0 0 W 0 14B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend, etc. Magazine - Thursday, March 16, 2000 A weekly guide to who's Thursday, March 16 why you need to be there ... T il e Wednesday, March 22 The Michigan Daily - Week ROUNDING UP THE UNUSUAL SI Eclectic array of pros, amateurs hit ti Films opening Beyond the Mat (1999) Documentary about the reality behind pro-wrestling. Touching, moving stuff (Snicker, snick- er). At Showcase: 1:25, 3:30, 5:40, 7:50, 10:05, 12:15 (Sat, & Sun. only). Erin Brockovich Just think of it as "A Civil Action Part 11" ... only with breasts. At Showcase: 1, 1:30, 2, 4, 4:30, 5, 7. 7:30, 8, 9:45, 10:15, 11:00 (Sat. & Sun, only), 12:20 (Sat. & Sun. only), The Exorcist (1973) Everyone's favorite head-spinning, floating demon girl grosses us out all over again. At Showcase: 1:40. 3:45, 4:25, 6:30, 7:10, 9:15, 10, 12:05 (Sat. & Sun. only). 12:35 (Sat. & Sun. only). Final Destination Death tries to claim the lives of Devon Sawa and his friends with slip- and-fall accidents and killer trees. Oooh, scary. At Showcase: 12:45, 3, 5:20. 7:40. 9:55. 12:10 (Sat. & Sun. only). Films holding A B C D A Classic Excellent Good Fair Not Worth Your Time, or Your Money American Beauty (B+) Lester Burnham. you stud, you. Go get that Oscar! At Showcase: 1:10, 3:40, 6:35, 9:05, 11:35 (Sat. & Sun. only). The Cider House Rules (C) Even with Oscar nominations, the answer is no, it still doesn't. At Showcase: 1:35, 4:10, 6:55, 9:25. Drowning Mona Everyone tries to kill Bette Midler, and someone succeeds. Too bad we can't find him and give him the million-dollar bounty on her head. At Showcase: 12:40, 2:40, 4:40, 6:40, 8:30, 11:50 (Sat. & Sun. only). At Briarwood: 1, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:50. Holy Smoke (D) Check that ego, come off it, I'm the prophet. I'm teach you bout the joke that they named "Holy Smoke." And it's running from the press, cause the press is always dissing, and Harvey and Kate put their age aside and get busy kissing. Now that smack will help you decide whether or not to go. At State: 2 (Sat. & Sun.), 4:30 (Sat. & Sun.), 7, 9:30. Mission to Mars (D-) You will not like this movie. Especially if you are a grad student. Remember, a D-minus is a bad thing. However, we will soon institute a new grading system featuring F-minus, F- minus-minus, and Q-plus. Now, those are for the really bad movies. At Showcase: 12:15, 1:15, 1:45, 2:50, 4:15, 4:45, 5:15, 6:45, 7:15, 7:45, 9:10, 9:40, 10:10, 11:30 (Sat. & Sun. only), 12 (Sat. & Sun. only), 12:30 (Sat. & Sun. only). At Briarwood: 1:30, 4:20, 7:10, 10. My Dog Skip (B+) A cute puppy doggy movie leaves a warm, fuzzy feeling in your stomach, not unlike the sensation you get when you eat a can of Alpo. At Showcase: 12:55, 3:05, 5:05, 7:35. At Briarwood: 12:40, 2:50, 5, 7:20, 9:30. The Next Best Thing (D) Evidently, Madonna having sex with a gay man is not a good idea to put on film. Who'woul- da thunk it? At Showcase: 12:05, 2:20, 4:35, 6:50, 9. At Briarwood; 1:40, 4:30, 7, 9:40. The Ninth Gate (C-) If this movie taught me one thing, it's to wear a helmet when investigating rare books. Or maybe that the best time to have sex is after you burn the villain alive. At Showcase: 1:05, 4:05, 7:05, 9:20, 9:50, 11:55 (Sat. & Sun. only), 12:25 (Sat. & Sun, only). Pitch Black (B-) Skip "Mission to Mars" and see Vin Diesel kick ass and take names. At Showcase: 5:30, 10:20. 12:25 (Sat. & Sun. only). Reindeer Games (C) Ben Affleck dresses like Santa Claus to rob a casino. Hilarity ensues. That or gunplay. At Showcase: 1:20, 3:35, 8:05, 11:15 (Sat. & Sun. only). Scream 3 (B) Nothin' but making the sucker in you equal, don't be another sequel. At Showcase: 10:30, 12:35 (Sat. & Sun. only). The Sixth Sense (A-) Prepare a list for what you need before you signaaway the deed. it's not gonna stop, it's not gonna stop, it's not gonna stop, til you wise up. Get a clue folks, it's not that good. At Showcase: 12:50, 3:10, 7:55. Snow Day They're trying to hype it as a teen love flick. Maybe they