ARTS- The Michigan Daily - Friday, October 17, 2003 - 9A island. Once surrounded by zom- bies, wacky hijinx ensue. An abomination by all accounts, this "film" plays akin to a MTV video on speed with shameless instances of corporate name place- ment. The shiny new bullet-time technology and incessant, and apparently compulsory, 360-degree camera movement Boll is not so much an homage as it is copyright infringement upon the creation that the Wachowski Brothers may almost wish they didn't create. Even possible redemption as a self-aware B-movie with maxi- mum schmaltz is void as the insipid dialogue, caricaturist style of acting and cookie-cutter direc- tion make redemption harder than not checking your watch or figur- ing out how this movie got green lit. To make things more referen- tial there are scenes from the actu- al videogame interspersed throughout the 'narrative' of the movie making sure you stay fully aware, that this is a videogame and that you should have stayed home and played it instead. After a disappointing concluding fight sequence you are then slapped with the failure of an omi- nous ending making you pray a sequel will never be attempted. "The House of Dead" is better left in Dreamcasts across the nation and in memories of gamers as only an enjoyable videogame. Ballet spectacular hits Power Center By Julie Sills Daily Arts Writer FI NE A RTs P REVI E W Dazzling lines and sparkling feet, choreography by George Balanchine and music by Igor Stravinsky, all wrapped up in one riveting perform- ance by the Miami Miami City City Ballet is part Ballet of the University Saturday at 1 p.m. Musical Society's and 8 p.m. St. Petersburg 300 Sunday at 2 p.m. Celebration. These $7- $42 exquisite dancers At the Power Center will perform "Agon," "Apollo" and "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" this weekend at the Power Center. These pieces, not only exhibiting some of St. Petersburg's greatest achievements, also celebrate George Balanchine's greatness, marking the 100th anniver- sary of his birth this coming year. Edward Villella, the company's artis- tic director and one of Balanchine's most esteemed proteges, said, "Balan- chine and Stravinsky loved to call them- selves St. Petersburgers, it was a city of culture and excitement, and this is a ter- rific and appropriate time to represent the genius of George Balanchine." Balanchine left St. Petersburg in 1933 for the United States and revolutionized dance with the beginning of the New York City Ballet. From his company emerged Edward Villella, the first American-born male star. After dancing for Balanchine for almost 20 years he retired in 1975. Ten years later, Villella founded the Miami City Ballet and still is its director. He has watched its growth from the company's last appearance in Ann Arbor in 1990. "Just the idea of being able to do an 'Agon' or the 'Violin Concerto,' two monumental works that have incredible challenges needing a great deal of experience and awareness, really marks the maturity of our compa- ny," commented Villella. Patricia Delgado, a native of Miami, now in her third season with the compa- ny after graduating from high school only two years ago, agreed with the sty- listic and musical challenges these works present. She is especially excited to perform the "Stravinsky Violin Con- certo" because the company will have just premiered it in- Minnesota this past weekend. "I really like Stravinsky, the music is unbelievable, the corps dancing is really jitterbugish and there is the most intricate pas de deux. Even more, it is still so new, which will give the bal- let such a fresh energy," added Delgado. Speaking of the style of these ballets, Villella explained, "Though they are abstractions, they really are taking large ideas and reducing them to a poetic sense." Further discussing their intrica- cies, he revealed that "Agon" centers on the urban contest of a man and woman, and the pas de deux from Stravinsky's Violin Concerto, also referring to a man and woman is an exercise in watching people grow apart and be pulled back together. Villella finds himself thinking that Balanchine was trying to show New York life, and he said, "Stravinsky allud- ed that his pas de deux had a direct rela- tionship with his own life." The Miami City Ballet, set to engage Ann Arbor with this special Balanchine celebration, will also reach out to the youngest possible audience with a one- hour Saturday matinee family perform- ance. Dancing sections of Balanchine's fun "Who Cares" and exhilarating "Allegro Brillante," Villella, who will narrate this performance, plans to "step out on stage and introduce the world of ballet to young people, hoping to stimu- late not only their ears and eyes, but also their minds." Whether you've loved ballet from the time you were little or have never seen a performance, the Miami City Ballet, straight from the south, is sure to spread warmth over their entire audience! Courtesy of Artisan OK, Jim. I've got some bad news. By Hussain Rahim Daily Arts Writer dios to once again abandon the hor- MOVIE VEw Continuing the nascent resur- gence of Hollywood horror movies, including the videogame-to-movie trend, director Uwe Boll presents "Resident Matrix," er ... I mean "The House of the Dead" which serves as a sure-fire excuse for stu- ror genre. A couple of 30-year olds p l a y i n g teenagers head to a Sega-spon- sored rave, on an island called "Isla del Muer- The House of the Dead At Quality 16 and Showcase Artisan ta" and are aghast to find out that people have actually died on said MrZ makes Ypsi the place to be By Michelle Kijek Daily Arts Writer 4i Courtesy or Miami City Baiet Counting the limbs makes me dizzy. 