Monday, June 2, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 11 What's Happening in Ann Arbor? "Zingerman's Creamery Cheeses" Zingerman's Delicatessan Thursday, June 5th $20 with reservation, $25 at door Endless visits of lusting after the Deli's almost comically huge array of cheeses must go unsatis- fied. Free samples can only go so far, and with that many chunks of mold, it's hard to know where to start. Finally, that desire to grab a hunk and just start gnawing can be satiated. Zingerman's Deli is holding a cheese tasting this Thursday, which also includes (incidentally) an explanation of cheesecraft by cheese maker Aubrey Thomason. The cheese tasting is not meant to be a full meal, but come hungry any- way, because you'll be downing a lot of tangy good- ness. Zing's urges reservations ahead of time, as do we. (Call 734-663- 3400 to register) "Two Gentlemen of Verona" Shakespeare in the Arb June 5-8, 6:30 pm Free As if the suddenly-great weather wasn't reason enough to check out the Arboretum, this weekend begins its summer stint as a stage for "Two Gentlemen of Verona." one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies (if not his first play altogether), "Two Gentlemen" is a controversial, spicy romance in which two friends compete for love of the same dismissive noblewom- an. It also offers comic relief and social commentary from a man and his dog, once called "the most scene- stealing non-speaking character" in Shakespeare. It's directed by Kate Medeloff, an RC professor, and will feature mostly student actors. The Arb performances are never perfect, but they are invariably entertaining, and it's the perfect way to spend a summer evening. USHER From Page 9 kicks in. "Best Thing," featuring a few great breaks from guest Jay-Z, is the record's only real triumph that lays on the club end of the spectrum. Too often though, Here I Stand is instead a vehicle for its small army of producers. Considering that the disc was destined to be a smash before it was even con- ceived, it should be no surprise that Usher was willing to give more than 20 different producers an at-bat, and it should similarly be no surprise that such a long lineup has yielded such scattered results. The worst offenders are the East- ern pentatonic-tinged "Appetite" and tribal drum-buoyed "Trad- ing Places." Creative as they are, these worldly flourishes amount to little more than distractions from above-average melodies. "Trading Places" also benefits none from its painfully literal lyrics ("I'm always on the top / tonight I'm on the bot- tom.") To say that there's something here for everyone would be a very honest assessment. And given the size of Usher's audience, it's an unoriginally savvy career move to make such a record. But for an album to be remembered much beyond a few-month window of its release, it usually must be fantastic or abysmal. In this instance, and at this time, the only things with any guaranteed staying power are Usher the man and Usher the brand. Usher the singer will berel- egated to just one chapter of the story, and Here I Stand will be a footnote. STRANGERS From Page 10 unhappy, wasting away the night as James waits for his friend to come and pick him up. Unfortunately, the night gets worse for them. .A mys- terious family begins stalking the grounds, harassing them with cruel mind games and threatening them with violence. Soon it becomes clear to James and Kristen that, whoever they are, these prowlers want to kill them. In order to survive, the two must fight back. Sounds standard? It is. In a sense, if you've seen the trailer, you've seen the film - there's little more to it than what's been advertised ad nauseum over the past few weeks. All the basic elements of any horror film are here: the secluded house, the dark woods, the masked mani- acs and the sharp instruments they use to terrorize their victims. But the very beauty of "The Strangers" lies in its simplicity. Like the best horror films, there are no explana- tions, no givens. And the attack- ers, with their garish doll masks, take on the same kind of inhuman, almost mythic air that character- ized other cinematic monsters like, Michael Myers ("Halloween") and the shark from "Jaws." Impressively, even with virtually every scene and plot twist spoiled in one preview or another, "The Strangers" still manages to retain its hold over the audience and leave them rattled. There are certainly flaws - director Bryan Bertino relies too heavily on shaky cam- erawork and tight close-ups to create a feeling ofunease, and the ending feels rushed and unsatis- fying - but once the thrills start, the film simply never lets up: Like a slowly winding jack-in-the- box, you wait intently with each passing minute for something to happen, for something to leap out of the darkness and terrify you. It's a gripping experience, and ultimately the little missteps, including Tyler's sometimes-flat performance, never really lessen the power of the experience. It's a horror film the likes of which we haven't seen in a while, and a worthy way to be trauma- tized. gotShea insurance University of Michigan offers a health insurance plan* to students, their spouse or domestic partner and their dependent(s). The Plan is sporsored by the University of Michigan and is endorsed by the Michigan Student Assembly. 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T rinr t ofn ves ony ndesinei rntrercoveageormedca av i f roeie o nlta ypartial, general rvrsc p aionopan bneft rpnrm n ontcnt iut a cna ac,,, ,e dscepnc exeistsoee vtis apltadte oiy, ttie t retoicy vn gvr, and ritepe, nraf enei0 .heUnOrstfMhigan Stude nt eal vthns ,a ePa thPlnisndito tenyrer ta tirt or c l Ot a ot ve t o atets sttttutoararavvvhr P nsu c omay (LCIT i s e dmimslee y Chdrering Claims Administrators tnc etna Studer! Health is thebrand namefor h N~vs ev rrietten byuAetto Lieanpn -ymm GKu Sup K - af UtIEHIO nynrdxvm.r ur in Artists, writers, musicians, creatives: Where are you headed after graduation? Consider Toledo: an affordable community with a great arts scene. Call 419-254-ARTS(2787) for more info. You may qualify for a relocation allowance.