IV . 0 0 8B - The Michigan Daly Weeken Magaiie -Thursday, September 5, 1996 Th Mihian Dady Weekeni I Comedy Central releases batch of videos DAbout the Town Cozy' Caribou Coffee enters into Ann Arbor coffeeshop contest By Michael Zilberman Daily Ars \\riter "We don't pretend to be European- styled.' readily states Caribou Coffee manager Shelly Smith. True, for your average Ann Arbor caffeine connois- seur, the first visit to Caribou Coffee may turn into a quite disorienting experience: there is no music, abstract paintings are nowhere to be found, and the familiar Paris-filtered- through-LA ambiance is sorely lack- ing. Instead, there is a fireplace, a warm color scheme playing up pol- ished wooden surfaces, and even a kids' menu. The blasphemous epithet "cozy" actually springs to mind. Simply put, Caribou is nothing like any other java joint on campus, and that may be the only reason why it might survive. Situated on State Street between North University Avenue and Liberty Street (and bravely facing Espresso Royale, Amer's and Gratzi), Caribou Coffee is a branch of a franchise estab- lished three years ago in Minneapolis. According to the official legend, the creators and current owners of the com- pany, Kim and John Puckett, a couple of Wall Street brokers, were vacation- ing in Alaska. The sight of caribou herds stampeding across the plains was something of an epiphany, and upon their return, the couple severed their Wall Street ties. Soon after that, Kim and John tried their luck creating a cof- feehouse concept, taking its cue from Alzkan lodges rather than Latin Quarter dives. The strange-on-paper combination of rural and urbane worked: the pretentiousness of the set- ting has been deleted without damaging the sophistication. But let's not overanalyze the walls, since for whatever reasons people could be interested in checking out a new coffeehouse, they'll stay for the coffee. Caribou's coffee is roasted in its own Minneapolis-based company rather than bought from a retailer, and gets recycled every three weeks. Every hour, customers will hear a beep of a timer going off: the coffee is immediately rebrewed, and the remainder disposed of. Shots are brewed on request, the milk is never warmed-over; all of this may account for slightly higher prices than your average coffeehouse, explains Shelly. If the prices are in fact higher: none of the customers I spoke with seemed to notice the difference. For all its discipline, there is an intriguing goofy side to Caribou: take the rubber monsters that come with kids' drinks ("you'd be surprised how many adults can't resist the offer," Smith noted), or the daily trivia ques- tion on the wall. "We want to bring the kids in," she adds. "No other coffee place caters to families with kids. But the last thing we want is to be exclusive and focus on one group of customers" The customers, for their part, can appreciate that. "It has a nicer atmos- phere than most (coffeehouses), and a better menu," an anthropology student said. "It's going to be really cozy in the winter." "I like the national park-type atmosphere," added Lowell, a senior psychology major. "A great place to write," said another newly minted fre- quent customer. The new business also seems to have fit in well with its more established neighbors. SaidBillie Spurlin, the man- ager of the nearby State Theater, "I think we'll help them as much as they'll help us. People waiting in line for a movie might decide to get a cup of cof- fee afterthe show, and people going to Caribou can't help but see our mar- quee." Managers of other coffeehouses have stopped by to check out the new place, although "none of them were too willing to start a conversation," Smith said. In fact, Caribou is doing so well that it might add a second Ann Arbor branch on Main Street (which was the original choice for the first location). For a franchise that's multiplying at a somewhat frightening rate (the goal for 1998 is 300 locations, up from the current 50), Caribou refreshingly lacks the indescribable - but easily spotted - corporate spirit that marks some of its competition. Said Lora, an employee since the Art Fair days, "we have a small crew, and everybody pretty much knows everybody else." Hopefully, everybody else in Ann Arbor will also get to know Caribou. "Especially later in the fall, when that fireplace lights up." Then you simply have no choice. BOHDAN DAMIAN CAP/Daily Caribou Coffee on State Street, one of the newest additions to the coffeehouse family in Ann Arbor. By Ted Watts Daily Arts Writer Comedy Central, that bastion of "We refuse to keep good..shows," is in the midst of having a bunch of its first-run comedy shows released on video by Rhino, that bastion of extremely nice archival releases. After the initial slew of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" tapes several months ago comes the newest batch of other shows. And while the "MST3K" tapes were ripe for home video release, 75 percent of the shows being released now don't warrant the treatment at all. "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" is a good show. So good, in fact, that it's leaving Comedy Central