4. A memorable new sound from Travis By Matt Kivel For the Daily It isn't often that one hears of anything significant going down in Ypsilanti. This past weekend, however, Ypsi became more than just another city whose name sported three consonants in a row. The Mraz attack, a.k.a. Jason Mraz and his band came to the Eastern Michigan Univer- sity campus Sunday night with the sound of a band that is destined to Jason Mraz make it big. Only three years deep Sunday, Oct. 12 and a couple of band members later, and this indie rock group have already At the E.M.U. left a potent presence in the music Convocation Center world. Recently popularized by his TRL-ized video for the single "The Remedy," Mraz will not be worrying his life away if he continues to produce such entertaining live performances. Mraz's stage strategy is genius. In most cases a guy has a hard enough time getting one girl to moan, but on Sunday night at the E.M.U. Convocation Center, Jason had nearly 1,000 moaning at the top of their lungs - literally. And that was only the girls. Courtesy of Elektra That hat should have died with Payne Stewart. The music, above all the sexual innuendos and jokes well worth the time to retell, was what really made the show. The new band members that have been touring with Mraz only since this past summer's release of Wait- ing For My Rocket To Come, blended extremely well together in spite of their inexperience as a group. The setlist was expansive, playing an equal number of older songs like "Older Lover Undercover" and more recent material from his latest album radio plays "The Reme- dy," and "You and I Both." The final song of the night clinched the show, though, as he performed a riveting solo version of "Hey Love," minus the microphone - a display of Mraz's amazing vocal talent that, along with his songwriting skills, will lead this band nowhere but up. After a six-month hiatus, the boys of Travis are at it again with a new, self-produced album showcasing a revamped sound and a new lyrical approach. At first glance Travis' release, 12 Memories, can be quite intimi- dating. With titles such as "Mid-Life Krysis" and the charming "Peace the Fuck Out," horror and shock will dance in the minds of Travis Travis fans everywhere. The legions of followers who flocked to purchase 12 Memories Travis' two previous efforts will not Epic Records find refuge in the cold and sparse arrangements of 12 Memories. The album gets off to an epic start with "Quicksand." A rich grand piano plucks a dark nRelodic line upon which the song is formed. The first signs of Travis' new sound are apparent in Neil Primrose's loud and controlling drum beat. On their previous two albums, Primrose's drumming was almost nonexistent as it was hidden behind layers of synthesized guitars and keyboards. This "power drum- ming" gives the album a raw and angry feel that Travis haven't expressed since their debut album, Good Feeling. Within the subtle confines of "Re-Offender" lies the album's defining moment. Andy Dunlop's guitar ascends and descends in octaves creating a musical tapestry under which Fran Healy's vocal plea comes to life. The lyrics cover the issue of domestic violence and are quite a departure from the "Flowers" and "Diaries" that Fran once sang about. Other high points of the album are found in "Love Will Come Through," an uplifting tune filled with plenty of guitar picking, "Midlife Krysis," which features Bassist Dougie Payne's haunting background vocals and "Happy to Hang Around," in which Andy Dunlop's signature sound re-emerges. A sweet electric guitar splashes through the verse while a growling solo tears through the bridge. "Peace the Fuck Out" is the only blight upon this album's brilliant landscape, as it fails to capture the politi- cal messages that Healy is trying to impress upon the lis- tener. An angry protest of Britain's current government, the song's meaning is convoluted and poorly delivered. 12 Memories shows Travis taking a step in a new musi- cal direction. The band's departure from producer Nigel Godrich has given the music an unpolished sound that, is the absolute antithesis of their previous two records. It is refreshing to see a band that cares more about their music than creating fuzzy little pop hits. ATTENTION: SINGERS & DANCERS!!! Would you like a chance to win $100,000? CBS's hit show STAR SEARCH is holding OPEN AUDITIONS for talent in these categories: Adult Singers (ages 15 & up) Junior Singers (ages 8 to 14) Young Dancers (ages 14 to 30) Auditions are Tuesday, October 21st from 9am to 6pm At The Hotel St. Regis 3071 West Grand Blvd. Detroit, MI 48202 I wri o:ad r r# oc ra.e vyvurcareer lu r. -- ..: 1. .