41 Friday April 2, 2004 arts.michigandaily.com artseditor@michigandaily.com ATuS 8 ADAM ROTTENBERG By Alex Wolsky Daily Arts Editor "It's just Halloween - I've got my Bob Dylan mask on, I'm masquerading." Bob Dylan was always an enigma. On October 31, 1964, to an adoring crowd of faithful follow- ers, Dylan performed at New York City's most prestigious venue at the time, Philharmonic Hall. Brlnng bac The Super Bowl - before being overshadowed by "wardrobe malfunctions" - served as the launch pad for special episodes or series premiers. Back in '99, I was more anxious than ever for the debut- ing show, especially considering the lackluster Broncos-Falcons game that preceded it. This new animated series, paired with a special episode of "The Simpsons," was going to be the perfect companion piece. "Family Guy" not only met my expectations, but its rau- cous, pop-culture-laden segues offered a completely unrelenting approach to comedy. The series followed the exploits of the Griffen family, their dog Brian and the residents of Quahog, R.I. Three uproariously humorous sea- sons later - after complete misman- agement by the network - "Family Guy" vanished from the schedule. FOX had the opportunity to create a night filled with remarkable animated classics with "King of the Hill," "Futurama" and "The Simpsons," but inexplicably removed "Family Guy," hindering its chances for success. With the boom of TV on DVD, all I could do was hope that the show would be released. Last year, the error of the network's ways finally came to light with a successful run of the episodes on Cartoon Network and on DVD. Few shows dared to cover the topics that "Family Guy" would. Creator Seth MacFarlane pulled no punches, best shown by the unaired episode "When You Wish Upon a Weinsten" first seen on the DVD, in which Peter decides to have his son Chris convert to Judaism to become smarter. Strong DVD sales and incredible cable ratings have resuscitated my fond- ly remembered cartoon. No longer rele- gated to rerun limbo, Peter, Stewie and the gang will return in January 2005, in a completely unprecedented move. But will it be the same show that shocked viewers with unabashed jokes about race, religion and sex? I hate to t 1 ktheFamily' think that MacFarlane would agree to release a watered-down version of his brainchild, but who knows? The net- works have been browbeaten by adver- tisers into changing content, shying away from things deemed obscene. FOX, while often unabashed in its disturbing and disgusting reality pro- gramming - look at the upcoming "The Swan," for example - may fear backlash for an animated show as it appears to be innocent. FOX may be too afraid to let "Fami- ly Guy" be as free as it once was. The show constantly plays off of things that shouldn't be funny. Stewie often attempts to murder his mother, neigh- bor Quagmire constantly tries to sexu- ally assault women and Peter treats people like stereotypes. If a return of the series means that the show has to change, then don't bring it back. I have the DVDs, and I can watch it on cable, but I don't want a FCC-friendly "Family Guy." "South Park," a similarly foul- mouthed and R-rated cartoon, doesn't have to deal with the constraints of network TV Cable is a different beast than the networks, which is why more risque series can get around censors. If "Family Guy" comes back to FOX, as opposed to Cartoon Network, it's not as fortunate as "South Park." Even with the fear of a post-"nip- plegate" TV landscape, I still have high hopes for the Griffens. FOX missed the boat the first time and now sees the potential profits in its return. Additionally, the precedent is now set that passionate fans who rally around prematurely cancelled favorites (just look at what is going on with the fan campaigns for the WB's "Angel") actually can have an effect. But why worry about the potential pitfalls? Welcome back, "Family Guy." I'll be watching. -Adam is personally leading a cam- paign to get 'Angel" back on the air Mock him relentlessly for that and other things at arotten@umich.edu The year had been tumul- tuous for the folk icon: His wife had left him and he had just completed his first national tour, only to return home disenchanted in folk music and preparing to make a sea change into the world of rock'n'roll. The crowd that attended the Bob Dylan Bootleg Series 6: Concert at Philharmonic Hall Columbia performance had thel young poet laureate. A would become in later as the voice of the cis anti-war movements ir voice of protest. Bootleg Series 6: Concert at Phil- harmonic Hall is, thus, more essen- tial than it is per- fect. In fact, its imp e r fec t i on s show the openness an and youth of Dylan appears to be slightly dropping his guitar pi pick it up and the othe out it) and often bur reason. He appears, o with the home crowd, Conversely, he also se making the turn into songwriting. The solo Dylan play of favorites ("The Time "Don't Think Twice, I ("Talkin' John Birch P Davey Moore?" and "T tie Carroll") and protes III Blues"). The crowd highest expectations for its ks opposed to the figure he years, Dylan was still seen vil rights, disarmament and n America - an honorable Courtesy o Columbia Heh. Heh. Alright. HALCYON DAYS BOOTLEG EPITOMIZES EXCELLENCE d comfort with his audience out Joan Baez, the most socially active musician of more than anything. He the time, to accompany