"Much Ado About Everything"
Master of cranky Jewish obser
v itional humor Jackie Mason
brings his schtick to Detroit's
Second City tonight. 7:30 p.m.
michigandaily.com /arts
2 1a L i t ji g n t g
RTS
TUESDAY
MARCH 27, 2001
'Caveman's Valentine'
tries too hard for
artsticjazzy 'appeal
Princeton Review aids
in med school research
By Melissa Penrice
For the Daily
You have survived Organic Chem-
istry, Physics and the MCAT, so now it's
By Matthew Barrett
Daily Arts Writer
Tom Hanks drew a great deal of
attention and acclaim for the hiatus he
took in the middle of filming "Cast
Away" to dump a few pounds, grow out
his hair and stinki
a JN
The
Caveman's
Valentine
Grade: C+
At State
atop the mountain
up any awards show
that he attended.
Hanks' beard
received almost
as much praise as
the actor's perfor-
mance, which
earned him yet
another Oscar
nomination. Just
this past week-
end, while a
clean-shaven
Hanks was chill-
ing at the Acade-
my Awards, he
was displaced
of movie hair by the
many in New York City as the Caveman,
finds outside of the cave that he lives in
on Valentine's Day.
Romulus is quite an interesting char-
acter to center a film around - he's a
talented piano player who dropped out
of Julliard and chooses to live in a cave
rather than conform to the ways of soci-
ety. He also suffers from a variety of
visions, which he calls "brain
typhoons' and it's because of this that
we're never quite sure whether or not to
trust what comes out of his mouth.
Romulus gets much of his information
from watching a television set that isn't
plugged in and believes that he is being
spied on by a mysterious being who
lives above the city. Other characters
have similar issues of whether or not to
believe Romulus and the police decline
to pursue the leads he digs up on the
murder case.
Needless to say, Romulus is headed
down the right path in the investigation,
but it takes him and us a fair amount of
time to figure out who's behind the mur-
der. The best parts of the movie come
when Romulus scratches at the truth and
the story dares us to believe that he's
onto something. The film's conclusion,
which should catch the majority of
viewers off-guard, does a nice job of
tying together all of the story's loose
Princeton
Review: The
Best Medical
Schools
Malaika Stoll
Grade: A
Random House
time to sit back
and let someone
else do some of
the hard work.
The Princeton
Review's "The
Best Medical
Schools: 2000
Edition" contains
comprehensive
information about
all areas of the
medical school
application
process, to allow
potential appli-
.ou.syof Universal, riures
Homeless Romulus Ledbetter (Jackson) tells a detective that the path of the righteous
man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyrrany of evil men.
While the college profile section
serves as a definite asset of the "guide,
the most useful and unique segtioh of
"The Best Medical Schools" advis$ the
reader on each element of the applica-
tion process. From tips for a succssful
interview, to possible sources of finan-
cial aid, to advice for the "nontradifion-
al" student, the Princeton Revie~as
created an excellent resource to guide
pre-med students through the"often
overwhelming medical school ica-
tion process, by clearly prepaiii the
reader for each step.
The Princeton Review, known&)rits
publication of relevant and usef i~.4des
to undergraduate and graduante ro-
grams, has once again succeede in
publishing a credible resource for ir-
ing students in "The Best M(77al
Schools"
N.: :::
q5.y x N
ends and also allows Romulus a chance
at redemption in his own eyes and
those of his daughter (who's a police
officer working on the dead body case).
Jackson is his usual stellar self in the
role although he looks pretty ridiculous
with his hair and beard job. And other
than Jackson, there aren't really any
recognizable faces in the cast (save
Anthony Michael Hall in a brief role)
and this works to the movie's advan-
tage. The use of unknowns allows us to
concentrate more on the characters and
rather than the performances of the
actors. The cast blends seamlessly into
the story, just as they should.
Director Kasi Lemmons ("Eve's
Bayou") goes to great lengths to take
us into Romulus' mind, showing us
some of the demons that he fights to
make it through each day. From the
film's beginning we are met with a bar-
rage of twisted images which really
overstay their welcome. Lemmons
wants to make things a little more artis-
tic than they needs to be and this ends
up being the film's main flaw. It feels
like she'll never just let a scene play
out before us, there always has to be
something that sets each scene apart
from the norm. Lemmons has the mak-
ings of a great film at her fingertips,
and yet her desire to dress things up
with jarring cuts and jazzy images pre-
vents "The Caveman's Valentine" from
being even a good film.
ferocious collection of dreadlocks and
equally impressive beard sported by
Samuel L. Jackson in the new film "The
Caveman's Valentine"
Unruly mops aside, "The Caveman's
Valentine" is a murder-mystery which
centers on the investigation of a dead
body that Romulus (Jackson), known to
cants to begin their school-searching
task with confidence.
"The Best Medical Schools" offers
easily accessible information about the
majority of the nation's medical schools.
