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'1B - The Michigan Daily- Weekend, etc. Magazine - Thursday, January 27, 2000
A weekly guide to who'sh Thursday, Jan. 27
where, what's hap ening and through
The Michigan Daily - Weekend, etc. M.
THE LONG AND BINDING ROA
Local bands' tenacity, passion make th(
Films opening
Eye of the Beholder Ewan McGregor
and Ashley Judd attempt a suspense
flick, but quality is all in the eye of the
beholder, after all. Right? At Briarwood:
12:30, 2:50, 5:10. 7:30, 10:15. At
Showcase: 12:10, 12:40, 2:35, 3:05, 5,
5:30, 7:25, 7:55, 9:45, 10:15, (Fri. &
Sat.) 12 a.m., 12:30 a.m.
Isn't She Great Bette Midler asks the
question again, and again the answer is
an overwhelming ... yes. At Showcase:
12:45, 3:00, 5:05, 7:20, 9:25, (Fri. &
Sat.) 11:25.
Films holding
***** A Classic
**** Excellent
*** Good
** Fair
* Not Worth Your Time, or Your Money
American Beauty ***4 1 will go to
this movie today. I will go to this movie
today. I will go to this movie today. I
will go to this movie today. I will go to
this movie today. I mean, really, how
many more reprieves do you think
you're going to get? At State: 9:45,
(Sat. & Sun.) 4.
Angela's Ashes ** Word on the street
;' thatthe "ashes" in question refer to
eC mother's cremated body after she
is dead. She does not necessarily die in
the film. At Showcase: 1, 4, 7, 9:55,
(Fri. & Sat.) 12:35 a.m.
Any Given Sunday *** Any given
Sunday, Oliver Stone might make a
great film. At Showcase: 1:15, 4:45,
8:10, (Fri. & Sat.) 11:30.
Boys Don't Cry **** I noticed Hillary
Swank has really big lips - even for a
man. At State: 7, 9:30. (Sat. & Sun.) 2,
4.
Cider House Rules ** Look out
Republicans, this film is about abortion
and how it's not that bad after all.
Sinners, sinners, sinners. 1:35, 4:15,
6:55, 9:35, (Fri. & Sat.) 12:10.
Cradle Will Rock The continuing saga
,at the "Case of the Missing 'The"' -
this time, about the Federal Theater
Project. There are so many actors in
this, you are bound to like one or two
of them. At Showcase: 10:10, (Fri. &
Sat.) 12:35.
Down to You * Okay, so it's a roman-
tic comedy and therefore stupid, right?
Well, maybe not. Julia Stiles is per fect
- why can't she hang out in Ann Arbor
bars? At Briawood: 1:10, 3:15, 5:20
7:40, 9:50. At Showcase: 1:10, 1:40,
3:10, 3:40, 5:10, 5:40, 7:10, 7:40,
9:10, 9:40, (Fri. & Sat) 11:20, 11:50.
The End of the Affair ***,A Graham
Greene and a bit of Fiennes equals a
wild wartime flick. At Showcase:
12:55, 3:15, 5:35, 7:50, 10:05, (Fri. &
Sat.) 12:15.
Glaxy"Quest *** Tim Allen waits
until the next Santa film - he waits
out in space. At Showcase: 12:20,
2:40, 4:55, 7:15, 9:30, (Fri. & Sat.)
11:55.
Girl, interrupted *-I A poorly-veiled
chick rehashing of "One Flew Over the
Cuckoo's Nest" - with a lot of cat
fighting. Ohhhh, Angelina Jolie cat fight-
ing in a tank top. Ohhhhh. At Briarwood:
1, 4, 7, 9:40. At Showcase: 1:20, 4:25,
7:05, 9:50, (Fri. & Sat.) 12:25.
The Green Mile ***9 Mr. Jingles stars
as an inmate on death row trying to
escape bad writing, mediocre acting
and the feet of other inmates. At
Briarwood: 12:20, 4:10, 8. At
Showcase:12:15, 4:10, 8:05, (Fri. &
Sat.) 11:40.
The Hurricane ** Dylan fans should
appreciate this film for the three play-
ings of his classic song about wrongly-
convicted boxer Rubin "Hurricane"
Carter. Hey, wasn't that guy on the
Golden Globes? Oh, that was just
Courtney Love's cleavage. At Briawood:
12:50, 3:50, 6:50, 10. At Showcase:
12:30, 3:30, 6:50, 10.
Magnolia **** A story about a worm,
a bartender, a game show and stuffed
underwear. At Showcase: 12, 4:05, 8,
(Fri. & Sat.) 11:35.
Mansfield Park I am the biggest
Patricia Rozema fan. - No, I am the
biggest Patricia Rozema fan. At State:
7:15, (Sat. & Sun.) 1:30.
Next Friday (No Stars) Cube and the
boys get loaded for another exploration
in comedy gernus. At Showcase: 12:05.
12:35, 2:15, 2:45. 4:20, 4:50, 6:45,
8:15, 9. 10:20. (Fri. & Sat.) 11:10,
12:20.
