10- The Michigan Daily - Monday, April 11,1994
'Animation' doesn't mean animated $
By JOHN R. RYBOCK
With all the animation festivals
which roll through this small berg, I
have to admit that I can tend to get a
little spoiled. Through them, I got to
24th International
Tournee of Animation
Various directors.
see a slew of Academy Award win-
ners, from "Creature Comforts" to
"Technological Threat," to the less
artistic, better known Beavis and
Butthead. So as I slide into my seat
(eigth row, third in from right aisle), I
may have been expecting too much.
I probably set myself up for the
disapointment I felt as the curtain
closed on the "24th International
Tourneee of Animation." Only a
couple are great, a few are pretty
good, and the rest are tedious to watch.
So, let us discuss the ones which
were not so bad. "The Square of Light"
is a drawn out tribute to Scorsese's
"Raging Bull," featuring a point-of-
view boxing match. The art is a per-
fect combination of realism and style.
The chalk on a black background
trurns the negative space into shad-
ows, and the sketch nature of the
artist's hand aids in the illusion of
getting punched in the face.
"The Sandman" utilizes stop-mo-
tion animation to the same degree of
effectiveness that "Nightmare Before
Christmas" did. The 10-minute film
is a bedtime tale which is as soothing
as any of the Grimm fairy tales.
Though its style is heavily borrowed
from Tim Burton, the animators take
it a step further in their style and
detail, but they keep a Burtonesque
macabre twist to finish it.
The finale of the festival is a trib-
ute to the Will Vinton Studio. Vin ...
wha'? Well, ol' Will is the man be-
hind the California Raisins. Though
before condemming his studio for that,
their other work deserves a look at. A
full range of styles are shown in the
tribute, from computer-animated
dancing tools, to stop-motion house-
hold electronics. High quality seems
to be the common denominator in all
their work.
But the fine pieces of animation
which are featured in this festival are
buried under a load of garbage. A lot
of the pieces become tedious to sit
through. The opening piece, "Get a
Haircut," is a music video with a cool
song, but could lose the visuals. "We
love it," is a similar piece, animation
set to music, but besides just losing
the visuals, they should lose the song
which is annoying by the end of the
second verse.
And the inclusion of "Prehistoric
Beast" proves that the Tournee is not
above using a big name just because
they are a name. It's an example of
stop-motion animation which is just
one notch above "King Kong." Other
than depicting a battle between two
dinosaurs, which don't look fully ac-
curate, there is nothing remarkable to
this piece, except for the fact that it is
done by Phil Tippit, of Industrial Light
and Magic and one of the people who
won an Oscar for the visual effects in
"Jurassic Park."
The festival ended on an upswing,
with the Will Vinton tribute just fad-
ing as the curtain draws to a close. It
saved me from spending the rest of
the night in a blue funk. Had any other
piece closed the show, I would have
locked myself in my apartment and
played Cure and Smiths CDs all night.
And if that does not sound as a ringing
endorsement, you've caught on.
THE 24TH TOURNEE OFANIMA-
TION is playing at the Michigan
Theater through April 15th.
wl
"Keely and Du" presents the abortion issue with compelling
'Keely and Di
By ROBERT YOON
Jane Martin's scorching play "Keely and Du," which
opened Friday night at the Purple Rose Theatre, could
easily have been made into a two-hour political rally to
garner support for one side of the abortion debate.
____________________ Director
'PERFORMANCE_ Newell Kring' s
Keely and Du goal, however,
was not to incite
Purple Rose Theatre political action,
April 8, 1994 but rather to
stimulate conver-
sation and provoke thought. And with the powerful
"Keely and Du," he does just that.
The harrowing story of a pregnant rape victim who is
kidnapped by a radical pro-life organization is unique in
the 20-year-old abortion conundrum because it offers
compelling arguments for both sides of the fence. Kring is
particularly successful in presenting this emotional tale
because of the dynamic relationship between Keely, the
pregnant captive, and Du, the kindly, elderly nurse who
cares for her day-to-day.
"Keely and Du," which is presented in two acts, has an
added potency because of the sheer strength of the two
female leads. Suzi Regan and Bee Vary are both extraor-
dinary in their portrayals of Keely and Du, respectively.
Regan, who is handcuffed to a bed for the majority of the
play, gives an emotional performance as a woman who is
struggling to comprehend what is happening to her and
why. She is genuine in conveying an array of emotions,
from trembling terror to indignant outrage.
