St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 40

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH THURSDAY, JULY 2,1992 DPI? VIDEO WEEK Role-Playing: Out Of The Dungeon NOW PLAYING By Elizabeth Venant under a counter, for example, the game master, who directs the scenario, fuels their imaginations by conjuring up visions of acid splattering around them and menacing creatures lurking in the dark. Eerie, pulsing music fills the air, and brigands and goblins, acted by gaming society members following a written script, attempt to thwart the group's mission. If it all resembles old-fashioned childhood fun playing haunted house and scaring each other living out fantastic tales with a group of friends has become a budding branch of adult role-playing games. "People want to get off the couch," declares gaming entrepreneur Mark Matthews-Simmons, 1992, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES IT IS the wee hours of a Sunday morning, and most of the city is safely tucked in bed.

But for a small band of heroes, a ghoulish adventure is unfolding. Crawling on their bellies, they inch down a dank earthen tunnel. Spiders descend upon them, entangling their hair; the very ground cracks open, threatening to engulf them. Suddenly, the tunnel walls cave in behind them, cutting off any hope of escape, while before them lies a perilous pit The ruins of ancient pillars provide the only steppingstones to the other side and these are guarded by an evil a tarpaulin over aluminum poles serves nicely as a castle, for instance write their scripts and create their characters. A good yarn can go on all day, but this evening's mini-script will last little more than an hour, with various groups of initiates running through the story until breakfast time.

(Each group consists of a knight, a scout, a monk and a cleric, all granted warrior or spell-casting skills.) The real fun, players agree, lies in such things as camaraderie, blowing off steam and getting to be somebody they could never be in the world of mundane reality. For instance, Robert Hanna, president of the Los Angeles chapter, introduces his personage as Sir Karok Stormfist, knight of the Obsidian Castle from the Kingdom of spirit Overwhelmed by fright, the group trembles and wails. Then, raising her sword in supplication, one member, a cleric, asks for a spell to protect her friends, calling on the all-powerful Lord of Guinea. Her deity is so named, she Live role-playing typically draws in science-fiction and fantasy buffs the sort who can recite the encounters in "The Lord of the Rings" and will line up in the rain to see "Terminator 2." Uthar. "I'm nobility, and I like to let people know it," he adds with appropriate haughtiness.

In real life, Hanna, 27, is a photocopier technician from Rancho Cucamonga, beset by customers complaining that their machines don't work. "I have to absorb it all," he laments. But in the games he is transformed: "You become the hero you've always wanted to be." Also, says national gaming society president Paul Hayes, a 32-year-old computer programmer from Boulder, "you can explore parts of your personality you're not able to express in your daily life" becoming dangerously tough or shamefully gullible. For scientists, aspiring writers and actors and office workers alike, the appeal is often irresistible. John Brady, 24, a physicist from San Diego, and his wife, Elize, a molecular biologist, have left their analytical pursuits to play the evening's "lich" game talk for the evil spirit and the imprisoned king's grieving daughter, respectively.

It is a "wild, off-the-wall" opportunity "to let it all hang out," Brady says. Similarly, Denega hopes the game will exercise her imagination. "There's not a lot out there where you can put yourself in other people's shoes," she says, adding that most of her high school chums would rather explains in a mischievous aside, "because we're all guinea pigs." The magical cleric, Robyn Denega, is a 17-year-old Burbank High School student and, like her fellow heroes in costume and carrying rubber weapons she is being introduced to what is known in the vernacular of gamers as live-action role-playing. Live role-playing typically draws in science-fiction and fantasy buffs the sort who can recite the encounters in "The Lord of the Rings" and will line up in the rain to see "Terminator 2" for a second time. It is the fastest-growing permutation of Dungeons Dragons, which launched role-playing where participants assume the identities of fantasy characters as a gaming phenomenon in 1974.

