The Michigan Daily - W /e.Z" 4e. - Thursday,October 12, 1995 - 58

Skillet cooks up hits for sizzling local scene

Ann Arbor film coop gathers to worship cult legend Bruce Campbell (center).

Movies with a motive
Film co-op to A'*: Send cash

By Michael Zllberman
Daily Arts Writer
The 25-year-long history of the Ann
Arbor Film Cooperative could make
for a great independent movie - a
black comedy not unlike "Living In
Oblivion," the recent farce about all the
possible problems that could befall a
tortured movie director. Overthe course
of 25 years, the AAFC has met just
about every imaginable obstacle on its
path.
This group was conceived by stu-
dents in 1970 as an organization de-
voted to showing local, independent
and student movies. The AAFC has
always used whatever profits its screen-
ings generate to award money grants to
Ann Arbor filmmakers. It was a beauti-
ful idea, and for a while, it worked. But
then, there just weren't enodgh local
movies being made. The AAFC tried to
fill the gaps in its programming by
showing otherwise unavailable movies
cult films, classics or foreign re-
leases, for example.
Then came the video revolution. Sud-
denly,just about every movie evermade
was there for individual rental. Perhaps
involuntarily, AAFC gradually shifted
its focus towards a more and more ob-
scure product. The unavailability of a
movie became the main criterion of its
choice for a screening: The situation
started to smack of absurdity.
On top of that, in the last couple of
years, the mainstream movie consum-
ers have suddenly embraced indepen-
dent filmmaking. Films that 10 years
ago would have been screened exclu-
sively by the Co-Op, are now showing
on bigger screens, with better sound, at
theaters like the State and the Michi-
gan. And finally, as a result of all this,
the public interest in unconventional
cinema has rapidly faded.
"It used to be cool," AAFC president
Ben Robinson sighs. "People would go
to us with a specific purpose - to see
something weird."
Adds another AAFC member, "Now
they can see a movie like 'Smoke' at a
local theater, and it completely satisfies
their need for films that are different
from usual Hollywood stuff."
In a last desperate attempt to sur-
vive, the AAFC employed the
"Miramax maneuver" and went for
the scandal. A string of increasingly
puzzling projects followed: A festi-
val of old racist cartoons tied to Mar-
tin Luther King's birthday; odd ce-
lebrity bookings; screenings of films
like "ChickenHawk: Men Who Love
Boys" and "Necromantic."
"Pornography remains the only 100

percent profitable genre," explains
Robinson. "We don't want to do it, but
we're forced to show these films (like
last year's presentation ofthe porn clas-
sic "Debbie Does Dallas")several times
a year in order to make up for the losses
we suffer when we show everything
else."
Members of the AAFC happily ad-
mit to their desperate need for any kind
of publicity, good or bad. The nature of
public response already lost its mean-
ing, it's whether there is any response at
all that really matters. But being for the
most part normal, decent people, AAFC
members apparently aren't able to gen-i
erate a scandal or anything attracting
press.
A couple days ago, the AAFC re-
leased a peculiar document entitled: "A
Business Proposal, Or How To Salvage
What's Left Of A Dying Corpse." The
introductory paragraph, written with
enviable literary flair, is pretty much
self-explanatory: "MONEY. We have
none and we need it. PEOPLE. We have
few and need them. PURPOSE. We
have one, but it's only leading us to our
demise."
This new proposal outlines hopes for
the AAFC to switch formats and try,
once again, to become a showcase for
local filmmaking. The main problem is
that this switch would automatically pit
the AAFC against such established in-
stitutions as the annual 16 mm Film
Festival.
Another possible strategy to achiev-
ing greater popularity is to concentrate
on celebrity bookings and reinvent the
Co-Op as some sort of a lecture club,
where the filmmakers would present
their own works. Then again, the Co-
Op's idea of a celebrity booking might
just differ a little from yours.
Once famous for bringing Robert
Altman on campus, the AAFC has re-
cently booked such cult figures as con-
troversial comic Bobcat Goldthwait,
actor Bruce Campbell and Mike White
(a.k.a. the guy who supposedly exposed
Tarantino's rip-off of the Hong Kong
action film "City On Fire"). These book-
ings usually start as personal favors.
The AAFC doesn't exactly have money
to burn: 99 percent of their financial
transactions are in the realm of two-
digit numbers.
Whatever its new direction might be,
the Ann Arbor Film Co-Op readily ac-
knowledges the need to find a new
identity and, hopefully, some new mem-
bers along the way. After all, it had
survived for a quarter century; with
some luck, it might just outlive Holly-
wood.

