I ARTS The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 7, 2005 - 13A o 'Prison' escapes unreal premise Fox's new thrill ride, "Prison Break," is everything a television show should be - smart, stylish and com- pletely unrealistic. Protagonist Michael Scofield (Wen- tworth Miller, "The Human Stain") holds up a bank in order to help his supposedly innocent brother Lincoln Prison Break (Dominic Purcell, "Blade: Trinity") Mondays at 9 p.m. escape from the prison where, coin- Fox cidentally, both of them end up. Such implausible ideas should come with a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode to disband all logic."Other action-filled dramas with far-fetched premises are making a big impact on the rat- ings, and Fox is hoping to cash in. Michael's plan is to break his brother out and prove his innocence to the world. Because he's a structural engi- neer who helped build the jail and happened to get a hold of the blueprints long enough to have them tattooed onto his body, he might just have a chance. But for all his care- ful planning, nothing can quite prepare Michael for the actual prison experience. Upon his arrival, he realizes that although he thought he had accounted for everything, small details inevitably disrupt his plan. He must learn to deal with the other inmates, and the different alliances he strikes up tend to cause new problems. Remarkably, his eerily calm demeanor never cracks, even as a vicious fight erupts all around him during his welcome week. Miller is brilliant as the single-minded, slightly socio- pathic Michael. His portrayal immediately draws the viewer into the head of this slightly deranged and com- pletely riveting character. The important bond between Michael and Lincoln has the potential to take a pivotal role and provide interesting characterization and plot- lines for viewers in the future. The supporting cast turns out with excellent perfor- mances; Robin Tunney ("Paparazzi") plays Veronica :j Courtesy of Fox This looks more like a J. Crew catalog than a prison. Donovan, an attorney, who despite insurmountable evi- dence, holds onto the hope her ex-boyfriend, Lincoln, did not commit the murder. There's also the peculiar assortment of people within the prison's dreary walls. Administrator Warden Pope (Stacy Keaph, "American History X") forms a close bond with Michael, while Dr. Sarah Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies, "Tarzan"), a sexy doctor and daughter of Illi- nois's governor, seems destined to become Michael's love interest. Former mob boss and general intimidator John Abruzzi (Peter Stormare, "Constantine") and Charles Westmoreland (Muse Watson, "America Outlaws") are two interesting inmates whose side-stories provide fur- ther insight into criminals' minds as they cope with life away from power and freedom. Despite its outrageously absurd premise, "Prison Break" is guaranteed to entertain. Even with the serious- ness of the topics involved (murder, death row and gov- ernment conspiracies), it never takes itself too seriously and neither should viewers. "Seth Cohen likes us, so that makes us cool." BIG YELLOW TAXI MAINSTREAM DEBUT DOESN'T DETER DEATH CAB By Chris Gaerig Daily Arts Writer Improv series shows promise By Imran Syed Daily Arts Writer T I By the very nature of improv, you never know what you're going to get. So, it is no given that Bravo's new * show, "ASSSS- ASSSSCAT: CAT Improv," Improv self-described as,Wednesdays "the longest run- at 11 p.m. ning and great- Bravo est (live) improv show in the his- tory of the world" will be able to live up to its billing. The members of the highly successful Upright Citizens Brigade bring their weekly perfor- mance to television with the help of special guests from other well-known comedy shows. Saturday Night Live" cast members Amy Poehler (a founder of "ASSSSCAT"), Tina Fey, Horatio Sanz and Rachael Dratch join former "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" sidekick Andy Richter and others in perhaps the most star-stud- ded improv show ever. Though the result is humorous overall, the come- dic success is sporadic. The format of the "ASSSSCAT" (an acronym for Automated Sprin- kler System Shutdown Siamese Connection Alternative Theater) is moderately original as far as improv goes. To begin with, someone from the audience shouts out a word that inspires a monologue. The cast then uses the monologue as a basis for their ensuing skits, all of which, as Ms. Poehler repeatedly reminds us, are entirely improvised on the spot. Unfortunately the monologues themselves are dry and feature very little humor. Richter's especially are horrendous - he doesn't even seem to try and be funny. However, the little-known Matt Besser, one of the founding members of this troupe, unexpectedly steals the show. His best routine, where he plays a bumbling agent of the Gestapo, is certainly the best part of the show. Besser also seems to have great chemistry with fellow found- ing members Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh, who often seem to be the only ones not confused and overwhelmed. Of the guest performers, Dratch and Sanz are excellent. They seem to be improv naturals and get a chance to branch out from the founder- ing "Saturday Night