Tuesday February 17, 2004 arts.michigandaily.com artseditor@michigandaily.com ARTS 5 Courtesy of Sony Alright, who forgot to book our transportation? The Coral use black Magic to entice fans By Matt Kivel Daily Arts Writer Courtesy of Sony Talk to the hand. MASTER OF WAR McNAMARA REFLECTS ON LIFE In an unlikely sextet of British natives, 1960s-era folk has found a new torch bearer. In 2002, The Coral took the U.K. music charts by surprise and scored a hit with their self-titled debut. By Hussain Rahim Daily Arts Writer Robert N. McNamara stands as one of the most vilified men of the Vietnam Establishment era. As much as he is hated, his importance demands that he be under- stood and remembered. Errol Morris's latest documentary examines the complexity sur- rounding McNamara's life and reflects on the many careers he has pursued. As a president of the The Fog of War At the Michigan Theater Sony In sharp contrast to the shock-and-awe Michael Moore style of documentary, Morris's film, "Fog of War," is a collected sit-down inter- view with more conversation than interrogation. Even though the bulk of the movie is conducted face to camera, the movie stays above the monotony of the talking-head picture with an atmospheric and immediate score by Philip Glass, archival footage interspersed expertly throughout McNamara's recollections as well as remarkable graphics and visuals mirroring the issues being discussed. Often criticized as being a cold and calculat- ing politician with a detached personality, it is incredible to see his reassessment of the Tokyo firebombing for its brutality and admit that had America lost World War II, those involved with the firebombing would have been tried as war criminals. His memories of implementing seat- belts into the early Ford cars as well as the behind-the-scenes details of how close America came to full nuclear war with Cuba give a per- sonal face to what eventually becomes the musty pages of a history book. To capture the earnest thought process of a man who shaped domestic policy for decades is undeniably powerful. The Tokyo fire bombing is only one of the many revelations he shares during the film. McNamara has so much knowledge, in fact, that the film is loosely focused on 11 life lessons extrapolated from the interview. All of these reve- lations come as strangely prophetic, especially since the interview was conducted well before the Iraqi inspections and eventual war. Lesson No. 8: "Be prepared to re-examine your reasoning." What is most interesting is that after all this time, he still has not come to full terms with his guilt over Vietnam, or at least not on camera. In Morris's most probing questions to McNamara, the ex-Secretary of Defense answers, "I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't, I'd rather be damned if I don't." He is obviously trapped by the restrictions of secrecy, but he is still learning from his mistakes. Lives and films like this are captured so others may learn from them and do not have to make the same mistakes. tric clothing and quirky lyrics helped to solidify their "independent" status while their album sales skyrocketed. Their youthful energy was the key element in their debut's songs. With Magic and Medicine, the band has discovered a slightly darker sound that displays both their musical prowess and lyrical wit. The album begins with the church organ drone of"In the Forest," conjuring memories of The Doors and establishing the theme of the album: Replicating '60s folk and psych-rock. Bands are often attacked for sounding too much like their predecessors, but The Coral's song- writing talents deem them unworthy of the overly used "imitator" label. "Don't Think You're the First" kicks out of the stereo, sounding a lot like the Its eclectic blend of folk, blues, ska and pop was a breath of fresh air in a- scene that so often falls into conformity. The group's eccen- The Coral Magic and Medicine Sony theme from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." The highlight of the song is the recurring call and answer between a flute and lead singer James Skelly. "Liezah" is the band's finest moment as it combines musical restraint with a beautiful melody. An acoustic guitar plucks away as Skelly's smooth vocals carry out the repeating line, "Liezah / Can't despiseaher d She'll change your look / She'll have you hooked." Guitarists Bill Ryder-Jones and Lee Southall have distinctive tones that are stamped upon all of The Coral's songs. Snappy, vintage sounds can be found emanating from the entire album and the guitarists reward the observant lis- tener with intricate fills. The band fal- ters with "Talkin' Gypsy Market Blues," a poor attempt at capturing