Collegian
May 1, 1986
Showing May 2, 8 p.m. and May 3 and 4 at 10 p.m.
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Big Audio Dynamite
Record Review:
by Paul Miniger
Collegian Contributing Writer
I've got good news and B.A.D
news. First, the good news. Mick
Jones, ex-guitarist/vocalist for
the Clash, has formed a new pop
reggae band called Big Audio
Dynamite (B.A.D). Vowing to
create a new band after his
dismissal from the Clash, Jones
joined reggae musicians Leo
Williams and Don Letts, along
with drummer Greg Roberts and
keyboard player Dan Donovan to
produce a dynamic new sound in
corporating left wing political
lyrics into a syncopated rock-rap.
Confused yet? Don't be.
Whatever B.A.D's motives are for
producing the album they are not
Woody Allen finds a happy medium with
his latest film, "Hannah and Her Sisters"
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by Matthew J. Sullivan
Collegian Staff Writer .
Woody Allen has long been
recognized as one of the cinema's
most innovative filmakers, and
with good reason. His past efforts
have shown us an amazing reper
toire of style, theme and detail
presented with just the right
amount of quirky unpredict
ability.
Until recently, however, Allen's
films have fallen into one of two
categories; Woody acting loony
and everyone else playing straight,
or Woody and the rest of the cast
all acting loony together.
Films such as "Annie Hall"
and "Manhattan" exemplify the
former category and the satires
"Love and Death," "Sleeper"
and "Bananas" round out the lat
ter. (I feel obligated to mention
that "Zelig", an inspired, off
beat psuedo-documentary does
not fit either of these molds.)
These movies have all been satis
fying in their own way, yet I, for
one, have been hoping that
Woody might someday find a
happy medium, combining the
best of both movie worlds.
in 8117 - SPC
Well, the wait is over. "Hannah
and Her Sisters" is just the type of
film Woody's talent has been
promising.
To begin with, the script is im
peccable. Penned by Allen, of
course, the story moves so fluidly
that the viewer can simply sit back
and enjoy the cushy ride.
The film covers a considerable
BAD. news is good news for
ex-" Clash" guitarist, Mick Jones
Screen Talk:
feature 8
conveyed in a preachy manner. In
fact, Jones states in a recent Roll
ing Stone interview that he
"wanted to play dance music that
made you think." The combina
tion of Don Letts and Leo
William's reggae influences and
Mick Jones' militant punk voice
taints the album with older Clash
resemblances and allows it to ap
peal to a wide variety of musical
interests. From the subtle "E =-
mc=" to the hip-hop scratched
"Stone Thames," or the movie
track dubbed "Medicine Show,"
the result is the same; government
oriented music hidden in fun
packages with no intention of
becoming a bummer (unlike
Sting's Russians).
amount of time--two years,
exactly—an element which is often
a stumbling block for lesser
scripts. Allen, however, makes his
transitions sensibly and with such
artistic flair that we look forward
to each new exploration. The
sense of pace and alignment of ac
tion gives this film the true light of
structural genius.
Before I turn to the acting,
perhaps a short story synopsis is
in order. The action takes place
between Thanksgiving of 1983
and Thanksgiving of 1985. Han
nah is perhaps the most giving,
lovable person of all time and the
driving force behind the unity of
her rather large family. Her sister,
Lee, is also a loving, giving person
who just happens to have an af
fair with Hannah's husband.
Hannah's other sister, Holly, is an
ex-drug addict, part-time caterer
and progressive borrower of Han
nah's money. Hannah is the
mother of four children and on
any given day, as many as five
adults—including her parents. In a
nutshell the film is an examination
of these characters and the diverse
nature of their inter-relationships.
As Hannah, Mia Farrow exudes
the charming gentleness of a saint.
Every word, every action of hers
is so sweetly caring that we can see
why she gets on everybody's
nerves once in a while. Who could
stand to be around a perfect
mother figure with no visible
needs for reciprocal support? Far
row is super in the role and
But the song that is the heart of
the album and its hit single is
"Bad." In "Bad," Jones airs the
rest of his grievances in a
pulsating pop rap . . . "These are
the things that drive me crazy!
These are the things that make me
bad!"
Oh, the B.A.D news. In this
case, the B.A.D news is even bet
ter news. Granted, this album is
not for everyone. At times Jones'
voice is atonal and his lyrics are ir
ritatingly repetitive. But for the
most part, Big Audio Dynamite's
music is enjoyable and its rock
funk is a refreshing change from
the usual barrage of Top 40 drivel
that dominates local radio sta
tions. And that is good news.
believable every step of the way.
Barbara Hershey plays Lee,
lover of Hannah's husband, and
she too is marvelous. Torn bet
ween the gratification of her af
fair with Elliot and her love for
Hannah, Hershey's Lee is an emo
tional teeter-totter.
The final sister, Holly, is played
by Dianne Wiesst with a zesty,
spirited style that is altogether
engaging. As she bounces around
from job to job through depres
sion and elation, Holly is about as
explosive as a radio in a bathtub.
Michael Caine is a riot as Han
nah's philandering husband,
Elliot. His nervous gestures and
jittery attitude combine to give his
role a potent characterization.
Then, of course, there's
Woody. In his supporting role as
Hannah's neurotic ex-husband,
Woody is outrageous: I must ad
mit, in the past I sometimes wish
ed the focus of Allen's films was
not centered completely on his
character. In "Hannah" he is part
of an ensemble cast and winds up
stealing the show. I won't cite
specifics because I'd hate to ruin
anything for you, but suffice to
say that his antics are hilarious.
To sum it up, "Hannah and
Her Sisters" is wonderful. We are
casually guided through a maze of
emotional ups and downs with a
deft hand that acknowledges
sadness but never dwells on it_ A
solid point is well-taken: do not
brood over misfortune. Please, go
see this one.