Tft 3ttanIklt Learn some sexy moves at a free dance workshop. The U-Club in the Michigan Union is sponsoring an evening of the salsa, merengue and other fun Latin dances. No partner is necessary and space is limited, so call for reservations now. For more information, call 763-3281. Friday April 11, 1997 5 :Pointe Blank' promises a sure shot By Bryan Lark Daily Film Editor Early on in "Grosse Pointe Blank," there is an exchange between hitman Martin Q. Blank (John Cusack) and his high school sweetheart Debi (Minnie Driver), now a suburban Detroit disc jockey. She asks #at line of work Tie's in, he says, RI "Professional Grosse killer." She replies; "Do you get dental with that?" That's what "Grosse Pointe Blank" is essentially about, getting your dental plan, whether it be literal or metaphorical. Underneath all the explosions, the romance and the *adpan wit lies the ideal that we all want to reap the benefits from life - and does "Grosse Pointe Blank" ever reap its own benefits. A dark, fast, funny, hyper-violent joyride of a black comedy that quickly and appealingly escalates into absurdi- ty "Blank" shoots straight at the hearts of action, romance and class reunion movies and scores on the many strengths of newly crowned hyphenate &hn Cusack, who stars in, co-produces d co-writes this .357 magnum opus. Martin Q. Blank is dissatisfied with life: His profession is unrewarding; his deranged, loyal assistant is getting a lit- tle too deranged; and his fellow profes- sionals are attempting to unionize. Martin can't find what's missing in his life that's blocking the flow of satisfac- tion - never mind that he annihilates people on a daily basis. At the urging of his assistant Marcella (Joan Cusack) and his fright- ened shrink Dr. Oatman (Alan Arkin), Martin reluctantly decides to search for his identity at his 10-year high E VIE W school reunion Pointe Blank in Grosse Pointe, Mich., where, ***I incidentally, his At Showcase next hit is sched- uled. Instead of solace and introspection, Martin is met in Grosse Pointe with an angry ex-girl- friend (Driver) whom he stood up on prom night 10 years earlier; a mini- mart where his house used to stand; a mother (Barbara Harris) in a mental hospital; a rival hit m a n , Grocer ( D a n Aykroyd) out to take either his job or his life; a pair of bumbling FBI agents (Hank Azaria and K. Todd Freeman) and a handful of eccentric ex-class- mates. While trying to confront his past, Blank's present opts not : " to take the week- end off, as blood that the emptiness in his life can be filled with the benefit of love, peace of mind and perhaps even dental benefits. Cusack seems destined to play Martin Blank, bringing together his past roles as losers and con-men in one smooth, sarcastic, oddly matter-of-fact package. Cusack as Blank is the ulti- mate anti-hero - so despicable, yet so engaging and human, it's no wonder why Minnie Driver still loves him after all this time. Speaking of Driver, she's brilliantly offbeat as Debi, the woman scorned, which happens to be the film's most thankless role. She turns a token girl- friend into a worthy antagonist with inspired lunacy and impeccable comic timing. In supporting the pair of loud, violent lovers, Arkin is memorably edgy, Aykroyd is memorably paranoid and Jeremy Piven is memorably nervous, but Joan Cusack is most memorable as Marcella. Her psychotic girl Friday is perhaps the most vivid and decidedly insane secretary ever, rapidly switching from harshly demanding an order of bullets to harshly dictating the correct preparation of a recipe. Whatever the recipe "Grosse Pointe Blank" used in its production, the final outcome is delicious, though not with- out faults. Written originally by Tom Jankiewicz, then collaborated upon fur- ther by Cusack, Steve Pink and D.V DeVincentis, the script seems sketchy John Cusack stars with Minnie Driver in "Grosse Pointe Blank." and shotgun at times, ignoring some obvious class-struggle humor and underdeveloping some intriguing sub- plots, but remains extremely pointed and biting throughout - best show- cased in the hilariously devilish juxtapo- sition of body disposal and white-man dancing to Nena's "99 Luftballons." Delightfully over-the-top, gleefully malicious and surprisingly heartfelt, "Grosse Pointe Blank" is choice genre- smashing entertainment that will prove extremely beneficial to all curious moviegoers. Dental plan not included. See Page 8 for an interview with "Blank" co-star Jeremy Piven. flee club prepares forspring By Anitha Chalam Daily Arts Writer What do magician Harry Blackstone and the University Men's Glee Club director, Dr. Jerry Blackstone, have in common? In addition to rhyming and similar names, anyone who has heard the Men's Glee Club perform might argue that both Blackstones are magi- sns. In the time that Dr. Blackstone s been in charge of the Men's Glee Club, he has used his magic baton to lead the group to great success through- out the United States, as well as the rest of world. Most recently, Blackstone and the Men's Glee Club traveled to California to perform at the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), held in PR n Diego over spring break. This Men convention was one of the oldest and most presti- gious gatherings of choral directors in the world, and the University Men's Glee Club was the only collegiate men's choir to perform there this year, which was quite an j nor for them, as well as for the iversity. Blackstone held the audi- ences spellbound and the group received many enthusiastic compli- ments. This Saturday, the Men's Glee Club performs at its 137th Annual Spring 'Concert in Hill Auditorium. This con- cert gives University students a chance to experience this world-renowned, magical phenomenon first hand. In the span of two hours, Blackstone will cap- *ate audience members as he leads this extremely talented group in a reper- toire consisting of pieces in a variety of styles, as well as a number of lan- guages. From sacred music to freedom songs to the University fight song, the Men's Glee Club will entertain and astonish their audience in English, 'Russian Village' makes A2 stop By Stephanie Glickman For The Daily Sixty-five dancers, singers and musicians will fill