shakes at the Michigan
As if Hanlet weren't enough, Kenneth
Branagh directs a version of "Los 's
Labours Lost." Michigan Theatrr, 9:30
THURSDAY
tmichigandaily.com/arts SEPTEMBER 7, 20001 3 A
*'Bring it On" makes
for a pleasantly
teasing teen comedy
y Leslie Boxer We are introduced to Torrance as she
ly Arts Writer takes over the role of team captain for
the Toros, a five-tine national-cheer-
I jump! You can look but don't leading championship squad - one
you hump. I'm major. I roar. I swear which unfortunately, and unbeknownst
in not a whore. We cheer as we to its team members, has stolen all of
ead. We act like we re on speed its cheers from the East Compton
Hate us 'cause we're beautiful - but Clovers. The Clovers have never
we don't like you either We're cheer- received their rightful recognition as
leaders! We are cheerleaders" the better athletes, dancers and cheer-
This cheer, from the opening leaders because they are a mostly
* quence of "Bring It On," is a African-American squad from a lower
cheerleader's dream -- it is sassy, socio-cconormic neighborhood. "Bring
energetic and It On" never directly addresses the
well choreo- issues of race, which are hinted at in
g r a p h e d . pitting the two teams against one
F o r t u ~a t e I y, another, and this falls right in line with
Bring It these sentiments its light-hearted approach.
On are also true of The Clovers confront the Toros leav-
1 the film as a ing the remainder of the film to be
Grade: B whole. "Bring It structured as a sports movie. And as
At Showcase On" is a witty with "Rocky," "Hoosiers" and "Rudy,"
andQualty 16 high school the audience must stand behind the '
satire that offers Toros, even in the face of adversity, as
more toe-tap- they fight to win the national cheerlead- Kirsten Dunst leads a team of sassy che
ping fun than ing championship.
your average Unable to use their current reper- Toros in a bit of a scandal. Luckily,
teenage comedy toire of routines, the Toros must the team gets to go to the National
It is precisely quickly assemble sontethin- new for Championship because they are the
scenes like the the regional conpetition. This is defending champions. It is at this
opener, in which the cheerleaders are accomplished with the help of pro- point that Kirsten Dunst, leading her
using wit to mock themselves, that fessional choreographer Sparkv "cheerocracy," motivates her team to
make Jessica Bendinger's script a Polastri (lan Roberts) - envision create a worthy opposition to the
winner. Bob Fosse with a serious attitude. By Clovers
The film never presumes to be far, this is one of the sharpest scenes It is fair to assume that like any
more than a see-me-in-a-little-skirt- in the movie. Sparkv, who tells his teen movie, fron) the days of John
with-toned-abs teen comedy, yet it youtng protegds that "cheerleaders Hughes onward, "Bring It On" has a
has appeal for audiences of all ages. are like dancers who've gone retard- romantic angle. Torrance falls for
This is due in no small part to ed," convinces the Toros that they Cliff (Jesse Bradford) a new student
Kirsten D-U-N-S-T, Dunst's perfect will win regionals if they just use who favors The Clash and reading to
portrayal of Torrance Shippman, the their "spirit fingers" (read, shaking Friday night pep rallies. Of course,
perky and effervescent Rancho hands). Cliff soon changes his mind and
Grande High School cleerleading Needless to say, their routine does- becomes smitten with Torrance.
captain. n't fly at regionals and even lands the Unfortunately, Torrance has a sexu-
omecoming show 'rocks' out at
ob Brode.
'Arts Writer
Who doesn't love a cowboy? Th' nod-
em day cowboy, Kid Rock, has traded in
leather chaps for Ben Davis slacks, a'
nged vest for fur coats, and the tradi-
tional trusty steed
for a glittery red,
white and blue
Harley which he
Kid Rock used to make his
entrance last
Pine Knob Thursday at Pine
Knob. And that
Aug. 31, 2000 was just an appe-
tizer to the glitz
and "country couritesy of Ros uode
glamour" Kid Kid Rock played to a sold out crowd at Pine Knob last week.
Rock had in store After touring all summer on Joe C., the Twisted Brown Trucker band,
for the crowd. Metallica's Summer Sanitarium tour, the and the exotic dancers strategically posi-
With two major Trailer Park King set out on his own for tioned on each side of the stage, the Kid
label releases in a one month jaunt around the country Rock entourage put on a stage show
the past two years finishing with three sold out shows in ]Is even Kiss would admire. A 100 foot
selling more units than a Columbian hometown of Detroit. The self-pro- American flag served as a backdrop
drug lord, it came as no surprise that Kid claimed "Stone Cold Pimp of the while a flashing sign bore The Kid's.
