10A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 6, 2001

ARTS

4


Fall grab bag boasts varied new albums
from the 'King of Pop' to Tenacious D

By Luke Smith
Daily Music Editor
The Vernal Equinox hasn't set upon
us - it isn't yet time for the "Fall
Back" time change - and one day
removed from the summer wrap, it's
on to the previews. Summer album
season has passed and the songs that
drove albums up the charts are gone.
Radio listening will decline and for
some reason or another consumerism
will rise. Stockings will be stuffed
with the finest of care in hopes that
your (and my) favorite Christian rock
crossover band will soon be there. But
sadly, I already have Human Clay
(two copies) and My Own Prison (One
U.S. copy, one Japanese import, with
the bonus track "Jesus loves the Chris-
tian Rock") so what do I have to look
forward to in the forthcoming
months?
A host of CDs galore, of course.
What you won't find in the Fall Pre-
view is a listing for Nirvana's box set,

{

because Courtney Love, ex-wife of
frontman Kurt Cobain, is refusing to
let the box set be released on account
of Geffen's (now Interscope's) unfair
artist treatment. She claims to be the
new "president of Geffen" because
she holds the key to the Nirvana Box
Set.
Thankfully, we won't have a new
Weezer album in the fall as the band is
(hopefully) going to work on some
tracks to suitably follow up Pinkerton
(being that their "Green Album" most
certainly did not). We won't have a
new Janet album, as All For You has
been on the shelves for less than six
months, but we will be hearing from
another member of the prestigiously
notorious Jacko clan.
It may not all be good, as certainly
most of it will be bad but there is a
host of new music on tap for the fall
season here's a sampling.
Ben Folds Rockin' the Suburbs -
Tentatively called "Ben Folds Fired"
or "Thriller" at press time seven
months ago showing the lead singer is
less than smarting over the Five's
breakup last year. Folds plays most of
the instruments on the album and has
been appearing live with a backup
band and Ben tickling the ivories.

Weird Al directed the video for the
title track, a single which changes
gears notoriously and sounds like it
could be some of Folds' best material,
rivaling "Underground" from the
Five's self-titled debut.
They Might Be Giants Mink Car
- The Giants re-team with the same
production crew that engineered their
1990 album Flood, which is generally
considered to be their finest work, the
Giants will be on tour this fall and
will make a pit stop in Ann Arbor
along the way.
Macy Gray The ID - The
scratchy-voiced English diva returns. I
wouldn't be expecting too much out of
this one though folks. I think the nico-
tine is gonna start getting to her vocal
chords sooner than later.
Live V - Live's latest album
entwines the Indian influences that
Live has embraced so strongly with
the same style guitar-rock, all capped
off with a series of electronic warbles
thrown in for good measure. The first
single "Simple Creed" features trip-
hopster Tricky taking the mic. It's not
a good thing.
Tenacious D Tenacious D - JB
and KG from the HBO mini-cuts a
few years ago have finally finished
their long awaited album. Originally
titled Grammy Time, the D's blend of
wangling acoustic guitars and
dick/fart jokes make for more than a
fair share of laughs. Jack Black has
put his film career on pause to give his

fans the D. The first single off the
album "F*ck Her Gently" hasn't yet
made a mark on radio, but the witty
ditty will probably do some damage at
some point.
Michael Jackson Invincible -
Scheduled - delayed - scheduled -
delayed. It looks like Jackson's record
will drop at the end of October and
industry insiders have said he's invent-
ed a whole new genre of music in the
brief clips they've been treated too.
Whether or not inventing a whole new
genre of music is good or bad is yet to
see.
Incubus - With no official title at
press time, it is known that Incubus,
creators of the mega-hit "Drive," are
wrapping up work on the follow-up to
their immensely successful Make
Yourself which spawned hit after hit
on the Modern Rock charts. You heard
it here first, Incubus next album will
have a "Drive" rip-off song, just like
Bush remade "Glycerine" on all of
their subsequent albums.
Creed Weather - Slated currently
for sometime in November, just in
time to appear neatly packaged under
the Christmas tree and tentatively
titled Weather, Creed's next album is
expected to be more of the same:
Fence-sitting Christian rock from a
band that God only knows why they
ever got popular. Weather will proba-
bly be a flop and just sell three or four
million copies as opposed to the nine
that Human Clay shipped. Terrible.

Courtesy of (clockwise from left) Sony/Colombia, BMG/Windup, Sony/Epic.
Micheal Jackson (left) won't stop 'till he gets enough. Creed (top right) won't sell
their souls for record sales. Ben folds (bottom right) wishes he had his friends.

