FOR RENT
SERVICES
3 & 4 Bedroom Apartments
$1500‑$2800 plus gas and
water contribution.
Tenants pay electric to DTE
Showings scheduled M‑F 10‑3
w/ 24 hour notice required.
1015 Packard
734‑996‑1991
5 & 6 Bedroom Apartments
1014 Vaughn
$3250 ‑ $3900 plus gas and
water contribution.
Tenants pay electric to DTE
Showings scheduled M‑F 10‑3
w/ 24 hour notice required
734‑996‑1991
ARBOR PROPERTIES
Award‑Winning Rentals in
Kerrytown
Central Campus, Old
West Side, Burns Park. Now Renting
for 2018.
734‑649‑8637 | www.arborprops.com
FALL 2018 HOUSES
# Beds Location Rent
6 1016 S. Forest $5400
4 827 Brookwood $3000
4 852 Brookwood $3000
4 1210 Cambridge $3400
Tenants pay all utilities.
Showings scheduled M‑F 10‑3
w/ 24 hr notice required
CAPPO/DEINCO
734‑996‑1991
STORAGE FOR STUDENTS
STUDYING ABROAD. Specials
from now til 9/9/18. Indoor ‑ Clean
‑ Safe ‑ Closest to campus. Reserve
online @ an
narborstorage.com or
call 734‑663‑0690
Classifieds
Call: #734-418-4115
Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
AMAZON
‘Mrs. Maisel’ stands out
with lovable protagonist
New York City in the ’50s was
truly a time. The cars were gaudy,
the clothes were lavish and the
women were confined to the
domestic sphere, subordinate to
their husbands. It was a lifestyle
few dared to question, and for
a while, Midge Maisel (Rachel
Brosnahan, “Patriots Day”) was
among the compliant.
Midge is the ideal housewife.
She measures herself every day to
ensure she keeps up her figure. She
waits to take her makeup off until
her husband is asleep, and she has
it back on by the time he wakes
up. She supports her husband’s
hopeless side job as a comedian,
even bribing club owners with
homemade brisket to get him the
best time slot. The world according
to Midge is perfect, and for the first
30 minutes of the Amy Sherman-
Palladino
(“Gilmore
Girls”)
comedy, it seems like things are
going to stay that way.
But
“The
Marvelous
Mrs.
Maisel”
would
not
be
the
unsuspecting gem that it is if our
title character did nothing, well,
marvelous. Though her quick
wits and thick vintage New York
accent are charming, the moment
you fall in love with Midge is the
moment her life falls apart. After
her husband Joel (Michael Zegen,
“Brooklyn”) admits to an affair
with his secretary and leaves her,
Midge downs a bottle of red wine
and drunkenly taxis to the club
that she would usually attend to
watch Joel do his (stolen) comedy
routine. With her makeup running
and her usually-compact physique
bloating, Midge turns the story
of the worst day of her life into
a uproarious comedy routine,
one that catches the attention of
both the star-spotting bartender
and the policemen that cart her
away for public indecency. It’s a
sharp departure from the pastel
and pristine homemaker we’d
seen before, but one that propels
the episode and the series into
something worth watching.
“Marvelous” hits that sweet
spot between funny and touching
that so many comedies try yet fail
to achieve. And at a time when
our male comedic heroes are
dropping one by one, the magic
of “Marvelous” is crusaded by
women, from the writers behind
the scenes to the actresses lighting
up our screens. Midge is not a
housewife in need of saving: She is
painted as a strong female whether
she’s making latkes or pursuing
stardom as a potential stand-up
comedian. She reeks confidence
so much that it leaps off the screen
and fills the viewer with assurance
that absolutely nothing will ever
stop this woman.
It’s rare to find a show in which
not a single aspect feels wrong or
out-of-place, but “Marvelous” is
truly about as flawless as a show
of its genre can get. Everything
from the upbeat, retro soundtrack
to the pleasing aesthetics of old-
time New York to the lovable
banter between Upper West Side
Midge and take-no-shit Susie
(Alex Borstein, “Family Guy”)
crafts a show that is worthy of
nothing but praise. Best of all,
“Marvelous” is just a lot of fun to
watch. Viewers are treated to the
story of a bad-ass Jewish woman
who finally comes into her own
all while making unlikely friends,
fighting off an unworthy ex
and breaking into the comedy
industry, an industry which, to
this day, is dominated by men.
It’s enough to inspire you to
dump your lowly lover or write
that book you keep putting off
until tomorrow. Or, at the very
least, down a glass or two of red
wine and share your secrets with
the world. You never know who
might be listening.
SAMATHA DELLA FERA
Daily Arts Writer
“The
Marvelous
Mrs. Maisel”
Series Premiere
Amazon
NO FILTER
Comic Broussard wants
to make you laugh & think
When people think of what
Ann Arbor is known for, things
like academics, sports and culture
usually come to mind. Most of the
time, Ann Arbor’s comedy scene is
left behind in comparison, forced
to fight for some recognition.
