The Michigan Daily - mhuichigandaily.com

Tuesday, November 30, 2010 - 5

The ine-art things in life

Please stop, think for a moment
and raise your hand if you've been
to a "fine arts" event since the
beginning of this semester. For
those who raised your hands (and
you're probably
being stared
at and judged
right now), how
many have you
been to? One?
Five? All of
them ever?
To answer
my own ques- LEAH
tion, yes, I can BURGIN
raise my hand
- I've been
to at least one fine arts event.
But, for someone who considers
herself interested in fine arts, I
feel like the quantity of events
I've attended is super low. To
date, I've been to two musicals
(The School of Music, Theatre
& Dance's "Into the Woods" and
MUSKET's "Aida") and an opera
(School of MT&D's "The Elixir
of Love"). I've also wandered
through the University of Michi-
gan Museum of Art several times.
But ... that's it.
While I've almost matched my
"event points" from last year dur-
ing the course of one semester,
I still feel guilty. The Univer-
sity brings us so many awesome
events (and student tickets are
so cheap!), that I feel like I'm
missing out when I choose not to
attend something. For example,
this past semester I had an inter-
est in attending the University
Musical Society-hosted outdoor
play "Susurrus" and seeing the
Japanese Sankai Juku dance
company. Both events would have
been unique and eye-opening
experiences. Now, they're just
opportunities missed.
But let's pretend I had made it
to these events. Yay for me! This
would only bring the number
of events I attended up to five
(excluding UMMA visits). Five
still seems pretty low though,
consideringI never attended a
Basement Arts show, nor any
of the symphonies, orchestras
or quartets, nor any choral or a

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performances. I haven't applied to fine arts events. So,
pped foot in the Kelsey as a New Year's resolution (do
of Archaeology. people still make these?), please
e this is presumptuous do me a favor: Look through the
ut I feel like a good por- multiple event calendars that the
dichigan students have University puts online and pick
feelings. With so many one event to attend next semester.
portunities on campus I'll pick mine first - School of
ships, activities, sports, MT&D's drama "The Crucible."
fe, volunteering, squirrel Now it's your turn. There are
- it can be hard to make plenty of events, ranging from
fine arts events, espe- a UMS performance by world-
top of homework, sleep renowned soprano Renee Flem-
ling with friends. There ing to School of MT&D's show
too many things to do and "Dancing Americas." Get a group
sgh hours in the day. of friends together, take a break
you know what? That's for one evening from partying or
OK if you haven't attend- studying and make an effort to
ch of fine arts events. It's try something new.
if you've only attended For those who attend a lot of
ht now, we're in college fine arts events, great for you!
is about having fun, expe- You've found a niche! But please
new things and balanc- take a moment and analyze what
he opportunities we have kind of events to which you tend
world. And if someone to go. For me, I go to many more
have time for fine arts theater and art exhibits than I do
r has been to a few and symphonies or a capella concerts.
think they're fun, that's And again, this is OK. I know
on's prerogative. Time is what kinds of things I like and I
s and we have to spend it seek out those events. However, I
want to. would strongly urge people who
(like me) fall into this category to
also create a New Year's resolu-
tion: Look through the events
 vent to a calendars and pick one event next
semester that falls outside your
normal fine arts-events zone.
w you go see Again, I'll go first: Next semes-
ter I will go to UMS's Kodo, a
IIJSKET. Japanese dance group that looks
super intense. Now it's your
turn. For those who don't go to
museums, exploring UMMA is
always a great option. For those
or those of you who who shy away from musicals,
attended a single fine arts MUSKET's "25th Annual Putnam
nce becoming a student County Spelling Bee" should be
would strongly urge you a fun introduction to that type of
k one out. Sports have theater. But really, any event that
een my main area of inter- catches your eye and makes you
last year I attended a few say "whaaat?" is something you
games and I (shockingly, should try to attend.
ad fun! This year, instead Everybody ready? Do you all
all, I intend to go to a have your events picked out? OK.
game. I would never want One,.two, three - LET'S GET
d every sports game ever, CULTURED!

"Damn, I wish i hadn't wasted that Get Out of Canyon Free card."
Franco cuts deep

I
foc
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T

Slue
Boy
in
Dann
Hours,"
last. Lik
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- in th
mountai
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situatior
it p
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glimpse,
similari
In th
'Ralston
when a 1
yon he's
arm to t
five day:
no mea
As he su

-dog' director gies become more and more pri-
mal, and we are ultimately forced
le gets intense to witness one of the more shock-
ing scenes in recent film memory.
1'127 Hours' The scene depicting Ralston's
self-amputation was painstaking-
By TIM RABB ly planned and executed in only
Daily Arts Writer one take. With the aid of medi-
cal professionals and a talented
y Boyle's newest film, "127 makeup effects company, direc-
has a similar feel to his tor Danny Boyle doesn't spare us
:e "Slumdog Millionaire," any of the gory details of Ralston's
roduces crisis.
ur like- It's impressive to note how
tagonist ** closely Boyle stuck to the facts of
is case, 127 HO the accident. Many film efforts
neer "inspired by" a true story have
Ralston At the taken only the skeletal details of
his dire Michigan a compelling event and filled in
n. Then Fox Searchlight the gaps with heartrending Hol-
roceeds lywood drivel. Here we have a tale
est us in which the facts can stand alone
in his plight with brief and still manage to shock and awe
s into his past. But the - and then some. Several patrons
ty ends there. attending a recent Michigan The-
is harrowing true story, ater afternoon showing had to
is canyoning in Utah leave during the amputation due
boulder falls into the can- to its highly graphic nature.
navigating and pins his And this is no isolated inci-
he wall, trapping him for dent: the real-life Ralston himself
s with scant resources and reported to Entertainment Weekly
ns to contact civilization. that at a test screening he attend-
uffers, his survival strate- ed, several peopl fainted. But it's

