ppThe Last Picture Show~*^S. Waters

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW is not apleasant movie but it has a strong senseof reality. Even though the setting of themovie is the black and white 50s, we caneach find something to idantify with. Allthe torment o' early adolescence is thereand the sadness of middle age disillus-ionment.

Cybil Sheperd plays the beautiful andshallow high school queen. Cloris Leach-man show great sensitivity as the wife ofthe high school coach. She offers usprobably the most tender moment in the

m'.vie wlnn she has an affair with theyoung student played by Timothy Bottoms,Ben Johnson plays Sam, a kind of rom-anticized father figure, who o*ms the onlyplaces where the kids go to enjoy them-selves—the movie, the poolhall, and thecafe.

The director Peter Bogdanovich shows ahighly refined talent for diescribing asmall town and the tangled lives of itscitizens. In lesser hands this could haveeasily degenerated into an "as the stom-ach turns" soap opera.

He is strightforward and uncondascend-ing in his portrayal of the townspeople,whose lives are lacking in fire, passion,and high ideals. The whole town seems tobe caught up in a trad tion of mediocrityand triviality.

The youth have no viable alternatives.The best possibilities they have to lookforward to are defined by Sam. Althoughhe is kind and generous with his time hehas not mads a success of his own personallie.

Even the joy of initial sexual experience

is regulated to little more that imper-sonalized lust by the narrow-m;nd3d moralsof the community and the repressive 50sethic.

The nostalgia of the LAST PICTURESHOW reflects the need to :ome to termswith one's own past.

20 MovTeSpm.Last Picture Show.Union Ballroom.

Wrecord WrapJoni Mitchell Courts And SparksAn Age-

Old PlayOEDIPUS REX

Igor Stravinsky's opera, Oedipus Rex,presented Feb. 10, proved to be a mostsatisfying experience. The new pace setby th Misic Festival, achieved its cli-mactic point in this presentation. Asidefrom tue outstanding performances given,the mystery of the age-old play was trulycaptured.

The opera brought to mind the manyhuman tragedies that afflict all of us.Enjoyment of the work, could be foundnot only in the marvelous music presentedby Igor Stra/inshy, but in the realizationof human trauma.

Special bravos to Tom Acord, Caro'Kimball, Paul Yoder, Chris Rouly, Nor-man Benack, Paul Harris, andtha extreme-ly capable and outstanding co.iiuctor Hugh

Hoss. Let us not lorget the UniversityMen's Chorus, the Las V'iga.3 ChamberPlayers, and University Clumber Symphony.Thank you, all.

The Beatles:"Away with words "

Ah, nostalgia. It's still here. It'll cometo life for three days, Feb. 15, 16, and 17in the UN'.V Student Union Ballroom whenThe Beatles make their debut. Earl Jarred■vil present a multi-media experience en-

titled, "The Beatles: Away with Words.The production was a year in the making

and incorporates the use of 26 still pro-jectors a 360-degree sound system, mul-tiple special effect devices, a cinerama-siz- scrsen, and a computer to operateit all All of this will make and has m.*tethe presentation a totally unique experienceall across the nation. It has brokenhouse records in 36 cities with sell-outsin Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, andDetroit, to name a few.

The show, which has three acts, wnnthe time-span of the rock years from theearly 60's through the Beatle years 1963-69 There will be tour presentationsnightly in the Ballroom at 6:00, 8:00,10:00, and midnight. Advance sale tic-kets are available for $3.00 ($2.00 forstudents) and may be purchased at Julie sOdyssey Records, Mr. B's, UNLV StudentUnion, and Nellis A.F.B. Tickets wilbe sold at the door to both students andnon-students for $3.50.

Tnis is your chance to see the Beatles,

the way they were, presented with soph-

isticated equipment that will be a visualtrip for all to remember. If you rememberthe Beatles, you wont w.mt to miss thisspectacular event.

COURT AND SPAHK is Jon; Mitchell'slatest release on Asylum Records. It'san amalgamation of the must ear-pleasingmelodies ail treaugements ever to com':from 'hi Vii - 3:i'ile Canadian songstress.The album If separated from its pre-decessors as a sophisticated sollectlor: of;ongs apt to be classified as "popular"rather thai "folk". Even her pictureinside the ja:ket radu'es maturity asopposed to the freak or lolky imjge. Itcould be that M- Mitchell has been in-fluenced by the Hollywood circles thatshe's been reported socializing in. Wher-ever thf change originates, it's consideredby myself and several Jon' Mitchell de-votees whom I've spoken to that the resultis refreshing.

"Help Mi" is a relaxing song whicheveryone can identify with: "Help m: ,

I th'nk I'm falling in love too fast/it'sgot "n- hoping for the future and worry-ing about the past/'Causj I'va lean Bom ■hot, hot blazes com" ilo.vi *o Bin its v v\uMi/We love ojr lovin'/But tut irte wslove our freedom..." Tilt; ovarlying vocaltracks are soothing md .t sounds as ifJoni kuovs Who.' stav*.; talking about. Icould only gues:; Warren Beatty bat I'mnot Rona Barrett and I don't really care,Jorn's reflection of those Hollywood cir-cles is an easier thing to conclude afterlistening to "People's Parties." She cer-tainly is trying to enjoy them but sheadmits, "I'm nist living on nerves andfeelings with a veak aid lazy mind/Andcoming to people's parties fumbling deaf,dumb a.id blind."

"Car on the Hili" is toll \V>m's "YouTurn Me On, I'm a Ridio," but moremvsterious. She's searching in the darkfor something swo.'t and 'hat's the mess-age. In parts, it's a good rocker, but itis a moody tune.

Wioa I first heard "Raised on Robbery"on the radio, I thought, "My Sod, shethinks she's Bette Midler." But, is asaddition to the album, it fits and it's good.More importantly, it's Joni Mtchell, not

Bette M:J ir. I do..)' Miat the "DivineMiss M" could jver a song the likesof the infinite M- M., for after all, Joniis a woman of heart aid mind.

The idea of putting "Troubled Child"and "Twisted" back to back is sensational."Twisted" is I jazzy, hopping song from1905 Willi a hiis run that needs no pausito refresh. Cheech and Cuong's honorsare short and sweet, literally. One thingabout the song and a few other cuts oaCOI'RT AND SPARK is the addition of thenasal-stifling trumpet. It's a peculiarsound to rock and particular'.y i.moyatingfor this album.

Another good thing to mention aboutthe album is the personnel. Robbie Ro-bertson (the Band) and Wayne Perkinsplav guitar on tt. Jose Feliciano, Di./'.d

Crosby, Graham Nash and Larry Carl-ton add to the vocals. Joe Sample of theCrusaders settles into electric piano. Noone overdoes their part an 1 fie aUximis dscisively Joni's through and through.I usually get excited ibo:it a new JoniMitchell album, bit* this one is honestlyall one could ask for.

Bill Becker

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