Page 8 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 18, 1988 Law of Desire succeeds BY MARK SHAIMAN I'll leave it up to the psychologists to determine what is the real origin of desire. But whatever this reason is, we all feel it - so why bother going backwards when we can go forwards and explore where desire leads. This I'll leave this up to the artists. Pedro Almodovar, in his provoca- tive movie Law of Desire, shows that there is more to desire than just attractions of the flesh. He delves un- der the skin, revealing the passion that desire causes. And he does so in an unconventional way, by frankly and openly dealing with gay male re- lationships. This film is done so suc- cessfully and with such style that it may help to break down the barrier that has prevented the screen presence of non-stereotyped gay males. The two main characters are brother and sister, with the twist that they were once brother and brother. Pablo (Eusebio Poncela) is a respected film director, and his sister Tina (Carmen Maura) is the star of some of his films. His new project is ehtitled "Vox Humana" - the Human Voice. It may be a bit pretentious, but direc- tor Almodovar, by using this inner- film title and basing the story around a filmmaker, is stating that his film speaks for the people. have a close relationship, revealing everything to each other, and thus to the audience. Most of the times that they are seen together, Tina is caring for a young girl whose mother is eternally away. It is never revealed whether the girl knows about Tina's and Pablo's sexual background, but she has a true love for them both. By presenting this view of Tina and Pablo through the innocent eyes of a child, Almodovar reminds the viewers that all are innocent until proven guilty, and guilt, in the case of sexual orientation, is only in the eye of the beholder. Still, Almodovar feels no need to push his statement, but gently lets it rest on the storyline. The film is able to play on the idiosyncrasies of the characters without being offensive; what is said about the characters is said by the characters themselves, showing that they are able to laugh along with what life brings them - another instance of the Vox Humana. Law of Desire may be just the voice of Almodovar, who also wrote the film, but be it alto or bass, it is the voice of a humanist. It has taken two years for this Spanish film to reach the U.S., and if you give it two hours of your time, it might reach you too. Ann Arbor Film Cooperative presents LAW OF DESIRE Saturday at 7 and 9 p.m. at MLB 3. a What would the Vox Humana say about Tina's (Carmen Maura) precarious positioning? And the people in his film have lead him. Tina, too, is affected by the much to speak about. Pablo has two law of desire. She has resigned herself lovers, one he is separated from and to a life of celibacy, an ironic plight one he wants to separate himself for someone who is finally comfort- from. In this triangle, the driving able with her body. force is desire, and Pablo must look Although Tina and Pablo had been within to see where his desire will estranged in their youth, they now r _5 Black Entertainment Series * mrdt debuts with Rhapsody BY LISA MAGNINO IF you look through the gospel sec- tion of a music store, you expect to see familiar Black artists like Mahalia Jackson and Andre Crouch pop up. No surprise. But what if jazz artists Lionel Hampton and Duke Ellington sat side by side with Jackson and Crouch in the gospel bin? That could cause a second look. But it really shouldn't. Black artists have traditionally crossed mu- sical boundaries. Take, for example, the 1943 recording Black, Brown, and Beige. Jackson's spiritual vocals combine with Ellington's jazz in- strumentals to create one of the most * famous collaborations in music. Recognizing that these styles continually draw upon one another, and are indivisible, Stephen Newby and Bill Banfield, the musical com- posers of tonight's Rhapsody in Black, have created a program that combines rap, fusion, traditional jazz, and gospel into a collage that celebrates the contributions and talents of Black artists. Rhapsody in Black is presented by Students in Support of Black Enter- tainment, whose goal is to bring cul- tural diversity to the bland selection currently offered in Ann Arbor. RHAPSODY IN BLACK will be performed tonight at 8 p.m. in the Michigan Union Ballroom. Tickets' are $5 in advance and $6 at the door.' Appropriate attire is required, and a' cash bar will be available. Danzig Danzig Def American Records I'm really sick of hearing people whine about this album. No, Danzig (as in ex-Misfit Glenn) is not the new