Everyday Is like 'Sunday'
See what all the indie fuss is about when last year's Sundance Film
Festival winner, "Sunday," bows tonight at the Michigan Theater.
Directed by Johnathon Nossiter, the film explores one day in the life of
down-on-his-luck tax accountant Oliver (David Suchet) who is mistak-
en by an actress for a famous director. Make the profound beauty of
"Sunday" part of your Wednesday. Tonight at 7 and 9. Admission is $5.

4
SPn
.Ape 7 bn s romise
9 p

By Jewel Gopwani
For the Daily
The immense potential of Ape 7 to
4 become a successful local band will
be on display this Friday. The group
will open for Safehaven at the
Michigan League Underground at 8
*p.m.
Ape 7 isn't just another local band.
Three out of four members of the
- group call the University their alma
mater.
In addition to guitar, bass and
drums, Ape 7 uses the violin and key-
boards to add depth to its recorded
material. In a recent interview, the
band discussed its admirable work
ethic and unique sound.
"We do all of our own promotion,"
said drummer Richard Landwehr.

The members of Ape 7 came togeth-
er about two years ago. After a couple
of line-up changes, the band released
their debut ER "Undressed," in May of
1997.
Displaying influences of various
genres ranging from rock to classical
jazz, Ape 7 has
been compared to
bands such as Toad k P 1
the Wet Sprocket,
Radiohead and the,
late, great Ann
Arbor outfit Michi
Whirling Road. Tickets are $3
But aside from the
diverse influences that waft through
the album, Ape 7's writing style main-
tains its own sense of deep and inspir-
ing complexity.

Currently the band has been playing
a slew of live shows around the Ann
Arbor area. It's most recent gig was
opening up for Black Fuzz at the Blind
Pig two weeks ago.
t his Friday marks Ape 7's return to
the Michigan League Underground fol-


REVIEW
Ape 7
Friday at 8 p.m.
gan League Underground
3 at the Michigan League

lowing the band's
first visit in mid-
October. Before
that show, vocal-
ist Cliff
Kaminsky was
unsure of how
large the turn out
would be.

crowd give repeated nods of approval
to the band and the music.
Based on that show's overwhelming
success, the League asked Ape 7 back,
which is no surprise when you consid-
er the band's admirable philosophy on
playing live.
"If a band can't play well live, they're
not really worth a damn," guitarist/vio-
linist Niel Shah said.
For those who aren't familiar with
Ape 7's music, Shah also hinted at
what to expect on Friday. "It should be
an interesting show. For live shows, we
take out the keyboards and the violin
to get more energy.
Landwehr also said, "Despite the
fact that we have a tight arrange-
ment, you can expect some improvi-
sation."

Wednesday
January 28, 1998
) 44
rm Friday at the League Underground.
at 'Babylon'
should make fans salivate. Exclusive Puremiere has
already shipped three nine-inch dolls of the human
Captain John Sheridan, the femiale i inbari
Ambassador Delenn and the reptilian Narn
Ambassador G'Kar. Arriving in stores are six-inch fig-
ures of these three characters and of the (Centauni
Ambassador Londo Mollari.
These action figures have their problems; the larg-
er ones have some nasty fabrics for clothes and the
smaller ones lack the ability to be posed For
instance, the arms on G'Kar don't move. In spite of
these problems, they seem to fulfill a basic need for
fans of the show, and they disappear from the shelves
at Toy 'R' Us, their only distributor thus far, v cry
quickly. Future shipments are scheduled to show up
in comic book stores, but have so far been plagued
with delays.
With other new products like a customized card
game, video cassettes, a second comic book seies and
models out now or soon and an "X-Wing" type flight
simulator due out later this year, it's never been a better
time to desire "Babylon 5" merchandise.
-- TdJWtts

"I bet Rick that nobody would show
up," Kaminsky said. But contrary to
his prediction, Kaminsky lost money
after watching an impressive-sized

Members of Ape 7 will perfo

'Guide' gives complex look

The Official Guide to
'Babylon 5'
Sierra
Win 95 and MaC
"Babylon 5" has had a strong following since the
series began four years ago on syndicated television. It
has produced trading cards, Micro Machines and some
very ugly T-shirts, but there has not been a concerted
effort to merchandise it until recently.
"The Official Guide to J. Michael Straczynski's
Babylon 5" is probably the most complicated products
so far. Like the name suggests, the CD-ROM is essen-
tially a visually enhanced guidebook to the fictional
future space station.
You take the role of a tourist boarding the station and
you can choose one of three guides; a straightlaced
human, a sleazy gray market human or a genetically
engineered drone guide from the species known as the
Gaim .
If you don't know who the Gaim are, you might go

