HUBBADAHUBBADAHUBBADA by Eric Olson Photos by Kim Light

accordian player, a seven man brass section and three female back-up vocalists Buster calls the Siamese Triplets. This of course excluded the main man himself. A spotlight followed Buster CHEESE WHIZ from the top of the balcony stairs to his position on a stool VOL. 69, No. 7 in front of the audience. Like most of the audience I didn’t 7 • 27 • 88 know what to expect. From a man who used to play next to

Buster Poindexter ► He’s the new messiah of and the Banshees lounge lizards! He’s fast. He’s groovy. He’s a lady’s man; of Blue Sinatra in disguise. In­ troducing Buster Poindexter. Yeah, he played at the El Paseo a week ago yesterday. If you weren’t there you shoulda been. The action-packed show started on schedule with the

Johnny Thunders in the New York Dolls dressed in drag complete with wig, rouge, lipstick and four-inch plat­ forms, to the star of s alsa- PU Pee-Wee ►2A rumba band ... something smells of the descendent POWAQQUATSI ►2A cheese of Frank Sinatra, (Continued on p.4A) Bruce Pulls Through ►3A

Cleese’s Cheese ►4A

procession of Buster’s band members entering the courtyard from the above balcony. I haven’t seen such a plentitude of musicians for one band since Lawrence Welk’s Champagne Orchestra. The Banshees of Blue, as they are called, consist of one per­ cussionist, one drummer, one stand—up bassist, a piano/- BIG FLOP PEE-WEE 2A However, after the beginning of the film something evil took over and made Big Top Pee-Wee fall flat on its face. 7 • 27 • 88 To be safe from a storm, Pee-Wee and his barnyard friends take refuge in the basement only to find when they came out that the circus has taken over his farm in order to recover from the bad weather. When circus manager Mase Montana (Kris Kristofferson) and Pee- Wee team up to put the circus back on its feet. When Pee-Wee falls in love with one of the circus performers played by Valeria Golino, the laughs fall short, even by Dawn Mermer shorter than Montana’s six-inch wife. From this point on, the film becomes tod crowded with not too amusing circus performers and highly unsettling side show freaks. Director Randal Kleiser (Grease, Blue Lagoon, ) and writers and George McGrath also failed in their heroic attempt to make the audience sympathize with the prejudice that the circus people face in the local town. All this while Pee-Wee Ahh, what happened to those carefree days when Herman is running around like a tiresome, humorless Borsodi's was in business, Jesse Jackson was still in buffoon trying to find an act to perform in the circus the presidential race, and Pee-Wee Herman could be and trying to patch things up with his former and counted on to supply continual laughs? Yep, current lovers (yes, Pee Wee has more lovers than astonishing as it may seem Pee-Wee failed miserably to Eddie Murphy.) keep me laughing throughout his new film Big Top Pee- The ending of Big Top Pee-Wee brought both feelings of Wee. joy and despair to me. Joy that this disappointing Now before anyone accuses me of not appreciating charade was coming to a close and despair that it was this comedian’s hyper-laced sense of humor, I just extremely cheesy. Now I don't mind cheese, in fact I want everyone to know that on several Saturdays I welcome it at times, but when the cheese, as it is here, awoke before 9 am in order to warmly greet my friends is processed cheese whiz that only takes a minute to who would show up at my door with Frosted Flakes microwave instead of being mozzarella (as co-loather under their arms so that we could enjoy “Pee— Wee’s of Big Top Pee-Wee Adam Moss said), then I can do Playhouse” together. I also avidly defended Pee Wee’s without, thank you. The ending, however, did for a first film Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure to those who thought minute bring a smile to my face, but it was only when themselves too sophisticated for this type of humor. I Pee-Wee reincarnated his Tequila dance on the high loved the man-child. I had such high