Wednesday, October 2, 2013 - 5A
10 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
'Red Noses' to use
laughter as a fix
FILM REVIEW
Tense rivalry in 'Rush'
MT&D comedy to laughter and sees how powerful
it can be.
focus on the Flote brings together a mot-
ley company of performers, or
bright side "Red Noses," and tours the dis-
ease-ridden country, spreading
By GRACE PROSNIEWSKI happiness and hope among the
Daily Arts Writer suffering people. On its travels,
the troupe encounters all man-
The plague killed over 50 mil- ner of wanderers, from flagel-
lion people, wiping out nearly a lants to corpse robbers. And once
third of Europe's population. It the plague begins to decline, the
also overthrew Red Noses find themselves at
the existing Red Noses odds with the church hierarchy's
social order attempt to restore their ecclesi-
and caused Oct.3-13 astical influence.
widespread Arthur Miller The upcoming performance of
persecution of Theatre "Red Noses" is a School of Music,
minorities. It's From $10 Theatre & Dance production and
not exactly a the first of five mainstage shows
topic thought of that make up the University's
as great fodder for comedy. season.
But that's exactly the backdrop Emily Shimskey, a junior act-
of English author Peter Barnes's ing major at MT&D plays the role
dark comedy, "Red Noses." of Frapper, a stuttering stand-up
The play follows the exploits comedian in Father Flote's rag-
of Father Flote, a Catholic priest tag group of performers.
facing the plague in 14th-century "Working in an ensemble cast
France. Flote.is hoping for a sign has been really fun," Shimskey
from God, something that will said. "Each character supports
enable him to give consolation all the rest in one way or anoth-
to his beleaguered parishioners. er. No one person carries the
Father Flote finds his vocation weight of the entire show."
when he unintentionally causes "Red Noses" celebrates laugh-
ter's ability to change lives, not
just to divert attention away
from daily problems. Combining
elements of slapstick, surprise
and hectic comedy, the play pro-
vides many opportunities for
the actors to hone their comedic
skills.
"Since the show itselfis height-
ened," Shimskey said, "each actor
had to work on fitting in the style
of the show, but having all stylis-
tic choices grounded in truth to
be believable in the world of the
play."
The play also afforded the
actors a chance to cultivate a dif-
ferent kind of skill as well: jug-
gling.
"We all learned how to juggle,"
Shimskey said. "Not everyone
does in the show, but any Red
Nose can juggle if you ask them
to!"
Circus tricks aside, "Red
Noses" aims to do more than just
entertain the audience.
"I guess, all in all, I just want
them to feel something. I want
to make them think, be moved in
some sortof way," Shimskey said.
"The play is a beautifully crafted
piece of art. I hope it affects each
audience member in some way.".
By MAYANK MATHUR anizer off the track and a hot-
DailyArts Writer headed maverick on it. His sheer
brilliance outweighs hisvolatility,
David vs. Goliath, Rocky Balboa which makes him the biggest tal-
vs. Apollo Creed, Chris Gardener ent in the sport. He lives each day
vs. Life -storiesthat pittheunder- as if it were his last, and he isn't
dog against afraid to make every race his last.
certain defeat A- He believes that there's nothing
have captivated more beautiful than the thrill of
audiences for as RSh coming close to death and cheat-
long as can be ing it.
remembered. At Quality16 Niki Lauda, played by Daniel
We love it when and Rave Briihl ("Inglourious Basterds"),
our hero fights Hunt's counterpart, believes in a
tooth and nail precise and methodical prepara-
through all the tion off the track and supreme
blood and sweat to beat the terrify- efficiency on it. The two driv-
ing circumstances staring them in ers collide early in the film, and
the face. We see these stories play their rivalry escalates through
out and are filled with the eternal the exciting 1976 Formula One
fire that endures the length of the season, culminating in the final
movie before we get back to the race in Japan, where Hunt needs
normalcy in our lives. a win over Lauda to secure the
But what happens when an title. However, there's a lot more
unstoppable force meets an at stake in this story than pride,
immovable object? self-esteem and the title itself.
The men face off against each
other ina contest that takes place
E r n h on an ideological battleground.
Everyonehas Hunt believes in a fast-paced life
that one rocked with instability, where the
only way to truly live isto live with
mortal enemy reckless abandon. He is prepared
Je to do anything anyone else cannot
do - be it sleeping with women
before the race, or exploiting the
Director Ron Howard's ("A slightest of gaps behind the car in
Beautiful Mind") latest install- front of him to take the lead in a
ment tellsus the story of a symbol- race. "Don't search for men driv-
ic clash between two ideologies, ing in circles looking for normal-
personified in two drivers in the ity," he tells his wife. In contrast,
fight for the Formula One Cham- Lauda embodies that very nor-
pionship - and shit goes down. mality. He believes in eliminating
James Hunt, played by Chris the risk completely - is as stable
Hemsworth ("Thor"), is a wom- as Hunt is unstable - and that's
why the two hate each other. Even
more than winning, each wants to
look the other in the eye and say,
"My way is better."