Rock's homecoming shows at Pine Knob Nation" was not about to disappoint his Confetti dropped as flames at least twice
sold out hours after going on sale. hometown fans. Along with kimosabe Joe C's height blazed on stage. Old
arleaders in "Bring It On."
ally ambiguous ex-cheerleader
boyfriend that she must get rid of
before having any kind of relatiiisx
with Cliff - all of this in the midst
of reforming her squad. Torrance
Shippman - you're my hero!
Kirsten Dunst makes this movie. Her
range of emotion and her tummy
revealing outfits make her a powerful
young actress. This film is fun and def-
initely a vast improvement on the other
teen rsovies of late.
One last bit of advice - stay and
watch the closing credits. They are
filled with blooper outtakes and an
absolutely perfect use of the cheer-
leaders singing along to Toni Basil's
'80s cheerleading icon "Mickey."
Pe Ko
school English Ds were projected onto
the Backdrop while a disco ball the size
of King Kong's left testicle spun in the
background. The eye candy was abun-
dant, and so was the music.
Before the night ended, the Kid had
sung, rapped, played guitar, spun,
played drums, and still found the time
to grab his crotch more times than
Michael Jackson ever could in two
hours and headbang with more intensi-
ty than a mulleted Pantera fan in
Kentucky with two forties in his belly.
The Kid even managed to belt out out
all the hits from his nine time platinum
album "Devil Without a Cause"
including a twangy rendition of "Only
God Knows Why."
In between songs he took time to
preach against the evils of "manufac-
tured BS," such as N' Sync, Backstreet
Boys, Christina Aguilera, and Britney
Spears, give a.brief tutorial on cunnelin-
gus, and like any gracious host thanked
his guests for coming. After it was all
over Rock told the crowd to "have a
good night," but by the looks on the
faces in the crowd, they already had.
B3ook needs
maj r'rescue
The front flap of Rescue Me pro- love," she says, "he smelled like a nibn
claims Gigi Levangie Grazer to be a ... there were no two ways about it."
"celebrated Hollywood screenwriter," Judging by the language she uses,
while she is only credited to the Grazer is not concerned with keeping
screenplay "Stepmom," which was, cheesiness to a minimum.
with its sappy lines and dull plot, pre- The plot is jerky. It is told from the
dictable and trite. Yet somehow Rescue viewpoint of all six characters, and the
Me, Grazer's first novel, makes twists are thrown into the novel in such
"Stepmom" look a way as to make them unbelievable.
like an absolute James, Amanda's first boyfriend,
X43 masterpiece. reveals a murder totally out of 1lft
Rescue The plot is so- field in about two paragraphs, never'to
Me so. Amanda is a be addressed again.
twenty-something Besides this, all of the characters
Grade: D living in L.A. with except Amanda are flat and banal: Her
Gigi Levangi Grazer her dysfunctional brother is a drug-dealing loser; her
family. Her moth- boyfriend is an ambitious lowlife, her
simonandSchuster er deserts the fans- boss is an alcoholic misogynist, her
Reviewed by ily, her brother mother is a flake and her love is a vision
Daily Books Editor deals drugs and of perfection.
Gina Hamadey their house is a The love that the entire book is
decrepit mess. based around comes out of nowhere
Amanda is forced and is explained only by Amanda
to take care of her describing Gabe's shoulders and hand
brother's neglect- and gentle nature and he recounting
ed son. She is get- the color of her hair and by procla n-
ting payed mini- ing, over and over again, that he loves
mum wage her. There is no courting period anc
answering phones for a talk show, only very little conversation.
to be sexually harassed by the host. Besides hackneyed, cheesy lines
To top it all off, her long-time ("Gabe did not have the benefit of a
boyfriend just went across the cout- university education-but he had wis-
try to Harvard Law School. doms that could not be taught"), Grazer
Despite all ofAmanda's problems and does not have much of a writing style.
responsibilities, she finds the time to fall In fact, her writing is at approx-
in love with a handsome mystery man. mately a fourth grade level. She also
Amanda tends to
is constant- -,overdo it o
1 y descriptions
described making her
as being prose wordy
witty and ,and annoy-
sarcastic. ing: "Large,
But she brown arms"'
d o e s n,' t and "expert-
make any ly flipped
witty or cinnamon-
sarcastic colored pan-
emarks.cakes.
Instea, sheOn the 61.
whines her s i d e
w a y Aman d p,
through the though notas
novel about clever as
her terrible Grazer says,
life and is a touching
being an and identifi-
a ve r a g e, able charac-
chubby girl ter. Also,
in silicone- once the read-
i n d u c e d er gets past
L o s the glaring
Angeles. faults of this
W h a t's book, the
more, she reading is
says things easy. Reading
I i k e , "Rescue Me"
"C'mon," is like watch-
"Yep, let's ing a soap
go to it" and "Hasta la vista, Babeec!" opera in its incredulous plot, horrible
When she meets Gabe, her "true dialogue and its guiltily addicting nature.
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