hopes for him. wire. And that’s why I was so disappointed not only in his Aside from the mediocre directing by Kleiser I performance, or lack thereof, but in the film as a suppose where I found fault for this downright bad whole. film was in the writing talents of Reubens and However, Big Top Pee-Wee was not all dull and lifeless, McGrath. This brings pain in my heart to say because in fact I was roaring in my seat for about the first Reubens has splendidly written and created the With Koyaanisqatsi, director Godfri twenty minutes of the film. Pee-Wee Herman was Playhouse and Big Adventure as well as splitting his teresting alternative to convention« hilarious at first as the high-strung farmer who personality in two in order to become Pee-Wee Her­ movie, Reggio cannily assembled skipped along with his pig/best friend and who ate man. But I found the script, after the beginning, to be United States, from the vast, empl lunch daily with his fiancee Winnie (Susan Tyrell) too chaotic and lacking in freshness and originality, dense cities, to paint his vision of An whom he constantly and without success jumped on and those are the two things which I expect out of balance." There were no words, o top of. His snide and cutting remarks to children, store Reubens/Pee-Wee. With all said and bashed on, I Glass score. Reggio’s attack was ot keepers, and elderly townsfolk kept Paul Reubens in would highly recommend the first twenty minutes of Big for the grandeur of Koyaanisqatsi’s con check with the Pee-Wee Herman character that he Top Pee-Wee, but don’t be surprised if you catch yourself Now, with the release of Powaq created for himself and that people with taste adore. napping when the circus comes to town. alternative may become a calcified sequel of sorts to Koyaanisqatsi, and t BLUE CHEESE in Reggio’s intended “qatsi” trilogy "X. Rarely would we entertain the thought of exploiting for “life.” Where "Koyaanisqatsi” m an industry’s insurmountable ability to create cheese, “powaqqatsi" means life at the e but, hey Buster was in town ... and besides it’s time to obviously thinks his onscreen oeuvi recognize how stinky cheese can be. Ask Eric Olson That’s a problem, because his do Screwy Louies who tracked down Poindexter and waited an hour makes you suspicious of Reggio's vie backstage to find out how funny the man really is. fi- Ini Koyaanisqatsi, the images could More kudos to photographer Kim Light who captured terms. There was a sense that whil the essence of cheese on our cover pliotos. New to the trying to make points, the beauty a Nexus, but ARTS elders (Light founded U C SB 's art film could be appreciated by his ii club), we don’t think they should be allowed to instance, one could just as well be ii graduate. Los Angeles as by the graceful svt presents: On that note, savor the last bits of Michael Singer's Valley, without stopping to consider a grand opening celebration film criticism, for he’s moving back to Berkley to give their arts section a taste of some well needed by Michael Sir medicine. Sometimes promotions are painful. Adam Thursday July 28th Liebowitz has been named the new Friday Magazine editor, but promises (don’t you Adam) to continue with thing to do. Even if you didn't th film writing for ARTS. balanced life, Koyaanisqatsi’s world coi New to this summer's ARTS volume are the words of Powaqqatsi is meant to teach a less« head cheese master Patrick Whalen on fish. As well the images anymore, because they c Dawn Mermer, a film studies major, is finally following of carrying serious messages about in the footsteps of her older brother Brett who was world woman walks slowly towards ARTS edtior not so long ago. And what a big happy stampede of joggers, we see symboli: family it is. There’s no law against Reggio I, Laurie L. McCullough, solemnly swear to never Considering that most filmmakers t use the words C H E E S E again. ideas, it's refreshing to see a film of Better things you should know about to see, hear, Powaqqatsi’s air of self-importance mi and feel ... College