THE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT SECTION OF THE DAILY NEXUS For T h e Week o f February 2 0 , 19 9 2 i'i .... * p i UP FOR GRABS PAT STULL/IHily Ne«u» Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte and Robin Williams Are Part of the Most Wide-Open Oscar Race in Years. page 4A 2 A Thursday, February 20,1992 ■ c o re The Or Blues Hook John Lee Hooker Visits the Anaconda ohn Lee Hooker was bom in N ow in his seventies, Hooker is still ac­ Clarksdale on August 22, 1920. tive. Last year he was inducted into the His father was a minister and little Rock and Roll Hall o f Fame. In October of John Lee’s first taste o f perfor­ 1990, a tribute concert was held in his Jmance was at church. His stepfather,honor W ill at Madison Square Garden. Among Moore, gave him guitar lessons and intro­ the performers on the bill were Bonnie duced him to blues giants Charlie Patton, Raitt, Joe Cocker, Ry Cooder, Huey Lewis Blind Blake and Blind Lemon Jefferson and Albert Collins. « whenever they stopped to see Clarksdale. Hooker has also had a recording renais­ With this background, it is not surpris­ sance in the past few years. In 1989, he re­ ing that Hooker hit the road to become a corded The Healer with guest appearances bluesman when he was 14. Eleven years la­ by musicians Raitt, Thorogood, Robert ter, he was discovered in Detroit by a talent Cray and Carlos Santana. Hie album won a scout and given the opportunity to record. Grammy and the video for his duet with The single that came out o f that session, Raitt, “I’m in the M ood”, received substan­ “Boogie Chillen,” was a huge hit for tial airplay. 1989 also saw Hooker sing on Hooker. It leapt to the #1 spot in the Bill­ Pete Townsend’s album project Iro n M an. board R&B chart in January 1948 and Hooker’s newest album, M r. Lucky was stayed for four and a half months. The song released 1991 and, like The Healer, Mr. became Hooker’s signature work and Lucky features cameos by well-known marked the beginning of a recording career rock musicians — Santana, Cray, Chuck that spanned five decades. Beny, pianist Johnnie Johnson, Keith Ri­ Other hits followed, including what is chards and Van Morrison — who play aiguably his best and definitely biggest alongside on old classics and new material. tune, “Boom Boom.” The song, released in With the exception of B.B. King, no 1962, has been covered by artists as diverse blues artist has done more to expose mod­ as The Animals, Mae West and Bruce em mainstream audiences to the blues. Springsteen. Hooker himself did a version John Lee H ooker is, simply put, an o f it for The Blues Brothers in 1980. Other institution. songs include ‘^Crawlin’ King Snake,” John Lee Hooker will perform at the “Dimples,” “ I’m in the M ood,” “John Anaconda Theatre on Saturday, Febru­ L’House Rent Boogie” and “One Bourbon, ary 22. Call 685-5901 for more Legendary guitarist John Lee Hooker, now in his seventies, One Scotch, One Beer,” the last two of information. continues to record new material. His latest album is called Mr. which were most recently covered by —Tom Cahill Lucky, and Hooker proudly wears the title on his license plate. Geoige Thorogood. Tales: Extreme Ski Bum's Dream Come True here isn’t a bit of “downhill” skiing in the film mountainside. Calling this technique “ extreme” skiing Tales From die Snow Zone. Instead, there are seems to be an understatement 60-degree cliffs, 14,000-foot peaks, 3,300 vertical- Any serious skier will be boggled by the few opening foot race courses and glaciers that skiers and shots. And, once the movie is in full swing, their mouths T snowboarders fly down at literally breakneck speeds. will be watering for the slopes o f any resort within driving James Angrove and Jon Long, the producers, confess distance. that Tales From the Snow Zone was “the ultimate ski fan­ Snowboarders, unlike in other recent ski flicks, are not tasy and (their) best ski footage ever.” Believe i t This is a overlooked in this film; instead, they are shown diving film that should make Warren Miller throw away his cam­ down the steepest slopes o f Chamonix, Jackson Hole and era in hopeless depression. This is a film with more powder Tahoe along with the die-hard skiers. In Whistler, Canada, than Tammi Faye’s face. This is a film for the hardcore ski three snowboarding gods tear up a monstrous quarter pipe, bum. filmed with fantastic aerial shots that will leave the audi­ Tales From the Snow Zon e combines