Aliens’ a by Alan Back Must See Classic on DVD Col
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ENTERTAINMENTpage 11 Technique • Friday, June 30, 2000 • 11 Fox Summer Movies A time for walking The summer film festival at the Two Bits Man ponders the ENTERTAINMENT Fabulous Fox began this week. multitude of alternatives to the Schedule on Page 14 Stinger. Page 14 Technique • Friday, June 30, 2000 See chicken, see ‘Chicken Run’ Cameron’s ‘Aliens’ a By Alan Back must see classic on DVD Col. Sanders’ worst nightmare By Jayson Wehrend MPAA Rating: G Entertainment Staff Starring: Voices of Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Miranda Richardson There seems to be an unspoken law in Hollywood: Directors: Peter Lord, Nick Park Thou shalt not make a good sequel. Practically every Studio: DreamWorks/Pathé time a sequel comes out it can’t live up to the original. Running time: 85 min Apparently, James Cameron didn’t pay attention in Rating: yyyyy film class because he completely disregarded that tradi- tion when he made Aliens. He took what was essentially Life on a poultry farm is hard. You a horror film and turned it into one of the definitive sci- put in long hours feeding the flock, col- fi movies of our time. lecting eggs, and doing everything else The storyline in a nutshell: Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) that needs to be done to keep the place is found in suspended animation 57 years after killing running. It’s even less enjoyable for the the first alien. Reoccurring nightmares and a promise birds, of course—but what if they start to kill all of the aliens prompts her to return to the hatching breakout plans along with their planet where it all began. Accompanying her on this eggs? mission are a squad of heavily armed colonial marines Picture that scenario and you have and the company businessman, Burke (Paul Reiser). the core of Chicken Run, the latest offer- From a relatively simple story, Cameron fashions an ing from the Aardman animation team. intense action experience. The surreal comedy of the group’s Wal- If you are going to watch Aliens, attempt to watch it lace and Gromit short films gives way to in DVD format, which includes a special extended cut more conventional cartoon humor (no that comes in at a healthy 154 minutes. Naturally, a penguin jewel thieves or psycho robot DREAMWORKS PICTURES whole slew of new footage is included. Each of these dogs here), but the finished product still In Chicken Run, Rocky (Mel Gibson, right) and Ginger (Julia Sawalha) have to new scenes is a worthy addition to the disc. Varying in offers a thoroughly enjoyable ride with find a way off the poultry farm before they get cooked for an hour at 400 degrees. length from a couple of seconds to a number of min- a bird’s-eye view of the action. utes, these scenes fill in some critical gaps in the narra- Ginger (Julia Sawalha) spends almost him and see their ticket out. The fast- including bits from Indiana Jones and tive. Some of the highlights include learning that Ripley as much time in solitary confinement talking Yankee and the reserved Brit the Temple of Doom, Star Trek, and even had a daughter and watching Newt’s father get at- for her escape attempts as she does on find themselves in an unlikely partner- The Matrix (watch for Mrs. Tweedy to tacked by a facehugger. An entire action sequence was the farm with the other chickens. She’s ship as they map out one last strategy to take an impossible flying leap through also added with some robotic sentry guns. These auto- tried everything she can think of—dig- save the flock from a visit to Mrs. Tweedy’s an upper-story window). matic weapons go through 2000 rounds trying to stop ging under the fence, tunneling out, pie-making plant. Stereotypes are milked for all they’re the alien onslaught. You watch as the bullets run dry, sneaking away in a giant scarecrow— What makes Chicken Run work, aside worth, but to good effect. Rocky is a hearing the screams of the approaching aliens. Watch- but all she gets for her effort is trip after from the silly poultry jokes, sight gags, loud, brash, lazy Yank, while the more ing the sentries tear into the aliens was well worth the trip to the hole. “No chicken escapes and excellent action sequences, is its off- levelheaded Ginger has to keep him price of this DVD. from Tweedy’s farm!” shouts Mr. Tweedy the-wall mixture of cultural references. grounded in reality in order to get any Video: Presented in the original theatrical aspect (Tony Haygarth), as he tosses her in The opening sequence—full moon shin- work out of him. Babs (Jane