This night, the adventurers are novices attending a games convention at a local hotel. Guided by members of the International Fantasy Gaming Society, with a Southern California membership of about 140, the neophytes are actually wending their way through a series of poolside rooms. The rooms, murkily lit and draped in tarpaulins, are disguised to evoke the lost chambers of the Tomb of Ankara, where the hardy group is on its way to rescue the imprisoned king. And lest they notice the patio chairs stacked 37, a co-founder of the International Fantasy Gaming Society. "They've been passive for too long." Begun nine years ago by fencing buddies in Boulder, the society charges $20 in dues annually, plus $20 per game, and has about 500 members nationwide.

The two Southern California chapters, founded two years ago, represent a large contingent. An estimated 5,000 American aficionados belong to other gaming groups. At the recent games convention, run by the Torrance, company Strategicon, the local players energetically recruited members. At midnight, about 25 society members turn out to initiate those who have come to learn live-action role-playing. Unlike other branches of role-playing games, where high-tech themes prevail, live-action stories tend more toward medieval plots, such as rescuing princesses and discovering treasures.

About one-third of the players are women there are relatively few women in the largely combat-intensive tabletop games and the games usually take place outdoors in national parks. It's a home-grown affair, much like grass-roots improvisational theater: Players make the props Marco Hofschneider in "Europa, Europa." "EUROPA, EUROPA" Orion $79.98. This is the true story of what a young Jewish boy did to survive World War II. Watching it, I was struck by the idea that maybe Europeans have never really considered blood and violence to be entertaining in films because they, unlike Americans, have lived through so much of it in real life. Unlike many Holocaust films, however, this one doesn't dwell on the suffering of characters trapped in Nazi clutches.

It follows instead one young man's harrowing adventure outside the death camps. Born in Germany on the same day as Hitler, Solomon Perel (Marco Hofschneider) finds his life shattered with the Nazi rise to power. Perel's family is attacked in their home, his sister murdered by a fascist mob, and they are forced to move to Poland, where they mistakenly believe they will be safe. When the Germans invade, Solomon and his brother Isaak (Rene Hofschneider) are sent away in search of haven while the family stays behind. The brothers are separated, with Solomon landing in Russian territory and sent to a Russian orphanage where he is forced to renounce his religion.

When the war forces the orphans to flee, Solomon is captured by Germans. But he convinces them that he is a pure Aryan youth, Josef Peters, who has lost his papers, and he becomes their Russian interpreter. He eventually winds up in an elite Nazi boys' school where he constantly fears that his circumcision will betray him as a Jew. Both physically and emotionally painful as it is, he manages to keep the secret, even from his girlfriend Leni (Julie Deify). When the school is destroyed as Berlin falls to the Allies, Solomon is reunited with his brother.

The rest of their family, along with millions of other Jews, have been killed. They weren't sent to Madagascar or Siberia as he had chosen to believe when told by the Germans. At the end of the film, we see the real-life Solomon Perel, now an old man, and are told that he emigrated to Palestine. Life there, no doubt, has had its own trials. This remarkable story, beautifully acted, directed and scripted (the script was also written by director Holland), reveals the war's personal side.

It delves into the heads of the common people, in this case the Russians and the Germans, who back their leaders' efforts. It is a story of the war waged within, the selfish and stupid and frightened lies we tell ourselves, that allow those leaders to mount their terrifying campaigns. Nancy Spider, Entertainment News Service COMING ATTRACTIONS be sitting in front of a TV. PETER REXFORD STAMP COIN EXCHANGE te5 Pioneers Of The Air Are Honored 1 i I -'SIT DID A SPACE shuttle orbit the Earth last month? I'm embarrassed to say I don't know. For that matter, I doubt one person in a thousand could say for certain if one did.

The fact is, aviation has become ordinary. It used to be that a time-saving new invention or a milestone in history would be recognized with ticker-tape parades and endless honors for those who participated. Not anymore. The simple fact is that people have lost the ability to enjoy or appreciate the romance of achievement. I'm willing to wager that until man sets foot on Mars, air and space travel will be just another aspect of everyday life at best, a footnote on the nightly news.

As recently as 50 years ago, such was not the case. Back then there were people constantly trying to fly higher, faster and longer than the next guy. A few, such as Charles Lindbergh and the Wright brothers, are still household names. Until recently, the others had been lost to the faded pages of some obscure history books. Last month, the U.S.

