The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Wednesday, March 22, 2017 — 5A
Conversing with ‘CHiPS’
stars Peña and Shepard
WARNER BROS.
“Party” is the one word Dax
Shepard (“The Judge”) used to
describe his upcoming movie
“CHiPS,” which he wrote,
directed and acts in.
The film is an action-packed
comedy filled with motorcycle
races and police investigations
in the heart of Los Angeles.
Jon Baker (Shepard) and Frank
“Ponch” Poncherello (Michael
Peña, “Collateral Beauty”) are
two California Highway Patrol
motorcycle officers who must
join forces in order to figure
out who within CHP is behind
the million-dollar heist.
Ponch is a workaholic as an
undercover FBI agent and he
takes a pragmatic approach
to his job. Baker, on the other
hand, is inexperienced and
immature, focused on keeping
his marriage and life together.
“Both
guys
could
easily
foil the other one’s dream,”
Shepard said.
Baker and Ponch may not
see eye to eye, but in real life,
Shepard and Peña interacted
as close friends, with constant
friendly banter. Both wearing
plaid, this dynamic duo looked
like real-life best friends.
“The whole thing felt like
we stole a case of beer and we
kept getting closer and closer
to the door,” Shepard said. At
any moment, they both felt as
if someone would stop them in
their quest to create this fun
film.
“There’s been a stunning
lack
of
motorcycle
chase
movies
…
[because]
they
are
really
hard
to
film,”
Shepard said. “CHiPS” used
drones, helicopters and new
technology specifically for the
movie.
Shepard did a lot of his own
motorcycle stunts, including
wheelies, riding on the beach
and going up and down stairs.
Peña
had
never
ridden
a
motorcycle before, but learned
to say lines while moving at
over 75 miles per hour.
“I can die. This is real …
[Shepard] was proud of me
like a dad” Peña said about his
motorcycle experience on set.
He remarked that he was more
of a golf guy.
College students may find
this movie more relatable than
it seems. The plot includes
typical millennial follies, like
sexting and FaceTiming the
wrong person.
“That’s
going
on
hourly
I think on your campus,”
Shepard said.
“I think this generation
is definitely the generation
of who wears the most yoga
pants,” Peña, whose character
has
a
penchant
for
tight
clothing, said.
Both actors also had advice
for students who may be
wishing to pursue a career in
acting, music or art.
“Just do, do, do,” Peña said.
No matter what artistic field
you are seeking, “you gotta
find your voice.”
“You don’t get better at
anything by thinking about it,”
Shepard said on the subject.
Action is key.
“My biggest passion is cars
and motorcycles. Second to
that is comedy. I’m praying
that I can marry those two
things together [in the movie],”
Shepard said.
“CHiPS”, though based on
the late 1970’s TV show of the
same name, surely holds its
own.
“I wanted it to be its own
thing,” Shepard said. “[I was]
aiming towards “Bad Boys” or
“Lethal Weapon.””
Though it takes place in
the present, “CHiPS” refrains
from using any contemporary
music.
“I can’t stand when you see
a movie that you love from a
time period but it’s so time
stamped by those pop 40 songs
that they put in the movie that
I find distracting, because they
don’t age well. Every song in
this movie has really stood the
test of time,” said Shepherd,
highlighting the song choice
of “Rosanna” by Toto, used in
the film.
Shepard seems to add his
own special mark to all his
movies. In Hollywood, he is
known for his ability to create
high-grossing action movies
out of a fairly low budget.
The film “Hit and Run,” for
example, made $14 million off
a $1 million budget.
“The action looks way, way
bigger than the budget would
suggest. That weirdly is now
my sort of niche calling card,”
Shepard said.
After this movie, Peña is
on to other works such as a
movie that shoots in Serbia for
2 months, as well as “Ant-Man
2.”
As for Shepard, one can only
guess where he is headed.
“Retirement,” Shepard said,
with somewhat of a knowing
smirk on his face.
“CHiPS”
will
open
this
Friday in theaters.
FALLON GATES
Daily Arts Writer
FILM INTERVIEW
Hamid’s ‘Exit West’ an
emotive refugee romance
Author’s latest work is an exercise in empathy and humanity
I hate it when we talk about
“humanizing” people. The word
itself isn’t so bad, but in the
context of politically-charged
rhetoric — of people needing
to read a touching magazine
profile or a depressing personal
narrative to simply be, well,
not racist — I despise it. It’s
the reason there’s still a sour
taste left in my mouth from the
infamous Khizr Khan episode
at the Democratic
National
Convention
in
July. Here was a
Muslim family on
national television,
finally
accepted
and beloved and
recognized
by
the
majority
of
the media, but I
couldn’t help but think about
how off-putting this scene was.
Is this what it takes, I thought?
Do I need to fight a war in some
Middle Eastern country, be
buried in an American Flag at
Arlington, posthumously earn a
Bronze Star and a Purple Heart,
have
my
father
frantically
wave the Constitution on a
stage in Philadelphia, home
of the Liberty Bell, for Fox
News to finally consider the
possibility that we may, in fact,
be Americans — humans, even?
