soiatfa Carolina M 9 Richard Smith Cinema and he cries quite effectively, too. McCarthy undoubtedly has the eyes to be a dispirited do-gooder who only wants true love and people to be happy, though his voice, a few octaves too high, is nothing short of annoying (short being the operative word. Or is it that Gertz is too tall?). And Spader is developing his bad guy very nicely. But they are all roles they've played before in one form or other, and if they play them again, an awful lot of screaming will be in order. There are problems with this movie going for the teenage audience. The film, rather than concentrating on the book's vivid picture of almost total degeneracy among the post-high school youth of Beverly Hills, delivers more of a "for heaven's sake just say no" message and rejects the book's more disturbing images (the con troversial child rape scene is, inevitably, nowhere to be seen). McCarthy and Gertz, most unlike their counterparts in the book, are knights in shining armor trying to rescue their old buddy Julian from an early death at the hands of cocaine, supplied with great glee by Rip and his bearded friend Bill. It is difficult to care whether or not our good guys are successful when it all seems so trivial. "Less Than Zero" could have been a good film if a few risks had been taken. Not compromising the powerful, candid nature of the book would have been a start, and it would have been an ideal showcase for new talent. Instead, this is a dismally limp movie that, rather than furthering the careers of its stars, digs their rut even deeper. Its only redeeming feature is Edward Lachman's photo graphy, with its unusual camera angles and splendid use of color, it is bordering on the adventurous, and it occasionally displays the surrealistic nature of Ellis' book. If you have read and liked "Less Than Zero" and want to see this film, prepare to be disappointed. And if you don't care much for books and just have the hots for McCarthy, apart from a brief glimpse of his bare bottom (blink and youll miss it), you could be disappointed, too. Amorican Hoart Association hiring full-tii omplo time and omployocs. Most Exciting Film Showcase! - - Hilarioussparkling comedy." K i n Th.iu.- 1 .1 IS A M i Kl .KS Tl M KS DIANE VUMYW SXMSHEPARI) TOO TheGimncry. KMTEK STEREO EXCLUSIVE V.'.V.'.V.V.V.' MRU lOORffl Cram doesn't plan oe leaving UNC By JAMES SUROWiECKI Sports Editor It was another in a long series of press conferences for UNC football coach Dick Crum Tuesday, and Cram apparently plans to be around for many more. The coach surpris ingly responded to repeated criticism of him by both fans and by members of the media, and made clear that he wants to be exactly where he is. Cram dismissed the idea that he needs to win a certain number of games in order to keep his job as a creation of the press. He also, if not in so many words, expressed similar sentiments about the description of contests like last Saturday's UNC Clemson matchup as games he had to win in order to keep his job. Cram seemed comfortable with his stance, and accepted the seemingly endless criticism of him as simply a part of the position. "That's what the head coach is supposed to do is take the heat," he said. "Listen, when the team's going good, it's because of the players, and I really believe that. But when things go badly, the press is going to get after you, and there's nothing I can do about it." Except for the momentary flash of Swimmers crush Nittany Lions in home dual meet From staff reports North Carolina's 12th-ranked women's swim team hosted unranked Penn State Saturday in Koury Nat atorium and came away with a 165 103 victory. In the individual events, three Tar Heels were two-time winners. Fresh men Hannah Turlish (200-yard frees tyle, 500 free) and Heather Not tingham (100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke) were double victors, as was UNC junior swimmer Kim Beattie, who captured the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. Beattie also anchored two victo rious North Carolina relay teams in the 400 medley and the 400 freestyle. Koll, Welch pin down wrestling titles From staff reports NORFOLK, Va. The UNC wrestling team appears to be well on its way to another fine season. The squad, which challenged nationally last year, won three individual cham pionships at the Eastern Regionals Saturday, and while team scores weren't recorded, the Tar Heels probably would have won the team title as well. Three-time All-American Rob Koll led the way for the Tar Heels as he swept to his fourth straight title at the event. Koll racked up two pins, two technical falls and a superior decision for a 5-0 mark on the day Bedrosian squeaks past Sutcliffe for Cy Young From Associated Press reports NEW YORK Philadelphia The PEINCESS hi T.