Postal Service issued a new album-book titled "Aviation Pioneers," which rekindles the memory of the noteworthy men and women who risked their lives to bring air travel into the mainstream of our lives. Of course, most would expect air mail pilot Lindbergh to take up the majority of such a work. Interestingly, Lindbergh is barely even mentioned. Rather, each chapter of "Aviation Pioneers" focuses on a different person. Included are Samuel P.

Langley, Glenn Curtiss, Harriet Quimby, Wiley Post and others who don't quite Gen. Chuck Yeager and fun stamps make this a prized volume for anyone interested in the history of flight. Priced at $16.95 (almost $5 of which is represented in the included 14 postage stamps) it's not cheap. But, for this nicely bound volume, it's easily worth the money. "Aviation Pioneers" is available by mail directly from the U.S.

Postal Service, Philatelic Sales Division, P.O. Box 449997, Kansas City, Mo. 64144. To order, send a check or money order to that address and mention that you are requesting Item No. 8919.

For years people have been wondering if the penny is worth keeping around. Many feel it is more of a headache than anything else. Well, the U.S. Mint may soon be feeling the same way. According to the Annual Report of the Director of the U.S.

Mint for 1991, the cost of minting a U.S. penny rose in the last two years from just more than one-half cent in 1989 to almost a full cent in 1991. The actual cost is .0923 cents per penny or roughly 9.2 cents for every 10 pennies minted. As most companies know, a return of only 8 percent is not nearly enough on which to survive. The mint blames higher prices for the zinc and copper that comprise the penny coin.

Still, it has-no intention of discontinuing the oldest denomination of circulating U.S. coinage. Profit or no, you've got to respect that dedication to tradition. Then again, the mint couldn't do it without governmental authorization. The "Aviation Pioneers" stamp album.

have the fame of Lindbergh but, in their day, were tremendous heroes and dare devils nonetheless. Unbeknown to most Americans, each of the people cited in "Aviation Pioneers" has recently been honored on U.S. postage stamps. However, the book does not dwell on the stamps included with each volume. To the contrary, the text of each chapter barely mentions the stamps.

Each of the issues, as well as protective mounts, is included with the book and add a fantastic intrigue and flavor to the pages. Without question, "Aviation Pioneers" is one of the very best album-books to be produced by the U.S. Postal Service. The colorful pictures, outstanding text by Ted Park and introduction by REVIEW POP CHESS QUIZ By Shelby Lyman Quiz No. 1 Marie Osmond Is Talented Veteran fsl Rebecca de Mornay (right) and Madeline Zima in "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle." The following videocassettes are scheduled for national release next week.

Local release dates and prices may vary. Drama "Lunatics: A Love (No price listed, Columbia TriStar) 1992. Directed by Josh Becker. Starring Deborah Foreman, Theodore Raimi. Two lunatics find each other in Los Angeles.

Thriller "The Gate ($92.86, Columbia TriStar) 1 992. Directed by Tibor Takacs. Starring Louis Tripp, Pamela Segall. A high school nerd summons the spirits of the dark to help his unemployed father get a job. "The Hand That Rocks the ($94.95, Hollywood Pictures Home Video) 1992.

Directed by Curtis Hanson. Starring Rebecca de Mornay, Annabella Sciorra, Matt McCoy, Ernie Hudson. A seemingly perfect nanny, hired by a yuppie couple, isn't what she seems to be. Adventure "Final ($92.95, Vidmark Entertainment) 1 991 Directed by Eric Steven Stahl. Starring Hector Elizondo, James B.

Sikking, Kevin McCarthy. An Air Force pilot who has flown secret missions finds himself in a futuristic structure with a new face and a malfunctioning mind. "Hurricane ($94.99, Warner Home Video) 1992. Directed by Colin Budds. Starring Carl Weathers, Jurgen Porchnow, Tony Bonner.

