' (1Vtmru mC W*{44 I____________________________________ My So-Called Oddities Find New Life Tonight MTV premieres two exciting programs. One's brand-new, the other's getting a new airing. First up is "My So-Called Life," the critically-acclaimed show about being a teenager that was unfortunately dropped by ABC this February. The show will run weeknights at 7 p.m. for a month starting tonight. Then at 10 p.m. comes the latest installment of "MTV's Oddities." "The Maxx" is taken from the comic book of the same name, and looks extremely interesting. So put your brain on remote control and enjoy this evening of innovative programming. Page 5 Monday, : r'# np. iv, A10 F Depp makes 'Don Juan' come alive yt ScOW Plagenhoef *aily Arts Writer Fantasy, destiny and tragedy -rave long been regarded as congru- -nt to romance. So when Johnny )epp is perched, dressed as a 17th- Century Spaniard, ready to splatter timself on the ground, the audience .s bravely asked to accept such a N Don Juan DeMarco Directed by Jeremy Leven with Johnny Depp, Marion Brando and Faye Dunaway At Briarwood and Showcase farcical site at face value. Confound- ing reality with romance is consid- :red mystical, almost enchanting. Confounding reality with anything -lse is simply confounding. If the ,uy's dressed as Napoleon, do we really have a movie, or simply a lunatic? This scenario, which opens "Don Juan DeMarco," is actually not as contrived as would first appear. The pressure of finding true love, the yearning for it created by modern culture does sometimes trigger one to seek the shelter of fantasy. In another contemporary film, "Muriel's Wedding," this situation works on screen. There is even an established psychological affliction known as Don Juanism. Yet Depp does not suffer from Don Juanism, the guy actually thinks he is Don Juan, right down to the accent, sword and feathered hat. Despite the contrivances, "Don Juan DeMarco" actually works in places. Some audiences, the revel- ers of the feel-good and the life- affirming will even find it works in all places. The reason for any of the successes of "Don Juan" rests in the casting. Screenwriter and first-time director Jeremy Leven had the good fortune to weave his little bit of celluloid cotton candy with Marlon Brando and, more importantly, Johnny Depp, on board. Resting on the positive side be- tween the grounded, hidden pain of Gilbert Grape and the ridiculous showboating of his Sam character in "Benny & Joon," Depp is at once the center and the saving grace of the film. Depp's flirtation with na- ked sensitivity, the full realization that his Don Juan has of him a tragic nature, which none of his other strug- gling romantics - save Edward Scissorhands - ever accepted seems to fly in the face of the image of the character. A lesser actor would have portrayed Don Juan with the one-dimensional masculine heroism that the character's name has come to represent. Depp creates not a char- acter but an individual. Not a glori- ous personification but a tragic fig- ure. He single-handedly cuts through the sap that oozes from the script and carves out in its place a watchable film. Brando, on the other hand. His immediate impact is, of course, curi- osity. The psychiatrist coaxing and dissecting Depp's identity, and natu- rally learning a little something about himself in the process, seems an odd, unheroic role for a screen legend to After all these years, Marion Brando can still sweep a woman off her feet. return with. It is. Yet this typifies Brando. Like Depp, he is an eccen- tric, attracted to the unusual. Unlike Depp, he is disinterested. "Don Juan DeMarco" will appeal RECORDS The Sths Wasps' Nests London What do you get when you com- bine intoxicating pop melodies, ironic lyrics and a handful of famous people? No, not another tribute album, but rather the 6ths, the latest venture from Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields. The 6ths takes jangling chords to a new level, reminiscent of the Light- ning Seeds on mind-altering drugs, and brings a much-needed change to the experimental genre. Incorporating 15 different singers from some of today's most notorious acts, Merritt produces an album whose pop cliches and witty wordplay will appeal to everyone. What's more, the underground acclaim that the album has received is more impressive in light of the fact that Merritt's music runs opposite to today's indie scene. Perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that Merritt claims inspiration in the perfection that we call ABBA, or maybe it's that his melancholy and bittersweet imagery is unmatched. Vocalists