SMALL TOWN AIN'T SO BAD

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 17, 1992                   TAG: 9201170483
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Beth Macy
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
SMALL TOWN AIN'T SO BAD
It took five minutes parking, and 15 more waiting in line outside.
A standing-room-only crowd just inside the doors, the sneak preview of "Grand Canyon" at Tanglewood Mall cinema last weekend seemed like the hottest thing going in Roanoke on a Saturday night.
"There's not much to do here," quipped moviegoer Mike Tolusso. "For Roanoke, this is like opening night at the Met.
"Between this and the Old Country Buffet opening across the street, if I was a robber, I'd be cleaning out half the houses in Roanoke."
Tolusso, a Roanoke salesman, is one of those guys who could do stand-up at Roanoke Comedy Club's amateur night with no stage fright at all. He entertained moviegoers near him with his one-liners before the previews rolled.
We were starting to get into the humor of the small-town bashing ourselves - until the movie started, detailing the inner-city violence of Los Angeles.
About the time Steve Martin's character got his leg blown apart by a Rolex robber, those yearning for the thrill of the big city were shaking their heads. Tolusso leaned up and whispered:
"Roanoke's not looking so bad now after all."

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB