ACROSS 1 Fey of “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” 5 Ready to rock 10 Mug shot subject 14 “I got this!” 15 Wheels since 1986 16 Adidas rival 17 Attire with a spreadsheet design? 19 Minor points 20 Under 21 More than tickles 23 Liquor in a Singapore sling 24 Disreputable court proceeding? 26 Unskilled in 29 Hebrides tongue 30 Arrived, in a way 31 Hardly an original 34 Office administrations 38 Superstation that broadcasts some Cubs games 39 Old Testament prophet 41 Creature for whose shape Anguilla was named 42 “Broca’s Brain” author 44 Speed away, with “out” 45 Syrup brand since 1902 46 Cuts (off) 48 Sacred crawler 50 Extracts from Wrigley Field’s walls? 55 Monopoly quartet: Abbr. 56 __ network 57 Emit 60 Greased auto part 61 Transports for fertilizer? 64 Scholarship consideration 65 Umbilical variety 66 Lover’s greeting 67 Old U.S. pump sign 68 Bluto and Pluto 69 “Echoes in Rain” singer DOWN 1 Ring site 2 Sydney band originally called The Farriss Brothers 3 “Good work!” 4 Swallowed one’s pride 5 Needle point? 6 Soreness 7 Museum offering 8 Miss on “Jeopardy!,” e.g. 9 Involving nudity, maybe 10 Cure-all 11 1980 Tony winner for Best Musical 12 Bat mitzvah, e.g. 13 So yesterday 18 Superboy’s girlfriend 22 Disinfectant brand 25 Like many “Buffy” settings 26 Kittens play with them 27 Lingerie brand 28 Whirling toon 32 Drink with a Zero Sugar variety 33 __ out a meager existence 35 Mark on a Dear John letter, perhaps 36 Zeus’ jealous wife 37 One who doesn’t pick up much 39 __ Gay 40 “The Complete Short Game” author 43 Fettuccine sauce 45 Bar attraction 47 Ministry 49 Bed with enclosed sides 50 Absurd 51 Annoys 52 Celebrated seasons 53 Pipe cleaner 54 Chemise fabric 58 Salon assortment 59 Site for handicrafts 62 “Reflection” musician 63 Issuer of five million-plus IDs annually By C.C. Burnikel ©2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 01/05/18 01/05/18 ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: RELEASE DATE– Friday, January 5, 2018 Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis xwordeditor@aol.com Classifieds Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.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 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 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 FOR RENT CHECK OUT OUR COOL www.michigandaily.com WEBSITE. NOW. ‘Ferdinand’ starts off uneven, ends triamphant “Ferdinand” tells the story of the titular bull, a pacifist forced into a world where he is pressured at every turn to give in to the violence around him. It is only through constant perseverance, bravery and faithfulness to his moral code that he eventually gets his chance at a return to a peaceful life. In other words, “Ferdinand” is pretty much “Hacksaw Ridge” with adorable animated bulls. And it’s actually quite good. If you’re a cynic like me, the quality of Blue Sky Studios’s newest outing may come as a shock, as the marketing made it appear as nothing more or less than a cash- in on a beloved children’s tale. It would check all the lowest common denominator kid’s flick boxes: There would be at least one scene with all the main characters dancing and at least two montages backed by pop music — one upbeat song and one slow song — that will be dated by the time the Blu Ray hits shelves. There would also be a plethora of pointless animal sidekicks who don’t add anything to the plot but do sell Happy Meals, plenty of poop and fart jokes to keep the kids giggling and a talented enough voice cast to trick parents into thinking there might be something under the surface. And yes, there is plenty of all that, montages and all. More importantly, however, there actually is something more going on. There are plenty of poop jokes, but there’s also smart physical comedy. There are not one, but two trios of pointless sidekicks — one of horses, one of hedgehogs — but there are also JEREMIAH VANDERHELM Daily Arts Writer “Ferdinand” Quality 16, Rave Cinemas Ann Arbor 20+ IMAX 20th Century Fox genuinely funny characters with distinct personalities, including a lab-created “Franken-bull” who “says nothing and feels nothing, including pain.” There are dance sequences that come out of nowhere and end just as pointlessly as they began, but there’s also a heart to “Ferdinand” that it unabashedly wears on its sleeve. The first two acts of “Ferdinand” are defined by the struggle between these two parts of itself: the genuinely good animated film it wants to be and the shameless cash grab that it’s expected to be. The resultant tone is uneven as the movie flails wildly from poignant to groan-inducing on an almost scene-by-scene basis. A fantastic conversation between two characters discussing their insecurities is followed shortly by the aforementioned dance- off. A hedgehog-centric caper gives way to a maturely delivered revelation with a serious impact on Ferdinand (John Cena, “The Wall”). A fun chase scene ends only for another nearly identical chase to immediately begin — this one set to a wildly out of place Pitbull cover of The Rolling Stones’s “I’m Free.” However, that second chase, boring as it is, gives way to the third act and climax, which is not only hands-down the best sequence of the movie, but one of the best scenes of any animated movie this year. It’s laudably thoughtful and restrained, with even the rapid-fire dialogue of Kate McKinnon’s (“Ghostbusters”) incorrigible “therapy goat,” Lupe, falling silent. In fact, there’s little dialogue at all, as director Carlos Saldanha (“Rio”) chose to do most of the storytelling through visuals alone. Like all the best children’s movies, “Ferdinand” doesn’t talk down to its intended audience and instead allows the kids in the theater to consider everything that’s happened and everything that’s at stake. Of all the things I was expecting from “Ferdinand,” a climax that gave me goosebumps wasn’t one of them. That’s what I got though, and that scene and the movie it came packaged in was one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. To be clear, “Ferdinand” isn’t perfect. It gives into the lesser impulses that have previously led Blue Sky to make films like last year’s “Ice Age: Collision Course” too often for it to be truly great. But the heart on display, and the way it is usually communicated through terrific voice acting and a willingness to get real with kids about the realities of bullfighting makes it worthwhile; a worthy adaptation of Munro Leaf’s classic book. Required Listening: kicking off the new year Back in August, the indie rock gems in Lemuria put a “secret LP” up on their webstore. About a week into December, the band finally announced that the secret release would be a brand-new studio album titled Recreational Hate. However, don’t let the dismal title fool you: The album is full of feel- good, indie-pop riffs, and it’s the perfect way to start out 2018. “More Tunnel” reminds us that it’s OK to not yet be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. “Christine Perfect”’s cathartic chorus and pop hooks are excellent mood-lifters to start the new year during the dead of winter. The jangling drum beat, tangled guitars and muted trumpets on “Wanted to Be Yours” mingle perfectly with the lighthearted tale of falling for a stranger. It’s an album full of possibilities and new beginnings, all without being gushingly optimistic and retaining the humanity of failure. In a year where pop music was rather lackluster, its presence in other genres fills the gaps left in 2017. Recreational Hate not only fills but also bridges the gaps between the realism of rock and shimmer of pop. It’s no secret that 2017 has been a rough year in America, arguably even historically, and Lemuria sent this shitty year packing with a bang, equipping us to take on the new year with a refreshingly grounded album. Recreational Hate stands out as a wonderful hybrid of indie, rock and pop, attaining accessibility without sacrificing impressive musical prowess. Dropped during the turmoil of December, which is saturated with end of the year lists and emotional closure, the album is a pop-soaked sucker punch through the gloom to keep us moving. Lemuria is a damn good band, and their talents have never shone quite as brightly as on Recreational Hate. — Dominic Polsinelli, Senior Arts Editor Next to the bubblegum pink backdrop of the “Boys” music video exists the cutting edge, synth-infused dystopia of Pop 2. Such is the duality of man or, more specifically, the duality of Charli XCX. To solely know her as the mastermind behind Stormzy seductively eating cereal or Tom Daley smiling like a goddamn movie star while soaking wet would be to rob her of her true genius: She’s a visionary pushing the boundaries of pop. Pop 2 is pop 2.0. Distorted echoes of half-completed melodies take the place of tired choruses; rough experimentation takes the place of polished superficiality. Charli XCX’s eclectic mix is a welcome reprieve from both the monotony of mainstream chart-toppers and the hellscape 2017 became. With Pop 2 you could follow Charli XCX down the rabbit hole. Cruising in the backseat of a neon Porsche, you stumble into a glittering fantasy of dizzying afterparties and pulsing strobe lights. Pop 2 is a mixtape; a sprawling collection of scattered pieces. The swaying vocalization of “Tears are rollin’ down my face, now you gotta go, go, go” in “Tears” stands next to the pounding destruction of “Crashed your daddy’s Lamborghini / Charli, baby / Pull up, pull up to the party” in “I Got It.” The spontaneous electronic crash of “Femmebot” stands next to smooth minimalism of “Porsche.” These songs are not cohesive. Yet, they all seem to exist within the same futuristic fever- dream. Charli XCX’s impossibly pitched, Autotune-slathered voice coats every track with an otherworldly saccharine sheen. Within the twisted, almost extraterrestrial, expanse of Pop 2, Charli XCX offers up a new way to shape the genre. So the next time you find yourself pushing 100 mph down a dark highway, allow Pop 2 to blast and let Charli XCX turn the empty unknown between flickering street lights into a supernova. — Shima Sadaghiyani, Daily Music Editor Recreational Hate, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Lemuria Pop 2, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Charli XCX SYFY ‘Happy’ is anything but Based off of the comic book series by New York Times best- selling author Grant Morrison and artist Darick Robertson, “Happy!” is anything but. Syfy’s newest crime dramedy is far from joyful. It’s jam-packed with uncomfortable amounts of blood, violence, kidnapping and badass fist fights. The comedy follows the life of alcoholic ex-cop turned hitman, Nick Sax (Christopher Meloni, “Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later”), who can see Happy — the imaginary friend of a little girl named Hailey (Bryce Lorenzo, “Orange Is the New Black”). While the plot is rather random and curious, the show keeps up with it at a good pace. There are a lot of moving parts that don’t necessarily seem to fit. For example, Hailey is kidnapped by this empirically creepy man dressed as Santa. He puts her in a box (so scary), and her flying unicorn imaginary friend (Happy) escapes and finds Nick. There is no context given as to why Nick is the only person who can see and talk to Happy (which actually leads to some pretty funny yet concerning moments when Nick appears to be talking to himself). Happy seems to believe Nick is the only person that can save Hailey — but why? OLIVIA ASIMAKIS Daily Arts Writer Read more online at michigandaily.com TV REVIEW 6 — Friday, January 5, 2018 Arts The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com