Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Nov. 8, 1990, edition 1 / Page 4
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Arts and Entertainment Page Darkman: acv/ exciting superhero for the '90s If you happen to be fond of tales about beauties and beasts or a supeifan of superheroes, then the movie "Darkman" is for you. Larry Burrows (James Belushi), drinks a "spilt milk” made by Mike (Michael Caine) in Mr. Destiny, ’ Changing destiny Correcting past failures doesn't guarantee dream future Heather Whitehouse The Pendulum Mr. Destiny is a comedy that brings doubt to the mind about one event that could have changed your entire life had it resulted differently. Larry Burrows (James Belushi), is just an ordinary man. He married his high school sweetheart Ellen (Linda Hamilton), and works a 9-5 desk job. Burrows, who is unsatisfied with his life, meets Mike (Michael Caine), a bartender. Mike has the power to reverse the one event Burrows believes would Review have made his life better. Once Burrows' destiny is reversed he finds he is married to prom queen Cindy Jo (Rene Russo), the father of two brats, and president of his new father-in- law’s company. Along with that. Burrows finds out that now everybody hates him. Burrows decides the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and he wants to go back. He doesn t know how to change everything back, so he u-ies by taking fate into his own hands. Mr. Destiny is a movie for all you fate believers that don't mind a touch of "Magnum P.I." narration at the the start and end of the film. Filmed in Winston- Salem, N.C., and Asheville, N.C., the witty comedy takes on a new angle to fate and destiny. The producers don't go with the traditional beliefs that our lives are a script and we arc just the actors. Nor does it follow the scenario about life just being a series of chance occurances. Mr. Destiny shows how all things happen for a reason even if you don't understand why the moment it happens. Peri Aston to perform Joan of Arc: Dance of a woman warrior Deborah Durkee The Pendulum On Saturday. Nov. 10, at 8 p.m., actress Peri Aston will perform Joan of Arc: Dance of a Woman Warrior. The performance, which will be held in Whidey Auditorium, w free of charge to the public. Aston performs four solo shows of her own conception which follow Joan of Arc through her life. This is done by symbolic elements of earth representing Joan's birth, ^ir illustrating her vision, water depictmg her joupriey and fire portraying her sacrifice. The interpretation is created through movement, mask, music and actual quotations from Joan of Arc and her peers. Aston teaches workshops in mask and Commedia and has toured extensively in Britain and the United Stales. By combining the elements of horror, adventure, and wit, "Darkman" provides a refreshing break from the gore that has become almost a trademark in most horrw movies today. Granted, there is a villain who enjoys collecting fingers from live victims, but surprisingly enough, director Sam Raimi doesn’t allow the viUian's finger fetish to get out of hand. Darkman, played by Liam Neeson, is certainly a hero of the 90's. Void of superpowers, he is driven to his acts of "justice" by rage and a thirst for revenge against the men who horribly disfigure his face and destroy his normal lifestyle. Previously a scientist trying to perfect a machine that reproduces facial masks made of skin cells, Darkman's life takes a dramatic turn after his girlfriend Julie accidently obtains a memo linking her employer to a number of crimes. After an evening with her scientific beau, Julie, played by Francis McDormand, manages to misplace the memo among some of Darkman’s scientific data. Unfortunately, it later ends up in his lab. Julie's employer calls upon his hired villains to retrieve the memo from Darkman's lab. After obtaining the memo, the vicious criminals torture the innocent scientist and set off a bomb in his lab. Darkman, after being hurled through his lab window by the explosion, is later brought to a hospital. He is unidentifiable, horribly disfigured, and badly burned. Miraculously, though, he is still alive. By using an experimental medical technique, the doctors sever nerves in Darkman's spinal column. This opmtion leaves him unable to feel pain which is fortunate consid^ng his injuries. The unfortunate part of this Amber Fritz "Darkman provides a refreshing break from the gore that has become ahnost a trademark in most horror movies todaj^' operation is its side effects. The most prevalent side effect is Darkman's inability to control his emotions. As a result, he becomes prone to uncontrollable outbursts ofrage. One such outburst occurs while he is still in the hospital. During a fit of anger, he manages to break his restraining straps and escape from the hospital. He then wanders the streets still wrapped in bandages and still known only as John Doe. Eventually, Darkman remembers his identity and returns to his lab to salvage some of his precious equipment. Living in a deserted warehouse, he recreates the machine that enables him to assume any identity by producing picture perfect masks. To Darkman's dismay, the masks have one flaw. The created cells can only last a short time in the light After 98 minutes, the cells disintegrate leaving only the horribly disfigured man behind the mask. As one would expect, Darkman still manages to use his flawed masks to destroy the villains who ruined his life. In the end, as always, the good guy wins. Although predictable, Darkman" is an exciting movie well worth seeing. The makeup effects and the action- packed adventure definitely compensate for the predictability of the plot. Besides, movie heroes should be predictable. If they didn't always win, they wouldn’t be heroes, now would they?
Elon University Student Newspaper
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Nov. 8, 1990, edition 1
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