Collective Soul - The Salt Shaker

t
l
Sa R
E
K
A
SH
LE
IS
SU
E
The
THE WARPED TOUR HITS SLC
P
M
FI
A
S
NE
TASTE IN A&E
Collective Soul
On rest, rejuvenation
and why Utah rocks
‘Patient A’ at B
The health of Plan-B’s
latest play
Plus SLC’s New, Raw
Dance Company,
Extreme Musicians
Thine Eyes Bleed and
Reviews Galore: ‘Land
of the Dead,’ The White
Stripes, ‘Sin City’ and
‘The Thin Man’ on DVD
and more
DISCLAIMER
This sample issue is the result of
several months developing different
sections of the magazine, and as
such does not encompass a specific
time frame like regular issues will.
Content ratio will vary depending
on the schedule of events.
The Salt Shaker
YOUR ADS
HERE
1/2 Page
3 11/16” x 9 3/4”
Contents
THEATER REVIEW
Everything but the Passion page 5
Plan-B Theatre Company’s ‘Patient A’
DANCE
New, Raw and Sexy page 7
RawMoves shakes up SLC’s dance scene
1/8 Page
3 11/16” x 2 3/8”
DVD
No Map of ‘Sin City’ page 8
A questionable DVD of a great movie
‘The Thin Man’ Bulges page 9
‘The Complete Thin Man Collection’
Select Essentials: ‘8½’ page 10
Criterion lived up to Fellini’s masterpiece
MUSIC
1/4 Page
3 11/16” x 4 3/4”
Warped Glory page 16
The punks’ yearly playground
Rejuvenated Souls page 13
Collective Soul tours after a break
To the Extreme page 14
Thine Eyes Bleed at the Extreme Music Festival
FILM REVIEWS
Alone in Budapest’s Subway page 21
The darkly comedic art-thriller ‘Kontroll’
Grade-A Meat page 20
George A. Romero’s latest zombie fest
SACCHARINE [SATIRE]
Flashback to ‘Star Wars’ page 30
The Salt Shaker’s original 1977 review
Sample Issue
Welcome to
The Salt
Shaker
Still with that new magazine smell
C
ongratulations, you’re reading
The Salt Shaker, Salt Lake City’s
newest (as of print time) A&E
periodical. With news, interviews, reviews
and spotlights of the local and national
arts scene, The Salt Shaker provides a new
perspective on what the city has to offer its
many film, music, art, videogame, book,
dance and theater enthusiasts.
Whether you’re an expert,
a wannabe expert or have
a casual interest, The Salt
Shaker provides the insight
and information to help its
readers comprehend and
navigate the art world. It
is the magazine to turn to
for thoughtful A&E coverage and thorough listings,
whether you feel like mingling at an art show, sitting
in a dark movie theater,
taking in a play, staying
home with a book, DVD
or video game or moshing
at a dance performance.
Whether you enjoy our
in-depth pieces or simply
want to spot a few recommendations and scan
“What to Do”—the calendar of events—The Salt Shaker
serves your needs.
You might not have
seen a layout quite like
our extensive two-week
calendar before, but after
months of experimentation and debate, its format
stood out as the best one
that didn’t require three
months of training to
read. Rather than spread
information across several calendars dedicated
to different subjects, our
single calendar reveals everything there is to do on a
given day. However, those
who know what kind of
events they’re looking for
will find that dance, film,
literature, music, theater,
classical music and “other”
entries are grouped with
like events and identified
with icons.
We hope you continue
to turn to The Salt Shaker for
your A&E needs, and let the
staff know how to serve
you better. Please send your
suggestions, comments,
criticisms and belligerent
hate mail to comments@saltshakermagazine.com.
Sincerely,
The Salt Shaker staff
The Salt Shaker
THEATER
Good Old-Fashioned Passion
B’s Solid Production Can’t Fix
is Gone Plan
‘Patient A’s’ Timid Storytelling
2/3 page
7 1/2” x 6 7/16”
1/3 page
7 1/2” x 3 1/8”
Sample Issue
Review: “Patient A”
Plan-B Theatre Company
Rose Wagner Center
(138 W. 300 South)
Sept. 9 to 28
Tickets cost $18, learn more at
www.planbtheatrecompany.org
by Wendy Gentry
I
t’s a social taboo to
criticize a play about
AIDS. AIDS is serious
business. You have to be
careful when you write
about it. You have to be
careful when you talk about
it. And by God, you’d better
be extra careful when you
put on a play about it.
“Was that theater we
just saw?” my friend and
fellow actor JP asked as we
exited the Rose Wagner
Theatre, home of Salt
Lake’s Plan-B Theatre
Company. “I know there
was a stage, I know there
were actors. But somehow
I’m still not quite sure.”
“Patient A,” written by
Lee Blessing, is the retelling of real-life Kimberly
Bergalis’s experience contracting and eventually dying from the AIDS virus. The
story is told posthumously
by Kimberly herself, with
the help of two other characters: Lee, (this is Blessing
writing himself into the
narrative, Charlie Kaufman
style) and Matthew, the
aptly named gay man whose
function, I assume, is to
represent every homosexual
who has suffered from the
virus. Blessing constructed
the play based on several
Colleen Lewis plays Kimberly Bergalis, a real-life victim of the AIDS epidemic, in Plan-B’s “Patient A.”
interviews he held with
Bergalis shortly before her
death in 1996. With several
friends of his own who have
succumbed to AIDS, no
doubt the play must have
been coming from somewhere very relevant and personal to the author. So, how
to handle such sensitive
subject matter, something
that’s so personal and important, in a way that isn’t
exploitative or pretentious?
“They’ve excised everything remotely theatrical
about it,” JP said. “They
were so afraid to perform
this story that they decided
to read it to us instead.
Only with actors and a
stage and a few set pieces.
But I wasn’t fooled. This
was reader’s theater.”
This comment was not
directed at the actors—a uni-
formly talented cast with
Colleen Lewis as Kimberly,
Logan Miller as Matthew
and Anita Booher playing
the female equivalent of
Lee Blessing—nor was it
directed at Plan-B’s producing director, Jerry Rapier.
The ensemble did the best
they could with what was
given them: a very careful,
eloquent, controversial and
entirely un-theatrical script.
Kimberly’s story is presented as one large monologue, directed to the audience in subtle Brechtian
fashion. Lee and Matthew
help the story along (and
sometimes stunt it with
their almost superfluous
insights) by acting out different key roles in the equation. The three characters
never leave the stage, and
indeed aren’t even required
by the writing to move or
do much of anything at all,
save stand in one spot and
speak clearly. Rapier does
put in some movement,
thank God—sometimes two
characters stand and one
sits. Sometimes a character stands from a sitting
position and walks a few
paces to the right, then sits
again. At one point, two
characters even lay down.
I’m not looking for sword
fights or dance numbers.
It’s not that kind of play.
I’m just wondering why
Blessing chose the theater
to tell the story when he
could have saved time and
energy simply writing an
essay. Both JP and I come
from the (admittedly purist)
notion that theater should
be theatrical. This doesn’t
See ‘Patient A,’ page 23
The Salt Shaker
1/4 page banner
7 1/2” x 2 1/4”
3/4 page
7 1/2” x 7 1/4
Sample Issue
DANCE
New, Raw, Sexy and Violent
RawMoves Aims to Catch the Younger Generation of Modern Dance Fans
by Karen Anne
Webb
A
“Caught in the Act”
RawMoves’ Debut
Studio Theater (room 240) at the
Marriot Center for Dance at the
University of Utah
June 30 to July 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets cost $10 and are available
at the door.
year’s
worth of
experimentation
comes to fruition
when the new dance
company RawMoves
debuts Thursday, June 30,
in the Studio Theater in
the Marriott Center for
Dance. “Caught in the Act”
is a collection of five works
set to music ranging from
Bach to techno, presented
by the company’s 10
dancers. Some, like RirieWoodbury’s Juan Carlos
Claudio or Repertory Dance
Theatre’s Josh Larson, are
familiar, favorite faces
from both the professional
arena and the independent
market. Others are fresher
faces from the University
of Utah’s modern dance
department.
RDT’s Nick Cendese
and familiar-from-numerous-venues Natosha
Washington head the
company. “We’ve always
worked well together,”
Cendese says, noting that
the pair crossed paths as
students in the U’s modern
dance department. “On a
good day, I can start a sentence, and she will finish it
for me.”
Cendese said the company’s motivating force was
the pair’s desire to explore
the creation of movement
and its need to say something that many young
dancers in the area felt
wasn’t being expressed in
the works to which they
were exposed in their
academic or professional lives.
“We’re trying to engage our generation,”
he explains, “dancers
in their mid-to-late
20s. I think many
dancers in our age
group are disillusioned
with modern dance as
it’s been presented in
the last few years. It’s
not that it’s not good
dance—it’s more that
the experiences of this
generation are not reflected in work we’ve
been doing.
“So the work on
the bill includes elements that are perhaps Either the man in the chair is sitting really still, or the person on the table is
moving very fast.
more sensual or sexy
and violent than you
unit. Cendese characterative, but they scrupulously
often see. It’s not meant to
izes Washington as the
avoid the metier of the
be a value judgment about
“doer” of the pair while he
choreographers who have
our experiences—whether
characterizes himself as
their dancers develop an
those experiences are good
the thinker. “Tosha will
entire work, then take all
or bad. It’s just meant to
typically develop the movethe credit for themselves.
reflect what those experiment phrases and I’ll ma“We want to bring some
ences are.”
nipulate them,” Cendese
concrete work to the studio
when we rehearse,” he says.
The “sex and violence”
says. “If I think too much,
it can get in the way. Tosha “But we do try to involve
quotient on the concert is
the dancers by having them
is very good at getting me
not particularly excessive.
out of that mode, of return- let us know how the work
Cendese says to think PGfeels on their bodies. Our
ing the sense of spontane13 rather than R or NC-17.
ideas are rarely set in stone.
ity and being in the moThe “violence” content, for
We have two pieces that are
ment to our work.”
instance, is stylized and
large for work developed in
Cendese and
suggested by the aggressive
the independent market—
Washington do involve
attack of the movement.
seven or eight people—but
their dancers in their choCendese and
reography so its developWashington typically
ment is somewhat collabor- See RawMoves, page 23
develop their pieces as a
The Salt Shaker
DVD
Sinful DVD
Gouging
by Chris Bellamy
D
VD aficionados, especially those who loved
April’s theatrical release of “Sin City,” are stuck
in a bit of a spot, and we have those greedy
studios to blame for it. Last month brought the DVD
release of “Sin City,” a brilliantly realized achievement
from the mind of Frank Miller, put on screen by
Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro play a couple of normal fellas in “Sin City.”
cult director Robert Rodriguez. While Rodriguez’s
previous DVD—of the far inferior “Once Upon a
CGI is nothing more than a cheap
Time in Mexico”—was loaded to the gills with
cop-out, something people use be“Sin City”
special features, the single-disc “Sin City” DVD is
cause it’s cheaper and faster than
Dimension Home Video
disappointingly meager, featuring only one extra—a
the real thing.