As Du, Bee Vary is sure to resemble someone from
your life, be it your grandmother, neighbor or kindergar-
g and honest portrayal of both sides of the issue.
LI' provokes
ten teacher. Vary's folksy charm helps to give her charac-
ter, and the pro-life argument, an unexpected moral force.
Regan and Vary both add a human quality to their charac-
ters, making their respective arguments all the more
realistic.
Because both leads are so likable and realistic, audi-
ence members from any political bent will find them-
selves carefully examining the both sides of the issue, if
for no other reason as a favor to a friend.
Phillip Locker gives a haunting performance as Walter,
the preacher who heads Operation Retrieval, the group
that kidnapped Keely. Locker's Walter is a man of staunch
conviction and a strong sense of patriarchal authority.
Despite several religious tirades, Walter is not a two-
dimensional ideologue. His character, like the others',
significantly fleshed out by the second act.
Almost the entire play takes place in only one room -
a basement. The seats are arranged around the stage,
surrounding all the action. The set itself is claustrophobic
and dark, which not only makes you feel that you are
actually in the basement observing this bizarre chain of
events, but it also foregrounds the interaction between
Keely and Du. An elaborate set on a traditional stage
would have diluted the play's intensity.
"Keely and Du" offers a powerful examination of not
only the abortion issue, but of forgiveness. It stimulates
conversation and debate, and poses many unanswerable
questions. It is what theater today should be.
KEELY AND DU plays through May 22nd at the Purp e
Rose Theatre (137 Park Street, Chelsea). Performances
are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m.
on Sunday. Tickets range from $10 to $20. Call 475-
7902 for more information.
Hi-Five
Faithful
Jive/RCA
They can sing, they were polished
in concert after their first album was
released, they have a big name pro-
ducer (Dallas Austin), but they lack
something which used to be essential
to music - a creative idea. "Never
Should've Let You Go" and "Uncon-
ditional Love" have catchy melodies
but there is just no substance to any of
their flow.
This album popped right out of the
generic R&B mold which became
tiring somewhere around 1989. How
many songs can have "Miss U Girl,"
"I'm In Need" and "Ready 4 U 2
Love" as main titles? Have we run out
of ways to creatively express our love
for each other? Or even our sexual
lust for one another? Hi-Five actually
begin their closing song "Uncondi-
tional Love" with the words "I will
climb the highest peak / Swim the
deepest sea / I would cross the desert
land / I would do anything for your
love."
In the same song is their one mo-
ment of slightly meaningful expres-
sion, when someone says, "Now more
then ever it's important for couples to
stay together. You don't know what's
going to happen." Perhaps an en-
deavor to discuss the need for strong
relationships in times of pain. But this
semi-original thought *is overshad-
owed by the load of cliches which
permeates the rest of the album (it's
nearly an EP, as it is with only eight
songs). It's too bad to see what was
surely a lot of work result in some-
thing almost completely devoid of
meaning.
- Dustin Howes
Schooly D
Welcome to America
Columbia Records
MC Hammer isn't the only one
changing his style radically. Schooly
D has also left the more giddy rap he's
performed for the past decade (much
like MC Hammer's earlier music) and
joined the hard-core rap camp.
Looking at the front cover of this
CD - which includes pictures of
chains, homeless Blacks, housing
projects and a 40-ounce in the hands
of a Black man - one would think,
"Yeah. This brotha's about to tell it
like it is. He'bout to kick some knowl-
edge."
When you hear the cuts in "Wel-
come to America," the truth becomes
readily apparent. This CD is so ...
BAD, it's not even good enough to
call "whack."
The intro is just plain dumb. In "I
Know You Want to Kill Me," Schooly
D bitches at everyone and everything
from President Clinton to the NAACP.
Although these groups and people do
need bitchin' at, Schooly D doesn't
address any of these reasons. Instead,
he goes on to talk about how everyone
wants him killed because he's the
mac, he knows too much - you know,
shit like that. Listening to him drone,
I began to wish that whoever wants
Schooly D killed would succeed -
soon.
°I Know You Want to Kill Me" is,
in fact, indicative of most of the cuts
on this CD. From the song "Welcome
to America" to "Peace of What" to
"Another Sign," Schooly D starts off
sounding like Ice Cube, addressing
important problems. But, instead of
continuing on that road by rapping
about some serious causes and solu-
tions, Schooly D takes the hoeish,
Eazy-E route and flip-flops from ad-
dressing the problems within theBlack
community to rapping about what a
mac and an OG he is.
