The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Wednesday, September 9, 2009 - 5A ,. -, _ , --" Crash-test dummies in real life By CAROLYN KLARECKI Daily TV/New Media Editor Everybody knows there's only onerealreasonto watch NASCAR: the crashes. Without them, * there would be very little & entertainment in watching Coure cars drive coun- Wednesdays terclockwise at 9p.m. around the same ABC track 200 times. People root for drivers simply because hours of race-watching yield only seconds of crashes. And after investing so much time in a hobby, it would be a shame not to develop personal attachments to your favorite rac- ers via seeing them at their most automotively desparate. To alleviate the long bore that is the sport of NASCAR, ABC has developed "Crash Course," a new game show focusing only on the best - and most destructive - parts of racing. The show chronicles five two- man teams as they take turns competing in dangerous stunts for $50,000 and the coveted Gold Steering Wheel. For each chal- lenge, the team who doesn't com- plete the obstacle or takes the longest to finish is eliminated, and the last team remaining wins. It sounds simple enough. But when the stunts involve driving a car onto a moving flatbed truck full of barrels, theyoftenresultin flipped vehicles and require the use of a fire extinguisher or two. The relationships between team members include everything from siblings to roommates to married couples to best friends. Each per- son is loud, excited and perfect for a TV game show. Because every- one is so outrageous, it's easy to mock the contestants. Rooting for someone is only a matter of choos- ing between the most and least obnoxious teams. Of course, by picking such col- orful contestants, "Crash Course" runs the risk of becoming more It's like NASCAR, but not completely boring. annoying than amusing. The show prides itself on focusing on the people behind the wheel, but with- out some restraint the show could lose track of itself and become See CRASH COURSE, Page 7A The freshest catch Miyazaki's newest animated film is on par with his typical standard of excellence By ANDREW LAPIN Daily Film Editor More than most other so-called "kids" mov- ies, Hayao Miyazaki's "Ponyo" actually seems to understand what life is like for a child. Its main character, the five- year-old Sosuke, is impres- sionable enough to take for granted the fact that his pet fish has suddenly turned into a human. He's less frightened by encounters with magical crea- tures than he is when his mom moment of bravery comes not from defeating any evil villain, but from simply watching over the house while his mom has to run out in an emergency. This attention to the details of a child's life shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone famil- iar with Miyazaki's previous films. Most of his earlier features have starred young children on simple quests who either enter a world of magic or let the magic come to them. There's a reason why Miyazaki is the most revered living anima- tor in the world today: His films are meticulously crafted works of beauty that attempt to engage people of all ages in his audience. And he typi- cally succeeds in that mission. Ponyo - a fish who longs to be human - is taken in by a little boy in a coastal village, much to the frustration of her human-despising wiz- ard fish father, who floods the town in his anger until Ponyo can prove to him that she can sup- port herself on two feet (literally). It's a simple retelling of "The Little Mermaid" - emphasis on "simple." "Ponyo," though equally as charming and magnificent to look at as any previous Miyazaki film, is not quite as successful atbridgingthe gap between his younger and older audiences. It's closer in spirit to 1988's "My Neighbor Totoro," about two little girls who find a giant mythical animal in their backyard, than to 2001's "Spirit- ed Away," about a girl who must work in a spirits' bathhouse to free her captured parents. Confidentially, "Spirited Away" is this reviewer's favorite film, animated or oth- erwise. It touches on many adult themes, including the evils of human greed and the importance of maintaining one's own identity, while at the same time entertaining younger viewers with cute creatures and slapstick humor. It's a bit disappointing to discover that "Ponyo" is more interested in appealing to the latter demographicthough it does have a strong message about family and love (but See PONYO, Page 7A Ponyo At Quality 16 and Showcase Walt Disney Pictures Studios hihi speeds to get him to school on time. And his big A practical joke that's lost on everybody By ERIC CHIU thing inherently entertainingabout 1 DailyArts Writer the skill and detail that go into a properly performed hoax. It's safe It's hard to argue against the to say, though, the true art of the value of a well- practical joke probably wasn't a executed prank. concern for MTV's "Pranked." From the meticu- "Pranked" follows the clip-show lously designed Pranked format popularized by shows like pranks of bored "The Soup." In each episode, hosts Ivy League stu- Thursdaysat Streeter Seidell and Amir Blumen- dents to the 10:30 p.m. feld ("The CollegeHumor Show") simplicity of a MTV snarkily comment on a variety of perfectly timed online videos of people pulling shot to the crotch, there's some- pranks on each other. Not surprisingly, "Franked" suffers from the same pitfall that impairs most clip shows. If every- thing in the show is already avail- able online, there's no reason to spend a half hour in front of the TV watching the same videos. To cri- tique it kindly, "Pranked" doesn't exactly justify its own existence. The level of stupidity at work in "Pranked" borders on oppres- sively toxic - there's a prevail- ing vein of cringe-worthiness throughout the highlighted videos in the show, but there's no redeeming comedic value to any of the wince-incitingmoments. That's not to say that pranks and cringe-heavy humor can't go hand in hand. The "Prank War" series See PRANKED, Page 7A "Please never fart in the car again." - I Join the Ross School of Business Paid Subject Pool Sign up to be notified of new surveys and experiments $10 an hour Who: Anyone 18 and over, staff, student or friend (You do not need to be associated with the business school.) 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