Play it to the Bone ** "Ali-Frazier II"
- well, no. But "Harrelson-Banderas I"
isn't half bad - well, maybe half bad.
At Showcase: 1:30, 4:30. 7:30, 10:10,
(Fri. & Sat) 12:35 a.m.
Snow Falling on Cedars *** Do we
really need more snow. No. At
Showcase: 9:05, (Fri. & Sat.)
11:45.
Stuart Little Mouses? Mouses! We
don't need no stinking mouses. At
Showcase: 12:50, 2:50, 4:40, 6:40,
8:30.
Supernova (No Stars) Superbad. At
Showcase: 6:30.
The Talented Mr. Ripley ** Save a
few bucks. Rent "Purple Noon."
Nobody's seen it, but it's got to be bet-
ter than this turd. Actually, "Purple
Noon" does not have a Jude Law full
frontal, so see "Ripley." At Briarwood:
1:20, 4:20, 7:20, 10:10. At Showcase:
1:05, 3:50, 6:35, 9:20, (Fri. & Sat.)
12:05.
Toy Story 2*** One of the few
deserving Golden Globe winners ever.
Well, maybe that French guy in '76
deserved his, but it was just after him
that the Hollywood Foreign Press
Association started losing their credi-
bility. At Briarwood: 12:40, 2:40, 5,
7:10, 9:20. At Showcase: 12:25, 2:30,
4:35, 7.
Thursday
CAMPUS CINEMA
The Straight Story (1999) David
Lynch comes up with his best movie
in years without a single severed
body part or crime of passion.
Richard Farnsworth looks like an
Oscar nominee as the no-nonsense
farm codger who tries to atone for
enmity with his brother by riding a
mower across Iowa. Michigan
Theater, 603 E. Liberty. 7 p.m.
$5.50.
The Source (1999) A embarrassment
of talent - dramatic, musical, liter-
ary, et. al. - gets involved in this
Chuck Workman documentary about
the days when the Beat went on, over
and far out. Michigan Theater, 603 E.
Liberty. 9:15 p.m. $5.50.
Cradle Will Rock (1999) Tim "Hood"
Robbins and his merry thespians right
wrongs by portraying a less well-paid
'30s equivalent and their vile foes.
Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty.
6:45 & 9:30 p.m. $5.50.
MUSIC
Ann Arbor Festival of Sound Head
uptown to see a festive interpretation
of Schubert's "Winterreise" by a
pianist and a mezzo-soprano.
Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N.
Fourth Ave. 8 p.m. $5-$7. 769-
2999.
Hip-Hop Thursday The B-boys and B-
girls get down to the funky beats and
smooth turntablism of DJ Status.
Cavern Club, 210 5. First St. 10 p.m.
$3. 332-9900.
College Night The weekly college
band showcase features Small Brown
Bike, Capture the Flag and
Rhudabega. Blind Pig, 208 S. First
St. 10 p.m. $4. 996-8555.
Vivaldi Gala The Academy of Early
Music performs a tribute to this com-
poser of baroque and choral music,
featuring many of the area's finest
vocalists. Bethlehem United Church
of Christ, N. Fourth Ave. 4 p.m. 995-
5051. Call for ticket prices.
By Jenni Glenn
Fine & Performing Arts Editor
In a modern music scene dominated
by manufactured teen pop icons from
the Britney/Backstreet Boys school,
the astronomical odds against finding
success as a rock band deter many
potential talents from pursuing music,
particularly when the group's mem-
bers have more traditional career
opportunities.
College bands nationwide, and par-
ticularly in the Ann Arbor and Detroit
area. experience such conflicts. But
like countless others, the band
Automobile, in spite of each member's ,
non-musical successes, continues a
musical collaboration seven years in
the making simply because its mem-
bers cannot imagine a life without
music or each other.
Guitarist/keyboardist David
Baldwin, guitarist Michael Kunc, bass
guitarist Ryan Buell, drummer Mark
Maynard and singer Jenny Toms have
played small venues across the state
together for the past three years,
focusing on their current home towns
Ann Arbor, East Lansing and their
original base of Flint. Between the
ages of 21 and 23, the band members
are all either recent college graduates
or students. Close friendship ties hold
together the bandmates as they tackle
a typical schedule containing four
concerts a month in addition to the
task of recording Automobile's- first
album.
The bandmates' easy rapport and
joking spirit shows through clearly in
their debate over how to describe its
genre. Like any band, they loathe the
prospect of their music being limited
to a single characterization. So each
member turns helplessly to the next in
the traditional attempt to put a name to
the band's style. Baldwin finally
labels them "avant gardeners with a
touch of post modernism ... whatever
,the hell that means," to a chorus of
approving chuckles.
This indescribable sound's roots lie
in the Flint music scene, where its
members began playing in separate
groups during their junior high and
high school years. University Business
senior Buell and MSU finance student
Kunc first joined forces playing guitar
in a band called Minefield Hopscotch
in 1993, which later added art student
Maynard, then MSU advertising and
film graduate Baldwin to its roster. At
the group's first performance, Kunc
recalled, "one of our guys totally
THEA TER
Lighten up the Sky! This enchanting
comedy, written by Moss Hart while
George S. Kaufman was elsewhere, is
brought to the stage by the Ann
Arbor Civic Theatre. Ann Arbor Civic
Theatre Playhouse, 2275 Platt Rd.