I have nothing but respect for
the Khans, but the rest of us,
those Muslims who might not
be so militarily inclined, have
no choice but to wonder if our
own brand of patriotism can
live up.
Midway
through
Mohsin
Hamid’s fantastic new novel,
“Exit
West,”
one
of
our
protagonists, Nadia, a refugee
fleeing a war-torn country,
finally has the opportunity to
wash her clothes. It has been
weeks since she migrated, and
her robes smell atrocious, so
she takes the time to dunk them
in a steaming hot bathtub and
clean them. It’s an ostensibly
trivial scene, even more so
in such a broad and operatic
narrative, but Hamid is quick
to underscore its significance:
“What she was doing, what she
had just done, was for her not
about frivolity, it was about the
essential, about being human,
living
as
a
human
being,
reminding oneself of what one
was, and so it mattered, and if
necessary was worth a fight.”
“Humanizing refugees” —
it’s a disappointing concept,
not in its implications but
in the mere necessity of its
existence. Human beings don’t
need to be humanized. Hamid
understands this, and he also
understands
the
massive,
global scale of the current
refugee crisis, and all the
complications that portends.
“Exit
West”
toys
with
ideas like universality and
accessibility.
It’s a romance
— a love story
— between two
migrants
as
they leave their
dying country to
try and secure
a
stable
life,
but it begins in
an
unspecified
country, and our protagonists
practice an unnamed religion,
speak
an
unidentified
language. The only characters
with names in the novel are the
two that comprise our central
couple,
Nadia
and
Saeed,
because when the world is
shrinking and your continued
survival depends solely on your
ability to make it out alive, the
only ones who really matter are
the ones you love, and the ones
who love you, in the present.
Not even, Hamid writes, the
people from your past: “For
when we migrate, we murder
from our lives those we leave
behind.”
It’s difficult to ascribe a
more expansive message to
a story so specifically about
two people, but it’s equally
difficult to read “Exit West” as
some sort of intimate character
study when its prose is so
expansive. Hamid writes the
story like it’s a fairytale, his
balletic sentences long and
run-on, unfurling gracefully
over the course of countless
commas and half-pages and
full-pages
until,
eventually,
they land with a resounding
thud,
packaging
sharp
social critiques in beautiful,
mesmerizing phrasing.
The novel is, of course,
politically relevant; refugees
and immigration are a hot-
button issue, but Hamid is
more
concerned
with
the
conditions that force someone
to leave their home. Indeed,
the novel is split down the
middle, one half chronicling
the downward spiral of Nadia
and Saeed’s home country as
their love blossoms, the other
half detailing their hop from
country to country in search of
refuge.
Into
this
backdrop
of
political realism Hamid injects
a substantial dose of Rushdie-
like
magical
realism;
the
couple’s travels are predicated
on
deceptively
elementary
premise, a network of doors
that one simply steps through
to end up in another country
across the world. The author is
interested in distance, it seems
— distance between countries,
distance
between
cultures,
distance between people, all of
it shrinking. Nadia and Saeed
are plugged into their mobile
phones, connecting to people
from across the world, and
the doors are simply a clever
thematic device through which
Hamid explores the ironies and
nuances of the entire concept
of immigration. He prods at
thorny ideas of nations and
multiculturalism and what it
means to have a “home.” But
it’s never once didactic or dull;
rather, Hamid examines his
interests through the prism
of his two broadly drawn yet
undeniably captivating leads.
It’s entirely possible some
will read “Exit West” as a
tender romance and nothing
more.
But
it’s
virtually
impossible to not feel, at the
very least, a sense of empathy.
As Hamid implies throughout,
Nadia and Saeed’s story is but
one of many. They are the focal
point of this narrative, but their
experience is not uncommon.
As much as it hurts to reckon
with, this world — its leaders
and its citizens — is lacking
in empathy. “Exit West,” of
course, is not a corrective to all
the ills we have committed in
the name of “border security,”
but perhaps it will serve as a
useful reminder of the unique
power fiction often holds over
the stark realities of everyday
life. The need to “humanize”
is characteristic only of the
morally deficient, but if that’s
what it takes for migrants
to be considered deserving
of a home, for refugees to be
deemed the humans they are,
then so be it.
NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT
Senior Arts Editor
New Spoon is adventurous
ALBUM REVIEW
Hot Thoughts is Spoon’s
ninth studio album, continuing
a legacy started in the late ’90s,
and
the
fact
that the band
hasn’t
faded
into repetitious
irrelevancy
is
a feat in and of
itself. Instead,
their newest release takes a
finely honed sound and infuses
it with harmonies that burst
with vibrancy. Hot Thoughts is
a Picasso painting of an album:
An enthusiastic collection of
songs that each strive to stand
out from the rest.
The opening track, “Hot
Thoughts”
introduces
the
rest of the album with a bang;
jangling rhythms paired with
lead
singer
Britt
Daniel’s
pointed
vocals
immediately
grab
attention
and
add
a
sweeping new dimension to
the standard chorus of “hot
thoughts all in my mind all of
the time.”
“WhisperI’lllistentohearit”
directly
follows
“Hot
Thoughts” and smoothly picks
up where the first song left off.