In other cuts, like "Gangsta
Trippin," "Gimme Your Shit Nigga"
and "Stop Frontin," Schooly D doesn't
See RECORDS, Page 13
Depo-Provera*
IContraceptive njection
(sterile medroxyprogesterone acetate suspension, USP)
WHAT IS DEPO-PROVERA CONTRACEPTIVE INJECTION?
DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection is a form of birth control that is given as an intra-
muscular injection (a shot) in the buttock or upper arm once every 3 months. To continue
your contraceptive protection, you must return for your next injection promptly at the end of
3 months. DEPO-PROVERA contains medroxyprogesterone acetate, a chemical similar to
(but not the same as) the natural hormone progesterone, which is produced by your ovaries
during the second half of your menstrual cycle. DEPO-PROVERA acts by preventing your
egg cells from ripening. If an egg is not released from the ovaries during your menstrual
cycle, it cannot become fertilized by sperm and result in pregnancy. DEPO-PROVERA also
causes changes in the lining of your uterus that make it less likely for pregnancy to occur.
HOW EFFECTIVE IS DEPO-PROVERA CONTRACEPTIVE INJECTION?
DEPO-PROVERA is over 99% effective, making it one of the most reliable methods of birth
control available. This means that the average annual pregnancy rate is less than one for
every 100 women who use DEPO-PROVERA. The effectiveness of most contraceptive
methods depends in part on how reliably each woman uses the method. The effectiveness
of DEPO-PROVERA depends only on the patient returning every 3 months for her next
injection. Your health-care provider will help you compare DEPO-PROVERA with other con-
traceptive methods and give you the information you need in order to decide which contra-
ceptive method is the right choice for you.
The following table shows the percent of women who got pregnant while using different
kinds of contraceptive methods. It gives both the lowest expected rate of pregancy (the
rate expected in women who use each method exactly as it should be used) and the typical
rate of pregnancy (which includes women who became pregnant because they forgot to
use their birth control or because they did not follow the directions exactly).
PERCENT OF WOMEN EXPERIENCING AN ACCIDENTAL PREGNANCY
IN THE FIRST YEAR OF CONTINUOUS USE
Method Expected Typical
DEPO-PROVERA 0.3 0.3
Implants (Norplant) 0.3 0.3
Female sterilization 0.2 0.4
Male sterilization 0.1 0.15
Oral contraceptive (pill) 0 3
Combined 0.1 -
Progestogen only 0.5-
IUD -3
Progestasert 2.0-
Copper T 380A 0.8-
Condom (without spermicide) 2 12
Diaphragm (with spermicide) 6 18
Cervical Cap 6 18
Withdrawal 4 18
Periodic abstinence 1 -9 20
Spermicide alone 3 21
Vaginal Sponge
Used before childbirth 6 18
Used after childbirth 9 28
No method 85 85
Source: Trussellet a; Obstet Gyncol 76:558,1990
WHO SHOULD NOT USE DEPO-PROVERA CONTRACEPTIVE INJECTION?
Not all women should use DEPO-PROVERA. You should not use DEPO-PROVERA if you
think you might be pregnant, have any vaginal bleeding without a known reason, have
had cancer of the breast, have had a stroke, have or have had blood clots (phlebitis) in
your legs, have problems with your liver or liver disease, or are allergic to DEPO-
PROVERA (medroxyprogesterone acetate or any of its other ingredients). You will have a
physical examination before your doctor prescribes DEPO-PROVERA. It is important to
tell your doctor if you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications or if
you have a family history of breast cancer; an abnormal mammogram (breast x-ray),
fibrocystic breast disease, breast nodules or lumps, or bleeding from your nipples; kidney
disease; irregular or scanty menstrual periods; high blood pressure: migraine headaches;
asthma; epilepsy (convulsions or seizures); diabetes or a family history of diabetes; or a
history of depression.
occur and, therefore, the bleeding that coma with your normal menstruation does not take
place. When you stop using DEPO-PROVERA your menstrual period will usually, in time,
retum to its normal cycle.
2. Bone Mineral Changes
Use of DEPO-PROVERA may be associated with a decrease in the amount of mineral
stored in your bones. This could increase your risk of developing bone fractures. The rate
of bone mineral loss is greatest in the early years of DEPO-PROVERA use, but after that, it
begins to resemble the normal rate of age-related bone mineral loss.
