UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Monday, November 4, 1996 5A Shakespeare meets MTV in new Romeo and Juliet By Jeff Ruby Kansan staff writer It was bound to happen eventually. The most famous love story of all gets the MTV treatment in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Everything is larger than life and louder than hell in the latest Shakespeare adaptation for the big screen the first one to take tremendous risks and outrageous liberties with the untouchable author's nearly 400-year-old words that were seemingly written in stone. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes play everyone's favorite starcrossed lovers in Baz Luhrmann's strikingly original film — a movie in which the only Shakespearean technique remaining is the iambic pentameter of the characters' speech. Any movie in which a gun-toting John Leguizamo uses the word "thee" — and Romeo's buddy Mercutio is portrayed as a cross-dresser a bit more Dennis Rodman-esque than Shakespeare would have been comfortable with — has the potential to bring more chuckles than awe. But somehow, the film pulls the whole thing off without a shred of cheesiness or self-consciousness. Most of us know the story of Romeo and Juliet already, or at least we did in 11th-grade English class. The tale's basic skeleton remains intact in the fast and furious renovation by Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom). It simply adds police helicopters, swimming pools, convertibles and television where even the newscasters speak in that oddly romantic style that few of us admit we don't really understand. When gang murders and antagonistic fathers (played with gusto by Paul Sorvino and Brian Dennehy) threaten to keep the young lovers apart, DiCaprio's Romeo and Danes' Juliet hatch a tragic plan to be together forever. film of the year. The stormy beach and candle-lit mansion sets are astounding, and the eye-catching gothic-meets-gangland costumes are impossible to ignore. The soundtrack blares over the sweet, flowing dialogue in tight, quickly-edited scenes of love and tragedy. Romeo and Juliet is quite possibly the best-looking and best-sounding Surreal as a Salvador Dali painting, the film is so bizarre that it hardly surprises the viewer when a church choir numbly breaks into Prince's When Doves Cry. Danes and DiCaprio are remarkable as the young and tortured paramours. Both slide into their roles with ease and anguished charm, giving the movie a believable feel when it could have easily been laughable. Luhmann was obviously swinging for a home run with such an ambitious film, but risked striking out by updating the Bard's well-known tragedy to appeal not only to literate Shakespeare enthusiasts, but also to attention span-less teen-agers raised on 3-minute Green Day videos. A film this entertaining and intriguing should appeal to most everyone except the Shakespeare purists. A KU student's sunglasses and two parking permits were stolen between 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. Wednesday from a car in the 3800 block of Clinton Parkway, Lawrence police said. The items were valued at $360. A KU student's license plate and plate bracket were stolen between midnight Oct. 9 and midnight Oct. 27 somewhere in the city, Lawrence police said. The items were valued at $48. ON THE RECORD A KU student's speaker and amplifier were stolen between 10 p.m. Wednesday and 1 p.m. Thursday from a car in the 1000 block of Emery Road, Lawrence police said. The items were valued at $915. A KU student's car was damaged, and a CD holder and miscellaneous items were stolen between 11 p.m. Oct. 28 and 11:45 a.m. Oct. 29 from the car in the 1600 block of Oxford Road, Lawrence police said. The items were valued at $405. A KU student's cloth car top was damaged, and some change was stolen between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 1 p.m. Wednesday from the car in the 1600 block of Oxford Road, Lawrence police said. The items were valued at $301. A KU employee's windsheild was damaged between 11:20 and 11:30 p.m. Thursday in the 100 block of East 8th Street, Lawrence police said. The damage was estimated at $300. A KU student's car door was damaged, and a CD player and miscellaneous items were stolen between 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and 7:45 a.m. Thursday from the car in the 1600 block of A KU employee's garage door was damaged between 3:15 and 3:20 a.m. Saturday in