the Rolling Stones's rock 'n' roll blues style. "Eskimo Lament" is a somber, '60s folk-rock number that would make Arthur Lee proud. The single, "Pass it On," provides a sweet melody that is the only bright spot in the album's final four songs. The Coral have musical talents that are well beyond their years, and it shows in this album. There are some really wonderful moments here, but there are not enough of them to make this a great album. The potential that can be heard in these songs seems unlimited; hopefully their next batch of tunes will capitalize on this band's unique talent. World Bank, the first non-Ford to run the Ford Motor Company, a Kennedy administration member during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Secretary of Defense who helped engineer the Vietnam War, the man is living history. He has held more prominent positions than most could hope for in several lifetimes. Out of control teens spotlight'Thirteen' DVD thirtOn By Katie Marie Gates Daily Arts Writer After tumultuous teenage years on her own, 15-year-old Nikki Reed teamed up with family friend Cather- ine Hardwicke to write the script for "Thirteen," a disturbing look into an urban, seventh- grade arena full of i r drugs, sex and Thirteen self-doubt. The 20th Century Fox recently released DVD captures this seemingly far- fetched but gripping downfall of two young girls. Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood, "Once and Again") enters junior high as a sweet, studious 13-year-old but soon desires the attention of the beautiful and popular Evie (Nikki Reed). Over- whelmed by a broken home and des- perate to fit in, Tracy makes drastic changes to her lifestyle by following the cues of her new manipulative friend. Theft, piercings, make-up, alcohol and marijuana soon trans- form the naive young girl into a much older looking rebel. Wood's performance is multifaceted and intense, and newcomer Reed is surprisingly convincing for having no previous acting experience. Holly Hunter also stars as Tracy's struggling mother, Mel. Hunter is impressive as she copes with the uncontrollable changes of her on-screen daughter and the eventual realization that things have gone too far. In spite of itself, "Thirteen" is still plagued with stereotypical middle school drama in which the popular girls spout cruel comments such as "who let her out of the cabbage patch." On many levels this story has been told before, but this time the stakes are higher and the scenes more riveting. The two-sided DVD offers widescreen and fullscreen presentation with minimal extra features. "The Making Of 'Thirteen' " is less of a behind-the-scenes featurette than it is a brief synopsis of the film told by the actors and director. For more in-depth information on everything from dealing with the film's low budget to interesting facts about rules involved when filming with a cast of minors, turn to the audio commentary provided by Hardwicke and the teenage leads. Filming tech- niques and the wide variety of music used are also discussed in the upbeat discussion. Ten deleted scenes are available with optional commentary by Hardwicke discussing the motives behind each . ...,.. .;s ., scene and why they were eventually cut from the film. Her reasoning for removing most of the early scenes is to tighten up the movie to expedite the rising action of the story. One scene in particular, however, showing the sweet side of Tracy before her adventures with Evie, would have better shown the drastic contrast in her character if included in the final cut. Overall, sound quality is good for this disc, except for the muted voices of the characters in the deleted scenes. Picture quality is intentionally grainy and changes hues throughout the course of the film, but strikingly achieves the chaotic atmosphere it strives to create. Film: ***I Picture/Sound: *** Features: **I Casualties' newest a victim of bad hair day By Rachel Kruer For the Daily MUSIC REVI EW The Casualties reflect the current state of punk rock: image-obsessed, generic and insincere. Their new album, On the Front Line, regurgi- tates the same formula as their pred- Worked to death by the ones you respect / Hate and death and war." The only advice The Casualties have for rebelling against "the man" is to conform to another system - to be different like them. The lyrics aren't of much impor- tance, as they are, for the most part, indecipherable. Jorge's raspy voice sounds like that of an emphysema patient who just inhaled an entire pack of Marlboro Red's. This prompts one to wonder when punk rock credi- bility began to be correlated with how ecessors Crass, DRI and Naked Aggression but lacks the convic- The Casualties am .I i m