hilltopics
Friday, March 17, 2000
culture society entertainment health
Gutsy woman
review by Clare McClellan
Julia Roberts is back in full-force Pretty Woman-style in Erin Brockovich, a film about a lower-class mother of three who makes legal history defending a small town against a billion-dollar corporation.
As the tagline for the movie reads, "She brought a small town to its feet, and a huge corporation to its knees," Erin Brockovich is the type of movie that will bring the audience to its feet as well. It's a stand-up-and-cheer movie, one that will make you laugh as much as it will make you want to cry. And the best part is, it's a true story.
The film is based on the life of the title character (Roberts), a Lawrence native and 1978 graduate of Lawrence High School residing in California. She meets a near-retirement lawyer, Ed Masry (Albert Finney), when she has hit rock bottom and needs a job. Gull-tripped into hiring for her a clerical position, Ed soon finds out that behind Erin's outrageous clothes and brash attitude is a determined woman who will stop at nothing to right a wrong for the town of Hinkleville. Calif.
Erin stumbles across medical records in a real estate case file for a huge utility company that has a plant in this small town and begins to investigate it further. She discovers that Hinkley residents are the victims of corporate waste (hexavalent chromium) flowing into their water from the company.
This innocent investigation snowballs into a huge lawsuit that consumes Erin's time and pulls her away from her three kids.
Next-door neighbor/biker George (Aaron Eckhart of Any Given Sunday) steps in to help look after the children while
The dialogue in this film is fantastic. The bitter exchanges between Erin and her co-workers are hysterical, and Erin's retorts to the hot shot lawyers she confronts are full of witty sarcasm. Almost every scene is supplemented with a strong, propelling script that sinus in the hands of these actors.
Several composite sequences are used in this film, showing Erin collecting evidence while flashing back to her house with George and her kids, that are well-edited and directed. They keep the movie flowing without having to slow down and script out scenes that are just as effective showing only bits and pieces.
ating relationship with Erin is the centerpiece of the picture. Eckhart's George is an unlikely baby-sitter but still believable in his supporting role. His romantic involvement with Erin doesn't get in the way of the central story, all the while adding more to our understanding of Erin's personality — her strengths and her weaknesses.
Erin spends her time getting close to the victims. She learns about many devastating medical problems they've suffered, for reasons they are unsure of. Being "one of them," Erin is able to earn the trust of the town and convences them and Masry that they can take on the utility company — and win.
The result is an inspiring tale. Much credit is due to the talented cast and to a story that was perfect movie material.
Roberts' performance is delightful. Her nonnense attitude and outfits (which, as director Steven Soderbergh put it, are almost audible they're so loud) are highly reminiscent of Vivian, her character in Pretty Woman. She played that part to a T and it works just as well here, providing many laughs with her inherent charm.
The Hinkley scenes, shot on location in the actual town, and the believable actors who played the town's victimized residents both add to the realness of the film
Finney's Ed is right on, and his ever-fluctu-
and intensify the attachment to these people and their deplorable story. If you're looking for a movie to kick off Spring Break with, Erin Brockovich is fun, uplifting and sure to entertain. Women are sure to
enjoy Roberts' "I am woman, hear mo-
roar" performance and, if nothing else,
the men can entertain themselves
counting how many times Roberts'
bra makes an appearance. One
could argue it deserves billing as a
supporting actor.
But the most amazing thing about this film is Erin Brockovich herself, and her tenacity that brought justice to those who were unable to fight for themselves. She goes out of her way to build a case against these corporate giants who see themselves as untouchable, yet are brought down by the touch of one uneducated and, at times, uncouth woman. Her strength is admirable — as is this film.
Boris Balkan (Frank Langelia) is a wealthy book collector bent on bringing the secret of a satanic text to life in director Roman Polanski's The Ninth Petit Gate. Johnny Depp stars as Balkan's employee, a book hunter with nerves of steel who seeks out the evil secret. Contributed art
Stay far away from The Ninth Gate
Kansan movie critic
By Brian Bartelt
It's not scary, thrilling, horrifying or exciting, and it's not smart, thoughtful, funny or pretty. It's just lame.
Utterly deficient in almost every way, The Ninth Gate is easily the worst film released thus far this year.
This film keeps you barely interested enough to stay awake for its 127-minute duration, and then it
Aesthetically, it's pedestrian at best and frequently offensively bad. The first project that 66-yearold Roman Polanski has directed since 1994's Death of the Maiden, this sluggish beast is evidence that sometimes famous people should stay in retirement.
tosses you a wretched ending to take home.
The sole bright point of the film is the performance of Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow). In the first scene, he proves that it's possible to be both an antique book dealer and cool. His character, the morally detached and cold-blooded Dean Corso, is contracted by the very wealthy and poorly written book collector, Boris Balkan (Frank Langella). Corso's task: Traipse across Europe and track down two rare satanic tiones that allegedly hold the key to summoning Lucifer himself. Tempted by a
The 9th Gate
Acting: B-
Writing: D
Cinematography: D
Sound: D
Overall: D
Showing at Southwind 12, 3433
Iowa St.
check with lots of zeros, the book hunter agrees.
