The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
Friday, September 28, 2012-5
Silent storvtelling
New magazine for 'U'
Prolific director Ozu
brings vintage film
art to the University
ByJOHNBOHN
Daily Arts Writer
During cinema's infancy,
there existed across the globe
a performance profession that
has become all
but extinct. It Silent Ozu:
complicated Fall Film'
what were very
simple narra- Series
tives in order Fridays
to enliven what
was happening Through Nov.
in a silent film. 9, at 7p.m.
This profes- Natural
sion was the Science
narrator-lec- Auditorum
turer.
With the Free
invention of
cinematic storytelling techniques
such as cross-cuts and close
ups - and later with the advent
of the "talkies" - these narra-
tors became obsolete, except in
certain immigrant communities
where they acted as translators.
Yet in Japan, the tradition was
extremely popular. These narra-
tors were called benshi, and they
did everything from providing
background information to per-
forming every character in the
film, be it man, woman or child.
"They were so popular that
people would often decide which
film to go to based on the ben-
shi and not the film," said Abe
Markus Nornes, a Prof. of Asian
Cinema.
Nornes specializes in Japa-
nese cinema, and this semester
he's organized a film series on
the great Japanese filmmaker
Yasujiro Ozu. The series, which
mostly involves silent films, will
include a professional benshi, Ich-
iro Kataoka a singular experi
enge in itself.
Now in his thirties, Kataoka
has been studying the art of the
benshi for a decade now. He has
narrated nearly 200 films, mostly
The Fall Film Series kicked off with a performance at the Michigan.
Japanesebut also American, Ital-
ian, French, Chinese and Korean,
among others. At the University
alone, Kataoke has performed in
a handful of classes.
"One of the classes was on ani-
mation," Nornes said. "The pro-
fessor asked if he could do 'Felix
the Cat,' and he just whipped out
a new script for it and did it."
"This is the first time that any-
one outside Japan has tried to do
this," Nornes said. "These benshi
have gone to international film
festivals for a few days, but never
has anyone come in for half a year
and done a whole film series. It's
totally unique and pretty amaz-
ing."
The project started with a seed
grant from the Center for World
Performance Studies, and then
evolved into a community effort
out of necessity. In addition to liv-
ing expenses for the benshi, the
films themselves are shot on 35
mm film, and require an assort-
ment of live music, all of which
Nornes has organized for the
event. Small donations have come
from many of the departments at
the University, most notably from
the Center for Japanese Studies.
Though Ozu is best known for
directing post-war melodramas,
this series mostly focuses on his
critically acclaimed silent-era
comedies andz in exclusivi frag
ment of an unfinished project..
"One of the most amazing
things is that (Ozu) can appeal
to a regular audience because his
films are so funny," Nornes said.
"But he appeals to makers and
lovers of film because he has a
very strange and unique style."
. Ozu's signature style is marked
by a camera angled upward-from
the ground, said Nornes. There is
also a symmetrical quality to the
film, used in "I Was Born, But... "
that showed during the first week
of the series. It features two kids,
two men and two families.
"It's built in a very formal
way, but there's a craziness and
anarchy to it at the same time,"
Nornes said.
Kataoka will speak Japanese
for performances. During one of
the premiere movies, he actively
translated an American film into
Japanese.
This type of experience has
precedent from a short interlude
in cinema history where sound
was used, but filmmakers didn't
yet know how to add subtitles,
making the viewing of talkies dif-
ficult to send abroad.
"People thought this was the
end of international cinema,"
Nornes said. "In Japan, the benshi
stepped in. They would yell over
the soundtrack."
From now until the end of the
semester, Kataoka will perform
in the Natural Science auditori-
ur. In addition, an assortment of
local musicians and DJ's will help
to recreate the original experi-
ence that Ozu intended for his
films, which range from Steven
Wai iiof the Michigan Theater
playing the organ to a DJ from
WCBN spinning 78s.
By JONATHAN ODDEN
Daily Arts Writer
"What would a women-cen-
tered magazine look like?"