of Creative studies is exhibiting unless you agree with Reggio in i some brilliant polaroids by UCSB alumnus Lupe believe that western civilization is a Garza. If you’ve never seen the gallery, this is the resources and culture, then you txf perfect show to see. The all white interior is ideal for confirmations of your opinions. Graza’s small evocative and dramatic pictures. The Whatever you feel about the fil images explore the obscurity of simple architectural probably won’t get beyond the feelii f lines, like doorways and staircases, with rich style is a manipulative twist on tl spotlights of unnatural color. expectations. Some of the shots seei And for your ears, it's the authentic Lousiana example, people all stare into the ct with special guest: musical gumbo of Queen Ida and her Bon Temps of forlorn spiritual purity; Reggio wc Zydeco Band this Friday at the Lobero. Zydeco is a of the third-world smiling. He als combination of Delta blues, Jamaican reggae, Trinidad nections between different cultures SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED calypso, with a whole lotta whoop-dee dixie. And you between graphicly similar shots of thought the Neville Brothers were authentic. and effectively insults both cultures doors open at 8:30 pm Last week’s industrial music reviews by KC SB music unified whole. To the oversimplifying director Keith York have some new friends with the one poor but noble mass crushing Ryco label releases of three solo albums from mem­ monolithic west. all night pitchers $1.50 bers of The Church. Hearing Marty Wilson Piper’s Art I rarely disagree with Reggio’s c Attack makes “Under the Milky Way" a real puker. timoniousness is bothersome. Powaqt cover charge $2.00 Gorgeous might be too subtle a term here. Listen to best way to judge it is by how well oi York's show, Red Team Radio, on KCSB Thursday Koyaanisqatsi, the images and music (Tisht Enterprises 683-4942) from 10 to midnight for a new meaning to your soul's in; Powaqqatsi’s overbearing messagi industrial complex and give a listen to these great new you at a cool distance. 6396 Hollister Ave, Goleta 968-2565 releases. BRUISED BRUCE 3A After watching , this week’s entry in the shoot'em up blow'em up millions die but the star survives action adventure genre, I could not help but 7 • 27 • 88 think of the SCTV routine in which the morning farm report was combined with film criticism. The only criteria they had for how good a film was, was how many things blew up in it and how good the explosions were. Their review of Die Hard would probably rate as a film classic, sounding something like: “Did you see the new Bruce Willis masterpiece Die Hard?. “I sure did, Joe Bob, and a fine piece of cinema it is. I never seen so many things blowed up in one movie BLUES’REGGAE by Adam Liebowitz since RamboIII." ROCK & JAZZ “And that Bruce Willis, he’d be a-shootin’ and fightin' and then he just blowed the bad guys up; in NEW RELEASES NOW IN STOCK fact, he blowed the whole building up. It was just beautiful." Jethro Tull-20 Years(Box Set) "I have to say that it was one of the best explosions Huey Lewis-Small World I’ve ever seen; it made me cry." Actually, I don’t intend to demean Die Hard, but it is Big Audio Dynamite obvious what kind of film it is and really only a matter Style Council- of critiquing the explosions in deciding how good the film is. On the Billy Bob and Joe Bob scale then, Die Confessions of a Pop Group Hard is a 10. Created by the same producers and director who made Predator and edited by the same editor as Robocop, Coming Soon: Die Hard is full of the fast-paced dazzle we have come to Joan Armatrading»Little Feat expect in a ’80s action film. It has Bruce Willis armed to the teeth, nonstop action and a futuristic building Joy Division*Kenny Loggins that is as interesting as any of the characters. Hothouse Flowers*UB 40 However, what keeps this orgy of violence from becoming too much for even someone who likes this "CASH PAID FOR USED CD's, CASSETTES & IP's" sort of thing is the film’s sense of humor. A big portion of the credit for keeping Die Hard fun goes to Bruce Willis, who plays New York cop John McClane with much of the same combination of a cocksure attitude morningjory and a boyish vulnerability which made his “Moonlighting" David Addison character so popular. But in Die Hard, his working class edges are not as OPEN 10-10 DAILY. 