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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2000)
Madonna remakes classic ✓ * NEW YORK (AP) — Bye-bye, Miss American Pie. Hello, Madonna. The Material Girl released her ver sion of the 1971 classic “American Pie” to radio stations on Tuesday, a truncated take on Don McLean’s g !4 - minute rock ‘n’ roll homage to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. The song’s debut came before the anniversary of “the day the music died”: Feb. 3,1959, when a plane car rying the three young rock stars went down in an Iowa cornfield. Madonna’s remake times out at under five minutes, a considerable cut from the original. And don’t worry if you don’t remember all die words: The Material Girl has trimmed some of the verses. Madonna’s version strays far afield from McLean’s simple arrange ment. There’s an electronic dance brat, and distant background vocals from actor Rupert Everett There is also “an explosion of interest” from adult contemporary and Top 40 radio stations, which have jumped to add the song to their playlists, said Heidi Ellen Robinson, spokesman for Madonna’s label, Maverick. The song is from the soundtrack to Madonna’s latest movie, “The Next Best Thing,” which co-stars Everett. The movie opens March 3. ftk s k I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I CELLULARONE L Hardt Communications ®® « Troy 560-7837 Joe 890-9164 Keith 580-1240 , I Ryan 560-3988 Tanner 890-6095 Gary 580-0070 I _. .. * REGIMES... ...on change your life in an instant. Perhaps you would like to consider the possibility of creating an adoption plan for your child. Our case workers can answer your questions confidentially. If you I would like to visit with us, please call today. <i 'allay Road, Sts. 314 •Lincoln,NE 68510 J'_(402) 483-7879 « 800-390-6754_ “Lessons of the Holocaust?” l ____ r - - * r ■> --u. ■ ■ i ■ i — • It ■' . — MOVIE REVIEW — Film captures odd lifestyles By Shelley Mika Staff writer “American Movie,” a documen tary about filmmaker Mark Borchardt, could be seen as having all kinds of self-referential qualities. But rather than being a movie about mak ing movies, director Chris Smith has made a film about the vision and the man. Before the film starts sounding boring, one should know a little bit about the man. Borchardt is crazy. There’s really no other way to put it. And at the same time, there’s a lot more going on than just that. “American Movie” is brimming with ambiguities, the most important being the combination of comedy, drama and tragedy as seen in one man’s life. A brief bio of Borchardt should reveal these fine lines: Like I said, the guy’s crazy. Film isn’t a hobby or even a career; it’s an obsession. Borchardt takes all of his actions to the extreme. Whether it’s getting over 50 shots done in a matter of hours or talking his 82-year-old uncle into financing his project, he means business. It’s hard not to laugh at how seriously he takes himself in light of the fact that he’s shooting B-grade horror flicks. At the same time, Borchardt works extremely hard. He has two jobs and still finds time for family, friends and film. And this is no new “I’m gonna be a filmmaker” kick. He’s been at it since he was 14. But as the details of his life amass, the tone turns toward the sad side. Borchardt is 30 by the end of the film (which spans four years) and is still delivering newspapers and living with his parents. Courtesy Photo Bill Borchardt, left, and Mark Borchardt in “American Movie.” All of these elements grind against each other enough to keep the day-to-day pace of the film interest ing. Had they not been present, and the main character been different, the film would have been a flop. There are few impressive shots and no ground-breaking information is presented. Essentially there is no angle to this film except for our reac tions to the exposure of Borchardt’s psyche. But with a psyche like Borchardt’s, that ends up being enough. The film starts a bit slow, but a half an hour in, a certain voyeuristic pleasure kicks in - mostly in the form of “What the hell is this guy going to do next?” Even though at times many char acters may seem like parodies of themselves, Smith deserves praise for his skill in balancing the elements of \ American Movie §fass»w.. STARRING: Mark Borchardt, Mike Sc hank and Uncle Bill DIRECTOR: Chris Smith RATED: R (for Borchardt's potty mouth.) GRADE: