Tuesday September 13, 2005 arts. michigandaily. com artspage@michigandaily.com L7, te Strlftotttt Dttiiij n r-rNAc 1 1 an i8 'Lost' still captivates on new DVD By Adam Rottenberg Daily Arts Editor DVD1REV'W Once ina show takes few pundits "Lost" - a a while an extraordinary TV to new heights. But predicted that last season castaway serial from J.J. "Alias" Abams - would be that show. Throw in some sci-fi ele- ments, a huge ensemble cast and weekly cliff- Lost: Sea- son 1 DVD Buena Vista SHUBRA OHRI/Daily I Salman Rushdie read from "Shalmar the Clown" at Borders on Monday. IN His WORDS SALMAN RUSHDIE VISITS ANN ARBOR hangers, and it seemed like a recipe for disaster. Yet something compelled America to tune in. Whether it was the excellent performances or the engross- ing mysteries of the island, "Lost" became the water-cooler sensation that ABC needed (yes, there was also that "Desperate" something or other, too). For those few who missed out the first time around, or who just need a refresher to catch Hurley's lotto num- bers, "Lost" arrives on DVD. Here's the premise: An Oceanic Air- lines flight traveling from Sydney to Los Angeles crashes on a seemingly deserted tropical island. The survivors band together and slowly learn to adapt not only to island life, but to each other. Using a unique structure that incor- porates extended flashbacks into each episode, viewers learn more and more about the textured pasts of every cast- away. From heroic M.D. Jack (Matthew Fox, "Party of Five") to the conniving con man Sawyer (Josh Holloway). When it works - as is the case in the stellar "Walkabout" episode when alpha-male 01 Locke (Terry O'Quinn, "Alias") is revealed to have been wheelchair bound - few series are better. But sometimes these tangents seem to be filler to round out otherwise thin plots. The DVD set contains pristine trans- fers of the hi-def broadcasts. More importantly, it is loaded with extras. Beyond the standard commentary tracks is an extra disc packed with doc- umentaries and featurettes. It breaks the series down from preproduction, the actual construction of the individ- ual episodes, to the audience response. Viewers learn that Jack was supposed to die in the pilot and that most of the characters were based on the actors who auditioned. It even includes hilari- ous screen-tests. "Lost" embraces the strengths of its medium in its serialization and large scope. Even though the revelations aren't as shocking the second time around, every episode is still an enthralling adventure. Just as you prepare to find out what's down the hatch in season two, remember what brought the cast- aways together in the first place. Courtesy of Buena Vista "Gilligan's Island's" castaways weren't this pretty. By Bernie Nguyen Daily Books Editor Last night, celebrated author Salman Rushdie read from his latest novel "Shalimar the Clown" at Borders Books and Music in Ann Arbor. Rushdie, a smallish man with gray- ing hair, stood at the speaker's podium with the comfortable air of a master at work. He drew a crowd of all ages that packed the upstairs room of the bookstore to its corners as people strained for a glimpse of him. The result of many years of work, Rushdie's new book begins with a violently climactic act of revenge, then tracks its plot mainly through back- story. Shalimar, a Muslim tight-rope walker who marries a Hindu girl, only to have his heart bro- ken, was mostly inspired by a 1987 visit to Kash- mir, Rushdie said. There, he met a group of village performers. "This is'a story about a young boy," he explained, "a clown in love." Rushdie read several excerpts from his novel, including the opening scene. The explosive begin- ning is the final act of a man whose passion leads him from marriage, to terrorist training camps and eventually, to murder. Rushdie also read the scene where Shalimar and his future wife first make love. The encounter, which he offered up without hesitation, establishes the intense love affair that later becomes a marriage. Interestingly enough, he used to be embarrassed while writing sex scenes, Rushdie said he overcame his bashfulness through years of practice. Rushdie, a celebrated novelist with a background of both Indian and English influence, won the Booker Prize in 2003 for his second novel "Mid- night's Children." His other works include "Fury," "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" and, most famous- ly, "The Satanic Verses," the novel for which Aya- tollah Khomeini of Iran condemned him to death in 1989. Throughout the reading, Rushdie maintained an easy sense of humor and a comfortable demeanor, joking with his audience and answering questions. When he stumbled onto the subject of other authors, Rushdie spoke of Dan Brown disparagingly, say- ing "("The Da Vinci Code") is the worst novel ever written," provoking startled laughter from his lis- teners. In response to a question about critics, Rush- die maintained a realistic position, and said, "I've learned that you can't please everyone." Rushdie also spoke about his views on world affairs with regards to terrorism. "Shalimar's" themes of terrorism and violence speak directly to what Rushdie perceives as a new era of human con- sciousness. Because the Sept. 11 attacks resulted in the collision of two worlds, in this case Arab and Western, Rushdie said, it was now necessary to write with that in mind After the event, listeners lined up to have their books signed and talked enthusiastically about Rushdie. "He was a great speaker," said LSA senior Stephanie Wang. "It was very entertaining to hear him read his own works." These sentiments were echoed by Jessica Dixon, a first-year student at the School of Public Health. "It was great to hear the readings in his own voice," Dixon said. "Shalimar the Clown" was published on Septem- ber 6, 2005 by Random House. Show: **** Picture/Sound: **** Features: **** e Attempting to bulk up faffs sitcom lineup, FOX loses with latest 'War' By Imran Syed, Daily Arts Writer As the season finales wrapped up last spring, the future looked bleak for comedies. Old shows were losing their touch (see "Will and Grace"), and most new ventures tanked miserably ("Listen Up!" or "Joey"). But the new season, which began Sunday, seemed promising in light of seemingly innovative programing. However, if the first of these shows, Fox's "The War at Home," is any indication, this year may be just as abysmal as the last. "Home" stars Michael Rapaport and Anita Barone (who have guest-starred in far better sitcoms, including "Mur- The War at Home Sunday at 8:30 p.m. FOX Even so, they all fail. Rapaport seems out of place without any tough guys to punch. Perhaps trying to compensate for this softness, the producers tried to make this show "edgy." In the midst of the usual dating argument between father and daughter, we come unexpectedly upon tasteless and poorly script- ed racial humor. While immersed in a not-even-remotely funny conversation about the son's homosexuality, the par- ents come to borderline homophobic conclusions. Trou- bling to say the least. The worst part of "The War at Home," striking viewers even before the opening credits, is that though it is a situation- al comedy, it does not depend on situational humor. Where successful sitcoms depend on good acting and dialogue to quickly explain the most complicated of situations, "Home" relies on inane cut-scenes. The characters actually talk to the audience to explain their situations (reminiscent of Zach Morris's time-outs). Having to depend on such scenes shows the lack of depth in both characters and dialogue. As if all this were not bad enough, "Home" features a laugh-track that is so overdone that it may itself be the best joke in the show. With a cast that lacks chemistry, a script that lacks intelligence and a tired premise that was perhaps beaten to death by last year's "Listen Up!," "The War at Home" appears to be the early favorite to be the first cancel- lation of the season. phy Brown," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Seinfeld" and "Friends," respectively), who raise three adolescents, each of whom is eccentric in his own special way. Rapaport's aggressive, impatient, regular-Joe nature is supposed to look cute. Barone tries to be something like the mocking-yet-sup- 1 portive wife on "Everybody Loves Raymond." The children .attempt to say the darndest things in a manner similar to the TV children of Patrick Duffy, Steve Harvey or John Ritter. I