Rated R
brief, generic behind-the-scenes featurette. (What,
With “Sin City,” the digital ele$29.99
they couldn’t even fit a damn audio commentary?)
ment is absolutely necessary to
Movie: HHHH (out of four)
Now here’s where the dilemma comes in—a dicreate the ultra-stylized look so
DVD: HH
lemma that is going to cost most of us a pretty penessential to the movie’s success.
ny. Supposedly, there is a three-disc version of the
The visual style is really somefilm in the works, with one disc each for the three
thing to behold. “Sin City” is a
central stories. And, of course, all those special features
living, breathing graphic novel, a sensationalized renderwe’ve been waiting for.
ing of Miller’s twisted comic series, and the digital techThis is a common studio parlor trick. First, they bring
nology helps bring all the pulpy goodness to life. Miller
out a bare-bones edition and milk it for all it’s worth;
deserves at least as much credit for the film’s success as
then, several months down the road, they release the
Rodriguez does considering that, to paraphrase Rodriguez
Ultra Definitive Deluxe Limited Special Anniversary
himself, the film is not an adaptation, but a translation
Collector’s Jumbo Jesus Edition—which, of course, is irreof Miller’s stories. I’m sure Miller couldn’t ask for a more
sistible. That way, they get our money twice.
perfect translation as this. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that
In the case of “Sin City,” though, there’s a catch: The
Rodriguez does the best directing job of his career as well,
pending special edition apparently will not include the
blending a brisk, feverish pace with understated noir-ish
original theatrical cut of the film, but will instead just
music and a handful of standout performances—Mickey
feature the extended versions of the three stories. This
Rourke as the vengeful Marv, Benicio Del Toro as the inmeans that, for those of us who loved the version we saw
sane Jackie Boy, Clive Owen, brilliantly deadpan as Dwight
in theatres and would like to continue to see it in that
(“I’m Shellie’s new boyfriend and I’m out of my mind…”)
form, our hands are forced. We must shell out the money
and Bruce Willis as Hartigan, the good cop. Anyone who
for the standard edition, sans extras.
says Willis can’t act is…well, just plain wrong.
As of right now, though, that standard edition is the
The film’s excellence only makes the weak DVD all
one we’re stuck with. The only standout of the disc is...
the more disappointing. The transfer is great, but that
well, the film itself. I’m not a big fan of the so-called
should be a given. The short featurette looks like one of
“digital revolution,” which has encroached on Hollywood
those 15-minute made-for-HBO “Behind the Scenes” docs,
way too fast for its own good. I’ve also never been a huge
and for all I know, it may be exactly that. It features brief
fan of Robert Rodriguez. The first “Spy Kids” movie was
interviews with cast and crew, including Frank Miller
quite good, the “El Mariachi” trilogy was fun but unspecand guest director Quentin Tarantino (who, by the way,
tacular, and in between those he’s made a lot of junk. But
directed probably the best scene in the entire movie). It’s
“Sin City” wowed me, as it wowed many others. Not only
interesting enough, but it’s also pretty run-of-the-mill
is it the most sophisticated work of Rodriguez’ career, but
and doesn’t reveal anything particularly new.
is one of the only films I’ve seen whose digital effects are
Yes, “Sin City” is one of the best movies of 2005, but
almost completely successful. In fact, digital technology
unfortunately it didn’t get sufficient DVD treatment—at
was necessary to create the world of “Sin City.” Too often,
least, not yet.
chris@saltshakermagazine.com
Sample Issue
DVD
A Fat Set of ‘The Thin Man’
Seven Discs Worth of Powell and Loy’s Definitive Roles
by Rory Aronsky
Nick and Nora, which in later decades influenced Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd
“The Complete Thin on “Moonlighting.” Watch the early scene
movie like “The Thin Man,” based
Man Collection”
on Dashiell Hammett’s novel,
that puts them together at a fancy bar
Warner Home Video
could only come about by sheer
where Nick, in response to Nora’s quesNot Rated
force of luck. But it did in 1934, bolstered
tioning, pegs a friend’s daughter as his
$59.92
not only by the considerable talents of
own and admits to not knowing what
Seven discs
William Powell and Myrna Loy, but the
he was doing when he was young and in
Movies: HHH (out of four)
resourcefulness of director W.S. Van Dyke,
Venice. With his head on his hand, Powell
who agreed to MGM’s 18-day deadline,
reaches through powerful rapids for that
DVD: HHH ½
which the studio set so it could put Loy
split-second before the well-known “fain another film—one the studio heads
ther’s side” joke. It takes enormous talent
believed would better serve her image. That subsequent
and chemistry, and Powell and Loy had that through 16
movie, “Stamboul Quest,” remains unreleased on DVD
films, not just the six of the Thin Man series.
and possibly forgotten, while “The Thin Man” keeps Loy
Van Dyke also used his professional skill in making the
in legendary form.
other actors perfect opposite Nick and Nora. You genuDelivering his work to MGM within 12 days, Van Dyke
inely feel uncomfortable watching not only Wynant’s
took advantage of the speed of the production because,
ex-wife, but even some of the low-down personalities at
known as “One-Shot Woody,” he understood timing, inthe Charles’ Christmas party. “The Thin Man” also began
stinct and forceful concentration—all necessary elements
running gags and methods that were continued flawlessly
when the shooting days are as few as they were. Never beand then weakly imitated in the subsequent Thin Man
fore had a mix of comedy and mystery been so much fun
movies, included in yet another one of Warner Bros.’ exand engrossing. As Nick and Nora Charles, Powell and Loy emplary box sets, “The Complete Thin Man Collection.”
had an incredible comedic touch.
In each movie, everyone recognizes Nick. The criminals
The main attraction of “The Thin Man” is the loving,
he put in prison are friendly toward him, cops appreciate
knowing, contentious and humorous banter between
his presence, and Lieutenant Abrams (Sam Levene), in
“After the Thin Man” (1936) and “Shadow
of the Thin Man” (1941), is always grateful.
The best case-solving sequence in the entire
series is in “The Thin Man,” where Nick
gathers every possible suspect for a dinner
party and intends to reveal the true criminal of the pack. This device also continued
in nearly every Thin Man movie, as Nick
brings in the suspects, by force if necessary—except the last and downright worst
film of the series, 1947’s “Song of the Thin
Man,” where due to the 86-minute running
time, everyone was conveniently present.
The first case for the married couple,
in the film that spawned the franchise,
involves Clyde Wynant, an intense inventor gone missing, and a host of suspects all
around. His daughter Dorothy (Maureen
O’Sullivan) is worried beyond what worry
usually is, and unpleasant shady figures
such as Wynant’s ex-wife, Mimi Jorgensen
(Minna Gombell, with wide eyes and a demanding voice), want him back because
A
Myrna Loy and William Powell’s fast-talking chemistry turned “The Thin Man” into a franchise.
See ‘Thin Man,’ page 22
The Salt Shaker
DVD
VIDEOGAMES
Select Essentials
peaking of…
Talk to Me
Interactive Videogames
Take a Small Step Forward
Turning Wandering
into Wonderful
by Chris Bellamy
edition of Fellini’s classic.
“8 ½” is not only one of
hen a film gets
his best films, but a landthe Criterion
mark of his lengthy career.
treatment, two
It was his last black-andthings are usually true,
white film, and its style
with few
marks a sort of
exceptions:
middle ground
“8½”
No. 1, the
between his
Criterion Collection
film is an
neorealist
Not Rated
important
roots and the
$39.95
piece of
over-the-top
Two discs
cinema
extravagance
[Editor’s note:
of much of his
Select Essential
or directed by
later work. It
Michael Bay];
was also an
and No. 2, the DVD will
extremely difficult film
be of the highest possible
for Fellini to make—but
quality, loaded with more
that very difficulty made
than enough extras for
“8 ½” what it is. As Fellini
the film geek in all of us
explains in his essay, “I,
and well-worth the rather
Fellini,” which appears in
hefty asking price.
the DVD’s 22-page booklet,
Such is the case with “8
“I suffered director’s block,
½,” arguably the greatest
like writer’s block. I had a
achievement of Italian mas- producer, a contract. I was
ter Federico Fellini. While
at Cinecitta, and everybody
Image Entertainment rewas ready and waiting for
leased a bare-bones singleme to make a film. What
disc edition of the film,
they didn’t know was that
this—as is invariably the
the film I was going to
case with the Criterion
make had fled from me.
Collection, is the definitive
See ‘8½,’ page 12
W
10 Sample Issue
“The Apartment” (MGM/UA, $14.95)
Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment” (1960) doesn’t only use
the “executive bowler” as a status symbol and its condition as a sign of its hero’s emotional health. Shirley
MacLaine’s elevator operator Fran also notes that Jack
Lemmon’s C.C. Baxter is the only man who has the courtesy to take his hat off while riding. Wilder proves that
he understands the importance of hats as much as he understands how to make a great film.
“Drugstore Cowboy” (Artisan Entertainment, $14.98)
“Hats. OK? Hats. If I ever see a hat on a bed in this house,
man, like you’ll never see me again. I’m gone.”
“The Adventures of Indiana Jones” (Paramount Home
Video, four discs, $69.99)
Harrison Ford’s adventurous anthropologist Indiana
Jones’s fedora is so iconic that a Google search returns
many websites selling replicas. Watch recurring gags
throughout the trilogy and decide whether crushing your
arm is worth a hat that cool—and see some sinister characters who are identified in the credits only by their hats.
“Miller’s Crossing” (Twentieth Century Fox, $14.98)
It’s been said that one of the key elements of Joel and
Ethan Coen’s films is the interesting use of (equally interesting) hats. “Miller’s Crossing” (1991), the brothers’
homage to gangster noir starring Gabriel Byrne, is the
pinnacle of this hat-loving. Does each character’s hat tell
you something about their personality, or does the meaning just blow away, like a hat in the windy woods?
“Steamboat Bill, Jr.” (Kino, $24.95)
In the first act of “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” (1928), one of Buster
Keaton’s five best films (an elite selection) featuring the
masterful cyclone sequence, the actor/director pulled out
some surprise head gear. Instead of the trademark flat
porkpie hat, Keaton’s character arrives in his father’s river town donning a beret, much to his old man’s chagrin.
In his father’s effort to put his son into an acceptable hat,
Keaton delivers a fast-paced, virtuoso hat-sampling session that even includes the hats of the silent comedian’s
(inferior) contemporary rivals, Harold Lloyd and Charlie
Chaplin.­ Also check out Keaton’s “Our Hospitality” for
1830s period-related tall-hat jokes.