Soon after, however, people are dying, books are burning and Depp is downing drinks like a frat boy.
Never before has searching for Satan been less interesting. With rhythm like the heartbeat of a dead sloth, The Ninth Gate redefines slow.
Tritely scripted dialogue makes all the conversation seem stilted and contrived. The music is present, at least, but is so overstated and ill-fitting that silence would have been better. Driving scenes feature blue-screen effects that might have looked good in the early 1980s but that are unacceptable in the year 2000.
The worst part of the film is the ending — it is the most atrocious letdown since Geraldo Rivera opened AI Canone's vault.
With a combination of poor writing, poor directing, poor effects and poor sound, The Ninth Gate is exceptionally bad. As one female patron said as the movie ended and the theater lights came up. "At least Pitch Black wasn't so boring."
Filmgoers would be better off renting Army of Darkness to satisfy their craving for evil books - it offers better effects, more entertainment and deeper meaning.
But whatever you do, don't spend your money on *The Ninth Gate*.
Rollins Band. Get Some Go Again
Burn it
Henry Rollins' first music recording in two years, *Get Some Go Again*, presents the new Rollins Band and a straight, hard-edge sound that's too familiar to be captivating.
The 38-year-old Rollins is aggressive from start to finish, complemented by the blues-rock instrumentation of his backup band, Mother Superior. It's a solid album, unwavering in its attack, but in an effort to provide the listener with a cathartic release, it wallows around in what seems to be the same key for a majority of the time.
Thrashing around with powerful lyrics about crushing obstacles, the weak and another that frustrates him. Rollins does not possess much of a range as far as vocalists are concerned. But his talking/singing style works for the music, and his dismissive attitude towards those who would criticize him or knock him down is omnipresent as he soffs at the superficiality of the music biz in "Thinking Cap." It is in this track that guitarist Jim Wilson displays his talent for powerful, blues-heavy riffs that make Get Some Go Again more interesting.
Rollins is not a man of subtlety when it comes to speech. With 18 music records and multiple "talking" tours under his belt, we can only wonder when he will stop having things to say. That time does not seem to be coming anytime soon, and the redeeming characteristics of this album are his unending witch and observation.
The last track, "Illuminator," is the gem of the album because it represents what Rolls does best: telling it like it is. For a fourteen-minute jam, with guitarist Wayne Kramer of MC5 fame wah-whing to excess, Rolls paints a picture of an ugly Los Angeles where there exists a sad, shallow underworld. "We're gonna vent some steam and talk about this town," he says, gearing up to reveal some spoken word about the "L.A. money train" over groovy riffs. It's doubtful, however, that Get Some Go Again is his ticket to ride.
— Melineh Kurdian
The Reverend Horton Heat Spend a Night in the Box Buy it
A few cars out on the road have bumper stickers that read "I Was A Sinner Until I Saw Reverend Horton Heat!" After listening to The Reverend's new album, Spend A Night in the Box, one realizes just how right that sticker is.
Rockin' and rollin' like few can. The Reverend is back and sounding as hip as ever on these 14 tracks of pure sonic bliss. One of the few artists not caught up in the whole swing fad of late, the Reverend has remained an underground favorite.
It seems as if nothing can slow down the mighty Reverend as his guitar screams all through the album, especially on rocking tracks like "Big D Boogie Woogie," "Sleeper Coach Driver" and virtually every other cut on the album. It's futile to pick out a track more rocking than another.
High-powered drum beats and arrangements that scream southern rock make tracks such as "The Girl In Blue" impossible to listen to without pulling out your air-drums and pounding along to the rhythm, or at the very least, tapping your toes. "Sue Jack Daniels offers high-speed angst with a humorous twist. It's a tale of a man who's had too much of the ol' J.D. and claims Mr. Daniels wrecked his car and thus deserves to be sued. A fun song, courtesy of the good Reverend.
Spend a Night in the Box is full of fun characters and over-the-top stories, and it makes a wonderful addition to any CD collection, unless you're happy being a sinner.
Justin Parlette
Fu Manchu
Fu Manchu King of the Road
Buy it
The fifth release from Fu Manchu rocks just as hard as its previous albums. Eleven new tracks with bonus-enhanced CD material make for a fun follow-up to *The Action is Go*.
the songs on King of the Road break down into sheer fuzz-driven rock 'n' roll, music perfectly suited for driving. This is the ultimate road trip album, with tributes to the "Boogie Van" and the "Hell On Wheels." Check out "Grasshopper," "Weird Beard" and "Drive" for more fun rock music.
Smooth production work and tracks that sometimes fade into each other add to the listening experience, making King of the Road an album that's enjoyable again and again. That's rare in a music scene cluttered with one-hit wonders and throwaway rock bands.
The latest from Fu Manchu may not break any ground musically. But since that's virtually impossible, don't hold it against the band. King of The Road is a CD that's perfect for your Spring Break road trip.
Justin Parlette