10-8 SUNDAYS smooth as they are in that yuppies-get-nutty TV show. 910 Embarcadero Del Norte. Isla Vista 968-4665 ' Godfrey Reggio created an in- Rather, Willis' McClane is more of an average Joe, a a - * * ” » IICKETS FOR LOCAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EVENTS ventional film style. In that 1983 guy the audience can identify with, not a steroid-filled embled disparate images of the mutant like Stallone. Instead of being just so much st, empty wilderness to bustling, macho posing, Willis portrays a character who keeps on of Americans living a “life out of having to mumble “oh shit” and give facial expressions From the Creators of /ords, only a lush, droning Philip of “what the hell am I doing here” while performing all t was oblique but effective, if only the ridiculous superhuman feats required of an '80s KOVIIIHISQPTSI atsi’s construction. hero. Directed by G ODFREY REGGIO Music Composed by PHILIP GLASS )f Powaqqatsi, Reggio's interesting The screenwriters have also taken the time to insert calcified institution. Powaqqatsi is a a decent dose of humor amid all the carnage they have dreamed up. Authority figures are the frequent point 'si, and there is a third film coming of satire which includes a cop with a zeal for Twinkies ” trilogy. “Qatsi" is the Hopi word and power-mad FBI agents who think they are playing POUIRQIIIIITSI qatsi” means “life out of balance,'^ at rescuing hostages more than really saving them. In Life in Transformation it the expense of others. Reggio the funhouse mirror caricature world of Die Hard, the jn oeuvre is, well, the stuff of life. Japanese are greedy invaders who run our companies Opens July 29 7:15 & 9:15 Nightly his dour, humourless approach and Germans are still the intellectual social misfits that ‘VIC’ St. Theater • 965-1886 ¡gio's view of life. they have always been; meanwhile, Americans are is could be enjoyed on their own either the kind that suck up to the system or still play it hat while Reggio the moralist was out like individual cowboy types. Apparently also METROPOLITAN SANTA BARBARA jeauty and professionalism of the blacks and whites can play as a team but the white guy THEATRES CORP TWIN DRIVE-IN oy his ideological detracters. For still gets to be the hero (at least as long as whites still CADDYSHACKII /ell be impressed by the scenes of buy the majority of the tickets). Movie Hotline 963-9503 8:30; FH Cr Sat also 11:46 n ú © ceful swoops through Monument But you can’t take films like Die Hard too seriously. It 10 onsider whether it was the "right” is a fantasy film, a 12-year-old’s wet dream of getting GRANADA ARLINGTON Die Hard (R) to play guns and hero in a futuristic building all 8:15; FH Cr Sat also 12 brought to life for your summer entertainment. 1216 State SL. S.B. 963-1671 1317 State SL, S.B. 966-9382 Off Limits (R) ael Singer Coming to 10:30 Die Hard (R) America (R) I L11 d i’i 1 11:46,2:16,5.7:46,10:30 W&Th 11:46,2,4:30,7:16.9:30 No passes or group sales F-Tu 12:30,2:40,5,7:40,10:10 6060 Hollister Aye., Goleta 967-9447 idn’t think that it contained un- Thurs Midnight Premiere "Big Top Pee Wee" Dead Pool (R) rorld could be captivating, Who Framed 3:30,6:46,8,10 h a lesson. You can’t simply enjoy Roger Rabbit (PG) Sat Cr Sun also 1:30 FIESTA FOUR No passes or group sales ¡e they come with the imprimatur 12.2:20. 4:46,7:10. 