By Jeff Lawson
For the Daily
Ann Arbor's biggest skillet isn't
part of Dining Services.
In fact, Ann Arbor's Skillet Records
is part of the flourishing local music
scene.
Before Skillet's creation, local
bands had little opportunity to ad-
vance with their music. In order to
produce an album, artists either re-
quired a contract with a major label
or an excess of cash.
Since 1992, however, Skillet
Records has been a prominent force
in promoting Ann Arbor's musical
talent. "It's a focal point for music...
in a way that may not happen if Skil-
let wasn't here," said Dan Carroll,
co-owner of Skillet Records. "There's
nothing else like this around."
"Our goal is to show people that
there is a music scene here... there
are lots of good bands," said Chris
Peters, co-owner of Skillet Records.
"We find bands that take music seri-
ously and help them do it right."
Appearantly they have been "do-
ing it right." As a result, many of
these bands, and Skillet itself, have
gained a following among local mu-
sicians and residents. "They've
adopted uncompromising standards
for themselves and their bands... their
goals and intentions are very respect-
able," said Kristin vonBermthal, lo-
cal guitar and vocal performer and
former member of the Lollipop Guild.
Joe Tiboni, organizer of live music
at Cava Java has worked with Skillet
records for the past three years. "Any-
thing encouraging of Ann Arbor mu-
sicians is good for the music scene...
Skillet is willing to help and encour-
age. It's a positive thing," he said.
"These guys are willing to concen-
trate on many bands, not just them-
selves - that's a positive and rare
thing."
"Skillet Records is as much a cre-
ation of the local music scene as it
creates the music scene," said Jeff
Kwastel, an LSA junior and Skillet
fan.
So far, Skillet Records has released
five full length compact disks along
with various cassettes and EP's. Their
first CD release, Whirling Road's

self-titled EP, has sold over 1000
copies in the Ann Arbor area. They
expect the new Whirling Road full
length, "Twelve Steps Below Wal-
nut," to sell even better.
Despite this success, co-owners
Carroll and Peters have not become
rich. "We don't make any money
out of this. We put all of it back into
the bands - mostly records and
shows," said Peters.
That includes publicity. The
bands' posters appear everywhere
in Ann Arbor; so do the bands. Skil-
let sounds pack coffee houses and
other music venues around Ann Ar-
bor, Detroit and beyond.
Recently, Skillet has begun to move
beyond the local college market. The
Impatients' release, "Kickball," has
gained national distribution. Skillet
bands Whirling Road and The
Impatients have also embarked on
Midwest tours. The Impatients were
recently written up in Option, a na-
tional music magazine. Another Skil-
let band, Lollipop Guild, received
coverage in The Alternative Press.
Many Ann Arbor residents may re-
call Skillet's first band, the Melba,
who gained local popularity a few
years ago. Since the breakup of that
band last year , lead singer James
Baluyo performed at Lollapalooza
fronting the band Versus, signed to
Mark Robinson's Teen Beat Records.
Both Peters and Carroll are well
acquainted with the music industry.
Peters plays lead and rhythm guitar
in Whirling Road while Carroll
drums for the Impatients. 'Peters
was the music editor of the Michi-
gan Review. Carroll works for Mad-
house Management, a talent man-
agement company working with such
artists as Ted Nugent. Carroll has
also worked with Warner Brothers
record company. "Being involved in
all three aspects of the business, la-
bels, bands and management, has
really helped," said Carroll.
Additionally, Skillet's owners are
well acquainted with Ann Arbor and
the University. Peters graduated in
1994 with a history degree. Carroll
received his communications degree
in 1993. Both remain Ann Arbor
residents.

"I am going to eat all the money we are making at Skillet! Ha ha hat"

One of Skillet's recent projects rein-
forced their commitment to Ann Arbor.
Early this year, they began selling the
"Sounds of Ann Arbor" compilation,
with proceeds benefiting the local C.S.
Motts Children's Hospital. "We wanted
to help out a local charity and Motts
came naturally - it adds another local
aspect to Skillet," said Carroll.
The compilation includes music
from seven Ann Arbor bands, each
featuring two songs, many of which
are previously unreleased.
People seem to appreciate the cause
and the music. To date, approxi-
mately 800 copies of the full length
CD have been sold. "It's one of our
most popular albums... its been in the
Top 40 sellers at the Ann Arbor Tower
Records," said Carroll.
In fact, many of Skillet's releases

have done well at the South Univer-
sity Tower store. "Tower's been great
... they're real supportive of our ef-
fort," said Peters. "They've installed
listening stations for local music and
even placed our releases in prime
spots, such as by the check-out."
Additionally, college radio has con-
tributed to Skillet's effort. "WIQB
was very receptive to local music,"
said Carroll. "WDBN of East Lan-
sing was also helped a lot. They've
played lots of our cuts."
With disks on the shelves, shows
on the road and cuts on the air, Skillet's
importance to Ann Arbor's music
scene continues to grow. Anthony
Scaglione, an LSA junior, best phrased
Skillet's role: "without Skillet, local
bands would just be bacon and eggs
on the burner."


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