of bands ranging from Superchunk to Sebadoh to Velvet Crush all appear within the 15 tracks, and all shine with an otherworldly glow. But, even on an album filled with top-notch tracks, there are some that stand out from all the rest. "Fall- ing Out of Love (With You)" is the new "happy" song of the '90s. Dean Wareham's voice (of Luna) makes even the most depressed person find solace in the bouncy beat. With face- tious lyrics like, "You tried every trick in the book, but I read that book yesterday," the 6ths could make even Morrissey mope more than usual. The only fault to be found is that, at times, the music can overpower the voices. When Merritt combines each instru- ment with electronics, the result is enduringly to those who eat romantic fantasy up with two spoons. Surpris- ingly, it may appeal to others as well. Leven's script is a bit too contrived to fully embrace, his direction is too slick and glossy to be impressed with (at times the exotic settings more re- veal a travel video than anything else). Yet Depp's performance is a bit too impressive to ignore. that all of the instruments are unrec- ognizable, making for a richly magni- fied sound that is beautiful but a bit overwhelming. For those who are disappointed in the "lack of variety" in music today, look for "Wasps' Nests." Stephin Merritt has used his technical ability to bring together elegant phrases, strik- ing musical arrangements and clever lyrics. The result is a stunning album that will attract longtime indie admir- ers and new listeners alike. - Lise Harwin Braindead Soundmachine Give Me Something Hard I Can Take To My Grave Oblivian Entertainment I've never been a big fan of dance music. Something about the inhuman vapidity of these soulless tune-smiths yanks at my musical maw. The fact that any two-bit hack with a two- dollar Casio and a one-dollar haircut could wreak as little havoc as Braindead Soundmachine remains beside the primary truth that 99.999999 percent of all dance music is written, recorded and performed with about as much conviction as a sick Catholic priest in a room of nu- bile young schoolboys. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present to yo'u Exhibit A in the case of the People vs. Hokey Music: Track number two, "Devotion." Braindead Soundmachine treats us to the vocal sample of "Spit in my mouth" looped continually throughout the sparsely decorated song. Hmmm. Tasty offer, but I'd rather take a platter like that from an Iggy Pop or an Al Jourgensen, See RECORDS, Page 8 C,',, he Friars put on one entertaining - and surprising -- show this past weekend. Friars revea their genuine I talents TIME TO STORE YOUR WINTER CLOTHES Don't ship your clothes home this spring. We'll store your coats, jackets ... everything FREE with cleaning. We'll keep it all 'till fall insured safely all summer long. FREE PICK-UP & DELIVERY RESIDENCE HALL STUDENTS ...INQUIRE AT YOUR FRONT DESKI FOR FURTH HER INFORMATION CALL Sy Melissa Rose Bernardo Daily Theater Editor During an interview which pre- *iewed the Friars' 39th Annual Best Concert Ever, the Friars promised a 'revealing" concert. They weren't kid- - The Friars Rackham Auditorium April 7, 1995 revealing move, theFriars alsorevealed themselves as a strong, dynamic and musically near-perfect group. The Friars were on Friday night; their comic timing was impeccable, their vocals strongly intertwined, their, solos powerful, their debut songs smooth, their pitches consistent and their tempos almost flawless. The Friars structured this concert with a good eye and ear. This was the strongest opening in recent memory, and the rest of the program was just the right combination of "the old, the new and the ugly," as the Friars said in an interview. The show began with the requisite not-so-strong skit (though it didn't go' on for too long), but segued easily into the oldie "Come a Little Bit Closer," with soloist extraordinaire Dave Hoey and comic genius Tom Vesbit strutting his stuff in a festive floral dress. (The on-stage removal of said dress also caused quite a stir, especially when the audience got a glimpse of Vesbit's, um, enhancement garment.) Once all the Friars were back into their tuxedos, the comedy and great music never let up. But that doesn't mean the Friars didn't get serious. When they weren'tgiving away prizes to audience members, or spraying See FRIARS, Page 8 CARDINAL GARMENT CARE CENTERS J I Zing. In the "Eye of the Tiger (Friar)" Sumber, the Friars dropped their pants :o reveal satiny yellow boxer shorts Kith big ol' smiley faces. 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