m 0 2B - Thursday, December 6, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com REDUCTIVE REASONING Picking one and one apart. Um-m 'WATERSHIP DOWN' (1978) 0 The Daily Arts guide to the best upcoming events Today 12.06.07 Yoga and Meditation Night 8 p.m. At the Michigan League Koessler Room $3 suggested donation "A Good Boy" 7:30 p.m. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday Sunday 2 p.m. An the WalgreennDrama CenterArthur Miller Theatre $16/$9with student ID 7:30 p.m. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday Sunday 2 p.m. At the Power Center $24/$18/$9 with student ID Tomorrow 12.07.07 The Sopranos Present Reality A Cappella with special guest GROOVE! 8 p.m At MLB Auditorium 3 $8/$5 with student ID Esham 7p.m. At the Blind Pig $10, all ages Ann Arbor Soul Club: One Year Anniversary Special 10 p.m. At the Blind Pig $521+, $8/18+ Saturday 12.08.07 Lucy Kaplansky 8 p.m. At The Ark $7.50 Please send all press releases and event information to artspage@michigandaily.com. Fantasy tunes of a more astute ilk WEEK IN REVIEW " R.I.P. to two big Cs. PIMP C was found dead in his home Tuesday morn- ing. Cuban percussionist CARLOS "PATATO" VALDES also passed away earlier this week. 0 Alicia Keys was found sporting an alternately tight and flared body suit at the ONDA Awards in Barcelona. It was camel-toe - we mean camel-colored, uh, actually it was white. " AMY WINEHOUSE was spotted running around barefoot and crying in bra and blue jeans. Sigh. How can you do more shambly- but-beautiful SAM COOKE cov- ers if you don't get off the drugs? 0 Bizarre new poster for upcom- ing BATMAN film "The Dark Knight" released. It reminds us of one time in second-grade art class when we thought that one pudding painting was trying to tell us something. " PATRICK DEMPSEY will be the face of Versace's upcom- ing ad campaign for its men's Spring/Summer collection. A step up from modeling New York & Co. with ELLEN POMPEO! COURTESY OF ABC By BLAKE GOBLE Daily Arts Writer Fantasy is in style right now. "Narnia" fans are jonesing for the sequel next May (did you see that trailer?). "Harry Potter" can't be stopped. The "Lord of the Rings" franchise earned and deserved all its awards, and "The Hobbit" is a fierce issue on every film forum on the Web. All are popular by eco- nomic demand, but often passable and forgettable by design. The problem with fantasy is that it's difficult to film. Who doesn't think 1988's "Willow" is a little hilarioustForthelevel-headed film- goer, magic is kids' stuff without the right execution. It takes great deal to buy into witches, wizards and faraway places outside the norm. Sure, teen magic and epic journeys are familiar and affecting as an extension of the usual tropes. But anthropomorphized, battling polar bears? That's just crazy. So how has the classic "Water- ship Down" lasted so long? An ani- mated film starring talking rabbits making a journey to greener pas- tures and battling adversity along the way doesn't suffer from trendi- ness. "Watership" is fantasy to its core. But its longevity is what makes it so great, one of the finest works of fantasy ever committed to film. Surprisingly dark and frank, it's a simple story about survival and working through a predicament looked down upon by the entire world. The best part is that it isn't real- ly for kids. Rabbits are irritable and over- populated,often despised and con- sidered over-eaters, and almostall wild animals prey on them. This is the motivation of Fiver, Hazel and Bigwig. The English country- side is a dangerous place. Brutal hawks, cats and dogs rule. Food is scarce. The rabbits have anurgent need to leave. What wouldseemlikeaHomer- ic parable becomes unique for its earnestness in content. Anima- tion is usually considered a child's medium. Rabbits are a nuisance, and that's hard to get over. But they become so humanized in "Water- ship" that we feel the struggle. This is great, simple drama, punctu- ated by the blunt themes of life and death. If you're worried about candy- ass critters singing about the sun coming out, fear not. These rabbits bleed. And they fight - a lot. If ever Rabbits, man, rabbits. Don't mess with them. there was a film that could scare little children once blindly assum- ing Disney merriment, this film did it. Unique for its harsh content, "Watership Down" has become notorious for its violence married to themes of religion, politics and military struggle. Astute and more intelligent than most animated films, you forget you're watching sweet little rabbits. The very humanization of these animals is unique. Dense in under- standing of the real world but wholly human in their desire and survival, these transcend typical fare to become a powerful remind- er of what we must do to survive. Watch when Bigwig fights with the evil generals and savage rabbits. We feel for his struggle since he's clearly working to save his own life. Fight- ing tooth and nail, the scratches inflict a great deal of damage. You'll never see that in a main- stream animation flick. Haggard and tired, the brutality of "Water- ship" is stunning. If you're not con- vinced, just YouTube a couple clips and you'll immediately wonder how the film can be. You want to think happy thoughts, but they fade as you realize the true nature of wild animals. 0 RANDOLPH COURT APARTMENTS ~6 2 Bedroom Apartment Homes Ground Floor Ranch Style! Private Entrance! Patio! Spacious Kitchen! Air Conditioning! Laundry Facilities! 24-Hour Emergency Maintenance! Pets Welcome! And much, much more! 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