Back in February, the ques-
tion was posed by two students
during a discussion in a Woman's
Psychology lecture. Two months
later, Lizzie Lane, LSA senior and
Haena Kim, LSA junior - along
with the executive board, art-
ists and writers they assembled
around them - put out their
first magazine, a wo-manifesto
answering just that.
"What the F: Your Monthly
Periodical." winner of the 2012
Women's Studies Departpaent's
Feminist Practice Award, is the
first ever woman-centered, femi-
nist publication at the 'U.' Though
they're as new as they are ground-
breaking, the entire staff has their
eyes set for big things in the com-
ing academic year.
"It's really amazing how well
and fast things came together,"
said Lane, now co-president and
Editor in chief of the magazine.
"Especially since we all came into
this project without any experi-
ence in publication. All we had
was a passion for women's health."
But what about the veritable
glut of magazines that already
categorize themselves as woman's
health?
"Most woman's magazines
today are not woman-centered,
they're him-centered or sexually
centered and rely on stereotypes,
but they never portray a complete
picture of womanhood," Lane
said. "But the problem is also in
target demographics, which are
almost exclusively white, upper-
class, educated and heterosexual.
It's just too narrow a definition of
womanhood - it isn't real."
Instead of selling a packaged
ideal of womanhood, "What the
F" is an inclusive invitation to
a conversation, by women, for
womnen.
Vse're trying to spread femi-
ism to the masses - it's our goal,
but we're not a crusading feminist
publication that is in your face
with an agenda," said Jen Spears,
co-president for "What the F."
"Rather, we're trying to reach
women who don't necessarily call
themselves feminists, who find
that the material in the magazine
resonates with them."
Too often, Spears and Lane
explained, feminism is dismissed
as an exclusionary movement, ste-
reotyped as angry and man-hat-
ing, but this image is completely
misconstrued. And "What the F"
is here to change that.
"For example, this October
we're doing a spread on presiden-
tial candidates and their platforms
on woman's health issues," Spears
said. "But because we work to
ir
a
WH AT TH E
'What the F' is the winner of the 2012 Femninist Practice Award.
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same of
acts and not conclusions, we the completely anonymous col-
e to bring political informa- umn, submitted to the magazine
to the magazine unbiased under the pen name Ivana Hap-
th the intention of sparking pycooch.
sations among woman on "We're really glad this column
jects." . is back," McTurk said. "There
ugh campaign politics are isn't a place anywhere else on
gear and well-covered in campus where someone can share
agazine, it's only a small their story with people while still
n of what "What the F" maintaining anonymity. It's a safe
bout. As you flip through space."
ad an article on music jux- Another facet is the magazine's
d against a spread titled VAJA2, which is a bulletin board
do I know when I have a for events, speakers and functions
nfection?," it becomes clear related to women's health around
erything goes. , campus and Ann Arbor.
're really new to this and One big change this fall is that
hing is still developing and "What the F" will be published in
form," said Eria McTurk, full color, giving the original art
Editor in Chief for "What in the magazine even more bite.
and a senior in the Penny Color just gives everything more
imps School of Art and presence in the magazine and
. "We've tried to go a we're exited to be printing in it,
ore editorial in the Octo- McTurk said.
ue, focusing on individual Lane explained how they want
and their voice, in the "What the F" to grow and materie
ein as the 'New Yorker.' " as a grou$.
"We weren't organized as
first," Lane said. "We couldn't
or 'vv'onmen, be, we were learning as we went.
Now we're really trying to grow
y women. our permanent member base and
we're also beginning to partner
with other organizations like
AIDS walk and the Susan G. Cole-
magazine is also doing an man Breast Cancer Foundation."
