O EiduIIg0 i U The Road less traveled Vic Chestnutt, the brilliant, tortured country-folk-rock singer/ songwriter, appears tonight at the Blind Pig. His insightful and harrowing stories enrich his music with an almost frightening intimacy. He's also the subject of another "Sweet Relief" benefit, which helped Page SA singer Victoria Williams. See Chestnutt at the Blind Pig; Tickets are $8 Monday, - in advance. Doors open at 9:30. October 23, 1995 Contrived 'Mallrats' lacks good humor _. ._ _ _ _ By !ate Brady For the Daily What happens when a small-budget filmmaker becomes successful and sud- denly finds himselfwith loads ofmoney to spend on his next movie? The answer is "Mallrats," and the result is disap- pointing. Set in a New Jersey mall and the surrounding area, "Mallrats" is about the quest of two smart-ass slacker guys to win back their girlfriends. The highly contrived plot involves an attempt to sabotage a TV show, a visit to a topless fortune-teller and a cameo b comic Mallrats Written and directed by Kevin Smith; with Shannen Doherty and Jason Lee At Showcase book hero Stan Lee. Filmmaker Kevin Smith gained at- tention last year with the release of his debut his debut film "Clerks." Although criticized by some for its raunchy lan- guage, the movie became a favorite among teenage audiences, depicting the day-to-day adventures of convenience- store clerks. Directed and filmed by Smith, and featuring unknowns, the movie incited laughter ineveryone who has ever been on the other side of the counter. However, "Mallrats" is not "Clerks." "Clerks" was one hell of a funny movie, complete with great, nearly NC-17 rated dialogue, a dry New Jersey sense of humor and likable characters. Unfortunately, in "Mallrats," Smith brings back all the Jersey but none of the style or charm. It is all about Jersey, complete with loud, mean-spiritedjokes that do not always seem funny. The film is highly recommended for those who hail from the Garden State; this movie contains tons of references that only natives will truly enjoy. This is not to say that "Mallrats" did not have its funny moments. Jay and Silent Bob (Smith, himself) return from "Clerks" to bring much of this comedy's humor with their bizarre behavior. They are the best thing about this movie, rescuing it from its many fits of bore- dom. Most entertaining are their many attempts at mischief, including a run-in with the Easter Bunny. Shannen Doherty is surprisingly funny opposite unknown actor and skate-boarding star, Jason Lee, who plays her former boyfriend, Brodie. These two are lucky to have some of the best lines in the movie, although they get bogged down in cheesy "romantic" conversations which do not help at all. The movie lacks the consistently sur- prising and hilarious dialogue that made "Clerks" so funny. The plot to win back old girlfriends creates too many sappy, predictable lines, which are delivered quite unconvincingly. All of the con- versations between the two couples sound ridiculous. The acting was not great either. Silent Bob (director Kevin Smith) and Jay (Jason Mewes) check out the local mali culture. Snootchie Bootchles. Claire Forlani, who plays Brandi, was obviously selected for her good looks and not her skills as an actor. Jeremy London, acting as her boyfriend T.S., is stiff and dull. Often, the humor of a good line was lost in bad delivery. The actors seemed to trip over them- selves as they hurried to tell the next punch line. In this movie, one gets the feeling that everything is overdone. It almost feels like Smith is trying so hard to match his last effort, that he ends up losing all the things which made his last film work so well. The realistic air of "Clerks" is replaced here by a storyline which is contrived and clumsy. Watch- ing"Mallrats" is like window shopping at the film's Brunswick Square Mall; although it shows the potential for great things, it just doesn't deliver the goods. Malirat Shannen Doherty. Dance Theatre gives jazz a new groove By Kerry Klaus Daily Arts Writer Jazz dance often gets a bad rap in Ann Arbor. In a community where dance often strives to send messages, change views and provide answers, it is re- freshing to experience a performance that is simply dance for dance's sake. Ann Arbor's Jazz Dance Theatre, the resident professional company of Dance Theatre Studio, attempts to