November 20, 2002 Culture Film Review J. R. Mints OP Contributor Half Past Dead, written and directed by Models, Inc. alumni Don Michael Paul, is set on New Alcatraz, a high-tech prison recently opened to cope with America’s “criminally challenged.” The grand opening ceremonies involve execution plans for an old Gandhi look-alike, an elderly fetlow responsible for a train robbery. He is also the only person who knows the whereabouts of the $200 million gold loot. Before he can take his secret to the chair, the electrocution is rudely interrupted by Donny (Morris Chestnut) and the “49ers” — not the San Francisco football team but a dumb squad of self-pro- claimed sociopaths. Don’t worry; the term is kindly defined for us simpletons. The baddies want the gold for themselves, but they didn't count on one thing: a puffy, sloth-like FBI agent named Sascha Petrosevitch, played by Steven Segal. Look out! The Russian agent just happens to be there doing hard time for no reason other than to gain the trust ganza of the absurd. How absurd? One prison guard is shot a dozen times in the chest, but is revived with a few zaps of an electrified cattle prod! The paint-by-numbers script borrows from successful action flicks like Zomb Raider and The Matrix, but slop- py editing and murky photography have to compensate for poorly choreographed fighting scenes. Consequently, we can never really see Seagal in action. Of course, we're only missing out on his stunt double. Outside of a pointless but entertaining brawl between 49er Six (Nia Peeples) and Nick, the stunts are hokey and mundane. Gun fighting is abundant, but it all seems rather moot. Although thousands of bullets are shot at point blank range, the body count is negligible by the time Donny gets away with what he came for. At least we dont see bullets ricocheting off handrails, James Bond style. There are some high points in the movie, usually scenes the other press hil of lovable felon Nick (played by rapper Ja Rule) in an unexplored side story. So, for nearly two hours, we're treated to the Donny and Sascha show. That may sound like a figure skating spectacular, but it’s just another trigger-happy extrava- Theatre Review Carla Elm OP Contributor Rarely does a play come on the scene with such force of novelty and freshness to overturn conven- tion and define an entire generation. One play did just that back in 1956 — namely, John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger, the story of an embittered young man full of disdain for post World War II Britain and for those around him. A somewhat truncated version of Osborne's clas- sic showed this month at Video-In Studios, on Main Street, under the wise direction of renowned British and director, Henry Woolf. Vancouver's Ensemble Theatre Company (etc.) actor involving the show-stealing Peeples. with the rest of this brain-dead rubbish. Chellé, during our post-performance chat. She explains how her theatre work became somewhat sidetracked a few years ago, with work in theatre administration and with the birth of her young son. Chellé expresses her recent satisfaction with return- ing to the boards and reconnecting with what was taught her at Douglas, especially by theatre instruc- tor Alan Lysell. “What I was taught is that every character you play is inside of you, that you need to bring the character forward,” says Chellé. Of Helena, she says, laughing, “Essentially she’s a bitch. I needed to showcased an impressive cast, including Tariq Leslie as angry young man Jimmy and Mia Ingimundson as his tormented wife, Alison. Playing Alison's fiery friend Helena (and eventual betrayer) is Douglas College alumnus, Chellé Tanner. Chellé graduated from Douglas’ Theatre Program with honours in 1996, and has worked in numerous Vancouver pro- ductions since, including Westender Viewer’s Choice Award winner MotherLode, at this fall’s Fringe Festival. “Theatre feeds my soul and gives me life,” says © page 16 relax and become Helena.” Chellé’s performance is indeed strong, a needed counterpoint to Jimmy’s abuse and Alison’s despair. Chellé punctuates her performance with obvious attention to detail: to Osborne's elaborate dialogue and to the props and players around her. “This is meat and potatoes theatre,” says Chellé, her eyes aglow. “This is back to basics.” As far as advice for new theatre graduands goes, Chellé emphasizes, “be persistent, tough, and learn how to network.” She explains that the more people The diminutive actress did her own stunts for this movie, and is probably the only good reason to watch it. Anyone expecting an exciting martial arts movie will be sadly disappointed Steven Segal and Ja Rule you know and who know your work—and availability—in Vancouver's relatively small theatre community, the better your chances of steady projects and challenging roles. Few theatre endeavors are as challenging as mounting Osborne's work, which packs more wit and emotion into a minute of dia- logue than most plays fit into an hour. Osborne once wrote of the importance of “going too far,” of intentionally pushing the audi- ence into a state of unease. The Ensemble Theatre Company conscious of the importance of the text and of provoking response — has chosen a much admired and entertaining piece to add to its growing list of successful credits. small towns can be mura OOK OFEBINS | by Lanford Wilson nov Evenings at 7:30 j November 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 Matinees (2-for-1 General Admission) November 16 at 2pm November 18 at 1pm November 23 at 2pm Talkback Performance (2-for-1 General Admission) November 19 at 7:30pm ae Douglas College