The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 22, 1995-9 U we 'Gen animates a moment in time By Joshua Rich Daily Arts Editor Looking something like a cross between "Schindler's List" and "Speed Racer," Keiji Nakazawa's "Barefoot Gen" is a graphic, touch- ing and surprisingly entertaining ac- count of the bombing of Hiroshima. Perhaps what makes this picture es- pecially interesting is the fact that it is not some ordinary live-action, melodramatic sob-fest - although there isn't anything terribly wrong with weepy portrayals of such a hor- rible historical event. In this case, "Barefoot Gen" is ac- tually a cartoon. It is one of the many corny yet creative Japanese animated features to be released amidst the great wave of "Japanimation" which started in the 1970s. Honoring the 50th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War Two in 1945, the Ann Arbor Film Co-op is A witness that remains Barefoot Gen Directed by Masaki Mori Tonight only at Angell Hall Auditorium A at 7:30 and 9:00 presenting this special cartoon (made in 1983) tonight only. Told from the perspective of a precocious and amus- ing boy, "Barefoot Gen" is a frighten- ing, 80-minute account of death and destruction. It is a novel approach to what may be an otherwise banal his- tory lesson. Director Masaki Mori has made "Barefoot Gen" in a manner so that children may better understand just what happened back then. Neverthe- less, it often involves dry adult humor and extremely graphic images of mangled bodies and suffering people. But this is certainly part of the ap- peal of this film. At one point, we are wholly amused by the childish behav- ior and slapstick antics of the charac- ters on screen (as well as their strik- ing resemblance to Japanimation su- per hero "Speed Racer"). At the same time, however, we are also drawn to a touching story of protagonist Gen's struggle to cope with the instanta- neous annihilation of everything he knows and loves - although his mother and best friend strangely sur- vive, as well. We share in his emo- tions as he discovers dead friends, assists dying soldiers in the hospital and finds that radiation from the blast has made him lose all his hair. In many ways, the story of "Barefoot Gen" is best told through the eyes of an animated character. Gen is an adorable kid who can melt the heart of many who lay eyes on him. As a result, the events that transpire around him appear all the more horrifying. What's the 311? it may seem surprising that a band who sprung straight out of the corn fields of Nebraska can rock as hard as 311. The band, who now resides in LA., blends rock, funk, reggae and rap into a whirlwind of sound on their latest, self-titled release "311." Slightly more aggressive than their first two albums (1993's "Music" and 1994's "Grassroots"), the band's latest album Is an eclectic mix of razor-sharp styles and good old, down-home grooves. if you've never heard of 311, there's a good reason. Uke Fugazi (for whom 31, opened at their first gig in 1991), the band doesn't have a glossy, radio promotion strategy. They rely mainly on touring and word of mouth to spread the gospel of 311. So don't miss your chance to catch these diverse rockers when they play St. Andrews tonight. They just might make you a believer. By Michael Zilberman Daily Arts Writer This is a unique Holocaust documen- tary - one that doesn't concentrate on people. In fact, humans are virtually ab- sent from this picture. It is more preoccu- pied with buildings. "Silent Witness" is a somber, striking I-hour film about the current state of concentration camps Dachau and Auschwitz (in Germany and Poland, re- spectively). In part, it's also about the people who live there: criminally under- paid librarians and tour guides living off Ravmw Silent Witness Directed by Harriet Wich: Playing Saturday only at 7:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. in Angell Hall Auditorium A mentaries usually dwell on survivors' faces, "Silent Witness" lingers instead on facades. And the effect is all the more haunting: the simple sight of an empty brick structure once crammed withpeople underscores the point better than any in- terview. The movie could, perhaps, focus more on a controversial point it barely bothers to mention. Namely, should concentra- tion camps be turned into memorial com- plexes, as most of them were in the '50s and '60s, or should they be preserved in their natural state in order for people to feel what survival was really like? Would future visitors more likely be impressed by abarrack or amonument to abarrack? If in one generation's span there emerge people quite seriously convinced that the Holocaust never