Wednesday September 29, 2004 arts. michigandaily.com artspage@michigandaily.com ART s 5 . .. ....... ....... . .... Latest 'CSI' continues franchise's * dominance By Doug Wernert Daily TV/New Media Editor There's a simple reason why "CSI" is the most popular show on televi- sion. It takes an intriguing medical investigation premise, adds some strong, no-nonsense characters and complements that with some fancy effects to form one compact little hour of programming. The formula has worked so well that the franchise is now receiving its second spin-off. "CSI: New York" successfully follows in the footsteps ThE HOTTEST PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT FROM A DAILY ARTS WRITER "Rushmore" Soundtrack - It's still another three months until Wes Anderson's fourth film, "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zis- sou," opens nationwide. I suggest filling the void of your empty life with this stunning compilation of British Invasion tunes from Anderson's best film to date. 4 Twilight Samurai - Yoji Yamada's "Twilight Samurai" is a rich and lyrical exercise in cinematic restraint; well deserving of its record 12 Japanese Academy Awards. It is a rare gem of a samu- rai film. How you doing? of its predeces- sors and throws in a big-name actor and a little New York flare to keep the audi- ence coming back for more. Gary Senise ("Forrest Gump") 'LOST' AND FOUND CSI: New York Wednesdays at 10 p.m. CBS stars as Detective NEW ABC DRAMA STAYS ON COURSE 3i Mack Taylor, an overworked investiga- tor who, behind his gruff demeanor, actually has an emotional side. He's partnered with the usual strong female counterpart (Melina Kanakaredes, "Providence"), but it's clear that Mac, as he is affectionately known, is the leader of the duo. Mac is the one aggres- sively questioning possible suspects and examining the bodies at the autopsies, conducted by the cool, intelligent Dr. Hawkins (Hill Harper). Senise portrays his character extremely well, switching convincingly from being vulnerable and stressed-out to a determined, unrelent- ing detective in the blink of an eye. The investigations, as in the previ- ous two installments of the franchise, usually revolve around a suspicious death with some kind of mysterious cause and motive that Mac and com- pany must uncover. For example, in the pilot episode, two young women are found dead with severe bruises around their neck. During the autop- sy, Hawkins suggests a loss of blood to the brain as the cause of death. It is here that the patented "CSI" effects make their mark on the show. Creative shots of bursting blood ves- sels, fractured neck bones and even tattered belt holes are all shown, enhancing the viewing experience while also providing logical reason- ing toward solving the case. The New York City setting doesn't play a huge role in the show, but a more solid, lingering presence. Famous landmarks are used to determine where a photo- graph was shot, and aerial views of the city are used liberally at the beginning of each episode. Where "CSI: New York" differs from the rest is in its tone. The other two "CSI" offerings - taking place, in Las Vegas and Miami - are more flashy and extravagant, while "New York" has a dark, low-key atmosphere. This is evident in the touching final scene of the pilot, when Mac hails a cab to stop at Ground Zero so he can mourn over the loss of his wife who was killed on Sept. 11. Despite dominating the prime- time lineup, the "CSI" name hasn't gotten old and due to its huge success, CBS doesn't look to be stopping the innovative program anytime soon. Good move. By Doug Wernrt Daily TV/New Media Editor When it comes to laying out its premise, the new ABC drama "Lost" doesn't waste a second. A man laying in a pile of brush regains consciousness and wanders onto the beach, only to find the burning wreckage of the plane he formerly occupied. For the next few minutes, chaos reigns as people are trapped under debris, a pregnant Lost woman screams for help, a piece of the Wednesdays plane explodes and the other surviving at 8 p.m. passengers wander aimlessly along the ABC shore of this deserted island, some hys- terical and others in shock. By the time the opening credits roll, "Lost" has snatched the audience's attention, ready to take them on a horrifying thrill ride that is unlike anything on television today. The now-conscious man is Jack (Matthew Fox, "Party of Five"), a heroic doctor who possesses both fearlessness and the kind of knowledge that can help the 48 survivors stay alive. He quickly assumes a leadership role, moving people to safety and tending to injuries. Wounded himself, he calls on an attractive young woman to sew him up. This woman, Kate (Evangeline Lilly), becomes a perfect counterpart to Jack, as she also keeps a clear head at all times but still has the fear of being stranded on the island lingering in her mind. Jack and Kate clearly establish themselves as the most complete and dynamic characters on a show with a robust supporting cast. Whether it's the hard-nosed Asian man who speaks no English.telling his wife to stay away from the rest of the group or the self-centered woman who keeps telling her brother they are going to get rescued (which is certainly not happening anytime soon, as the