Revolutionary Film to Be Shown Medieval Tale of Japan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THURSDAY, APRIL 29,1971 PAGE 8 UCSB D A ILY NEXUS and you send us tons the first side. “ Good Friend o f o f starches; Mary’s” and “He Loves Them” M ason Prof fit play country but when we ask for work, are in an easier vein and sound you cannot hire us very nice. The last cut is one o f the protest songs. With a By RICK DERAGON with “ heavy” lyrical content. The making too positive an A worthy enough message but chant/chorus o f ‘^everybody was The trend in today’s rock majority of the record’s songs impression. completely out of place in a wrong,” and words concerned music is that no trends exist. contain socio-political messages “ Movin’ Toward Happiness” foot-tapping, country music with war and ecology, the tune is Acid-rock, folk-rock, jazz rock of some sort — very unfitting for is clearly a well thought out mood. likewise un-country, sounding have all had their times, and the good-time sounding tunes in production. It is filled with These questionable lyrics are like a medium-heavy rock song indeed, some examples o f each which they occur. From “ Voice pleasant chord progressions, less conspicuous, though, when with a heavy, heavy message. still remain. But still no single o f Change” : tasteful pedal steel and dobro compared to “ Wanted.” Michael ■ The music heard on “ Wanted” type o f music prevails today. Hey Businessman working throughout, and original Dodge” , “ Hard Luck Woman” , and “ Movin’ Toward Happiness” Some claim country-based You turn and give me a sideways arrangements. But again we get: “ Hokey Joe Pony and Ole Joe is definitely pleasing and deserves music is taking a strong hold of glance every now and then... My name is Flying Arrow Clark” are the foot-stompers on listening to, and if the listener the market, and while they say But now your kind is in the and I live in Arizona side one, all with up-tempo can “ overtook” the often this, the unexplainable popularity papers, you got to think part o f what was once feeling and basic country sounds. too-much-to-take words, these o f Grand Funk haunts us all. now friend, a mighty nation On side two, “ Let Me Know two will prove to contain many True, the country groups and How does that grab you, So you send us Where You’re Goin” is the only enjoyable listenings. country singers are enjoying a silent majority? bits o f clothing song similar to the fast series on refreshing acceptance, but there The album called “ Wanted” is is no real way to tell or predict good, but could be much, much which kind o f music will become better. Perhaps the second L.P. fad and start a mania working will be better. again. Unfortunately, the only area in Revolutionary film to be shown In the country field, a group which Mason Proffit “ matures” is in instrumental competence, which has two very similar “ Antonio Das Mortes,” a revolutionary, folk epic He draws on ballads and folksongs to develop and which isn’t bad. However, the albums out is Mason Proffit. On based on the elements o f folk history, superstition comment on the action, and his use o f color also lyrical triteness, or words the Happy Tiger label, the first o f and social injustice, will be presented Wednesday, enhances the effect o f the rituals. The color unbecoming o f the particular these two albums is nice and easy May 5, at 8 p.m. in Campbell Hall. sometimes matches the macabre quality o f Rocha’s sounding but gets bogged down tune, hold this album back from Glauber Rocha, foremost director o f Brazil’s imagination and some critics have objected that this Cinema Novo, received the Best Director award o f flamboyant operatic style conflicts with the the 1969 Cannes Film Festival for this picture. political message. Rocha clothes his revolutionary message in a Crosby, Stills, etc., live remarkable visual language in which the primitivism But this is no mythical frontier o f the past: and violence o f the religious dances or the scenes o f Rocha’s magnificient film is in fact firmly tied to By RICK DERAGON They joked and played and savage slaughter alternate with moments o f absolute the present day political and social reality o f his On an especially warm August had a good time. After a short stillness. underdeveloped homeland. evening 6,000 people milled in break they came back with and around the Los Angeles electricity, volume' and more Greek Theater. We went into the showmanship. A 30-minute small park next to the “ Down By the River” ended the Medieval tale of Japan amphitheater and talked and “ star” filled night, plus 6,000 Films o f Japan will continue Sunday, May 2, with Mizoguchi, who died in 1956 after a career o f 30 smiling screams. And all along walked and laughed until we the screening o f “ The B ailiff’ in 1179 Chemistry years. they were setting a precedent for found a nice place to spread our Auditorium at 8 p.m. It is a memorable film version blanket. The lawn had just been the other shows. In 1963 “ The B ailiff’ was presented at the New o f the medieval tale about the family o f a nobleman mowed and with the surrounding Many more shows followed, York Film Festival and ran concurrently at the sold into slavery to a petty bailiff and the son who eucalpytus trees’ smell, it was concerts resembling, if not Museum o f Modem Art as part o f its retrospective finally defeats the bailiff and becomes a provincial hard to tell this was Los Angeles. duplicating the format o f that governor able to abolish slavery in the area. It was or important works not released commercially in The four of us shared two summer night. So different and written by the great Japanese director, Kenji this country. loaves o f shepherd’s bread, four really entertaining. They caught squares o f imported cheeses and a on fast and became the year’s gallon o f wine, while the sun phenomenon. Everyone knew became lost over the hills. them or knew o f them. Later we entered the theater Material grew and so did the and waited for Joni Mitchell to image. Another studio I sing to us under the stars. She representation was disappointing. sang and played her meloncholy Or was it? Ask the throngs. and happy songs for just over an Ultimately they had to play to hour and disappeared behind the Los Angeles again. They played once in December but that wasn’t side curtain. She was brought I - back a couple o f times and finally like a summer evening under the B the clapping died away. starry sky — all cold and bundled Before us now were three inside UCLA’s Pauley Pavillion. It guitars standing behind stools. had been so long. The town was And then “ they” walked out into starved for them. the warm air, tuned, adjusted and Finally Jack Kent Cooke and burst forth with: his place obliged to two 20,000 “ It’s getting to the point, fan-packed nights in June. How where I ’m no fun anymore...” could that “ blimp hanger” For so long they played compare to the intimacy of happily together and even more almost a year before? Oh no. together when the fourth friend So there everyone was. All was brought on. A fine and those trillions who had picked up unique debut for a city from a on this group over the months group o f friends. Altogether they had forced them into a blimp would play: hanger. Oh no. “ Helplessly hoping her harlequin Before us now were three hovers nearby...” guitars standing behind stools. Paired up they would play: And then they walked out into Guinnevere had green eyes, the air-conditioned, unintimate m‘lady like yours..” atmosphere, tuned, adjusted and Alone they would play: burst forth with: “ It’s getting to “ Black Queen, don’t you know, the point, where I ’m no fun can’t beat aces all in a row...” anymore...” “ I am a child, I ’ll last Just like before in the summer, awhile, you can’t conceive o f it was so nice. Friends. They the pleasure in my smile...” talked more now: a little more sure o f themselves, a little more polished, but still informal. The fourth “ brother” was introduced and they played their newest songs. Again they took a break to come back and electrify everyone. The impact was almost indescribable. Gradually, the Forum roof top disappeared, as did the massive walls. I was soon in their living room, at their feet, smiling, listening, clapping. I saw the stars in a warm summer night, smelled the new mowed lawn and eucalyptus trees. I drank the wine. It was just “ Four Way Street.”.