The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 7 - 11 'Brothers McMullen' search for love, faith and beer By Joshua Rich Daily Film Editor A highlight of this banner year for the independent film industry has arrived in Ann Arbor in the form of "The Brothers McMullen." This pleasant little film won top honors at the Sundance Film Festival - long noted for its indie discoveries. Ever sjnce, the film has been surrounded with much hoopla considering that it Was made for some $20,000 and is now the touchstone ofthe Cinderella stpry that is film maker Edward The Brothers McMullen Written, directed by and starring Edward Burns At the Michigan Theater Byrns's life. Burns had the audacity to cast lipisef in the most romantic and complex role in his film (which he tiro wrote). One might assume that id was quite a struggle for Burns and Crew to produce a seemingly pro- fssional flick despite his lack of funds. In the film, the three brothers also suffer daily travails: Problems with marriage, friendship and faith following the death of their father the exaggerated trials of each char- acter become increasingly absurd. Nevertheless, their troubles are real and we feel compassion for them. These are truly damaged men who have had no sensible guidance in their lives, who speak of their father's abuses as they would of a cheap sit-com, and who find life to be much greater a series of obstacles than it really is. Dialogue, on the whole, is quite clever, yet it neither completely sup- ports nor appropriately illustrates the themes in a movie that has little else upon which to support itself. Cinematography is irritatingly poor with unfocused images and ill- staged shots. Acting is weak, though not embarassing. And the people on screen are just too beautiful, thus adding to the film's overbearing hy- perbolic nature. His first major cinematic effort is undeniably commendable, and Burns shows true promise - like Robert Rodriguez ("Desperado") and others before him - to be suc- cessful beyond the realm of Sundance. For an independent fresh- man director with a minuscule bud- get, "The Brothers McMullen" is quite remarkable. A more experi- enced director, however, would have probably passed on the project alto- gether. Lovely Edward Burns (center) directsI and the traumatic flight of their aloof mother back to her native Ireland. Eldest brother Jack (Jack Mulcahy), a high school basketball coach, is experimenting with other women even while he feels love for his beautiful wife. Middle brother Mike McGlone (left) and Jack Mulcahy (right) in 'The Brothers McMullen' Barry (Burns) is a struggling writer and womanizer who has no capacity to contemplate romance beyond sex. Youngest brother and recent col- lege graduate Patrick (Mike McGlone) struggles to find a pur- pose for Catholicism in his life as he decides whether to live (and sleep) with his Jewish girlfriend. This unquestionably sympathetic and inexcusably glossy portrait of a group of young people is replete with examples of the brothers' dif- ficulties. So many so, in fact, that RECORDS Continued from page 10 The Geraldine Fibbers Lost Somewhere Between The Earth and My Home Virgin Records The Geraldine Fibbers are Carla Bozulich's newest project. She was a member of the industrial/dance group Ethyl Meatplow and is prob- ably most famous for singing on Mike Watt's solo album "Ball-Hog or Tug Boat?" Inspired by a cross- country road trip spent listening to country music on the car radio, Bozulich started the Fibbers, a band that plays unashamedly country- tinged music. But unlike many other country- influenced acts like Mazzy Star, Pal- ace Brothers, the Jayhawks and the Cowboy Junkies, the Geraldine Fib- bers' brand of country is fierce and explosive. Much like the early works of country-punk bands like X and the Meat Puppets, "Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home" explores the violent side of sorrow. In fact, much of the material is as wild as early Throwing Muses and as bleak as Come's icy blues. Much ofthe Fibbers' tumultous sound comes from Bozulich's des- perate rasp of a voice. "The Small Song" in particular showcases her formidable range. From a girlish murmur, Bozulich builds into a tormented shriek that is genuinely haunting. But on tracks like "Mar- malade" and "Get Thee Gone" she sings in a simple, world-weary drawl that emphasizes the exhaus- tion of heartbreak and despair. Also key in the Fibbers' style is Jessy Greene's viola and violin playing. As with Bozulich's voice, Greene's strings squeal or sing, depending on the mood of the song. On "The Small Song" the cellos and violins saw frantically; on "Lilybelle," they quietly and mournfully set the tone for the entire album. Not every song is mired in sor- row on "Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home," how- ever. "Outside Of Town" is actu- ally pretty rollicking, a honky- tonk number that belies the Fib. bers' genuine love for country music. Some parts of the album are just too bleak for their own good. This isn't the kind of album to slap on when you're just looking for something to listen to. But "Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home" is a strong debut al- bum from an intense and unique group. Live, the band's incendi- ary energy ignites the songs, strip- ping them of some of their self- pity. All in all, "Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home is a great album. If only all road trips were this productive... - Heather Phares The Fast 1 Doom 4 ha Cause G-Note Records In "Down 4 Tha Cause," The Fast 1 takes you on a strolldown rap's memory lane. Following in the steps of Da Brat, he performs "Freak Da Fonk" whose refrain sounds like a Doggpoundcut. In "Land It on a Meal Ticket" he sounds like a deep-voiced DJ Quik and the beats in"FuckinUp YaProgram" sound like a scrambled versions ofMC Eight's "Straight Up Menace." Luckily, these copycat acts don't comprise the entire CD. His ability to reproduce the styles of so many artists attests to the wide range of hip-hop genres he feels equally at home with. On cuts like "A Major Threat" and "Black by Nature, Nigga by Choice," you'll quickly get a taste of Fast l's originality. Unfortunately, he doesn't display it often. If this LP was a game of spades, the Fast 1 wouldbetmmptight.Ifonlyhewas playinghisowncardsinsteadofleaningso heavily on the crutch of others' creativfty. TheFast 1 hasthewherewithaltocreatean entirely new rap precedent and stamp it hard on the map. The only question left is whether he'll do it or simply continue to leech off the successes of those around him. - Eugene Bowen See RECORDS, page,12 STl T EU %-C Cola .A.T. (Gangstas & Thugs) kst another day MCA Records Talkabout radical R&B experimen- tation! Here you have four guys, all of whom look like a cross between a Crip and your neighborhood garbage man. Butthey'reNOT rappers. They're sing- ers. The problem is these guys' singing prowess, individually and as a group, matches, say, M.C. Hammer's rapping 'prowess. It's not just about how these guys look and how they sing (both of which get ahearty two thumbs down), it's also about what they're singing about. You see, the big division between hip hop and rap and their progenitor, R&B, comes from the fact that, whereas hip- hop and rap oftentimes revel in frivolity and frankness regarding topics from drugs to loveless sex to living in pov- erty, R&B is usually held to "higher standards,"discussing love and making love ratherthan fucking. Even when the topic is more base, R&B artists have a way of making them sound almost sa- cred and holy. Now, enter G.A.T. These guys, who you've probably already heard before without realizing (They sang background on Coolio's "Fantastic Voyage," and sounded bad then, too). are seeking to discuss traditionally rap-related topics using R&B. Look at some ofthe 13 titles in "just another day," like "Doin' My Time," "Young E U This year. . . * We're the Featured Choir at the American Choral Directors' Convention * We're performing at Orchestra Hall in Detroit " We're performing Beethoven's 9th Symphony . We're going to South America plusa whole lot more! So what are YOU doing this year? i 966 WROOMME