lifestyles
Above: Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis star as Mickey and Mallory Knox in Oliver Stone's latest film, "Natural Born Killers." Below: Harrelson in one of the movie's many scenes with a gun. The film, a barrage of blood and murder, is described by Warner Bros. as a satire on violence and the American media.
Is Oliver Stone's movie a parody on society or part of it?
By Casey Barnes
Korean staff writer
Kansanstaffwriter
If there is such an image of hell on earth, Oliver Stone gave his best shot at illustrating it in his latest film, "Natural Born Killers."
KU movie-goers were bombarded with images of violence, including the media's portrayal of it, and society's reaction to it in Stone's satirical look at the 90s.
The problem — of the point — is that it scared them. Ed Connealy, Leawood senior, said the movie was well done, but he looked forward to the end. He was most disturbed by the way the audience laughed at scenes where people were brutally killed.
"People love violence; they can't get enough of it," Conneally said. "Some people were laughing at things that weren't funny because they weren't getting the point. They were enjoying the violence when the movie was about how that's a sad part of our society."
The point, Commeally said, was to describe the desensitization of violence in our culture. A point he said, was well illustrated but overdone.
"It was a good parody but exaggerated," Connealy said. "Violence is a really big part of America's entertainment, and it's sad."
Killers, which opened Friday, was advertised as a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, only this time it was Mickey and Mallory. The dysfunctional couple, played by Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis, horrified the streets of America on a nightmarish murder spree, killing anyone who got in their way without remorse.
Stone took a shocking and terrifying look at the media and how it cashes in on society's fascination with violence.
That's a concept that Judi Puckett, Wichita freshman, said was worth bringing to the public's attention.
"It was disturbing, but at the same time it took real situations and made a satire of what could be," Puckett said. "The media makes people who are bad the focus of attention. The movie made people think about how ridiculous and out of control the media and violence are."
While Stone was making fun of reality, students said he was also a part of it.
White Stone was making fun of reality, seductions Sam Stone. He penned a book called Neugebaubler, Shawnee声者, questions Stone's motives. He said Stone was just as enthusiastic.
"It was accurate, to an extent in its portrayal of society, but Stone was doing the very thing he was making fun of by sensationalizing violence," Neubaeuser said.
John Tibbett, associate professor of theater and film, has interviewed Stone on several occasions and said that he was a shrewd promoter who was good at selling himself.
"He knows exactly what he's doing," Tibbetts said. "Stone is his own best publicist, and although the impressions seem random, don't be fooled. He knows how many buttons to push and when to push them."
Tibbets said that there was nothing in American commercial cinema quite like "Natural Born Killers."
"It is the best combination of subject and style that I've ever seen." Tibbetts said. "It swallows an American culture whole and then spews it out again."
swallows up American culture whole and then spews it out again.
Nobleau said the result was the most disturbing movie he has ever see
Neugebauer said the result was the most disturbing movie he has ever seen.
His biggest fear is that all movie-goers won't understand the satire
it's a good point, but it's hard to catch. "Neugebauer said. "The mentally unstable shouldn't see the movie because they might miss the point."
Reverend Horton Heat warms up for Liberty Hall
music
By Jenny Brannan
Kansan staffwriter
The Reverend Horton Heat's first meeting with its new producer, Al Jourgensen of Ministry, was anything but normal.
"We were backstage after the show, and this guy came back there and started licking our shoes," Jim Heath, lead vocalist, said of the meeting at the Cabaret Metro in Chicago. And he wasn't speaking figuratively.
The trip to Lawrence is a bit sentimental to Heath because the band's first tour stop outside of their home state, Texas, happened in the spring of 1988 at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. They started touring before they even had a record out.
Now the rockabilly band is coming to Liberty Hall on September 15 to make as big of an impression on Lawrence as they did on Jourensen.
Heath said that he had met Jourgensen sometime before the Chicago show. But this time, on his hands and knees, the producer looked completely different than Heath had remembered.
The Reverend Horton Heat has come a long way since then.
"He told us that he worked with Ministry, and I said, 'Oh, I've met Al Jourgensen," Heath said. "Then he said 'Al Am Al Jourgensen."
After the second encounter, Jourgensen produced the band's latest compact disc, "Liquor In The Front." The band decided to work with Jourgensen because of his extensive knowledge of studio equipment and because of his reputation as a crazy guy. Heath said.
Horton Heat plays nearly 200 shows a year that Heath prefers playing live to recording in the studio.