—Jeremy Mathews
by Craig Froehlich
I
have seen the future
and it has a few
annoying bugs in
it. The new, ambitious
“Façade” eschews what
people normally think of
videogames. It creates
a dramatic situation
in which player input
determines the story’s
outcome. In real life the
situation at hand would
inspire a wholehearted
flight response. But this
is a game and you have
nothing to lose except your
patience.
It seems to be more of a
dare than a game. “Façade”
begins with an awkward
phone message from Trip,
the protagonist twerp
at the helm of a sinking
marriage with Grace. You
arrive with the intention
of a peaceful evening of
pleasantries with some old
college buddies. Instead
you become immersed in
a matrimonial skirmish.
Trip and Grace make a tedious pair. “Façade” seems
less a game than a stage
play with an audience-ofone. Grace, mired in her
corporate existence, pines
for artistic expression and
Trip is apparently a clueless douche bag. Your role
is to decipher the couple’s
current situation and try
to extend the tedium for
another 15 minutes. After
a couple of runs, the plot
becomes apparent and you
want to appease the design-
Videogame Review:
‘Façade’
Procedural Games
To learn more and download the game for free, visit
www.interactivestory.net.
ers and play along by trying to keep things simple.
Even then, it’s hard to keep
characters on track due to
interpretation problems in
the artificial “intelligence.”
Then the deviance sets in
and you hope to implode
the program. “Fuck” carries
little merit in the “Façade”
world.
Remarks are typed and
entered at the bottom of
the screen. It’s called a text
parser. There are no multiple choice questions here.
Type what you feel. If your
dialogue fails to prompt or
cajole Trip and Grace, it can
still be cathartic. You probably need to let someone,
anyone, know that your are
a killing machine, looking to get laid and that you
have pockets full of honey
mustard. At the most,
Trip or Grace will escort
you out and you can give it
another go after a lengthy
rebooting.
The “Façade” couple
doesn’t stomach homoerotic overtures, doesn’t
handle kissing the same as
Europeans and will likely
never open that damn bottle of wine.
You speak too soon or
not enough. You find the
weaknesses in the pro-
Grace and Trip look this pissed off through pretty much all of “Facade.”
And the player gets to talk to them!
gramming. You might
even freeze the action or
lose the ability to manipulate the world around you.
Somewhere within the
game your actions hold
merit and if one can weather the glitches one might
find the plot driving this
15-minute question and
answer.
While the kinks in the
programming become
brutally clear during game
play, its successes excite
anyone wishing for something new in the world of
artificial intelligence.
The stark graphics of
“Façade” belie the complexity of this interaction.
The variables involved in
deciphering the English
language certainly dwarf
those simple manipulations of a joystick and buttons. Remind yourself of
this when you spend two
minutes weathering Trip’s
and Grace’s nervous laughter after asking where one
might find the bathroom.
“You sex maniac,” Trip
said, “Ha, ha, ha.”
You have less than a
handful of physical actions. You can hug, comfort, knock, kiss and pick
up objects. Often this can
stir a response. Just as often, it can be utterly futile.
Now and then, our characters leave the reservation.
Nothing but shrugs, nods,
blank faces. It is time to
reboot.
“Façade” illustrates a
major deficit in the gaming world. If you want to
shoot people or baskets,
chances are you can find
a video game that satiates
your needs. If you want
interaction and a chance
to express personality and
intellect, chances are you’ll
need to stoop to speaking
to other Homo sapiens.
However, we long for that
alternative world in which
we test waters without wetting our feet. In each of us
lies a Japanese schoolgirl
who loves the robot puppy
that never poops and can
always recover if batteries
are in hand. While graphics keep most players satisfied, some of us want a
game to talk back. “Façade”
reminds us of the territory
left unexplored by the gaming industry. If anything, it
is a pioneer that will likely
leave you wanting more.
craig@saltshakermagazine.com
The Salt Shaker
11
“I had a producer,
a contract. I was at
Cinecitta, and everybody
was ready and waiting
for me to make a film.”
—Federico Fellini
Jeremy has seen Claudia Cardinale in person. Chris hasn’t.
‘8½’
Continued from page 9
There were sets already up,
but I couldn’t find my sentimental feeling.”
And so the director’s
ninth film, originally titled
“La Bella Confusione” (“The
Beautiful Confusion”), became a film about Fellini’s
own artistic crisis—a film
quite literally about itself.
The DVD booklet chronicles
this process in great detail,
not only in Fellini’s own
essay but two other essays
as well: “When He Became
I,” written by Fellini biographer Tullio Kezich,
and “A Film With Itself As
Its Subject,” written by
film professor Alexander
Sesonske.
Marcello Mastroianni
plays Fellini’s alter ego,
Guido Anselmi, a film director struggling to make
his next film while facing
a dilemma between himself, his wife Luisa (Anouk
Aimee) and his mistress
Carla (Sandra Milo), not
to mention his obsession
with his “ideal woman,”
the movie star played by
Claudia Cardinale, quite
12 Sample Issue
simply the most beautiful
woman ever to walk the
earth. In the end, Fellini’s
crisis spawned possibly the
most brilliant exploration of
the creative process ever put
on film. And in what has
become par for the course
for the Criterion Collection,
the film’s transfer is nearperfectly crisp and absolutely gorgeous.
One of this DVD’s best
features is a set of interviews with cinematographer Vittorio Storaro,
who talks about the work
of fellow cinematographer Gianni di Venanzo,
who shot “8 ½” as well as
Fellini’s first color film,
1965’s “Juliet of the Spirits,”
director Lina Wertmuller,
who got her start on “8 ½,”
and the most revealing interview of all with actress
Milo, who had an on-againoff-again relationship with
Fellini over many years.
One of the most interesting revelations is that Fellini
desperately wanted Milo
to play Gradisca in his 1973
masterpiece, “Amarcord.”
Milo’s husband, wary of
her relationship with the
womanizing director, pro-
hibited her from appearing in the film. So
when Fellini brought
in Magali Noel for the
part, he made sure
to make Noel look
as much like Milo as
possible. Milo and
Wertmuller go on to
talk about Fellini’s creative
process and his oft-criticized
tendency to “throw away”
those he’d worked with once
he no longer needed them
for his films.
One of the regular
features of the Criterion
Collection is a Director
Introduction, in which another acclaimed filmmaker
introduces and analyzes the
film for a few minutes; for
instance, Robert Altman
introduces “Rashomon” and
Martin Scorsese introduces
one of Fellini’s other greatest films, “La Strada.” On
the “8 ½” disc, Criterion
brought a filmmaker who
has clearly been stylistically influenced by Fellini’s
work, Terry Gilliam. In fact,
Gilliam’s original title for
his 1985 sci-fi satire “Brazil”
was “1984 ½,” in co-reference to Fellini and Orwell.
In addition to some runof-the-mill features that
you see on most DVDs—i.e.
the theatrical trailer, behind-the-scenes photos—
the DVD features a scenespecific audio essay by two
experts very knowledgeable about Fellini’s work,
the director’s good friend
and film critic Gideon
Bachmann and an NYU
professor of film, Antonio
Monda. Disc Two features
a look at composer Nino
Rota. While Rota was often
dubbed “Fellini’s composer,” the 48-minute documentary suggests that perhaps Fellini could be called
“Nino Rota’s director.” It’s
interesting to see how the
notoriously reclusive Rota
expressed bitterness over
how music critics praised
his film scores while scoffing at his classical music.
But one of the most
interesting features for
Fellini fans is “Fellini: A
Director’s Notebook,” a
strange, sometimes-confusing, but nonetheless
fascinating pseudo-documentary by Fellini himself, in which he takes
viewers through the creative process. Originally
made for Italian television, the 1969 short film
was filmed in large part
on the set of his 1969 film
“Satyricon,” as Fellini and
his colleagues explore
Rome, from the Coliseum
to the Appian Way (the oldest remaining road built by
the ancient Romans).
Not surprisingly, the
Criterion Collection version
of “8 ½” is loaded to the gills
with extras and a pristine
digital transfer for the film
itself. For a legendary film
that critic Roger Ebert once
called “the best film ever
made about filmmaking,”
it is deserving of nothing
less than the best.
chris@saltshakermagazine.com
MUSIC
Rejuvenated Souls
Collective Soul Returns After a Long Break
by Autumn Thatcher
A
fter taking a
four-year break,
the members of
Collective Soul are back,
and in their minds, better
than ever.
“We were going full force
back in ’93 when we started
touring and by 2001 we had
spent so much time in the
studio and on the road that
we began to lose perspective on what we were doing
and why we were doing it,”
says rhythm guitarist Dean
Roland. “Taking the break
allowed us to rediscover our
passion for music.”
Back on the road and
refocused, the band will
come to Salt Lake City’s
In the Venue on Friday,
July 29. After listening to
Roland rave about playing
shows in Utah, it’s apparent that the dedicated
touring artists are just as
excited as their fans—if not
moreso—to be playing in
Utah: “We love it. The fans
here seem to really get into
the music. Moreso than in
most places we play. I don’t
know if it’s because of the
conservative nature of the
state, but they really get
into it here”
Having redefined its
purpose within the music
industry, Collective Soul
has rewarded its loyal fans
with an energetic new
album called Youth that,
according to Roland, “captures the essence of our
youthful nature.” In May,
the band followed it up
with From the Ground Up, a
laid-back EP that features
PRE-SHOW
INTERVIEW
Collective Soul
In the Venue
(579 W. 200 South)
Friday, July 29 at 7 p.m.
Buy tickets online at
www.24tix.com.
Call (801) 359-3219 or visit
www.inthevenue.com
one new track and seven
relaxed, acoustic versions
of songs from the band’s
back catalogue.
Youth came out last year,
and its combination of the
band’s grunge roots and
glam rock received acclaim
from both fans and music
critics and was considered
a comeback from 2000’s
ill-received Blender, whose
dance beats, pop sheen and
beardless-boy-band-esque
cover were seen as commercially calculated. Collective
Soul made two significant
changes in order to successfully record Youth. Having
parted ways with longtime lead guitarist Ross
Childress, the band made
the decision to replace him
with Joel Kosche. “Bringing
Joel to the band was one of
the most positive moves
that the band has ever
made,” says Roland. The
band members also parted
ways with Atlantic, the
major label they were under, and started their own
label, El Music Group. “We
negotiated a couple of records with our old label and
then let go,” says Roland.
“Now we have no obligations and no contracts.
Starting our own label pro-
Checking wind direction, Ed Roland of Collective Soul revs up the crowd.
vided us with the opportunity to do something a little
different that is out of the
norm. Not to mention that
the financial structure is
more beneficial.”
Having broken free from
the contractual restraints
that come with a major label contract, Collective Soul
was ready to do what they
do best: Make an album
and head out on the road
again. Roland says, “We are
having more fun than we
have ever had. We’re actually enjoying where we are
instead of worrying.” The
band’s newfound freedom
has allowed them to reconnect with their fans.
