Especially for You Sounds Better Than It Is Dead of Winter: Bland and Boring
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THE RETRIEVER FEBRUARY 17, 1987 PAGE 3 ENTERTAINMENT Smithereens' album marred by weak lyrics Especially For You sounds better than it is by Annette Lepore and, as well, an early-60s-sounding "Cigarette" centers around a meta- enough. Unfortunately, an implied death. Still, it's another real singable Place," the main reason I bought this plot. These two are breaking up, right, phor with a cigarette paralleling the metaphor is not enough here. Hardly. tune. album in the first place. The instru- The Smithereens' album Especially and this chick tells him that they time this guy and his girl have before The song goes on to explain the "I Don't Want to Lose You" is mental music is minimalistic, mainly For You would be a great album to should act like strangers when they she has to leave. Hardly a comparison comparison, and then on to beat it to pretty straightforward (it remains to an acoustic guitar and vibraphone, listen to if you couldn't understand meet. A good start to a story, but worthy of John Donne, yet workable be wondered why they bothered to but it's incredibly effective in creating English. The instrumental sound is that's the whole story. sing a whole song when they idea is a solemn feel. Vocals by Pat DiNizio fantastic, the production by Don "Listen To Me Girl" is a superficial conveyed totally in the title, though.) are awesome, husky and powerful in a Dixon (whose credits include R.E.M. little ditty with nothing much to say. The last tune on Side One, "Time and way that sends shivers up my thighs. among other notables) is slick and The title line is, however, another Time Again," is memorable only in Take this: professional and the vocals are gutsy catchy hook. that the guitar intro echoes almost and powerful. note for note the intro to "Pretty / was born the day I met you Lived awhile when you loved me However, despite the nice packag- The next cut, "Groovy Tuesday," ESPECIALLY Woman." Like "Strangers," the singer ing, the idea behind the music is continues on in the time-warped-60's is getting blown off (time and time Died a little when we broke apart. disappointing. In fact, there isn't any fashion. One good line, "I hung my "V O. LJ again,) and I wonder if there's a idea at all. The lyrics are sadly lacking mind out on the line" is clever Backup vocals by Suzanne Vega add pattern developing. an interestingly haunting feel. in depth and originality. There seems enough, but the recurring theme is the "Behind a Wall of Sleep" is a nice to be only one central theme: boy loses same with one twist: after doing too start to Side Two. The tale of a girl The rest of the album is mainly a girl and misses her a whole lot, and many drugs in the 60s, boy loses girl guitar player (and the men who want throwaway, impossible to critique with- this is not even presented well. and forgets why he wanted her in the her) has a nice duality (singing about out repeating myself in the worst way The first song on Side One, first place. "Nothing Lasts," says the singing) and the bass line is arrest- ("weak lyrics, great music, blah, blah, "Strangers When We Meet," has a song, and the 60s were no exception, ing. blah"). The only remotely interesting catchy, early-60s-sounding rhythm guys. ■ "Blood and Roses" continues with thing in these cuts is a veiled reference another unusual bass part by Mike to masturbation in "Hand of Glory." Mesaros. The lyrics, here again, are Well, there you have it. I really lacking, with a mass of overused sym- loved this album until I took it apart bols (winter/summer, etc.) There is, to review it. The strength of Especially yet, an eerie echo near the end that for You is really accessible rock with a almost makes it mean something. neat sound, listenable for hours wi- Side Two, song three is "In a Lonely thout taxing your brain. Dead of Winter: bland and boring by Paul Grden man's imperssonation of Anthony Perkins. This type of campy incarna- With the semester now in full swing, tion worked to great effect for McDo- slush on the ground, and plenty of well in Fright Night, but here he is not bitter cold days still headed our way, Dead of Winter is a bland, soporific able to put a dent in the film's prevai- the last thing we need to see in the ling mood of lethargy. He is just midst of this winter monotony is a attempt at a horror film which is as wasting his energy. movie which is just as dull. Yet that is Jan Rubes, last seen delivering precisely what Dead of Winter is: a paternalistic advice to Kelly McGillis bland, soporific attempt at a horror tedious as the month of February. in Witness, brings nothing notewor- film which is a tedious as the month of thy to his performance as Dr. Lewis. February. ...as a horror film it does not create He just goes along with the script's Intended to be be one of those persona of Dr. Lewis as being one of chiller/thriller films, Dead of Winter any feelings of tension or fear, which your typical mad genius types, and is essentially a retread of the all too comes out looking mediocre because familiar "innocent victim who gets in defeats its own purpose. of it. Of course, having to work with over her head with a bunch of psycho- such a banal script certainly doesn't pathic lunatics andd has to cleverly bite help either. The greatest originality scratch kick and claw her way out that this script can drum up is to have movie." two also double as psychopathic luna- being a grab bag of jittery manner- Dr. Lewis draw analogies between the The innocent victim is Katie, a tics, who trap Katie in a perilous game isms. game of blackmail (yawn) and the struggling actress in the Big Apple of blackmail and murder. Alas, Katie Instead of creating one three- game of chess. who gets in over her head when she must then cleverly bite, scratch, kick, dimensional character, she creates Director Arthur Penn apparently successfully auditions for a movie and claw her way out in order to three one-dimensional characters, attempts to gives this film an eerie, role. The reason she gets the role is escape with her life. and while the numbers may add up to dream quality, but the only quality because of her striking resemblance to As one can tell, this is ordinary be the same, the performances do not. about this film that is remotely close the actress who previously played the going. The only novel twist in this While Steenburgen is a talented act- to being dreamlike is its sleep- role, who has since mysteriously dis- whole matter is the fact that Mary ress who doesn't really embarrass her- inducing pace. appeared. Steenburgen performs three roles; self here, she can and has done much Dead of Winter is certainly not an The problems begin when she has to those of the actress who has disap- better. awful film, and it never resorts to make a videotape to send to the peared, the actress'cunning sister, and As Mr. Murray, Roddy McDowell being offensive in any manner, but as director, which is to be shot at the Katie. But as far as multiple roles go, tries his darndest to liven things up, a horror film it does not create any producer's grand and opulent man- Mary Steenburgen is no Alec Guin- but to no avail. He incorporates into feelings of tension or fear, which de- sion in upper state New York. The ness, or even Patty Duke for that his character his inimitable, offbeat feats its own purpose. No scary stuff producer, Dr. Lewis, is a retired matter. She seems so intent upon style, but in a film as humorless and here, just your standard Ghost Host The Smithereens: Jim Babjak, Pat DiNizio, Dennis Diken, and Mike Mesaros. psychiatrist who is cared for by a giving these three roles separate char- lifeless as this, his performace looks Theatre fare, which is not something former patient, Mr. Murray. These acterizations that each role end« iin deliberate and cartoonish, like a poor one pays to see. Christianity in General The Louis L. 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