ARTS
73!
At the time when the movie occurs
(they say the '90's), "space junk," or
huge pieces of aged toxic appliances
and sewage, fall from the sky into a
wasteland of trash, crime and media
manipulation. The t.v. set has become
the staple of life for these humans - it
controls their existence. Stereo speak-
ers simulate bird sounds from the trees.
There are only five livable cities left on
the planet, and this miserable hellhole,
Terminal City, is one of them.
Alex Stevens (Mark Bennett) can't
deal with the corruption anymore. His
paperboy routine is tedious. His mother
has become one with the t.v., which
cooks, organizes and shops for her. He
was a hip rock and roll guy, until the
psycho-evangelistic mayor Ross
Gilmore (Peter Breck) outlawed R&R.
So he joins an underground group of
artists (because all art is banned) in an
effort to change society back from this
media mayhem.
This movie becomes a bizarre ex-
cursion into what our future may be-
Gilmore's Social Peace Enforcement
Unit, a violent crew of criminals hirede
to enforce the rules as police, is over->'
seen by Bruce Coddle (Jello Biafra of"
the Dead Kennedys). He's abrutal killer'"
with no emotions or conscience what=' -
soever. Coddle methodically carries out
the orders from above and partakes in
senseless beatings of innocent people.t.,K
"Terminal City Ricochet"is afright-,.
ening view of a prospective era. But7
despite the surreal insight on the part of'-
the writers, the plot is difficult to keep,"
track of, and the movie drags. More-'"
over, the acting is overdone and ex-"
hausting to watch. It makes us consider
what may happen to society if we don't;
make a conscious effort to change to-
day. Under all the weirdo acting hype
andcostumes, there really is apoint. B utt
prepare yourself for irritation on the'
way to revelation.
Fudge
The Ferocious Rhythm Of
Precise Laziness...
Caroline Records
Much like contemporaries Smash-
ing Pumpkins and Walt Mink, Fudge
have a happy penchant for dreamy,
candyland histrionics. But unlike other
bands who use ethereal melodies to
hook you in before leveling you with
the sonic boom, Fudge have another
idea. They seem quite content to ease
Dinosaur Jr.
Where You Been
Warner Bros.
Once again, my man J. Mascis has
pried his lazy ass up off of the couch
long enough to whip up yet another
noisy masterpiece. "Where You Been,"
the follow-up to the (mysteriously)
much-maligned and underappreciated
"Green Mind," is a gem. Mascis' feed-
back-saturated tough love tales have
never sounded more confident or stop-
on-a-dime focused. Each track seethes
with controlled tension and reckless
abandon.
Mascis' trademark stuck-in-your-
head melodies are still intact; but those
end of the world, Neil Young would be
pgoud guitar solos (conspicuously ab-
sent from "Green Mind") are back in
full effect (Check the Crazy Horse hom-
age m "Out There").
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1001 S. Forest 610 S. Forest
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you into the stratosphere, riding apass-
portof swirling atmospherics and bong
tokes.
The Ferocious Rhythm of Precise
Laziness ... is a sugary sweet collec-
tion of confectionery delights that tastes
better than anything Mackinac has to
offer (had enough of the candy allu-
sions yet?). From the daydream stroll
of "Peanut Butter," to the sweetheart
kiss of "Oreo Dust" (do these guys
have theinunchies or what?), Fudge is
chock full of recipes for delicious,
starry-eyed guitar pop. Jangly open-
chords shimmy in a sea of vibrato,
while thatlazy rhythm works it'smerry
way into your subconscious. Vocalist
Tony Ammendolia narrates the whole
deal from somewhere deep inside a
soothing, Technicolor haze.
Other mouth-watering tracks in-
clude the gleeful "Drive," while "Way-
side" kicks into full-tilt trip mode with
a mental dub break (they mess around
with this more on the druggy "20-j
Nothing Dub").
You're well advised to score an
eighth and stock up on chocolate milk
and Little Debbie snacks, 'cause this is
one seriously fun trek out there.
-Scott Sterling
FUDGE is well worth putting off
Spring Break one more day when
they play THE LAB (144 Hill St.)
tomorrow night. Doors at 9:00 p.m.,
bring your own treats.
0
TERMI
playing
Angell
INAL CITY RICOCHET is
tonight at 7:30 and 9:15 at
Hall Aud A.
'Club'
ii.
;1.
Just another day at the
And despite Mascis' rep as the indie
prince of apathy, "Where You Been" is
packed with raw, heartfelt emotion.
When he shamelessly lets loose with
that falsetto howl in the crunchy "Start
Choppin'," it's almost enough to give
even the most jaded of hearts a sense of
hope. By the time he wails "I'd like to
see you-ooo-oooou / It's a last ditch" in
themaudlin "WhatElse Is New," you're
hooked.
"Where You Been" continues in the
tradition of "Green Mind" by utilizing
more elaborate arrangements and unor-
thodox instrumentation. The aforemen-
tioned "What Else Is New" ends with
tympani (played by Mascis himself)
anda(gulp!) string section.And itworks.
I know it's early kids, but this looks
to be one of the year's best.
I got it, I'm gone ...
-Scott Sterling
Mujician
The Journey
Cuneiform Records
Aptly entitled The Journey,
Mujician's first recording is an unbro-
ken instrumental epic, which leads the
listener down the convoluted, topsy-
turvy inroads of the musicians' inte-
grated dynamic. At times, the furious
pace hurls us through Keith Tippet's
dizzying augmented jazz comping,
while other pathways take us to calmer
spaces where the bass and clarinet ex-
periment with subtly twisted interplay.
