Scanlines
Rory Cochrane in Love & a .45 Love and a .45
Fri., Nov. 8, 1996
Le Blanc, Wiley Wiggins.
VHS Home Video
Waterloo Video, 1016 W. Sixth
A recent, homegrown addition to a long line of films in the lovers-on-the-lam genre, Love and a .45 is smaller than most; the simplicity of the script freshens a plot we've seen so many times before. This is not to say the film isn't over-the-top in the character department -- following bumbling yet likeable trailer-home bandits Starlene and Watty Watts as they run for the border leaves us laughing even in the face of a considerable amount of violence. Yet, remember, the lovebirds are killing only to protect their future together, and the real villains, tattoo-headed Billy Mack Black and a couple of evil loan sharks, give us other people to root against. A first-time writing-directing project for Dallasite Talkington, his actors make the movie memorable: Look for solid performances from Dazed and Confused veterans Wiley Wiggins and Rory Cochrane, and rising star and Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre survivor Rene Zellweger. Love and a .45 is a Badlands cast with extroverts. -- Jen Scoville
Riverdance: The Show
D: John McColgan; with Michael Flatley, Jean Butler, Anuna, Katie MacMahon,
Sarah Clancy, The Riverdance Irish Dance Company, Maria Pages, Moiseyer Dance
Co., James Bignon, The Deliverance Ensemble, Davy Spillane.VHS Home Video
I Luv Video, 4631 Airport Blvd.
Riverdance: The Show (a video of the original stage show taped live from Dublin, Ireland) exudes joie de vivre as it pays homage to the elemental forces and creative imagination of cultures blended. The artists spark with enthusiasm and visible enjoyment throughout their expressive pieces, including an Irish hard-shoe routine producing "Distant Thunder," a slip jig rooted in Celtic mythology honoring the nurturing woman of Ireland's lore, a musical piece played eyes-closed on the uilleann pipes, an a cappella Irish song, a flamenco dance, an African foot-stomping routine, a Russian acrobatic dance, and a gospel harmony. The first half of the show dedicates itself to the worship of Ireland's natural elements and the second part brings in the influences that the new world offered after war and famine caused a separation of families from their homeland. The impressiveness of this performance is not lost on video. However, without a program in hand you miss out on the story and myth on which the show is based. Before viewing I suggest visiting the Riverdance: The Show home page at: http://faraday. ucd.ie/~joseph/riverdance/riverdance_show.html.
-- Stephany Baskin
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Interplay
It had to happen: Doom-style, first-person, 3D graphics merged with the more sedately paced adventure-game genre. Here, Interplay and Gremlin Interactive (the developer) throw in a main character with real attitude. He's not crude or aggressive like the Duke (Nukem, that is), more a picaresque antihero out to save the world literally by having a good time. If you're under 30, you'll identify with him; if you're over 30, you'll wonder how people ever survive the twentysomethings, let alone the teen years. The puzzles are stiff enough to challenge the hardest-core gamer, so if you don't habitually play adventure games you will be frustrated -- more than you were by Myst. Gameplay and overall control are smooth and graphics are good and clean despite the inevitable up-close pixellation; they use a good engine. The premise is a tad arch: A totalitarian police regime enforces a Muzak level of consciousness on its populace. But the catchphrase is worth it: "Have a Normal Day." -- Jim Cooper
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Nintendo Ultra 64Mario 64
Mario 64 is one of the best games ever created for any platform. As in previous Mario titles you must guide our venerable hero through perilous challenges of dexterity and intellect over numerous complex and well-planned levels. The hook is that the latest incarnation of Mario is true 3D, and the game's designer has taken advantage of this new feature like no one before. The worlds are big and full of surprises. Mario can run, jump, skip, fly, swim, dive, roll, slide, somersault, back-flip, climb, and who knows what else to get through each level. The animation is smooth and spectacular, and Mario's personality is brought out in greater depth and detail. You'll have a blast even if you just wander about aimlessly without solving any levels, it's that much fun just steering Mario around the various worlds available. Unfortunately, you probably don't yet have the platform needed to play this incredible title. If you haven't bought one of the Ultra 64's competing machines (PlayStation or Sega Saturn), then this may be the machine to get. There are only a couple of games out for the Ultra 64 right now, but by Christmas there should be at least a dozen more.
-- Kurt Dillard
