www.michigandaily.com A R T S MONDAY JULY 21, 2003 SCOTT ' SERILLA Who bought the CSIDVDs? OK, I want a straight answer; who did it? Come on, fess up, you're only making it harder on yourself. Honestly I don't know what you were thinking. All I can say is I'm really disappointed in you. I mean ... holy crap! For non-guilty parties, I came into the Daily Arts clubhouse to check my mail this week, only to be handed a press release announcing that Para- mount Home Entertainment will be putting out "CSI: Crime Scene Inves- tigation - the Complete Second Sea- son" on DVD come Sept. 2. You realize what this means. If they've moved on to "Season Two," then logically it means that some of you out there actually went out and bought "Season One." Why? One, the show is still on the air, both in original and Miami flavors. Two, it's a hack "Law and Order" knock-off, which, like everything else on CBS save Dave, is for grandmas who can't handle the fast-paced world of "According to Jim". And grandmas don't have DVD players! Three, there are so many great shows from the past that aren't in syndication at all and we're stuck with "CSI" and "Felicity"? So here's five old favorites of mine, classics of the highest order, that I personally demand be put out in their entirety on { DVD now! 1. "The Y 1;.,f Adventures of Pete and Pete" Nickelodeon ('93-'96) Surrealistic tall tales of the red- headed Wrigley brothers in the 'burbs. Perfectly defines Middle America as a bizarre world where minor foes are vanquished daily and families and friendships somehow flourish. 2. "The Muppet Show" CBS ('76- '81) It's not too much to say that this might have been the greatest TV show ever. Pure entertainment that didn't speak down to kids or up to their parents. Universal, like the Bea- tles or Shakespeare. 3. "The State" MTV ('94-'95) Little remembered sketch comedy masterpiece that deserves its place with "Mr. Show" and "Kids in the Hall" as a groundbreaking launching point for smart satire. 4. "Northern Exposure" CBS ('90-'95) Actually I just need the Fleischman years. How did some- thing as quirky and philosophical as this ever last so long on network TV? Cause this good-natured, humorous arctic cousin of "Twin Peaks" had characters and charm to spare. 5. "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" FOX ('90-'93) I don't remember this blatant "Ferris Bueller" rip-off particularly well, but I want to see it again to see if it still holds up. I just remember hop- ing that high school would really be like that, pulling amaz- ing scams with best friends and milking the system for all it was worth. 'Vargas' avoi By Joel Hoard Daily Arts Editor MOVIE REVIEW ** Peter Sollett's "Raising Victor Vargas" captures all of the awkward emotion of teenage romance with frankness and humor while carefully avoiding a cliched hoy-meets-girl storyline. It unfolds slowly and deliberately, allowing the relation- ship between its title character, a 16- year-old junior Casanova, and Judy, a pretty but seemingly inaccessible girl, to develop naturally. Victor (Victor Rasuk) fronts as the supreme ladies man, confidently striding through his Lower East Side neighborhood in a form-fitting white tank top, showing off a vague- ly Chinese tattoo on his slight but developed biceps. Even first thing in the morning, Victor, sporting a suave Hugh Hefner-esque faux red velvet bathrobe, has to look good for the ladies. When Victor is caught in the bed- room of neighborhood slut Fat Donna, word spreads quickly and his image is tarnished. Not to be discouraged, Victor sets his s sights on Judy Raising (Judy Marte), Victor Vargasi delivering pick- up lines with the At the State Theaterl suaveness of a Fireworks Pictures tel emarketer. Judy eventually warms up to Victor enough to keep him around as a "bug spray" to fend off her other male admirers. With time, however, Victor's front breaks down and a real relationship begins to develop, providing the film's true center. Despite his constant macking, it's hard not to like Victor Vargas. Underneath the player fagade and boyish good looks, there's a genuine, earnest teenager in search of love. Sollett artfully juxtaposes Victor's teenage romance with scenes of his home life, which he spends in a cramped apartment with his old- fashioned grandmother (Altagracia ds coming-of- Victor is a punk. Judy is a runt. Guzman), his sexually confused younger brother Nino (Silvestre Rasuk) and his "fat and ugly" half- sister Vicky (Krystal Rodriguez). With all of her grandchildren's interests in the opposite sex peaking simultaneously, the kids' grand- mother struggles to maintain control of her household. Making her film debut at 72 years old, Altagracia Guzman closely resembles Martin Scorsese's mother in "Goodfellas" in looks, mannerisms and patterns of speech. Guzman's lack of acting experience only adds to her charm and believability as a grandmother. In one scene in particular, after she catches Nino in the act in one of the funniest self-love scenes since "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," Guzman recounts the event to a social worker with the kind of bluntness and inad- vertent humor that only a true grandmother could possess. Not to be outdone, Sollett's cast of young unknowns brings an ele- ment of authenticity to "Raising Victor Vargas." Rasuk and Marte in particular take on their characters with confidence and sincerity, creat- ing a pair of wholly believable teenagers. Shot on location in one of the last hipster-free neighborhoods on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the film provides a refreshing glimpse of an ethnic community without dis- playing constant images of drug use and violence. While it is beautifully photographed on film, "Victor Var- gas" has the rawness of digital video, now an indie staple, which only serves to highlight its urban setting. Throughout "Raising Victor Var- gas," there is a clear sense that Peter Sollett and his cast feel a real affec- tion toward their characters. The characters are so sincere and likable that it's hard not to be drawn into their world. CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS (NR)...............1:15, 3:40, 7:15, 9:40 JOHNNY ENGLISH (PG).........................1:35, 3:35, 5:35, 7:35, 9:35 28 DAYS LATER (R)............................................1:10, 3:30, 7:10, 9:30 THE ITALIAN JOB (PG-13)......................1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:45 LILYA 4-EVER (R).....................................1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:40 LEGALLY BLONDE 2: RED, WHITE AND BLONDE (PG-13)........... 1:05, 3:10, 5:15, 1:20, 9:30 A MIGHTY WIND (PG-13)......................1:25, 3:25, 5:25, 7:25, 9:25 STAITS ^IAY JULY 25 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, T00O, 9:30 I (734) 994 1000 www.rpadstonetheaters.com d'mmanRa:allahomwA £4oAe 6psm, 04s $5.50!