to the "Governments" section of the guide and learn
that the species is a hive-based insect race dominated
by six queens. This disc is full of interesting little tid-
bits of information, with nice bits of video from the
show that contextualize the information into the moth-
er series.
But the material is too much a fictional document.
For the person curious about "Babylon 5," the series,
there is a bare minimum of information, and much of
what there is comes from inference. While it provides
interesting trivia for the devout fan and runs admirably
well on a computer whose processor, memory and CD-
ROM drive all fall short of the stated requirements, it's
just too specific to be a stellar game.
The CD-ROM comes with a bonus enhanced-music
CD as well. The full length CD, "The Best of Babylon
5"' is a compilation of the musical score from the-
series, as culled from two previous compilations and
five upcoming CDs, each of which will collect all the
music from a single show. In addition to the CD-ROM,
the presence of this disc makes for a worthwhile pur-
chase even for those with just a passing interest.
"Babylon 5" has also just inspired action figures that

'This figure should see a lot of action in "Babylon 5" fans' toyboxes.


'Teacher' is nothing cosmic

hereM 0S we ? oen
\IO ,ic

My Teacher Is An
Alien
Simon & Schuster
Interactive/Byron Preiss
Multimedia
Win '95 CD-ROM
If "My Teacher Is An Alien" had
come out five years ago, before we
became accustomed to quality comput-
er games, then it would have been inter-
esting.
But it didn't, thus it isn't.
In "My Teacher is an Alien," one of
Sthe teachers is an alien the likes of
which we have never known before.
Using one of three characters, you have
to explore the school, discover who is
the alien is and foil whatever devious
p plot it has.
The game is based on the first book
in an award-winning series of children's
stories by Bruce Coville The three
characters in the game are the main
characters of the series, and each per-
sonality has its own strengths and
weaknesses. Each will do better with
certain puzzles and challenges than the
other two ,and multiple endings are
possible.
At certain points in the game, there
are also action sequences to conque;

........................
1


For instance, one character had forgets
to do his homework, and therefore the
goal is to get him out of class using only
a sling shot and some ammunition to
accomplish this. Before long, I figured
the perfect manipulation techniques to
uncover the mysteries of the game. One
of the other kids kept raising his hand
and getting in the way, and when I hit
him, he told on me -- the fink.
"Teacher" lets you practice or play
with these action sequences once you
have reached them in the game, but the
rest of the game is similar to a less-
complex, less-exciting form of "Myst."
You walk around oven doors and lock-

incredible graphics and a fast-pace to
their play. And for challenge, Final
Fantasy VII looks pretty difficult -- at
least more challenging than a lesson
from the alien teacher.
Most kids would have the same reac-
tion that I did - enduring instead of
enjoying the game.
Schools may buy this game because
of its relation to the book and its com-
plete lack of action, but parents should
consider the $3.99 price for each of the
books instead of the $34.95 one for
"My Teacher Is An Alien."
- Michael Galloway



k cavSG


ers, and ask students and teachers ques-
tions.
It was sort of fun to figure out the
puzzles and to find out what the teach-
ers and students say in response, but
for most of the game, you walk around Tenm paper crunch is coming, and if
the same area again and again, trying you ca aboutyour grades, alife time
to find something you missed or for- with us could make a big difference.
got. We won't write your paper. but we can
If there were constant challenges to help you with:
keep my attention, then I might find /oThesis development
myself more interested in playing. Organizabon and logic
The game is made for the same eight / Syntax and grammar
to 12-year-old audience as the books /RESL
were. A big fan of the book who has lots Online Writing Consultants
of patience and a good attention span w won ineiting.com
might love the game. The games of
Sony Playstation or Nintendo 64 have olwc@ix.netOm.Com
&perienced, UM ECBOWL TrainsdTubxr

RM" Mphone: 663.5800
1140 south university (above goodtime chareys), AAO'
- - mon.-thurs.: 9:00x-10:00p sundays
^E0i fri. & sat.: 9:00a-11:OOp 1 :ooa-8:oo
99
/ve- -I,
we to 4 sovv
1t
yoCY-~ - __
Sar
wctet ~~e FO r /
',n 1ats
9M.~W
OK Saf _ k

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-U-

,
,

Don't agree with
our reviews?
Then JOIN our
staff!
Call 763-0379 and
ask for Bryan or
Kristin for the
lowdown on
Daily Arts.

The University of Michigan
Program for the Study of Comp ex Systems
3rd Annual Nobel Symposium
The Program for the Study of Complex Systems is pleased to pre-
sent this series of non-technical talks by faculty discussing the sig-
nificance of the 1997 Nobel prizes: who won each prize, what their
work entailed, and what the impact of each contribution is.
Moderator: UM Professor Carl Simon (Mathematics, Economics,
Public Policy and Complex Systems)
Who are these people and why are they
important to you?

'LIKE e
NORTH
CAMPUS?
YOU'LL

Sat, Janua 31
10:30 am-L2:30 pm
Fr'~nnn rn irz

Sat, Februa 7
10:30 am - 130 pm
-Medicine


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