However, with historic venues
like the Ann Arbor Comedy
Showcase, bringing in comedians
like Matthew Broussard, the scene
seems to actually be thriving, and
not just surviving, despite the lack
of attention.
Founded almost 34 years ago, the
venue opened when comedy clubs
weren’t really that common.
“It was really the beginning
of this industry, there weren’t
that many comedy clubs across
the country before 1980,” said
cofounder Roger Feeny in an
interview with The Daily.
Since then, the club has really
built a name for itself, which is
why it’s able to bring in such big
name comics, including Matthew
Broussard. Broussard’s witty style
of comedy is a perfect fit for the
crowds of Ann Arbor.
“They’re a smart crowd,” Feeny
explained. “They’re very intelligent
and very up on their popular culture,
which brings us to Matthew.”
Not only are Broussard’s jokes
clever, but he also has the brains
— and a degree — to accompany
them. Before pursuing his career
in standup, Broussard completed
a degree in mathematics at Rice
University.
After
college,
he
moved to Los Angeles to pursue
the strategic art of making people
laugh.
And this decision seems to have
been a good one for him. Since
moving to LA, Broussard has been
featured on programs like Conan
and Comedy Central, as well as
a variety of other TV shows and
movies.
Even though he’s strayed a bit
from his mathematical background,
these skills have actually been able
to help Broussard with his routines,
weaving their way into his jokes
from time to time.
“Joke writing itself is about
finding patterns and breaking
them,” Broussard said in a phone
interview with The Daily. “And
having a background in math really
helps with that kind of analytical
thinking.
And while his main goal is to
get a laugh from the audience, he
also likes making them think. “I
enjoy a joke where you laugh, but
after the show, you realize you
now know a little tid-bit you didn’t.
You can maybe one-up people in a
conversation at a party when people
ask where … Propecia comes from,”
Broussard explained.
But his jokes aren’t purely
academic. Broussard also draws
upon observational humor and
references to pop culture.
“I just want to address this up
top: I look like a douchebag,” he
said on a recent stand-up he gave on
Conan last year. “It’s not a joke, I just
want to let you know that I know…
I’ve seen mirrors, I know that even
before I started talking, most of
you didn’t like me. And that’s okay,
because ’80s movies have taught
you to not trust someone with my
hair and bone structure.”
While his jokes have found
success
in
the
mainstream,
Feeny believes that they resonate
particularly well with Ann Arbor
audiences.
“Talking about smart audiences,
Matthew touches on subjects that
you never hear comics touch on,
like physics and grammar,” Feeny
stated. “You wouldn’t expect these
bits to be funny. But the first time he
came in, he impressed us greatly.”
Feeny attributes his success here
to the fact that the club draws in
such a smart audience.
Even though it’s a bit colder
than Los Angeles, Broussard still
looks forward to coming back
to Ann Arbor for a second time.
When asked about Ann Arbor and
the Comedy Showcase, Broussard
stated: “It’s one of my favorite
clubs. The crowds are just so smart,
and they’ll go anywhere with you.
They’re far smarter than I am, and
far more educated than I am. It’s
really a treat. My favorite things is a
smart audience, and Ann Arbor has
that.”
RYAN COX
Daily Arts Writer
Ann Arbor
Comedy
Showcase
presents
“Matthew
Broussard”
Ann Arbor Comedy
Showcase
Friday, December
7th @ 8 & 10:30
p.m.
Saturday,
December 8th @ 8
@ 10:30 p.m.
$14 in advance, $16
at the door
NEW LINE CINEMA
‘Elf’ is peak Christmas
Over the course of November,
I was subjected to “A Bad Mom’s
Christmas,” “Daddy’s Home 2”
and “The Star” in rapid succession.
These movies have two things
in common. One, they are all
ostensibly Christmas movies. Two,
they’re all godawful, poorly written
messes made with all the thoughtful
consideration of a Christmas card
with your name spelled wrong.
When the best movie of any given
bunch costars Mel Gibson as a hot
shot former astronaut who has to
learn to say “I love you” to his son,
it’s enough for even Santa to let out
a “Humbug.”
That’s part of the reason I was
so excited for this Thanksgiving
Break. Not only would I be able to
spend time with family and gorge
myself on buttery dinner rolls, but
my family would be beginning our
holiday season as always: watching
Jon Favreau’s (“Iron Man”) “Elf.”
Having grown up with the movie,
I’ve always had an appreciation
for it that, as I grew older, perhaps
could have been chalked up to
simple nostalgia.
There was something different
when I sat down to watch “Elf”
this time, though. Maybe it was
the string of duds I was coming off
enduring. Maybe it was the aligning
of the sun and stars. Maybe it was
the eggnog. Whatever the reason,
halfway through the movie, I had to
a realization. This wasn’t just a good
Christmas movie. For increasingly
cynical times, “Elf” is just about
the most perfect Christmas movie
imaginable. There’s an earnestness,
heart and imagination to every
frame that is almost unmatched.
