Page 72 - ThePhoenix1987-88

Page 8IWestem Maryland College/March 31, 1988 ---._Craig Cecil Touchstone's D. O. A. is dead on target Touchstone Pictures. the discover his wife wants a divorce murderer is until Quaid does. A subsidiary of Walt Disney Produc- while colleagues badger him about good memory and careful observa- tions where actors get to utter pro- a recommendation for an upcom- tion leads both audience and pro- fanities, has found the secret to ing promotion within the depart- fessor to the realization simultane- monetary success in 1988; steal ment ously.: With this kind of pacing. a from the best Themajorityoftheir Several shocking events and successful movie is destined to recent releases, such as Three Men discoveries later find Dex at a wa- result. andaBaby andShooltoKiIl have tering hole, whereby he manages to Interspersed with the break- eitherbeenremakesofpastftlmsor encounter oblivion. After feeling neck action are comedic moments have borrowed heavily from prior oddly sick the next day. a doctor when the characters and the view- ideas. tells him he has ingested a rare ers can catch their breath. One of Their newest release. the action- poison and that only a maximum of the funnier scenes is where Quaid is packed. ftlm-noirthriller D .OA.. is 48 hours remain for him in this "trapped" in the freshman girls' aremake of the 1949 cult-classic of lifetime. The good professor then dormitory between classes. This the same name. It, too. follows the staggers out on a desperate attempt must be every professor's worst typical Touchstone yellow brick to find his murdeter. typical college student seems in emphasizing the uuer bleakness nightmare. road. To delve into any further muddled at times. The apparent of mankind. The black-and-while Thanks to Quaid's tour-de. D.OA. opens with a short description of the film would give girl-next-door innocence she em- footage serves as a good chrono- force acting (be is in every scene in black-and-white sequence shot in too much away. Let'sjustsaythat phasizes in the lauer segments logical separator and warm-up for the film) and the ingeniously- first-person camera perspective. there is more than one individual contradicts with her characteriza- the action to follow while the tran- crafted (albeit 39-year-old) story, From this uncommon beginning, it who meets an untimely end. and tion at the time she and the profes- sition from grey tones to color is D.O.A. is just as hot as the climate becomes apparent that this will be a that our good '01 Dex becomes not sor became entangled. One early ingeniously accomplished as well. it is set in. This is one of the best different sort of ride. only a victim. but a suspect as well. scene hasher going to the bathroom There are so many interesting examples of ftlm nair to come Seton thecampusofaliberal Meg Ryan has the supporting in a dumpster. Innocence is a camera angles that allusions to down the movie assembly-line in arts college.Dennis Quaid pJaysan role of Sydney Fuller. one of strange creature. Hitchcock's Vertigo should not be quite some time. Of course, this is English professor saddled with the Cornell's nameless, faceless stu- By far, the real star of the hard to find. D.OA.·s second trip down that dubious monicker, DextorComell. dents that mold into the back of a film, as it should be, is the story. As the plot progresses, an line. Touchstonc'sD.O.A. is dead- At first.good '01 Dex seems to have classroom in a comatose. non-par- The excellent cinematography is intertwining web of relationships on-target, everything under control. ucipatorystate. Butacertainseries an added bonus as D.O.A. is not between the characters emerges; A tenured professor, and the of chain-reactive events bind her only intriguing, but breathtaking to relationships that even the partici- Rating out of 10: successful author of several books, and the professor closer together watch as well. Being in the film- pants didn't realize existed. Butthe ,:,,:,,:,,:,,:,,:,,:, he is content to drift through the re- than anyone could have imagined. noir mold. the movie is dark; not real gem in D.OA. is that viewers mainder of his years. But then we Ryan's pe.E~~ance only in the lighting ambience, but aren't likely to deduce who the CAPBoard (College Activities Programming board) CAPBoard is happy to announce its new executive board: Is ~,student governed organization that coordinates social, cultural, and educational President: David Fox programs for the college community. Vice President: Pat Dail Secretary/Treasurer: Rob Zimmer In other words, it's ron by you and for Coffeehouse: Wendy Davis you. Film: Scott Tinney Get involved with one of the most Mainstage: Melanie Tull diverse and productive groups on campus. Publicity: Melanie D'Amore It's here fur you - use it! Cultural Arts: to be announced Thursday, April 7 CAPBOARD TALENT NIGHT o 9PM INlHEPUB Comedy and Music !! see your friends perform live!