Wednesday October 13, 2004 arts. michigandaily.com artseditor@michigandaily.com RTs 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . ....................................................... . . . . ... ill RIItIS i" lE THE HOTTEST PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT FROM A DAILY ARTS WRITER Jane Campion - This director (with roots in Australia and New Zealand) has made movies such as "The Piano," "Portrait of a Lady" and most recently "In the Cut." She is defined by her unique cinematic style, incorporating the use of color and atmosphere to investigate the characters and plots of her movies. Her style is beautiful, haunting and gritty. She's well worth checking out. Sarah McLachlan's 'Afterglow' - McLachlan's most recent album is different from her previous ones, with a new sound and different - though equally beautiful lyrics. Her songs provide as much inspira- tion and emotion as ever. Her tour is awesome as well; fans will not be disappointed. Courtesy of Comedy Central Terrence, is that a penny stuck up your ass? '2) Billy Collins - Our current poet laureate, Collins's poetry is aus- tere and amazingly insightful. He explores truths about the human condition with lines that remain in memory long after the poem is read. His numerous books of poetry are all excellent and filled with meaning. STONE COLD 'SOUTH PARK' CREATOR DISCUSSES 'TEAM AMERICA' Poetry Slams at the U-Club - Every other Thursday night, aspir- ing poets gather to perform original poetic pieces with emotion and enthu- siasm. One of the University's hidden gems, these slams always guarantee an amazing show with lots of energy. By Adam Rottenberg Daily Arts Editor Stephen King - Often mis- labeled as a writer of pulp, King's numerous novels (including "Carrie," "The Shining," "Pet Sematary" and "Insomnia") are strong. pieces that investigate the darker side of human emo- tions and fears. His intel- ligent, character-driven plots and his mesmeriz- ing prose create stories of unparalleled horror and fantasy. He excel- lently portrays hidden or unbelievable ideas in real- istic fiction. With the release of "Team America: World Police" Friday, writer/director Matt Stone feels relieved. "This movie killed us," he said, referring to his work with partner-in-crime Trey Parker. The duo, best known for the subversive satire "South Park," are turning their guns toward Hollywood again, along with the political world, with their lat- est release. "Team America" was inspired by the British puppet series "Thunderbirds." Stone describes his inspiration as having "such an interesting look and feel." It proved to be the catalyst for new types of humor. "When you decide to do an R-rated puppet movie, there's just a lot of fertile ground," joked Stone. The film features marionette puppets, unfortu- nately not anatomically correct, and still caused quite a stir with the censors. "We have sex scenes with puppets. They are like Barbie and Ken dolls. We put them in positions and rub them together ... the (Motion Picture Association of America) had a problem with some of the positions we picked," Stone explained in regards to the controversy. Stone is no stranger to battles with the MPAA, as the "South Park" movie was wrangled with restrictions for its liberal use of language. Stone said, "I think the MPAA is a pretty broken organization. I don't think it serves artists very well, and I don't think it serves parents very well." But the risqud nature of "Team America" isn't the only thing that's stirring up controversy. The movie lampoons major political figures and actors. Stone doesn't agree with actors making major political stands. "We definitely tried to satirize what became, to us, the arrogance of Hollywood celebrities who can't distinguish the difference between being good actors and knowing everything about the world that there is to know." And Stone doesn't pretend to spread his politi- cal agenda. "We know about making movies, but I really don't know anything about politics more than anything else." In fact, he thinks that it would be a disservice to follow his ideals. "I don't think anyone should take their political views from me or Trey, 'cause we're pretty fucked up people. At least we can admit it. I don't want anybody changing their mind because of this movie." Though Stone takes great pride in this film, he still sees his future in "South Park." The hit car- toon comedy about foul-mouthed fourth graders is about to enter its ninth season. " 'South Park' is so much fun and after doing this movie, that's all we're going to do for the next year or two," Stone said. But even though Stone and his partner have finished the film, they still haven't started the new season of "South Park." "We haven't gotten back to work on it yet," he admitted. Still, he shows no signs of concern because of the show's incredibly quick production time. "The creative turnaround is great. It's almost (got) a live performance feel to it," Stone added, explaining the show's unique ability to skewer even the most recent events. Stone is happy to retreat back into a more normal work schedule. Even the process of making films wore on him; "With a movie, you live with a joke for two or three years and it's not funny anymore. I much prefer TV right now." However, he can still joke about the whole thing. "Our biggest regret of this whole fucking thing is that we came to L.A. to be in a band and we got side tracked by this stupid fucking television thing." Courtesy of Scribner Rappers wrestle in 'DefJam' sequel By Evan Mcarvey Daily Arts Writer In mournful praise the mythic hero, W.H. Auden wrote, "Iron- hearted man-slaying Achilles / Who would not live long." Opening with a snazzy shot of cascading snow