3. Cancer
Studies of women who have used different forms of contraception found that women who
used DEPO-PROVERA for contraception had no increased overall risk of developing cancer
of the breast, ovary, uterus, cervix, or liver. However, women under 35 years of age whose
first exposure to DEPO-PROVERA was within the previous 4 years may have a slightly
increased risk of developing breast cancer similar to that seen with oral contraceptives.
You should discuss this with your health-care provider.
4. Accidental Pregnancy
Because DEPO-PROVERA is such an effective contraceptive method, the risk of accidental
pregnancy for women who get their shots regularly (every 3 months) is very low. While there
have been reports of an increased risk of low birth weight and neonatal infant death or
other health problems in infants conceived close to the time of injection, such pregnancies
are rare. If you think you may have become pregnant while using DEPO-PROVERA for con-
traception, see your health-care provider as soon as possible.
5. Other Risks
Women who use hormone-based contraceptives may have an increased risk of blood clots
or stroke. Also, if a contraceptive method fails, there is a possibility that the fertilized egg
will begin to develop outside of the uterus (ectopic pregnancy). While these events are rare,
you should tell your health-care provider if you have any of the problems listed in the next
section.
WHAT SYMPTOMS MAY SIGNAL PROBLEMS WHILE USING DEPO-PROVERA
CONTRACEPTIVE INJECTION?
Call your health-care provider immediately if any of these problems occur following an
injection of DEPO-PROVERA: Sharp chest pain, coughing of blood, or sudden shortness of
breath (indicating a possible clot in the lung); sudden severe headache or vomiting, dizzi-
ness or fainting, problems with your eyesight or speech, weakness, or numbness in an arn
or leg (indicating a possible stroke); severe pain or swelling in the calf (indicating a possible
clot in the leg); unusually heavy vaginal bleeding; severe pain or tenderness in the lower
abdominal area; or persistent pain, pus, or bleeding at the injection site.
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF DEPO-PROVERA
CONTRACEPTIVE INJECTION?
1. Weight Gain
You may experience a weight gain while you are using DEPO-PROVERA. About two thirds
of the women who used DEPO-PROVERA in clinical trials reported a weight gain of about 5
pounds during the first year of use. You may continue to gain weight after the first year.
Women in one large study who used DEPO-PROVERA for 2 years gained an average total
of 8.1 pounds over those 2 years, or approximately 4 pounds per year. Women who contin-
ued for 4 years gained an average total of 13.8 pounds over those 4 years, or approximate-
ly 3.5 pounds per year. Women who continued for 6 years gained an average total of 16.5
pounds over those 6 years, or approximately 2.75 pounds per year.
2. Other Side Effects
In a clinical study of over 3,900 women who used DEPO-PROVERA for up to 7 years, some
women reported the following effects that may or may not have been related to their use of
DEPO-PROVERA: Irregular menstrual bleeding, amenorrhea, headache, nervousness,
abdominal cramps, dizziness, weakness or fatigue, decreased sexual desire, leg cramps,
nausea, vaginal discharge or irritation, breast swelling and tenderness, bloating, swelling of
the hands or feet, backache, depression, insomnia, acne, pelvic pain, no hair growth or
excessive hair loss, rash, and hot flashes. Other problems were reported by very few of the
women in the clinical trials, but some of these could be serious. These include convulsions,
jaundice, urinary tract infections, allergic reactions, fainting, paralysis, osteoporosis, lack of
return to fertility, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolus, breast cancer, or cervical can-
cer, if these or any other problems occur during your use of DEPO-PROVERA, discuss
them with your health-care provider.
SHOULD ANY PRECAUTIONS BE FOLLOWED DURING USE OF DEPO-PROVERA
CONTRACEPTIVE INJECTION?
1. Missed Periods
During the time you are using DEPO-PROVERA for contraception, you may skip a period,
or your periods may stop completely. If you have been receiving your DEPO-PROVERA
injections regularly every 3 months, then you are probably not pregnant. However, if you
think that you may be pregnant, see your health-care provider.
2. Laboratory Test interactions
If you are scheduled for any laboratory tests, tell your health-care provider that you are
using DEPO-PROVERA for contraception. Certain blood tests are affected by hormones
such as DEPO-PROVERA.
3. Drug interactions
Cytadren (aminoglutethimide) is an anticancer drug that may significantly decrease the
effectiveness of DEPO-PROVERA if the two drugs are given during the same time.
4. Nursing Mothers
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