9:30 BIG TOP PEE WEE (PG) 916 State St., S.B. 963-0781 Who Framed s about “life." When an old third- 12,2,4,6,8,10 No passes or group sales Dead Pool (R) Roger Rabbit (PG) owards the camera, followed by a 2,4,6,8:15,10:16 3.6:16,7:30,9:30 symbolism with a capital “S." No passes or group sales Sat Cr Sun also 1 Reggio stating opinions visually, RIVIERA Bambi (G) 1,2:30,4,6:30,7 lakers adapt only crowd-pleasing Separata admission required 251 N. Fairview, Goleta 967-0744 3 film of real conviction. However, Big Business (PG) 9; Thur only 10:16 Coming to ance makes it impossible to enjoy Separata admission required America (PG) Thur preview 8:30 1,3:16.5:30.9.10:16 ;gio in advance. If you sincerely The Moderns "Fish Called Wanda" 7,9:30 :ion is a leech draining third-world Sat Er Sun also 2:06,4:30 Midnight Run (R) Bambi (G) 12,2:30,5,7:30,10 11,1.3.5.7 en you might enjoy Powaqqatsi’s No passes or group sales Separata admission required is. PLAZA DE ORO ARTH U R II, ON THE RO CK S 9:30 [ the film's subject, though, you 349 Hitchcock Way, S.B. 682-4936 he feeling that Reggio’s cinematic C A D D V S H A C K II (PG) SWAP MEET! I 3:16,6:20,7:30,9:40 st on the viewers’ documentary Sat Cr Sun also 1:10 GOLETA 907 S. Kellogg. Goleta No passes or group sales lots seem too good to be true. For 320 S. Kellogg Ave., Goleta 6832266 Wednesday Evenings to the camera with that same look Bull Durham (R) 3:10,6:20,7:40,9:50 Big (PI 4:30-10 pm jggio wouldn’t dare show a citizen Sat Cr Sun also 1 6:16,7:30,9:306:16, TX, i No passes or group sales 1:16.3:16 EVERY SUNDAY He also draws outlandish con- 7 am to 4 Dm cultures. That is, Reggio intercuts AH programs, showttmes and restrictions subject to change without notice hots of South America and Africa mmwmmmmmmarnmmm^QpEM NG FR/DA y — ...... A rlin gto n cultures by presenting them as a FIESTA FOUR COCKTAIL _ Cinem a S.B. Drive-In nplifying Reggio, the third-world is 12:30.2:40.5.7:40.10:10 B A M B 1 1. 3:20.4.6:30.7 PIPPI LONGSTOCKING BIG B U SIN E SS No passes or group sales D EA D POOL 8:30,10:30 sap. adm. raq. 1:30,3:10, sap. adm. raq. 8:30; SETS also 11:46 ¡rushing under the weight of the NEW ADVENTURES OF D EA D POOL C A D D Y SH A C K II, 10:00 Granada 8,10 PIPPILONGSTOCKING DIE HARD, 9:66 DIE H AR D same times 1,3:30; sap. adm. raq. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT BIG. 8:15, SCrS also 12 iggio’s contentions, but his sanc- FISH CALLED WANDA COMING TO AMERICA 1,3,5:16,7:30,9:30 1,3:20,6:46,8:16,10:36 6:46,8,10:15 Plaza da Oro i. Powaqqatsi is a trip movie, and the No passes or group sales MIDNIGHT RUN, same times - BIG TOP PEE WEE C A D D Y SH A C K II iv well one succumbs to the trip. In WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT 3:20,5:30, S O S also 1:10, sap. adm. raq. 12,2,4,6,8.10 12:30,2:46,6,7:16,9:30 I music were enough to draw you No passes Of group sales FRI MIDNITE ROCKY HORROR BIG 7:46,9:66 Fairview // BULL DURHAM, same timet messages and manipulation keep GOLETA COCKTAIL The Show Remains The Same 12:30.2:46,6,7:20.9:46 MONKEY SHINES No passes or groups sales 6:20.7:40.10: S & S also 1.3:10 et ell the other theaters IT’S NOT EASY TO BE CHEESY A Fish Called Wanda is a hipness of the thing, of greedy and stupid level, yet launches refreshing blast of in­ spindled together like Yanks and Brits with a hundreds (well, at least sanity that bubbles, dynamite and fused to the lust for manipulation and dozens) of moments when boogies, bursts and farts collective foreheads of-a money. the ridiculousness and across the screen in fits of near-perfect cast that The movie has so much the unabashed gall of the unbridled fun. It’s the makes it rock and your deceit and corruption — scene simply transcends type of movie that forces neurons glisten. But not to mention violent rational comprehension. you to wrestle with its we’ve come to expect that doggie death and raw (Cleese’s face when weirdness, leaving you for years now from ex- images of frenzied sexual caught singing Russian limp and your mind Monty Pythoner John conquest — that it vaults while naked and waltzing throughly flogged when Cleese, the movie’s co­ past anything else comes to mind. So does feature all is said and done. writer, and his zany band considered "mainstream Kline’s fish-eating More than a few of yapheads who insist comedy" today. Most of ceremony.) viewers