6 - Friday, November 4, 2011 A' Grimm' outlook The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Sea and Cake in Detroit NBC fairy-tale vehicle doesn't spell out magic By BRIANNE JOHNSON Daily Arts Wrier Attention all mythical crea- tures, wandering children and aspiring Disney princesses: The Brothers Grimm have returned - this ** time brandish- Gimm ing gun and badge. The Pilot long-stand- d 9 ing question, Fridays at 9p.m. "Who's afraid N of the big, bad wolf?" is finally answered in this twist on the classic, morbid tales written about 200 years ago. Abandoning the whimsicality and lightheartedness of past re- interpretations, NBC's "Grimm" is a cold clash between suburban reality and fantasy, leaving little magic in its wake. Once upon a time, there lived homicide detective Nick Bur- khardt (Dave Giuntoli, "Turn the Beat Around"). Nick can see things. Ghoulish things. Hairy things. Things with shoddy spe- cial-effects makeup. Revealed to be one of the last in a line of Grimms, Nick inherited the abil- ity to see through the creatures' human pretenses. When his aunt, a fellow Grimm, falls into a coma, Nick is forced into the family business: protecting the commu- nity from the likes of classic sto- rybook bad guys. Family secrets! Ominous nightmares! Marilyn Manson! Wait - Marilyn Manson? Yes, that was Manson himself croon- ing his rendition of Eurythmics' eerie "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." To any indulgent fan of mystery and suspense, this com- bination of elements may sound like the formula for a cliff-hang- NBC "I peer into an abyss, and the abyss ... is dirt." ing success. But the fantasy falls flat. "Grimm" is far more cop drama than it is fairytale, placingclassic characters like Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf in the underwhelming suburbs of Port- land, Ore. Weaving beloved tales into a modern setting, "Grimm" had the potential to be fantasti- cal and intriguing, but the result is humdrum at best. Nick is impulsive but boring as a one-note detective preoccupied with the yet-to-be-solved mys- tery, and Giuntoli's stale acting does nothing to express his char- acter's emotional depth. Nick's hasty tendencies are grounded by fellow detective and sidekick, Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby, "Lincoln Heights"), whose pres- ence is no more lively than his counterpart's. The only magic to be found resides in those of a less-human nature. Accused by Nick of kid- napping and murder, Eddie Mon- roe (Silas Weir Mitchell, "The Whole Ten Yards") is a reformed Big Bad Wolf whose awe at the existence of the infamous Grimms nearly equals Nick's shock at the reality of Monroe's species. Despite minimal screen time, Eddie's wry demeanor and tongue-in-cheek attitude are a welcome kick to the show's lethargic pace. The portrayal in "Grimm" of the true murderer and Big Bad Wolf himself is a fresh take on the traditionally cross-dressing mutt. As a potpie-baking, sweater- wearing postman with a love for needlepoint, the Wolf is deceit- fully wholesome. His soft-spoken persona is often far more menac- ing than any beastly growl. The moral of the story? There's a reason cautiontape and the puls- ing reds and blues of surrounding police cars don't often crop up in the likes of "Snow White" or "Hansel and Gretel." Readers pre- fer their villains to melt away in a puff of smoke, not to be carried off in handcuffs. The Brothers' tales are recognized for their darkness and violence, free of interference from the law. NBC's "Grimm" is just not one for the storybooks. By GEOFF MARINO For the Daily The voice pauses and delivers a biting accent, all while main- taining an airy quality. In the era of Auto-Tune and other such The Sea technological refinements of sound, The Tonight at Sea and Cake's 8p.m. lead singer Sam Prekop has The Magic Stick pipes valued by Tickets from$15 critics for their ability to produce similar effects without any help. The Sea and Cake will perform at The Magic Stick in Detroit tonight, playing songs from the band's new album, The Moonlight Butterfly. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Prekop said the album allows the whims of other members of the band, while simultaneously delivering a work that innovates the sound listen- ers.have come to associate with The Sea and Cake. Title track "The Moonlight Butterfly" is an example of The Sea and Cake's various interests. It starts small but grows to fully submerge the listener in four minutes of broadening electronic experimentation. "Basically, that was (drum- mer) John McEntire's song, in the guise of The Sea and Cake," Prekop said. Until this album, the band- mates' individual musical ele- ments were just subtly present, but now they are being thrust into the limelight, Prekop said. "It reflects our broad interests, and I guess we're more overt about it here," he said. BOSS From Page 5 addict. The writers haven't made this twist convincing enough yet, and it's doubtful Emma is the The Sea and Cake still main- tains a cohesive identity that intends to be exploratory. The song "Inn Keeping" demonstrates how the band integrates it into the multifaceted, multilayered timbre that is The Sea and Cake. "I think ('Inn Keeping') is a happy accident, landing on that sequence and messing around with it, and hearing that it can be so malleable yet cohesive," Prekop said. "I'm pretty happy with that. It's been the center- piece of our shows." The Sea and Cake has been around since the mid '90s, and over the years it has undergone countless developments. Origi- nally, the group pursued a tradi- tional rock sound with brashness and bombast. But the year 2000 arrived with the definitive album Oui, which took the edge off things. In the years before Oui, the band members had pursued solo interests and other side proj- ects, and this period of individual creative fermentation manifest- ed itself in a more sophisticated pop that featured ambient depths new Jackie Peyton. If the writers focus on devel- oping their characters more and making the storylines more natural and believable, "Boss" has the potential to develop into a fascinating dramatic expose of 0 Sam Prekop, lead singer of The Sea and Cake, is known for his malleable voice. and jazz-influenced rhythmic structures. This history directly impacted the current sound of The Sea and Cake. Prekop said another album is being written as a companion to The Moonlight Butterfly. Magic Stick gets salty and sweet. "I can't predict exactly what it will sound like, because it will have the tendency of The Moon- light Butterfly to build upon what we've just done," he said. Having spent a portion of last month touring in South Ameri- ca, the bandmates will arrive in Detroit fresh yet well rehearsed to begin their North American performances, which extend into mid-December. The Magic Stick will showcase The Sea and Cake in its fleeting prime, before it disintegrates into different solo interests and side projects. municipal politics and city cor- ruption. Grammer can pull off a twisted character, but the writ- ers need to find something to make him at least a little redeem- able and relatable if they wantthe audience to care. 06 6 6 FALL 12 REALTY (2) 6 bedroom houses on White St. (1)5 bedroom hesn S. Forest. Updated Kitchens/ Hardwood Floors. 734-564-2125, www.keysmanagement.net ***CENTRAL CAMPUS 6&7 BED- ROOM HOUSES. Great Furnitue/ Decor. Wireless/Cable. Free Laundry, Parking. 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