should have promoted it as a "count the warts on Chris Elliot's face" flick. At Showcase: 12:10, 2:05, 5:35. At Briarwood: 1:10, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15. Sweet and Lowdown (B+) Woody Allen's latest stars Sean Penn as a jazz musi- cian. At State: 1:30 (Sat. & Sun.), 7:30 Three Strikes A guy is paroled from jail, but hasto avoid his third strike or he will go to jail for life as a non-violent offend- er. Remember, this is a comedy. At Showcase: 5:45, 10:25, 12:25 (Sat. & Sun. only). The Tigger Movie Kanga. Roo and the gang toke it up with everyone's favorite Rastafarian, Tigger. Just kidding. At Showcase: 12 p.m. Tumbleweeds (B+) It's nominated for an Oscar, so get in gear and see it. At State: 4 (Sat. & Sun.), 9:45. The Whole Nine Yards (C+) A dentist and a hitman team up with hilarious conse- quences. At Showcase: 12:35, 2:45, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30, 11:45 (Sat. & Sun. only). At Briarwood: 12:50, 3, 5:10, 7:40, 10. Wonder Boys (B-) Think "Dead Poet's Society," but with sex and pot smoking. (Cool, man.) Now start thinking of some wonder boys - Gabe Kapler, Allen Iverson, W.H. Macy, Michael Penn, Denny Franklin and my main man Dixon. Check that ego. come off it. At Showcase: 12:30, 3:15, 7:25, 9:35, 11:40 (Sat. & Sun. only). Thursday CAMPUS CINEMA 38th Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival The Michigan Theater hosts this festival of independent and 16mm films. Today's events: Screenings at 7, 8, 9:30, and 11 p.m. Tickets are either $7, 12/2 shows, or $50 for the week. Technology discus- sion at 10 a.m. Free children's program at 11:45 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Q & A sessions with directors (free). Juror Anne Marie Fleming will give a free presentation on experimental animation at 3 p.m. There is also an 8 p.m. animation show for $5. 603 E. Liberty. MUSIC Ani Di Franco, Greg Brown, Gillian Welch Three well-regarded folk artists perform acoustic sets for all to enjoy. Hill Auditorium. 7:30 p.m. $25. 763-TKTS. U-M Jazz Combos U-M's best jazz groups show what they've got. Rackham Auditorium. 8 p.m. Free. 764-2538. THEA TER The Baker's Wife This Basement Arts pro- duction of the 1970s era musical by Steven Schwartz tells the story of a young French woman looking for happi- ness in love. Arena Theater, Frieze Building. 11 p.m. Free. 764-6800. The Ride Down Mt. Morgan Arthur Miller's first full-length play in ten years tells the story of a man who married to two women, who cause his prosperous life to fall apart when they discover each other. Performance Network, 408 W. Washington. 8 p.m. Special Preview Show: pay-what-you-can. 663-0681. Once on This Island The Young People's Theater presents this Caribbean version of "The Little Mermaid," with reggae and pop music. Ann Arbor Civic Theatre's Playhouse, 2275 Platt. 7:30 p.m. $8, $6 students. 971-7207. Daughter of the Regiment U-M Opera Theater presents Donizetti's opera about French soldiers in the Napoleonic era and their water girl Maria. Mendelssohn Theater, Michigan League. 8 p.m. $18, $14, $7 students. 764-0450. ALTERNA TIVES Henry Greenbaum and George Wise Holocaust survivor and liberator share their powerful stories, followed by Q & A. Part of the 21st Annual Conference on the Holocaust. Sallinger Resource Center, 3040 Frieze Building, 105 S. State. 12 p.m. Free. 769-0500. Alice Mattison A fiction reading by the author of "Men Giving Money," "Women Yelling" and her latest novel, "The Book Borrower." Part of the UM Visiting Writers Series. Rackham Amphitheatre, 915 E. Washington. 5 p.m. Free. 647- 6471. Eric Johnson The auhor reads from his book "The Nazi Terror: The Gestapo, Jews and Ordinary Germans." Shaman Drum Bookshop, 311 S. State. 8 p.m. Free. 662-7404. Classic Books, Classic Movies Russ Collins of Michigan Theater talks about classic books that became classic movies. Ann Arbor District Library Northeast Branch, 2713 Plymouth. 7:30 p.m. Free. 996-3180. Bob LaPlante Author discusses his book "The Ten Million Mile Man." Borders Books & Music, 612 E. Liberty. 