10A - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 16, 1996 Ca ng'Balto' gets unleashed in theaters By Kate Brady Daily Arts Writer As movies go, Balto probably will not make your top 10 list this year. That is, unless you happen to be under the age of 8. Not many older folks will see it - unless they accompany a small child. Yet "Balto" does not fail to please its target audience: When I saw it, the theater, full of children, was almost silent. My little sister looked up at me after it was over and asked if she could "please see it again." She loved the cute animals, especially the dogs. She also thought that the goose was especially funny. For full enjoyment, I highly rec- ommend seeing "Balto" with a 6-year- old. Balto Directed by Simon Wells; with the voices of Kevin Bacon and Bridget Fonda At Briarwood However, "Balto" does have plenty of charm, even for audience members a few years above grade school. Many of the characters are endearing and funny. In- cluded among Balto's companions are two cuddly polarbears who cannot swim, and a Russian goose. These characters provide most of the comedy. Also, little Rosie, the girl that Balto tries to save, and her dog, the love interest, are sweet. "Balto," sadly enough, cannot hold its own as Friday night movie fare. Its first flaw is that it is not a Disney release. This is not to say that Disney only puts out animated movies worth seeing; still, however, "Balto" lacks the quality to stand up to recent, popular movies, such as "The Lion King." The animation is occasionally distracting; in some spots, this flick looks like a cheap Saturday morning cartoon. "Balto" also lacks originality. Car- toon lovers who see this movie might have a strange sense of deja vu. Al- though the plot, based on a true story of the rescue of an Alaskan town by a team of sled dogs, is unique, many of the characters are not. Balto's rival for love, another sled dog, is essentially Gaston from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," reincarnated as a dog. Also, certain facets of Balto's character seem to come directly from "The Lion King." The plot is occasionally trite, but it rerains interesting and at times even exciting. The ending is predictable, but it is nevertheless satisfying. If viewers can look past its flaws and the inevi- table cliches, they will uncover a heart- warming movie. Warning: "Balto" is not the best movie of 1995. If you must, wait for the video, but don't forget to bring a child. RECORDS a I I Continued from Page 9 the slow, R&B mood that dominates this CD. And don't overlook lesser known acts like For Real ("Love Will be Waiting at Home"), Shanna ("How Could You Call Her Baby") and Sonja Marie ("And I Gave My Love to You"). All of these women offer some soul- coaxing doses of that unmistakab' R&B vibe. "Count on Me," Whitne duo with CeCe Winans which plays at the movie's end, is one helluva beauti- ful song and can not be forgotten when skimming the album's contents. The truly beautiful thing about this CD is that, in creating it, Babyface didn't overlook R&B's pioneers. They are featured on this album in full-force, and onceyou hearsome Aretha Franklin soul ("It Hurts Like Hell"), a little Patti LaBelle power ("My Love, S0 Love") and a bit of Chaka Khans balladeering ("My Funny Valentine"), you'll know, if you don't already, that these women have truly earned their legendary status. - Eugene Bowen Various Artists Lost Treasures and Hellbound Hot-Rods Del-Fi Records With "Lost Treasures" and "Hellbound Hot-Rods," Del-Fi Records cements itself as a solid con- tender with Rhino Records in the war of the hip re-issue labels. The two CDs offer an astounding array of for- gotten songs by forgotten bands from the days when labels would sign any group who claimed to play rock 'rl' roll. Whether you view these collections as ironically hip or 'as legitimate glimpses into the past, there's little doubt that even the crummiest knock-offbands on these discs gave their souls to rock 'n' roll, a claim that can be made about few of the second-rate musicians who fill today's airwaves. True, sometimes these songs are laughably bad, but at least they're bad with feeling. The most promising of the two c lections is "Lost Treasures." Along the same lines as Re-Search's "Incredibly Strange Music" series, the songs on "Lost Treasures" must be heard to be believed. With song subjects ranging from thesilly(Nite Hawks' "ChickenGrab- ber,"an instrumental interspersed with chicken sounds) to the downright bi- zarre (The Rockyfellers' "Don't Sit Down," a tune about a city in wh people refuse to use chairs), "Lt Treasures" constantly makes you question the motivation behind these recordings. Stand-outs include The Bedwells' "Karate," a failed attempt to combine the popularity of karate movies and "The Twist" style dance songs, The Mincys' "The F.B.I.," atsomberdirge about the early days of the F.B.I. and, forgiving the slightly racist overtol Bob Ridgley's "She Was a Mau-Mau a groovy tune about meeting agirl in the jungle. Although it probably doesn't make much difference, the remastering is impeccable. This disc is a must have for the curiosity seeker. Though not as successful, "Hellbound Hot-Rods" does have its moments. The disc spotlights six groups from the short lived "hot-rod exploitation" genre of music, which, as far as I can tell basicallyj ust surf music with car sou laid over the top. Deuce Coups, De-Fenders and Darts get the most attention, with six songs apiece included on the compilation. The Roadsters, The Venturas and Opus I also contribute to the fun, with The Roadsters' "Mag Rims" being a par- ticular stand-out. Unfortunately, after the novelty wears off, many of the songs on "Hellbot Hot-Rods" simply trot out stale surf riffs, attempting to come across as new songs (thanks to the addition of the aforementioned car noises). Fun once. annoying after hearing it done 23 times in a row. - Jeffrey Dinsmore Dexter's not his usual self. the salsa. You suspect So you call Dr. Nusblatt, your, The Cal s5 cI (Too bad about the CO family vet back home. eap. nsultation fee.) Life can be complicated. AT&T True Reach Savings" is simple. Save 25% on every kind of call on your AT&T phone bill-direct dial, calling card, directory assistance, local toll, cellular, fax and modem - when you spend just $25 a month* No other plan gives you all these different ways to save-* Just call 1800 TRUE -ATT to sign up. Save on every call. That's Your True Choice"'