8A
Friday, March 10, 1995
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
KU Weekend
Groovin with Glover
From George McFly to Andy Varhoq, Crispin Glover has played an eclectic array of movie characters.
By Ian Ritter
ou've seen him on the big screen doing some mighty ima
In "The River's Edge," he seemed torqued on cocaine.
In "Rubin and Ed," he wrote six-inch soles on his shoes and ventured through a desert looking for a place to bury his frozen cat.
Crispin Hellion Glover, the tall, lanky man of many twisted faces, is coming to the University of Kansas Tuesday to show slides he has made and a 30 minute short film that he stars in.
He will appear at 8 p.m. at the Kansas Union Ballroom, and the performance will be sponsored by Student Union Activities.
Glover has appeared in a variety of movies, including "Back To the Future," in which he played George McFly, and "The Doors," in which he played Andy Warhol.
But he says that all are entitled to their own opinions.
Glover doesn't see the characters he portrays as weird or freaks, though
"Any opinion is valid to a certain extent," he said. "It all depends on where they're coming from."
Other than his work with acting, Glover has written three books: "Rat Catching" (1988), "Oak Mot" (1991) and "Concrete Inspection" (1992.)
Glover said that
Glover will show slides of his books, which show the actual process of reworking on the pages.
and taking words out."
"I felt like the stories lent themselves to being the most visual, and the stories themselves lent to be the most intriguing," he said.
Among the old, out-of-print books that he uses in his stories are "What It Is And How It Is Done," "The Backward Swing" and "Rat Catching."
"These are all kind of obscure books, so the rights were not renewed," he said. The movie Glover will show is titled "The OrkvlKid."
"It was based on a real person," he said. "I got to watch video tapes of him."
Two directors who have had a lot of influence on Glover are Stanley Kubrick and Roman Polanski. He
Crispin Glover's "Big Slide Sheet"
he took out-of-print books from the 19th Century and reconstructed them.
THEN: 8 p.m. Tuesday.
March 14
THERE: Kansas Union
Ballroom
"There is some of my own writing in it," he said. "But it's more reworking
TICKETS: 5 for students, 5 for nonstudents
voiced a desire to work with either one of them.
"Since I was young, I've always liked the surreal," he said. From an early age, Glover was a fan of David Lynch's surreal films. He got the chance to work in Lynch's 1900 film "Wild At Heart." "I really liked
working with David Lynch very much," he said. "When I was 16, I'd go watch 'Eraserhead' over and over again."
in his youth
Another influence that Glover had
thoughts this was "Carmen," Georges Bizet's famous opera. Beethoven is also one of his favorites.
“Whenever I move, which isn't very often, I always inaugurate it with Beethoven piano sonatas.” he said.
Currently, Glover is so into his work that he doesn't really have time to pay a lot of attention to what other artists are doing.
"Right now, I'm so concentrated on the things I'm working on and writing rights," he said. "Everything is just a different world."
Glover now is living in Los Angeles. "I actually find L.A. to be a secluded kind of city," he said. "It's really car oriented."
Glover said that, contrary to the impression that many outsiders get of the city, there is very little social
activity.
"The activity tends to be either work related or to go to parties or clubs," he said. "There are social circles, I suppose."
Lisa Winett, fine arts coordinator at SUA said that people had been very excited about the Glover program.
"The response thus far has been phenomenal," she said. "As far as the fans go, people just come in the office and thank us."
Winett said that she got the idea of bringing Glover to KU from the back of his spoken word CD. "The Big Problem = The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be." The back of the CD has a phone number on it.
Events
"He's a huge cult figure, and he's an extraordinarily interesting figure," she said.
Toniaht
A Cappella MusicFest '95, featuring 8;1,
Streetside and Redhot and Blue, 7 p.m., $10 and
$16, at Liberty Hall, 642
Massachusetts St.
Neon Blue, 9:30 p.m.
$2, at Johnny's Tavern
401 N. Second St.
Inter Urban Express (Jazz), 8:30 p.m., no cover charge, at Full Moon Cafe, 803 Massachusetts St.
Matthew Sweet, 10 p.m.
$12.50, at the Bottleneck,
737 New Hampshire St.
Casablanca Night, 10 p.m., $3, at Duffy's Lounge of Ramada Inn, Sixth and Iowa streets.
J. Cycles Acid Jazz
Show, 10 p.m., $2, at the
Jazzhaus of Lawrence, 926
1/2 Massachusetts St.
