I/ ! ty' _ i p:'p.. t + Mehta brings together East and West Acclaimed author sees India and religious beliefs in a different light By KIRK MILLER Theclash between Eastern and Western cultures and the trials of various religious beliefs in India may seem like heady stuff, but Gita Mehta sees the country in a different light. "India is one of the great slapstick civilizations of the world," she said. Mehta has become a renowned author for her perspective on modern Indian culture. Her cult classic "Karma Cola" and the new release "A River Sutra" have been praised for their insight of reli- gious diversity and vivid recollections of India, both tragic and occasionally quite funny. Her current book tour hits Ann Arbor tonight; on the phone from Washington D.C. she said two years is a long time to be out promoting her work. "I don't enjoy being on the road," she admitted. "You always end up talking about yourself and you don't meet a lot of people." A lot of the success of Mehta's novels come from her worldwide perspective. Before her current success as an author Mehta was very involved with writing and producing political documentaries for a variety of networks. "It was when the West wouldn't take the rest of the world seriously," she said. "This was before CNN." The extensive amount of work that went into the getting the films off the ground and the dependency on getting the right image drove Mehta into a writing career. Plus, as Mehta admitted, she no longer had the "passion of youth." Her first book "Karma Cola" was very warmly received by the press and became a cult classic at the end of the '70s. Part of the success of the book Mehta attributed to the right timing; every publisher was looking for a more "light-hearted" view of India is one of the great slapstick civilizations of the world.' - Gita Mehta, author spiritual guides after the Jonestown massacre. With a wickedly satirical viewpoint it attacked the flood of Westerners in the 60s who looked to India for a crash course in spiritual guidance, including the Beatles visiting the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Allen Ginsberg's visit to Calcutta. Ginsberg had proclaimed Calcutta the "most liberated city in the world" due to its lack of hang- ups and preponderance of nudity. Mehta saw it quite differently. "It was a characteristically original view," she wrote. "No one before had suggested to the natives that their destitution was asign ofadvance." Ginsberg quickly returned home after discovering India had very hot summers, leaving several disappointed worshippers of the beat poet. "India wanted consumerism," Mehta said. "The West was horrified that we all wanted to rock'n' roll when they wanted the rope trick." However, her satire is just a reflection of what she saw, not an attack on cultural imperialism. She keeps homes in New York, London and New Delhi, and has very nice things to say about all of them; she claimed America has a "sense of possibility" and is a "very optimistic culture that is generous when you do something." The same mix of humor, tragedy and clashing of old and new are apparent in "A River Sutra." The unnamed "hero" of the book retreats to the spiritual banks of the Narmada River and encounters several different characters who relate their tales of spiritu- ality, all of them from different faiths. "You can't live in India without feeling that [religious diversity] in the air," she said. "India is unique in that it is familiar with all religions ... Buddhism, Christianity that predates Europe, Judiasm." One new development in her work is a movie adaptation of her new novel by Merchant Ivory, the same group that adapted other classic novels like "Remains of the Day" and "A Room with a View" into mainstream hits. Mehta is very removed from the film process and is not sure what the final result will be, but is optimistic about one thing. "It'll have a great soundtrack," she laughed. Gita Mehta will be reading from her books and signing at Borders tonight at 7:30. It's free. Gita Mehta reads from her work and signs books tonight at Borders. *Stuck in the middle with By SCOTT PLAGENHOEF The re-exhibiting of "Reservoir Dogs," writer-director Quentin Tarantino's auspicious and explosive 1992 debut, is an appropriate gesture to a filmmaker who will be catapulted Reservoir Dogs Directed by Quentin S ATarantino; with Harvey Keitel and Tim Roth ,'>from cult and campus favorite to mass consciousness next month with the re- lease of his "Pulp Fiction." Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" first bowed in the Ann Arbor area at the Michigan theater in early 1993. Since then, it has assembled a massive fol- lowing through word-of-mouth and midnight shows. Upon the initial release of "Reser- - voir Dogs," Tarantino quickly became *everyone's favorite new purveyor of near poetic violence and wickedly - amusing dialogue. His name was dropped almost as a litmus test for those in the know. His work as screen- writer for the entertaining "True mance" set him on his path from house to frat house, converting ciples to his work at every stop. In a brief, yet already influe film career (which includes the o nal script for "Natural Born Kille "Reservoir Dogs" stands as his d ing triumph to date. The film, insp by the Stanley Kubrick classic" Killing," is the lead-up and afterr of the perfect jewelry store heist g awry. One member of the colle group of criminals is an undercc policeman. Once the real crooks cover this, it's all egos and tem colliding in a desperate attempt to termine which one of them it was "Dogs" is a rare combinatio pathos and destructive machismo, st tured in a fragmented narrative lo than any Pavement tune. Yet, Taran architects the proceedings with a1 fessionalism and a talent that give indication that this is his debut feat Aside from Tarantino's script, the outstanding ensemble castI serves to differentiate the film from typical Mafia/action/ultra-male sch that Hollywood spoons out. The sembled cast displays an unca chemistry, whether trading quips at the inspiration for Madonna's "Li Tarantino and his 'Dogs' Ro- Virgin" or trading bullets. A virtual are anonymous to each other, therefore n art who's-who of character actors was en- avoiding pitfalls in case the heist is not dis- listedfortheproject,ledbythisdecade's a success. As an alternative, the crooks art house king (and the film's co-pro- are given color-coded names (i.e. Mr. ntial ducer) Harvey Keitel, who stars as a White, Mr. Pink) in a slight homage to rigi- veteran crook who balances compas- the board game Clue. rs"), sion and professionalism. The remain- Besides Clue, Tarantino pays hom- efin- der of the cast is highlighted by the age to'70s kitsch, both on the radio, the ired frenetic and always brilliant Steve television and even through a motif of The classic comic books, such as the Silver nath Tarantino pays homage Surfer or Fantastic Four. The crooks gone to '70s kitsch, both on are grounded in the past, never fully cted developing or modernizing because over i they are marginal members of society. dis- television and even This factor, combined with a cast of pers despicable protagonists, allows de- through a motif 0f Tarantino to pen realistic conversa- classic comic books, tions free of political correctness. It is n of these moments, either reveling in kitsch ru-such as the lver or ignorance that give "ReservoirDogs" oser Surfer or Fantastic an oddly sly humor. itino Quentin Tarantino conquered the pro- Four. high-brow world of the Cannes film s no Buscemi, the psychotic Michael festival this spring with his crime trip- ture. Madsen and the youthful Tim Roth, all tych "Pulp Fiction." Soon he will con- it is as other members of the crime party. quer America with the same picture. that Chris Penn is the son of the ringleader. Until then, "Reservoir Dogs" has n the "Reservoir Dogs" avoids the typi- swooped into town, to build momen- lock cal crime film obstacles by assembling tum, satiate those impatiently waiting as- a group of criminals who lack the ho- for the new film and conquer Ann inny mogenous ethnicity necessary in a film Arbor. Long live the king. bout about La Cosa Nostra or other Mafioso RESERVOIR DOGS is playing at ke a types. This group is not a family. They State. 1 EASTERN MiCHICAN UNiVERSITY WEMU and The Office of Campus life A Homecoming Concert featuring You Have to Try. Write for Daily Arts Mass Meeting Wednesday, September 21 At the Student Publications Buildings At 7:30 p.m. SFriday f 8pm ..t -" Y September 23 1994 Bowen Fie(d House Tickets $15 General Pubic $5 EMU Students Tdw mible at all ThKecaswe locations 64S"6M by phone at WMU487-2229 cron the EBlUCapw at the Uhersity Bookstoi 487-1000 *1 Don't Panic!! If you think you're pregnant... call us-we listen, we care. Problem Pregnancy Help 769-7283 Any time, any day, 24 hours. Fully confidential. We specialize in helping students. SC ( 4 SHO0L OF THE ARTS the world over. Northern Telecom and BNR inc. Where people are reaching out to meet the challenge of bringing the world together through communications ... all in the spirit of leadership, innovation, dedication, and excellence. If this is the kind of environment in which you want to k .-- fse nrenr -e- l+rs e tlc.nrrtii. in m Graduate Students! Saturday, October 1, 1994 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm Fourth Floor, Rackham Academic Job Search Symposium Sessions Include A.1 anY; n, nr e fi~nia1 '+;r P11 l- o d I i Study Film at NYU This Spring Each spring, we offer students of all educational backgrounds the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of filmmaking at the Tisch School's renowned Department of Film. During an intensive one semester program, visiting students immerse themselves in the study of film while living in the heart of Greenwich Village, New York's legendary center for the arts. The program centers around a beginning level, 16 mm production workshop in which students complete five short black-and-white films during the course of the semester. I __ _