incredible skiing, ence breathless in disbelief. tastefol humor, beautifol, panoramic views, and even in­ Long and Angrove emphasize the fact that these people cludes music that appeals to the film’s young audience — are not in this film for the fame, money or publicity. Look­ something that Warren M iller overlooked. Hot, energetic ing for any chance to hit the slopes, they often work as dis­ tunes from INXS and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, for exam­ hwashers in the lodge just so they can ski all season. The ple, add to the excitement of the visuals, involving the audi­ men and women in this film jump off cliffs for their own en­ ence in the adrenaline rush o f extreme skiing. tertainment, for their love o f the sport and the thrill o f From locations like British Columbia and Alber Glacier, danger. the skiers and snowboarders in Tales invent a new form of skiing— “heli-extreme skiing.” For instance, Trevor Peter­ Tales From the Snow Zone does not show beginners son and Eric Pehota, with a reputation for descending any falling or kids snowplowing down bunny-slopes, nor does slope, are flown by helicopter to a remote area. They then it include cheesy narration. It is a film dedicated to the sport climb the 60-degree, 1,500 foot slope to discern the skiing o f skiing and snowboarding, and to the people who thrive conditions. On the way down, any wrong turn could create on the life o f a ski bum. an avalanche, and sweep them uncontrollably down the Tales is at the Victoria on Feb. 18 and 19. —Jenn Myers 2$. 2JL 2$. 2$. JÇ. ■ MUSIC REVIEW £ £* A . m At the Anaconda . y i S . W T & Don't Try This at Home man About Poetry. With £ Billy Bragg subjects ranging from love * Elektra Records to the desperation o f man, £ It's a softer Billy Bragg the singer/songwriter fo­ After months of toil and * this time around. cuses on real human prob­ £ The British rocker, lems, even addressing sex­ £ known mostly for political ual awareness in his light­ years of need, S.W.A.T. anthems like “ Help Save hearted “ Sexuality.” £ the Youth of America” and W magazine is ready to be “Waiting for the Great Bragg is a thought- * £ Leap Forwards,” has not provoking musician to say abandoned his raw, guitar- the least. While other folk/ borne. * based trademark sound. rock musicians are deliv­ Rather, on his latest re­ ering pretentious, whiny | Tu esday February 25 go to * lease, Don’t Try This at can also be heard in “You lyrics, Bragg offers his lis­ H om e, Bragg introduces a Woke Up My teners an honest assess­ slicker, more polished stu­ Neighborhood.” ment o f the world around * your newsstands and pick g dio effort Bragg is a master at him. Appearing at the Previously equipped combining music and so­ Anaconda Theater Wed­ £ up you r Nexus. If you don’t % with only an acoustic gui­ ciopolitical statements. It nesday Feb. 26, his show tar, Bragg incorporates a is on these grounds that should highlight well the you will lose. heavier drum beat, violin Don’t Try This At Home boldness that pervades his and even a mandolin a la succeeds the sociological music and, more impor­ R.E.M.’s Peter Buck. The ends o f early albums, in­ tantly, his character. Read every word o f distinct wailing o f Buck’s cluding Workers Playtime * S.W AT, Thank us later. % counterpart Michael Stipe and Talking to the Tax- —Melissa Lalum n- No kidding. Mark it down. * ( « TAPE MEASURE ; - V ¿>3$ » c o r e Thursday, February 20,1992 3 A MB- á W k m P events MON., FEB. 24 I An evening of conscious I comedy with [The MOONEY TWINS ■JOHN TREVINO/D.ily Nexu* I COMMENTARY Laughing with R ea lity " Still the Boy’s Club Show starts at 7PIV1 Streisand Snub Reflects Sexist Trend $2 Students / $4 General Bv Brian Banks rotesters at the with the same backhanded have ample amounts of 1983 Academy attitude with which they testosterone. Awards ceremony have dismissed the entire Only one woman has ever Pgreeted nominees Academy Award proceed­ been nominated in the Best entering the Dorothy ings. But this time, there is a Director category — Lina Chandler Pavilion with real issue at stake. Of Wertmullerforthe 1976 film signs that relayed their im­ course, the worthiness of Seven Beauties. portant message. her direction is very subjec­ The other branches o f the Score — 1927-Present, tive, and a strong case can Academy do not suffer a si­ Best Director Nomina­ be made for any of the five milar problem. Women are tions: M en — 273; men who were nominated.