8
Thursday, February 17, 2000
Superficial Story Sinks
Wall Street' Wanna-Be
IT. Mvn Mansfield
“Boiler Room" is a modem and infe
r< - r . ,nation of ils predecessor,
‘Wall Street."
; i< iati. the best quotes in the movie
■ iin uln:i a t haracter recites dialogue
watch it on
Movie Review
"Boiler Room”
if
iiu Ribisii, who runs a casino in
tnient for college kids, wrestles
lei Cither's Ron Rifkin) pressure
a oh cessful. When his father, a
e'covers his gambling scheme,
-e ilimii.uids that Seth get a legitimate
ilie atening to disown him.
: andim; a job at the brokerage firm
M : m a shady knockoff of J.P.
' (iJigan. Seth learns to sell stock at any
-•lie nsusptTting victims in the hopes
earimtu a million within his first year.
■ .re u.iilv, Seth finds his ethics com
■ miisi.l is lie unearths dark secrets
e ; !■ if ih*‘ company's methods. The
main theme focuses on his dilemma to
■ ■.mdi.ii a morally bankrupt stock
■ Hiking job '.a to swindle his way to
financial ecstasy.
The movie centers around other
ivies as well. Seth’s fanaticism at gain
ihe iii'.i- and respect of his austere
e-ioi ;,i i.ts him throughout the film.
!l is .in entuated with an overly senti
iiiai a:u t doti about his father’s harsh
lion when Seth crashes his bike as
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a small boy. References to the “bike inci
dent” pop up throughout the movie and
become increasingly annoying.
Another theme centers on Seth's
choosing between his stockbroking
trainer’s friendship and a fling with the
trainer’s ex-girlfriend.
The career-versus-love crisis stays in
the background, leaving the audience to
wonder why it was addressed at all.
While the film explores many rele
vant themes, it gives itself no time to
examine the depths of these issues and
comes off as superficial on all accounts.
Though the plot is common,
Giovanni Ribisi plays Seth respectably.
His narrative voice, which considers the
film’s ethical dilemmas with an honest
heart, provides an interesting contrast to
his unctuous actions as a stockbroker.
The music features lots of bass
poundin’ hip-hop songs, including
“Award Tour” by A Tribe Called Quest,
which gives Seth’s underground life a
tough aura, like a hard-core crack deal
er in Hell’s Kitchen.
Also compelling is some of the film’s
cinematography. The stale-blue shots of
Seth furiously working in the fluores
cent-lit office give the movie a feeling of
stressed-out, greedy stockbrokers work
ing exhaustively for a little more money.
However, the plot drags from the
middle to the end, and viewers must
wait for the predictable denouement.
To save some cash, those who want to
see this movie can just rent “Wall Street”
for free in the Undergraduate Library.
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can
be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.
DIVERSIONS Etc.
DiCaprio Surfs to Success Again in 'The Beach'
By Shindy Chen
Staff Writer
It’s “Lord of the Flies,” only with biki
ni-clad women, lots of dope and special
effects.
Richard the American (DiCaprio)
and les franyais Etienne and Franyoise
take the audi
ence through a
circumference
of joy, humor,
pain, evil and
sex on a
remote par-
H Movie Review
“The Beach”
ffff
adise island off Thailand in a little under
two hours of “The Beach.”
And yes, shell out the bucks now,
because the film’s images will lose seri
ous wow-ness six months later on a fl
inch TV screen and hi-fi VCR.
Most impressive is director Danny
Boyd’s attempt at adding his surreal,
artistic touch to the film. Boyd dupli
cates the eccentric quality nascent in
directorial hit “Trainspotting,” by using
video game effects and computer imag
ing in the portrayal of Richard’s descent
into psychosis.
The scene is so unique and daring it
has to be mentioned. Recall Renton’s
withdrawal: the dead baby, dead
Tommy, the wall lengthening and other
crazy hallucinatory images? Some
Arts#
Entertainment
Calendar
MUSIC
Cat’s Cradle. 300 E. Main St, Carrboro. 907-9053.