:h look into almost a dozen Their hope is to turn "What the
of birth control, debat- F" into a social movementon cam-
is and cons of each, how pus, creating a tangihle space for
tually work and are used woman's health and wellness on
ank, informed way, Spears campus.
red. "There is real passion, a real
those familiar with "What spark driving this thing now and
's first issue this spring, it's only the beginning of a long
are many returning and and vital conversation," said Lane.
ration pieces in subsequent "It's growing and it's exiting. And
Pieces like "Origin of the it's exciting because for the first
which previously traced time, these issues are on campus,
gin of "dildo" and now tack- in print, in an unapologetically
ndom," are back. So, too, is honest way."
'9
Tt lights up
By JULIAN AIDAN
DailyArts Writer
Since "Diablo 3" 's release, the
sequel to Runic Games' critically
acclaimed "Torchlight" has been
hotly anticipat-
ed for compari-
son. Max and
Erich Schae-
fer, two of the TorChlight||
co-founders of Runic
Eunic Games,
worked for PC
Blizzard North
prior to its closing in 2005 and
were responsible for the develop-
ment of the seminal "Diablo" and
its sequel. "Torchlight II" pro-
vides an action role-playinggame
experience that draws on some of
the best elements from the genre.
Set several years past the end
of the original, "Torchlight II"
pits players against hordes of
enemies in a quest to restore bal-
ance to the world's six elements,
because some guy named The
Alchemist decided that screw-
ing with an entire planet was a
good idea. With diverse environ-
ments and a campaign that pro-
vides limitless hours of fun via a
"New Game+" mode, the game's
cartoonish art style and tongue-
in-cheek approach to providing
an engaging and challenging
hack-and-slash adventure set
it apart from the serious tones
of its peers "Diablo" and "Path
of Exile." Likewise, the fluid-
ity of the game's addicting, fun
and accessible experience sets it
above them.
As one of four classes, the
player delves headfirst into the
in-game universe. The Ember-
mage fills the role of the tradi-
tional mage, offering elemental
mastery and flashy spells to dis-
tract and destroy opponents. The
Outlander provides a middle
ground between the mage and
a ranged damage dealer, hitting
from afar with bows, guns and
spells. Fans of getting up close
The
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the orig
les "cor
DO YOU LIKE WOMEN?
TWEET US ABOUT IT!
Follow us @michdailyarts
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ersonal will find solace in ers will regularly find them-
Engineers and Berserkers, selves confronting upwards of
irmer relying on magical 10 enemies at a time. The visual
ins and constructs to do his effects do not distract, allow-
g while the latter channels ing players to intuitively follow
I spirits to put enemies in fights and make split-second,
ound. decisions necessary for staying
alive. Gameplay is extremely
accessible at every level, with
difficulties ranging from Casual
Point and to Elite, and an intuitive action
bar and character loadout. An
hoot meets attractive user interface and
information-heavy yet not
torytelling. clumsy or ohtrusive heads-up
display makes an already enjoy-
able and attractive gameplay
game looks and feels experience that much better.
i "Fable" or- "Kingdoms All in all, "Torchlight II" pro-
malur"-style role-playing vides a stimulating and intense
with simple but inter- adventure through a beauti-
environments and a fully detailed world ripe with
own camera. A chosen secrets waiting to be discovered
ranging from tarantula while remaining playable by
if to jaguar - accompa- both the casual and hardcore
he player throughout his gamer. With four classes, up to
'journey, rIunning back to six-player multiplayer classes,
on errands or taking down incredibly high replay value and
enemies as needed. The meticulous attention to detail
quest line compels, whilea that manifests itself in a world
ude of optional dungeons, that looks and sounds every bit
nm events and side quests as alive as the person behind the
ie fun distractions from keyboard, the sequel takes the
rind of loot hunting and genre to a new level of dungeon-
ng. crawling, skull-crushing fun in
mbat is frantic and play- a world that never gets boring.
tt
Attend a Cooley Law School Open House in November and talk to Cooley
administrators, department representatives, students, and faculty members at all five
of our campuses.
- Register online for one or all five Open Houses at cooley.edu or-.ne
register onsite the day of the Open House. You are encouraged
to visit more than one campus.
Lead Today. Lead Tomorrow. Cooley Law School.
4O Years of Success
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