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THE CLUSTER, MARCH 13, 1990-PAGE 5
Entertainment
Record Review:
When Harry Met Sally...
By RICH BENSON
So, you say big band music just
isn't for you? I thought so, too. I
thought so, that is, until I heard the
soundtrack from When Harry Met
Sally...Harry Comuck, Jr., who is,
by the way, only twenty-one years
old, is responsible for the album—a
responsibility that he shoulders
very well.
One thing about this album, it
isn't really something you want to
listen to while you are alone, unless
you are depressed. If you are
listening to it alone, and you're not
depressed, chances are you will be
very soon.
The album starts out with the
theme song from When Harry Met
Sally. ..“It Had to Be You. * ’ Con-
^nick’s vocals are absolutely
great—he sounds just like one of
those old big band singers you hear
when you’re searching for a radio
station and happen across one of
those stations your grandparents
listen to. The music is equally
good—it makes you really consider
taking a ballroom-dancing class. I
consider this to be one of the two
best songs on the album.
What's the other best song? OK.
I'll tell you. It's the ninth song on
the album, entitled, ' Let's Call the
Whole Thing Off. ” What I like so
much about this song is that it is
funny! The lyrics are somewhat
reminiscent of "Anything You Can
Do, I Can Do Better" from Annie,
Get Your Gun, but provide a twist
at the end that is really fun.
Another song I really like is
"But Not for Me," the fourth cut
on the album. The only thing about
this song, is it is depressing:
Although I can’t dismiss
the memory of her kiss
1 guess she's not for me.
But, the song is still good. Con-
nick's voice is excellent, and as
usual, the music is great.
The album also boasts jsomc good
instrumentals. "Autumn in New
York” is a piano solo by Connick
(he can do everything) that is
excellent.
I give this album a definite
thumbs-up. If you still think big
band just isn’ t your style, this just
might surprise you. It's also great
'for a date—it's quiet, laid back, and
remember—it worked When Harry
Met Sally...
The Ten Best Movies Of The
Eighties Continued
By MARK H. ROSEN
The following five films are the
top five remainders from last
week's article. As the number gets
lower, their "greatness" increases.
(5) E.T. the Extraterrestrial—
There was absolutely no way that
I could write this article without in
cluding the highest grossing movie
of all time. To this day. no film has
equaled E.T. in box office
receipts/video sales. The film is
also a tale of childhood innocence.
When a friendly alien is left behind,
a small boy befriends him. The
relationship they share is like no
other. All of the adults in the film
arc presented as boobs who cannot
relate to the child's understanding
of the alien. E.T. is the quintessen
tial family movie. The extrater
restrial is played flawlessly with
love and care. The final scene is the
ultimate tcarjerker. Steven
Spielberg (who else?!) directs.
(1982)
(4-a) Rain Man—The Best Pic
ture winner for 1988. Rain Man is
perhaps the most poignant film of
the eighties. The mega-talent of
Dustin Hoffman mixed with the
mega-popularity of Tom Cruise
carry the story effortlessly. The
story concerns Charlie Babbitt's
(Cruise) abduction of his brother
Raymond (Hoffman) whch he finds
that Raymond got all of their laic
father's estate (except for a used car
and some rose bushes). Cruise
turns in an almmost unbelievable
performance; that is. unbelievable
when it's compared to his other
films. Alert the media! Tom Cruise
CAN act. Hoffman's performance
as the autistic savant is flawless. He
deservedly won the Best Actor
OSCAR. The film had many pro-
B l, and years in the
that shows in the
Barry Levinson
Vietnam!, Diner,
nderly directs his
the country on a
Hans Zimmer's
score fits so appropriately that it
sometimes goes unnoticed. This
film is a must-see; it is also one of
my personal favorite tearjerkers.
(1988).
(4-b) Broadca.se News—Yes.
there is a tie for number four.
