'Dead' breathes life into fall films
There are two things to keep in mind when viewing Martin Scorsese's new film "Bringing Out the Dead." First, Scorsese primarily defines situations and characters visually, unlike less talented filmmakers who do it through dialogue. Second, "Bringing Out the Dead" is a comedy - a pitch black comedy.
'Shots' director tries to dene sex
How casual is our sex? According to the new film "Body Shots," directed by Michael Cristofer, it is no longer an act of love, but a violent sport.
The definition of sex in America at the end of the millennium is determined through the twenty-something generation, or so "Body Shots" would insist. Within the film, the mating habits of our youngest adults would seem base and rid of emotion. Inter-gender communication is portrayed as purely sexual and mostly pathetic.
Solar Tribe blends Eastern beats, rock
Straight off of the streets of Lhasa, Solar Tribe is set to invade the Blind Pig tonight. Actually, Solar Tribe is an independent band from Chicago, but you wouldn't guess that at first listen. The six-member group uses a wide variety of instruments, including the sitar, dijeridoo and Chinese harp, to create a unique sound that has led to a cult following at colleges across the nation.
DJ Shadow spins his magic at 'Fun'
When DJ Shadow (a.k.a. Josh Davis) broke onto the scene in 1991, he had already been mixing in his own sort of way for seven years. As a 12-year old, Davis started to write and mix music when he received a defective stereo system with a turntable, cassette deck, CD player and radio.
Taproot's dark pop style hits label success
After two and a half years of struggling in the non-existent local heavy music scene, Ann Arbor's Taproot has finally struck gold.
The group consists of Steve Richards on vocals, Mike DeWolf on guitar, Phillip Lipscomb on bass and Jared Montague on drums. Word of mouth of the group's forceful music travelled far and wide across the United States thanks to the Internet and endless circulation of demo CDs.
Berlin Philharmonic performs Beethoven
Not since 1965 has the world-renowned Berlin Philharmonic graced Ann Arbor with its presence. After 34 years, a stunning performance as part of their four-stop US tour compensated for their long absence.
Conductor Claudio Abbado led the orchestra by memory in Beethoven's "Symphony Number 4 in B-Flat Major, Opus 60," and Schoenberg's "Pelleas and Melisande Symphonic Poem for Orchestra, Opus 5." Excellent performers combined with a world class director created an evening full of incredible music, illustrating that producing quailty music does not necessitate the use of a conductor's score.
'Blue' views environmental issue with humor: "Go Blue"
"Mom, is Dad ever going to finish the book about the blue boobs?," Jack Beam jovially quoted his son, recalling a bit of personal
history in the writing of his irreverent new novel, "Go Blue," a semi-autobiographical environmental thriller set in West Michigan.
The work evolved from "Go Blue Nipples and Other Pop Songs" to its present title in much the same way Beam himself matured
from a kind of socially awkward college kid to a fed up and enlightened lawyer.
10-22-99
should be sent to: daily.letters@umich.edu | should be sent to: online.daily@umich.edu |