Does the thought of seeing Arnold Schwartzenegger spouting one-liners in yet another overhyped, poorly acted and bewilderingly inane movie make you sick to your stomach?
If so, you might find solace in the offerings of the 36th Ann Arbor Film Festival, which features a refreshing and eclectic mix of experimental films, documentaries and animated shorts.
Festival captures the imagination
It's St. Patrick's Day. Conventionally, you're supposed to go to the bar, get completely drunk, eat corned beef and cabbage and listen to Irish folk music.
If you're feeling a bit unconventional this year, take a trip into outer space with the most un-Irish of bands, Unwound.
Unwound winds up
Do you have a favorite line from a movie? Sure, everyone does, and a large part of the credit for creating those lines should go to the screenwriter. But it doesn't.
When leaving a movie, people talk about the plot, the acting, maybe even the directing, but the writing rarely gets discussed. People have favorite stars, but how many moviegoers can say they have a favorite screenwriter? Screenplays tell on- and off-screen drama
Most people have never heard of Al Franken. They didn't read his New York Times bestseller, "Rush Limbaugh is a Big, Fat Idiot," or heard the Grammy- winning audio rendition of the novel. They have never seen him play that member of several 12-step programs, the morally supportive Stuart Smalley, on "Saturday Night Live," and his intelligent, satirical convention coverage on Comedy Central's "Indecision '92," and on "Politically Incorrect" in '96 eluded popular attention.
Franken's buffoonery ends 'Late''s humor early
Van Halen, one of the most prominent bands in the rock music scene in the past 20 years, is back, finally, with a new album. Here's the problem, though: It's not Van Halen anymore - and it's not good, either.
Some people would argue that the band hasn't been Van Halen since 1985, when Sammy Hagar joined the group after a less-than-amicable split with its original vocalist, bombastic David Lee Roth. Breaking Records: Right now, Van Halen is failing on 'III'
"The journey is the destination," Eric Clapton once said about his constant drive to push his musical talents to the limit. Although "Pilgrim," Clapton's latest release, is a testament to this, he may not be moving in the right direction. Much, if not all, of this album contains songs written for Clapton's late son Connor, who fell from a 12 story building and died in 1991.Fans should give thanks for Clapton's 'Pilgrim'
A couple of years ago, the Leeds-meets-New York band Spacehog came out of nowhere and scored a minor hit with its catchy, rollicking song, "In The Meantime."
The video for the track didn't hurt the band any, as it showcased singer Royston Langdon's glam-rock fashion yearnings and included a cameo by the black guy from "Kids" who loved to shake his crotch from side to side. As such, much hope abounded for this band of apparent style and substance to help make the Candleboxes and Collective Souls of the day disappear.Spacehog gets weak on sweet and sour 'Chinese'
New directions can be dangerous. When bands tinker with their basic sound, especially when it's been a good sound, cascading screw-ups too often occur when too much happens too fast. But the Cows have taken it slowly, their sound steadily changing througout their last two albums and gaining momentum for the slingshot effect that is "Sorry In Pig Minor.Cows graze new turf on 'Sorry'
"What's that?" you may ask yourself as a tantalizing sound vibrates your eardrums "Is it Blur, Oasis, or Sonic Youth?" None of the above.
The sound may not be completely unique, but on Mystery Machine's new album, "Headfirst Into Everything," each song sounds like one of my favorite tracks from another CD. After listening to the CD once, the songs become familiar and one can sing along with each chorus.Rock would be dull if it weren't for meddling Mystery Machine
03-17-98
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