Taking a journey
thru
Trev Stair
Capital Times Staff
The coming of fall often sends
many students into fits of
unmitigated terror as a new school
year begins. However, this lurking
presence is overshadowed by the far
more insidious threat of a new
television season.
Each year the networks try to
entice the population with mundane
retreads of old standbys. Does
anyone really want to see another
show about lawyers? Or cute
families? Or tough, but sensitive
cops? Not really.
While television increasingly
becomes a void of creativity, many
boob tubers are threatening to
actually (gasp!) turn off the set.
Well, rejoice couch potatoes! Here
is an alternative to put a little fun
back into your television viewing:
cartoons.
Yes, that's right, cartoons. Who
can't remember sitting in front of
the television on a Saturday
morning, munching a bowl of
Super Sweet Sugar Pops cereal (or
some other like-minded part of a
nutritious breakfast), and watching
Saturday morning cartoons. These
animated wonders often served as
the only reason to get up on one's
day off.
However, over the past several
years, many cartoons have broken
free of their Saturday morning
berth, and settled into more
accessible time slots. Many of
these shows are just as entertaining
to adults as they are to the little
ones. Below is a guide prepared for
any hearty soul willing to test the
animated waters:
Batman, The Animated
Series (FOX)
This series follows the lead of the
Batman feature films by offering a
darker version of the Cape d
Crusader. Fans of Adam West
need not apply. However, while
this Batman may not boast many
laughs, it does sport a fairly
impressive film noir look.
Supported by excellent animation,
The Fugitive is the runaway
blockbuster of the summer
Ann Knorr
Capital Times Staff
This summer sizzled a s
Hollywood released some of the
hottest movies of '93. The box
office attractions ranged from Tina
Turner's biographical story, "What's
Love Got to Do With It" to the
prehistoric tale at "Jurassic Park."
Various students were asked what
their favorite summer film was.
The results prove one thing: The
stars in Hollywood have a lot to
shine about this year.
The suspense thriller, "The Finn"
came in fourth on our student poll.
Tom Cruise plays a young, eager
attorney who is swayed into joining
a prestigious law firm. However,
the members have a few secrets and
will do anything to stop him from
revealing what he knows.
Our next film was ranked third by
many of the women on campus,
and even a few men, as a true
romance. Although they are
separated miles apart, Tom Hanks
and Meg Ryan are drawn together
through the help of a young boy
and a radio talk show host in
"Sleepless in Seattle."
toon town
this is probably the best looking
cartoon on television today. The
stories are usually fairly solid, but
sometimes lapse into comic book
silliness. At the very least, Batman
will always offer something
interesting to look at.
GRADE: A
Beavis and Butthead (MTV)
Here's a cartoon that will never
be confused with the Smurfs. At
its very best, Beavis and Butthead
offers some hilarious tongue in
cheek satire of rock music and pop
culture. At its worst it tries to see
how many different euphemisms for
the male genitals it can cram into
an episode. The show's humor lies
in its sheer depravity. However, its
shtick has a tendency to wear on the
nerves. Also, ani mati on
connoisseurs will no doubt find the
show's animation clunky and
awkward. If this is the case, or if
you are already annoyed by Beavis
and Butthead's laugh, then you may
want to look elsewhere.
GRADE: C
Loony Tunes (Various
Stations)
Still the reigning and undisputed
champ. There has been no better
drawn, written, or produced cartoon
ever found on television. This fact
is no doubt attributed to the show's
roots in motion pictures. Its
strength lies not only in its quality
production, but in the great
characters it has created. Take, for
instance, Bugs Bunny. No other
cartoon character could both
entertain a 10-year-old, and inspire
academic dissertations on his sexual
preference (yes, there have been
actual studies). Even the show's
fringe characters, such as Marvin
the Martian, have ingrained
themselves into American lexicon.
GRADE: A
Ren &
(Nickelodeon)
This cartoon arrived on the scene
like a blazing meteor, but
unfortunately has shown signs of
Even though students rated this
next flick number two, it spent
several weeks as the number one
movie of the summer. Jeff.
Goldbloom and Laura Dem find that
messing with creation can b e
deadly. When they try to control
some of the most ferocious
creatures ever to live, they soon
find out that "Jurassic Park" is just
one more man-made idea gone
wrong
Finally, at the top of our list is
the smash hit, "The Fugitive."
This thriller will keep you on your
toes. Harrison Ford finds himself
running from the police for a
murder he did not commit. As the
police tighten their grip, Ford
swears to find his wife's real
murderer.
So there it is, the top four
summer films of '93 according to
the students here at PSH.
I hope everyone has a great
semester and I'll see you at the
movies
burning out just as fast. The
show's unique animation style and
bizarre fascination with bodily
functions have become its
trademark, but it was creator John
Kricfalusi's manic vision that set it
apart. Creative disputes with
Nickelodeon led to Kricfalusi's
firing, and the quality of the show
has suffered. It remains to be seen
whether Ren & Stimpy can
recapture its old glory.
