TS lI Tuesday, September 2 =U The Big F Is Patience Peregrine EP Chrysalis Imagine the result of the singer fromJackyl in aless-rough metal band that periodically caves in to its urge to play jazz and write deep lyrics. Take this imagined sound and graft it onto a generic-looking. four-piece college band. You should now have a general idea of what The Big F is about. "Is," their spanking-new release, seems to be an indication of where metal is going. Screechy vocally, softer musically and slightly more introspective than their predecessors, this new direction seems to be looking for commercial success. It is not likely that this will happen, however, con- sidering thatThe Big F lacks the power to gain acceptance by the metal world and has chosen to release an uncom- mercial-sounding single, "Patience Peregrine." This is too bad, because they deserve better than obscurity. About half of the songs on "Is" go beyond the normal limits of what is played by ametal band, but not all that far. The final track on the album, "Lube," is a wondrous melding of jazz and Jimi Hendrix-esque guitar while "MotherMary" is vaguely remi- niscent of Pink Floyd (but in a good way.) At the same time that most of the tracks do not stand out as particularly individual, most have something in- novative about them. Different songs employ internal tone and tempo changes, heart-flutteringly stuttery guitars and happy cyclic composi- tion. Additionally, the two songs on the EP that are not on the album are better than most of the rest of The Big F's work. "Towed" is cool, unslick, rumbly, slightly skewed and nicely unbalanced while "Three Headed Boris" could be a really good Z-Rock song. They are nothing if not eclectic. It does not seem that The Big F has replaced enough of that old metal sound, though. Several of the songs are very boring and a bit too reminis- cent of Warrant. However, there are good points to most of the songs, and it is entirely possible that they may transcend the metal haze for the lis- tener. Perhaps the best thing to say about them is that while they aren't all that revolutionary, they aren't all that much the same either. They may be Author creates voices from the dead worth your tine. Check out The Big F openingfor Chicago-based noise-meisters Tar at the Blind Pig tonight. Doors open at 9:30 pm, tickets are $5 in advance. - Ted Watts My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult 13 Above the Night Interscope "13 Above the Night" is the first full album by Chicago-spawned My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult to fail to have an overriding theme linking its songs together. Perhaps they have run out of ideas, as the songs seem to mostly fall under the categories estab- lished on their three previous albums. The categories are, however, the time- less themes of sex, violence and evil and their combined presence detracts little from the album. The slight change in the music is at first unsettling. It is a little more disco, a little less hard, a little more like the KLF. Almost all these aspects stem from the prominence given to the back- ground vocals of the Bomb Gang Girlz. While immediately disturbing, the kitsch of the overall experience be- gins to grow on the listener to the point that he has the urge to dance. The place the listener would imag- ine he was dancing in is rather bizarre. The song "Dirty Little Secrets," with guest vocals by seductress Lydia Lunch, creates the ambiance of a techno-beatnik sex parlor where Ms. Lunch is performing a politically in- correct lap dance. The catchy "Disko Fleshpot" locates the listener in asimi- lar yet more active atmosphere. Other songs set the scene as either hellishly evil locales or somewhere not entirely defined. Altogether, a fun group of places to be. But the highlight ofthe album must be its residents. Samples place vari- ous B-movie luminaries (including Mark Lenard, Harry Morgan and Sting) in the happy and twisted world of MLWTTKK. Obscure intertextuality has always been a mark of this band, and "13 Above the Night," all the way down to the manic album art, exhibits this. This is undoubtedly more suited to the tastes of the cyber- inclined than Billy Idol's recent ef- fort, and is infinitely cooler. - Ted Watts By RONA KOBELL If our ancestors could talk, oh the stories they could tell about ancient rituals, traditions and social customs. Of course, the dead can't really talk. But in the realm of fiction, author Sylvia Watanabe imagines they can. In her recent collection of short stories, "Talk- ing to the Dead," Watanabe (pronounced Wa-teh- na-bee) illustrates how modern and traditional values clash in her native Hawaii. As a Japanese American who has been living on the mainland for the past ten years, Watanabe says she can focus on her characters better when away from home. "It's easier for me to write here (in Michigan) because of the distance from home and families. I always feel too close in Hawaii, so it's hard to see things clearly," she explains. In "Talking to the Dead," Watanabe's charac- ters are resilient and curious, peering into the outer world while clinging to their unique island culture. Older characters fight hybridization of the Japanese/Polynesian culture, while other, younger characters passionately seek change. In "The Ghost of Fred Astaire," for example, a young girl named Cousin Minerva dreams of dancing and heads for Hollywood. Grandmother, representing the older generation, claims that her departure is "like stabbing an old man through the heart." Similarly, in "Anchorage," a young teacher with a promising career in Alaska contemplates staying on the island to take care of her ill and aging father. The theme of passage into a different world is familiar in Watanabe's own life. With land prices in Hawaii soaring, tourism booming and educa- tional opportunities growing, many people are forced to leave the island for work in California and other states. Those who do leave must grapple with the differences between these two worlds, which Watanabe claims is not always easy. "What does a person do who comes out of this world?" Watanabe