the 3000 block of Yellowstone Drive, Lawrence police said. The damage was estimated at $100. Louisiana Street, Lawrence police said. The items were valued at $1,270. A KU employee's temporary license plate was stolen between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. Thursday somewhere in the city, Lawrence police said. The plate was valued at $10. A KU student's car door locks were damaged between 5:15 p.m. Wednesday and 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Lot 109 west of Jayhawk Tower, KU police said. The damage was estimated at $400. A KU student's car was damaged, and stereo equipment was stolen between 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. Thursday from the car in Lot 109 west of Jawayher Towers, KU police said. The items were valued at $833. A KU student's car was damaged, and stereo equipment was stolen between 4 p.m. Wednesday and 9:45 a.m. Thursday in the car in Lot 109 west of Jayhawker Towers, KU police said. The items were valued at $850. A KU student's parking permit and gloves were stolen between p.5.m. Oct. 20 and 5 p.m. Oct. 23 from a car in Lot 103 west of Hashinger Hall, KU police said. The items were valued at $51. A KU student's coat and wallet were stolen between 11:55 pm. Thursday and 12:15 a.m. Friday from the lobby of the Kansas Union, KU police said. The items were valued at $52. Nov. 4-Nov. 5 First Wife's Club(10) Long Kiss Goodnight10 Michael Collins10 Romeo and Juliet(13) Thinner(13) Mon.-Tue. 7:10, 7:40 5:00, 7:40 5:00, 7:40 5:00, 7:50 5:00, 7:50 5:10, 7:50 5:20, 7:30 $350 Adult Before Heating Baby 200 P.M. - 8 P.M. ImpresSED Strokes Crown Cinema Liberty Hall 644 Mass 749-1912 BEFORE 6PM/ADULTS $3.75 (LIMITED TO SEATING) SENIOR CITIZENS $3.50 VARSITY 1015 KAISACHUSETTS 841 5191 THE GHOST & THE DARKNESS (R) 5:30,7:30,9:30 HILLCREST 925 IOWA 841-5197 BOUND (R) 4:30 7:00 9:30 BIG NIGHT (R) 4:45 7:15 TRAINSPOTTING (R) 9:45 showtimes for today only TO GILLIAN, ON BST 3-DAY (PG-13) 5:15;7:10;9:35 SLEEEPERS (R) 5:00;8:00 THE ASSOCIATE (PG-13) 5:00;7:20;9:45 DEAR GOD (PG) 5:00;7:15;9:40 HIGH SCHOOL SGSS 5:15;7:25;9:30 CINEMA TWIN 3110 IOWA 841.5191 $1.25 A Well-deserved Environmental Recognition INDEPENDENCE DAY (PG-13) 8:00 HARRIET THE SPY (PG) 8:00 THAT DING (PG) 5:00, 7:15, 9:40 Rep. Tom Sloan realized that Joe Collins (right), with the KU Museum of Natural History, was an unrecognized Kansas treasure. He arranged for Kansas Governor Bill Graves to name Collins the first Kansas Wildlife Author Laureate. (Also pictured at the proclamation ceremony are Collins' mother-in-law Juanita Hunter and wife Suzanne Collins.) Re-elect Tom Sloan LAWRENCE AUTOMOTIVE DIAGNOSTICS 842-8665 2858 Four Wheel Dr. State Representative 45th District Paid for by Citizens for Sloan Millard Wren, Treasurer - Dr. Herschel Lewis, Chairman SHOWTIMES FOR TODAY ONLY Know Your Rights... an informative look at Sexual Harassment in the workplace. Monday, November 4, 1996 Learned Hall Rm. 2002 7:00p.m. More Info in the deans office or call 864-3881. Sponsored by the Society of Women Engineers. Underwritten by Lucent Technologies. FREE! EVERYONE WELCOME We're Here For You! Planned Parenthood of Mid-Missouri and Eastern Kansas (913) 832-0281 1420 Kasold Drive, Suite C, Lawrence, KS When you need us: WE'RE HERE FOR YOU! Planned Parenthood provides confidential & affordable health care close to your school and home. - Pap tests - Birth control - Abortion services - HIV testing - Pregnancy testing - STD testing & treatment uild a Beautiful 50% OFF ENROLLMENT V.I.P. Membership Only $21 per month for students, faculty and KU staff BODY BOUTIQUE The Women's Fitness Facility Buy 10 tans Get 10 tans FREE for $30+ tax KU Bookstores Kansas and Burge Unions Offering a rebate to KU students since 1946 749-2424 925 Iowa Offer expires Nov. 19, 1999 Some may question my 15% tax-cutting proposal, but take my word for it... the KU Bookstore's rebate program is the real thing. Are You shopping elsewhere? Just Don't Do It. Turn in your receipts from cash or check purchases from the Spring'96 semester now until December 31,1996 and get 7% of your purchases back in cash. KU student I.D. required Over $2.6 Million returned to KU students! OFFERING WATER AEROBICS HAVE YOU RECEIVED AN INITATION TO GOLDEN KEY NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY? DON'T FORGET TO SEND IN YOUR ACCEPTANCE! THE DEADLINE IS TOMORROW NOVEMBER 5,1996! Call Kelly at 841-7218 if you have questions.