1987_01 The Daily Collegian January 1987

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Page 6
_ Friday, Jan.30.1987.
Ampersand
Take a peek through this window
By Sarah WlUlame
Editor in Chief
It began with a simple but risky affair
between an architect and his boss's' wife.
But the seemingly innocent tryst descends
into a series of white lies and half-truths,
ending with the suspenseful pursuit of a
murderer before he acts again.
"The Bedroom Window," a nail-biting
drama despite a few plot inconsistencies,
is full of the intrigue and edge-of-the-seat
terror absent in many of Hollywood's
attempts at suspense.
Steve Guttenberg portrays architect Terry
Lambert, a naive but innocent man who
romantically attempts to "do the right
thing" while protecting his lover's
identity after she witnesses an assault from
his bedroom window.
Movie
Review
After Lambert learns that another co-ed
was raped and murdered the same night
near his home, he phones the police and
gives the suspected assailant's description
provided by'Sylvia, (Isabelle Huppcrt).
The police, however, don't buy his story
and he soon becomes the prime suspect in
a case'for which only Sylvia can clear
him. Lambert walks a tightrope between
his boss and the police as he attempts to
get out of a situation in which he finds
himself only falling deeper.
Elizabeth   McGovem   plays    Denise,    the
victim viewed from the bedroom  window.
As Lambert becomes increasingly involved
in the murder case, she becomes the only
person who believes in his innocence and
• willing to help him clear himself.
Guttenburg's   all-   American   appearance
makes    the    plot believable    as    his
seemingly ignorant but benign actions
evolve into a situation over which he has
little control. His competent dramatic
performance is a nice departure from hi*
usually sophomoric films ("Police
Academy", "Short Circuit").
Huppert is also well cast by director Curtu
Hanson. Although her strong French
accent is never explained, her appeal to
Lambert is obvious as she plays a slightly
out of reach seductress.
Lambert's attraction to Denise, however, is
not played out as well. Their sexual
interest in one another is not established
before they suddenly fall into bed.
McGovem also appears too peachy-faced
and conservative to belieyabty. play such a
refined but streetwise barmaid.
As the passion was never evident between
the two, Denise's unexpected physical
interest inT-ambert and their ensuing affair
results in one of the few plot distractions.
Hanson, who also wrote the screenplay,
created an excellent nail-biting climax
which unfortunately ends with a too tidy
wrap-up of Lambert's troubles.
But overall, "The Bedroom Window" is a
movie of great intrigue, the likes of
which we rarely see.
Dixon's first vinyl try falls short
By Dina Douglass
Ampersand Writer
Don Dixon would obviously like everyone
t§ assume that Most of the Girls Like to Dance
But Only Some of the Boys Like To.
Seemingly, Dixon would also like the
record-buying public to assume that he is
nothing" more than a soulful Huey Lewis
imitator.     k ..'     »
He's not, but his first vinyl endeavor might
have you believe that. Along with
Mitch Easter, Don Dixon is currently one of
the most sought-after producers on the college
musicscene.
This should come as no great revelation,
since among the artists he has worked with are
such critics' faves as Let's Active, R.E.M.,
Marti Jones and the Smithereens.
For all of that underground music history,
one might be inclined to assume that Dixon is
nothing more than an aging producer trying to
be h'ep by releasing his own album. (Well, he
might not be all that old, but he has lost an
awful lot of hair.)
It should therefore come as somewhat of a
surprise to many that Dixon is not simply a
pompous producer tooting his own horn but,
rather, a first-class musician in his own right.
Record
Review
Mistake No. 1 was killing off a song
entitled "Swallowing Pride." \
It was after seeing Dixon perform truS
song with Marti Jones a few years back that I
could only stand in the audience and cry./
Of course, song math mandated that the
back cover be changed.
But substituting a color photo of an
artist sitting on an amplifier with a white cat
barely visible behind it and an obnoxious, loud
orange  backdrop  glaring  out  from   behind
evoking all the best things you'd ever want to
Thus, it's a shame that his second try at   see pour out of Bruce Springsteen or Joe
On stage, this man is capable of   wayfl^ ckc for me origmalIy-used, cool-
Most of the Girls Like to Dance But Only
Some of the Boys Like To just isn't what it
should or could have been.
