The Colle I.; an Wednesday, February 22
Entertainment
What's In a Name?
by Jennifer Blakeslee
Collegian Staff Writer
Bubbling cheese, steaming toppings, and a slightly browned
crust do not always guarantee great taste. This is the case with
Barbato's pizza. When authentic Italian-style pizza is expected,
Barbato's has the name but, at least not for me„ the taste.
Barbato's is located in downtown Wesleyville, not that far from
Behrend College. Ironically, it is the least ordered and delivered
pizza at our school. A big reason for this is because they charge
for their delivery. On a college budget, that can be a definite
drawback. On a weekly average, Barbato's pizza is delivered to the
dorms two times; and three times to the apartments. Compared to
the other deliveries made by the other pizza shops, Barbato's does
not fare well against them.
There is something about the taste, that leaves my appetite
unsatisfied. The crust is very thin, which I do not like, but for
those of you who do, this pizza might be for you. The sauce lacks
a little flavor but on the whole it is not that bad. One way to add to
the taste is by ordering some extra toppings. That may be an all
right way to fix it, but it becomes expensive and that brings us back
to the "college budget syndrome."
Basically though, Barbato's prices are reasonable and the
deliveries are usually made in a half an hour, but they do not give
any guarantee. This is very frustrating when you're stuck without
food on a weekend afternoon, and you have been starving all day.
Pizza isn't the only kind of food available from Barbato's
restaurant. They also have subs, clads, and a large variety of Italian
entrees. These entrees, without a doubt, definitely live up to the
Italian name. Not all of the entrees are available for delivery, but
they will bring the subs and the salads straight to your door.
Barbato's has many competitors in this area, but they are holding
their own with the Erie natives. If the pizza was a little better
business would be booming.
Next time you order out for pizza, take another look at Barbato's
menu - you might find something that's different, Italian, and very
tasty. Try a sub or calad that I give a rating of four slices instead of
the pizza that I, personally give two slices.
Black Actors at
the Oscars
by Daryl Davidson
Collegian Staff Writer
Around this time of the year,
much attention is given to
famous blacks and to the
Academy Awards, or Oscars.
To date, only 23 black actors
have made the Oscar scene,
although there have been more
than 900 nominations for acting
roles. Of these performers, only
four received Oscars: Hattie
McDaniel, Best Supporting
Actress of 1939, for "Gone with
the Wind"; James Baskette, who
got a Special Oscar in 1948 for
"Song of the South"; Sidney
Poilier, Best Actor of 1963, for
"Li'lies of the Field"; and Louis
Gossett, Jr., Best Supporting
Actor of 1982, for "An Officer
and a Gentleman."
Although the releases of 1989
will not get nominations until
next February, the 'Bos have
already brought more Academy
Award nominations to black
actors than any other decade has._
Howard E. Rollins got one in
1982, for his supporting role in
"Ragtime" as a turn-of-the
century underdog who rebels
against society.
Aifre Woodard and Adolph
Caesar were nominated for their
supporting roles in 1983's "Cross
Creek" and 1984's "A Soldier's
Story," respectively.
In 1986, Steven Spielberg's
"The Color Purple" brought
nominations to Whoopi
Goldberg (Best Actress), Oprah
Winfrey and Margaret Avery
(both Best Supporting Actress).
However, the controversial film
did not win any of its 11 bids.
While this entertainment
series has focused on the Oscar
nominated black actors, it is
important to note that the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences has also nominated
other types of accomplishments
made by blacks.
For example, Isaac Hayes,
Irene Cara, Prince, Stevie
Wonder, Lionel Richie and
Herbie Hancock are among the
blacks who were involved in
Oscar-winning music.
Hayes' "Theme from 'Shaft'
won the Oscar for Best Original
.Song in 1972.
Cara and her collaborators
won the same award for the title
hit of the 1983 film
"Flashdance."
R
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V
I
E
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Prince and his collaborators
won the Best Original Song
Score Oscar in 1985, for "Purple
Rain."
Wonder's "I Just Called to
Say I Love You," which was
played in the 1984 comedy "The
Woman in Red," and Richie's
"Say You, Say Me," the theme
song of 1985's "White Knights,"
were also voted Best Original
Song.