a refreshing lightheadedness, in
that it's not induced by poor quali-
ty of content, but by unadulterated
realism that won't alter its lack of
pleasantries to meet viewer expec-
tations. It flirts with the line of
gratuitousness, but wisely heeds
its restraints and results in a scene
that suggests gritty documentary
in lieu of horror gore.
Boyle performs small miracles
onscreen to maintain a degree of
originality. Most of the camera
angles that hold our eyes inex-
tricably hostage throughout the
film's final 70 minutes are con-
tained within a to-square-foot
space (save for the intermittent
looks into our hero's past). We
enjoy eclectic shots, ranging from
an internal view of Ralston's arm
to the bottom of the water bot-
tle his tongue probes for its last
remaining drop.
Overshadowing even these for-
midable directorial feats, however,
is James Franco's ("Howl") Oscar-
worthy performance, which will
have each hair on your body stand-
ing at attention. His every desper-
ate scream, therapeutic quip and
agonizing groan is so convincing
See 127 HOURS, Page 6

But fc
haven't
event si
here, Iv
to check
never bE
est, but
football
to me) h
of footb
hockey,
to atten

but I'm glad I went to the football
games, and I'm interested to see
what hockey is all about.
A similar mindset could be

a x }

Leah Burgin's friends don't want
to see Japanese dance. To accopnany
her, email Irburgin@umich.edu.

* Soulja's missing soul

By CHLOE STACHOWIAK
For the Daily
Soulja Boy still exists. He still
records music, puts together
albums and releases them for pub-
lic consump-
tion. Whether **
this is a good
idea is an
entirely dif- S l
ferent matter. The Deandre Way
The Dean- Stacks on Deck
dre Way,
his newest
album, is scheduled to be released
Nov. 30. The album's concept?
"My way of thinking, my logic, my
theory on a lot of things," said the
20-year-old rapper told Hiphop-
stan.com. "It's basically my inter-
pretation on life ... my logic, my
theory on a lot of things."
For an album devoid of emo-
tional complexity, conjunctions
and, in many cases, multisyllabic
words, the thought of The Deandre
Way representing anyone's life is
frightening. In fact, it's difficult to
find a trace of logic in any one of
the album's 10 tracks.
With its opening song "First
Day of School," one might expect
touching recollections of child-
hood, reaching goals to be a rap
superstar or a raw account of
growing up in a rough side of town
- something even mildly person-
al. Instead, the track is a tribute to
the rapper's exceptional dressing
skills. That's right, a four-minute
description of his matching shirt,
hat and belt babbled obnoxiously
over a beat. Since the last half of
nearly every word in the chorus
is omitted, it's tricky to make out
what exactly the artist is saying.
But something along the lines
of "I dress every day like it's the
first day of school" can be picked
out. How's that for a peek into the
mind of an inexplicable rap sensa-
tion?
The rest of the album's con-
tent is equally laughable. Topics
include making and spending mil-
lions of dollars - an amount to
"go crazy over," dealing with the
"trippin' " and "flippin' " of other
people, sexy ladies and driving
around while playing absurdly
loud music.
At least "Fly" contains the per-
sonal touches promised by the

'Whomever shall I Superman next...'
rapper. On the track, he discusses few memorable traits. Its pres-
the beauty of life and reaching ence on the album, along with
one's goals, calling for the listener "Mean Mug" and "30 Thousand
to spread his or her wings. With 100 Million," serves as a botched
these lyrics sprinkled over a piano attempt to sound cool. The songs'
and a light, catchy drumbeat, the reports of the rapper's style and
song could even be considered street power are unconvincing,
inspiring despite its predictable especially when paired with the
and overdone carpe diem-themed album's cutesy love ballads and
lines. romantic stock phrases. Lines like
"Hey cutie" and "I want to take
you around the world" can only be
'Deandre' heard on the radio so many times
before sounding stale and boring.
doesn't really tell Despie claims of explisring
damore personal territory with his
'em anything. newest release, Soulja Boy is far
from crafting a moving album.
With the exception of a few songs,
the album is a shallow, uninspired
Lyrics on The Deandre Way may view of a rapper's money, romanc-
be a letdown, but at least some es and strength in the streets -
of the songs are catchy. "Pretty none of which are revolutionary
Boy Swag" is perhaps the easi- in concept or sound.
est track to listen to, featuring a With the release of his first
slow, solid beat layered with piano novel "Teenage Millionaire"
and quicker drums. He delivers drawing near, maybe we should
the lyrics aggressively, though give Soulja Boy a break. He's prob-
also in a gradual tempo, pulsing ably saving the complex "logic"
confidently with the background for the intellectual world. You
music. Apart from its powerful know, for people who can appreci-
beat, however, the track possesses ate his depth.

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