0 Wednesday November 10, 2004 arts. michigandaily.com artspage@michigandaily.com abl mJai t 3idtiig a RTlrS 8 0 THE HOTTEST PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT FROM A DAILY ARTS WRITER S "America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction" - If only for the naked pictures of the Supreme Court justices, this book should be required reading for all political science majors. "America" is an even better read after seeing Jon Stewart verbally assault "Crossfire's" bow-tie sporting Tucker Carlson in front of a live audience. Don Cheadle - America's most underappreciated actor will finally have his shot at an Oscar with December's "Hotel Rwanda," a factual account of the 1994 genocide. On the lighter side, he'll also be reprising his role as a Cockney gangster in the upcoming "Ocean's 12." Well done. Guided by Voices - This band's final album is among its best work, and its last tour was a religious experience for anyone who made it to the Detroit show at the Majestic Theatre. During a three-hour performance, lead singer Robert Pollard managed to drink himself half to death, while still staying conscious enough to rock out, play the band's best hits and wax intellectual about the war in Iraq, Jack White and why Motown is cool. Versiz - Detroit's most talent- ed rap act and slam poet is the one guy who can make south- east Michigan a respect- able haven for independent hip-hop. Versiz's rhymes make Eminem look even more juvenile than before, and his social conscience packs a Joe Louis-like punch. "Casshern" - It's the greatest movie you'll never see, unless you shell out $50 for the Japanese box set. Made for just $6 million, it somehow manages to piece of filmmaking ever. Dreamworks just bought the rights, so see "Casshern" before it gets botched. The film is most effec- tive as a visual complement for a Motorhead album, although the Japanese heavy metal that accompa- nies the robot fight scenes is a more than adequate soundtrack. Action- filled 'Sly 2' builds upon By Adam Rottenberg Daily Arts Editor VIDOGAE REVIW * **3 Courtesy of Virgin We need an extreme makeover. Just look at us. COMPLETING THE CIRCLE BAND'S NEW ALBUM COVERS IT ALL By Garrick Kobylarz Daily Arts Writer At some point, almost every band in existence plays a cover that pays reverence to those artists who came before them. Far fewer, however, are capable of recording an album consist- ing exclusively of covers. On their latest release, eMO- TIVe, A Perfect Circle revamps classic songs of revolution, describing the record as "a collection of songs about war, peace, love and greed," and A Perfect Circle eMOTIVe Virgin Rhythm of the War Drums," reminiscent of Tool's "Die Eier Von Satan," gives the song a profoundly different feel from its original incarnation and rivals "Pet" in its ability to transmit the song's influential message. With "Passive," the band returns to true form, led by Maynard James Keenan's vocal lines blazing the trail. "Go ahead and play dead / I know that you can hear this / Go ahead and play dead / Why can't you turn and face me / You fuckin' dis- appoint me / Passive aggressive bullshit," Keenan demands. Bands that play covers well always approach them from new angles, and thankfully, that's exact- ly what A Perfect Circle does. Unfortunately, just one or two of the artistically gifted members of the band stand out on each track. Josh Freeze, for exam- ple, only makes his creative drumming talents well known on a few songs, the best of those being the spastic, breakbeat-influenced "Let's Have a War." Guitarist James Iha, a recent acquisition made after the demise of The Smashing Pumpkins, is credited on "People are People," but has no other appearance on the entire disc. A Perfect Circle must be given recognition for having the balls to tackle songs that most people consider "untouchable" like John Lennon's "Imag- ine" or Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On." By dropping "Imagine" down to a minor key, A Per- fect Circle gives the song a dark, sinister feel that is paradoxical to the sense of yearning hope Len- non's lyrics provide. "What's Going On," backed by flanged drums and echoing vocals, is bland in its arrangement without enough driving bite to carry the song to the end. They will certainly never be held in the same esteem as the originals, but they are fearless, unabashed attempts at recreation. More disheartening, though, is the cover of "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme." Keenan, sounding more like Marilyn Manson than the Maynard fans have come to know and love, abandons his versa- tile, pristine voice in favor of a dirty, death-metal scream. The comparatively gentle "Annihilation" accentuates the tenderness Keenan is able to supply, but is sadly supported by what sounds like a child's toy piano. By far the best use of A Perfect Circle's capa- bilities, "When the Levee Breaks" and "Fiddle and Drums" underline the inventiveness the band estab- lished on its first two albums and what fans should expect on future records. looks to elevate the awareness of societal shortcom- ings. The message is powerful, but it would have carried a greater amount of weight if the album were