Each college description is divided into
five subcategories, allowing the reader
to gain a general overview of the school,
statistics about GPAs and MCAT scores,
admissions policies, cost, the availabili-
ty of financial aid and student life. The
book's organization provides the reader
with a good sense of whether or not par-
ticular schools should be a possible
option, after simply browsing through
the pages.
courtesy of Randon ouse
PS2's Tiple Play'
aims for fences
By Matt Grandstaff
Daily Arts Writer
Ahhh, springtime is finally here! It's that time of year
when students are having barbeques, girls are
wearing less clothes, guys are watching _
hoops and of course, everyone is checkingW
out the latest baseball "
{.. ~- games on the Playsta-
Grade: B tion 2. Leading off for$
the new videogame
Triple Play baseball season, "Triple
Baseball Play Baseball."
"Triple Play Base-
For Playstation 2 ball" on Playstation 2
Electronic Arts brings a fresh start to a
series that was getting
quite repetitive. One of
the nice changes for the new title is the title
itself. Unlike other baseball games due out this year
("High Heat 2002" and "All-Star Baseball 2002"), EA
dropped the year 2002, which never made sense since the
upcoming season takes place completely in 2001. In addi-
tion to the less confusing title, "Triple Play Baseball"
boasts great graphics, top-notch commentary by Sean
McDonough and Buck Martinez and amazing crowd
effects (where you might hear a fan say, "You suck, Mar-
tinez!").
Fortunately, "Triple Play Baseball" is not just a rehashed
version of previous efforts on the Playstation like the crap
989 Sports throws out every year. No sir, "Triple Play" is
loaded with new features. For starters, the game takes full
advantage of the Dual Shock 2 controller. In both the field
and on the mound, throw speed is determined by how much
pressure is applied to the analog buttons. This new feature
gives gainers a better sense of realism while
playing. Additionally, "Triple Play" has a new
pitcher/batter interface which makes learning
how to hit and pitch a breeze.
Finally the different game modes in EA's
latest baseball game boost the game's replay
value. Season mode is a blast as it features
the entire 162 game season full of stats, while
f' the Big League Challenge Mode lets you see
who is the greatest homer hitter of all.
Speaking of hits, "Triple Play Baseball" is
entertaining as the game plays at a fast pace
with lots of offense. The only flaws to the
gameplay is that fielding takes a little while to
get used to, as most hits to the outfield are
difficult to field.
Gainers who are not in favor of this arcade style should
look to Acclaim's ultra-realistic (slow as molasses) "All-
Star Baseball 2002." But for those who want to play nine
innings in a half-hour, look no further.
'About Joan' offers tir
By Christian Smith
For the Daily
In 1997's satisfying gem "In and
Out," Joan Cusack plays a beleaguered
fiancee whose husband is outed as a
gay man. In the film, Cusack demon-
What
About Joan
ABC
Tonight at 9:30
. j
- lt
strates impecca-
ble comic timing
'to accompany her
energetic perfor-
mance. She was
rewarded with an
Academy Award
nomination for
Best Supporting
Actress.
Somewhere
amidst Cusack's
transformation
from film actress
to television star,
that comic timing
either. It is chocked full of recycled
television actors. Kyle Chandler, from
CBS' "Early Edition," plays Joan's
television obsessed boyfriend, Jake.
Jessica Hecht, who is put to much
better use as Susan on "Friends," stars
here as Betsy, one of Joan's best
friends, as well as a fellow teacher.
Wallace Langham, whose resume
ranges from the biting "The Larry
Sanders Show" to the pointless drivel,
"Veronica's Closet, also stars as a
teacher. Also on board is Kellie
Shangyne Williams, best known as
Laura Winslow on "Family Matters,"
as another teacher that tries to bond
with Joan.
The pilot episode includes a deci-
sion of dealing with a marriage pro-
posal, a device used far too often in
ed cliches
series premieres, (see "Friencds,"
"Will & Grace"), as well as an'lf'air,
which is not exactly innovative .writ-
ing. It is surprising to see Brodks,
who is responsible for some of;the
most successful television shows in
history, with "The Mary Tyler Moore
Show" and "The Simpsons," le'dhis
talent to a show whose high-point
incorporates the phrase 'emotional
premature ejaculator.'
The overall message of this 1w
seems to be that Cusack shouldstick
to supporting film roles. If youwant
to see a show about the intimate.lives
of women, where the complexity and
endurance of female friendships is
not confined by the restrictions of ret-
work television, then watch "S ind
the City."
_. - .
is lost. In "What About Joan," Cusack's
first foray into the situation comedy, she
maintains the quirky neurosis that made
her so lovable in "In and Out," but what
was off-the-wall is now incomprehensi-
ble foolishness. Instead of erratic and
endearing, we get irrational and irritat-
ing.
Cusack portrays Joan Gallagher, a
high school teacher who looks to her
two best friends for daily advice on
men, sex, dating and life in general.
How original! Shot entirely on location
in Chicago, and executive-produced by
James L. Brooks, the show features a
formulaic plot, predictable jokes and
dreadful delivery.
The supporting cast is hardly original
Courtesy of AU
Kyle Chandler and Joan Cusack are too cute for TV In ABC's "About Joan." Aw WK .
,r p