Funny Stuff
Student film, "Sargasm," premieres at
Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor.
JULIE ZIMMERMAN
Special to the Jewish News
Ann Arbor
U
tune presentation at a commercial theater.
As Lax explains, "I walked in and
pitched it to [the Michigan Theater], and
they were willing to hear me out and
were very receptive." Lax's own documen-
tary, Higher Education, recently debuted
at the State Theater in Ann Arbor.
Lax presented Sargasm as a collection
of sketch comedy — "like Saturday
Night Live but funny" — with no plot
or storyline but a "hysterical explosion
of irony and wit throughout" and an
innovative slapstick appeal.
A theatrical trailer parody, edited
and directed by anonyMous member
and film major Andrew Laurich, will
niversity of Michigan stu-
dents Rob Cantor, Anar
Suley Ismailov and Ricky Lax
may be members of a cam-
pus film group called anonyMous, but
their movie, Sargasm, will be anything
but after it premieres at the Michigan
Theater in Ann Arbor on April 10.
Pre-med major Cantor, business
major Ismailov and political science
major Lax first collaborated with the
nine other members of anonyMous
back in
September to
help write and
organize the pro-
duction of this
"intellectual
sketch-comedy."
Cantor, a soph-
omore and
Temple Israel
member, and
Lax, a junior and
member of
Congregation
Shaarey Zedek,
are both West
Rob Cantor, Anar Suley Ismailov and Ricky Lax of anonyMous
Bloomfield
natives and
precede the Michigan Theater screen-
Andover High School grads. Ismailov,
ing of Sargasm. Some live entertain-
the third Jewish member of the group,
ment
before the film and/or a ques-
is a junior from Azerbaijan.
tion-and-answer session afterward also
Directed by anonyMous founder and
film major Joe Hawley, Sargasm consists are possibilities, Lax says. .
The members hope the screening
of numerous parodies — some scripted,
will draw more attention to the group
others improvised — "designed for
and encourage more U-M students —
those individuals with little or no atten-
especially women — to join in the
tion span," according to Lax.
creation of anonyMous' next project,
The 45-minute feature includes
hopefully to be produced sometime
sketches ranging from the "Rototron
early next school year.
Cornbobber," a take on an old infomer-
After the long hours and hard work
cial series, to a "Men's Burglary Semi-
Finals" network sports skit that lampoons put into Sargasm, and as its premiere
looms near, Lax summarizes the senti-
athletes and robbers. The film even
incorporates a music video satirizing how ment of the group: "We knew from
the beginning it would be funny but
anonyMous received money for the film.
didn't
expect this tremendous response.
It is impressive that the group filmed
Everybody finds it hilarious." ❑
the sketches for less than $100 with
the use of the director's digital camera.
Sargasm premieres 7 p.m.
What is even more notable is that this
Thursday, April 10, in a one-time
student film is to be premiered as a fea-
showing at the Michigan Theater
Julie Zimmerman is a senior at the
in Ann Arbor. (734) 668-8463.
University of Michigan.
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