THE FILM the ALBUM by Dawn Mermer by Jeffrey P
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THE FILM THE ALBUM by dawn mermer by jeffrey p. mcmanus The night finally came. I hadn’t seen a line like Although Prince’s Batman soundtrack is only it since I was 10 years old and Star Wars hit the superficially tied into the movie (Danny Elfman theaters. I was looking hot, and I was ready for a wrote the score), it stands alone as yet another hot movie. I walked into the Arlington on Thur typically-uneven yet somehow irresistable of sday and fought for a seat among thousands. I sat fering from Minneapolis' most androgynous there waiting. The lights went down. A huge funkster. spotlight of a Batman emblem soared across the Bouncy dance songs such as “Partyman” and audience and movie house. The crowd went wild. “Trust” — bread and butter for this artistic Then the film started, and we were all taken for demigod of buttock wriggling — carry this album. the rides of our lives. They don’t really carry it too far — just enough for We were watching Batman. you to get down and possibly get back up again. I could tell you.about how Jack Nicolson yuckecf The mechanized drum beats, dangling guitar it up with himself on the screen, sometimes for strumming and breathy melodies certainly won’t too long, only the way Jack could. Or I could talk do much for the hard-core anti-Prince fanatic — about how the choice of Michael Keaton was this much is given. But if you’ve got an ounce of impeccable because of his presence and his eyes. soul in you, you gotta spin this one at least once I don’t even want to mention all of the hype for good measure. surrounding the film or that it made the most Of course, that “Batdance” thing must be money in its opening weekend than any other in reckoned with. The first single from the album, it history. is perhaps the only one that never lets you forget I want to discuss a stud — a directing stud — exactly what soundtrack you're listening to (since by the name of Tim Burton. all of the film’s principals contribute lines to the Twenty-nine-year-old Burton went to Warner tune). Bros, with an excellently written script by Sam It cannot be denied that Prince’s penchant for Hamm about the Dark Knight and basically told lapsing into crooning, often howling love ballads them that he was going to put a very un is his Achilles’ heel. However, the Purple People conventional super-hero type in the leading role Pleaser has graced us with two such beauties on and get the studio out of debt. Warners, with the Batman soundtrack, “Scandalous” (a just plain Burton’s Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice in awful attempt to regain the nostalgic emotion of mind, said, “ Hell, we got nothing to lose because his earlier classic ballad “Little Red Corvette”) we’ve been losers for the past five years.” And and “The Arms of Orion” (elevated from utter that was the beginning of this beautiful project. nothingness to slothful mediocrity by the vocal Actors and acting aside, what Burton did to assists of long-time Prince pal Sheena Easton). Batman was unbelievable. His vision of Gotham The two quasi-tunes are such blatant VH-1 city incorporated the sinister darkness from the material you just feel compelled to drink newer comic books with the bigger and more decaffeinated ice tea and bear children while plastic-than-life sets from the T.V. series. listening to them. The result was a setting that matched the But, for the most part, barring the occasional bursting personalities of the characters while bout with temporary musical insanity, Batman and leaving a filthy taste in the viewer’s mouth. Also, Prince go together like socks and toe jam, and the combined with Danny Elfman’s .growling score result is a sometimes smelly, sometimes warm- (and he still makes stupid music in dumb Oingo and-wonderful collection of bouncy, fleet-footed Boingo!) the legend and harsh presence of the funk. Batman persona and his foes seemed to lurk swiftly and softly against the gray, black and steel of the design. Yes, I am envious of Tim Burton. Not only because of his youthful talent and great instincts to make the unconventional work, but because he’s made a damn swell film that I want to see again. 