-l I prflifflUMI (MTfMMlM 9:30 MTNtl LESS THAN ZERO (R) 7:00 9:15 Utt Humim tTMf I tU Mtl J maun OPENING SOON! We are accepting applications for our Franklin Street location. Fixed or flexible hours are available for all shifts. Previous McDonald's experience helpful, but not necessary. McDonald's provides: Starting salary up to $5.00 per hour Free Uniforms Free Meals Flexible Hours Promotional Opportunities Book reimbursement $275year For an interview, apply at the Franklin Street location, Monday-Friday, 9 am-1 2 'noon and I pm-4 prn. An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer 1? 11 u Sports "V 5 - Dick Crum emotion, though, Tuesday's press conference was again characterized by a desultory mood, with too many reporters who were either too wary or too uninterested to ask questions. But Cram did have some thoughts on UNC's heartbreaking 13-10 loss to Clemson. "You play that hard and invest that much and you come up In the first race, Beattie was joined by senior Susan O'Brien, junior Wendy Powers and freshman Devon Hyde. In the meet finale, Beattie's teammates were junior Wendy Pow ers, freshman Jill Benda and Turlish. Other UNC event winners were freshman Staci Sawyer (1,000 free style), freshman Karin Andren (200 back) and O'Brien (100 back). The Tar Heel women's diving team didn't fare quite as well Saturday as the swimmers. Senior Erika Schmidt placed second in both the 1 -meter and 3-meter events. Senior Jeannie Crabbe came in fifth and sixth in the 1- and 3-meter dives, respectively. and Catullo at the 167-pound class. The senior has now won an individual title at the Eastern Nationals each of his four years at UNC. John Welch took the 134 weight class with one pin and a major decision on the way to a 5-0 record. Enzo Catullo had a pin and and two major decisions en route to winning the 142 weight class. Senior All American Lenny Bernstein took third in the 150-pound event. The Tar Heels will host an all-day clinic Saturday at Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem prior to their annual Blue White match there at 7:30 p.m. reliever Steve Bedrosian, who led the major leagues with 40 saves, won the National League Cy Young Award Tuesday by the' slimmest margin in the award's history. Bedrosian, who set a major-league record with saves in 13 consecutive appearances, edged Rick Sutcliffe of Chicago 57-55 in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Rick Reuschel, who played for Pittsburgh and San Francisco, finished one point behind Sutcliffe in third place. The closest election prior to this year was in 1981, when Fernando Valenzuela of Los Angeles, then a rookie, beat Tom Seaver of Cincin nati by three points. Bedrosian is the third reliever to win the NL Cy Young Award since the leagues started giving out separate honors in 1967. Bruce Sutter of Chicago won in 1979, while Mike Marshall of Los Angeles was honored in 1974. Classified Info The Daily Tar Heel does not accept cash tor payment of clas sified advertising. Please let a check or money order be your receipt Return ad and payment to the OTH office by noon the business day before your ad is to run. Ads must be prepaid. Rates: 25 words or less Students, Student Organizations and Individuals: Qftj? Uatlg OTar liteH CDattffDerJ- Advertosninig short, it's very disappointing," Cram said while warning of the possibility of a letdown this Saturday against Virginia. "When you play well and you lose, it's frustrating. But you got to keep in mind that we played a very good football team." The bespectacled coach, clad in his usual blue blazer, expressed discont ent with the officiating in the Clemson game, particularly during the Tigers' final drive, when an official stopped play three times because of an allegedly loud crowd, and finally warned Cram that a timeout would be taken from the Tar Heels if the noise continued. "The referee took it upon himself to stop the clock because of the noise," Cram said. "That's a little more influence over the game than we'd like to see. And you know that crowd noise wasn't even close to what it is at Clemson." Cram emphasized that the fan support was much appreciated, and threw in one of his familiar plugs for Carolina Fever. "I hope we set a standard that it will be like that every week," he said of the pacific Kenan Stadium crowd. "I don't want to see that go because one official decided to take (quieting Women's Swimming I.Texas 390 I.Texas 390 (tie) Stanford 390 2 Stanford 386 a Florida 350 3. Southern California 350 4. California 328 4. Florida 330 5. Arizona State 325 (tie) California 330 6. Clemson 296 6. Michigan 300 7. Georgia 258 7. UCLA 250 a Southern California 241 & Arizona State 241 9. UCLA 235 9. Alabama 220 10. LSU 222 10. Iowa 209 11. Michigan 213 11.LSU 207 12. North Carolina 168 12. Tennessee 174 (be) Tennessee 168 13. Arizona 168 14. South Carolina 