“Our fans are pretty
hardcore; they never cross
the line,” says Roland.
“We put all of our energy
into the band and creating
the Youth CD, and to have
fans singing along to the
new songs, that is such a
great feeling.”
The band’s current tour
will go through the end
of the summer, at which
point the hardworking guys
will take a little time off in
order to prepare for their
next tour, which will enable the band to promote
their live DVD. “We’re just
going to play it by ear,
but it would be great if we
could get a new record out
by next year,” says Roland.
Regardless of when the band
puts out another album,
rest assured that Collective
Soul is here to stay.
autumn@saltshakermagazine.com
The Salt Shaker
13
MUSIC
To the EXTREME
PRE-SHOW
INTERVIEW
Thine Eyes Bleed at
The International Extreme
Music Festival
The Combat Academy
(751 W. 800 South)
Sunday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.
For information, check out
www.iemftour.com.
By Matt Thurber
When the members of
Thine Eyes Bleed listen to
Bon Scott sing “It’s a long
way to the top if you want
to rock and roll,” they know
all too well how those
words ring as true today
as they did back in 1976.
In an industry filled with
false hope and promises,
TEB understands that you
can’t wait around for some
hack in Los Angeles to turn
dreams into reality while
other bands are fighting
for the same fan base and
album sales.
In the four years since
TEB formed, the band
members have traveled
all over the United States
and Canada and finagled
their way into a festival or
two in Japan. Even with
all the time clocked playing shows, they scheduled
nine days in the studio to
record a full-length album.
But getting to the point
where the band is now—as
they gear up for the underground International
Extreme Music Festival—
has been filled with its
share of ups and downs.
From being led on early
by certain record labels,
14 Sample Issue
MUSIC
In an age when so many
extreme bands think it’s
all about wearing cargo
pants and playing the same
power chords over and over,
the members of TEB approach their music quite
differently. In metal terms,
they never underestimate
the importance of precision
and accuracy in songwriting. Songs like “Live to Die”
showcase classic thrash
metal beats, with dissonant melodies that prove
the members aren’t confined to any sort of preconceived boundaries or limits.
Other tracks, like the debut
single “Cold Victim,” offer
crunching riffs fused with
modern themes of brutality
and darkness.
With the release of In
the Wake of Separation, TEB
combines elements of
old-school metal, such
“…There are about six or seven bands total, and
not one stands out as a headliner.”
as dueling solos between
guitarists Derek Ward and
Jeff Phillips, and rapid-fire
drumming with complex
time signatures and odd
beat changes throughout
the album. The band redefines the dying art of soloing made famous by the
likes of Testament, Death
Angel and Slayer. While the
growling vocals are more
reminiscent of bands like
Carcass or At the Gates,
ultimately the precise
guitar craftsmanship differentiates the band from
its contemporaries in the
metal world. The members
may not dress the part or
even look like average metalheads, but once they plug
in, it’s an uncompromising
Thine Eyes Bleed, fronted by Justin Wolfe, is more concerned with extreme music than extreme stereotypes.
to fallouts with booking
agents along the way, they
have come to some serious
realizations not only about
life on the road, but about
the nature of the music
business.
For longtime Acacia
vocalist and current TEB
frontman Justin Wolfe, the
guys are extremely pleased
to spend the fall months on
such a prestigious festival
with fellow artists representing countries including Greece, Sweden and
Germany. “We are excited
to start the tour in a few
weeks because there are
about six or seven bands total, and not one stands out
as a headliner. The shows
will be all over the map
musically, but within the
same vein of heavy music,”
says Wolfe from his home
in Ontario, Canada. “It’s
not only good exposure
for the fans, but also the
bands…We’re also ecstatic
the shows are all ages because a lot of the kids need
to hear these bands and
hopefully this style of music stays with them as they
get older.”
Thine Eyes Bleed’s Derek Ward shreds with superb craftsmanship.
audio assault of blast-beats
and wailing guitar work
from start to finish.
While the new album
has received glowing reviews from various metal
magazines, it all couldn’t
have happened without
making the decision to
sign with Utah-based The
End Records. Prior to the
release of the album, the
guys spent months on the
road supporting bands
like Candiria and Kittie
without any sort of label
representation. By signing
with The End, TEB could
finally have a place to call
home and help the band
get the exposure needed to
continue musical pursuits
and aspirations. Now, instead of constantly fretting
over the business aspects
and dealing with different band managers, Wolfe
and Co. put more time into
doing what they do best—
playing their unique brand
of heavy metal.
For Wolfe, the relationship with The End came at
a time when honesty and
integrity counted most.
“They were straight with
us from the beginning
and gave us solid answers.
It’s one of the only labels
where we actually sat down
and talked to someone as
opposed to just sending
emails and exchanging
phone calls,” says Wolfe.
“We’re not tied down to
anything too long and the
guys have nothing but good
things to offer. Since June,
when we released the album, we’ve had all these
great opportunities to con-
tinue touring and I think
with the label’s future
plans to increase distribution in a few months, it
will only help us get stronger as time goes on.”
As the International
Extreme Music Festival
makes its way through
the United States and into
Mexico and Canada, the
band members have their
work cut out for them
well into December, when
they get their next break
from touring. The Ontario
quartet is optimistic that
by 2006 it will have played
more cities, picked up new
fans and learned even more
to help make a louder,
more in-your-face sophomore effort. But on the
flipside, the band isn’t so
naive to believe that the
road from here on out is going to be an easy trek. Vans
break down, fuel prices go
up, close friends come and
go, but that’s all the nature
of the beast.
Wolfe likens the first
few years to a slow process
of pulling teeth. But with
all the momentum and elements falling into place,
TEB proves it has what it
takes to get stronger in
both psychological and musically creative terms. And
it’s possible that with a few
notable tours behind them
and more studio releases in
the near future, it won’t be
long before the band members find themselves in the
upper echelon of current
extreme metal connoisseurs alongside Lamb of
God or Dimmu Borgir.
matt@saltshakermagazine.com
The Salt Shaker
15
MUSIC
SLC
Gets
Warped
Where the Punks
Come out to Play
by Autumn Thatcher
photos by Dave Tada
16 Sample Issue
MUSIC
T
hough the temperature was
smoldering on Saturday, the
Utah punks dressed up in as
much black as they could handle
and headed to the Utah Fairgrounds
for the 11th annual Vans Warped
Tour. A once killer idea with an
uncertain future, the Vans Warped
Tour has evolved into one of the most
successful music festivals across
the nation and now caters to several
thousand music-hungry teenagers
who wait all year for the chance to
rock out to some of their favorite
bands for a very reasonable price.
This year’s Warped Tour
featured over 80 bands that
graced a variety of stages
for around 15 minutes at a
time. Bigger names such as
Billy Idol and My Chemical
Romance were scheduled
to play on the North Stage,
while smaller and lesserknown bands such as Dr.
Neptune barely had a stage
to play on at all. The beauty
of the Warped Tour, however, is that the smaller
bands still have a chance
of performing in front of a
large crowd because everyone is out to listen. Harsh
judgments and cruel com-
ments tend to be subdued,
as the fans give every performer a chance. Sweating
bodies, fainting girls and
dusty faces did little to dishearten the enthusiasm
of the fans when their
bands took the stage. My
Chemical Romance helped
raise the temperature a few
degrees higher with an intense performance that left
the audience jumping and
screaming for more.
Though the Warped
Tour primarily focuses
on the musical performances, its atmosphere
is more like a fair than a
“The Warped Tour is like
a high school lunch except
here, everyone sits at the
loser table.”—Pete Wentz
concert. Hundreds of merchandise tents littered the
fairgrounds, while a large
moon bounce-type-tunnel
was constructed for overheated attendees to run
through and get drenched
with water. Skaters were
invited to bring out their
boards and ride in the ultra
mini skate park, while vegans and vegetarians had the
chance to support People
for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals by signing petitions and picking up some
anti-meat stickers.
The younger teens got
to fulfill their rebellious
fantasies by receiving airbrushed tattoos, while art
fans visited the Punk Rock
Museum and admired photographs taken of historical figures in music. Lovers
picked up minty tingle
condoms from Trojan and
video game lords visited
the Play Station 2 tent to
check out the latest and
greatest titles.
With so much to do, it
became obvious why, after
11 years, the Warped Tour
is up and running stronger
than ever.
“The tour remains solid
because there is so much diversity, and the ticket prices
are low,” explained Fall Out
Boy bassist Pete Wentz.
Returning for its second year
with the Warped Tour, Fall
Out Boy played the main
stage in Salt Lake City. Their
experience revealed that the
tour is just as exciting for
the bands involved as it is
for the fans. “The Warped
Tour is like a high school
lunch except here, everyone
sits at the loser table. We’re
all a bunch of nerds,” said
Wentz. Both Wentz and lead
vocalist, Patrick Stumph,
admit that playing at the
Warped Tour is hard work,
but is well worth it.
“Last year we played on
one of the smaller stages
for 15 days, and this year we
are playing the whole tour.
Billy Idol was one of the Warped Tour’s headlining acts.
It’s like we jumped from
the freshman team to the
Junior Varsity,” said Wentz.
Though the band members
are stoked to be playing a
bigger stage this year, they
are hoping to return again
next year with an even
larger fan base.
The opportunity for a
band to grow is perhaps the
most appealing concept of
the Warped Tour to new
bands. The band members
work hard, sweat a ton
and sleep little all summer
long, but in the end, they
have helped solidify their
audience, and often come
back the next year as a bigger name.
With this in mind, it
becomes increasingly obvious that the Vans Warped
Tour creator, Kevin
Lyman, aims to please
and— in a bit of rockand-roll irony—makes
the corporate sponsor dollars work for the punks.
With enough sights and
sounds to keep even the
most ADHD punk rocker
amused, Lyman has
quenched the thirst of the
fans just enough to bring
them back next year, and
has placed the bands involved on a musical pedestal that will help them
push along their careers.
autumn@saltshakermagazine.com
The Salt Shaker
17
MUSIC
CD Reviews
Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
V2
The title of the new White Stripes album
is Get Behind Me Satan and the opening track
is a rampaging, rollicking thrill ride called
out of 10 “Blue Orchid.” With a title and an opener
that grab you like this, it’s fair to say that
you could most certainly expect a classic rock album to come from the Detroit duo. You would
expect the next hour to be a solidly frenzied effort. But
disappointment comes quickly with track two, a dopey
and drowsy marimba-driven thing called “The Nurse” that
only has the occasional suggestion of the rock promised
us. It’s just as affecting as a plane crash. The album never
regains the promise of that first impression, but doesn’t
run with the second one either as it reinvents itself.
Get Behind Me Satan marks the duo’s first move to branch
out, using piano, banjo, marimbas and bells to make the
record, with less of Jack and Meg White’s trademark electric guitar and drums than you’d expect.
