Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The film industry can be reluctant to bump off lead characters — why squander a possible sequel? But it’s been done before. As we all wait to see how the Batman universe characters fare in “The Dark Knight Rises,” here’s a look at five classic movies where a major character dies:
v “Camille” (1936): The great Greta Garbo, as a courtesan with a heart of gold, puts on a brave face in her final scene with her young lover.
v “Psycho” (1960): Alfred Hitchcock pulled the rug out from under viewers by killing off Janet Leigh’s character near the beginning of the movie with the famous shower scene.
v “The Exorcist” (1973): A priest played by Jason Miller figured out a way to save Linda Blair’s Regan. How? Let’s just say elevators were more popular than stairs for a while.
v “Titanic” (1997): Leonardo DiCaprio made the girls swoon in this epic disaster film. Some boyfriends won’t even share their popcorn, much less give you the last piece of flotsam to rest on after your ship sinks.
v “Saving Private Ryan” (1998): Tom Hanks was the heart of Steven Spielberg’s devastatingly accurate re-creation of the D-Day landing. His Army captain character symbolized the sacrifices of the soldiers of the greatest generation.
Gramatik headlines festival at Ledges
NELSON
Nelson Ledges Quarry Park, 12001 Nelson Ledge Road, will present Summerdance, an electro-instrumental dance festival featuring Gramatik, Aug. 3-5. Gramatik will headline both Aug. 3 and 4.
Also on the bill are Michael Menert and SuperVision, Eric Evasion, Broccoli Samurai, Sean 216, the Skeetones, Arpetrio and The Manhattan Project.
Art installations will decorate the forest.
Advance tickets, available online at nlqp.com, are $60 for Friday through Sunday. At the gate, tickets are $70 for Friday through Sunday, or $60 for Saturday through Sunday. There is no extra charge for camping.
Couples needed to swing dance
BELOIT
The West Branch alumni production of “The Andrews Brothers” is looking for couples that are familiar with or able to swing dance. “We would like to have a group of swing dancers that sit at round tables in front of the audience as if they are attending the show in the 1940s,” said director John Zamarelli. The show is a review of 25 songs made famous by the Andrews Sisters, including “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree.” It is set in 1945 on a South Pacific island.
Sixteen couples are needed for each show, and there will be no auditions. Performances will be July 26, 27 and 28. Couples may sign up for one, two or all three shows. Call Zamarelli at 330- 277-3916 if interested.
Recordings are available of the songs.