queries. "Some say that stay- ing [on the island] is stagnation [in "The Bishop's Wife"], others say it's moving on. I didn't want to present it as a pat answer - there are complica- tions with either choice." To introduce readers to Hawaiian culture, Watanabe extracts customs from old myths and presents them with a humorous twist. One such custom is that of naming people. In her story "The Prayer Lady," Okusan considers changing her sick husband's name to cure him of a peculiar illness. "People believe that there is magic in names, that your name determines your destiny. It was customary to change a person's name if they were sick, whiny, etc., to turn their luck around. This actually happened to my aunt," Watanabe explained. She continues to intersperse ancient myth and modernity with the title story, "Talking to the Dead." The title comes from an old practice of visiting the dead and making peace with them. Islanders brought their deceased loved ones their favorite foods, told them their favorite stories and lavished them with gifts. "Talking to the dead is a way to make peace with the spirit of the departed," Watanabe said. "The custom is sort of a metaphor for the struggle with the past. So much of the old way is dying out that my book is my way of talking to the past." These days, Watanabe does not have so much time for talking. She is currently working on anew novel, in addition to co-editing two anthologies on the literature of Hawaii and on Asian American literature. But if she could talk to her dead ances- tors, what would she say? "I don't know," Watanabe chuckled. "Some- times I have so much trouble talking to the living." Syliva Watanabe willie reading from "Talking to the Dead" today at 4 p.m. at the Rackham ampitheatre. Admission is free. Stereotypes bring down this 'Program' By ADAM MILLER Wasted potential. That's one of the catch phrases in athletics. It refers to a player who has the ability to excel, but through lack of work, fails to live up to his ability. The Program Directed by David Ward; written by Ward and Aaron Latham; with James Caan and Halle Berry. For a good example of wasted po- tential, catch "The Program." The promise of the movie is great; indeed, it is a brilliant concept. If you go beyond the "X's and O's" of college football, there is drama - human drama. The drama of success and fail- ure, of teamwork, of dedication to a cause and of "the human spirit." Yet "The Program" only pretends to tap this. Set at the fictional Eastern State University (really Duke in cam- pus scenes, and the stadium of the University of South Carolina), "The Program" purports to examine the lives of the ESU players, coaches, faculty and alumni. It focuses on three indi- viduals: Timberwolf coach Sam Win- ters (James Caan), quarterback and Heisman candidate Joe Kane (Craig Sheffer) and freshman tailback Darnell Jefferson (Omar Epps). Of course, you can't just have a movie about a football team with only three people, so the company is filled with all those who relate to the princi- pals. However, they provide the movie with its fatal flaw: they are horribly- drawn characters. Caricatures is more like it. Among the majority of the cast members, there is not one genuine individual, no one who is "fleshed out." Instead, the pro- ducers give us stereotypes, old stereo- types we've seen countless times. For instance, Steve Lattimer (An- drew Bryniarski) is an offensive line- man who's a parody of players such as former Michigan State lineman Tony Mandarich. He pumps himself with steroids constantly, finding countless ways to fake his urine tests and paint his face with war paint before each game. He's out of control, he's silly, he's in the movie for no good reason. Other stereotypes include the cheating player who has another stu- dent take his test but receives "special treatment" and gets reinstated; the shady alumni who put money in play- ers' sport coats; the crusty old profes- sor who insists that academics are more important than athletics; and, unbelievably, the female tennis player who Kane falls for (Kristy Swanson). There is one good student on the Among the majority of the cast members, there Is not one genuine Individual, no one who Is "fleshed out." instead, the producers give us stereotypes, old stereotypes we've seen countless times. team - Ray Griffen (J. Leon Pridgen II). He's a medical student, the start- ing tailback with whom Jefferson com- petes and Autumn Haley's (Halle Berry) boyfriend as the movie opens. Why is he the only, good student, the exception to the stupidity rule? Yet another stereotype at work Such stereotypes don't make good drama. All they show is the laziness of the writers. Writer David S. Ward said "I've tried to illuminate a few of the problems and make people understand some of the stories behind the head- lines." He also claims to have done months of research. It doesn't show. Instead of going "behind the head- lines" we get the headlines themselves. This is not to say "The Program" is without some merit. The football ac- tion scenes are top notch. Filmed at halftime of a Gamecock game last year, they have an air of authenticity to them that much of the movie doesn't (note to Michigan fans: you're bound to enjoy one of these). Caan gives the most rounded per- formance of the film, showing the personal and professional pressures of a college coach. You believe his emotions. And while Sheffer and Epps give partially cliche performances (Kane has never resolved a conflict with his father, Jefferson wants to use football as a path to prosperity), nei- ther does a bad job. But neither can really shine, either, given the script. If you're looking for quality enter- tainment, not stereotypes, spend a few more bucks and catch a real game. THE PROGRAM is playing at Showcase Mass meeting for Models interested in Fall Fashion Sunday, Oct. 3 at 5 p.m. at 420 Maynard CIGNA CORPORATION INFORMATION SESSION LIFE ACTUARIES DISCUSSING ACTUARIAL CAREER OPPORTUNITIES MEMBERS OF ALL CLASSES ARE WELCOME!! DATE: Wednesday, September 29,1993 TIME: 6 p.m. --.8 pm. 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