have been that being funny is not this success is due to the If you feel doused with confused by the sheer enough — that dang it, explosive performances cheese at the end of silliness of the whole being weird is more fun, director and co-writer Wanda, you have good Wanda idea, but heck, this more real, and so what if Charles Chrichton reason. The predictable movie wasn't made for everybody doesn’t get the generated from the cast. outcome dilutes the verve the Eddie Murphy-Bette jokes. With Curtis and Kline of the rest of the film, but Midler set. It was made The plot has something as the naughty and that's not necessarily a for the folk who like to put to do with a jewel heist of corrupt Americans and bad thing, if you can straws up their noses and the grandest proportions, Palin as a stuttering, accept the notion that play suction games with but what does it really dopey schlempf of a Cleese and cohorts their armpits. Yeah, you matter when there's hitman bouncing fan­ probably chose it for the know the kind. Cleese, , tastically off Cleese, the plain dang cheesiness of Wanda is a lot of things and Kevin straight-laced Brit it. And you have to — a sex farce, a sadistic Kline around to provide barrister, all the obvious respect that. slapstick lobotomizer, a more thuggery, sarcasm buttons are pushed and loosely-tied madcap and general swinishness the stranger ones subtly suspense lark — and the than a pro roller derby twanged. crazy bent of its absurdity match? No, the plot That’s why the movie by Patrick Whalen is contagious. means relatively nothing works. It entertains on But it's the wackiness, in the hands of these the basest and crudest of the nerdiness and the characters, a motley pack comedy crutches on one If you haven’t BUSTER (Continued from p.lA) been bowling lately, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin. Now don’t get me as he belted out his hit single "Hot, Hot, Hot." The you ought to see wrong, I love these guys like I love Vegas and the show was incredible, the Banshees were incredible, Tropicana Hotel. It's a love for a tacky suburban-tract but most of all HE was incredible. Man, you really home kind of cheese, like Velveeta. On stage Buster missed out! what you’re missing. Poindexter wears this king-of-schlock image well and plays it to no end. AUTOMATIC Decked out in a tuxedo and black flats with cute little PERHAPS bows, he started the two-hour set with a fast-paced SCORERS Sixteen times two equals nothing. What's next? calypso number with steel drums. From that point on, Maybe something. Maybe not. Perhaps. ‘Perhaps’ — he and his Banshees of Blue were on fire — spitting what a dumb word. What does it really mean? I think Fun and excitement are the name of the game when out calypso, blues, salsa and jazz, slow and fast. some mom made it up somewhere. A little kid asked you bowl at ORCHID BOWL! Automatic Scoring Two solos from the brass section and* one from the his mom when they first entered a grocery store, “Can pianist accentuated Buster’s crooning and swooning. keeps score for you and shows it in color on a 25" we get some cookies?" And the mom replied To the delight of a mostly yuppie crowd (and you screen. Watch live TV while you bowl, too! It’s a “Perhaps." And that means no in a really snobbish thought they were a fad) Buster told jokes, stories and way because when someone says "perhaps," then it Ball! Minutes from UCSB! fantasies of the ideal "lady" for him, Ms. Debra means that they already know if they’re going to say OPEN 24 HOURS Winger. “yes," or "no," but they just want to torture you by People boogied, they woogied to this sensation of saying "perhaps." It’s fucked up isn’t it? You can't win. ORCHID BOWL Hwy 101 at Fairview sleaze. His encore had us tearin’ up the floor. 5925 Calle Real Goleta • 967-0128 Everyone was out of their seats and dancin’ up a storm — D. Mermer

MICHAEL KEATON...

unexpected film ... About thirty remarkable days in the life of an ordinary man.

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