Live." Sanz's impersonation of a ticked-off Syl- vester Stallone is priceless and on par with Dratch's of an end-table- crazed Adolf Hitler. Richter, how- ever, bombs in his skits, too, rarely having anything original for others to play off of. Even when he says something funny, Richter seems to be entirely uninterested in acting out the part. I Ben Gibbard is one of the few musicians who gaiped more fame and notoriety for his side project than regular gig. His wildly suc- cessful Postal Service debut, Give Up, swept the airwaves thanks to Death Cab. the blockbuster smash "Garden for Cutie State." The collaboration between Plans Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello of Atlantic the indie glitch-pop powerhouse Dntel, was praised for its airy, electronic atmospheres but lambasted for its tepid lyr- ics. It's these vocal shortcomings that have plagued the catalog of Gibbard's Death Cab For Cutie. Gibbard has never concealed his lyrical topics: girls, heartbreak, depression and solitude. In essence, Death Cab is the quintessential emo group - a label that has been exponentially losing respect in the music world. As emo clumsily forces it's way into the mainstream (My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy) it becomes more of a liability to be branded as such. Although Death Cab finally made its way to a major label with Plans, Gibbard runs the risk of losing his diehard fan base. What sets Death Cab apart from other cookie-cut- ter pop-punk groups is the use of imagery. Gibbard's lyrics are occasionally outlandish, but always visual. His style incorporates less rhyming couplets and witty lines in exchange for bold, vivid (yet sometimes cli- che) metaphors. Plans is filled with piano ridden ballads and Gibbard's effeminate yet affectionate melodies. "Your Heart Is an Empty Room" is the same song Death Cab has been releasing their entire career. But it still works. The obvi- ous emo theme is strewn throughout the track: "And all you see / Is where else you could be / When you're at home," as the overly sentimental line flows through the acoustic guitar lines and cymbal flares. "Different Names for the Same Thing" trudges through an extended piano-meets-reverberating-vocals intro before an electronic beat drops and truly starts the track. The ensuing three-minute crescendo of staccato keyboard blips and compiling, powerful drums is Gibbard's attempt to recapture the Postal Service vibes. The other excur- sion is the folkier, Bright Eyes-esque "I Will Follow You Into the Dark." While occasionally the track sounds a bit forced, it is genuinely sincere and a necessary shift away from the pop-infused tracks. It's when Gibbard starts employing his lyrical abilities that the album either falls short or soars to new heights. In "Marching Bands of Manhattan" he sings "If I could open my mouth / Wide enough for a marching band to march out." The asinine lyric sounds ludicrous coming from any legitimate musician. Combined with the Five For Fighting vocal inflections, the track blends into the mediocrity of the emo stereotype. On the contrary, "Brothers On a Hotel Bed" uses some of the most heartfelt imagery on the album: "Because now we say goodnight from our own separate sides / Like brothers on a hotel bed." Plans is not the album that's going to make Gibbard a star. With a new Postal Service album on the horizon, his most legitimate chance for fame is coming soon. ,Although Death Cab signed to a major label, they haven't changed enough to lose their fan base. In fact, they've gotten better. If Gibbard continues to write sentimental, vibrant lyrics without going over the top, he just may gain the respect he's been trying to hard to obtain. ' - " 5 "Look at us. We're zany!" The show's late starting time brings expectations of a less politically cor- rect and edgier version of the semi- hit improv show, "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" Among other things, the cast fearlessly explores religious and date-rape humor, though most of this is tasteless and unamusing. However, there is some insightful satire inter- twined with these crude remarks, such as a play on college frater- nities and religious fundamental- ists who claim only they know God. Sanz's style is quite amusing too, though stretched too thin by the lim- its of improv. Overall, the show is funny, but does not have the constant flow and consistency needed to sustain any- thing more than occasional laughter. The cast of improvisers are largely brilliant and there is no reason why future episodes, with other random topics, could not be better. I I E)C-) YURR Ann Arbor Branch AAUWS 53rd Annual Used Book Sale September 9-11, 2005 Friday: 10am - 8pm Early admission $10, Sam - 10am Saturday: 10am - 8pm Sunday: 10am - 3pm Friday: Saturday: Sunday: $1 - $4 price range, some books individually priced all books half price all books $5 per bag OWN THING JUST D ON'T Morris Lawrence Building Washtenaw Community College Supporting the education of women for over 100 years! www.aauwaa.org LOCK oUT CRIME THE ilr A rr 65% of A2 theft is due to unlocked doors. Keep doors, cars, & valuables LOCKED! REPORT suspicious activity. Call 911.4 MALL. . "Don't 1st your :H A IR * u~ uisuu~Uo . OUTSIDE OF ORDINARY U