10 - Tuesday, April 17, 2007

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

i

Trippy cult comedy
at its weirdest
By BLAKE GOBLE able Meatwad, a singing, dancing,
Daily Arts Writer slightly mentally challenged meat-
_-- -_- --ball.
There are several ways to see this The so-called Aqua Teens came to
movie: late-night television in 2000 as part
1. Get really of Cartoon Network's somewhat sub-
high and go to versive Adult Swim, a grab-bag pro-
the State. gram on which the show's complete
2. Get really uaTeen lack of effort to even attempt a cohe-
drunk and go to Hunger Force sive plot wouldn't be held against
the State. . it. Our three edible heroes aim to
3. Get really Colon Movie achieve little else in life but the pur-
nerdy and go to For Theaters suit of happiness and the occasional
the State. obscure villain.
I opted for At the State The ATHF assemble a rock con-
number three Theater cert to pick up chicks. They create a
(sorry, Mom), First Look work-out machine. They battle space
regardless it's an aliens, watermelon and a robotic
exciting time for chicken. Hell, they even listen to Phil
us geeks. The "Aqua Teen Hunger Collins's "In the Air Tonight." In the
Force" film is here, and true to its true spirit of the surrealist show, the
strange television foundation, noth- ATHF are masters of the non sequi-
ing makes sense. That's how it's sup- tur, gleefully moving from one sen-
posed to be. sational moment to the next with no
For everybody else, let's play explanations needed.
catch-up: "ATHF" is not about water,
teens or hunger. Instead, the show
follows the exploits of three living, Go high, drunk,
breathing - and cussing - food
items. There's Frylock, a floating greekified - it'll all
head of French fries; Master Shake, ,
an anbling milkshake with a pro- w
pensity for doing some truly fucked WOrIu lio -
up shit (hint: sometime involves a
flamethrower); and, lastly, the ador-
And that's the only real problem
with their big-screen debut: "Aqua
Teen" may find itself hard-pressed
to impress the uninitiated. The
charm of the 10-minute show is its
fast-paced, oddball ingenuity and,
like most TV-to-movie transla-
tions, the small-scale stories are
almost impossible to expand into
90 minutes without significant loss
of momentum. "ATHF's" brand of
awkward comedy becomes a little
r- daunting when overextended, and
the recurring joke that it's all a
self-conscious movie with heavy
musical cues and big-budget effects
gets old quickly.
Nonetheless, diehard fans
trounced into the theater as if it was
Christmas morning and Santa had
promised them a Playstation. With
a strong cult following already
intact, this is one of those movies
where most people likely know
whether or not they love it before
they see it - but that still doesn't
change the fact that this is enter-
tainment at its weirdest.

The wonder
years
WOLV-TV turns to fiction with
undergrad drama 'Undecided'

4

By ALEX ERIKSON
Daily Arts Writer
Every college-bound high
school senior has at some point
questioned what
exactly he's M
going to do with Michigan
his life. Fresh- Undecided
man often end
up completely Thursdays
overwhelmed by at10 p.m.
so-called "life WOLV-TV
decisions" at the
fleeting age of 19
or 20 (or even 21, if procrastina-
tion was your true high school
skill).
In exploring this transitional
experience, LSA senior James
Boufides turned to a medium that
goes underused at the University.
Boufides is the creator of WOLV-
TV's "Michigan Undecided," one
of the network's first student-pro-
duced dramas and a good hard
look at student indecision.
Although in production since
October, the show's first episode
didn't air until late last month.
Music School junior Katie John-
ston, who plays one of the main
characters in the show, said it felt
like forever before the show got
on the air.
"We started (shooting) a long
time ago," she said. "It was still
autumn. The day after Halloween
was the first shoot."
The anticipation for the actors
was especially great. "We hadn't
seen any of the footage until the
show was on TV," she said.
Music School junior Kate
Garfield got an e-mail from the
department about auditions.
Johnston convinced Garfield and
a few other friends to come out
for the auditions.
"We ended up all getting the
parts," she said. The atmosphere
the friends have created behind
the scenes shines through within
each episode of the show.

Asked about shooting, J
ston was quick to respond.
"It's a blast," she said. "W
allvery funny people. (Boufid
fun, too. He seemed totallysq
at first, but he's a cool guy."
The show deals with the i
cacies of life as a college stu
Will (Eric Pierce), the mainc
acter, has to deal with al
brother who has decided o
unmarketable major, friends
endlessly pester him for help
his current relationship st
- which is single - the wayn
college guys have to deal
similar matters.
But Will also has to deal
a much more important i
- an issue that, early in "M
gan Undecided's" run, threa
to tear the sophisticated s
structure of his friends apar;
has accidentally outted his I
time best friend Allie (Johnst
"It's a pretty big issue," J
ston said. "Will's journey is
more central one. GrowingL
the main theme. It has to do
rights of passage, figuring
where you fit into the world
what your priorities are."
The shock of Allie's outting
ripple effects across the g:
of friends. Garfield's chara
Maggie, deals with the unexp
ed revelation of her friend's s
ality while also dealing with
boyfriend.
"My character's plot is
tered more around her boyfr
and (typical) relationship isst
Garfield said. "It starts ou
a very typical college relat
ship, but they have issues to.
through."
The show's debut and con
ued airing is not only an orig
and exciting venture for t
directly involved, but for W
as a whole. Even if the show h
limited run, the prospect of fu
original student productions
thriller to the network.

ohn-
'e are
es)is
uare :.
ntri-
dent. w
har-
little
,n an
who
'and
tatus
nany
with
with
ssue
ichi-
tens ZACHARY MtsNER/Da:y
ocial Inside the WOLV-TV studio on thet p floor of South Quadrangle Residence Hall
t: He
ong- "The show is a phenome al SOME OF WOV'S OTHER
on). venue," Garfield said. "Futu ORIGINAL PROGRAMS:
ohn- shows should explore differer O
the issues." (Times listed indicate first airings.)
up is Added Johnston: "Boufides i.
with essential. The scripts he wrot *""You Say Maize,I Say Blue"
out are awesome. If the writer woul (Wednesday at12:30 a.m.):
and change, the entire dynamic of the A sports update show a la "Pardon The
show would change with it." Interruption." Fellow Wolverine students
g has "Michigan Undecided" has allo debate the most prominent sports topics
roup opened the door for other original of the week.
cter, WOLV dramas in the future.
pect- "I definitely like the idea of "Keepin'it Real" (Wednesday at1
exu- future student run television dra- M.); Hosts Kev and Steph debate and
her mas," Johnston said. Although iscuss societal issues. They also welcome
there are currently no new pro- all-ins and guests to provide further
cen- ductions in the works, many of csightfor topics. A welcomingand open
iend those involved with "Michigan mosphere pervades "Real."
ues," Undecided" are still juniors and
t as are considering developing new 'Turned On" (Monday at11:30 p.m.):
ion- original programming in the in iftyou need tips on howto impress
work future. that s gniticant someone on a first date.
Just two of the slotted five Caller get their questions answered by
otin- episodes have run so far, but the Caed'nt sex-perts.
inal potential for drama, both within resid
hose "Michigan Undecided" and even *"M chigan in Motion"(Saturday at
OLV future productions, is endless. 530 m.): Host Jake Serwer provides
mas a We suggest a University version ':30 p melight for unexposed musical,
ture of "24." No, "The Office." You atisti nd poetic talents from all over
is a have to prepare students for a life the Inia 'rsity. Live performersfrequent
in cubicles somehow, right? the show
Required summer viewing lists.
The Filter, michigandaily.com/thefilter

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