i .. '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.