complete with a shaky camera technique, "The Mountain" immediately establishes itself as a groundbreaking experience. However, the sweeping montage that follows, set to Blink182's "Miss You" and featuring slow-motion shots of characters staring thought- So goes the fate of the warrior. And like the fallen icons of Greece, our modern rap icons do battle in "Def Jam: Fight for New York." In the sequel to Def Jam: Fight for New York PS2, Xbox and GameCube EA of charisma through the screen. Best described as a fighting/wres- tling hybrid, "Def Jam" has fully licensed rappers fighting across all five boroughs of the Big Apple. Train sta- tions, strip clubs, construction sites and burning factories are all suitable ven- ues for the street-fighting, trash-talking thugs of Def Jam. Each character uses one of five fighting styles: martial arts, wrestling, submission, kickboxing and street fighting. Each rapper's charac- ter mirrors their persona so while the wiry Ludacris favors kickboxing, the always excitable Sticky Fingaz prefers the undisciplined ways of street fight- ing. With each artist providing their own voice and likeness to the game, the realism will be enough to please any hip-hop fan. While the variety of fighting venues and gimmicks (light your opponent on fire, toss them in front of a subway car) is delightful, the true core of the game is the borderline epic story mode. Even with lack of branching story paths, all the drama, double crossing and romance of a gangster film comes across just as brutal and unforgettable as "Mean Streets." Of course since it wouldn't be enough to play as your rapper of choice, Def Jam offers one of the most suitable and deep create-a-character modes seen in a fighting game. From obvious traits like height, weight and fighting style, to more unique stylized elements like what kind of iced-out chain and watch your digital avatar desires, "Fight for New York" makes the player the hero. All the energy that the game provides does wane as one replays the story mode and see the limited extent of the grap- pling system. It's impossible to replicate the excitement of the first few days with the game but the excellent graphics, superb use of the license and the bold, iconic feel of the characters and their mannerisms make "Def Jam" echo in the gamers mind like so many .other glorious battles. We make mountains out of molehills. fully at snow-covered slopes, forever obliterates this initial impression. From that moment forth, "The Moun- tain" becomes what every other WB show is eventually reduced to - a primetime soap opera. The show fea- tures a dysfunctional family, an inher- ited ski lodge and potential hardships down the road. In addition to highlight- The Mountain Wednesdays at 9 p.m. WB ing a variety of extreme sports, "The Mountain" attempts to combine the X-Games with "The O.C.," somehow failing to reach this goal. That's not to say "The Mountain" is without any redeem- ing attributes. First and foremost is the sex factor. Male audi- ences may initially be disappointed in "The Mountain" due to its cold setting, which doesn't allow for much bikini action. The sex scenes that eventually unfold, however, are steamy enough to keep any male viewer's eyes glued to the screen. Female viewers will also not be disappointed. The cast of "The Mountain" features many a studly male and at least one bare, muscled chest. The storyline is also strong enough to keep audiences inter- ested. Featuring a high-stakes plot about control of the ski resort after which the show is named, "The Mountain" mixes intrigue and deception with on-slope antics. In the premiere, the resort is left to the previous owner's grandson, causing strife among the Carver family, many of whom feel they are better qualified to run the slopes. As if family drama wasn't enough, a rival company attempts to capitalize on the shift in management with a buy-out. After some fights, a dance and a couple snowboarding shots, the show finally reaches its climax at a board meeting between the rival company and the new owners. True to traditional TV form, the Carvers hold out, thus providing the audience with more snow-filled episodes. Where "The Mountain" falls short is in the writing. While the show makes an attempt at quality interaction between characters, the dialogue and rapport between them just doesn't feel as real as in other shows. Often there are moments where something funny should be said, but nothing is. This is prob- ably because the characters appear too serious to crack any kind of joke, and the creators seem to take the show too seri- ously. Without this sense of humor, which allows the dramat- ic points to feel that much more dramatic, "The Mountain" feels a bit stiff and dry. Given room to lighten up, however, this show could rank among the best of the goofy evening dramas. But as it stands right now, "The Mountain" is mildly entertaining. It's worth watching if you catch it on TV. I I Electronic Arts's wildly successful "Def Jam Vendetta," "Def Jam: Fight For New York," allows the player to assume the persona of one of more than 40 rap superstars and relat- ed personalities in a brawler so bold, so visceral that its personality sends ripples COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS THE EARTH INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Earn your MPA in Environmental Science and Policy DAILY ARTS. IT'S GOOD CAPE WEATHER. COOL, BREEZY. The Master of Public Administration Program in Environmental Science and Policy combines Columbia University's hands-on approach to teaching public policy and administration with pioneering thinking about the environment. This twelve-month program takes place at Columbia University's New York campuses. MWM ,