Although the idea of an hour-long,
continuous free improvisation may seem
monotonous to some (one person told
me it was as exciting as listening to
phone conversations on channel 82), all
four musicians demonstrate their re-
markable creativity and facility by con-
tinually developing and reshaping the
music throughout the progression of the
piece.
The ever-present drone of Tippett's
piano (with its seemingly prepared up-
per register) subtly phases the mood,
while allowing the other musicians to
enter and exit the piece as they please.
Tony Levin manipulates various reeds,
exploring each instruments range of
subtle textures, without typically rely-
ing on overblowing for effect. Paul
Rogers pairs Tippett'smeanderings with
warm melody and untraceable zig-zags
up and down the neck of his bass.
As one continuous piece, this live
spontaneous composition cannot justly
be reduced to the sum of its component
parts. Its force stems from the dynamic
created by the swimming together of
four musical currents.
-Chris Wyrod
by John Jones
You don't have to be old to appreci-
ate "The Cemetery Club," but it cer-
tainly wouldn't hurt. Though the film
may alienate audiences with its focus
on less-than-young people, its integra-
tion of humor and tragedy should strike
The Cemetery Club
Directed by Bill Duke; written by Ivan
Menchell (based on his stage play);
with Ellen Burstyn, Olympia Dukakis'
Diane Ladd and Danny Aiello.
a chord with any moviegoer in the mood
for a sensitive, human story. Normally,
grieving and inevitable loss do not a
comedy make. But strong doses of hu-
mor and solid, engaging performances
by the three leading ladies help the film
transcend its otherwise weighty mes-
sage that laughter, friendship and ac-
ceptance make death bearable.
With hints of "Fried Green Toma-
toes" and "Steel Magnolias" (and the
newly-released "Used People"), "The
Cemetery Club" examines a friendship
between three older women, each deal-
ing differently with the loss of her hus-
band. Doris (OlympiaDukakis), cannot
release herself from the wrath of re-
morse. On the other end of the grief
spectrum, Lucille (Diane Ladd) actively
seeks the affections of any man without
a felony conviction. Caught between
her two close friends, Esther (Ellen
Burstyn) has to take sides. Instead, she
ends up with a new romance with Ben
(Danny Aiello).
Of course, the characters aren't that
old, but a young spectator will surely
find watching olderpeople flirting some-
what of a thrill - kind of like finding
your grandma making out on the sofa
with a stranger, not long after gramps
The 1993
NorthwesternUniversity
College Prep Program
is looking for
Counselors
to work this summer.
We're looking for some
"Big Sibs" to help
guide high school
students from around
the nation through a
summer of
has kicked the bucket. The film self-
consciously recognizes that voyeuristic
pleasure when it shows Esther's grand-
daughter catching her with Ben. We get
other glimpses into our grandparents'
"bedrooms," with some safe-sex scuttle-
butt and a few four-letter words. But
writer Ivan Menchell's depiction of"ro-
mance over 60" treats its characters
genuinely, without objectifying their
desires as exclusively those of the
younger generation. The film positions
its oldercharacters amidst younger ones
Ivan Menchell adapted
the screenplay from his
stage play. A likely
result of his
theatricality is the fact
that the film jumps
between settings,
forgetting that cinema
has no closing curtains
for transitions. The film
has a stagy feel, and
natural lighting both
complements the film's
sincerity ...
not for contrast, but to communicate a
certain continuity.
The "Cemetery Club" doesn't beg
for emotion or over-glorify its theme.
Director Bill Duke handles the intro-
ductions of his all-star cast subtly, with-
out fanfare (no turning around into a
close-up to greet Ellen Burstyn back to,
the big screen). We meet the three main4
characters and their husbands in acaron
the way to a friend's wedding (the
women sit in back, of course). This
character integration contrasts starkly
to the more choreographed introduc1"
tions in "Steel Magnolias," which intro-'
duces each character separately. And
while this may detract from the spec-,
tacle, the technique instantaneously:;
humanizes the film. Above all,-
Menchell's comedic timing couldn't be'
more ironically apropos. Hilarious one-
liners shape the film's rapid emotional
fluctuation, supplying comic relief inw
tense situations. During one of their
regulartrips to thecemetery, the women
meet Ben, who visits his wife's grave.,
Lucille asks of the other two, "Did you.,
see the way he was undressing me with
his eyes?"
Ivan Menchell adapted the screen-
play from his stage play. A likely result
of his theatricality is the fact that the
filmjumps between settings, forgetting
that cinema has no closing curtains fob
transitions. The film has a stagy feel;
and natural lighting both complements,
the film's sincerity and distracts the;
spectator who expects a typically well-
lit movie. In many ways, the result is,
somewhere between an "arthouse" film,
and a big-budget spectacle, with a tilt,
toward the arthouse, but no solid stylis.
tic identity.
THE CEMETERY CLUB is playing at,
Ann Arbor 1 &2 and Showcase.,
0
Dinosaur Jr.
As a Chinese philosopher,
Confucious provided social
leadership for many generations!
As a UAC Executive, you could
provide student leadership for
the entire University community!
Universities should provide social
leadership for the rest of
society!
)NS NOW Create
a better
ABLE World!
0
create APPLICATIC
a better
University! AVAI LA
Due: March 1st at noon '
____________ "'-, - ---,- .