However, instead of continuing
the same melody, it shifts in
an
entirely
new
direction.
Vibrating tempos and Daniel’s
echoing whisper building to an
electric shriek of guitar chords
cloaks the song in a darker,
more cynical, layer.
The rapid tempo
of Hot Thoughts’
second track comes
screeching
to
a
halt as the mellow
tempo of “Do I Have
to Talk You Into It” crawls
into the spotlight. Swinging
harmonies and breezy beats
diffuses the condensed energy
built up by the previous song
and allows a more relaxed air
to surround the album.
The rest of Hot Thoughts
continues in a similar way;
songs
expand
on
elements
introduced
by
their
predecessors and ultimately
aim to transport the album in
a distinctive direction. “Pink
Up” takes the succession of
spiraling piano chords and
harshly
dramatic
beats
of
“First Caress” and softens
them, turning the album from
energetic exclamations to quiet
murmurs without losing its
overall flow. “Shotgun” takes
the sprawling “Tear It Down”
and
condenses
its
sound,
speeding up the tempo and
adding a newfound stability.
Hot Thoughts is a continuous
cycle
of
construction
and
destruction;
no
one
track
sounds the same.
However, even though Hot
Thoughts is thrilling to listen
to, it still follows the Spoon
blueprint. The band has made
sure every new album released
added a slight alteration to
their original sound: A refined
blend of punk, pop and rock
that
was
well-established
with the creation of “A Series
of Sneaks” in 1998. While the
colorful electronic components
and funky instrumentals found
in Hot Thoughts might be a
novel experiment for Spoon,
the underlying elements of
minimalist vocals and brash
rhythms is nothing new.
But, as the liveliness of Hot
Thoughts displays, this band is
not tired in the least, despite
doggedly sticking to mostly
analogous album structures.
Utterly refusing to step away
from the spotlight, Spoon still
remains full of ideas for future
exploration.
SHIMA SADAGHIYANI
Daily Arts Writer
Hot Thoughts
Spoon
Matador Records
Latest release is a colorful exploration into the electronic unknown
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
BOOK REVIEW
“Exit West”
Mohsin Hamid
Feb. 27, 2017
Penguin Random
House
COMMUNITY CULTURE NOTEBOOK
In spite of the great idea
One of the largest obstacles to
creation is the development of the
idea behind it. Often one may sit
and wait, wondering what to make,
what to write about or where to
draw inspiration from.
Often, I find myself waiting
for inspiration to hit. As a former
dancer and choreographer, I would
stand in the studio in complete
stillness, with no ideas and no
movement. The idea would never
come, and I would choreograph
in
desperation,
aching
for
a
breakthrough.
Eventually,
choreography would be created,
usually due to an impending
deadline.
Some
people
argue
that
inspiration
is
unnecessary,
that waiting for inspiration is a
mechanism for artists to hide
their fear. I have had art teachers
dismiss the notion of “inspiration,”
saying it has nothing to do with
creation. Creation, they would say,
comes from doing and not waiting.
One could wait for years and have
nothing to show for it. These
art teachers would also say that
waiting for inspiration is a tactic
used to let your fears fester inside
of you, convincing you to never pick
up the pen, marker or paintbrush.
This is partially true. Fear is often
what holds you back from reaching
greater potentials. However, the
work done without inspiration
can be more significant than the
work done with the great big idea.
This work contains the true grit
of an artist, who pushes past the
fear and insecurities and has the
courage
to
create
something,
without the framework of an idea.
It contains the true essence of
the artist who lost his way in the
process of creation but still himself
along the way, just enough to make
something. The pieces I have
created in desperation are the most
accurate representations of my
work, because they reflected the
dedication it took for me to keep
going.
I have had other art teachers tell
me that a great idea is very much
needed, but not at the beginning.
I
understand
parts
of
this
argument, whether or not art needs
inspiration, because inspiration
does serve a purpose. It fuels
artists with a drive to continue
doing what they do, bringing forth
an energy and appreciation for
art. Instead of stopping you in the
beginning, it feeds you a little bit
at a time, getting you through the
exhaustive process of creation. I
have started out with nothing, only
to find inspiration at the smallest
moments in a dance, giving me
enough to remember why I love it
and continue to do what I do.
This does not mean that the great
idea does not exist. While it is not a
myth, it is rare, which is why it is
important to keep creating despite
the great idea. Pushing through
without a huge surge of inspiration
gives artists the backbone of their
practices. It creates discipline,
training artists in preparation
for their masterpiece. It gives the
technique, willpower and artistry
needed to really polish their work.
In
this
way,
artists
and
intellectuals are similar. We all
go through days of frustration,
wishing we had a spark of
inspiration to keep us going. We all
push through, forcing ourselves to
continue on the work that we have
already spent so much time on.
But we will not always have this
spark at the beginning. We may not
even have this spark in the middle
of the process or at the end —
despite this, we must keep creating.
Because one day, we will get that
great idea, and we will be more
than ready for it. In the meantime,
we must find the significance
behind the work we do without
inspiration, because this work is a
part of us too, containing our true
artistic grit and determination.
NITYA GUPTA
For the Daily
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com