Go! Rehearsals Room 4.100 Brewer Lane,
Carrboro. 5)09-1400.
Local .506. 506 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill.
942-5506.
Thursday, Feb. 17
■ moe. at Cat’s Cradle.
■ Landspeep Record w/ One Percenter
and Bobby Snaffy at Local 506.
Friday, Feb. 18
■ moe. at Cat’s Cradle.
■ Bennett & Craig at the Coffee Mill
Roasters.
Songwriter Holds Simple Appeal With Solo Album
By Carmen Woodruff
Staff Writer
He’s come a long way from the coffee
houses and ski resorts.
Producing and writing all of the cuts
on his new album, Gravity ... and other
things that keep you down to Earth, Byron
Hill has a knack for hits. He wrote for
Ray Charles, Kenny Rogers and
Alabama, to name a few.
Originally from Winston-Salem, Hill
began his quest for stardom at
Appalachian State University. After
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scenes in this movie are equally as
mind-blowing and grotesque.
Boyd’s cinematography is excellent.
Like Terence Malick’s work, some cam
era shots are works of art, due solely to
the lighting and Mother Nature.
Even though Leo reportedly got buff
for “The Beach,” the movie accentuates
how scrawny Leo really is.
But DiCaprio’s acting shines, as his
reactions and character are completely
believable and real. Leo as Richard is
arrogant and humorous.
Witness DiCaprio hiss like a snake
and stalk around like a monkey. Witness
him play evil and nutso.
It’s amusing, but then you realize
how unrealistic it is for a colony of mis
placed travelers turned-hippies to settle
and sustain themselves in harmony on a
remote paradise island off Thailand.
It’s also too obvious in the film when,
quick as a snap, he loses his marbles.
This is a real nit-picky thing, but the
interlude is attributed to Boyd’s rocky
transition from Richard in happy par
adise land to scary hilltop abandon
ment. It almost leaves the audience say
ing, “what?” but is definitely not as
uncalled for as Le Ly’s coming to
America in Oliver Stone’s “Heaven and
Earth.” Ugh. Horrible.
Leo’s co-star Virginie Ledoven is a
gem. It’s about time the French deliv-
■ Michael Hurley w/ Meliisa Swingle at
Local 506.
■ Oxes w/ Fin Fang Foom at Go!
Rehearsals.
Saturday, Feb. 19
■ Hot Water Music w/ Saves the Day
Panthro UK moved from Cat’s Cradle to
Duke Coffeehouse.
■ Eric Wallen at (he Coffee Mill Roastery.
■ Kenny Roby CD Release Party w/
Countdown Quartet at Local 506.
■ Daniel Carter w/ Saturnalia String Trio
at Cos! Rehearsals.
Sunday, Feb. 20
■ Donna the Buffalo at Cat’s Cradle.
■ Shark Quest w/ The Big Lazy at Local
506.
Monday, Feb. 21
■ All Time Present at Go! Rehearsals.
Tuesday, Feb. 22
■ Reverend Horton Heat w/Hank
Williams 111 at Cat’s Cradle.
■ Benefit for Mumia Campaign to End
the Death Penalty at Local 506.
II CD Review
Byron Hill
Gravity... and other things
that keep you down to
Earth
fff
spending 21
years writing
and producing
songs for
Grammy-win
ning perform
ers like
Alabama, he
now takes the
forefront as the talented soloist that he is.
Hill’s distinct tenor provides rich
vocals on the album, dominated by slow
songs and acoustic guitar. It has a simple
appeal, and Hill’s percussion-free tunes
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Leonardo DiCaprio, as Richard, and his co-stars ponder the distance they
must swim to reach the secret island paradise known as "the beach."
ered us a little class, unfortunately not
with film, but with a native film star star
ring on about four magazine covers this
month, simply because elle est mag
nitique.