this fall for ABC. The release of the two tapes of "PI" tends to reinforce the image of Comedy Central as trying to cash in on what it's about to lose, an image the "MST3K" tapes initiated (that show is moving to the Sci-Fi chan- nel this year). But the "Pl" episodes have much less reason to be showing up on the shelves of your local video store. The first-season episode with Roseanne and Roger Clinton is definitely star- studded, but the show looks amateurish compared to the show's current product. Bill Maher looks as if he is reading from a cue card and has his ideas written down so distinctly that he can barely maneuver. His guests in this particular episode tend to argue loudly and dumbly, rather than intelligently or at least intel- lectually interestingly. It seems like this episode was chosen for its members and the simple arguing that is occurring, rather than any quality inherent in the episode. Sure, Bill Maher's hair color is probably more natural than it is right now, but there must have been better episodes for the executives to have chosen than this. At any rate, it looks as if the two compilations of two shows have been put together for the names only. How disap- pointing. "Dr. Katz Professional Therapist" is also a good show. And it has the merit of having stories at its base instead of people talking about political and philosophical issues, which is a plus for something being sold on videotape. The show's revolutionarily cheap form of animation ("Squigglevision") is not of particularly high quality. It is, after all, essentially an optical illusion of movement based on distortion of still images. It is, however, an extremely tunny show, showcasing various stand- up comics' acts in the setting of a psy- chiatrist's office. Comedian Jonathan Katz is, oddly enough, the voice of the mild-mannered but very funny Dr. Katz. The placement of stand-up into the midst of a sitcom, hidden as some- thing other than stand-up, is hardly new (see "Home Improvement") but this is a new and very effective way of doing so. And it's the new part that makes this kind of odd as a video release. Several of the videos on the tapes have been shown in the last few months, if not weeks. There simply aren't enough videos to have anything on them not readily available given a little time. Oh well, it's still the best show out on the videos. The main question should probably be whether people will be willing to pay $12.95 for something they can see on basic cable. It won an Emmy for something, so people with- out basic cable will buy the tapes. Good for them. "Comic Justice" and "Comics Only" are two extremely bizarre choices for video releases. Both shows had fairly short runs on Comedy Central, "Comic Justice" fairly recently and "Comics Only" a few years back. And both these tapes seem to have fairly targeted audi- ences. "Comic Justice" was a minority- based stand-up show that was as good, if not better, than most stand-up shows in the last five years. But nothing about the show rates being put-on video, other than specifically marketing it to minori- ties. Just like "Politically Incorrect" with its lack of quality but apparent saleability. "Comics Only" is curious because both episodes of the comic interview show on the video feature Jeff Foxworthy, that "You Might Be a Redneck If..." guy. He wasn't a regular on the show. Looks as if it's being mar- keted to the white-trash audience. Did I mention that the shows aren't particu- larly interesting, either? Do you see a pattern developing? There's minimal reason for "P1," "Comic Justice" and "Comics Only" to be on video. Their respective formats don't really lend themselves to the type of viewing related to tape, and the episodes aren't all that good. As for "Dr. Katz," it's good and all, but it's still on the tube. The "MST3K" tapes were a much better idea, since Comedy Central has virtually banished that fine show and video is a much more reliable way to see it now. Well, hopefully the next batch will be of Mike and the bots. Just hope that they are willing to break their pattern and aren't thinking of axing the good doctor. "Cool" -Yahoo. "**** " -Magellan " "Nifty" -LA Times Don't know how to brew beer in your dorm? You haven't been reading Student.Net www.student.net The Website for College Students intelligent daily articles " free anonymous personals - find friends' homepages - play pranks over the 'net IThe FREDDY INESBand p.- BOHDAN DAMIAN CAP/Daily Caribou Coffee Assistant Manager Jason Dobry makes drinks for customers. Mmacea pm FOOD It Biology 102, Section 001 Biological Anthropology 364 Classical Civilization 452 English 317, Section 002 History 397, Section 001 Italian 235 Kinesiology/MVS 542 Exhibi C1 N GLOB Nati its at ti ement Kels he Gr is Libi ey M Muse TONITE & TomoRRow SEPT 5 & 6 DOORS 9:30pm wa ram ama ro PA rr 2t 4MbSa w aVs S4ar i Raoa 7O /av/ A/ B Z ' S'' 1: ry - vgAc~vsT ,etn er . cu tt19s (I vSSMM 8 Public Lectures, receptions with food fro 8 Feature Films, Michigan Theater, Admiss "Mystery Science Theater 3000's" Crow T. Robs If International Conference, October 25-27 ot, Mike, and Tom Servo (left to right). r MONAM . . . .