stacked with completely original tracks. "Passive" and "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums" are the only two original tunes on this recording, the latter being a redesign of vocal sections from their song "Pet." The remix of "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the 4 Corey e w Line Tennessee Williams's obscure dark comedy needs no 'Adjustment' Sly Cooper and crew sneak back onto the Playstation 2 in the promising sequel to 2002's "Sly Cooper and the Thevious Racoonous." Mixing together the stealth-action genre with a cartoon world, "Sly 2" stands out as a unique entity that is both incredibly engross- " ing and off-putting Sly 2 at the same time. PS2 The game oozes style. From the cel- SCEA shaded graphics to the comic book inspired cut-scenes, "Sly 2" has a look all its own. The world seems like a fully realized cartoon with excellent character and level design. Each member of Sly's team moves flu- idly, especially the titular thief, making every tiptoe noticeable. Yet the fanciful appearance - although incredibly strik- ing - often fights against the stealth aspects of the game by looking too car- toonish. Unlike most action platformers, "Sly 2" places its emphasis on stealth, making it more attuned to games like "Splinter Cell" and "Metal Gear Solid" than "Super Mario Sunshine." Instead of simply col- lecting items and fighting off throngs of enemies, Sly must also creep silently past foes in order to complete the game's objectives. Adding to the ambiance of the missions is the criminal nature of Sly and his band of thieves, making the goals of each level actually seem to have a pur- pose within the context of the story. The original "Sly" was lauded for its combination of substance and style, but it faced many complaints about its length. "Sly 2" not only fixes that problem but also adds more playable characters and abilities. While nothing revolutionary, "Sly 2" does everything exceptionally well. "Sly 2" faces a conundrum in its game- play because of its criminal theme and occasionally methodical stealth-action that counteract the lighthearted graph- ics and design. Sometimes the two mesh well, but the kiddie look of the charac- ters might deter many older players who would otherwise enjoy the title. All in all, though, by fixing and improving upon the original, "Sly 2" is everything a gamer could ask for in a sequel. from leaving his imprint on the production. Travis, who has worked with The Performance Network in Ann Arbor and The Purple Rose The- ater in Chelsea, is better known for his acting Period of Adjustment Today through Nov. 20. Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets: $7 for students (all proceeds go to the "Kids in Need" scholarship fund) At the Blackbird Theatre long-married friends speak of the future in their bedroom upstage. The play is set in a post-World War II suburb of identical "Spanish style cottages." One unhappy homeowner, Ralph (Matt Pinnard), is a knowing, gentle and ethically rooted man, per- fectly suited for the job of comfort- ing the new bride of his war buddy George, since George drank through his wedding night. The innocence his bride (Courtney Myers) gives her character is tender, while her South- ern accent is authentic. The audience is almost sorry George treats her so poorly. All three have recently become unem- ployed, and Ralph's wife has run off and taken their son while the boy's Christmas presents sit sadly under the tree. But the audience is not sorry, because it is consistently, made to laugh at these untimely mis- fortunes. Aside from the comedy, the show is easy and enjoyable to watch. A fur coat Ralph bought for his wife becomes the symbol of his devotion to her. The audience can sense its warmth and watch characters fight over it. Similarly, the damage of war is made visible in George's tremors. Russ Hedberg strains his body to express the neurological state of his guarded character. He shakes from his entrance to the final curtain and even more so at moments of great stress. One of those moments is the cli- mactic scene in which Ralph's in- laws and wife barge in; they try to reclaim her valuables, she tries to reclaim Ralph. Supporting actors Marty Smith and Linda Hammill make brief, but solid appearances as the parents, and the audience can sense the upheaval of Ralph's domestic existence in this palpably crowded scene. Ralph's wife Dottie (Kathleen Orr) remains on stage, and her skilled performance explains why Ralph loves her. Engineering graduate student Joshua Parker built a remarkable set that adds to the performance. Ralph Bates's cottage is built so that the audience can view both the common TV room and the private bedroom. Actors can go "outside" into the cold of Christmas Eve by the front door or window. The show is a pleasure to watch and very well done. The cast and crew put in a good performance as did Tennessee Williams, who cre- ated this touching and funny script. 0 0 but reveals his obvious talent for directing here. The polished ensem- ble perfectly executes one scene in which two new lovers confess their nervousness at the forefront of the stage while, simultaneously, their NELP New England Literature Program I I I