At the center of it all is Will
Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, one of
the best roles of his career. Ferrell
has made a career out of playing
man-children
in
movies
like
“Anchorman”
and
“Talladega
Nights,” so the role of Buddy — a
human raised by Santa’s elves
— is perfect for him. But where
parts like Ron Burgundy relied
on audiences laughing at his more
juvenile moments, the abject glee of
Ferrell’s performance here makes it
feel much more like we’re laughing
with him. Even jokes that shouldn’t
work, like an eleven-second long
monster of a belch, do because of
Buddy’s enthusiasm and Ferrell’s
spot-on comedic timing.
Also key is Favreau in the
director’s chair, wisely not allowing
real world logic to get in the
way of the story he’s telling. It’s
a world where the North Pole is
portrayed as a partially animated
wonderland
filled
with
stop-
motion arctic puffins. Heavy use
of forced perspective is used to
allow for Ferrell to tower over the
other elves in indoor sets that do
terrific worldbuilding all on their
own. There’s an obvious contrast
between this world and New York
City, but Favreau finds the perfect
balance between the two tones.
He also makes sure to ground
everything
in
Buddy’s
story.
The job woes of Buddy’s father,
Walter (a perfectly deadpan James
Caan, “Cloudy with a Chance of
Meatballs”) is something any of last
month’s movies would have built
entire agonizing scenes around.
Here, they’re kept short and even
add to the emotional heart of the
film. There’s a thankful lack of
dated references, as well, that’s
positively refreshing given more
recent comedies. Yes, “Daddy’s
Home 2,” I’m sure all those “Sully”
references will play just as well in 14
years as they do now.
But eventually, it all comes back
to the heart of it. Buddy the Elf lives
in a cynical world. The children’s
books
executives
are
money-
grubbing jerks. Santa Claus (Ed
Asner, “Up”) has become reliant on
technology instead of Christmas
spirit and, in a hilarious bit of
implied backstory, has had at least
one run-in with the Central Park
Rangers. There’s no singing in the
North Pole. It’s a world just like ours.
There’s a certain catharsis, then, to
watching Buddy’s optimism slowly
win over everyone around him. The
finale, bolstered by John Debney’s
(“The Jungle Book”) terrific score,
is nothing short of magical, and in
a time when even Christmas feels
in danger of succumbing to the
monotonous daily grind of modern
living, that little bit of magic and
spirit “Elf” offers is something to
hold onto.
JEREMIAH VANDERHELM
Daily Arts Writer
NO FILTERFFILM NOTEBOOK
TV REVIEW
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
ACROSS
1 “Yeah”
6 Whack
10 They’re corny
14 Spaghetti
Western director
Sergio
15 Refine
16 Spread for
dinner, say
17 Two foes of
Rocky
20 Request to go
out, maybe
21 Cease
22 Airs
23 Mountain nymph
26 Form of love in
Paris?
27 Two loves of
Homer
32 Implies
33 One may
accompany a
finger snap
34 Small battery
35 Mine entrance
36 Meddle
37 Artist’s array
38 Large brewer
39 Blunted blade
41 Blots
43 Two specialties
of Spock
46 “Heartburn”
novelist Ephron
47 San Diego State
athlete
48 Advances
50 Chemical suffix
51 Fertility clinic
supply
54 Two priorities of
Blondie
58 Between ports
59 Bridge site
60 A lot
61 Milk by-product
62 Oracle
63 Entourage
DOWN
1 It parallels the
radius
2 Get wind of
3 Hurrying, with “it”
4 Acapulco article
5 Cock and bull
6 Sterne’s Tristram
7 Hopper on a pad
8 Gothic novelist
Radcliffe
9 Important place
for good manners
10 Pupil’s cover
11 Cassini of
fashion
12 Honey bunch
13 Ground cover
18 Soul mate?
19 Feature of many
a list
24 Common medical
advice
25 In-flight info
26 Name at the end
of many a “60
Minutes” episode
27 MLB Network
analyst Martinez
28 Put on
29 What supply
shortages often
do
30 Big dos
31 Bridge column
word
32 Caesarean
section?
36 Clinton
transportation
secretary
Federico
37 Tony relative
39 Low-price prefix
40 Service aces?
41 Stunned
42 NYC dance
troupe
44 Kind of
45 Stadium sign
48 Eye piece
49 Arch type
50 Convenience
52 Competes
53 Bad marks in
high school?
54 Margery of
nursery rhymes
55 Female
antelope
56 Floor cleaner
57 Tabloid topic
By Paul Coulter
©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
12/08/17
12/08/17
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
RELEASE DATE– Friday, December 8, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
xwordeditor@aol.com
6 — Friday, December 8, 2017
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com