6 Orientation Edition 2006 arts.michigandaily.com artspage@michigandaily.com ARlt Sdtnrlg 16 SOMETHING ABOUT BOY WIZARD'S LATEST SOARS TO NEW CINEMATIC HEIGHTS a By Amanda Andrade Nov. 21, 2005 Muggles, rejoice. Just four months after the release of the long-awaited sixth installment of the behe- HarryPotter moth book series, "Harry Potter" fans can now and the savor two-and-a-half Goblet hours of pure visceral of Fire enjoyment with the boy warner Bros. wizard's brilliant fourth cinematic outing. Following Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) on their adventures around Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for another year, this film takes the franchise in an unmistak- ably darker direction as spells turn morbid and death takes the forefront. Those who still abstain from the literary "Harry" will be entertained, but true Potter- heads are due to appreciate the allusions and complexities layered into an outstandingly efficient running time. Given that the source novel is an epic 734 pages, that efficiency comes at a cost that may offend "Potter" purists. Gone are Hermione's passion for house elf liberation and Ludo Bag- man's goblin gambling debts. Director Mike Newell ("Donnie Brasco") and screenwriter Steve Kloves ("Wonder Boys") ruthlessly tear through the novel, cutting and rearranging with stunning disregard for authentic reproduction. What they get instead of a mere cinema version is a movie that stands on its own. After director Alfonso Cuaron's renegade take on "Prisoner of Azkaban" garnered the best reviews of the series, Newell follows with a film that owes much of its free spirit and panache to the stylish, sophisticated "Prisoner." Although "Goblet" lacks the strong nar- rative cohesiveness of its predecessor, the independent energy of the film is again what allows for the emotional immediacy largely lacking from the first two installments. Newell, incidentally the first British direc- tor to seize the reins, is to be congratulated on tackling a project that many preemptively called impossible. "That's one huge goose laying huge golden eggs." Rumors abounded in pre-production that the highly episodic text would need to be turned into a two-film undertaking. Yet the movie, with its veritable parade of support- ing characters and at least five major subplots, holds together in a perfectly unified whole. Magical, really. Visually, too, this "Potter" is the stron- gest. The whimsical cinematography that so strongly stylizes the films is still here, but the soaring wide shots linger longer, the sets are more lavish and the CGl effects are among the most impressive ever realized on film. The young actors at the heart of these mas- sive movies are also at their finest this time out, inhabiting their characters more fully than ever before. Radcliffe, who's been stilted in the past, seems to have finally come into his own. He's finally stopped trying to per- form Harry Potter and simply is Harry Potter. All around, the actors are refreshingly natural and unstudied. And though all good fans will miss their favorite scenes - or characters, as Draco Malfoy becomes a footnote - the trad- eoff is a truly great movie. Whether you're being dragged along by little siblings or you've already got a favorite ship (don't ask, really), the film is Hollywood's rare holiday treat. Neither frivolous nor ponder- ous, and serving up entertainment without the condescension, "Goblet" is a warm mug of butterbeer in these cold days of schlocky wannabes. a Prince roeturns t sultry form y By Kimberly Chou Apr. 18, 2006 MUSIC REVIEW Prince is a Jehovah's Witness. Or so he says. Sure, the days of assless jump- suits and an ever-evolving rotation of buxom proteges are gone. But if Prince keeps coming up with such lascivi- ous tracks as the moan-inducing Prince "Black Sweat," 3 the artist formerly 3121 (and once again on NP/Universal his newest release 3121) known as a sexy motherfucker just isn't convincing as a socially con- servative Christian. "You can act hard if you want to / This groove will make you sweet," Prince demurs over a rattling pat- tern of handclaps on "Black Sweat." "You'll be screaming like a white lady / When I count to three." And that high-pitched, melodic whine cutting above the rhythmic din? Even the studio's mixing board might be having an orgasm. 2004's Musicology might have been Prince's comeback album, and what followed included both a surprise Grammy performance and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. The release garnered a couple Grammy nods, and Prince had his chance to wax both politically and spiritually on the record, but Musicology left some- thing to be desired. At least it did for those fans still desperately holding on to their Purple Rain LPs. During the last three decades, Prince has proven his various talents as an artist: He's an adroit songwriter, an underrated multi-instrumental- ist and a producer. For the most part - save for that god-awful period in the '90s - his notorious perfection- ism has served him well. While Prince is more than capable when it comes to subtle love ballads, there's a reason why he's known for libido-driven funk jams. Prince made the genre his own, mixing essential influences like James Brown and George Clinton with androgyny and sexual promiscuity. If music could be personified, Prince's catalogue would be one saucy, well-traveled trick. But on 3121, Prince get spiritual. He gets political. And then he croons, "Girl ... Eye'm gonna seek this thing like a buried treasure." Goddamn. It's a game of subtlety and innu- endo; the man doesn't need to be as explicit as he used to be (see: "Pussy Control" on 1995's Gold Experi- ence). On "Satisfied," a silken Prince vocal wraps itself around old-school soul horns. It'd be a fitting opener for a late-'50s Sam Cooke concert, save for Prince's demand that his lady send her company home and turn off her cell phone. The title track isn't an apocalyptic deadline like "1999," but the spacey opener is still an invitation to party. On an ode to a mythical address, Prince teases his vocals; he tweaks his falsetto and slows down the digi- tized tenor melody, effectively sing- ing a two-part harmony and backup on his own. The tight pop structure of classic Prince shows up on "The Fury" and "Lolita," with layers of bright synthe- sizer and tart keys. It's not so much he's ran out of ideas, but rather he's finding new ways to revamp what q 6 6 "I ain't the same man I was in 'Purple Rain.' I'm sexier. Much sexier." works well. But every once in a while, the lis- tener is reminded why Prince fell off the charts for most of the last decade: overindulgent balladry and wholly unnecessary rap passages. "Incense and Candles" combines both. There are definitely signs of Prince's growing spirituality. A number of 3121 song titles could be strung together for a sermon: "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed," "Love," "The Word." It's a precarious balance between earthly and heavenly love, if you want to get into Plato or St. Augus- tine. On 3121, Prince gets closer to reconciling his higher love with the basic love of getting freaky. As he says on the title track, its going down like the Wall of Berlin.