1.11 .
P ase watch your head...
Se a snarling Christopher Walken as
the Headless Horseman in Tim Burton's
"Sleepy Hollow," which screens tonight
at the Michigan Theater. 8 p.m.
michigandaily.com /arts
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FRIDAY
FEBRUARY 25, 2000
5
'Kingdom' lives happily ever after
By Jennifer Fogel
For the Daily
Thought about fairytales much since
those pre-adolescent days? Maybe it's
time to reemerge in the stories of the
past. Images of the Big Bad Wolf and
t Wicked Stepmother once danced
through our heads during a time of
innocence where anything was possible.
Now that we're all "adults," do these
stories still posses their magic? If the
extravagance of NBC's new miniseries
"The 10th Kingdom" is any indicator,
fairytales can still work their magic on
those of us who still believe in "happily
ever after."
Unfortunately as Wolf, a man-wolf
hy d muses, "Happily ever after did-
n't ?ast as long as we had hoped." Two
hundred years after our favorite fairy-
The 10th
Kingdom
Grade: 0
NBC
s Sun. at 9 p.m.
tales took place,
the land of Snow
White and
Cinderella has
evolved into a
morebcomplex,
disturbed and
funny world. The
land has been
divided into nine
steam to last for ten hours and tends to
drag on during the second and third day.
Many of the guest stars that NBC has
hyped will not appear until the last two
episodes. Fortunately, since the minis-
eries is spread out over five days you
can afford to watch the first episode on
Sunday and see the last two episodes a
week later. Writer Simon Moore creat-
ed a wonderful storyline, updating
familiar favorites while adding a lot of
fairytale gimmicks that enhance the
plot. Most fairytale lovers will recog-
nize many of the elements that Moore
uses in "The 10th Kingdom," like refer-
ences to "Jack and the Beanstalk" and
"Little Bo Peep." Even those who are
skeptical of fairytales will enjoy John
Larroquette's cynical performance as
Tony, trying to keep his head when
everyone around him is completely
mad. Do not expect the special effects
to be as elaborate as in past NBC minis-
eries; most will find the huff and puff
effects minimal and easily done.
Kimberly Williams' performance is
spectacular but not standout. This is an
ensemble piece and all of the actors
excel in their roles even if some are
only in the movie for ten minutes.
Overall, the "The 10th Kingdom"
does justice to fairytales, keeping with
their moral traditions yet satirizing the
whole fairytale concept. Look for the
ingenious use of the Bee Gees'
"Saturday Night Fever," as the Troll
theme song and the conflicted Wolf to
seek the services of a therapist. "The
10th Kingdom" is an epic journey, full of
fantasy, comedy and love. Expect sur-
prises, but remember that this story is
based on fairytales and they always have
a "happily ever after." If you believe in
make believe, "The 10th Kingdom"
airs Sunday, Feb. 27, 9-11 pm; Monday,
Feb. 28, 8-10 pm; Wednesday, March 1,
8-10 pm; Sunday, March 5, 9-11 pm
and Monday, March 6, 8-10 pm.
Courtesy of NBC
Kimberly Williams and John Larrogwuet star in NBC's "The 10th Kingdom."
Courtesy of Oreamworks Records
Metal rockers Powerman 5000 will thrash through Detroit on Friday night.
Powerman 5 000
ocketsintoIalrpo's
withRobots' tour
* with their own
quirks. The story
begins in the 4th
kingdom where
Prince Wendell
White (Daniel Lapaine), Snow White's
grandson, is about to become King.
While on a trip to visit Beantown,
Wj'ell makes a routine stop at the
SidW White Memorial Prison.
However, thanks to help from the Troll
King (Ed O'Neill) the evil Queen
(Dianne Wiest) has escaped and in the
usual fabled fashion turns the prince
into a dog and vows to bring down the
House of White. The prince evades his
captors by escaping through a magic
mirror that transports him to New York
City (later to be christened the 10th
Kingdom). Here he befriends Virginia
Lewis (Kimberly Williams) and her
father Tony (John Larroquette), two
dreamers waiting to reach beyond their
invisible lives.
Needless to say the prince will even-
tually lead them back through the mir-
ror, where the adventure really begins.
Chased by the Troll King, his "Three
Stooges" children and the devilish
Huntsman (Rutger Hauer), father and
daughter are assisted by the conflicted,
man-wolf hybrid Wolf, who ends up
falling in love with Virginia. (It's too
bad that he is one of the Queen's min-
ions.) While seeking out the prince's
body and trying to find the magic mir-
ror to return home, Tony and Virginia
are continuously struck by misfortune.
Tony lands in jail while the Troll King
captures Virginia. Both escape but are
tested at every turn by temptation and
hardship. Eventually Tony, Virginia and
Wolf reach a turning point in their lives
and the decisions they make may be
theirs and the nine Kingdom's undoing.
NBC is known for their lavish minis-
eries like "Merlin" and "Alice in
Wonderland," but they have outdone
themselves with "The 10th Kingdom."