plane crashed hundreds of miles away from where it lost communication), the rest of the survivors open up endless possibilities for storylines. Dissension among the group members is bound to happen once the airplane food runs out and they realize the peril they are in. Probably the most intriguing of this supporting cast is Charlie (Dominic Monaghan, "Lord of the Rings"), an eccentric European man who takes a liking to Jack and Kate, going along with them to find the cockpit of the plane to try and radio for help. It is during this expedition where the danger of their predicament becomes evident. Lurking in the jungle of this island is a huge, bloodthirsty beast looking for prey. While the trio is inside the plane, the animal makes its presence known, violently shaking the cockpit and killing the pilot, leaving him hanging in a tree. While this idea seems a tad hokey, the characters, mixed with some great camera work, create a very realistic aura of fear that is passed on to the audience. The beast remains unseen, which will. only build more anticipation towards its eventual sighting. "Lost" could have very easily been a poor "Cast Away" rip-off or, even worse, elicit comparisons to an overly dra- matic version of "Gilligan's Island." Fortunately for viewers, while the program isn't able to keep up the raw energy of the fantastic opening sequence, it makes up for it by being original, smart and truly engrossing. "From A Basement on a Hill" - Elliot Smith's final album will be posthumously released on October 19. Strange note: Ex-girlfriend Joanna Blume, whom many blame for Smith's supposed suicide, mastered most of the album's tracks including "King's Crossing," where Smith sings, "I can't prepare for death any more than I already have / All you can do now is watch the shells. The game looks easy. That's why it sells." Spooky. "Naked" By David Sedaris - Hey, does anyone remem- ber when America's fore- most humorist was actually, I don't know, funny? Instead of wasting $25 on Sedaris' most recent smattering of melancholy bullshit, "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," pick up a used copy of his second and funniest compilation. 2 I Hockey at Yost - Michigan's season begins this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a home opener against Windsor. Rec- ommended preparation: one solid hour of EA Sports's "NHL 2002." FILE PHOTO Green Day mature with politicized rock opera By Joel Hoard Daily Arts Writer Beginning with their breakthrough album Kerplunk! in 1992 and culminating with Nim- rod in 1997, Green Day spent the first half of their career perfecting the two-and-a-half-min- ute pop-punk song, while both reviving the punk genre and infusing it with a modern sense of irony and good-natured brattiness. But charm can only take you so far. There comes a time in the life of a punk band when musicianship Green Day American Idiot Reprise indulgent and overblown, but it works, because Green Day knows it's self-indulgent and over- blown. They keep tongue planted firmly in cheek and infuse their songs with enough energy and hooks to keep it interest- ing. The story, featuring such colorful characters as Jesus of Suburbia, St. Jimmy and Whatsername, is not what's important here. What's essential is that American Idiot plays as a cohesive and engag- ing record. It's the rock opera for the lost genera- tion, those held down by "a redneck agenda" and "the subliminal mind fuck America," as Billie Joe Armstrong explains in the title track. Appropriately, Green Day sounds less Clash and Sex Pistols and more Who on American Idiot. They pay ample tribute to the Gods of the Rock Opera thropghout the album, copping Who- like melodies, harmonies, windmilled guitar riffs and thundering bass lines and refashioning them into Green Day originals. The Who influence is felt most prominently on the five-part mini-opera "Jesus of Suburbia" (one of two such operettas on the album), a full realization of the songwriting prowess that has been lingering below the surface for some time now. But the tributes don't end with The Who. On "Are We the Waiting," Green Day are dead ringers for Styx (who, of course, authored their own rock opera, Kilroy Was Here), churning out a puffed-up power ballad complete with five-part harmonies. And "Rock and Roll Girlfriend" would have been right at home in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." D0R More than anything, Green Day has proven on American Idiot that it is possible for a modern punk act to age gracefully. Their songwriting has reached full maturity, and even when they take the low road and opt for snotty humor, it doesn't seem out of place. But can they pull it off in another 10 years to come? There's no reason why they can't. and songcraft - which Green Day has always had - have to take over. It began with the underrated and underappreciated Warning in 2000, which proved the group can pull off sub- dued, mid-tempo rockers with the same skill that they showed on the punk blitzes that made them famous. The trend continues with the band's new "punk-rock opera" American Idiot, a full hour- long record even more diverse and sprawling than Warning. Like any rock opera, American Idiot is self- Cour[esy of N We take our martinis shaken, not stirred. epri.