happened - isn't ev- erything that's been done, ultimately pointless? Then again, "Silent Witness" is not a documentary that raises questions only to dish out quick answersin its last reel. The scariest thing about it is its Zen objectivity and unwillingness to evoke rage. "Silent Witness" makes for an hour-long immersion into the state of strange quietude. The movie, to its great honor, refuses to make statements and point fingers in any directions. It is smart enough to never get in your face, which doesn't prevent it from slowly creeping under your skin. I Mac, Laura and company deliver another fine release. relatively serious and thought-pro- voking, but the plaintive, little kid wail of McCaughn is perky enough to keep the songs out of the dark well of artistic I melodramatic self- doubt and overinflated importance that too many groups throw their music into these days. There's prob- ably only a handful of bands that can keep their music intense and unhappy without hitting the listener over the head with it, but Superchunk pulls it off. "Here's Where the Strings Come In" might be the best representation yet of what Superchunk's sound is, and what kind of songs they write. From beginning to end, there is no weak link. Then again, there's no obvious strong link either. But this fact is not enough to keep their new album from being recommended, and recommended highly. - David Cook Botfly Botfly Platypus Records Botfly has some problems. Seri- ous problems. Like a singer who doesn't know how to sing, so he kind of rap/shouts out the lyrics (which are actually worse than the delivery) for lack of anything better to do. Like the absence of enough common sense to figure out that harmonicas do not work well in heavy art rock. Like a guitar player who can't decide whether he wants to sound like Rage Against The Machine or Megadeth. Like the fact that if you put the album on, chauices are somebody's going to start laugh- ing. Really loudly. From the moment the epic first song, "Turns," comes on the stereo, Botfly will have you (and all of your friends that you invited over for a little listening party) giggling with glee. You'll laugh especially hard when the "vocalist" enters the rockin' good time with the poetic line "I'm your friendly neighbor- hood Botfly." Comic relief at its best. On the dirty white funk of the second track, "Texas Toast," the vocals get even better. Squeal in delight to the line "Dig my super- freaky platypus." From this point, the songs get indistinguishable from one another, each one ripping off several different styles at once, whether it be pseudo-hardcore, bad funk, art rock, metal, or hippie rock, each one utterly forgettable. Maybe Botfly would be a little easier to stomach if they only chose to rip off one style at a time. Maybe they would be a little easier to stom- ach if they ditched their vocalist. Still, if you have the chance, check out the tape- everybody needy to laugh every now and again. - Mark Carlson ridiculous federal funding; Carmelitenuns who set up cloisters on the sites ofrmassa- cres (the spookiest sequence in the film); survivors who can't find strength to leave the place of their own torture. But the real focus of the movie is on buildings themselves - they are, as the title indicates, the most reliable and elo- quent witnesses to what has happened inside. As a majority of Holocaust docu- Superchunk Here's Where the Strings Come In Merge Another solid effort from Superchunk. This shouldn't come as any surprise to those familiar with the North Carolina quartet's previous albums. The review is al- most as obvious: A great record, not their best, but close. Superchunk probably wasn't in- tending to make an album without a hit, or even an obvious single. Not a very business-smart decision, if that was indeed what they were going for. But what the album lacks in catchiness or memorability in any single track, it has more than made up for it in mood and atmosphere. "Strings" is an album to put on and leave on, not the kind that you're going to always turn to a specific song or two because those songs are so much better than the rest. This isn't to say that the songs aren't good - just not outstanding enough to warrant much extra attention. There's plenty to like on "Strings" - the guitar work is just as solid and creative as ever, and most all of the songs are very well-written, but the highlight is easily singer Mac McCaughn's vocal style. Superchunk likes to keep things I rv . " j s 1 /Urs 0u r. I/Carfens as Leen ma/Tn runnn sioes or over 301ears. SPECIAL GUEST: GRANT LEE BUFFALO OCTOBER 22 '.,DApM The Dr. Martens 1460 boot. Worn by the English police for over thirty years.