Misfits. No more than Samhain was. No more than either of them should be. Danzig is the potential these bands should have realized. Danzig is Danzig. Skull-crushing, post-metal power with all the inessential glop drained away. Danzig continues the progression out of sloppy hardcore Samhain started, heading towards a tighter sound incorporating slower tempoes and technically concise music. Most songs on the album are more in the speed range of "Human Pony Girl," from Samhain's November Coming Fire. They do, however, break out infrequently into the rapid fury associated with late Misfits, but even then Danzig manages to clean up the sound enough to avoid the swill of past recordings (i.e., Evilive). Danzig shows Glenn's retention of his fascination with Cletic and Catholic pagan religions, as song such as "Twist of Cain," "Am I Demon," and "Evil Thing" make clear. And backing him up are some of the most talented musicians around, including bassist Eerie Von (ex-Samhain), and drummer Chuck Biscuits (ex-Black Flag and Circle Jerks). With this stacked clan of musicians, we finally get to experience Glenn's vocal force and throaty excellence. A monster of a band behind a monster of a vocalist. First the Misfits. Then Samhain. Now Danzig. Evil never dies. -Robert Flaggert -Danzig plays tonight at Harpo's (House of Horror) in Detroit and tomorrow in Grand Rapids, "The Home of the Weather-Ball," at Stadium Arena Annex. Tickets are available at Ticket-Master. The Four Elements By Roz Chast Harper and Row $8.95/paperback A certain sense of humor is at work in this cartoon collection, only it's hard to tell where it lurks among the unspectacular two-dimensional scribbles and extensive semi-legible printed captions. Roz Chast draws from a skewed tongue in her cheek, with a sense of the absurd that in the same instant recalls Letterman sidekick Paul Shaffer, Charles Schultz's Linus, Erma Bombeck, and Pee Wee Herman. Unlike the traditional comic strip format where characters engage in a dialogue and the final frame contains a punchline, Chast's drawings are tacked onto the page in no particular narrative order, and the reader is expected to draw meaning out of hodge-podges of "Overly specific products" (pain remedies for headaches caused by stuck car alarms) and fast-food restaurants that "never caught on" (Raisin Hut and Liver Bell.) Over half of the selection is taken from Chast's work in the New Yorker, and many of the cartoons betray a Gotham City hipness and literary mind that only its subscribers might appreciate. In Chast's world, essays on the learner's permit written test request that you "Write a sonnet about parallel parking." Banks give "interesting, un- bourgeois premiums," like Walt Whitman collections and Ornette Coleman records. If it amuses you to conceive of Gustave Flaubert's 19th century anti- heroine as'a tennis pro, this may be the collection for you. But if you never watch public television, cook with a wok, or worry about your investment portfolio, stick with Calvin and Hobbes and 'Bloom County. -Mark Swartz University of Michigan SCHOOL OF MUSIC Sun. Nov. French Classic Organ Series 20 Edward Parmentier, organ Program includes works by de Grigny and Louis Couperin Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, School of Music, 4:00p.m. FREE Contemporary Directions Ensemble Richard Rosenberg, director Jean Pendell, saxophone, Laura Lamport, soprano Bassett: "Nonet" Albright: Sonata for Saxophone Dallapiccola: "Due Liriche de Anachreonte" Adams: "Shaker Loops" Rackham Auditorium, 8:00p.m. FREE For up to date program informationon School of Music events call the 24-Hour Music Hotline, 7634726 erron. Continued from Page 7 Her music is unnerving. She reaches to the core of her audience's soul and pulls emotion to the surface. To fully appreciate her gift for con- necting emotionally, you have to see Ferron perform in an intimate setting, (like The Ark). Anyone who has ever broken up with a lover will find sit- ting unmoved through the mournful "Ain't Life a Brook" a challenge. Ferron's relived pain brings back our own. Don't think that the show will be a downer, though. Her enthusiasm, genuine warmth, and surprising hu- mor balances her quiet, introspective lyrics. She makes fun of herself, has you laughing, then launches into a painful, questioning song requiring sober thought. This manipulation is part of the Ferron phenomenon. Peo- ple who like strong songs that elicit strong responses will get their needs'! met with Ferron. FERRON will appear at the Ark Sunday at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $1050. 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