Monday April 7, 2003 michigandai*y.com mae@michigandaily.com ARTS 5A vm-7mmm= 'Phone Booth' almost redeems Schumacher By Zach Mabee Daily Arts Writer Courtesy of Merge The Tigers actually had a lead. I know, but who cares. Let's just keep playing. I like your hat. It's easy to have rancor towards director Joel Schumacher, considering the fact that he was largely responsible for the demise of the "Batman" series. While no cinematic feat will ever be capable of absolving such sins, his newest project, "Phone Booth," gives TEXAS' SPOON RETURNS, FINDS NEW FANS IN DETROIT audiences good reason to rekindle their faith in him. Although his techniques were misused in the caped-crusader films, Schumacher has a unique talent Phone Booth At Showcase, Quality 16 and Madstone 20th Century Fox for frenetic camera By Joel M. Hoard Daily Music Editor With their latest album, Kill the Moonlight, receiving critical acclaim and an ever-widening fan base, Texas rock outfit Spoon hit Detroit's Magic Stick last Tuesday with fellow indie act Crooked Fingers. Before the show, Spoon lead singer/guitarist Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno took a break before the show to speak with The Michigan Daily. The Michigan Daily: Kill the Moonlight is less guitar-based than your previous albums. What went into the decision to go into that direc- tion? Britt Daniel: We didn't really have a sit-down kind of decision-making process. A lot of the songs started out with more guitars, and then we changed them, molded them. TMD: How do you guys look at it when you go into the studio? Do you have a plan mapped out when you start recording? BD: We record at Jim's house, so we know all about the equipment. But we don't start recording until we have an idea of where we want songs to go. And that's not to say that we don't change things up or decide that we're, going to scratch that one and completely record another song over it. But usually we'll have thought it out and worked on it quite a bit before we go to work. Jim Eno: We do have the flexibility to try more things. TMD: There's been a big garage rock explo- sion over the last few years and more focus on rock in general. Do you think that has helped you out at all? BD: There a lot of good things that have come from it. The overall scope - where the center is - of music is a lot better now than it was four years ago. Some of these bands I love; some I'm not too crazy about. But at least we're not talking about Limp Bizkit and Korn anymore. JE: And it's great to hear those bands on the radio, too. We're not on the radio, but it's great to hear them. TMD: Where do you guys come from when you write? On Kill the Moonlight I picked up a classic rock vibe a little bit. BD: We're into a lot of classic rock, a lot of punk rock, folk-rock. TMD: I've heard you guys often compared to two acts in particular: Pavement and Elvis Costello. Is there any secret influence that no one has picked up on yet? BD: I don't know ... CCR? TMD: You were recently featured in Rolling Stone. Do you think that was because there was something about that last album that really caught on with people, or was it just a matter of time? BD: I think it was a matter of time. I think all the records are pretty good. JE: It's also been pretty gradual, too. We've been touring our asses off on every record. We have been seeing more and more people come to the shows. How many people were here last time we played? BD: There were like 15 people. We didn't play Detroit for a while because of that. We have a new guy we're working with who said, "Play Detroit again." And then we sold 260 tickets in advance, so we're happy. Visit www.michigandaily.com for a full tran- scipt of this interview. - Daily Arts Writers Andrew Gaerig and Scott Serilla contributed to this article. work and explosive energy. This energy, coupled with an innovative plot, makes "Phone Booth" especially enjoyable. Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) is a suave entertainment publicist who admittedly rubs elbows with the most notable stars; he rises to the top in a business that deems cunning and chicanery virtues. He is married to Kelly (Radha Mitchell), but their busy schedules often prohibit them from seeing one another. To enjoy time spent away from his wife, Stu develops a relationship with Pamela (Katie Holmes), a young, aspiring actress. Stu spends the film's opening 15 minutes cruising the streets of New York, talking on his cell phone and establishing himself as bastard extraor- dinaire. Schumacher uses clever inlay shots of the people on the receiving end and establishes an interactive screen that intensifies the atmosphere and prepares viewers well for the ensuing thrills. At the time of his usual lunch break, Stu diverts to an isolated phone booth in a seedy section of New York. Upon finishing his daily call to his mistress, someone calls the phone booth, and out of sheer curiosity, Stu answers. Kiefer Sutherland's gritty, intriguing voice speaks to Stu, telling him that leaving the phone booth will result in his immi- nent death. From said point onward, Stu is unable to leave the booth. This may seem a difficult task and a potential nuisance, but Farrell plays his role extremely well, and the isolated setting becomes a great strength. Stu's moral shortcomings are revealed in full, as the caller - who is watching Stu from a sniper's perch - harangues him about his sins and crimes against humanity. Stu begins the film a pretentious shark who cares nothing for others, but by the conclu- sion, he is a humbled man seeking to redeem himself in the eyes of all he has wronged. Furthermore, the character of Captain Ramey (Forest Whitaker) experiences a similar relational crisis and helps viewers to sympathize better with Stu. These struggles the characters face are characteristically human and only deepen the poignancy of this film. All things said, the technical strength of "Phone Booth" as a thriller is its strongest asset. The aforementioned frenzied camerawork adds greatly to the confusion, providing the looming enigma of the sniper's whereabouts and makes "Phone Booth" function profi- ciently while striking moral chords uncommon to its genre. Realism adds * human touch to 'Bebop' By John Laughlin Daily Arts Writer MOVIE REVI EW "Cowboy Bebop" is an exciting adventure set in the future where "cow- boys," or bounty hunters, seek out the most wanted