Check out Ledoyen’s roles in “A
Single Girl” (not that good, but she’s
good in it), “La Ceremonie,” (good and
twisted) and last year’s “A Soldier’s
Daughter Never Cries” (good and
Wednesday, Feb. 23
■ Blue Dogs at Cat’s Cradle.
■ Sharking Teeth w/ Haven at Local 506.
ART
■ “From die Molecular to the Galactic:
The Art of Max Ernst and Alfonso
Ossorio.”
Through March 26. Ackland Art Museum,
UNC campus. 966-5736.
■ “Transadantic Dialogue: Contemporary
Art In and Out of Africa.” Exhibit on
display through March 26. Ackland Art
Museum, UNC campus. 966-5736.
■ “Dorothy Gillespie: Recent Works.”
Through Saturday. Somerhill Gallery, Chapel
Hill.
■ “Will Dexter: Recent Glass, and Steven
Wolf: Recent Paindngs.” Feb. 20 through
March 24. Somerhill Gallery, Chapel Hill.
THEATER
■ “One Noble Journey.” Feb. 24 to Feb. 27.
Manbites Dog Theater, Durham. 682-3343.
■ “The Glass Menagerie.” PlavMakers
are qualified to be soothing bedtime
favorites.
Many songs tell stories, like “Musical
Chairs.” 'The track’s lyrics proclaim that
people aren’t always what they seem to
be.
“Love’s in the Here and Now'” is one
of the few positive love songs in which
sounds of a fiddle add a flowing effect.
And “That’s What Love Will Make You
Do” is a beautiful accoustical ballad.
The album also features Hill perform
ing several of his songs previously
recorded by various country stars,
I The Sonjo Haynes Stone
Black Cultural Center
|||f§|l PRESENTS
in Paradise
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4 j Saturday, February 19, 2000
T'ETiV 7:00 pm Memorial Hall
SBH| 919.962.1449
S 15.00 Student S3O General Public
$ 7 3.00 (1) Parron $125.00 (2) indudes
■Mmm: posr-performance reception . ( “
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' PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE SONJA HAYNES STONE
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ilhp lolly (Ear Hrrl
warm-fuzzy-inducing).
As for “The Beach,” it’s good. The
ending is a little dissatisfying and rash,
which sort of makes you reconsider the
past two hours, but it’s exciting, gory,
sexy, violent and kind of scary. All ele
ments of a great date movie.
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can
be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.
Repertory Company. Through Feb. 27 Paul
Green Theatre, UNC campus. 962-PLAY.
■ “Tongue of a Bird.” Streetsigns Center for
Literature and Performance. Feb. 14 through
Feb. 27 Swain Hall Studio 6, UNC campus.
960-4299.
FILM
■ “Strictly Ballroom.” 9 p.m. today.
Carolina Union Auditorium.
■ “Cinema Paradiso.” 7:30 p.m. Friday;
10 p.m. Saturday. Carolina Union Auditorium.
■ “Buena Vista Social Club.” 10 p.m.
Friday; 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Carolina Union
Auditorium.
PLAN AHEAD
■ 311 w/special guest Jimmie’s Chicken
Shack. Monday. The Ritz Theatre, Raleigh.
834-4000.
■ Cher w/ Lou Bega. Feb. 26.
Entertainment & Sports Arena, Raleigh.
834-4000.
■ Queensryche. March 5.
Entertainment & Sports Arena, Raleigh.
834-4000.
including “Took Her to the Moon,”
“Politics, Religion, and Her,” and
“Thanks for the G Chord.”
While these tunes will be enjoyed by
country fans, they are not as widely
appealing as Shania Twain and LeAnne
Rimes’ crossover hits have been.
Still, artists that Hill wrote for in the
past may have some competition. Hill is
destined for success with his soulful
words and soothing voice.
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can
be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.