Oscar hopefuls, blockbusters rule season

By Andy Taylorfabe
Daily Film Editor

After a relatively bland summer, it is
every movie buff's hope, desire and
basic primal need to see some intelli-
gent, entertaining and just plain fun
movies that satisfy the cinemaphile in
all of us. The following are some of the
more promising films that are being
released this fall.
Zoolander - In this comedy star-
ring Ben Stiller, it is revealed that male
models have been used as patsies for
political assassinations since the days of
Lincoln. Derek Zoolander (Stiller) is the
only one who can save the world from
the evil head of a fashion cartel, led by
Will Ferrell (Sept. 28).
Training Day - The director of
"The Replacement Killers" brings us a
tale of police corruption. Ethan Hawke
is partnered with anti-drug squad sear-
gent Denzel Washington, who is carried
away with his position of power and his
opportunities for illegal activities (Sept.
21).
Big Trouble - Based on columnist
and writer Dave Barry's novel and fea-
turing an all-star cast including Tim
Allen, Denis Farina, Jason Lee and
Stanley Tucci, this crime/action/comedy
V..ErE {rsrx:
:...x.i: :ms,.i'; .,.:..ixvs~:4.ii:~ ... ' ' }nd

film concerns a black market struggle
over a nuclear bomb (Sept. 21).
Novocaine - This dark comedy,
starring Steve Martin, Helena Bonham
Carter, and Laura Dern, has Martin as a
dentist who is caught up in a murder
investiagtion. This film offers Martin a
chance to be part of a more sinister plot
than usual (Oct. 19).
The Last Castle - How would you
like to be a prisoner in a military prison
controlled by a corrupt James Gandolfi-
ni. Robert Redford plays a court-mar-
tialed general who plots an uprising
with the other prisoners (Oct. 12).
Heist - Word wizard David
Mamet's newest film has a familiar plot:
it brings some crooks back for one last
job. Fortunately, an excellent cast, fea-
turing Gene Hackman, Danny Devito,
Delroy Lindo and Mamet regulars
Rebecca Pidgeon and Ricky Jay and
Mamet's direction should save this film
from cliche oblivion (Oct. 26).
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone - Based on the insanely popular
book by J.K. Rowling, this fantasy fol-
lows Harry Potter's first year at the Hog-
warts School , of Witchcraft and
Wizardry. Reportedly, the screenplay is
nearly identical to the book, which
should ensure that the movie appeals to

Free Palm Pilot with qualified purchase!
Artcarved Representative Suzette Mitchell will be at the Michigan Union Bookstore
September 6 - 12, 11-5 pm

Watch the owl as he struggles to lift Harry Potter and take him back to his nest.

the same audience as the book series
(Nov. 16).
Monsters Inc. - Pixar Animation
Studios, the computer animation pio-
neers who brought us "Toy Story," "Toy
Story 2," and "A Bug's Life," now
delves into the world of monsters, who,
after leaving their portal to the bedroom
closets of small children unguarded, are
foreced to deal with a lost little girl. Fea-
tures the voices of Billy Crystal, John
Goodman, Steve Buscemi and James
Coburn (Nov. 2).
Spy Game - Tony Scott ("Enemy of
the State,' "Top Gun") brings brings us
a thriller about a CIA agent (Brad Pitt)
who is imprisoned and must be rescued
by soon to retire aget and mentor Robert
Redford (Nov 21).
The Man Who Wasn't There -
The Coen Brothers return with a film
noir style piece filled with blackmail
and intrigue. Starring Billy Bob Thorn-
ton, Frances McDormand, James Gan-
dolfini and Tony Shalhoub (Nov. 2).
The One - In the future, an evil Jet
Li grows stronger as he kills alternate
versions of himself. Jason Stratham
("Snatch") and Delroy Lindo also star.
The role, originally meant for WWF star
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jet Li's
benevolent and malevolent characters
do battle with extensive special effects

and wire fighting (Nov. 2).
Gangs of New York - Martin
Scorsese's crime drama set in the 1860s
stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo
DiCaprio, Liam Neeson and Cameron
Diaz. Hopefully this will signify an end
of the teeny-bopper run for DiCaprio
(Dec. 21).
The Fellowship of the Ring - The
long awaited screen version of the first
book in J.R. Tolkien's classic trilogy has
a promising cast and breathtaking
scenery and special effects. Without
jinxing it, what could possibly go
wrong? Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood
star as Gandalf the Grey and hobbit
Frodo Baggins, respectively (Dec. 19).
The Majestic - Frank Darabont,
the director of "The Green Mile" and
"The Shawshank Redemption" heads
this film starring Jim Carrey (in a
Jimmy Stewart like role) as a blacklisted
screenwriter in the 1950s who suffers
memory loss and settles down in a Bed-
ford Falls style town (Dec. 21).
The Royal Tenebaums - Wes
Anderson, the brains behind "Bottle
Rocket" and "Rushmore," brings us
another promising film starring Gene
Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth
Paltrow, Bill Murray and Ben Stiller. It
centers on a family's reunion after their
father leaves (Dec. 21).

James Gandolfini (right) dares Billy Bob Thornton to make a Tony Soprano joke.

4


I

m

El

J