The film explores male
machismo through racing. The
fast cars and sexy women are
symbols of manhood these two
men must flaunt in their fight for
the symbolic and literal prize.
While the film's most impres-
sive bits come off the racetrack,
it manages to deliver some truly
astounding moments on it. As
the film builds closer to the cli-
max, the races come in thick and
fast, and the skill with which
Howard commands his camera
is commendable. The few last
races, in particular, are full of
suspense and wonderful cin-
ematic moments.
The script does exceedingly
well to overcome a slow start
and develop the characters over
time while focusing on the film's
themes. The actors execute fit-
ting performances with a spe-
cial mention for Hemsworth,
who portrays the cocky Briton
to near perfection. It's a pity that
Olivia Wilde ("The Incredible
Burt Wonderstone") is wasted,
as her character is ultimately
unnecessary.
"Rush" is an inspiring film:
One can't help but feel motivated
by two men who are polar oppo-
sites of each other. You don't
really know whom you're root-
ing for. This is a fight that nei-
ther man can technically "win,"
since it's a conflict of perspec-
tive, but what a riveting experi-
ence it is.
A L BUM RE W
HAIM's 'Days are Gone'
exceeds expectations
By JACKSON HOWARD'
DailyArts Writer
VIDEO GAME REVIEW
Multiplayer games'Build'
and 'Sight' new life of party
In the past two years, HAIM
performed at festival mainstays
such as Glastonbury and Bonna-
roo, topped the
BBC Sound of A
2013 poll and
signed with Days Are
Jay-Z's Roc Gone
Nationmanage-
ment. It might HAIM
be important
to mention Polydor
that the group
accomplished all of this before
releasing an actual album. In
fact, before the release of the
band's debut, Days Are Gone,
HAIM had only released a three-
song EP and a few singles. None-
theless, Danielle, Este and Alana
Haim - three sisters from Los
Angeles - have become one of Kerrytown.
the most talked-about groups in
POLYDOR
music a
On D
with th
ton, no
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otic reL
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-I
Fle
R&:
lmost overnight. rhythmic delivery are just as
)ays Are Gone, the sisters, important to every song as Hut-
heir drummer Dash Hut- ton's drumming, Este's bass or
t only live up to the hype, Alana's guitar. As a result, the
tually exceed it: Though lyrics on Days Are Gone are not
the 11 songs have already extremely complex. Still, though
leased, the album still has they focus mostly on broken
energy of a first record. hearts and typical romantic
Ire Gone somehow man- themes, the stories in these
o retain the band's base songs hold nothing back, creat-
- an impressive, symbi- ing clear if not palpable feelings
lationship between Fleet- of genuine love, heartache and
Mac, grunge and golden living in the moment.
Os R&B, all sprinkled with This added dimension of
y 1980s dance music influ- melancholy and introspection
while also exploring new infused into seemingly happy-go-
l and thematic avenues. lucky summer songs is key to Days
Are Gone. On "Forever," accom-
panied by thumping .bass and
l fusion of more shouting call and response,
Danielle unleashes another great
etwvood M ac whisper-sung chorus, capital-
t M ized by the now expected HAIM
B and dance. bridge breakdown, in which she
sings, angrier and angrier, "Go get
out of my memory."
Along with "Forever" and
opening song, the single "Falling," "The Wire" and "Don't
g," sets the bar for the Save Me" were also released
album. Laced with a Chro- before the album and happen to
unding synth bounce, the be two of the band's best songs.
uilds and builds until the "Don't Save Me" is the proto-
ff of the chorus, where typical HAIM track: handclaps,
ee girls' voices reverber- reverberating vocals, thick bass,
succession, actually cre- big drums and a subtle but pow-
n incredible sensation of erful chorus chord change, punc-
g." tuated with serious '80s synths
he lead singer on most and tons of harmony.
Danielle's talent is not "The Wire," onthe other hand,
arily in the strength of is the band's strongest shot at a
ice - which isn't to say Top-40 breakthrough. Equipped
ak - but instead in her with a heavy drum beat and
hat-uncanny ability to vocals traded between the sis-
her voice just another ters, the song condescendingly
ment in the band's sound. comforts an ex, with the girls
ell-timed pauses, quick singing, "I know you'll be okay
s, frantic shouts and hazy, anyway." The end of "The Wire,"
which features a stripped-down,
violin-infused bridge complete
with the girls singing the cho-
rus as a round, foreshadows the
musical development in the sec-
ond half of the album.