Adopted and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, country music and Latin rhythms influenced Heath a great deal because he spent so much time around them, he said. The Reverend Horton Heat even put an old fashioned country song called Liquor, Beer, and Wine in the middle of their new compact disc.
"I don't think recording is an art form," Heath said. "It's like a guy running around New York City with an instant camera and calling it art. Live music is my art form."
It's obvious by the fact that Reverend
During his younger years in Texas, Heath
played with a Mexican family in which the sister sang, and all the brothers played the instruments.
"One evening their father came in, picked up my guitar and started playing 'Purple Haze' note for note," Heath said. "I couldn't believe this old guy figured out this Jimi Hendrix stuff."
After a period of two or three years when he didn't play with anyone, Heath tried going solo. He said he was getting enough positive feedback that he decided to hire musicians to back him up.
He met "Jimbo" Wallace, upright bass player, six years ago in Houston.
"Iasked him to join the band," Heath said.
Two years later, they hooked up with Patrick "Taz" Bentley, drummer.
"The next day he quit his job and moved to Dallas and lived on my floor for a year or two."
"When we got Taz, he was really solid with his idea of touring America no matter what it took." Heath said.
Since then the trio has taken Taz's philosophy to heart. The Reverend Horton Heat just got back from touring Europe, and the group played in New York on Aug. 30.
death described life on the road as getting up early, having a cup of coffee and driving.
"It a lot of hurry up and wait," Heath said. "You sit around and wait forever, and then all of a sudden someone's yelling that you need to be here now. All right, but I'm not going to run."
COURTESY
Taz, The Reverend and Jimbo
But Heath doesn't have to hurry — with the band's most recent record selling 100,000 copies already.
The Reverend Horton Heat has released two other compact discs, including "Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em" and "The Full-Custom Gospel Sounds Of The Reverend Horton Heat," since they signed d with Seattle's Sub Poo label in 1990.
After releasing three successful records with a flavor all their own, Heath still looks to rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis for personal inspiration.
His favorite story is of the time Jerry Lee Lewis crashed his car into the gates of Graceland, yelling that the only thing Elvis had that he didn't was better drugs.
"I have to try everyday not to be like Jerry Lee Lewis," Heath said. "I could never have that kind of fire, though. He could out party anybody. God knows I love him."
September 1,1994 PAGE 7A
People and places at the University of Kansas.
NIGHTLIFE
The Bottleneck
737 New Hampshire St.
Overkill with Propane and Slackjaw, 10 tonight advanced tickets $11
Mountain Clyde and Slugworth, 10 p.m. tomorrow.
$4
Mountain Clyde with The Bubble Boys and The Floating Men. 10 o.m. Saturday, $4
The Back Doors, 10 p.m. Sunday, advanced tickets $6
Nudie Vodoo and The Thugs, 10 p.m. Wednesday,
$4
Open Mic Night, 9:15 p.m. Monday, no cover Fuzzy and Easter Day, 10 p.m. Tuesday, $5
Sinister Dane with Motherwell, 10 p.m. Thursday,
$4
Branding Iron Saloon
806 West 24th St.
Kaw Cajuns, 9 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, cover charge
18th Amendment
Disco Night, 9 tonight, $1
Full Moon Cafe
Beth Scalet, 8:30 tonight Blue Grass Night, 8:30 p.m. Tuesday Ry Brown and Clark Jamison, 8:30 p.m. Wednesday
Granada Theater
1020 Massachusetts St.
Ever
over), $5
Mondo Disco with D.J. Ray, 9 p.m. Friday, $4, $5
Club 7, 9 p.m. Sunday, $4, $5
Mulligan's
1016 Massachusetts St.
Beatific Smile with Possum Day, 10 tonight, $2-3
The Hearty Viking with Gurus, 10 p.m. tomorrow,
$2-3
Blueshead Beggars, 10 p.m. Saturday, $2-3
Jazz Night, 9 p.m. Tuesday, $2-3
Acoustic Open Mic, 10 p.m. Wednesday, no cover
Wakeland, 10 p.m. Thursday, $2-3
River Valley Music Cafe
1601 West 23rd St.
Burning Spear with Urban Safari, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, advanced tickets $11
Douglas County Fair
4-H Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St.
Culpepper & Merriweather Great Combined Circus
5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday
2 and 4 p.m. Saturday
$4 (kids), $5 (adults), advanced tickets
$5, $7 at the door