The first five songs on the album range from metal disco to dopey pop to infectious bubblegum to Appalachian
folk (the stunning “Little Ghost”). But after the varied
beginning, the album kind of goes into your pre-treaded
path of blues-inspired tunes. Sure, it rocks, but the album
kind of meanders. “Red Rain” is the only interesting song
in the last half, with its melody coming from what sounds
like hotel lobby bells, countered by crunching guitars and
tweaked vocals.
It’s never quite clear, when you get down to it, what
you should expect from Get Behind Me Satan, or even what it
expects from itself. This album has been described as The
White Stripes’ transitional album. The band tried to make
an album that was both experimental and traditional,
and ended up straddling the fence. It will be interesting to
see what path it takes at this crossroad.—Jordan Scrivner
6½
alright
The Other Side of Kindness
Collin Herring
Gravestone Picnic
6
out of 10
alright
You’ve gotta hand it to country music. It’s
come a long way since its humble beginnings, when a pre-9/11 Brooks & Dunn
incited an entire nation to get down, turn
around, go to town and boot scootin’ boo-
18 Sample Issue
gie. Yes, country & western music has a rich and checkered history dating back almost 15 years. But it’s a different world now, and Collin Herring knows this. That’s
why when he decided to make a country & western album
called The Other Side of Kindness, he also incorporated a few
other styles of music, like one called “alternative rock”
(created in 1999 by Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana) and
another called, simply, “rock” (invented last year by The
White Stripes). I’m going to go out on a limb and call the
unique sound (and you can quote me on this, fellow journalists) “alt-country.”
Songs like “Aphorism” and “Headliner,” both of which
can be heard for free at collinherring.com, showcase the best
of Herring’s songwriting ability (um, even though one
of them is instrumental). These songs are simple but elegant. “Aphorism” would make for a great track seven on
the next lite-FM mix CD you make for your girlfriend.
Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn’t quite live
up to the promise of those two songs. “Sinkhole of Love,”
for example, is actually a very pretty song, but the cheesy
metaphor of its title weighs it down. (A much better metaphor, if I may quote the Flaming Lips, is “holdin’ your
electric toaster, standin’ in your bathtub of love.”)
Elsewhere, “Lazy Wind” and “Into the Morning” seem
somewhat out of place, almost trying to sound like the
cult-goth band Swans, but coming out more like bad
Modest Mouse. That these two songs are meant to be the
all-out rockers shows Herring’s strong suit isn’t rocking.
Otherwise, the album is actually rather pleasant,
with opener “Back of Your Mind,” the other instrumental
“Flowermound” and “Motorcade” not necessarily standing out, but creating a rather nice mood that hopefully
Herring can maintain on his next album.
In the end, The Other Side of Kindness is reasonably polite,
harmless even, but with all the exciting new directions in
“rock” music today, a guy just can’t spend too much time
with it.—Brent Sallay
3/4 page 1/4
page
vertical
vertical
5 5/8” x 9 3/4”
1 3/4” x 9 3/4”
In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be
a Monster
Shining
Rune Grammofon
9
For those of you playing along at home with
our dress-up-like-the-music game, this is
the part where I want all the grown ups to
out of 10 put on your wolf costumes (wolf shirts will
suffice if you don’t have a costume), and
the youngsters to put on your cutest Peter
costumes. That’s right, Peter-and-the-Wolf Peter, not
Peter-Jennings Peter. I’d like to remind our readers that
this can be a fun activity for the whole family. Mothers,
fathers, children, pets—everyone can play along.
wow
See CD REVIEWS, page 22
The Salt Shaker
19
FILM
Grade-A Meat New This Week
by Jeremy Mathews
“Bewitched”
Columbia Pictures
Rated PG-13
(Not reviewed)
by Jordan Scrivner
W
hy are
zombies ‘George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead’
so
HHH ½ (out of four)
awesome? That
Universal Pictures
I’ve never been
Written
and
directed by George A. Romero
quite able to figure
Produced
by Mark Canton, Bernie
out. But they are.
Goldmann
and Peter Grunwald
Something about a
Starring
Simon
Baker,
John Leguizamo, Asia
legion of moaning,
Argento,
Robert
Joy,
Dennis Hopper and
stumbling undead
Eugene
Clark
just appeals
Rated
R
to the natural
sensibilities of
what it means to be
many films of the ’70s—is
human. Also, they’re so
a fine example of rebel
much fun to kill.
American filmmaking and
Director George A.
is considered one of the finRomero pretty much inest cult classics. “Day of the
vented the zombie movie,
Dead,” the zombie movie of
and has returned to the
the Me Generation, wasn’t
reigns with “George A.
the masterpiece Romero
Romero’s Land of the
originally intended, but
Dead.” Since the 1960s (undoes boast an epic zombiefortunately skipping the
gore climax and a digital
90s), Romero has made
drum soundtrack that capfour classic zombie films
tures the sensibilities of
that have perfectly captured that particular era.
the filmmaking sensibiliIn subtle ways, “Land of
ties of the decade in which
the Dead” captures the emothey were made. The origition of post-9/11 life while
nal, “Night of the Living
staying true to Romero’s
Dead,” is a spooky, surreal,
classic zombie movies. And
low-budget film that feels
of course, these are Romero
like a nightmare captured
zombies—the only kind of
on celluloid. Its sequel,
zombies, really. These are
“Dawn of the Dead”—like
See ‘Dead,’ page 25
20 Sample Issue
Did Nicole Kidman, who has been making quite the effort to limit her projects to reputable movies, choose this
one because it was a sharp and unpredictable TV-seriesto-feature-film adaptation and she wanted to work with
the talented Will Ferrell, or was she just desperate to get
out of working with Lars Von Trier on “Dogville” sequel
“Manderlay?” Go see “Bewitched,” Nora Ephron’s first
film since the beloved “Lucky Numbers,” to find out.
“Brothers” HHH ½ (out of four)
IFC Films
Rated R
“Brothers” is an unpredictable, shocking and unforgettable family drama that constantly avoids expectations
in favor of a realistic portrayal of trying to survive the
ravages of war. Talented Danish director Susanne Bier,
who made 2002’s “Open Hearts,” again creates an unexpected accident at a very unexpected time, and explores
the results honestly and darkly.
Sarah (Connie Nielsen) and Michael (Ulrich Thomsen)
live a happy life with their two daughters, and are confident Michael, a military man, will return safely from
Afghanistan. Michael’s helicopter, however, is shot
down almost as soon as he arrives and he is thought
dead. Jannik (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), Michael’s black sheep
of a brother who was just released from prison, tries to
perform his duty and be a good brother-in-law and uncle
to the children. This setup points in a very obvious direction, but Bier and co-writer Anders Thomas Jensen
(“Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself”) take a different path.
Jannik and Sarah, while perhaps feeling an attraction
to each other, are barely capable of recognizing these attractions as their world is about to turn upside down.
The turning point of “Brothers” is a difficult-to-watch
but remarkable scene of brutality that is committed for
understandable reasons, but only leads to bitterness and
emotional scars. The character who experiences it can’t
discuss it or resolve his anger and guilt. This leads to an
emotional battle that is honest, moving and surprising.
“Land of the Dead” HHH ½ (out of four)
—reviewed by Jordan Scrivner
See review, this page
FILM
Losing ‘Kontroll’ in
Budapest’s Underworld
“Herbie: Fully Loaded”
Walt Disney Pictures
Rated G
(Opened Wednesday)
(Not reviewed)
by Jeremy Mathews
He’s a lovable love bug, all CG’d up, and that’s why
Lindsay Lohan, Michael Keaton and Matt Dillon did this
movie. It couldn’t have been for the money. No sir.
“Kontroll” HHH ½ (out of four)
See review, this page
“Mondovino” HHH (out of four)
ThinkFilm
Rated PG-13 [“for pin
up nudity” (!!!)]
Jonathan Nossiter‘s
documentary
“Mondovino” is a
lively kaleidoscopic
jumble exploring
the sad implications of the growing global wine market.
The movie travels a bumpy handheld path around the
world, visiting wineries everywhere from small French
and Argentinean towns to large corporations in Nappa,
Calif. that tried to buy land in southern France and were
shut out. We meet old traditional winemakers who believe that it takes a poet to make a great wine as well as
very friendly but all-business people of the Mondavi corporation who push homogenized wine and pose a threat
to the small winemaking families trying to stay on their
land.
Michel Rolland, who says he has his dream job, flies
everywhere from Europe to South America to advise people on their wine, usually telling them to “micro-oxygenate” it, but never really making clear what that means. It
all seems OK until you realize that the taste of American
wine critics like Robert Parker—Rolland’s friend—and
people like Rolland are influencing winemakers to alter
their wines to be more like others, particularly those
from the United States, so that they can get good reviews, fit in and can compete instead of having a distinct
flavor.
The editing, also by Nossiter, is energetically sloppy
and lovingly disorganized. The film was overlong and
unruly in the three-hour version that played at the
Cannes Film Festival and now, 45 minutes shorter, is
still overlong and unruly as Nossiter travels from place to
place to see how the world of wine is changing. The footage sometimes looks like the process of setting up the
shots rather than the shots that normally end up in the
movie. It includes zoom-in refocusing, awkward framing
See New This Week, page 22
“Kontroll”
B
HHH ½ (out of four)
ulcsu hasn’t been
above ground
ThinkFilm
for some time.
Written and directed by
While the other ticket
Nimród Antal
control personnel on the
Produced by Tamás Hutlassa
Budapest subway system
and Nimród Antal
suffer through the same
Starring Sandor Csanyi, Zoltan
awkward and dismal
Mucsi, Csaba Pindroch, Zsolt
job, at least they take the
Nagy and Eszter Balla
towering escalator up
Not Rated
to daylight at the end of
their shifts. The camera of
manage with only one of
“Kontroll,” like its hero,
those genres.
never sees above the first
Sandor Csanyi plays the
halves of those escalators
troubled and mysterious
that seem to lead to a
hero, who works with the
better, less distorted life.
misfit division of inept
Nimród Antal’s brilliant
and unkempt controllers.
film takes place entirely in
Bulcsu’s clumsy team ina dank, surreal underworld
cludes a narcoleptic who
of chiaroscuro florescent
is even more out of it than
lighting, uninviting tunyou’d expect a narcoleptic
nels, grimy platforms, rats
to be, a weary control veterand confused and angry
an who can’t stop smoking
people. In his debut feaand a twitchy rookie. They
ture, Antal has crafted a
aren’t as motivated as their
pitch-black comedy, a rococky rival unit, whose
mance, a thriller and an ex- members look slick with
istential, noir examination
their new uniform leather
of life’s purpose. And he
jackets and make the boss
pulls it all off better than
much happier when they
most filmmakers could
See ‘kontroll,’ page 24
“Kontroll” creates a haunting, expressionistic vision of Budapest’s subway.
