ART!
,Duel protagonists give 'B
an entertaining dramatic ec
By John Laughlin but wise beyond his years due to his mates. Both characters ar
Daily Arts Writer troubled home life. It is when Will, is just that Will is technica
Marcus and another parent discover Marcus.
Hugh Grant ditches his floppy hair Marcus's mom's (T attempted suicide With Hugh Grant a vi
Oin his latest film, "About A Boy," that the young boy decides he needs some type of romantic cc
based on the novel by Nick Hornby someone else in his life besides his this film's case one ge
("High Fidelity"). Directed by the mom. Marcus begins to drama ce
Weitz brothers, whose previous contri- visit Will persistently a friendship a
butions to the world of hilm includes until they are forced to tance of fat
"American Pie," "About A Boy" is become friends. works to se:
filled with some great comedy and What is interesting in A O well; howe
greater drama. "About A Boy" is that the ABOUT A BoY way in wi
Grant plays Will: a shallow, woman- film retains these two At Showcase and chooses to
izing, materialistic man who lives off central protagonists - Quality 16 allel d
the royalties of his father's one hit won- never choosing to focus Universal between Wl
der "Santa's Super Sleigh." Having entirely on one of them, cus) that is
never worked a day in his life he spends but developing them together and draw- flaw. This constant ebb
Phis days watching TV, buying things ing comparisons between their lives. actions can be cause for
and playing pool. Soon after a breakup Will helps Marcus to gain the accept- the viewer has to keep c
with a single mother, he invents a son ance of his classmates by opening the focus and the result is th
named "Ned" and attends single parent world that his mother shut out to him - the film seems ill paced
meetings in the hopes to pick up more one that includes cool sneakers and rap this, the acting and camer
unsuspecting prey. music. Marcus in turn helps Will realize rate. Grant and Hoult are
Playing alongside Grant is Nicholas the value of human companionship and their actions are compelli
Hoult as Marcus, a young schoolboy points out the dangers of isolation. Will brothers have done a grea
who is constantly outcast by his class- is isolated by choice while Marcus daunting task of choosing
mates. Marcus is sweet and innocent, struggles for acceptance from his class- this film and keep it visua
'Student Rick rocks The She

R The Michigan Daily - Monday, May 20, 2002 - 11

Spiky hair is soooo much manlier.
throughout. mer if only to serve as a break from the
About A Boy should definitely be put many action films slated to come out
on anyone's must see list for this sum- in the following months.
w/ Sonic Boom I
May 30 Majestic Theatre
R-- yA0.PM +

By: Tony Ding released October, 2001.
Daily Arts Writer - Student Rick's live shows un-bashfully
showcase their MTV-friendly pop-punk
"The Shelter is my favorite venue," record, Soundtrack For A Generation.
claims Adam Reiter, guitarist and co- Even virgin ears to S*R's songs, such as
vocal for the band Stu- the notable "Falling for
dent Rick. Smack-dab in MA You," can't help but swing
the heart of downtown unconsciously in tandem.
Detroit and two blocks STUDENT RICK The performance and
from the gleaming towers The Shelter rhythm is so catchy, and
of the Renaissance Cen- flows in such a cascade of
ter lies an inconspicuous- Tuesday Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. converging octaves, that
ly straddled, back-alley it's hard not to sing along
hole-in-the-ground known as The Shel- to the easily discernable lyrics and equal-
ter. Basement to the more widely known ly clear tune.
St. Andrew's Hall, this backdoor venue There are addictive, retro, yet rejuve-
launders many of today's up-and-com- nated guitar riffs from contrasting duos
ing alternative music groups, such as Adam Reiter and Brett Jones, which
last Tuesday's frenzied tournament of compliments flawlessly with their own
five punk ensembles. The fresh meats sweet, melt in your mouth vocals. Stair-
Student Rick wooed the crowd early, stepping drum and bass accompaniments
and essentially outshined the show's are also energetically kept up by drum-
headlining band. mer Zack Davis, perfecting an amnestic
The non-drinking-age boys from atmosphere that embraces the crowd.
South Bend, Indiana, are the latest addi- There's no mosh-pit at a Student Rick
tion to the Victory Records family, and
the first emo/pop-punk flavor for the pre-
viously exclusively-hardcore label. One
can feel the sincerity S*R puts into their
music and each performance is a careful,
calm, and collected organization that
pays off in the quality of the songs RECORDS &
played. They're not boisterous crowd USED CDS
surfers or cloths-stripping comics,
because they're sound is untainted, clear- 617 Packard
cut, and true to the music. Upstairs from Subway
There is little doubt that Student Rick
will quickly acquire the type of stalked Paying $4 to $6 for top
following that current fore-players in the CD's in top condition.
genre have found. Success will Also buying premium
inevitably center on how many of Amer- LP's and cassettes.
ica's young, impressionable, and socially .
disheartened punk fans will hear their Open 7 days
sound, which is perhaps why S*R have 663-441
been on a constant non-stop national
tour since their debut album was The selection is ENDLESS

show however, nor are there any scream-
ing girls clawing with ten ton security
guards. Instead, one discovers a devoted,
loyal, and predominantly down-to-earth
following of high school/early college
fans swayed to the clubs and gigs for
their unparalleled love of the music-
which is reciprocated by S*R's tender
yet spontaneous performance.
There's a rough road ahead for Stu-
dent Rick's journey down an increasing-
ly cut-throat and booming genre, but the.
independent boys of S*R don't collapse
in the face of adversity. They struggle
up, brush off the dust, and strive on. The
group recently parted with their found-
ing bass player, on issues of divergent
ideals, but the band continued their tour
without a glitch and has begun playing
with a new replacement. Even superstars
screw up, so when S*R hits hurdles, like
a broken guitar string mid-song, the
show goes on and backups kick in.
Determination, talent, and vision-grace
under fire.

11