Page 6 University Daily Kansan, February 9, 1981
Bruce Springsteen
Springsteen rejects modern cynicism
By MARK PITTMAN
Staff Writer
Bruce Springsteen is a believer.
In this age of fashionable cynicism, Springsteen has the audacity to say, "ooh, ooh we've got a crush on you." Or "girl, I wanna get a crush in these days of the sexual revolution.
And dammit it's good to hear.
He believes there is some sort of innate satisfaction to life—and that it is possible to achieve. He believes that love and life are the forces pressed against a backdrop of industrial steel.
When Springsteen talks about cars, he's talking about youth's energy. When he speaks about the weekend, he's speaking of happiness. When he's talking about the frustration and the hope that is America.
Two weeks ago, Springsteen skated across the country on a special magazine, his latest record featuring Bibbly.
Thursday, Springteen and the E Street Band hit Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo.
Nearly everyone has read the rave reviews of Springsteen shows: the instrumental virtuosity, the energy, the excitement and the ferocity of sentiment. Thursday's show was no exception.
But Springsteen is in a class separate from the rest of the rock flock. His songs sustain a world view, his lyrics are working-class poetic epics, his metaphrase is gritty reality. He believes that amid the wrecked and half-fuilted dreams, life in this jungleland can have meaning.
The characters in Springsteen's songs are our friends, our brothers and sisters, and ourselves. you don't have to live in Jersey to understand his romanticism. The strings of his Esquire guitar strike familiar chords within and all of us.
The gospel according to Springsteen tells us that satisfaction is something that comes in measured doses and those dreams of success were all just dreams. Life is bittersweet and if you're hoping for ultimate fulfillment, you're only going to be disappointed.
But, says Springsteen, "everybody's got a
hearty heart," a gnawing desire for that
same heart.
If you can find it, it's one of the lucky,
the rest of us are simply born to run.
'Altered States' proves terrifying, silly
Contributing Reviewer
By MIKE GEBERT
ALTERED STATES, starring William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balahan and Charles Hall. Screengraph by Sidney Aaron (Paddy Cayteksy) and Dickey Paddy Cayteksy. Directed by Ken Russell.
★★★
"Altered States" is electric, dynamic, fascinating, terrifying, silly, and utterly funny.
If "The Shing" was the first epic horror film, as some critics said, then "Altered States" is the second. But if "The Shing" was the "2001" or horror films, then "Altered States" is the "All That Jazz" - a kaleidoscopic Disneyland ride into the human soul.
Where the genius of the Kubrick film lies in turning horror movie conventions on their heads and dispensing with the cheap thrills, the genius in "Altered States" comes from going beyond cheap thrills, evoking the visual beauty and the seductive appeal of terror, of death, of utter desolation—the heart of darkness that can't be reached by any natal boat.
THE MAN WHO makes the journey into the terror within himself is a young professor, played by William Hurt, who is first seen floating in a jet of water. "98s, experimenting in the doctor of Dr. John K."
His brain—cut off completely from outside input and left to its own devices—constructs elaborate fantasies. The short experience takes him, and he is soon repeating it weekly.
A barrage of images—of his father's death; of religion from the Book of Revelations, including a nine-eyed goat; of Christ on the cross; of hell—portray the vivid changes in his mind.
The '70s, however, find the professor discontented with the suburban normalcy and complication of his life, and with the help of an instructor who was no longer part of his experiments again with a new forcefulness.
His experiments are cut short by both his timidity and lack of resources, and by his newfound love for a woman (Blair Brown) who accents him for the wide-eaved crazy he is.
HE GOES INTO the mountains to join an Indian religious ceremony that uses mushrooms, finding hours later that he killed a deadly lizard with his hands. With a supply of the mushroom soup, he goes back into the isolation tank and begins rearing in evolution.
Each experiment draws him closer to disintegration, sending him back in evolution and dispensing with the body altogether. As his muscles helphesly, he comes face to face with destiny.
There are few of the traditional horror gimmicks, even though the film is in a very real sense a mere updating of the old Jekyll-Hyde tale. This is a science fiction film for a generation that thinks that means spaceships and murderous aliens.
Shock moments are downplayed—nobody springs from dark corners--rendering the subtle, intellectual horror of Hurt's seduction by darkness far more powerful. Ultimately, it is a film of imagery and imagination, not a crude bludgeon of audience manipulation,
The film is constructed between two poles—the visual, florid and not always logical sensibility of director Ken Russell ("Tommy") "Women in Love") and the verbose, intellectual talents of screenwriter Paddy Chaufsky ("Hospital," "Network").
CHAYEFSKYK SCREENPLAY, though so overwritten to be sometimes ludicrous (Pauline
Kael called it "a series of position papers").
A solid base for Russell's kinetic imagination.
It is difficult to tell whether Russell is displaying a genuine interest in characterization for the first time in years, or if he simply finds Chayefsky's screenplay impervious to sub-
But the characters—cosmis meddler (Hurt), faithful wife (Brown), and less adventurous but stalwart friends (Balaban and Charles Haid) have his son's credibility through fine ensemble acting.
And Russell's imagery, as rendered extremely realistically by makeup genius Dick Smith ("Planet of the Ape") and computer effects wizard Bran Ferren, is never less than spectacular. Visions of hell and Christ call to mind Russell's fiery "The Devil" of a decade ago, but the overwhelming awe of the sequences can only be compared to "2001" and may surpass it.
The beauty of the images suggest the extraordinary opening of "The Elephant Man," but unlike that film the vision is sustained throughout.
