Thursday, May 29, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
istic, quiescent thingamajigness. Before writing this column, I made a rookie mistake, doing the first and only thing that should be avoided while preparing to word-vomit about any particular film, let alone what I already considered Singer’s masterpiece. I read Scott’s review. At the time, it seemed like a carefully reasoned decision — even that crotchety old shit had to have liked this 130-minute dedication to every. single. thing that made comic-book adaptations great. The heavy-hearted performances. The explosions. That sexy retroactive continuity (retcon for the geeks). And the ’70s, baby, *softer voice* the ’70s. This film had it all — there was no possible way whatsoever that his review could be anything less than fawning. All I wanted was to check what kind of Wolverine jokes the highbrows at The New York Times thought would work. ‘Was the word “bub” used at all?’ But my boy Scott and his forehead never fail to disappoint. It was like being lowered headfirst into a chilling tub of liquefied Macklemore albums, every desperate gasp for breath a disappointing confirmation of my willingness to overlook simplicity just so I could buy into this superficial, bandwagon mentality. Was I really too stupid to pick apart the obvious plot-holes? All the ham-fisted imagery — anchored around Magneto’s dizzying display of power in lifting the entirety of RFK Stadium and dumping it at President Nixon’s feet, thus setting the stage for our climax — was I wrong in reacting by silently mouthing “symbolism, bitches” at the theater? Being a film critic, however fledgling, should I have seen it as the “gratuitous, imaginationdeficient grandstanding” that Scott described? I stayed up half the night thinking about it, tossing and turning in a boiling vat of existential doubt thicker than Toad’s adhesive spit. But then something occurred to me. I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep and haven’t thought about Scott since. Forehead never grew up watching these films. To him, feeling Spidey slow down time just to avoid a bully’s punches will never register on the same, personal level it would for someone of our generation because, plainly put, he wasn’t nine years old when he saw it happen. He wasn’t being bullied when he
saw it happen. Witnessing Peter Parker so forcibly turn the tables on his tormentors was more than just cathartic escapism or a thrilling experience: It was a way for me to hope that maybe, one day, if I played to my own strengths, things could get better. And looking past all the timetraveling super soldiers, firebreathing robots and imposing, intertwined plotlines, there’s a blip of silence in the realization that “Days of Future Past” is grounded on this same basic, human concept — pain, no matter how unbearable, compels hope. This franchise is unique. It’s 14 years old, the longest running sequential film series of its kind that hasn’t diverged from where it took originated. “The
Superheroes still matter to those who grew up with them. Avengers” had an added benefit of 120-minute lead-ins dedicated to specific characters before the suits behind the curtains dared bring those stand-alone heroes together under a single banner. Pulling it off required a lot of forced manufacturing on the part of Papa Joss. So despite the final product featuring some of the best entertainment Hollywood has or will ever produce, at least in this genre, we spent the entire film hammering away at an admittedly mundane “if we don’t work together, we’re fucked” mentality in order to make sure a road for future sequels/prequels was secure. “X-Men” raises the stakes. It’s a thinly coated critique of our society’s inability to accept the unknown, but for once (and I’m talking about more than just comic-book adaptations here), presented almost exclusively through the eyes of the victims, the minority. Underneath that coat lies a deep, roiling anger. This is an anger I, along with many other people of color, understand: One which, for so long, I’ve struggled to come to terms with. But watching it projected, fully realized on a giant vinyl screen — used to puppeteer a man who can lift an entire sta-
dium — means I’m not alone or helpless, that others understand. The series derives its inspirations from The Holocaust — its main antagonist is a survivor, molded into rage-stricken monstrosity by the merciless brutality he faced as a child at the hands of his Nazi captors. Yet, the jargon he uses to justify his calls for a mutant rebellion is lifted directly from Hitler’s own philosophy of a single, exceptional race, destined to inherit Earth from its less-evolved oppressors. The crucial difference, of course, is that Magneto is right. Mutants, with their abundance of superhuman abilities, and a knack for so poignantly inf luencing history, can be construed as the homo sapiens to the humans’ homo neanderthalensis. But should that truth vindicate violence, even if it is in the name of retribution, even though its justification shares roots with the thinking of a madman? If not intriguing, it’s an essential question, and ultimately, the reason why this particular series continues to remain so timeless — words not typically thrown around when discussing comic book characters. The cynicism that so often meets these films is presented in sentences such as “So much has already been done, so much is supposedly demanded by fans, that any given installment in a multi-sequel enterprise can feel like the hysterical pursuit of diminishing returns. In the case of ‘Days of Future Past,’ the plot is as overelaborate and muddled as some of the effects.” An unbiased perspective might confirm a lot of truth in these words. And above all, it’s worth noting that this cynicism is cyclic in nature, incubating inside each of us until we too reach a point in our lives where we can’t or are unwilling to emotionally relate, from a firstperson perspective, to some of the art we examine. Until that time comes, I’m not budging. I’ll lie here, pancaked in this dreamworld of Quicksilvers and Magnetos. So I can stay naïve. So I can hope.
Seth is still thinkng about A.O Scott’s forehead. To chat, e-mail akse@umich.edu.
ARTS 9
WEEKEND R O U NDUP TASTE OF ANN ARBOR SUNDAY, JUNE 1 FROM 11 A.M. TO 5 P.M. FOOD 50¢ TO $4
B.B. KING AT THE MICHIGAN THEATER SUNDAY, JUNE 1 AT 7:30 P.M. TICKETS $35 TO $60 Very few artists can claim to have influenced The Rolling Stones, U2, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and countless other legends. Out of those few, how many are still touring? Perhaps just one: B.B. King. The 88 year old (yes, that’s correct) bluesman brings his vast experience, talent and his guitar (affectionately known as “Lucille”) to the Michigan Theater on Sunday. Estimated to have played over 15,000 live shows in his lifetime, King’s unique style of guitar playing and his status as a revered elder statesman in the music world are sure to make the concert a special, enlightening experience. His songs, having been through so many years and variations, carry a weight of importance that’s impossible to understand unless heard from a master in a live setting. Take in an essential piece of music history — and someone who’s still currently a fantastic live performer — this Sunday downtown.
Most Ann Arborites are familiar with Restaurant Week, the semi-annual event in January and June where participating restaurants offer prix-fixe menus for a week, often at more affordable prices than usual. This Sunday, the annual Taste of Ann Arbor event will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Main Street, acting as a sort of "Restaurant Day" to the upcoming Restaurant Week from June 22-27. At Taste of Ann Arbor, restaurants — 39 this year — will set up stands on Main Street offering samples of their cuisine. The entrants registered by the Main Street Area Association this year represent the diversity of cuisines and dining establishments that Ann Arbor offers, from Whole Foods Market and Buffalo Wild Wings to Shalimar and Cafe Felix. However, Taste of Ann Arbor isn't just about the free samples; it's a full-blown competition. A team of judges, including Mayor John Hieftje, will award prizes to entrants for their food. Past categories have included Best Appetizer, Best Entree, and Best Dessert, as well as a People's Choice Award and a Best of Show Award, which was won by Arbor Brewing Company last year. In addition to the food, there will also be live music on Bank of Ann Arbor’s Sonic Lunch stage, provided by Bennett, The Rolling Jays, Kate Peterson of Nervous But Excited, Abigail Stauffer, Dave Menzo & The Cave of Wonders and Chris DuPont.