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ENTERTAINMENTpage 19 Technique • Friday, December 1, 2000 • 19 Al, Joe, Dick, and W. Another Atwood classic ENTERTAINMENT The Two Bits Man gives a final The Blind Assassin again shows that analysis of this year’s presidential novelist Margaret Atwood is a woman Technique • Friday, December 1, 2000 election debacle. Page 21 who knows how to write. Page 25 M. Night Shyamalan’s effort not entirely ‘Unbreakable’ By Andrew Pilsch thralling story that marked The nerd ever—that he is in fact a Hate it when I’m missing bylines Sixth Sense as one of the best kind of superhero. films of last year and a box office Based on this story, it would MPAA Rating: PG-13 smash. It would also seem that seem that Shyamalan is tackling Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel Shyamalan is attempting to please comic books in the same fash- L. Jackson, Robin Wright too many people instead of craft- ion that he handled ghost sto- Penn ing an intellectual and shocking ries—applying a modern realistic Director: M. Night Shyamalan tone to a fantastic genre. The Distributor: Touchstone problem, like many “origin of” Running Time: 106 minutes comic book issues (read Uncan- Grade: yy Shyamalan ny X-men #1 to see what I mean), employs many of is that this story is rather dull. Unbreakable, the new film Where this summer’s X-Men by talented filmmaker M. Night the same elements, covered similar ground but kept Shyamalan, is not as good as the but lacks the the action moving, Shyamalan brilliantly captivating The Sixth chose to explore the implications Sense, which is unfortunate. It’s cohesive story of of being born to protect others. safe to say that this film is one of The Sixth Sense. While this might prove to be the most anticipated since the fertile subject matter for a nov- release of a certain summer block- el, it is not what good cinema is buster (Sense was one of the ten all about. Frankly, there isn’t highest grossing films of last year story as his previous outing did. enough story here to go around. and deservingly so) and it sorely The setup is this: a former This movie will be compared disappoints. football player turned security to The Sixth Sense, as it should In Unbreakable, Shyamalan guard named David Dunn (Bruce be (and as I am doing), and found employs many of the elements— Willis) survives an otherwise fa- lacking. However, if it weren’t great acting, engrossing premise, tal train wreck, and is told by for his having stunned the world By Frank Masi / TOUCHSTONE PICTURES fascinating camera work, even a Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson, with Sense, Shyamalan’s current David Dunn (Bruce Willis) appears to be some kind of superhero after miraculously cute young kid—but this offer- brilliant as always)—who may surviving a train wreck; Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) is more than mildly curious. ing lacks the cohesive and en- just be the biggest comic book See Unbreakable, page 23 Crazy couples in DT’s ‘Slightly Married’ Big Mouth sounds off By Alan Back immune from the insanity, not even the By G. K. Swamy and Kit couple, played by Christopher Schrader have built the story My cat just sprang a leak head of Blackbird Records, their current FitzSimons Hunt and Valerie Peek, air themselves in their rehearsals. label and a subsidiary of Atlantic. The It’s a surprise article! their marital woes onstage, yet Working with stock charac- There must be something in the water executive learned this truth the hard way seem flippant when discuss- ters, their brainstorming has they drink in New Orleans. That’s about during a 1999 show at the Roxy. Married—well sort of. The ing these horrible dilemmas. produced a riotous mix of the only explanation that can account “He was the only person in the place new DramaTech show Slight- The husband is mildly in- scheming servants, rich old for the goofy things that keep springing sitting down!” LeBlanc recalled. “We were ly Married is actually three one- terested to find out that his misers, haughty divas, and (of up down there. Think about it: Louis playing a song, and we stopped it and act plays featuring odd couples wife is pregnant; the kicker is course) a young couple in love. Armstrong. Mardi Gras. The Hurricane. said, ‘You know, dude, we don’t care if with even odder problems. that she is almost full term Flavio (Adam Johnson) has A four-year-old kid who asked for—and we’re signed to your record label or not, Each play has a unique style, when he makes his discovery. returned after having disap- got—a big green trash can for Christmas, and we’re glad you’re here, but you are but the combined effect is quite This leads to further discus- pearing for four years to woo then promptly drove his whole family not going to sit down at a Cowboy Mouth distinct—sometimes slapstick, sion that reveals a tale of adul- his true love Flavia (Jennifer crazy by pounding on it all day long. show!’ And we got the whole audience to sometimes tongue-in-cheek, tery, lies, and more adultery, Fulton). Of course, numer- That four-year-old was Fred LeBlanc, scream along with us.” occasionally rather dark—but throughout which the couple ous problems pop up to thwart now the self-described “unofficial front- Stunts like this are par for the course very humorous all the while. remains overly polite to each their union, yet they hold on man” and drummer of Cowboy Mouth. when the full band goes on, as anyone Bridal Terrorism, directed other. Each feels that even through thick, thin, and the Even when the band takes time off, he who’s seen them can readily attest. The by Amy McPherson, has a ubiquitous balcony scene. can still make plenty of noise and give man puts plenty of mileage on his kit at premise as strange as its title Various stock characters talk people a little peek at what’s been rat- these shows, routinely breaking drum- indicates. What happens when to, steal from, gamble with, tling around in his head these days. heads and reducing pair after pair of sticks the term “shotgun wedding” The charm of and laugh at one another to Getting the crowd moving is child’s is taken all too literally, and Foolz is that it create a swirling web of chaos play for him and his partners. Nobody is See LeBlanc, page 25 when a man is forced to marry doesn’t take itself that is miraculously resolved at gun-point? The play cen- in the end. ters around a marriage—not seriously, and Foolz embraces the stereo- one of tradition, but one of neither should typical characters and plot de- acceleration. vices that such situation Everything is faster these you. comedies are known for and days, from food to phones, makes fun of them (and itself, and this marriage is no excep- of course). The charm of this tion. The young hero, Lionel though they may be sleeping show is that it doesn’t take Stark (Brandon Yarbrough), around, it is no reason to make itself seriously, and neither is swept off his seat by a beau- the other feel less loved. The should you. Just sit back, re- tiful woman (Julie Dowling) caustic interplay between the lax, and enjoy the silliness. before finding himself in the couple provides the viewer with DramaTech’s first perfor- midst of his own wedding, a dark sense of enjoyment in mance next semester will be complete with a hilarious, if witnessing their attempts to William Shakespeare’s Mea- dysfunctional, set of in-laws solve the “problem.” sure for Measure. Auditions will and a British-only-when-he- The third feature is the com- be held at the start of the next wants-to-be judge. media del’arte production semester on January 8 and 9, The scene that follows is a Foolz. Performed in the tradi- 2001, at 7:30 p.m. in the Dra- panorama of action and hu- tion of the improvisational art maTech Theatre. They are mor, as the family tries to make form of 16th -17th century Ita- open to all, and no prior expe- it through the ceremony be- ly, Foolz features masked char- rience is necessary. For infor- fore Lionel’s feet get colder acters performing all sorts of mation, call (404) 894-3481. than they already are. In terms tomfoolery onstage. Wes of this goal, no one side of the Schrader has led an impres- Slightly Married plays on stage can truly be said to out- sive effort in bringing the cre- December 7, 8 and 9 at 8:00 do the other. ativity of this art to p.m. in the DramaTech The- The Problem is directed by DramaTech. atre. Admission is $4. To re- Siddharth Manay, and poses In true commedia fashion, serve tickets, call the reservation Courtesy of Fred LeBlanc / WWW.COWBOYMOUTH.COM quite a whopper. The featured the performers and director line at (404) 894-2745. Cowboy Mouth’s Fred LeBlanc is trading his much-abused drums for an acoustic guitar in a series of solo shows, including a visit to Smith’s Olde Bar on December 7. 20 • Friday, December 1, 2000 • Technique ENTERTAINMENT ...0101010 1010101010101010... ...Two Bits Go stuff this in your stocking! COTTON CLUB (152 Luckie St.) 12/8—Beorcipe, Bent, Minus, Neurotica As much as I hate to say it, the that would have made the White could fall in love.