In 1987, "'Round Midnight"
won the Best Original Song
Score Award, thanks to Herbie
Hancock, who even had a role in
the French film.
Dexter Gordon, another
musician, also was in "'Round
Midnight" and was nominated
Best Actor.
No black actors got
nominations this year; but, last
year, two competed for Best
Supporting Actor.
Denzel Washington was
nominated for his portrayal of
South African civil rights leader
Stephen Biko in "Cry Freedom".
Morgan Freeman (of the
children's TV show "The Electric
Company") was nominated for --
believe it or not -- "Street
Smart," in which he played a
pimp.
A Collector's Dream
by Robb Frederick
Collegian Staff Writer
Since the phenomenal success
of 1984's "Born in the U.5.A.,"
which bombarded the public with
numerous hit singles and
accompanying videos, Bruce
Springsteen has established
himself as one of rock music's
premier talents. His natural
medium, however, is not the
vinyl of an LP, but the stages of
bars, arenas, and stadiums across
the world. "Video Anthology
1978/1988" unites these musical
areas by combining stimulating
live footage andd recognizable
video clips. The result is a
masterful collection which will
delight any of Springsteen's fans.
The visual journey begins
with "Rosalita," a Springsteen
concert staple which appears here
in a 1978_ version. The song,
unfortunately, differs from the
original clip which can
occasionally be seen on MTV:
the section where the band is
introduced has been omitted
though.
The anthology continues its
live presentation with two
segments of concert footage from
1980. "The River" appears in an
unpolished, haunting form,
followed by a stunning rendition
of "Thunder Road."
The first video represented on
the anthology is "Atlantic City,"
created in 1982. This conceptual
piece leads into the central bulk
of the video collection. The
release of "Born in the U.S.A."
in late 1984 launched a cluster of
video clips including the
successful "Dancing in the Dark,"
"I'm on Fire," "My Hometown,"
and "Glory Days," along with the
smash title anthem. All of these
videos are represented.
The song "War" is also
contained in "Video Anthology
1978/1988," as is "Fire," which
was recorded at the 1986 edition
of an all-acoustic concert
sponsored annually by musician
Neil Young.
The next group of videos
comes from Springsteen's 1987
album "Tunnel of Love." The
title song is presented along with
"One Step Up" and "Brilliant
Disguise," which was re-recorded
and performed without editing in
Page 5
response to critics' complaints
about Springsteen's poor lip
synching ability.
The final portion of Video
Anthology consists of previously
unreleased video material from
"Tunnel of Love" and
Springsteen's 1988 live EP
"Chimes of Freedom." The songs
"Tougher Than the Rest" and
"Spare Parts" prove that the Boss
has not lost any of his
performing ability. Before
beginning the new acoustic
version of "Born to Run," which
ends the anthology, Springsteen
explains the changes he has gone
through that resulted in the
song's new pace. The following
performance justifies any changes
this artist could desire.
Change is a very important
factor in "Video Anthology
1978/1988." This collection not
only shows a group of pre
released videos, it also depicts the
musical and physical maturing of
Springsteen, as well as the
changes in his backing- E Street
Band. During a troubled marriage,
Springsteen's vocals drifted from
his previously dominant subjects
of cars and girls, and the Boss
devoted an album to his fears and
questions about love. The
progression to the "Tunnel of
Love" stage also found changes
in the prominence of several E
Street Band members, including
the replacement of saxaphonist
Clarence Clemons by backup
singer Patty Scialfa as Bruce's
latos_ t,. dominant band member.
The feelings Biuce and Patty so
publicly revealed last summer are
perfectly obvious during the clip
for "Tougher Than the Rest."
Video Anthology is an
excellent collection of clips
documenting the history of one
of today's greatest musicians. The
anthology presents the videos in
a clear, straightforward form,
without distracting interview
footage or over-used visual
effects. Because the formats of
the segments are broken up,
viewers hardly realize the 100
minute length. Although the
high price of purchasing
videocassettes may stop many
fans from buying this collection,
those who do purchase the
anthology will not be
disappointed.