GRADE: C
The Simpsons (FOX)
An indication of the talent of The
Simpsons writing staff came when
Conan O'Brien, a Simpsons' writer
with no credentials in front of the
camera, was given the job of host
of NBC's Late Night Show. No
other show on television fits more
satirical gags into one thirty minute
episode than The Simpsons. Quite
simply, it is one of the best written
shows on television. Now that the
distraction of show's marketing
blitz has subsided, the show can
finally be appreciated.
GRADE: A
Speed Racer (MTV)
MTV brought this cartoon from
the 1960 s out of cancellation and
into cult success. Yes, the
animation is clunky. Yes, the
dialogue is wooden, and downright
silly. But, somehow the show
creates a charm all its own. The
transposed sixties fashions and ideas
along with the show's outrageous
plot devices, create a humorous
(albeit unintended) effect. Speed
Racer is sort of The Brady Bunch of
the cartoon set.
GRADE: B
Well, there you have it. What are
you waiting for? Throw away the
TV Guide. Grab a big bowl of
Super Sweet Sugar. Pops and get
ready for television that will bring
back memories of early Saturday
mornings.
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Matthew Sweet produces
an alternative alternative
ALTERED BEAST
MATTHEW SWEET
Looking for an album which
features new and good music from a
young artist who truly possesses
talent to speak of? Tired of
overblown "alternative" acts which
just can't deliver? Look no further -
Matthew Sweet is what you're
looking for! If you have heard the
last album he put out, Girlfriend,
you know to expect good music. If
you haven't heard Sweet before,
brace yourself for some good stuff.
Sweet demonstrates a musical
styles which draw from such
influences as: the Beatles (esp.
Lennon), Cat Stevens, Neil Young,
the Eagles, and America. Matthew
Sweet is probably one of the most
underrated artists in the business.
Take my word for it; if you listen
to classic rock and are tired of the
same bunch of songs, go out, buy
this album, and listen without
prejudice. You won't regret it.
14 SONGS
PAUL WESTERBERG
If you've seen the movie Single;
then you've heard Paul Westerberg.
He has two tracks on the movie
soundtrack. If you are a fan of the
Replacements, then you are no
stranger to him, either, since he is
the frontman of that group. Few
can deliver bluesy songs like
Westerberg can, and if he ever
manages to break through to the
mainstream, some of this album's
tracks would become jukebox
standards everywhere. Though
Westerberg has been labeled as
alternative, he actually plays good,
straight guitar rock with no frills.
Good music to get real smashed to
and something like you would hear
from a good fraternity band at a
(ahem) college of some size.
THE LAST SPLASH
THE BREEDERS
This just may very well be the
album in which the Breeders finally
shed the label of "good girl band"
and settle for just being a "good
band". Breeder's front person, Kim
Deal has created a more sonically
bombastic sound on this CD then
any found on the band's previous
efforts. In the past, the Breeders
relied heavily on Deal's whispery
vocal styling, but The Last Splash
delivers a distortion filled wall of
sound that echoes Sonic Youth.
Despite this, the album still remains
accessible by balancing the guitar .
pyrotechnics with catchy
accompaniment from the rhythm
section.
The only drawback of The Last
Splash is the occasional artistic
flights of fancy Deal makes. Some
tracks are haunting, but totally
incomprehensible. These tracks
have the tendency to wear on the
nerves after repeated listening.
sept C em /V r M. I3 T , IptS993 FEATURES \ 7
-Sean Leßlanc
-Sean Leßlanc
-Trev Stair
IN ON THE KILL TAKER
FUGAZI
If you think the likes of Nirvana
and Pearl Jam arc what alternative
music is about, bzzzzzzt! Wrong
chicken. Fugazi is what alternative
music is about - they have managed
to keep true to their fans while
recording on their own record label,
thus avoiding the influence of
major labels who often try to mold
bands into what they think will
sell.
If comparisons to other hands
must be made, think of the Sex
Pistols attitude 'with Metallica's
style thrown in, and add a dash of
Sonic Youth; that'd be as close as
you could get to describing Fugazi.
If you like it hard, fast, and loud
give it a listen. But, this is not
merely run-of-the-mill head hanging
material; this album has real lyrical
content, though at times quite
provocative: "We draw lines and
stand behind them/That's why flags
are ouch ugly things"
-Sean Leßlanc
RISE
BAD BRAINS
I thought these guys broke up a
long time ago, but alas I was
wrong. Seeing as there is only 2
members left from the original
outfit, Darryl and Dr. Know, it's not
surprising their sound has changed.
Musically this album lies
somewhere between Red Hot Chili
Peppers and Van Haien. The first
song "Rise" has MTV play-ability
and is actually relatively good, but
the music declines rapidly into funk
with metal solos. If you want a
good Bad Brains album try 1
against lor sonic like minded
earlier release.
SWEET RELIEF: A Benefit for
Victoria Williams
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Combining a number of MTV
stars into one CD, there are szlnly a
few memorable tracks from this
compilation CD.
Pearl Jam, Buffalo Tom, Shudder
to Think, and Matthew Sweet
provide the most entertainment,
although buyer be warned the
general sound of the songs tend to
resemble a collage of "alternative"
rock, with the exception of several
country sounding tracks.
Unless your searching for music
to sleep by, your money would be
better spent on something with
more energy.
-Jason Weller
-Jason Weller