The Salt Shaker
21
‘Thin Man’
Continued from page 9
he’s got loads of money.
The second film, “After
the Thin Man,” is fine if
you’re able to tolerate the
abundance of music in
the New Year’s Eve celebrations. James Stewart
makes a formidable presence as one of the suspects
in the case of a missing
husband—until the end, in
which he succumbs to the
awful antics of overacting.
Warner Bros.’ sevendisc set of all six Thin Man
movies—plus bonus material—is slight if looked at in
comparison to the company’s previous film noir sets,
as well as its Bette Davis
and Joan Crawford bounties. But on its own, there’s
a wealth of cartoons, short
films, radio shows and documentaries on the discs.
The cartoons start off badly
with the awful “Happy
Harmonies” label and end
with “Screwball Squirrel”
and “Slap Happy Lion,” two
CD Reviews
Continued from page 18
Alright, is everyone
ready? Good. Now everyone put in your Shining
In the Kingdom of Kitsch You
Will Be a Monster CDs (or
LPs, if you’re that much
cooler than everyone else).
And…OK, that’s nice
enough, isn’t it? All you
Peters, pick up your recorders and pretend to play
them. Oh, now isn’t that
precious? Mothers, aren’t
you proud of your children?
See how this is bringing us
all so close together? Isn’t it
wonderful?
OK, now wolves, without warning, I want you
to devour your Peters. (Hey
22 Sample Issue
Tex Avery masterpieces.
The seventh disc contains two documentaries
on Powell and Loy, the latter a fawning and worthy
examination of the actress’s
career, directed by film critic
Richard Schickel. Through
his narration spoken by
Kathleen Turner, however,
Schickel is unnecessarily concerned with Nick’s
drinking habits. The Powell
documentary is a short and
proper salute to his work.
But the other main attraction, a 1957 episode from
the “Thin Man” TV series,
which starred Peter Lawford
and Phyllis Kirk, isn’t any
kind of attraction at all.
Nevertheless, Warner
Bros. has done it once again,
not only with satisfactory
bonus features, but good image transfers that prove the
films have not been neglected. Over these recent years,
the company has earned
its keep as the mainstream
Criterion Collection.
rory@saltshakermagazine.com
now, get your minds out
of the gutters. I was only
suggesting that you eat
your children.) Don’t be
shy. Remember how mad it
made you when they kept
you up every night teething? Chomp away! Now,
make sure you do it feet first
though. And children, keep
playing, for the love of God,
keep playing. Play with all
your might. Now wolves, be
very careful that you swallow them whole enough
that they can continue to
play inside your bellies. Yes,
that’s it, very good. Oh, it’s
so beautiful! I’m so proud
of all of you! Now hold that
note, and regurgitate...
now! Um, regurgitate now?
Hold on. Crap.—Brent Sallay
New This Week
‘Patient A’
and shaky camera movement, sometimes out of a moving
car, as Nossiter keeps his HD camera on at all times and
portrays both the unique areas behind the wine and the
people who grow, sell and market it for love, profit or a
combination of the two.
necessarily mean over-gesticulated, over-enunciated
and over-acted. I believe
something is theatrical
when it takes full advantage
of what the medium has to
offer: a live audience, live
actors and a stage. “Patient
A” had all of these, but it
didn’t need any of them.
“Just once, I’d like to see
Salt Lake City give me something purely theatrical. I
challenge this city to give
me a play that could never
be made into a movie or a
novel. Something that leans
on the liveness of theater—
something that needs it!”
Being un-theatrical is a
broad criticism that could
apply to a large number,
maybe even the vast majority, of plays here and elsewhere. But what made it es-
Continued from page 21
“Rock School” HHH (out of four)
Newmarket Films
Rated R
The question isn’t whether Paul
Green is a great teacher or a complete asshole. Don Argott’s documentary “Rock School” reveals that
he’s both. The real conundrum
that this character portrait delves into is how he pulls it
off. The Paul Green School of Rock in Philadelphia teaches
kids age nine to 17 how to become great rock musicians
and is the most respected school of its kind. With a combination of talent, a child’s excitement and a snob’s outrage, Green has a personality to rival Jack Black’s fictional
rocker-turned-teacher from “School of Rock.”
The key to Green’s success also creates part of his
flaw. He shows confidence in his students by demanding the best from them. When he gives them a challenging part, they believe that they can play it, and so they
practice more to get it down. He teaches the kids incredibly difficult music, including some of the most complex
material from Frank Zappa’s catalogue to his advanced
students. However, this form of encouragement doesn’t
result in sunny optimism, but in him shouting obscenities at the kids to let them know they suck when they
screw up. He also has a habit of personally putting people down in a teasing, but hurtful manner. While he’s
affective and the kids look up to him, he scares many
people away as well.
The documentary studies the different children at the
school, some lazy, some brilliant, some sensitive. Argott
traces their development, delving into different character
traits and examining how they react to their energetic
teacher, while Green tries to create a new generation of
musicians who will create “significant” rock.
“You, I Love”
Picture This! Entertainment
Not Rated
(Not reviewed)
No, Yoda hasn’t finally gotten the romantic comedy spinoff we’ve all been waiting for. “You, I Love,” directed by
Olga Stolpovskaja and Dmitry Troitsky, is a Russian comedy that apparently takes off when a young woman (Lyubov
Tolkalina) finds her boyfriend (Evgeny Koryakovsky) in
bed with another man (Damir Badmaev) on their first anniversary. Sounds like a laugh riot.
jeremy@saltshakermagazine.com
Continued from page 5
pecially irritating in the case
of “Patient A” was that it
seemed to be coming directly from the playwright’s reticence to tell the story with
honest abandon. Blessing
even wrote himself into the
narrative as a character who
actively criticizes his own
storytelling, in an effort to
exonerate himself from the
guilt of highlighting what
he truly felt to be relevant
ironies and statistics.
“I don’t know if that’s
modesty or seething pretension,” said JP. “If you
don’t want to write it, then
don’t. If you do, let me see
the commitment. What
ever happened to good oldfashioned passion?”
Ultimately, that’s what
the production lacked. The
story was moving, the performances were, too. But
the storytelling suffered
from the unfortunate choice
of safe-and-reserved over
reckless-and-passionate.
How do you write some-
RawMoves
Continued from page 7
that sense of our ideas not
being set in stone allowed
for flexibility so we could
continue to work even if
people’s schedules kept
them from a rehearsal.”
As RawMoves evolves,
Cendese says one of his and
Washington’s dreams is to
take dance outside the theatrical venue. “I had this
one idea of having a bar
stroll where four companies
like RawMoves, SBDance,
RDT and RWDC would
contribute a piece each,
and each would be performed in a different club.
Patrons would buy a single
thing truly personal?
“You just do it,
Goddammit. Just do it!”
wendy@saltshakermagazine.com
ticket and go from place
to place to see each piece
performed. Something like
this would have the added
benefit of exposing people
who might not ordinarily
go to see a dance concert to
this art form.
“On the other hand,” he
concludes, “we didn’t start
out aiming toward doing a
concert. We were initially
more excited about the
process of creation, about
delving into the crafting
of dance. It will be very interesting in a few years, I
think, to look back on this
first concert and see where
we’ve gone from here.”
karen@saltshakermagazine.com
1/6 page horizontal
7 1/2” x 1 3/4”
1/6 Page 1/6 Page
3 11/16” x 3 1/8”
3 11/16” x 3 1/8”
The Salt Shaker
23
‘Kontroll’
Continued from page 21
meet to discuss whether
or not they’ve reached the
quota of people without
tickets on whom they have
to write violations.
It isn’t hard to see why
they don’t easily meet their
quota when the film shows
the dysfunctional passengers who find offense and
despair when the officers
try to do their jobs. Since
the passengers don’t encounter controllers all that
often—and since the trains
are overcrowded, making
escape easier—many of
them don’t buy tickets. Not
only that, but they take offense when Bulcsu and his
colleagues have the nerve
to ask them for their ticket.
Sometimes this results in
nonsensical attempts at
avoidance, other times in
violence or wild pursuits.
The messy fights and
short and desperate chases
provide outlets for exciting
and skillfully directed action, but have a deeper significance. The controllers
don’t really care whether or
not these people have tickets, and their intense strug-
gle isn’t to accomWhile he has
plish anything profriends who would
found, but to meet a
be willing to help
bureaucratic quota.
him if he sought it,
They’re not making
the warmest hope in
the world—or the
Bulcsu’s life comes
subway—a better
in the form of a mysplace, they’re just
terious cute young
keeping their job so
woman in a bear suit
that more people can
who, of course, has
verbally and physino ticket, and whom
Haunted by shadows, Bulscu questions his sanity.
cally assault them.
Bulcsu immediately
Bulcsu, whose past life
tic horror pieces. The film
recognizes as the closest
is a mystery, has chosen to
was shot at night during
he’s come to sunlight. But
live in this nightmare rath- the subway’s off hours,
at the moment, he appears
er than trying to change
and a manager awkwardly
too trapped in the underhis life or the world. The
delivers a prewritten
ground to find a way out.
film plays like a bad dream
statement about how he
And “Kontroll” doesn’t
as different plot elements
decided to let the film be
let the audience escape its
appear and fade, revealshot there because it was
combination of humor and
ing different aspects of the
obviously symbolic and not dark dramatic intrigue as it
subway life. The darkest el- representative of the actual gracefully travels through
ement comes in the form of subway. The cinematograthe underworld of a city.
a hooded killer who pushes
phy by Gyula Pados brings
Why doesn’t Bulcsu ever
people in front of the
out the large arches, dark
come up to the sunlight?
trains. Like the many suitunnels and depressing
What was his life like becides, this is inconvenient
lights. And when the overfore he went underground?
to the controllers because
powering daylight sneaks
Why has there been a
it ruins the train schedthrough from above, it’s as recent rise in suicidal pasules, but it’s also sinister
daunting as it is hopeful.
sengers jumping in front
because the killer seems to
Antal proves himself capaof trains? Is this the real
have as much knowledge
ble of directing everything
underground, or, as the
of the subway’s insidifrom tense action to wild
bureaucrat in the beginous tunnels and paths as
comedy, and pulls it all
ning tells us, an allegory?
Bulcsu does.
together in a great looking
Whatever it is, Bulcsu
The Budapest subway’s
film that never looks cheap has to let himself find the
architecture certainly
or breaks with its creepy
means to escape.
lends itself to expressionis- atmosphere.
jeremy@saltshakermagazine.com
1/3 page
7 1/2” x 3 1/8”
24 Sample Issue
‘Dead’
Continued from page 20
not the “rage”-filled zombies of “28 Days Later.” Nor
are they the speedy zombies
of the “Dawn of the Dead”
remake. This is a triumphant return to the classic, shuffling, inarticulate
zombie. The best zombie of
them all.
