... Wednesday November 12,2003 michigandaily.com artseditor@michigandaily.com ARTS 5 5 THE HOTTEST PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT FROM A DAILY ARTS WRITER S "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (Platinum Series Special Edition) - If you are a huge LOTR fan, you have one week left to wait. If not, this four-disc set is still one of the greatest DVDs to come out in a long time, with 43 minutes of never- before-seen footage and hours upon hours of extras behind the magic that is one of the greatest films of last year. "Elf"/"The Cat in the Hat" - Two wildly popular former "Sat- urday Night Live" stars hit the big screen just in time for the holidays. Will Ferrell's "Elf" is a heartwarming tale that suits his strengths per- fectly while Mike Myers stars as the crazy lovable prankster in "The Cat m the Hat." If last years "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is any indi- cation, both actors and audiences alike will have a fun holiday season. "24" - After last year's lackluster effort, "24" returns to first-season form. The show's solid cast, innovative premise and constant plot twists make for the most exciting hour in television. Thus far it's lived up to its hype, and there are still 21 more episodes to look forward to this season. PULLING INTO THE 'STATION' MICHELLE WILLIAMS FINDS LIFE AFTER 'DAWSoN'S CREEK' By Hussain Rahim Daily Arts Writer Fairly fresh off a six-year run on the WB teen melodrama "Daw- son's Creek," in which her charac- ter Jennifer didn't quite make it, Michelle Williams has ventured forth into the world of independent film. With a slew of films sched- uled for release between 2003 and 2004 she is poised to shed her teeny-bopper roles, and with her current film, "The Station Agent," in theaters now she spent time to talk with The Michigan Daily about her burgeoning career and anything else that came to mind. Fairly flighty and excited, Williams said while she was unhappy with the way her charac- :< Courtesy of Miramax Santa! Oh my god! I know him! I know him! 2,% The Strokes - Room on Fire - For any- body out there who thought the Strokes were a one-hit wonder with "Last Night," give their latest album a try. With the incredible guitar riffs on "12:51" and "Automatic Stop," among oth- ers, coupled with an old-school sound, the Strokes have found a well-deserved spot in the popular music scene. .9 ter finished out in the series finale, she was glad that she got some closure from the show so that she could move on. It still appears that there is some linger- ing bitterness in regard to some aspect of the show. Currently, Williams has no plans to work on another series. "Never say never but I don't see myself working in television again,"she said. "A lot of the wounds are still fresh, and it's just hard to say. Working for that long and being that isolated was very hard." She compared the time spent on "Dawson's Creek" to that of a six- year high school, and when asked how her relationship with the cast, she then proceeded to give a long and detailed list of the contact she has had with each member since the show's finale. With the cast of "Dawson's Creek" venturing into quirky and daring independent projects such as James Van Der Beek's in "The Rules of Attrac- tion," Katie Holmes in "Pieces of April" and her own choices in indie film. "I'm sure a lot of that is our reaction to being in what is seen as a kiddie type of show so we take more opposite and differ- ent roles to try and break that mold. With me personally, I take what attracts me as a person, and films that I would want to see," Williams said. As a person who hates watching herself on screen because of the ease with which she dissects her own work, Williams holds no work as her favorite. With many films in post-production and awaiting the releases of "Prozac Nation" and "The United States of Leland" this is her first period of actual down time. She did speak positively about "The Station Agent" and says her experience on the film was enjoyable and she admires star Peter Dinklage, director Thomas McCarthy and the work everyone put in the film. "Please believe that I don't go home and dream about Oscars. I don't have any goals or things that I must do right away." - Michelle Williams can be seen in "The Station Agent," currently showing at the Michigan Theater. I "Arrested Development" - The antics of the Bluth family are a perfect way to conclude FOX's Sunday night of comedy. With Jeffrey Tambor portraying the crazy, locked-up father and a filming style reminis- cent of "Malcolm in the Middle," "Arrested Development" is sure to be TV's next big hit. Plus, with a character named George Michael, how can this show go wrong? I * Ween wraps up tour in top fashion in Detroit By Todd Weiser Daily Arts Editor With song titles like "Touch My Toot- er," "The H.I.V Song" and "Booze Me Up and Get Me High," Ween will forev- er find it difficult to be taken seriously. " " Gene and Dean Ween Ween know this to Monday, Nov.10 be true, taking their AttheState Theatre music to silly extremes (not brainless, just silly) and still surviving 20 years without bowing to anyone but their demon god Boognish and whatever their drug of choice is at the time. Yet, while Ween's musical abil- ity have been overlooked in the studio, including their latest record, Quebec, the live show stands as an affront to anyone who doubts their talent. On the last date of their American tour, the New Jersey boys somehow overcame the numb feeling of a half- empty State Theatre and a too-quiet, poorly-mixed sound. While the guys have lamented the label of jam band, spotlight solos for Dean Ween on guitar and keyboard-drum interplays made it seem worthy. Phish's occasional cover of Ween's "Roses are Free" makes the tag stick, and Ween's acknowledgment of Trey and Co. before playing "Roses," the adequately-played low-point of the show, makes it even harder. A three-hour show might be the nail in the coffin. Yet, after an hour of sufficient per- forming, something kicked in. Without the quality production of the albums, songs lost some of their detailed unique- Gene Ween - wearing his love for Slayer on his sleeve. ness, but as soon as the funk of "Voodoo Lady" almost became tiresome Gene busted into his tender Prince imperson- ation on the Purple One's "Kiss" before sliding right back into the "boogie- oogies" of "Voodoo." Country-western tracks like "Piss up a Rope" also played more naturally in the Ween "extended version" atmosphere. A keyboard-heavy cover of Led Zeppelin's "All of My Love" proved the most fun of the evening, cementing Ween's display of talent and letting Gene and Dean show off their vocal and guitar chops under the guise of a solo-prone band that never worried about the jam tag. Last chance for internship! Deadline extended to November 13th!! 5NhTXI9T Freshmen, Sophomores & Juniors!!! L http://environment. Isa. umich.edu i I NTERNSH IP OPPORTUN I TY ! mwQg it+i Want to work during Fall/Winter Semesters? The Michigan Daily will give you the opportunity to gain the following business experiences: " Sell Advertising to Local and National Businesses " Manage your own account Territory " Work in a team-oriented environment " Earn Commission-based pay Please pick up application at ResY'stert Interested in getting ahead of your peers? Gain marketing and advertising experience at one of the best student papers in the country!!! Most important of all: Earn some dough in between classes! The Michigan Daily Classified Department is hiring Account Executives for Winter 2004 - Fall 2005. Drop by: The Michigan Daily at 420 "'All I Have Is My Story': Narrated Lives in the Field