Rio, 9:30 p.m., $3, at Cadilac Ranch, 2515 W. Sixth St.
Tomorrow
Neon Blue, 9:30 p.m., $2,
at Johnny's Tavern.
John Walker (acoustic),
6 p.m., no cover charge, at
Full Moon Cafe.
- Kill Creek with Vitreous Humor, 10 p.m., $5 and $6, at the Bottleneck.
Common Ground, 10 p.m., $4, at the Jazzhaus of Lawrence.
Floyd the Barber, 10
p.m., $3. at Duffy's Lounge
Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson and the Magic Rockers, 9:30 p.m., cover charge, at The Grand Emporium.
Sunday
22 Brides, 10 p.m., $4 and $5, at the Bottleneck.
Monday
Spankin' Rufus, 9:30 p.m., cover charge, at The Grand Emporium. Monday
Polvo with Butter Glory, 10 p.m., $5 and $6, at the Bottleneck.
Cocktails with 22 Brides and Shallow, 9:30 p.m., cover charge, at The Grand Emporium.
Tuesday
Seven Year Bitch, with
Grotus and Unsane, 10
p.m., $5 and $6, at the Bottleneck.
Coco Montoya, 8 p.m. cover charge, at The Grand Emporium.
Wednesday
**The Imposters,** 10 p.m., $3 and $4, at the Bottleneck.
Happy Teriyaki 6 with the Eudoras and Cocktails, 10 p.m. $6, at the Jazzhaus of Lawrence.
War. 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., cover charge, at The Grand Emporium.
Thursday
MU 330, 10 p.m., $5 and $7. at the Bottleneck.
BluesHead Beggars, 10 p.m., $2, at The Jazzhaus of Lawrence.
War 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., cover charge, at The Grand Emporium.
Glover's movie roles: 'density' and derangement
"My Tutor"
Glover's film debut, in which he and a dominatrix play some serious sodasomasochistic games.
"Teachers"
An important role: Glover plays juvenile delinquent/martyr Danny Reese. He far outshines both Ralph "Karate Kid" Machio and Nick "48 Hours" Nolte.
lone Skye
"River's Edge"
Perhaps his most famous role. Glover plays the neurotic druggie Layne, who helps his friend cover up a murder. His performance is so commanding — and so
over-the-top — that it's strange his career didn't take off in the way that the movie's other star's — Keanu Reeves and lone Skey did.
"Where the Heart Is"
Glover plays the insecure fashion design student Lionel. Look out for Lionel's runway-show scene.
"Wild at Heart"
David Lynch
Glover's first David Lynch movie. His one scene is vintage Glover: As Laura Dern's cousin Jingle Dell, Glover is deranged. He waxes on about aliens, black rubber gloves and a lack of sand-wiches.It's hard to understand why Nicolas Cage — one of movie's star — eventually becam ger star.
Another David Lynch project. This time Glover plays David, the husband of a mentally unstable woman. (Recurring theme No. 4: Mental Instability.)
"Hotel Room"
"What's Eating Gilbert Grape?"
Glover plays an undertaker with an eye to the town's elderly population. The starring role here goes to Johnny Depp.
1983
1984
1985
"Friday the 13th, Part IV: The Final Chapter"
Playing the part of the undersexed Jimmy, Glover (like nearly everyone else) is killed by Jason. Watch for Jimmy's dance scene.
1988
"Back to the Future"
The other movie we all remember Glover from. He plays Michael J. Fox's father, George McFly, a nerd who is supposed to get hit by a car and winds up calling Lea Thompson his "density." That the fanzine devoted to Glover is titled "Mr. Density" is no coincidence. "You're a slacker.
Michael J. Fox
coincidence. "You're a slacker, McFly ..."
1989
"At Close Range"
Recurring themes appear here: Glover as a juvenile delinquent in a movie starring Sean Penn. Note the scene where he bashes rocks together in the pond.
"Little Noises"
1993
As Joey, a writer who goes down the slow path of plagiarism, Glover gets little chance to show off his acting prowess. But he does get to appear in a movie with Tatum O'Neal.
"The Doors"
Olliver Stone
1994
Big Director No. 2:
Oliver Stone directs
Glover as Andy Warhol
—the idea is at once
absurd and perfect.
Watch for yet another
recurring Glover theme:
a druggie with more
charisma than he knows
what to do with.
"Rubin and Ed"
Glover is Rubin Farr, King of the Echo People, trying to find the best burial site for his best friend.