Fun_People Archive
27 Sep
"Copland" Spawns a Whole New Genre

Content-Type: text/plain
Mime-Version: 1.0 (NeXT Mail 3.3 v118.2)
From: Peter Langston <psl>
Date: Sat, 27 Sep 97 12:08:11 -0700
To: Fun_People
Subject: "Copland" Spawns a Whole New Genre

Forwarded-by: Mark Seiden <mis@seiden.com>

The recent hit, COPLAND, is the first in the newest and hottest Hollywood
genre,  films based on the names of great composers.  Some of the other
films that will soon be arriving in a theatre near you:

Moe's Art

Moe (of Three Stooges fame), deciding that he's tired of a life of eye-
poking and nose-tweaking, abandons his colleagues and sojourns to an
uncharted South Sea island to pursue his dream of becoming an artist.  After
soul-transfiguring experiences, Moe realizes that performance art is his
true *metier*, and with a grant from NEA, he is reunited with his Larry and
Curly in a movingly emotional climax.  This is a film that's not afraid to
ask the question, "What's the big idea?" (and the answer is "Nyuk, nyuk").

Shoe Man

A charming romantic comedy about a idealistic young shoe salesman who falls
in love with a candle-maker's daughter (Miss Wick). Basically a good movie,
though it gets a little crazy at the end.

Barely O's

The comic yet heart-warming saga of the inept 1988 Baltimore Orioles (known
locally as "the O's"), who set a major league record for consecutive losses
at the beginning of the season.  The majority of critics are calling this
film "fantastique"! (although a dissenting critic asserted, "If there hadn't
been a title change, it would simply be Much Ado About Nothing!")

Mendel's Son

The illegitimate son of the famed geneticist Gregor Mendel (remember, he
was a monk) attempts to build upon his father's legacy by experimenting with
cloning, with predictably horrific results. A Scottish-Italian production,
the film is characterized as having a "puckish" wit.

Catch a Turian

In the tradition of The Ghost and the Darkness, big-game hunters venture
forth to darkest Armenia in pursuit of a mythical beast, the Turian, that
demands to be "set free".  The critics agree that, although this film
borrows too heavily from other sources, it has a certain trashy charm to it.

Hinder Myth

A meek mild-mannered scholar totally dedicated to truth adopts a super-hero
guise to battle falsehood, prejudice and myth where ever they lie.  In spite
of its overly earnest style, the film wins us over through the sheer
integrity of its craft.

Messy Anne

A French film about a deeply religious but somewhat disorderly woman. The
critics say that this movie is "for the birds".

Bar Talk

Filmed in a *cinema verite* style, this film brilliantly depicts the
conversation between several famed inebriated composers, as they all
coincidentally converge for an evening at a neighborhood bar and grill.
Steve Buscemi as Mussourgsky and Brad Pitt as Sibelius are stand-outs in
an all-star cast.

Rock Man, Enough!

American audiences finally decide that they are sick and tired of hearing
nonstop rock music used as a sonic backdrop for every conceivable occasion
(obviously, this film is a fantasy).

==========

Greg Kostraba, Program Host/Producer, WBAA Radio <gckostraba@wbaa.purdue.edu>

© 1997 Peter Langston