Broadcast News was shamefully
disregarded at the 1987 Academy
Awards. James L. Brook’s enter
taining foliow-up to I983’s Best
Picture Terms of Endearment is
a close examination of the goings-
on at a Washington department of
the network news. William Hurt is
the stupid face man that would
"really, really, a lot" like the help
of Holly Hunter in curing his afflic
tion for just reading the news. Even
though Hun epitomizes everything
that Hunter abhors, she inevitably
falls in love with him. Albcn
Brooks has the most uproarious
supponing role as the top-notch
reporter than wants to be more than
Hunter’s friend. Painfully funny
scenes clash with the realism of the
tragic love triangle. Brook's scene
in which he gets a shot at anchor
ing the weekend news is side
splitting. Look for Jack Nicholson
in an unbilled cameo as the network
anchor. The film's true significance
lies in its realistic approach to situa
tions, i.e.. don't look for
everything wrapped up "neat and.
udy" at the end of the picture.
(1987)
(3) Raiders of the Lost Ark-
One of the greatest movies of all
times. Raiders is a return to those
thrilling days when moview had
upwards of ten or more sequels,
each appearing weekly. Like those
serials. Raiders is a thrill-a-minutc
action yarn with daring ar
chaeologist Indiana Jones in search
of the lost Ark of the Covenant.
Karen Allen is the tough
hcroine/lovc interest. Spielberg
really has a feel for action and it
shows explicity in this film. The
two seqquels that followed did not
even compare with the awe of the
first film. Harrison Ford is excep
tional (in the role originally design
ed for Tom Selleck) as the wise
cracking adventurer. (1981)
(2) Local Hero—Everybody
who knows me knows that I really
favor this film. Bill Forsyth’s talc
of an oil rep who swings into a
quirky little Scottish town to buy up
the land is uproarious. The absur
dity of the various situations sets
this film apart lik^no other. Only
in a movie like this would mermaid
make an appearance. Burt Lan
caster is funny as the off-kilter boss
in Texas who is more interested in
the Northern Lights than the land
buy-up. Understanding the accents
can be trying at times, but it gets
better as the film progresses. Mark
Knopfier's enchanting score just
adds to the ostensible beauty of this
film. Friendship, a feeling for
heritage, and love of nature arc
equally dominant themes that arise
throughout the picture. If you have
never seen it. I urge you to give it
a look. Local Hero is without a
doubt the most delightful sleeper of
the eighties. (1983)
(I) The World According To
Garp—And the Winner is.. .1 know
wtiat you are thinking, but don't
worry. 1 will provide reasons why
1 chose this film as the best of the
eighties. Garp is a dazzling film
about the life of one man bom the
bastard son of a nurse named Jen
ny Fields. Garp is played by Robin
Williams (in his best role to date).
Fields is played by Glenn Close
(her feature film debut which led
to an Oscar nomination). Garp's
life is one of questions. He searches
for what he needs to keep his
writing alive. Fields, his mother,
coddles her child into his adult
years and eventually runs a revolu
tionary boarding house. Garp. not
ready for his mother's catapult in
to fame, settles down and continues
to write. After his mother writes a
book that stimulates activism in the
women's movement, she becomes
an icon in the eyes of all women.
Now...what the hell makes this
story applicable to thch eighties?
As I watch this film. I can only be
enthralled at the idea of just look
ing at one’s life. "A life can be a
wonderful thing" according to Jen
ny Fields. Because we are students
at the juncture of our lives, we
remember the eighties to be a
period of growing up. With this in
mind, Garp's story, an examination
of a life, just urges us. the au
dience, to reflect on our lives. This
is perhaps the most special gift that
a movie can give. This makes
Garp extremely original, as well as
special; I believe that makes The
World According to Garp
undeniably the best film of the
eighties. (1982)
Student Union
Activities Board
Film Committee
1990 Winter Film Schedule
Showtimes:
Friday/Saturday 7:00 & 9:30 p.m.
Sunday 6:00 & 8:30 p.m.
Admission: 50* students
$1 faculty
$1.50 general admission