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Page 10-The Michigan Daily- Friday, October9, 1992
A collage of perverse animation
by Jon Altshul
It's a sorry day when Spike and
Mike are censored.
Well, maybe not "censored," but
certainly abbreviated. Gone are such
classics from last year's animation
festival as "Baby Story" and "Jesus
Visits New York," leaving us with a
slightly less disgusting, but still hi-
1ariously raunchy final product.
Despite this year's glaring omis-
F I I
Sick and Twisted
Animation Festival
Various Artists
sions, "Sick and Twisted" is ar-
guably the most side-splitting thing
to hit the silver screen since
"Fletch."
Released last winter, "Sick and
Twisted" is a crotch-grabbing col-
lage of perverse animation sketches.
Under Spike and Mike's auspices, its
international assortment of anima-
tors have created an utterly random
and incoherent scrapbook of sopho-
moric fun. Inbred farm boys and fes-
tering penises get top billing in this
raucous wet dream that presents it-
self with about the same political
correctness as a Pat. Buchanan rally.
It revolts while it delights, and of-
fends while it enlightens.
Swallow your morals and throw
away your guilt, because this hodge-
podge of cartoon clips isn't meant to
be understood, only enjoyed. Be
forewarned, however, the show isn't
for everyone - don't bring a date.
In fact, "Sick and Twisted" is about
as romantic as a six-pack of warm
beer and a stack of Penthouse mag-
azines.
Indeed, even the atmosphere at
the festival is unique. Boasting near
sellouts at virtually every screening,
Spike and Mike seem poised to
usurp "The Rocky Horror Picture
Show" from the throne of late night
licentiousness.
The show opens with "Dog Pile",
a light, yet sphincter-clenching
sketch that deftly examines the in-
herent dangers of pets and lawn care.
The festival then proceeds to Mary
Newland's perennial classic "Bambi
Meets Godzilla", a short, poignant
analysis of power and how it can be
used.
From there, Spike and Mike
guide us through a roller coaster tour
of animated horror and human
anatomy. "Bladder Trouble", "Lull-
aby", and "Woeful Willie" are all
amusing but easily forgettable, while
"One of Those Days", "The
Mutilator", and "Hello Dad I'm in
Jail" teeter on sheer stupidity.
The real strengths of "Sick and
Twisted", however, lay in "No Neck
Joe", "Lupo the Butcher", "In Bred
Jed", and "Deep Sympathy". All
four, which run the gamut from
Saturday morning fun to masochistic
necrophilia, shine in their originality
and unbeatable animation. "No Neck
Joe" charts the life of a child born
without a neck and the terrible tribu-
lations he is forced to endure as a
result of this mutation. It is a light-
hearted treat that plays nicely with
simple images and first-grade hu-
mor.
"Lupo" and "Jed", meanwhile,
present the realities of working class
America with chunk-blowing per-
versity, examining closely the rela-
tionship between language and
provincialism. Finally, "Deep Sym-
pathy" portrays the more unnerving
facets of hominess, with a strong
emphasis on the graphic.
"Sick and Twisted" belies mere
description. It flows with the grace
of an offensive lineman and the style
of a hard-up fourteen year old. So
grab a beach ball and lots of
munchies, because life is too pre-
cious to miss Spike and Mike.
SPIKE AND MIKE'S SICK AND
TWISTED ANIMATION FESTIVAL
is playing at the Michigan Theater.
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After practicing 18 hours a day for 20 years, Ali Akbar Khan has become a
pretty good sarod player.
India's greatest musician
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Plan to attend...
LAW DAY
Monday, October 12,
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Michigan Union
The University of Michigan
Career Planning Placement
1992
-Meet with admissions officers from US law schools
-Investigate employment options available to
graduating seniors
-Gather information on law related campus
organizations and services
by Chris Wyrod
Ali Akbar Khan is acknowl-
edged by many as India's greatest
living classical musician. He has
become one of the most sought
after and visible importers of
Northern Indian music since his
first performance at the M.O.M.A.
in 1955.
These Signature Series record-
ings provide an unobscured aural
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
Signature Series vols. 1 & 2
AMMP
gaze into the fired intensity of
Khan's masterful technique. Al-
though the sarod is one of the
world's most complex stringed
instruments, Khan's tactile dex-
terity creates delicately fluid yet
intricate melodies. Dauntingly
composed of 25 strings of differ-
ent gauges, the sarod can be di-
vided into four main strings carry-
ing the melody on a fretless, steal
fingerboard, four jawari strings
tuned to the principal notes of the
raga, two chikari drone and.
rhythm strings tuned to the tonic
to pattern and color the main
melody, and fifteen sympathetic
strings called the taraf.
Khan's master musicianship
did not come easily. His teacher
and father, the renowned Allaud-
din Khan, set a grueling schedule
of 18 hours of practice every day,
which continued over 20 years!
All six ragas on these two CDs
mold unique musical landscapes.
The basic ascending and descend-
ing tonal orders provide the
boundaries for extended improvi-
sation, infused with intense emo-
tion. It seems impossible to pas-
sively listen to these evocative ra-
gas with out becoming enveloped
in the mood they create. The en-
ergy is infectious, especially as the
pieces escalate in rhythmic coin-
plexity and fervor.
In volume two, Khan combines
the ragas "Loin," H-lamir," and
"Malua Kedar" into the soft and
subtly darting "Rag Medhavi." Its
poetic serenity is in honor of Sri
Rabindranath Tagore, the poet lau-
reate of Khan's homeland, Bengal.
Because of the spaciousness of
this rag, the virtuoso tabla accom-
paniment of the late Mahapurush
Misra shines through. His total
control of the rhythmic contours
shapes and envelopes Khan's
sarod.
Perhaps the direct emotional
impact of ragas the can only be
felt during a live performance. Ali
Akbar Khan will make this Satur-
day's performance a truly interac-
tive experience, since the ragas are
seldom pre-chosen. Instead, Khan
spontaneously picks them from a
repertoire of 75,000 ragas accord-
ing to the mood of the audience.
ALI AKBAR KHAN will perform
Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Power
Center. Tickets are $15-$30 in
advance. Call 763-7KTS.
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Special
Presentation...
Law School
following the Law
Admission
Day forum
S
Monday, October 12, 1992
3:10 - 4:00 pm
Kuenzel Room, Michigan U
Panel
[nion
-Increase your understanding of law school' admissions
-Gather tips to enhance the quality of your application
-Ask your questions about the decision making process
Sponsored by M-Flicks
I
U
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0
I I KIDDER, PEABODY & CO.
Incorporated
cordially invites
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
LS&A SENIORS
to attend a presentation of the two-year
INVESTMENT BANKING
FINANCIAL ANALYST PROGRAM
Tuesday, October 13, 1992
6:00 - 8:00 P.M.
Michigan Union, Anderson Room
Reception to follow presentation
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