create a variety of emotions while first and fore- most, simply entertaining its audience. Friday evening's performance at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theater was not only entertaining, it was emotionally charged. Comprised entirely ofpresent and former University students, JDT created an ad- mirable collage of feeling and quality. Underthedirection ofAdam B. Clark,the dancers successfully explored the skewed idea of coming to a performance search- ing for hidden meaning. "Swing," the evening's first piece, is a traditional show opener. Full of smil- ing faces and witty moments, it is an exploration of the fusion of classic American jazz dance and music of the Big Band era. Set in a German night- club in the late-I 930s, this piece allows the dancers to don feather boas, act as lounge singers and bat their lashes at an aluting "boy" (the company is entirely fernale). While there are plenty of large movements in this piece, including a series of well-executed tours en l'air, it is the dancers' animation that comes through most effectively. .'Forever," created for soloist Amy Darby, is a personally motivated piece on relationships. The beginning coveys a warm feeling with a lyrical quality. However, as the music picks up speed, some of Darby's fine technique and per- fonance quality is lost in the relentless pace of triple turns and driving music. A lyrical piece, "Let it Speak," is an :1E Jazz Dance Theater Lydia Mendelssohn Thaeter Friday, October 20 excellent exception to the upbeat approach most listeners expect from a jazz perfor- mance. The number builds to a climax as the dancers all individually manipulate technically difficult combinations at a frenzied pace. This creates a sense of chaos, which nicely parallels the lyrics, that speak of the confusion involved in the search for love. "Forgotten Promises," a premiere duet featuring Lisa Darby Clark and Sara Blaine Gorey, is a haunting piece set to music by Depeche Mode. Dim lights find the dancers crouching low, breaking their way out of large plastic bags. Clad in skintighttie-dyedunitards, the dancers exhibit exquisite control and focus. The choreography here pleas- ingly strays from a lot of traditional jazz steps and creates some asymmetrical patterns that tease the eye. After a brief intermission comes "To Those Who Wait," a definite highlight of the show. This is the piece the audi- ence longs for. Up to this point, much of the movement is almost too aesthetically perfect-the combinations are very neat, precise and turn-laden. While the dancers are technically proficient, this piece, set to "Freedom '90" by George Michael, is where they really break out and strut their stuff. In gray unitards, they stare down the audience, executing difficult combina- tions of pirouettes into extensions, all the while scuffing their feet, exhibiting an attitude that lets the audience know ex- actly who's in charge. 1994's "More than One" is the only piece with a very intended and serious message. The piece's three sections are set to music from the movie soundtrack "Philadelphia." The choreography boldly examines issues surrounding AIDS. The movement shifts from loose to balletic, while the dancers hang their heads low. At one point, they execute a slow motion walk across the stage, while BlaineGorey delicately pleads fortheir attention and understanding with flow- ing turns and graceful arabesques. A trio, "So Good," follows next. The music of Led Zeppelin is a catalyst for movement that is first slinky and drawn out, only to pick up speed near the end. The choreography calls for numerous pirouettes, grand jetes and axle turns that the dancers powerfully execute. There is a moment to gasp when they perform an amazing extension a la seconde in succession, then rotate to layouts. The closer is a four-section premiere, "The Coming," which is set to music by Madonna. Posing in silhouette, the danc- ers begin with "Vogue." This work is a classic homage, providing an air of so- phistication without forgetting the tra- ditional bump and grind and revealing costumes. "Rain" is a lyrical piece fea- turing Fountain, with plenty of melting arabesques and coupe turns. "Justify My Love/The Beast Within" is another highlight, with an appearance by Adam B. Clark. Numerous lifts find Lisa Darby Clark in contorted positions requiring