the Michigan Theater's stage tonight in "Russian Village: Rituals and Celebrations of the Russian People." After opening at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last weekend with enthusiastic reviews, "Russian Village" graces Ann Arbor for only one performance. The show combines seven authentic p Russian folk ensembles presenting tradi- tional music, dances, and rituals sharing Ru a Slavic heritage that has remained intact and relatively undiscovered throughout Russia's tumultuous history. The groups Tickets are availabl are a combination of villagers presenting familial songs and dances and companies established for the purpose of preserving and revitalizing their own folk tradi- tions. "'Russian Village' is different from what people see in the- atrical groups," explained David Eden, the show's producer. In many theatrical performances, the folk culture of different regions has been homogenized into a single Russian culture. But in "Russian Village," each group distinguishes itself with songs and dances distinct to its village. Having done similar projects before, Eden visited villages throughout different regions in Russia to find the best groups for this production. The groups will each present authentic pieces that have survived for centuries in their families, passed down orally for generations upon generations. Eden emphasized the strong sense of history and ritual in the pre- sentations. "Traditions were not destroyed, not even in the Stalinist era. Traditions continued.' Among these traditions are a diverse range of popular cul- tures, ranging from The Northern Pearls, a group from the Archangelsk region in the north to the Dorozovsky Folk Ensemble from the Bryansk region, located near Chernobyl. Also from Bryansk, the Mokosha Ensemble is a group of Is e young musicians and musicologists dedicated to preserving the music and dances of this region. From Rostov-on-Don, Volnitsa (Freemen), a group descended from the Don Cossacks, will share songs dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The 10-member ensemble performs the songs in the same way that they have been historically performed on Cossack farmsteads. Special guest Liubov Smolenskaya, E V i E W from the Keivraga village of the Pinega Region, will perform a wedding lament sian Village that few villagers know. Eden said this Tonight at 8 p.m. piece of music influenced Stravinsky. Michigan Theater Even though the Russian ensembles at the UMS box office did not know each other well or had not met at all before this tour, the groups have merged together well, thriving on the positive energy, warm response and "unbelievable acceptance' according to Eden, that the tour has received thus far. Many of the "Russian Village" participants, who range in age from 19 to 79, have never been to America before. The Podserednie Ensemble, established in 1950, from the banks of the Tikhaya Sosna River, took part in the cultural program of the 1980 Olympic games. The tour, which includes Washington, D.C., Kansas and Arizona, is a chance for the folk performers to see what goes on in the place that many refer to as the "new country." Eden said that members of his production are curious to see the White House and to discover what is Slavic about America. More than just being entertaining and, at many times, humorous, "Russian Village" is a sharing of folk culture and carefully preserved traditions that very few Americans and Russians have ever seen. While many of the performers have been singing these songs for decades in their villages, Eden is the first to bring them to America, making their culture more accessible and showing audiences the importance of preservation. "'Russian Village' is a once in a lifetime oppor- tunity," he explained. Dr. Jerry Blackstone conducts the University Men's Glee Club at Hill Auditorium. n' French, German, Hebrew, Latin and Russian. As an added bonus, the Friars will be performing a few pieces of their own. The Friars are an eight-member a capel- Ia subset of the E V I E w Men's Glee Club. In addition to being 8 Glee Club extremely charis- Saturday at 8 p.m. matic, and known Hill Auditorium for throwing $3 for students squeaky toys and T- shirts out to their audiences, the Friars are very talented singers. As their most recent concert banners declared, the Friars are "kid- tested, mother-approved," and will be sure to entertain anyone and everyone in attendance. As the second oldest collegiate choir in America, the Men's Glee Club first began in 1859, and holds the title as the oldest student organization here at the University. Since that time, the Glee Club has performed throughout the world, in places as diverse as Eastern Europe, Asia, and South America. In addition to traveling, the Men's Glee Club has competed at a number of music festivals, winning, among other honors, four first place awards at the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales - a record unsur- passed in the history of this "Rose Bowl" of choral competition. Tickets are available through the Michigan Union Ticket Office, with prices ranging from $10 for reserved seating on the main floor to $3 student seating on the second balcony. The concert is therefore relatively inexpen- sive for such quality entertainment. Blackstone probably won't be pulling a rabbit out of his hat, but hearing a hun- dred well-dressed college guys singing perfectly in a half-dozen or so different languages is perhaps an even greater feat. The evening promises to be a magical experience, so put off those end-of-term papers and go see the Men's Glee Club in action this Saturday evening. a. j Recycle the Daily 1 . : U I From where you are... 6 Q F " Resumes / CVs / Letters / Profiles / Essays " Expert service tailored to your needs. " Special introductory rates. Sunday Evening Forum 6:00 p.m.Supper 7:00 pm "Women of Peru:Art for Life" textile pictures ("cuadros"] from Pamplomi Altu Sr. Barbara Cervenka Lecturer in the U of M School of Art and Design Campus Chapel a campus ministry of the Christian Reformed Church providing space for God in the campus community 1236 Washtenaw Ct. 662-2402 Quality Futures (313) 995-9660 ...to where you want to be (-U)tM9MYMW- AIU 'JIKML. QL, J U ~ 1 m