However, though these
zombies are the ones we
know and love, they have
progressed. What was
hinted at with the zombie “Bubs” in “Day of the
Dead” is now very much
a reality. The zombies are
smarter. They are communicating. They are using
tools. They are more like
us than ever before. And
the übermensch is a big,
black auto-mechanic listed
in the credits as Big Daddy
(Eugene Clark).
The opening credits
montage explains the story
from before the evolution:
One day, the dead begin
to walk the earth. Slowly,
zombies begin to take over
the world, eating their way
through countless victims.
Soon, people are forced to
live in the outskirts of cities
Even apparent negatives like the crazy
randomness of a shot of two lesbians making out,
then one of them getting inexplicably mauled to
death, are endearing and lovable.
in heavily fortified compounds. However, life goes
on. Even the humdrum,
disappointing aspects of
life, like finding medicine
for your kid or going to
work everyday.
Kaufman, (Dennis
Hopper), a rich businessman who lives in the
highest floor of the tallest tower of the city, runs
one of these compounds.
While Kaufman smokes
expensive cigars and drinks
only the finest wine, the
little people can’t get a bite
to eat. So, while the rich
enjoy themselves in a paradise known as “Fiddler’s
Green,” the poor and impoverished have to kill
themselves just to survive.
Yes, it’s hack. But it’s hack
because it works.
Scavengers raid old,
zombie-populated towns
to find food, medicine,
and supplies for the compounds. The leader of one
of these bands of scavengers, Riley (Simon Baker),
rides a huge tank called
Dead Reckoning, which
pretty much has the artillery of a small nation. But
Riley’s right-hand man
Cholo (John Leguizamo)
decides he’s had enough
of picking up Kaufman’s
table scraps, takes Dead
Reckoning and holds the
city hostage.
Kaufman hires Riley
to get Dead Reckoning
and return it to the city.
Riley, of course, has plans
of his own, and with the
help of friends Charlie
(Robert Joy) and Slack (Asia
Argento,) he goes against
both Cholo and Kaufman.
Unbeknownst to anyone,
the zombies aren’t just
walking slowly but steadily
towards them anymore.
Chaos ensues, and like
Romero’s previous zombie
flicks, this one is 90 minutes of squirm-in-your-seat
gore, characters you can
root for, and, of course,
Romero-patented “We’re
not that different from the
zombies” heavy-handed
rhetoric.
Words cannot express
how awesome “Land of the
Dead” is. Even apparent
negatives like the crazy randomness of a shot of two
lesbians making out, then
one of them getting inexplicably mauled to death,
are endearing and lovable.
If you grew up with
Romero, like I did, you
might consider him to be
the charming old grandfather with all these crazy
zombie stories to tell. So
you don’t mind when towards the end of the movie,
in reference to Big Daddy
and his ilk, one of our heroes actually says “They’re
just looking for a place to
go. Just like us.” And all the
strained comparisons of
Kaufman= Bush, the zombies = Iraqis one can find on
the Internet can only make
you smile and laugh and
buy another round of popcorn for your buddies.
jordan@saltshakermagazine.com
1/3 page
7 1/2” x 3 1/8”
The Salt Shaker
25
What to Do
}
September
Friday
2
‘Hello, Dolly!’
The Draper Theatre (12366
S. 900 East, Draper) hosts
the classic musical, which
includes the song “Hello
Dolly.” Tickets are $10, $9
for students, $6 for children and seniors. Call (801)
572-4144 or visit www.drapertheatre.org.
} Hella
Hear one of the most respected spaz-core bands.
Local band Airliner will open
the show at Kilby Court (741
S. Kilby Court (325 West)).
Tickets cost $7 and are available at the door. Show starts
at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Jagermeister
}
Music for FREEdom
3
Jagermeister is honoring
the hard-working U.S.
soldiers by touring the
states with free music. If
you have a valid military
ID, you can get in free to
enjoy the glam metal of
Dope, Mushroomhead and
Nocturne. If you don’t, the
website doesn’t say how
much FREEdom costs.
Check out jagermusic.com for
more information. (Must
be 21 or older to access the
website——seriously.) It’s
at the SaltAir Pavilion, west
of the airport on I-80.
‘Voices’ at Ririe Woodbury
Mexico, the American
heartland and Europe are all
represented in this modern
dance show. Tickets to any
Ririe-Woodbury performance may be purchased
through ArtTix by calling
(801) 355-ARTS or going to
www.arttix.org. Single tickets
range in price from $25 to
$35. Student discounts are
available.
}
Tuesday
Scars and
} Old
Upstarts Tour
} Summer of Rock
Don’t tell Brand New Sin,
Dog Faced Gods, Supagroup
or The Black Halos that it’s
September, or they might
not rock our Summer socks
off at the Ultimate Combat
Academy (751 W. 800
South).
26 Sample Issue
6
The Lo-Fi Cafe (165 S. West
Temple) hosts a night of
punk rock with The Hunns
(featuring Duane Peters
of Exploding Fuckdolls
and USBombs), The Black
Halos, Angel City Outcasts
and The Hollow Points.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
Buy tickets for $10 at
Graywhale CD Exchange
locations, Smith’sTix (www.
smithstix.com) or www.24tix.
com. Visit www.loficafe.com for
more information.
Wednesday
}
5
Monday
}
7
David Wilcox
Folk singer/songwriter
David Wilcox is supporting his latest album, with
an appearance at Holladay
United Church (2631 E.
Murray-Holladay Road (4785
South). Neither his website (www.davidwilcox.com)
nor the good church’s offer
information on pricing,
times or who to contact, so
I guess show up. What are
they going to do, turn you
away from church?
} Danko Jones
The wild and somewhat
WHAT TO DO
scary looking trio Danko
Jones will bring its tight
metal to Liquid Joe’s
(1249 E. 3300 South). Call
(801) 467-JOES for more
information.
Johnny Lang
Acoustic Band
Tour 2005
This tour features none
other than Johnny Lang
and his acoustic band,
and marks the end of this
summer’s Outdoor Concert
Series at Red Butte Garden
(300 Wakara Way). Show
starts at 7 p.m. and gates
open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets
cost $29 in advance, $31 the
day of the show. Go to www.
redbuttegarden.org for more
information or to take advantage of that in-advance
deal.
} John Butler Trio
After making his U.S.
debut, Sunrise Over Sea,
Australian rocker John
Butler is touring the U.S.
to teach America about
guitar roc, and is stopping at The Velvet Room
(155 W. 200 South). Tristan
Pettyman will also grace
the stage. Tickets available at Smith’sTix locations
(www.smithstix.com). Must
have evidence that you’re 21
or over to get in.
Margot Livesey
The King’s English
Bookshop (1511 S. 1500 East)
presents an evening with
the award-winning author
of the novels Homework,
Criminals, The Missing World
and Eva Moves the Furniture
as well as the short story
collection Learning by Heart.
She will read from and sign
her latest novel, Banishing
Verona. The event is free
and open to the public. For
more information, visit
www.kingsenglish.com or call
(801) 484-9100.
}
Friday
Friday, September 9
9
Blues & Brews Fest
The free Blues & Brews
Fest at the Galivan Center
(329 S. Main Street) starts
today at 5 p.m. Tonight’s
headliners include Magic
Slim and the Teardrops and
Smokin’ Joe Kubek featuring B’nois King. For more
information, type in the
long URL www.slcgov.com/
PublicServices/Gallivan and see
what happens.
Amercian } The
Plague
Utah’s gods might just
bless the punk metal stylings of The American
Plague as the band comes
to Burt’s Tiki Lounge
(726 S. State Street).
DieMonsterDie and Even
Lower open. Doors open
at 8 p.m. Buy tickets at
Graywhale CD Exchange
locations, Smith’sTix (www.
smithstix.com) or www.24tix.
com. Visit www.loficafe.com for
more information. Must be
21 or older.
Utah State } The
Fair Starring Don McLean
In its second day, the Utah
State Fair really gets going,
with a performance by Don
McLean. Hear the man sing
his classics like “American
Pie,” “Vincent” and, uh…
”La La Love You,” maybe?
Check out www.utah-statefair.com for more information. Show is free with a
“Grandstand Ticket”—so it
might not really be free. All
Grandstand shows start at
7:30 p.m.
Saturday
} Minus the Bear
10
with These Arms
are Snakes
Minus the Bear plus In the
Venue (579 W. 200 South)
and openers These Arms
are Snakes and In Camera
equals a positive night of
catchy indie rock. TIckets
are available through
Smith’sTix locations (www.
smithstix.com, $4.75 surcharge), at the door or online at www.24tix.com ($3 surcharge). Call (801) 359-3219
or visit www.inthevenue.com
for more information.
}
Blues & Brews
Fest, Part 2
The (still free) Blues &
Brews Fest at the Galivan
Center (329 S. Main Street)
continues today, starting at
2 p.m. Today’s performers
include W.C. Clark Blues
Revue, Studebaker John
& the Hawks and Alberta
Adams and the Bluesuiters.
For more information and
the full schedule, type in
the (still long) URL www.slcgov.com/PublicServices/Gallivan
and hopefully something
will turn up.
} Utah State Fair
Meets Audio
Adrenaline
Apparently the Utah State
Fair organizers are trying to bring in the same
people every night. First
Don McLean, now Audio
Adrenaline. Stay tuned to
Calendarland to find out
who arrives next. Check out
www.utah-state-fair.com for
more information. Show
is free with a “Grandstand
Ticket”—so it might not really be free. All Grandstand
shows start at 7:30 p.m.
}
Sunday
} Seething in
11
Crossfaders at the
Utah State Fair
Tonight, the fair presents
Seether/Crossfade—or rather, Seether and Crossfade.
While not included on the
slash combo name, Dark
New Day is also rumored
to be playing. Check out
www.utah-state-fair.com for
more information. The
“Grandstand Ticket” free
ride is over for today, and
this show costs $24. All
Grandstand shows start at
7:30 p.m.
Monday
} Interpol
12
Everyone loves the postpunk sound of Interpol,
which has swept the indie
scene’s ears up with two
solid albums. Now that the
band is playing Kingsbury
Hall (1395 E. President’s
Circle), people might have
to stop thinking the band
is cool. It begins at 8 p.m.
Tickets cost $23.50 in advance, $25 the day of the
show. For tickets, visit the
Kingsbury Hall box office,
call 581-7100 or go to an
ArtTix location (www.arttix.
org).
} The Fair Goes
Underground,
Western
Underground
Today’s big show goes
“Under This Old Hat” with
Western Underground.
Check out www.utah-statefair.com for more information. The “Grandstand
Ticket” free ride is back (see
previous entries, but you
still need that ticket. All
Grandstand shows start at
7:30 p.m.