7 p.m. By Matthew Barrett Daily Fldm Eilor Let's face it. these days the prospect of going to the movies seems pretty bleak. You've. already seen all the Oscar-nominated movies and are now forced to satisfy your movie cravings by either seeing "American Beauty" or "Maenolia" for the fourth time (which could be worse) or bide week, M i c h Theater1 the hs a n has the your time sitting through tripe like "Mission To Mars." Well, this 38th Ann Arbor Film Festival Michigan Theater Through Sunday Germany this ycar.) Honcyman was part of a screening committee of five which, every night for six weeks, viewed the 380 short films aspirants submitted to the festi- val Eventually, the committee voted on the films for the festival, settling on 114 different films (most of them short films of length less than your average sitcom) that will be screened throughout the event. Although many films didn't make the screening cut, all entries are eligi- ble for the awards that the festival hands out, which range from Best of the Festival to Most Promising Filmmaker. Several awards are spon- sored by individuals or companies; these include the Lawrence Kasdan Award (Best Narrative Film), the Michael Moore Award (Best Documentary Film) and the Tio's Red Hot & Spicy Award (presented at the judging panel's discretion). Honeyman also said it's not uncom- mon for the jurors to select a film that's not being screened for an award. Choosing the awards won't be easy, but it's left up to the festival's jurors - Portia Cobb. Ann Marie Fleming and Matthias Muller all of whom are respected filmmakers in their own right. "I've been doing this for a long time, so I know who the makers are out there. So I look for people with cure for what ails you - the 38th Ann Arbor Film Festival. The festival. which kicked off courtesy of NewL ine Cinema Julia Roberts, as "Erin Brockovich," and Albert Finney team up to bust toxic polluters. th is past Free. 668-7652. (248) 645-6666. Tuesday and continues through this Sunday, pro- vides a forum for filmmakers to showcase their 16-millimeter work. According to Vicki Honeyman. who'sdin her 13th year as festival director, the Ann Arbor Film Festival is a place for "16-millimeter experi- mental filmmakers from around the world." (The festival includes film- makers representing England and From left, Kent Moorman, Lucy and Allie Eckstein in a scene from Rek Art Video "Beverly Buchanan." This video explores artist Beverly Buchanan's child- hood in the American South and shows the process of building miniature shacks. Media Room, U-M Museum of Art. 7:30 p.m. Free. 764-0395. Gallery Talk Dr. Richard Edwards, Professor Emeritus of Far Eastern Art, will share his knowledge and perspective on "The Orchid Pavilion Gathering"aexhib- it, in Space, Time, and the Personal Brush in Chinese Painting. West Gallery, U-M Museum of Art. 12:10 p.m. Free. 764-0395. Friday CAMPUS CINEMA 38th Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival Today's events: Screenings at 7, 8, 9:30, and 11 p.m. Tickets are either $7, 12/2 shows, or $50 for the week. Free Film Jams discussion and Q & A at 10 a.m. Juror Matthias Muller presents experi- mental works for free at 3 p.m. There is a narrative show at 8 p.m. for $5. 603 E. Liberty. The Exorcist (1973) A truly freaky movie that proves two things: A) Little girls are scary when they vomit green sludge like a fire hose and B) Jesuit priests are tough little clerics. Brought to you by M-Flicks. At Nat Sci. 7 & 9:30 p.m. $3. A Mongolian Tale (1995) A young Mongolian boy grows up with a foster family, changing his life forever. Viewed best with Mongolian Barbecue and Mongolian beer. Angell Hall Aud A, 8 p.m. Free. MUSIC Amazin' Blue One of the University's more reputable a cappella groups performs in their spring concert. Rackham Auditorium. 8 p.m. $6. 763-TKTS. H20 Brings their sound to Detroit with spe- cial guests Kill Your Idols and Saves The Day. St. Andrew's, Detroit. 