The album in question, the one now
garnering a small amount of commercial and
MTV airplay, is actually a semi-re-relcase of a
1985 import of the same title. The earlier
version was released in the United Kingdom by
Demon Records after Dixon couldn't spark the
interest of any stateside majors.
The late 1986 version of this LP features
three major differences from its first issue: The
changing of the color of the Don Dixon on the
cover from white to yellow., the changing of
the records label from Demon Records to
Enigma, ana a lot of song math.
What is song math?
Song math is when two versions of the
same album contain 14 and—13—songs
respectively, with only 10 songsl remaining as
constants.        . \
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Cocker, given an out-of-the-studio forum.
He also sounds remarkably Motown-
ish, very much like a young Stevie Winwood.
On vinyl, though, the emotion which
flows from him so well live cannot help but
wane given the curse of the studio and the
engineers and whatnot.
However, a bonus mas grande for the
average record buyer is that the 1986 version
of this record contains a live version of "When
a Man Loves a Woman." Job No. 1 for Dixon
is still producer, so unless this album hits
incredibly big and he deviates to tour, chances
are this Song will provide the, listening
audience with its only chance to hear how
good he is live.
Mistake No. 2 was keeping a .song
entitled "Wake Up" as a constant on both
albums.
The inclusion of this song on the 1986
version becomes increasingly asanine when it
obviously could have been dropped in favor of
"Swallowing Pride." Plus, it just isn't all that
great of a song.
Mistake No. 3 was keeping the front
cover relatively the same, but entirely
changing the back cover.
looking, grainy black and white photo is never
aesthetically preferable.
Mistake No. 4 has nothing at all to do
with song math. Mistake No. 4 was releasing
the video for the "Praying Mantis" single.
As far as utterly stupid videos go,
Dixon's rates right up there. Way up there.
Aside from these glaring and illogical
blunders. Most of the Girls Like to Dance But
Only Some of the Boys Like To is a
relatively sound album.
All but the most idiotic of music fans
should be able to listen to it and realize that
Dixon is one gifted fellow.
However, this LP doesn't really feature
his gifts in their best light. ,
Dixon's voice is this album's major
saving grace, although it perhaps doesn't come
across as well as it could have.
His sinping style is very Motown-ish,
and very much like a young Stevie Winwood.
But this .man can do more than just
belt, turning his raspe into a sensitive and
graceful dance at the drop of a hat.
The best example of this is the
magnificent "Rennaisancc Eyes," during which
Dixon's only accompaniment is a "piano.
See DIXON, page 7
^**¥*****************#^
NEW COURSE - SPRING SEMESTER
SOVIET TV
CURRENT 1987 PROGRAMS
IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION
IN YOUR CLASSROOM EVERY WEEK
RUSSIA TODAY rus tifr   th -1900-2200 s-iei
REGISTER:   SR-4,107 Prof. A. Pronin
. SINGERS • DANCERS • INSTRUMENTALISTS
TECHNICIANS ♦ VARIETY PERFORMERS
King* Productions, the world's #1 producer of
live entertainment, is holding auditions for the
spectacular 1987 season at GREAT AMERICA
Santa Claro, California.
Pay is good and jobs are plenty (we'll even
provide one round trip airfare if you're hired to
| work at a park over 250 miles from your home).
Make your audition a show we can't do without!
Give us your best at:
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA
Sunday, February 8
Great America; Grand Musk Hall
Singers: 12 - 2 PM Dancers: 3 - 4 PM
Instrumentalists, Specialty Acts, Technicians &
Wardrobe Personnel: 12 - 4 PM
I
KINGS    ISLAND    •   KINGS    DOMIN
CANADA'S       WONDERLAND
AUSTRALIA'S  WONDERLAND   O  Kit
ON . CAROWINDS
GREAT AMERICA
II   Production!  1987
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