him on four songs, includ- inebriated, forgetting lines, ing the anti-war diatribe "With God on Our Side." ick twice (once he stops to However what makes Series 6 special is the fact r he just continues on with- that Dylan, while running through these songs, had sts out in laughter without one foot firmly placed in the future. n the outside, comfortable At the time, nobody, including Dylan, knew after a long year of touring. how much the next year would change him, and ems to be preoccupied with that tension surrounds Series 6. In some respect, more personal, introverted Dylan had already made his move by the time he walked out into the Philharmonic that night. His ed stark, powerful renditions Another Side of Bob Dylan had been released es They Are A-Changin" and five months earlier and included "My Back t's Alright"), political songs Pages," which directly disowned the moral aranoid Blues," "Who Killed absolutes of the folk and political scenes that had The Lonesome Death of Hat- already staked a claim to his writing. st songs ("Talkin' World War But in another respect, Dylan seemed tentative roared when Dylan brought about progressing in that direction. He played a handful of new songs.on Series 6 and introduced them all ad interim or with ironic put-ons, as if he couldn't quite fix his own intentions, or he doesn't want to reveal them or how they will affect the relationship with his followers. "Gates of Eden," he said, is "a sacrilegious lulla- by in D Minor" and "a love song," while the dour "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" is "a very funny song." The tenor of his comment about wearing a mask, which follows "Gates of Eden," is almost comforting in this context. He seemed to be reassuring the audience that they could still see him as the person they wanted - for now. In this context, it's almost unfathomable to think that 10 months after Series 6 was per- formed, Dylan would release both Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited. Both would explode into the folk scene and forever change the rock'n'roll aesthetic. Some of Dylan's fans would come along with his move to rock; many would denounce him as a Judas, and the atmosphere on Series 6 seems, thus, more poignant than it did at first glance. It's a snapshot of Dylan's storied early years at their peak, one idyllic last show before the storm. Swedish eccentricities cc By Raquel Laned Daily Arts Writer question comes to mind: Do Swedes know how to have fun? Bent Hamer's "Kitchen Stories" pokes fun at that same stoicism that characterizes the clean lines of the Swedes' utilitarian furniture, and though the main Swedish character is Wandering down the aisles at IKEA, amid a sea of efficiently functional and monochromatic desks and chairs, a somewhat square, the help of a grumpy Norwe- gian - learn to loosen up and have some fun. The film's. setup is a ridicu- lous plan of he does - with Kitchen Stories At the Michigan Theater IFC Films )me to light establishing any sort of familiarity. The rigidity of this study is never so hilariously or eloquently expressed as in the beginning, when a line of iden- tical cars, all pulling identical trailers, glides along the white countryside to a steady bass line. But the heart of "Kitchen Stories" lies in the growing friendship between Folke, the ultra-serious, diligent observer, and his reluctant subject Isak. The first two thirds of the film contain long stretches without dialogue and revolve around moments of tense awkwardness and sight-gags. The absurdity of Folke sitting in a wooden high chair never loses its ability to elic- it a chuckle, and the way Isak devours his chocolate, provoking Folke with a menacing glare, never gets old. Despite Folke's uncompromising commitment to his job and Isak's unyielding determination to make Folke's job as miserable as possible, in 'Kitchen' the two break down and begin commu- nicating. Soon they are sharing food, baking birthday cakes for each other and drinking together - driving home the point that a life can't be observed without a longing to join in. "Kitchen Stories" doesn't let its peo- ple-need-people message push it into the weepy friendship melodrama cate- gory, which many well-marketed for- eign films seem to fit. That's what makes "Kitchen Stories" so effective - its restraint. The laughs are never forced but gently induced, the Swedish culture never brutally criticized but lightly teased. Ironically, Hamer displays the notions of utility that he is making fun of - the stark white landscapes, the dully colored, sparse set and the minimal use of dialogue. Yet he still manages to create an entertaining film that shows Swedes indeed know how to have fun. utopian socialist design, a study about the kitchen habits of single males in order to construct the most economical bachelor kitchen. An observer, towering on a highchair over the resident, must take note of every move made while resisting any urges to engage in conversation or {n An Arthur Mill1er Celebration A collection ofscenes by Arthur Miller Conceived by Mark Lamos UM School of Music Dept. of Theatre & Drama L3 a Apr. 2-3, 8-10 at 8PM - Apr. 4 & 11 at 2PM Trueblood Theatre f.$15 General Admission- Students $8 w/ID M (~League Ticket Office 734-764-2538 REQUEST YOUR CATALOG TODAY! REGISTRATION BEGINS APRIL 12 CLASSES BEGIN JUNE 12 847.491.5250 www.northwestern.edu/summernu i