Mixed Witz

The Best Of Times

Robin Williams takes the simple plot of this movie and turns it into a success. Although it wil! not will any awards, The Best Of Times is one of the better films to

| cross the screen in some time.

In 1972, the loser city of Taft, played a football came against their archrivals, Bakersfield. Taft always loses to Bakersfield, but

| this year, they could win if Jack Dundee could catch the ball. He dropped it. Robin Williams is Jack Dundee, the man who drop- ped the ball. He is constantly reminded of his error, and finally

' decides to do something about it.

He persuades Reno Hightower (Kurt Russell), the quarterback who threw six, or was it seven, touchdown passes against Porter- ville, to join him in the rematch against Bakersfield, and the stage is set,

Kurt Russell puts in a good performance, but Robin Williams steals the show. He not only provides continuous laughter and original wit, but also gives us a believable character who we all can sympathize with.

I have never seen Robin Wil- liams better. He is the perfect Jack Dunee. Because of him, The Best of Times gets an 8 out of 10.

“WHITE NIGHTS”

(Columbia Pictures)

Director Taylor Hackford (“An Officer and a Gentleman’’, “Against All Odds’’) said that he

+February 6, 1986

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was attempting to make a “‘dance movie”? that wasn’t empty head- ed. He hasn’t succeeded, It think that it would be fair to say that all the politics in this movie are based” on the Mickey Mouse method.

The story involves a famous Russian ballet dance defector (Mikhail Baryshnikov) who finds himself back in Russia via a plane crash. The Ruskies lie to the Americans about his condition, telling them that it’s much worse than it actually is, and send him to recover in the home of Gregory Hines, an American tap dancer who had defeated TO Russia (bascially because of the Vietnam war), and his Russian wife, Isabella Rossellini. The couple, aided by an old flame of Baryshni- kov’s, are to convince him to re- join the Russian ballet but all he wants to do is escape. Hines and Rossellini decide that they’d be better off in America as well and the three make plans to get out. Unfortunately the escape is routine instead of suspenseful.

You may ask yourself, “Where does dancing come into this?” Well, it comes into this about every fifteen minutes. The dance scenes are good, after all this is a dance movie and Baryshnikov and Hines are two of the greats of dance (their talents are aptly de- monstrated here; there are lots of scenes of rehearsals), but the soundtrack gets to be annoying. It’s used at every conceivable mo- ment to hide some secret con- versation from the Russians.

The only other real high point of the film is Isabelle Rossellini. Perhaps because of her parentage (acivess Ingrid Bergman and director Roberto Rossellini) or perhaps because she is a model, she really knows how to use the camera. When nothing much is happening on the screen she keeps your attention,

“White Nights” isn’t a bad movie, but it is a mediocre one. It’s politics are too a-b-c to re- commend it as a political thriller, but if you’re a fan of Baryshnikov or Hines it’s worth $5.00. :

David Stewart

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Graphic/The Varsity

MAPUS

Hey, your elections are coming up! Here’s an opportunity to more actively achieve your goals and to help the University serve you better. Please call Olive Bryanton at 566-3388 days and 675-3357 evenings or Vivian Dykerman at 894-4604, if you

Help Wanted

U.P.E.I. Students are needed to serve as guides for visiting

high school students.

WHEN:

TIME:

REMUNERATION:

DUTIES:

Various Tuesdays and Thursdays during late February and the entire month of March.

Usually from about 9:15 a.m. until about 2:15 p.m. On one of the days we will start at about 10:45 a.m. and finish at 3:30 p.m.

$12.00 per day plus lunch

Chief responsibilites of the guides will be:

1. to take students from place to place according to a pre-arranged schedule;

2. tokeep their groups together;

3. to be willing and able to answer at least some of the students’ questions about life at U.P.E.1.; and

4. to be a good “‘host’’. (Faculty members will be present at the various “locations” to conduct the tours, except at the Library. Guides will be expected to conduct the Library tour.)

If you are interested, please contact Gale Taylor at Student Services before 14 February 1986. For at least three of

the visits, preference will be given to students living in

residence.

MAPUS

have any questions or nominations.

Olive attended the opening of Henson College of Public Affairs and Continuing Education at Dal- housie University this past Wed- nesday. It was a step forward to see at the launching of the college, a scholarship fund for continuing education students set up. The

Honourable Robert Stanfield was guest speaker. It was nice to see the two departments under one roof for a more efficient depart- ment,

Don’t forget access to your Lounge in Bernadine. TAKE A BREAK anytime. All of MAPUS welcome!

25%

Special Limited Trips on Friday and Sunday

For Information Contact:

U.P.E.I. Bookstore

Ya

Discount on Return Fare

566-0625