8 p.m. $16, $14 students. 971-
AACT.
A LTERNA TIVES
Dagoberto Gilb PEN/Faulkner award-
winning author of "The Magic Blood"
gives a reading as part of the U-M
Visiting Writers Series. Rackham
Amphitheatre, 915 E. Washington. 5
p.m. Free. 764-6296.
Ha tin 1999 National Book Award
winner (for fiction) reads from and
signs copies of "Waiting." Make it an
award-studded night and catch the
doubleheader, why don't ya. Borders
Books & Music, 612 E. Liberty. 7:30
p.m. Free. 668-7652.
Richard Burgin Burgin reads from
"Ghost Quartet," his new novel about
love and self-destruction in the con-
temporary classical music scene.
Shaman Drum Bookshop, 315 S.
State. 8 p.m. Free. 662-7407.
Lisa Gaynier and Shirley Tong Parola
Former owners of Kerrytown's
Diamond Head Cafe discuss their new
island cookbook.fBorders Arborland,
3527 Washtenaw. 7 p.m. Free. 677-
6948.
"All Power to the People - The
Black Panther Party and Beyond"
Friends of RAIL/MIM present docu-
mentary film and discussion about
the history of the Black Panther
Party, the Young Lord's Party and the
American Indian Movement. Michigan
Union, Sophia B. Jones Room. 6 p.m.
Free. 763-5750.
Gallery Talk The Museum of Art's
Senior Curator of Asian Art Dr.
Marshall Wu will present a personal
overview and introduction to the
Museum's collection of Chinese
paintings from many dynasties. West
Gallery, Museum of Art. 12:10 p.m.
Free. 764-0395.
Art Video In "Christo's Valley
Curtain," the audience receives a
glimpse into the motivation behind
this unique project where the artist
suspended a nine-ton curtain above
Rifle Gap, Colorado. Media Room,
Museum of Art. 12:10 p.m. Free.
764-0395.
Friday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Cradle Will Rock See Thurs. 6:45 &
9:30 p.m. $5.50.
Being John Malkovich (1999) The
original title, "Being Josh Asselin,"
was dropped, just like the Purdue
game and the rest of the season.
ichigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty. 12
a.m. $5.50.
The Source Voila. C'est la source! La
source! Michigan Theater, 603 E.
Liberty. 7 & 9 p.m. $5.50.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) He
makes me laugh. Nat. Sci. 7 & 9:30
p.m. $3.
The members of Automobile are willing to scrounge for grocery money from time to
freaked out." The band only then dis-
covered what, due to lack of practice,
had gone unsuspected: The lead
singer's chronic stage fright. The per-
formance ended rapidly and the group
, :
soon found a new frontman.
"We were young and foolish
Buell said of the group, whic
ished recording its first album r
due to the fact that it had alread
lected deposits from people w,
to buy it. "We're old and foolish
Fronted by members too you
enter bars, Minefield Hops
began playing at Flint Local 4
was a hole in the wall, but it hac
acter," Baldwin said of the club,
featured many young area band
experience allowed Flint's as
musicians to perform in front
audience as well as to record f
first time in club owner Joel F
upstairs studio. In addition,
Local 432 introduced Min
Hopscotch to another local
Rhino Star, which boasted Toms
an alumnus of the Unversity's
campus, as lead singer.
As with so many college band
complicated lineage that e
would see them morph throe
series of identities. Both Rhine
and Minefield Hopscotch recoin
couple of albums before splitting
1996. This led to the formati
Wives of Bath, another group co
ing the talents of Toms, Baldwi
Maynard with other area musi
After eight months, the band bro
allowing the three members to co
with Buell and Kunc to
Automobile.
JEbICA JUNSUN/Uai
They come from three different hometowns, but they share a common goal - and a balancing act with their college careers.
Get your arts event Listed.
Call Jeff or Toyin
at 763-0379.
Phone Numbers: Briarwood: 480-4555; Fox Village; 994-8080; Michigan Theater: 668-
8397; Quality 16: 827-2837; Showcase: 973-8380; State: 761-8667.
Showtimes are effective Friday through Thursday. Matinee times at State Theater are
effective for Saturday and Sunday only.
Weekend
Magazine
Editors: Toyin Akinmusuru, Jeff Druchniak
Writers: Ken Barr, Matthew Barrett,Jason Birchmeier, Laura Flyer, Jenni Gl
Photo Editors: Jessica Johnson, Dana Linnane, David Rochkind.
Photographers: Jessica Johnson, Dana Linnane, Sara Schenck.
Cover: Photograph by Daily Photo Editor Dana Linnane.
Managing Arts Editor: Christopher Cousino
Associate Arts Editors: Gabe Fajuri, Chris Kula.
Editor in Chief: Heather Kamins
courtesy of columbia Records
Shawn Colvin stays true to her, ahem, roots at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival this Saturday.