5:30 p.m. $10. WASP They appear with their very special guests the Impotent Sea Snakes. don't tell me that doesn't sound interesting. State Theatre, Detroit. 7:30 p.m. $15. (248) 645-6666. DJ Cash Money Old school Philly DJ takes his 1s and 2s on the road. St. Andrew's, Detroit. 10 p.m. $6. (248) 645-6666. THEA TER Love's Fire This show is performed by the R.C. Players. R.C. Auditorium, East Quad Dormitory. 8 p.m. $5, $3 students. Godspell MUSKET presents this rock and 60s youth culture-influenced show of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. Power Center, 121 Fletcher Street. 8 p.m. $12, $7 students, seniors, youths. 763-1107. Elise This Basement Arts production of a new musical tells the story of a woman trapped by the changing society of corpo- rate America. Arena Theater, Frieze Building. 11 p.m. Free. 764-6800. The Ride Down Mt. Morgan Arthur Miller's first full-length play in ten years tells the story of a man who is married to two women, who cause his life to fall apart when they discover each other. Performance Network, 408 W. Washington. 8 p.m. $18. 663-0681. Once on This Island The Young People's Theaternpresents this Caribbean version of "The Little Mermaid," with reggae and pop music. Ann Arbor Civic Theatre's Playhouse, 2275 Platt. 7:30 p.m. $8, $6 students. 971-7207. Daughter of the Regiment U-M Opera Theater presents Donizetti's opera about French soldiers in the Napoleonic era and their water girl Maria. Mendelssohn Theater, Michigan League. 8 p.m. $18. $14, $7 students. 764-0450. ALTERNATIVES Maestro All Akbar Khan This living mas- ter of Indian classical music performs on the sarod instrument, accompanied by strong reputations, who I think would be interesting in a group together and would have interesting impacts on what's awarded," Honevman said. All the jurors have a good deal of experi- ence working in 16-millimeter. The films selected for awards will be shown at three separate screenings on Sunday. Along with the varied slate of films submitted by more experienced film- makers, the festival will be screening films made by local middle and high school students as part of an outreach program to the community. The stu- dents, who shot and edited their films on 16-millimeter film, were helped along by Alfonso Alvarez, a filmmak- er from San Francisco. Alvarez spent six weeks teaching students the ways of film production and then helping them along with their work. There will be two special screenings for the students' work - Thursday at 11:45 a.m. and Saturday at I I a.m. Now Alvarez has another reason to be back in Ann Arbor - he has a film of his own showing at the festival. "Flip Film" is a flip-book style animation piece which Alvarez directed along with Ellen Ugelstad. Honeyman said the festival pro- vides viewers with see some non-main the big screen. "It's experience to see wo on the screen. You < an opportunity to elsewhere," Honeynr got animation, exp mentary, narrative ar ple world premieres "We've also got a fun screenings --- o shown in Cinemascc is with live organ another film is in 3 will be distributed al it's just a really fun totally different t Showcase." Honeyman is also future of a festival v has showcased the directors including Brian DePalma and (who went on to di: Hunting"). "16 (millimeter fil disappearing. It's strong and viable me to use and what I s that people are really able to still use it, evc Get your arts events Listed. Call Toyin or Jeff at7763-0379. 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. 'ourtesy of Walter Rosent "Girl On a Swing" and many other off-the-beaten path innovations will play the festiv. etC. Editors: Toyin Akinmusuru, Jeff Druchnt Writers: Matthew Barrett, Leslie Boxer, Steve Gertz, Chris Kula, Photo Editors: Jessica Johnson, Dana Linnane, David Rochkind. Photographers: Louis Brown, Relah Eckstein, Walter Rosenblum, Cover: Scene from "Why I Hate Bees," a film by Sarah Abbott, p Managing Arts Editor: Christopher Cousino Associate Arts Editors: Gabe Fajuri, Chris Kula. Editor in Chief: Mike Spahn