A Texas roughneck goes Down Under to wipe out Australian drug mobs. Action "Lust for AIP Home Video) No date listed. Directed by Eric Louzil. Starring William J. Kulzer, Melanie Coll.

The police abuse a woman who is in jail for a crime she didn't commit. "Savage ($89.95, AIP Home Video) No date listed. Directed by Patrick G. Donahue. Starring Brian Oldfield, Debra Sweaney.

A crazed drug lord tracks down a woman who knows about his dirty dealings. i in mm mm js a WHITE MATES IN 2 Hint: Destiny at e8. Solution ejBui 8exu2 8exy m88Q Quiz No. 2 other occasion, she showed a 30-year retrospective of her career, beginning with her first appearance as a 3-year-old on "The Andy Williams Show," which is where her brothers gained stardom. Osmond performed with the Symphony but was accompanied by a talented quartet of her own musicians, including Jerry Williams, her musical director.

Despite his youthful appearance, Williams seemed not in the least intimidated by the orchestra, taking charge as if it were his steady job. In the first part of the program, Richard Hayman wielded the baton, leading the Symphony through a number of frothy selections, including a salute to Walt Disney World, which is marking its 20th anniversary. He couldn't have found a much better way to launch the series, ting the audience to leap right into singing "The Mickey Mouse Club March" and "It's a Small World." It was a good program, and it may have added a bit of lore to Osmond's career. If an act is thinking about coming back for an encore at Queeny, it's a good idea not to get too far away from the stage. Because when the act disappears, so does the audience.

Osmond repeated her performance Wednesday night, and is scheduled to wind up a three-day stay tonight at 8. By Dick Richmond Of the Post-Dispatch Staff EVEN being aware of the facts, some things just defy credulity. Looking at Marie Osmond, who opened the County Pop? Symphony series at Queeny Park Tuesday night, it stretches belief that she is marking her 30th year in show business. This is taking into consideration that she won't celebrate her 33rd birthday until October. Still, in her decades in show business, which included five years as the co-star of a musical television series with her brother Donny, she has become a fine entertainer.

Most everyone who follows popular music knows, of course, that she hit the big time with a country song called "Paper Roses" when she was only 13 years old. And she has maintained her allegiance with country music ever since. However, she demonstrated in her appearance with the Symphony that not only is she capable of spreading her wings, she can do it in a very entertaining way. For those who were looking forward to hearing some of her country material, she didn't disappoint them. Nevertheless, most of her program largely dealt with the music of Broadway.

She did songs from "West Side Story," "Porgy Bess," "Phantom of the Opera," "The Wiz" and "Cabaret" Her voice and manner were up to the program she had selected for herself, and it was easy to ignore Hi use? I in 14 I Hi iHA ill lH Hi mm mm THE HIT LIST The week's most popular videocassettes in SL Louis-area stores. Figures provided by Sight and Sound Distributors. RENTALS SALES 1. Grand Canyon 1 Sweatin' to the Oldies 2. The Addams Family 2.

Garth Brooks: Live in Concert 3. Man in the Moon 3. Sing-a long Songs: Be Our Guest 4. Father of the Bride 4. Step Ahead Aerobics 5.

Kuffs 5. Super Callanetics 6. JFK 6. American Tail 2: Fieval Goes West 7. For the Boys 7.

Tiny Toons 8. My Girt 8. Elvis: Lost Performances 9. 101 Dalmatians 9. Jailhouse Rock (colorized) 10.

Garth Brooks 10. Gone With the Wind Marie Osmond the one part in which the tempo seemed a bit too fast for the material she had taken on. Even if she couldn't sing as well as she did, her personality would have carried her. She was especially charming when she coaxed a man named Ralph out of the audience to come up on stage and sing with her. It didn't take Ralph long to get into the swing of things, and it made for a wonderful introduction to a song called "True Love Never Goes Away" from her latest album.

She sang it accompanied by a video. It was not the only time she used visuals to enhance her act. On an mm i i i ia. a WHITE MATES IN 2 Hint: Sacrifice the queen. Solution letBUJ ()peqeqnop e) Live in Concert 77 1 It.