Tuesday
13
State Fair, Part 5:
Carrot Top Goes to
Utah
Tonight, the mic goes to
prop comic Carrot Top!
Perhaps he’ll use some
JELLO in his act, in honor
of our fair state. If you can
believe it, this show is free,
but as can be expected,
the “Grandstand Ticket” is
required.
Kids Scaring
} Scary
Kids
The Lo-Fi Cafe (165 S. West
Temple) hosts a giant
show of loud rock featuring Lorene Drive, Sunday
Driver, Small Towns Burn a
Little Slower and locals The
New Transit Direction and
The Midnight Sky. Doors
open at 6:30 p.m. Buy tickets
at Graywhale CD Exchange
locations, Smith’sTix (www.
smithstix.com) or www.24tix.
com. Visit www.loficafe.com for
more information.
Hoobastank, the Fair can
get away with charging
$32. The “Grandstand
Ticket” free ride relapse has
ended. This will be the second most expensive show
of the Fair. Keep reading
to find out whose show is
the most expensive. All
Grandstand shows start at
7:30 p.m.
It’s not an insult, it’s a
hairstyle! Relax to the
smooth sounds of “front
porch soul” at Ego’s (668
S. State Street). Must be
21 years of age or older.
Tickets cost $10 in advance,
$12 the day of the show.
Visit www.clubegos.com for
more information.
Buster Keaton’s surrealist
masterpiece, possibly the
greatest film of all time,
accompanied by Blane Gale
at the Organ Loft, at 3331 E.
Edison Street (east of State).
Tickets are $5, available at
the door.
Styx and REO
The University of Utah
School of Music presents a
wind ensemble conducted
by Scott Hagen at Libby
Gardner Hall. Presumably,
they’ll play some wind
music. Get tickets at www.
artstix.org or at the door or
Kingsbury Hall an hour before the show.
In another show that has
the Utah State Fair using a slash in its official
concert name (see previous entries), the arena
rock heroes Styx and REO
Speedwagon meet up at the
ultimate arena, the Utah
State Fair Grandstand. If
only Journey could have
made it as well. Check out
www.utah-state-fair.com for
more information. The
“Grandstand Ticket” free
ride is over for the second
day in a row, and this
show costs $34—the most
the fair is charging for
any Grandstand event. All
Grandstand shows start at
7:30 p.m. There are three
more Grandstand shows,
so tune in next issue to
find out what will happen
as the fair pushes on to its
glorious conclusion. (Hint:
It involves combat, a farm
bureau, talent and Dierks
Bentley.)
} Mofro }
}
Winds at Libby
Wednesday
} Streetlight
14
Manifesto
Skank the night away at
the Lo-Fi Cafe (165 S. West
Temple), with Streetlight
Manifesto and openers Bedouin Soundclash,
Whole Wheat Bread, Top
of the Playground and
Side Dish. Doors open at 7
p.m. Buy tickets for $12 at
Graywhale CD Exchange
locations, Smith’sTix (www.
smithstix.com) or www.24tix.
com. Visit www.loficafe.com for
more information.
} Seething in
Crossfaders at the
Utah State Fair
With a grooving pop rock
band with a name like
Thursday
15
‘Sherlock, Jr.’
}
Speedwagon Test
the Grandstand
} Adrian and the
Sickness
Adrian and the Sickness,
featuring Angus of AC/DC
cover band Hell’s Belles,
The Salt Shaker
27
WHAT TO DO (cont’d)
comes to Burt’s Tiki Lounge
(726 S. State Street). Doors
open at 8:30 p.m. Buy
tickets for $5 at the door
or www.24tix.com. Visit
www.loficafe.com for more
information.
} The Unseen
See The Unseen (get it?) in
In The Venue (get it? Oh
yeah, the address: 579 W.
200 South) and say “Oi!” to
some revival punk. Tickets
cost $10 and are available at the door, through
Smith’sTix locations (www.
smithstix.com, $4.75 service
fee) or online at www.24tix.
com ($2.50 service fee). Call
(801) 359-3219 or visit www.
inthevenue.com for more
information.
} Madball
The self-proclaimed “kings
of New York hardcore”
know how to point and look
threatening at the same
time, so just imagine what
their music could do to you
when they play the Lo-Fi
Cafe (165 S. West Temple)
with Walls of Jericho,
Misery Signals and Full
Blown Chaos. Buy tickets
for $7 at the door.
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28 Sample Issue
The Salt Shaker
29
SACCHARINE
COMICS
Before the Galactic Empire
Outlawed Bad Acting
The Salt Shaker’s Original 1977 Review of ‘Star Wars’
by Craig Froehlich
W
ith “Star Wars:
Episode III- Revenge
of the Sith,” the
galactic saga has come full circle.
What a wild ride it was! I think
I’m going to be sick.
It was 1977 and things looked
grim. Salt Shaker Sr. had just been
laid off from the ash tray plant
and rumors warned of an imminent Bay City Rollers breakup. A
refreshing sci-fi space fairy tale
was just what the doctor ordered.
(It should have been antibiotics.
He wasn’t a very good doctor.)
“Stars Wars” helped audiences
forget their worries and took them
to a galaxy far, far away.
Twenty-five years ago, Darth
Vader let out his first evil wheeze
and The Salt Shaker was there.
We thought it would be a fun
treat to print the original review of
the film that started it all.
Let’s take a journey back in
time. (Not literally, don’t bother
with the angry letters.)
A So-So Space Opera
by Anakin Mathews
Think of it as the little
Science Fiction film that
could. A charming little
space opera is threatening
to take some of the spotlight away from this weekend’s premiere of “Smokey
and the Bandit.”
Equal parts King Arthur
and Buck Rogers, “Star
Wars” definitely keeps
your attention for a couple
hours but its lasting impact is negligible. Really,
who needs laser guns and
30 Sample Issue
space robots when you have
a black Trans Am with an
eagle decal on the hood?
The star of “Star Wars”
is a promising young actor
named Mark Hamill. He is
wonderfully understated
in his role as the farm boy
turned space hero, Luke
Skywalker. He couples his
Midwestern good looks and
definite acting chops to
deliver some memorable
lines, “But I was going to
the Toshi station to pick
up some power converters.
WAAAAHH!” This is definitely a breakout role for
the young artiste. With or
without the wars, Hamill’s
star is definitely on the
rise.
Skywalker leaves his
humble beginnings, and
the charred corpses of
family members, on his
home planet to pursue his
dreams into the heavens.
Thus begins a quest to rescue a damsel in distress,
Princess Leia (played by
Carrie Fisher, daughter of
Eddie). The sexual chemistry between bun-coifed Leia
and Skywalker is red hot.
The couple fails to reach
the carnal heights that the
roles beg for, but let your
imagination run wild! Luke
+ Leia = Sex, Sex. Sex. Best
of all, Carrie Fisher will
never get fat and crazy.
Accompanying the
majestic Skywalker is
an entourage of colorful
characters. British acting
heavyweight Alec Guinness
George Lucas improved these special effects for later releases of “Star Wars.”
plays Buford T. Justice, a
sage warlock of the Merlin
tradition. Two “droyds,”
another name for robots,
supply the comic relief.
Their names are a bizarre
combination of numbers
and letters that no one will
be able to remember. I can
hardly ask for WD-40 at the
local hardware, thank you
very much. Tony Randall is
the obvious inspiration for
the mincing, anthropomorphic, golden “Tin Man.”
Meanwhile, the chirping
garbage can robot conjures
images of some of Dustin
Hoffman’s more memorable roles.
The gang hitches a ride
with a devil-may-care space
pirate named Han Solo;
played by former-carpenter (I love their remake of
“Please, Mr. Postman.”)
Ford Harrison. His copilot is a howling wolf man
named Chewbacca, a
whimsical blend of Lassie
and Smiley Burnette.
Director George Lucas illustrates Han Solo’s transformation from ruthless
bandit to gallant hero with
a telling introduction. Solo,
confronted by a space bounty hunter, shoots the green
monster while casually sitting at a table, exchanging
thinly veiled threats. That’s
right, would-be hero Han
Solo shoots first! This scene
makes Solo’s valiant transformation that much more
extraordinary. Lucas hit
pay-dirt with that scene.
He must be very proud.
In Lucas we see an auteur in the making. Plenty
of excitement surrounds
the groundbreaking special effects of “Star Wars.”
However, Lucas manages
to keep the spectacle in
check and concentrate on
story and character development. Expect Lucas to
leave this space odyssey
behind and focus on more
thought-provoking, dialogue-driven material.
Perhaps most lacking in
“Star Wars” is a memorable villain to contend with
the swashbuckling farm
hands and laser-shooting
dog boys. The galaxy is
enslaved by an evil empire
called the “Empire.” This
army of intergalactic NeoNazis is led by Grand Moff
Tarkin, capably played by
British horror film star
Peter Cushing. His evil
henchman is a robotic
black knight called Darth
Vader. Vader, Buford and
Luke are all tuned into
the same unseen power
called the “force.” It assists
them in choking people,
controlling the minds
of unwitting simpletons
and performing a variety
of telekinetic tricks. No
spoon bending, though.
One faction magically
chokes people and controls
their minds for purposes of
good, while another uses
the “force” for evil. Vader,
of course, utilizes the bad
side of the force. It all becomes a bit tedious. This
“force” business is going
nowhere fast.
With his dorky helmet,
ill manners and an obvious case of emphysema,
Darth Vader is hardly what
you would call a daunting
presence. One wishes more
screen time was awarded to
Cushing, who has experience depicting every horror
film heavy from Dracula
to Frankenstein. To top it
off, Vader’s voiceover work
is done by R&B singer Lou
Rawls. How about favoring
us with a song after you get
done choking people, Vader?
Lucas tosses in a planetdemolishing machine and
rag-tag band of freedom
fighters to move the plot
along. Now and then, he
awakens the audience with
an astounding interstellar dog fight. However,
the five-year-old sitting
next to me at the screening
I attended made an aw-
fully good point, “Space is a
vacuum. If that’s the case,
none of these explosions
and laser cannons would
make any noise. Do they
take us for idiots?” Kids say
the darnedest things.
In summation, “Star
Wars” is the usual good
versus evil, boy meets girl,
standard Hollywood fare.
Albeit enjoyable, the Science
Fiction route “Star Wars”
takes is a little to fanciful for
discriminating filmgoers of
the 1970s. Nowadays, people
like their entertainment a
little more grounded in reality. How about a bored farm
boy who dreams of owning
a custom van with shag rug
on the dashboard? Turn the
princess into a cheerleader.
That would really fill up the
theaters.
craig@saltshakermagazine.com
The Salt Shaker
31
FULL PAGE
FOUR-COLOR
BACK COVER
FULL BLEED
8 1/2” x 10 3/4”
Please limit text and key
visuals to center 7 1/2” x
9 3/4” to avoid mistakes
during cutting.
32 Sample Issue