Horrocks), ratio of 1.85:1 and with a new high definition transfer, once more. ing through barbed-wire fences, a lone a true dumb cluck, thinks Ginger’s fre- this movie has never looked better. For a movie that It’s Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Rich- inmate making a break for it, guard quent absences are just vacations, and was made in 1986, its age doesn’t show. The colors ardson) who really runs the show, though, dogs barking in the distance—could have Mac (Lynn Ferguson) is an engineer showed a pleasant range from the vibrant blues and keeping an eye on which chickens have been lifted straight from a classic POW whose mix of technobabble and a thick greens of the computer screens to the muted grays and been meeting the egg quota and send- movie like The Great Escape. When the Scottish burr makes it impossible to lis- greens of the military gear. The characters’ skin tones ing the slackers to the chopping block. chickens hold planning sessions, hut 17 ten to her without cracking up. looked very natural and the black level was perfect. I She treats her husband (who might be is their headquarters, a nod to Stalag 17. Chickens have their own particular was expecting it to be a little washed out given its age, just a bit smarter than he sounds or The World War II sendup continues reasons for crossing the road (or the but I was pleasantly surprised. In some of the darker looks) nearly as badly as the chickens, with Fowler (Benjamin Whitrow), an perimeter fence, in this case). Whether scenes, I actually lost the black bars. The film is inten- but at least she doesn’t plan to turn him old rooster who’s seen service with the you want plenty of bad jokes, pop cul- tionally grainy in some scenes but otherwise the picture into a pot pie anytime soon. British air force, and a pair of rats who ture tie-ins, or just a chance to root for was clear. When Rocky the Flying Rooster (Mel can get Rocky and Ginger any supplies the feathered folk, you should lay a few Gibson) crashes the gate, Ginger and they need—if the price is right. More tracks across your favorite piece of as- See Aliens, page 14 the rest of the chickens take one look at modern references abound, though, phalt to catch Chicken Run. Our guide to a fun, Veruca Salt falls flat with ‘Resolver’ By Jon Kaye should illustrate. In most of the songs, is dominated with a Seether-style affin- fabulous Fourth of July Entertainment Staff Louise Post repeats herself a ridiculous- ity for screaming, the disc does have a Centennial Olympic Park ly great number of times. For example, few ballads that break the monotony of The park’s third annual celebration offers a parade at Album: Resolver in one song, she repeats the word “im- an otherwise pseudo-riot-grrlish album. 1:00, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra beginning at Artist: Veruca Salt perfect” (or imperfectly) roughly twen- In fact, the only truly great cut on the 7:00, and fireworks beginning at 9:30. Admission is Tracks: 13 ty-two times. To reiterate the same word album is “All Dressed Up.” This song, free. Call 404-222-7275 for more info. Length: 48:02 over twenty times in a four minute song written two years before the CD’s re- Label: Velveteen Records is simply laughable. Secondly, the band lease is a woman’s outcry to a lover who yy Lenox Square Mall Rating: feels as though it must attempt to rhyme ignores her. If all songs on “Resolver” Activities at the 41st annual event begin at 1:00, with as many phrases as possible. Unfortu- could meet the standard set by “All the fireworks beginning at 9:40. Admission is free. Call When reviewing an album for a re- nately, this technique backfires as it makes Dressed Up,” this album would score 404-233-6767 for more info. spectable publication, one needs to main- most of the tracks sound contrived. Not five stars; unfortunately, such is not the tain a certain level of decorum. However, only does Veruca Salt sound foolish with case. Peachtree Road Race there is no easy way to be discreet when their contrived attempts at rhyming, they This album takes some getting used Watch runners race down Peachtree to 10th Street and telling about the initial reaction that also sound silly with some of the places to. On the first spin, “Resolver” appears Piedmont Park. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. and is free Veruca Salt’s newest album offers a lis- they choose to insert profanity. Profan- to be one of the worst recordings in for spectators. Call 404-231-9064 for more info. tener. When you first cue this disc, you ity is unmistakably necessary in some years.