149 14. South Carolina 155 15. Ohio State 100 15. Arkansas 105 1 & Alabama 69 16. Southern Illinois 89 17. Nebraska 57 17. Auburn 81 (tie) Arizona 57 1a Nebraska 73 19. Virginia 50 1 a Princeton 50 20. Minnesota 41 20, Wisconsin 38 I isaa Men's Top 20 1. Indiana (23) 18-2 358 1. North Carolina (14) 20-0-1 224 2 South Carolina (1) 15-1-3 330 Z Massachusetts 18-1 206 3. Virginia 16-2-2 290 a Cal-BerkeJey (1) 15-0 196 4. Harvard 12-0-2 282 4. N.C. State 17-3-1 176 5. Southern Methodist 13-3-1 270 a Colorado College 15-2-1 168 a Rutgers 17-3-2 232 6. Connecticut 14-4-3 142 7. Duke 13-4-1 221 7. Central Florida 10-4 133 8. North Carolina 17-4 193 a William & Mary 9-6-3 103 9. UCLA 13-6-1 175 9. Barry 13-2-1 101 10.Seton Hail 14-3-3 134 10. Cal-Sarrta Barbara 10-3-1 98 H.Adelphi 13-3-2 119 11. Virginia 13-6-1 69 12UNLV 13-5 92 12 Rutgers 12-5 68 1 a George Mason 13-4-3 51 1 a Wisconsin-Madison 13-3-1 53 14. Evansville 16-7 40 14. Cornell 11-2-2 30 15. San Francisco 14-4-3 34 15. George Mason 10-8-1 21 1 a Connecticut 13-6-3 30 1 a Cal-Sarrta Clara 8-4-2 6 17. St Louis 12-6-4 28 17. Cal State-Dominquez Hills 13-4-1 3 18. N.C. State 13-5-2 17 (tie). Brown 7-7-2 . 3 Fighting Irish ready for fearsome end of season From Associated Press reports SOUTH BEND, Ind. Notre Dame finds itself staring down the barrel of a season-ending schedule that could dampen the good feeling stemming from the Irish's continued climb in the Associated Press college football poll. Notre Dame vaulted from ninth to seventh in the rankings announced Tuesday after rallying to beat Boston College 32-25 Saturday. UCLA, Syracuse and Georgia joined the Irish in moving up two places while Oklahoma, Nebraska, Miami and Florida State again held on to the first four positions. The Irish, 7-1, face a final three games that will test the talents of coach Lou Holtz and top players such as All-American flanker Tim Brown. "WeVe talked all season about the difficulty of these last three games against Alabama, Penn State and Miami,'' Holtz said. "But if you're a good football team, you should be prepared at $2.00 per day Consecutive day rates: 2 days $3.25 3 ffeys $4.00 4 days $4.75 5 days $5.00 Businesses: $5.00 per day 5C for each additional word $1.00 per day for any boxed ad or bold type Please notify the DTH office Imme diately if there are mistakes In your ad. We will be responsible only for the first ad run. announcements OUR FUTURE OUR CHOICE "A His-. torial Perspective of the Nuclear Arms Race" Nov. 11 1987 at Chapel of the Cross. THE ORANGE COUNTY WOM EN'S CENTER will present "It's Up to Women" and "Women For America For The World" at 7:30 pm. the fans) into his own hands." Clemson was a major topic of discussion, and Crum had some interesting reflections on the tactical manipulations of Tiger coach Danny Ford during the final drive, which consumed seven minutes and set up David Treadwell's winning 30-yard field goal. "It was a very intelligent drive," Cram said, and then spoke of the drive's key play, a fourth-and-two that became a first down thanks to an option pitch from Clemson quar terback Rodney Williams to tailback Terry Allen. "They brought in two tight ends and a wingback and we called our defense based on that," Cram said. "They took a timeout and took the tight ends and the wingback out and brought three wide receivers in. But it's tough to know who's in until they come out of the huddle. They caught us in a defense we didn't want to be m. Cram also spoke of the upcoming Virginia game, but the conference was dominated by the Tar Heels past, which seems rather ironic. Cram, after all, very much plans to be part of UNC's future. Men's Swimming ISAA Women's Top 20 this point in the season for teams of that caliber. It's an old cliche, but people remember what you do in November." AP Top 20 1. Oklahoma (36) 9-0 1,164 2 Nebraska (15) 9-0 1,137 a Miami, Fla. (9) 7-0 1,111 4 Florida State 8-1 1,021 5. UCLA 8-1 943 & Syracuse 9-0 902 7. Notre Dame 7-1 856 a Georgia 7-2 694 9. Clemson 8-1 646 10. LSI) 7-1-1 632 11. Alabama 7-2 617 1Z Auburn 7-1-1 567 1a Michigan State 6-2-1 460 14. South Carolina 6-2 450 15. Penn State 7-2 328 1a Indiana 7-2 301 17. Oklahoma State 7-2 258 1 a Tennessee 6-2-1 166 19. Texas A&M 6-2 114 20 Arkansas 6-2 58 Others receiving votes Iowa 37, Florida 31, Southern Cal 24, Wyoming 2a Arizona State 16, Eastern Michigan 15. services ABORTION To 20 Weeks. Private and confidential GYN facility with Saturday and weekday appointments available. Pain medication given. Free pregnancy tests. 942-0824. TYPING SERVICE: Papers, theses, dissertations, resumes. AD work done on word processor, letter quality printer, reasonable rates. Call 732-8005 after 4 pm.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 11, 1987, edition 1
6
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75