"Kingdom" is a whopping ten hours
long, a venture that 'has not been
attempted in television since ABC's
"War and Remembrance" in 1988. The
miniseries' excessive length is the main
cause for trepidation. Unfortunately,
"Kingdom" does not have enough
By David Reamer
Daily Arts Writer
If you're into science-fiction metal,
industrial disco or, well, Dope, the
powers that be have put together the
tour for you: Powerman 5000, Static-
X and Dope all under one roof. The
three bands, who have all made
names for themselves through exten-
sive touring, combine to form a line-
Magnolfa' script blooms in rich details
By Matthew Barrett
Daily Film Editor
"Magnolia" is a movie that leaves
you with questions. Lots of them. And
after seeing it, you want answers. Lots
of them. Well, want no more, because
the film's screenplay, which was just
no nated for an Academy Award, is
n available for purchase. "Magnolia
The Shooting Script" is a dream come
true with fans of the film, as it will
. answer many of
your questions
and give you a
Magnolia: better idea of just
The Shooting what Paul
Script T h o m a s
Anderson had in
Grade: A mind when he set
Newarket Press out to write the
script.
The book kicks
off with an intro-
duction by
Anderson where
he thanks many
and explains that
after writing and directing the massive
"Boogie Nights, he had set out to write
"something small and intimate and
chi." However, Anderson wrote from
"gut' and ended up with a three-hour
epic that he hopes will be the "Mother
Of All Movies About The San Fernando
Valley."
After the introduction, comes a com-
plete copy of the shooting script,
packed with information and scenes not
included in the final version of the film.
For starters, there's quite a bit more of
relationship-guru Frank T.J. Mackey's
(Tom Cruise) ramblings including the
realization of his "creating a crisis"
scheme. The character of Dixon (the
young rapper-"Check that ego, come
off it, I'm the profit") is fleshed out, as
we learn about his connections to other
characters in the story. Reading the
script sheds some light on Worm, a
character that is mentioned throughout
the movie but is seen only in glimpses.
"Magnolia The Shooting Script" also
features an interview with Anderson,
done shortly before the release of the
film. Anderson discusses, among other
things, the construction of various char-
acters, why he chose the actors that he
did and the role that the music ofAimee
Mann plays in the film. Anderson said
the decision to include Mann's music
was made "because she's so fucking
cool and I wanted to be able to tell
everybody that I think so." Two of the
more controversial and debated
moments in "Magnolia" are also cov-
ered -the sing-along sequence and the
unusual meteorological event at the end
Harpo's
Tonight at 8 p.m.
release "Tonight
up of impressive
young musicians
who are sure to
be around well
into the 21st
Century.
Touring is
nothing new to
Powerman 5000,
whose current
Rockets &
Robots Tour
showcases music
from its plat-
in u m - s e ll i n g
sophomore
the Stars Revolt!".
album, features a science-fiction
theme. Cheesy movie samples, apoc-
alyptic commentary and deep-space
lyrics dominate the band's sound, and
are sure to be incorporated into the
live set in a multimedia display. The
songs themselves range from rock
anthems like "Get On, Get Off" to
the dance metal of the album's first
single "When Worlds Collide."
Spider One's howling vocal narra-
tion ties the various components of
PM5K's music together, and createsa
continuous story in lyrical form. Put
all of these elements together, and
you've got a group with both range
and showmanship, two qualities
essential to a good touring band.
Static-X, the tour's other headlining
band, has been on the road for nearly a
year supporting "Wisconsin Death
Trip," a collection of heavy\metal
disco tracks guaranteed to set your
head spinning. Incorporating dance
beats with heavy guitars, vocal sam-
ples and demonic lyrics, Static-X have
a sound all their own that perfectly fits
the futuristic atmosphere of the
Rockets & Robots Tour. Also present
will be Dope, a rap-metal band that
has won crowds over with its harsh
lyrics and simple riffs.
Featuring three of heavy metal's
premiere young acts, the Rockets &
Robots Tour is a herald of the popular
genre's changing of the guard. As the
eerie introduction to "Tonight the
Stars Revolt!" proclaims: "The future
has arrived ... Are you ready to go?"
Over the last decade, the band, front-
ed by Rob Zombie's younger brother
Spider One, has done practically
nothing but tour, stopping only to
record new material for their two
major label releases.
PM5K has also contributed tracks
to two recent soundtracks, "End of
Days" and "Scream 3," both of which
have been highly publicized.
PM5K's live show, like the new
Courtesy of New Line Cinema
Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson works with Jason Robards on the set of "Magnolia.".
of the film.
And as if this weren't enough for
enthusiasts of "Magnolia," the book
includes over 40 beautiful pho-
tographs taken on the set during the
film's production.
If you liked "Magnolia," you will
love this book, as it is one of the rare
productions that captures the essence
of the movie and its maker. A word to
the wise though - see the movie
before you read the script, as it will
increase your enjoyment tenfold.
And you'll find out once and for all,
that "when the sunshine don't work,
the Good Lord bring the rain in."
"A MAGICAL, MUSICAL,
ANIMATED MASTERPIECE!"
David Skeehn, CBS-TV
"IMAX' Is THE WAY To $EE IT- NOT JUST As A FILM, BUT As AN EVENT."
RoEr bert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
"YOU WON'T BELIEVE YOUR EYES OR EARS.
THE NEW 'FANTASIA 2000' IS ARGUABLY
THE GREATEST DISNEY FILM EVER:'
Jim Sveja, KNX/CBS RADIO }r
" FANTASIA 2000''INTRODUCES SEVEN NEW
MUSICAL MOVEMENTS WHILE KEEPING
'THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE:
Two THuMBS UPI"
Roger bert and Hany Knowles,
'- ROGER EBERT & THE MOVIES
FANTASIA
L