Newspaper Page Text
PAGE (-THE CLUSTER, ARPIL 20, UM
-Dead Poet’s Society
AlUnti to attend a sneak preview
Defender-Advocate
Society
is now taking applications
If you are interested please pick
up an application at
Asst. Dean Hart’s office.
Applications are due
April 25, 1990
Mark Smith ftanetariurn’s
Latest Cosmic Concert Features
More Lasers, Music By R.E.M.
of Society when it premiered last
June. The fact that English was my
major only made the filmmore en
ticing. My initial response was not
what most expected. I voiced my
concern over the originality (just as
the critics did) and I was sure that
I saw the ending coming a mile
away. After it became a summer
bldckbuster, 1 felt it deserved a se
cond viewing. I chose this time to
do as John .Keating (Williams) by
looking at the film from a different
perspective. I looked at the film not
as a discriminating movie critic,
but rather as my true self. I was
elated to find that I was able to ap
preciate the film’s purpose like my
peers. Williams' most subtle per
formance to date places him as the
replacement English professor at
Weiton Academy for boys in 1 >59.
Continued from page 5'
Edge or Kirk Peagilly of INXS. ex
cept it has much ore presence.
Chns Blackwell’s drums add to the
energy of this track, a psychedelic
stomp that is one of the album's
finest moments.
“Liar’s Dance” is the quietest
song on the album, but one of the
most intense. It's an acoustic set
ting with Plant singing over Boyle’s
heavy blues picking. The last tune
Plant did a .ong like this was “Oo-
ing to California.''
There are a few weak songs in
the album. “Big Lose" seems just
other is the fact that the story is not
necessarily concerned with
Keating. The young boys who re
organize the Dead Poet’s Society
carry the film’s weight. Williams'
Keating inspires the lads by advis
ing them to “seize the day." At a
time when boys were tailor-made
to become the lawyers, doctors,
and bankers of today, Keating's
philosophy was considered taboo.
This element is crucial to the film's
success.
Returning to the concerns over
screenplay originality I would just
like to clarify, for the critics con
cerned. that the idea of an inspira
tional professor HAS been done
before in Goodbye Mr. Chips, and
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie;
Dead Poet's Society distinguishes
itself by focusing on the ostensible
theme (seize the day) rather than
die. and the only thing that keeps
"Anniversary” from being the
worst song Plant ever wrote is
Doug Boyle’s incendiary guitar
solo, reminiscent of David
Gilmour.
These are the only two low spots
on an album that tops Sow and Zen
by such a wide margin it's not even
measurable. Tracks like “Nir
vana," "Tie Die on the
Highway." and “SSS and Q“ are
some of the best material Plant has
ever recorded, and that includes
Led Zeppelin. Pick it up.
Continued Ann peg* 5
placing the spotlight on the inspira
tional professor. Sensitive direction
by Australian Peter Weir (Witness.
The Mosquito Coast) and stunning
New England photography just il
luminates a feel for the times. The
stellar performances include Robert
Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke and,
of course, Robin Williams. As Kim
Basinger regarded as she introduc
ed this film at the Oscars, it is one
about “truth." Spike Lee suc
cessfully presented a film about the
“truth" and he was shunned by his
peers. Tom Schulman, Peter Weir,
Robin Williams, and a great casts
successfully presented us a film
about a necessary “truth" also.
The “truth" in Dead Poet’s Society
proves that language exudes love,
romance, and all human emotions;
language also inspires us to de
nounce conformity and “seize the
day." It is especially fitting that
this film inspired many young peo
ple as it blew by some older,
established folks. Just as Spike Lee
hoped his film would open some
eyes, it is obvious that Dead Poet's
Society had the same intention.
Both reportedly did this and that is
why they were essentially
overlooked. And I got news for
them, that is a far more important
achievement in film-making than
some statue of a guy on a roll of
film. If you have not seen Dead
Poet s Society, or if you have only
seen it ooce. I highly recommend
that you stroll on down to your
local video store and check it out.
Maybe someday we can all “suck
the marrow out of life.’’
The pervasively popular music of
Athens rock band R.E.M is
featured in the New Mark Smith
Planetarium's current Cosmic 'Con
cert. presented each Friday and
Saturday at 9 p.m. through April
1990. Admission to the show is S3
for adults, S2 for children.
Using slides, video graphics and
lasers, this Cosmic Concert points
up social, political and en
vironmental issues of the contem
porary world as does the music of
R.E.M. From wars and conflicts of
the 20th century to natural disasters
to man-m^de disasters like oil
spills, a wide range of startling,
contrasting and quick-paced images
appear across the planetarium
dome. Animated blue-green and
red argon lasers depict between 20
and 23 different characters such as
animals and landscapes. The
Cosmic Concert also uses 360
degrees of video images overhead,
incorporating various local scenes,
including several Macon suburbs
and the Indian Mounds.
Both the eccentric visual flavor
and the music being purely R.E.M.
at a strong volume make this
Cosmic Concert a special ex
perience for fans of the band. The
song list is as follows: Don't Go
Back To RockviUe, Radio Free
Europe, I Can Turn You Inside
Out. Swan Swimming Humm
ingbird, Pale Blue Eyes, Driver 8,
The One J Love, Stumble. You Are
the Everything. Lightnin* Hopkins.
It’s the End Of the World As We
Know It (And I Feel Fine), and
Superman.
What sets this film apart from any
-Plant Album
a little too mindless for me to han-
Colvin and Hobbes
by Bill Wattenon
Calvin and Hobbes
by Bill Wattenon
Calvin and Hobbes
by Bill Wattenon
Calvin and Hobbes
by Bill Wattenon
mi m cxriMN nc
man or oturvun
i owt MKSCSMO >
gets .— s
Calvin and Hobbes
by Bill Wattenon