20
April 22, 1999
A&E
Dinner
Lisa McChristian
The Pendulum
The Usual Suspects
& L.A. Confidential ,
Yes, you read correctly, this
week’s movie section is about two
movies from more than a year ago.
Due to a bite from the flu bug I had
time to catch up with some great
movies that I managed to miss.
“The Usual Suspects” is an
action-adventure movie that I was
weary of first but I really had a
good time watching. The story
focuses on five con-men who are
placed in a police line up together
through the manipulations of mys
terious Keyser Soze. From that
moment on the film never stops
moving. Just when you think you
know who’s double crossing who,
everything you know turns out to
be wrong.
The film stars some of
Hollywood’s most gifted leading
men like Kevin Spacey, Gabriel
Byrne, Pete Postlethwaite, Kevin
Pollack, Chazz Palminteri, Benicio
Del Toro, and Stephen Baldwin.
Spacey won an Academy
Award for the seemingly slow-wit-
ted Verbal Kint. He is one of the
best American actors today.
“L.A. Confidential” is a mur
der mystery set in the 1950’s. It has
a little bit of everything from cor
rupt cops, gang violence, a hooker
with a heart of gold, a true ro
mance, and a sleazy tabloid re
porter.
I now understand why Kim
Basinger won the 1998 Best Sup
porting Actress Award for her role
as Lynn Bracken, a woman who
came to Hollywood to become a
star and had to settle for being a
hooker.
I highly recommend “The
Usual Suspects” and “L.A. Confi
dential.” You’ll get your money’s
worth for the rentals.
The Olive Garden
Before the flu struck I had
the chance to make my second trip
to the Olive Garden with a few
friends.
As usual I got a great meal
for under $20. Ourmeal started out
with an endless bowl of house salad
and fresh bread sticks that are deli
cious.
I took a risk and also order a
the side dish of stuffed mushrooms
filled with a variety of cheeses,
marinara sauce, and peppers. The
mushrooms were very tangy. They
can be very filling so be careful
how many you eat before the en
tree. I highly recommend the
ravioli. You are given the option of
cheese or beef. I picked the cheese
stuffed ravioli and was not disap
pointed.
A word of warning: Avoid
the mushroom alfredo at all costs.
I don’t want to tarnish a good
restuarant but the dish is foul. Stick
with the more traditional dishes.
An unusual night with Aerosmith
Tom Mullen
The Pendulum
Great plans seem to always
have holes. Things you don’t ex
pect and things you never dream of
happening. Never in a million years
before coming to college did I think
I would interview countless bands
including
Fear Fac
tory, Hel
met, Va
nilla Ice,
Jimmy
E a t
World,
and the
Promise
Ring.
Last
Thursday
at the
Greens-
b o r o
Coliseum
was not
one of those nights.
Aerosmith and Columbia
Records label-mates The Afghan
Whigs rolled into town this part
Thursday. Didn’t they just come
through here? You would think
they would have a limit on this?
The fans didn’t care and neither did
I.
The review starts with a star
tling realization that my friend and
I have great tickets and backstage
passes courtesy of a close friend
who knew the opening band. We
proceed to the seat and weave our
way around countless women in
leather, guys in ratted tour shirts
great but there seemed to be too
many people cheering for The Af
ghan Whigs to start. Clue #1
Then we asked a roadie about
the backstage pass. He said some
one already came along to get people
with those passes. Clue #2.
Then a huge banner of
EUKEY
smmmH
ttimuTo
iiHi arc Invlicd 10 ym{
our tocMion in charming
Elan College
Came spend the ajicrnmt
umrlng ourfuciiity.
you s.
Aerosmith floated down and the
lights became dark. Clue #3.
We missed The Afghan
Whigs. That was the only reason
we came. Aerosmith was just the
icing on the cake. My friend wal
lowed in his seat as I stood and tried
to make the best of the situation.
Aerosmith came as if they
had just gotten out of their wheel
chairs. Steven Tyler did his best to
trick the almost capacity crowd that
they still rock. He ran from one
side of the stage to the other and
only stopped to do sexual type move
ments against big models of cats
and snakes, which made the women
and plenty of booze. The seats were in the crowd scream as loud as teeny-
boppers at an N’Sync show.
Joe Perry was hunched over
his guitar the entire show. He tried
to play the songs as if it was the first
tour. I guess it’s hard to play the
same songs every night for 20 years
and still try and play them with the
same passion. I will admit they
pulled out all the hits at the right
time and were as tight as any band
I have ever seen. “Walk This Way,”
“Dream On,” “Dude Looks Like a
Lady” and “Love in
an Elevator” (the
only reason I
watched MTV in
middle school) all
rocked the house and
got the crowd up in
arms.
My favorite
part of a huge arena
show is the end. The
band leaves after
their “supposed” last
song and half of the
place clears o.ut.
Then when
Aerosmith comes
back out to do an en
core they all rush back and make
excuses why they left to their new
friends that they just met at the
show. It never gets old for me.
The night wasn’t a complete
washout. I saw two and half hours
of Aerosmith and if that wasn’t
enough, 94.5 FM was blasting
Aerosmith in the parking lot as the
crowd left.
My friend and I were disap
pointed that we never saw The Af
ghan Whigs, but Aerosmith cer
tainly showed me how they keep
their fans and still know how to give
the goods after all these years. They
also still like to charge $25 for a T-
shirt.
My friend was still upset
about missing The Afghan Whigs,
but I left the arena saying to myself
“There is no show, like a free show.”
2138 S. Church St.
Burlington, N.C. 27215
336-226-8094
All Elon Students
Get 10% Off
With Student ID
"Official Sub Shop of the
Fightin’ Christians”
Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
mmmwwmm
Now Hiring
annm^ Avenue » 'suuc 104 • tlofVCoMetie
Pou Ofticc 1 !22 . r ion Cdl.gc, Noril, CJroima 2/Z44
ki ii l6) 5844400 ♦ Fax: 1
SUMMER OF YOUR LIFE
CAMP WAYNE, NE PA
Counselor Specialists for all Land/Water
Sports. Tennis, Outdoor Adventure, Mtn.
Biking, Rocketry, A&C, Drama, Radio, Video.
Please Call 1-888-549-2963 or
e-mail wayneboys@aoLcom