B FIVE WORDS: Interesting w documentary follows m freaky Filmmaker. the film. “American Movie” could have made a mockery of Borchardt. There are certainly enough comic opportunities to do so. But taking that route would diminish the integrity Borchardt deserves, despite his unusual person ality. Instead Smith presents a film that follows someone we never thought we could respect but some how do in the end. — MUSIC REVIEW — Soulful ‘Voodoo’ bewitches listener By Josh Krauter Staff writer D’Angelo is not trying to make any friends in the liner notes to his new album, “Voodoo.” After asking a series of questions about where art comes from, D’Angelo bares his fangs and sinks them into the backs of his fellow hip hop and R & B singers. “These are questions that seem to be null and void in the face of all the glitter and glamour that has dominat ed most successful black artistry of recent years,” D’Angelo writes. “We seem to be more preoccupied with cultivating our bank accounts than cultivating our crafts.” D’Angelo then invokes the names of Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, A1 Green and Prince. He hints that his peers have forgotten about them. “.. .Most of my peers seem to idol ize Donald Trump more than Sly Stone ... They don’t seem to realize that Jimi Hendrix was and is a sonic Bill Gates.” D’Angelo never names anyone specifically, but most of his pot shots are aimed at Puff Daddy, Master P or any other hip-hop million-seller who thinks R & B stands for Riches and Billions. D’Angelo is miles ahead of most of what passes for R & B and hip-hop on MTV and the radio, bpt does he deserve to be included in the pantheon of Gaye, WQnder and that short funky guy with a symbol for a name? Not really, or at least, not yet. But if he builds on the accomplishments of “Voodoo,” he may be on his way. D’Angelo doesn’t have a voice that will put chills on spines like Marvin or Stevie, and, though a good musician, he’s not capable of creating unique sound worlds like Hendrix or Prince. He compensates for these slight shortcomings through good ol’-fash ioned elbow grease. He’s done his homework. He’s spent a long time on the songwriting. In short, he’s worked hard on this album. Sonically, “Voodoo” is some where in between the 1970s soul albums of Gaye and Wonder and the 1990s hip-hop soul of Wu-Tang Clan, Outkast, Lauryn Hill and Maxwell. It sounds contemporary, but draws heavily from D’Angelo’s 1970s influ ences. And though D’Angelo’s voice isn’t quite as distinct as his heroes’, he is skilled at mimicking their styles, often bringing to mind four or five dif ferent singers in just one line. “Spanish Joint” is prime Stevie Wonder, “Left & Right” brings to mind A1 Green and “How Does It Feel” is vintage Prince. But the singer D’Angelo most closely resembles is Marvin Gaye. In fact, “The Line” sounds eerily like Gaye, resurrected for the hip-hop age. But D’Angelo is no mere copycat. The music is a seamlessly original blend of classic funk and modem soul, and the arrangements veer toward the unexpected. When D’Angelo is singing like Gaye or Prince, the music sounds nothing like them. “Devil’s Pie” is even dissonant, with D’Angelo slurring his words and forcing the lines he sings to alternately come in later or earlier than expected. D’Angelo plays most of the instruments himself, and most songs feature guitars, organ, bass and drums, though a few drum samples pop up. He’s aided by an eclectic group of guests, including jazz musi cians Roy Hargrove and Charlie Hunter, rappers Method Man and .r ■ ' - 1 - '^Voodoo > j ARTIST: D’Angelo ^ LABEL: Virgin Records GRADE: B+ P FIVE WORDS: New - school meets old school. Redman, Raphael Saadiq from Tony Toni Tone and a few members of the Roots. With “Voodoo,” D’Angelo joins a small group of soul singers who. are actually moving the genre forward but still keeping in touch with its roots, including Maxwell, Erykah Badu and LaurynHill. Unfortunately, “Voodoo” shares the same weakness as Maxwell, Badu and Hill’s recent albums: a lack of brevity. The album’s 79-minute run ning time gets a little wearing. Songs have a tendency to meander. But D’Angelo also shows the most promise. He shows more variety than Badu, is funkier than Maxwell (though his songs aren’t as catchy) and he doesn’t get bogged down in the moralistic sermonizing that marred - Hill’s otherwise fine album. “Voodoo” shows that D’Angelo is here to stay. i