8
Thursday, April 11,1996
‘Bottle Rocket’ Soars Into Hilarious World of Post-College Life
“Bottle Rocket” is the kind of quirky
little film that provokes young directors to
want to make movies. Tarantino may be a
serious influence on the basis that he was
discovered
while working
at a video store,
but Owen Wil
son and Wes
Anderson have
| TODD GILCHRIST |
Movie Review
"Bottle Rocket"
B+
crafted a work that rivals thepromiseofthe
Coens’ “Blood Simple.”
The films stars Owen C. Wilson as
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admission $7 00 general public
Sh*- $5 Q 0 students
tickets available at Carolina union box office
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Didgnan, a carefully plotting but entirely
inept thief and criminal. In the opening
scene, Didgnan helps his best friend An
thony (Luke Wilson) escape from a mental
institution. The only catch is that Anthony
admitted himself to the facility, and is now
leaving of his own free will. Still, he agrees
to climb out the window rather than walk
out the front door because, as Anthony
tells his doctor, “(Didgnan) gets so ex
cited.” Being a cynic, I expected this to all
be some type of trick on the doctor. In
stead, Didgnan truly was getting worked
University Mall, Chapel Hill (941-8501) Mon.-Sat. 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. & Sun. 1:00-6:00 p.m.
DIVERSIONS
up because he engineered a plan to “free”
his friend, and Anthony was simply along
for the ride. By this point, so too is the
viewer. They then plot to rob a bookstore
in an attempt to capture the attention of
Mr. Henry (James Caan), a “real” criminal
whom Didgnan idolizes. Enlisting the aid
of Bob Mappelthoipe (Robert Musgrave),
the “only one with a car,” they put tape
over their noses (Why?. “Exactly!”) and
pull off the heist with little or no difficulty,
save a little verbal resistance from the man
ager. Fugitives from the law, the three hide
out in a hotel where Bob deserts them to
bail his bullying brother out of jail and
Anthony meets Inez, one of the custodi
ans, and falls in love, losing all interest in
thievery. Didgnan, however, has other in
tricate (if absurd) plans for the team.
This film would be much less interest
ing if any of the characters weren’t idiots.
One early scene shows Didgnan's plans for
the future, as in his entire future, in which
he divides his life into segments from the
Next Two Weeks to The Next Twenty
Years And Beyond, absurdly asstiming
that his master plan will be successful de
spite the fact that he can’t even keep a
normal job, much less plan a major heist—
perhaps he instead of Anthony should have
been committed.
Owen C. Wilson wrote the screenplay
with director Wes Anderson after support
was picked up by James L. Brooks, who
saw a short of theirs at Sundance last year.
Instead of taking another talkie criminal
riff from pages ofthe “Pulp Fiction” screen
play, he created three fascinating charac
ters that can barely function alone and
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almost not at all with each other- but that’s
just the way we like them.
“Bottle Rocket” is a hilariously bizarre
look at the post-college years, when people
with too little to do become so consumed
by their fantasies that they attempt to act
them out in the real world. A film like this
as well as the black comedy “Cold Blooded”
present more optimistic views ofthe future
of independent film making; writers and
directors who are willing to take chances
with what doesn’t already exist on film
help the art of cinema to progress.
ill
Presidents of the
United States of America
The Ritz
May 18
Tickets $12.50 in advance
A string of up-and-coming artists who
lack the ability to fill an amphitheater but
attract large crowds to small local clubs
have recently been booking The Ritz in
downtown Raleigh.
Artists such as Hole, Foo Fighters, Joan
Osborne and Alanis Morissette have all
performed at The Ritz recently and have
had sold out performances.
Finding themselves in MTV’s Buzz Bin,
the Presidents of the United. States of
America are the next artists scheduled to
appear at The Ritz, having recently broke
into mainstream alternative rock with their
new self-titled album.
Long on name and short on songs, the
Presidents have acquired a steadily grow
ing following who have helped to push
their album into the top ten list for several
weeks.
Theirfirsthit “Lump” was a nice, catchy
song which skyrocketed them into
America’s homes, proving they were not
“last in line for brains.”
“Peaches,” their current release, has
brought them back to the top with the aid
of a well-marketed concert series at Mount
Rushmore and a super-cheesy video.
Listen carefully to the lyrics of
“Peaches”: some people belive the song
talks of nothing but sex. Personally I don’t
hear that.
What makes the Presidents ofthe United
States of America such a unique and cut
ting edge group?
We 11.... nothing.
They are not employing anything that a
hundred different artists haven’t done be
fore, but their songs are catchy and get a lot
of radio play.
If you listen to contemporary music and
have GlO5 programmed into your car ste
reo,
dents of the of America/are
destined to be at least as popular as reruns
of “Oprah.”
Opening for the Presidents willbe Young
Fresh Fellows and Super Deluxe.
For ticket information call 919-834-
4000. Tickets go on sale tomorrow morn
ing.
—Dean Hair
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