One cannot say that "Altered States" is really a deep philosophical excursion into the soul. There's too much of the horror film in it, too much of the entertainment—which is all for the better.
"Altered States" is really just a good movie. But the simple horror movies often deal with the weightiest themes—who knows of a better artistic treatment of mortality than "Dracula"? "Altered States," like any movie, works in the mind, not on the screen. You take it from there.
Mike Gebert is chairman of the Student Union Activities film series and is seeking a degree in radio, television and film from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
On Campus
TODAY
TOMORROW
HIGHER EDUCATION WEEK/INTERNATIONAL CLUB will present exhibitions on Turkey and Thailand in the Kansas Union Main Lobby.
CHAROLOTTE ELLEN WILL HOLD A THERAPIST CONFERENCE on "Symbol, Psyche, and Society" in 103 Smith Hall.
THE PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY COLLOQUIUM will present Joel Martin on Radiation Reflections in Alpha Quartz" in 332 Hall. Refreshments at 4 p.m. in 136 Mallet.
THE DOUGLAS COUNTY COUNCIL FOR THE PREVENTION OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE is sponsoring a Smoking Cessation Clinic, to help students and others learn how to quit smoking, at 7 p.m. in the Health Sciences Building. The clinic will follow for the next three weeks.
A HISTORY LECTURE BY J. GERRY CLIFFORD on "The First Peace-Time Draft: Passage of the Selective Service Act of 1940." at 7:30 p.m. in the Forum Room of the Union.
TAU GSIA DANCE CLUB will meet at 7 n.m in 249 Robinson
THE CAMPUS CHRISTIAN HOUSE will
have weekly Bible Study at 7:30 p.m. at
1114 Indiana Street.
THE WESTERN CIVILIZATION FILM SE-
CTION at the Institute of Film and Television
of 7 m. in the basement of Lappauge Hall.
THE ACADEMIC COMPUTER CENTER (ACC) will present a lecture on "Batch Computing" at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Computer Service Facility.
**AN ART LECTURE BY THOMAS W. SOUTHHALL, curator of photography, on "Harry Callahan: Color Photographs," at the in Spencer Museum of Art Auditorium.**
DAVID SAILE WILL GIVE A LECTURE
IN 3D PAVEMENTS at 7:30 a.m. in 115 of the Visual Arts Building
ENGLISH/SUA POETRY READING with
Dra. Ray at 8 p.m. in the Room of
The Unit
MARANATHA CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES
meets at 5 p.m. at 1358 Tennessee St.
KU PERFORMING ARTS presents "The House of Bernarda Alba," by Federico García Lorca at 8 p.m. in the Inge Theatre. KU reserves a free ID with. For reservations call 843-382-3982
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Moonchildren
by John Seibheck
Feb. 25, 28 at 8:00 p.m., March 1 at 2:30 p.m.
Of Mice and Men
You're a good man, Charlie Brown
Feb. 20, 22 at 8:00 p.m., Feb. 21 at 2:30 & 8:00 p.m.
Sleep Hall Auditorium
Paid for out of student activity fee
WEEKEND
by Michael Walker
Feb. 26, 2017  March 1 at 2:30 p.m.
Lawrence Arts Center
With KUID, tickets are $2.50 for one show
$4.50 for two shows
$6.00 for three shows
Tickets on sale now at the SUA box office in the Kansas Union
For more information call 864-3477.
—Deadline for applications is 4:00 pm Feb.11.
Applications for funding are now available at the Student Senate Office, KS Union B105.
Show Off That Special Look For your Valentine With This $5 Off Coupon at
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Student Senate budget hearings for fiscal 1982 begin Mar. 2.
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SUA FILMS
In exam require they
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The Lady Dances
Monday, Feb. 9
The Marriage Circle
(1924)
two classic films by Emat Lubisch. Circle, one of his best silents, is the story of a wife whose favorite pasime is to see Florence Viloret, Marie Prevest, Adolphie Menou, Mont Blanc, lady is his version of a princess. Macdonald as Macdonald as the actress who romances a prince (Maurice Chevalier). With Una Mekett, Edward Everett Horton. (859)
Tuesday, Feb. 10
The Postman Always
Rings Twice
(1946)
Tay Gamett's film of James Cain's classic suspense novel (the inspiration for Camus' The Stranger), about a dither and a woman who plans to murder her lover, is a thrilling tale. Core Coro, John Garfield as the driver; and Cecil Kallway, Hume Cronyn. Adrienne Toyer, a dynamite thriller with audible performances. *11 min.* B&W 8X7
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Theodora Goes Wild
(1936)
The Palm Beach Story
two classic screwball comedies. irene Dunne stars as Theodora, the author of a book by playwright who returns to cagoule in her mid-twenties bothhered by Melvyn Douglas, who knows al. Directed by Richard Boleslawiak. Joal McCreash and hides out as Claudette Cobert runs away from her husband Joal McCrea)
Thursday, Feb. 12
Padre, Padrone
Based on the true story of a professor of linguistics whose first twenty years were spent world wide under the domination of his tyrannical father in a remote village in Sarawak, he grew up with lyric, won many awards for its distinctive innovative style. A composition by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, with lyrics by Giuseppe Lorenzo (114-118) color. Illustrations: 730-5.
Unless otherwise noted; all film will be shown at Woodford Auditorium in the afternoon, on Friday, Saturday, Popular and Sunday tickets are $1.00; Midnight tickets are $2.00. Ticket prices vary by location and union. 4th level, Information 884-739-0200 or smoking or refreshments allowed.