2A 06» 28 »89 r r r r a $ s J L U u HEY ISLA VISTA! GREAT RIBS AND CHICKEN June 28-July 31: Ginny Brush's latest work, entitled Steven Rickards, assisted by lutenist Dorothy Linell, in Panoramic Dialogues, will be on display until the end of an “Evening on English Song.” The event is $6 Delivers 967-3775 July in the UCSB Women’s Center Art Gallery. For this general admission and $3 for students, and tickets are exhibit, Brush interviewed and photographed available through the UCSB Arts & Lectures Ticket residents of the Carrillo Retirement Hotel in Santa O ffice. Barbara, and these portraits will be in the form of a June 28-August 6: From its permanent collection, sculptural installation that incorporates audio tapes, the University Art Museum will present a summer cultural artifacts and personal mementos on loan from exhibition of works documenting the traveling artist the residents. entitled An Eye on the World. The exhibition will June 28: Tonight at 8 p.m. in Lotte Lehmann feature works dating from the 16th through the 20th Concert Hall the UCSB Summer Sessions Vocal In centuries, with an emphasis on a broad range of 19th stitute Concert Series will present countertenor century photography in commemoration of the 150th by jeffrey p mcmanus simple, predictable premise; absent- HONEY minded professor turns into Dr Although I really went to die theater to Shrinker, accidentally plunging h li/? ; Sizzler see Tummy Trouble, I was pleasantly — teenaged brats into a Huck Finn-ltke ritife perhaps frighteningly — surprised by of passage through a giant front lawn of 9 Steak • Seafood • Salad Honey, i Shrunk the Kids. Take the kids hostility and humanity, but not before Iff} J and go see this, if you don’t have kids, they encounter a little communion w ith that’s ail the better —«stealsome kids and nature imported directly from' £.T„ but so 5555 Hollister go see tit is because, well, the whole w hat. ’ premise of this latest Qjsney dropping Rick Moranis plays the lovable seh* Open was stolen from about five other movies muck who places tee needs of htms«&4. Sunday- Thursday: 11 am - 9:30 pm and TV shows, Butoh,with thievery like 1 his profession, and science above those this, who needs charity? of his family, but tee real stars of this - Friday & Saturday: 11 am 10:30 pm 1 flottB w ttat^K &ain’tfgood.flid^ In te inly-spun yarn are tee special effec*. its execution, from the popcorn-sized Not only do you believe tee hormone particles to % legions of laden adolescent suburbanites are bulbous dead bug;, the film isim aN B K teeny-wefiyfcyou of magnitude better than -its lame teet in mlnd, and Wiswlft shdir ybuPa commercials let on. It has an incredibly _______ ■ ___ I ALL AGES WELCOME!!! SAME SLIME TIME SA MONDAY, JULY 3 • 8 by Jeff rey p. mcmanus Is it tee slime-happiest, spookingly good-time movie follow . of the summer? Well, you certainty couldn't give it tee The sameness in this sup skeletal thumbs-up without -some marked reser stop at the effects — all the vations. Ghostbusters II, tee sequel to the mucous writers and production team I laden 1984 original, has the inherent handicap pitched battle for control of a present in all sequels of Ultra-Original-Brainchildren the-Dickens yet twice-as-read — you just don’t get jolted with -the same old dose of twins William and Henry Di wowee-mom-lookit-that-slimeball novelty effects in the mince w ords — the tykes are 1 Tickets Available at TICKETM ASTER sequel as you do in tee original. It’s kind of sad to say, bless their little hearts. That i but w e’ve seen gigantic walking monoliths, we’ve seen count tee spooks and the slim 26 S. Chestnut • 648-1888 creepy extra-dimensional demigods battling for control saying) draw your typical nin< of New York (tee discriminating demigod must, of types to the cinen a like flies t course, ask itself — wh r and we’ve seen lots and lots sure, you got your box-office b of levitation. Simply put, this sequel had a tough act to laughable lead. Dan Aykroyd, 06 »28 »89 SA COMING THIS WEEK M ■ From Ginny Brush’s Exhibit Panoramic Dialogues. anniversary of the birth of photography. Ravel’s Quartet in F. June 29: Thursday night at 8 p.m. in Campbell Hall July 2: Australia’s comedy documentary Cane Toads TAKE YOUR DATE you will get a chance to see actor John Malkovich bigger will be part of the International Cinema series to be than life in Dangerous Liaisons. He’s so cool in this shown at 8 p.m. in Campbell Hall. The film tells the period film that even the dudes w ill be ogling over him tale of Australia’s love-hate relationship with, well, BOWLING TONITE... instead of Michelle Pfeiffer, babe extrodinaire. toads. Also showing will be three award-winning June 30: The Essex String Quartet, one of the shorts by Jane Campion. IT’S AN AUTOMATIC SCORE! country's most successful young string ensembles, will July 3: Direct from the Bronx and brought to you by perform the first of three concerts this Friday at 8 p.m.