criminals. When a suave Spike Spiegel and his cohorts stumble upon a case bigger than ever imagined, the sought prize is no longer money but the fate of the planet. Thinking she is on the trail of a devi- ous hacker, Faye Valentine is witness to a tanker truck explo- _ sion that leaves many dead due to Cowboy an unknown air- Bebop borne virus. Faye At the Michigan notices a man in Theater black but is unable Destination Films to apprehend the perpetrator before he vanishes. She returns to tell others about the incident, and they separate to try and find clues as to who this mystery man is and what exactly happened with the explosion. Seemingly working apart to perhaps gain the monetary reward themselves, the team inevitably acts as a whole with each member working for the collective good. The man in black (Vincent) is dis- covered to be an ex-militia man who was supposed to be dead. What ensues is more than just a chase to catch the villain; it's a race to save the world. Director Shinichiro Watanabe's deci- sion to mix in all types of music, from classical to rock and roll, adds life to a film colored by ink and action. Anime has allowed Watanabe's vision free reign and the silver screen allows for a tremendous large-scale spectacle. The timing of the film, with its internal fictional threat reflecting today's present scare of bio-chemical warfare, is an interesting one and the allusion to a pair of twin towers cannot be ignored. There is a politic at play within this film, although not its sole GRADUATES! Wake up. Get coffee. Change the world. - Spend 10 months (Sept-June) in full-time community service in the metro Detroit area - Receive a $4,725 scholarship, weekly stipend & health benefits " Tutor and mentor children - Lead after school programs and community service projects - Engage & inspire community leaders - Promote civic engagement 'Love Liza' not deserving of Hoffman as lead ( -*., *} I Courtesy of Destination Films Cowabungal But where's Rocksteady? agenda. There is even a reflexive moment when characters are shown watching an old black and white West- ern in a futuristic drive-thru. This film is not your average "Satur- day Morning," but one with very real- istic characters and emotions. For those not familiar with the genre of anime, "Cowboy Bebop" might just be a great introduction. By Todd Weiser Daily Arts Editor I From the self-loathing outsider Scotty in "Boogie Nights" tb the uncool l'ock 'writer/nientor Leiter Bangs in "Almost Famous," Philip Seymour Hoff- man oftenappears in the small- est but most memorable of roles. However, Hoffman never Love Liza felt the weight of an entire film At Madstone on his shoulders until Todd Sony Pictures Louiso's "Love Liza," a gloomy Classics but only adequate look into a husband's unique grief featuring Hoffman as the leading man. For his feature film debut, Louiso (better known as the Jazz-loving nanny in "Jerry Maguire") imme- diately received some help in casting the ultra-tal- ented second fiddle Hoffman as mourning web designer Wilson Joel and in landing Kathy Bates to play Mary Ann, the mother of Wilson's passed wife Liza. While Hoffman is never much more than nor- mal Hoffman, just in bigger doses, Bates' grieving mother is a turn on the typical Bates role of the imposing, blunt-talking divorcee. k Wilson avoidscomng to grips with ius wife's sui- cide, constantly eyeing but never opening the note she left for him under his pillow. In typical but sus- penseful fashion, ithe note drives the story..It teasesa Wilson and the audience by its tendency to disap- pear and serving as a reminder of the wife Wilson can't survive without. Quiet, scared Mary Ann refuses to rush Wilson in his bereavement. Dropping by the house to offer support, she instead finds an unconscious Wilson, high from huffing gas. This new addiction grants Wilson relief from this recent life of depression, deprived of any real salvation or comfort save for the fume-formed joy of his other new hobby/distraction, radio control planes. Philips's brother Gordy Hoffman scripted the film and received screenwriting honors at last year's Sun- dance Film Festival. Yet, despite the inventive storyline and a prevailing depressing tone to its credit, Hoffman's screenplay too often repeats the same ideas. It frequently relies on the sole power of an anguished Wilson's silence, which, while powerful a'ndabsorbing in its own right, cannot make for an entire film. "Love Liza" successfully cap- tures real human emotion, but in the end retreads familiar lndie filmmaking plot-twists and a customary' conclusion imparting a symbolic resolution while remaining unfinished and open-ended. After the closing credits, one might have mixed feelings on Hoffman as a leading man. One may wish to thank him for keeping the redundant events from growing boring and detached, but there's also the possibility that "Love Liza" would not have been made had he not signed on. Here's hoping this was not Hoffman's last chance for top billing and that next time P.T. Anderson is the writer/director in charge. Attention: Pre-Med/Pre-Nursing Students Excellent opportunity to work with doctors in a camp infirmary setting, as a Camp Health Officer.We will pay for the short certification course. Enjoy working in a beautiful Northern Michigan setting. UMMNM $2.00 off Any Purchase of $15 or More ,San 374s Must mention Coupon When Ordering Coupons May Not Be Combined With Any Expires 4/30/03 Other offer. $12.49 +Tax OSalf 711' Any Two Dinner Combinations Must mention Coupon When Ordering Coupons May Not Be Combined With Any Other Offer. Expires 4/30/03 02/03 spring season $10 Rush Tickets on the day of the perfo Friday before a wee the UMS Ticket Offic Michigan League. Bach Collegi J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Masaaki Suzukic Wed 4/9 7:30 p St. Francis of As Church Matthias Go Eric Schneider pi sale 10 am-5 pm ormance or the kend event at ce, located in the 50% Rush Tickets on sale beginning 90 minutes before the event at the performance hall Box Office. um Japan Passion conductor ) m sisi Catholic Take a study break during this Lenten season to enjoy Bach's musical and dramatic interpretation of the events of Passion week as recounted in the New Testament Gospel according to St. Matthew, performed here by Bach Col- legium Japan. erne baritone iano The chosen pupil of lieder legend Dietrich Fischer-Dies- kau, Matthias Goerne returns