extreme flexibility, as the rest of the cast roll in disfigured, fetus-like shapes against flaring red lighting. "Rescue Me" is an energetic, appropriate finale to this showcase of fine technique, emotions and just plain "busting out." A mix of funk and hip-hop with swirl- ing circular formations creates intricate floor patterns, sending the dancers shim- mying off into the night.. Blind Melon " sener dies unexpectedly By Brian A. Gnatt Daily Music Editor Blind Melon vocalist Shannon Hoon was found dead in his band's tour bus Saturday in New Orleans. The 28-year-old singer was dis- covered on the bus when the band's sound manager tried unsuccessfully to awaken the singer around 1:30 p.m. New Orleans police were called and confirmed Hoon was deceased. A police spokesman said there were no signs of injury and the cause of death is still unknown pending an autopsy. Hoon and his band mates were in New Orleans to play at Tipitina's music club Saturday night, but the group canceled the show after find- ing the singer's body. "They can- celed the show because they couldn't continue without him," an employee of the club said yester- day. Blind Melon recently released their second album "Soup," the fol- low-up to 1992's very popular self- titled release with the amazing hits "No Rain," "Tones of Home," and "Change." The band played a Sept. 24 show at St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit last month, where they put on an astounding set of their new and old eclectic rock music. Blind Melon lead singer Shannon Hoon at St. Andrew's Hall on September 24. I 4C. 1 iI:fl i1)C l li Frances Neel acsw Licensed marriage and family therapist " Couples * Individuals " Adolescents * Families " Short Term Women's Groups ... - -. . . . -- wo Folk Heroes Reprise Records Are you looking for a break from the plastic, calculated schlock that com- pnses roughly 99.99% of all radio playlists? Do you fear that one more silverchair song will drive you to hurl your stereo out the window? Cleanse your alterna-palate with the refreshing sounds of The Foremen. Their debut, "Folk Heroes," is a treasure trove oforigi- nal comedy songs and biting self-parody from a talented bunch of rednecks. The Foremen have drawn praise from comedy legend Tom Lehrer, and with good reason. Their self-deprecating- conservative schtick manages to stay fresh and funny throughout the disc, from the anthem "Ain't No Liberal" to theclosingballad "Everyman (For Him- self)." The real strength here is the lyrical ability of lead Foreman Roy Zimmerman, who crams every song with zingers like: "My heart is jumpin' and my head is swimmin'/1 feel like I could take the vote away from women". Both long-neck and plectrum banjos are featured, along with a grocery list of brass, strings and woodwinds. The kitchen-sink instrumentation is used ass and leaves you wanting more than the ten tracks on their self-titled debut. Complete with subterranean vocals, crawling but evident bass-lines and a mad oscillating John Zorn-esque saxo- phone, New Wet Kojak is jazz on a leash. The band has an uncanny sense of tension and uses it well. They care- fully gauge the points where their mu- sic should break apart into chaos, and then refuse to follow their own lead. Musically inappropriate but quite delicious, New Wet Kojak has its share of gimmicks, too. "Me Acuerdo de Ti" brings in a female vocalist who sings in Spanish over a sleeping guitar and impromptu but concise drums. In "Un- buckled," Kojak's wild sax sound bur- geons into that of a flock of wild geese at a Metallica concert. But, behind the frilly edges of their sound, New Wet Kojak manages to lay down a solid foundation to every song on the album. With originality alone, New Wet Kojak takes up a slot in new music, pushing the limits of what is "alterna- tive" just one step closer to breaking. - Josh Biggs See RECORDS, Page 8A - 'I I Learn ly/buid closerl re/UtiUIlSips 2500 Packard Road Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Telephone (313) 973-2055 \ COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL - SLIDING FEE AVAIL. 5th at Liberty 761-9700I BARGAIN MATINESTUDENT WLD $4.75 EVENINGS UNSTRUNG HEROES Bring in this ad, and receive one I SCALE FREE 2Ooz DRINK!I, LETTER with any popcorn purchase ®- - ---- expires: November 3, 1995 .-- . '.,,. ...- . - -..... . .--- r --- '