With its echoing arena hook
and vocals heavily reminiscent of
Florence Welch, the album's title
track, the anchor of the project's
experimental second half, is part
futuristic funk, part piano bal-
lad and completely refreshing.
Even more out there is "My Song
5," a song that sounds like abso-
lutely nothing HAIM has ever
attempted. Built off a slow burn-
ing drum-and-guitar combo,
the song shakes to life with an
unexpected eruption of light
dubstep mimicking fat synthe-
sizers. Danielle's vocals are sped
up and slowed down throughout,
the latter effect making "Honey,
I'm not your honey pie" sound
surprisingly frightening. "My
Song 5," which might as well
be Gwen Stefani's classic "Hol-
laback Girl" slowed down, put
through a blender and filtered
through thick smoke, is about as
risk-taking as possible for HAIM,
And it pays off.
For the three sisters from Los
Angeles, who months ago prob-
ably couldn't even fathom their
impending success, the days are
certainly not gone - they're just
getting started. And as the chants
of "keep running" fade out at the
end of the album's closing track,
you can't help but feel like you're
in the final scene of the perfect
John Hughes movie, full of bro-
ken hearts, isolation and a taste
for what it really means to be
young.
By JULIAN AIDAN
DailyArts Writer
It's hard to want to replace,
or even think about replacing,
"Super Smash Bros." as the
go-to party
game. Just B+
about every-
one over 14 Build'n
has played it, Bump
the concept is
simple enough Roppy Chop
to grasp and
you can get B
away reason-
ably well with Hiddin in
smashing but-
tons until Plain Sgt
your hands go
numb if your Adam Spragg
friends aren't
that great. But
for those looking for newer
games to play with friends and
lacking access to the wonders
of "Mario Party 9" or "Super
Smash Bros. Brawl" on Wii, the
Xbox Live Arcade is pleasantly
full of independently developed
surprises. While they may lack
the polish of AAA titles, well-
designed games with functional
and interesting mechanics like
"Build 'n Bump" and "Hidden
in Plain Sight" make excellent
investments for the curious
gamer.
"Build 'n Bump" consists of
exactly two stages: building
and bumping. Up to four play-
ers on the same console select
one of four characters and a
team color by which to be iden-
tified. One player then builds
the level on which the players
will fight to the death. With
experience, carefully created
maps can play out in novel and
exciting ways.
What's better
than 'Smash
Bros.'? Indie
'Smash Bros.'
During the bumping phase,
players on opposite teams
attempt to jump onto each oth-
er's heads. Doing so nets you
a point, falling to your death
causes you to lose a point and
getting a fixed amount of points
wins you the game. That's it.
Yet this incredibly simplistic
concept translates into hours
upon hours of fun. The virtu-
ally limitless map possibilities
mean that no game will ever be
the same.
That being said, the game
lacks the support to save any of
the levels created, so devoted
"Build 'n Bump"-ers will have
to rebuild their favorite levels
from memory. Definitely worth
the $1 price tag, the first of these
two overlooked multiplayer
games makes a great addition to
any living room's repertoire.
For those with a penchant
for the mysterious, "Hidden in
Plain Sight" offers a variety of
stealth- and deception-orient-
ed games. Five modes - Death
Race, Ninja Party, Knights vs.
Ninjas, Assassin and Catch a
Thief - all offer a different take
on the matter. In each mode,
players select a team and begin
playing. Typically, players are
unaware of which of the 30 or
so characters on screen they
control, and a large part of the
game is determining who is and
is not a real person.
In Death Race, each player
has one bullet to use on another
character while they all com-
pete with two dozen computer-
controlled opponents for the
finish line. Overzealous play-
ers will find themselves get-
ting taken out right before the
finish line, and more cautious
ones will never make it in the
first place; gameplay is a careful
balance of boldness and precau-
tion.
In the Assassin mode, players
either embody a sniper guard-
ing a dinner party or an assassin
intruding on said dinner party.
Assassins attempt to kill as
many guests before being spot-
ted, snipers try to kill as many
assassins before guests die. Just
like "Build 'n Bump," "Hid-
den in Plain Sight" 's simple
mechanics translate into hour
upon hour of strategic, tense
and exorbitantly fun gameplay.
While not necessarily up to
today's aesthetic standards,
both of these games are a blast
to play with friends. Just don't
let anyone get any ideas about
having a dinner party.
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