Pulse Editor
Jacquelyn Lewis
jacquelynlewis@dailyemerald.com
Thursday, May 1,2003
Oregon Daily Emerald
On Tuesday
The moon, the stars,
the mosquitos -
Pulse goes
camping
‘Cowboy Bebop ’
sustains anime’s
supreme reign
in movies, TV
Three, two, one, let’s jam.
These words launch viewers in to the world of “Cowboy Be
bop,” the brilliant anime series by director Shiniehiro Watanabe.
“Bebop” perfecdy blends visual appeal, engaging stories and phe
nomenal music to create a work that expands the anime genre
beyond cliches and stereotypes to truly move viewers.
As you can tell, I’m a fan.
Which explains why I’m practically peeing myself at the
impending run of “Cowboy Bebop: The Movie” at the Bijou
during the next few weeks. This film’s journey to America
is due in no small part to Cartoon Network airing the series,
beginning September 2001. “Bebop” was one of the titles
that sparked the success of the network’s Adult Swim,
which remains one of the premiere places on television to
see anime.
As anime’s legitimacy increases on the small screen, cer
tain exceptional titles such as the
Oscar-winning “Spirited Away”
and its predecessor “Princess
Mononoke” give the style increas
ing credibility in theaters. Of
course, it doesn’t hurt to have the
Disney marketing machine on
your side.
But the most successful anime
films are self-contained stories
that require no background. The
“Bebop” movie could stand
alone, but audiences would
Mason
West
Selling out
likely misunderstand the
film. It would be like watch
ing “Saved by the Bell:
Hawaiian Style” without hav
ing followed the Zach Attack
through previous years.
The movie works infinitely
better as an extended episode,
adding to the established story
of the original 26 “sessions,” as _
they are called. The series is
... as "Bebop"
unfolds, an entire
world is created
through the
human insights
and interactions
very episodic; it does not show stories stretching beyond two
sessions. But piece by piece, as “Bebop” unfolds, an entire
world is created through the human insights and interactions
in these episodes.
I am protective about this series similar to the way I will
one day watch over my adolescent daughter. So, to protect
its integrity, I am taking the fight off the page and to the peo
ple, when I host screenings of the series from 8 p.m. to mid
night May 6 through 8. Because I’m trying to put this together
very last minute, details are currently sparse. But check fu
ture Emerald issues for more details, or e-mail me and I’ll
keep you posted.
Here’s what I can tell you now: The screenings will be on
campus, hopefully in Willamette 100 because we all love sta
dium seating. The event will be absolutely free (otherwise I
could get sued). The series will be in Japanese with subtitles
— the dub isn’t bad, but I’m a real stickler when it comes to
watching things as they were originally intended. Yes, the
movie will be in English, so if enough people are crabby whin
ers, I could be persuaded to show the dubbed series. But
you’re only cheating yourselves.
Another certainty is that eight hours isn’t enough time to
watch the whole series. I’m tempted to leave out the last four
episodes because the movie takes place chronologically before
them. However, my purist instincts dictate watching the
movie with full knowledge of how the series concludes — a
knowledge that Watanabe would have expected viewers to
bring to the film.
I apologize for the haphazard nature of this whole thing. But
I’m doing it for the peoples, I swear. So get in on the ground
floor and send me any suggestions. Stay with me, and I prom
ise it’ll be cool.
See you, Space Cowboys.
Contact the Pulse columnist at masonwest@dailyemerald.com. His
views do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald.
VeteraihcoViSti<pocker
Greg Brown brings his
seasoned musical style back
to Eugene with performances
at the WOW Hall on Sunday
Aaron Shakra
Pulse Reporter
To say Greg Brown is a veteran per
former would be an understatement.
His most recent album was 2002’s
“Milk of the Moon.” His discography
contains 20 other recordings, dating
back to 1974’s “Hacklebamey.”
When it comes to describing
Brown’s style of music, numerous
genres probably apply when an artist
has so many recordings — they
range from folk to funk to rock to
blues, ad infinitum. With such a wide
range of material, his music is con
stantly evolving.
This Sunday, Brown will play two
shows at WOW Hall, the venue
where he was voted “Best Male Per
former of 2002.”
Brown said he believes music and
the global peace movement are intrin
sically connected.
“Music has been one of the great
tools of peace and understanding
around the world,” he said. “I’m not
necessarily talking about overtly polit
ical songs. Music is a great communi
cator — and it speaks for peace. It’s
hard to bomb people and kill people
when you see them as human beings.”
Recently, Brown has been intro
duced to new generations of fans
through touring with artists like Ani
DiFranco (the two played in Eugene at
the McDonald Theatre in October) as
well as the release of “Going Drifdess,”
a Brown tribute album with a number
of musicians dialing it in. DiFranco
covered his song “The Poet Game,”
which includes lyrics like, “And why
do I think it’s any help / for me to still
dream of playing the poet game?”
Concert producer Mike Myer, who
also hosts “Acoustic Junction,” on
KRVM radio, said he brought Brown to
Courtesy
Greg Brown's music style includes folk, funk, rock, blues and more.
Eugene because of the musician’s
acoustic chops. Myer praised the di
rectness of Brown’s music and de
scribed the message and delivery as
“very raw.”
“Most of his performance is just
his own words, emotions and hu
mor coming through very directly,”
Myer said. “He’s fiercely independ
ent; he won’t sell out to any trends
of the market.”
Brown’s albums are released
through Red House Records, the label
he co-founded 20 years ago. Red
House publicist Alex Seitz said that as
opposed to paint-by-the-numbers mu
sicians, Brown is a true artist.
“He’s not just pumping out formula
songs,” Seitz said. “His songs are one
of-a-kind originals, full of meaning and
metaphor.”
Turn to Rocker, page 6
‘Real Girls’
uses realism,
avoids fake
romance
Movie review
Ryan Bornheimer
Senior Pulse Reporter
There is something painfully
incompatible about youth and last
ing love. Making a relationship work
at a time when neither party has
enough life experience to play fair
is nearly impossible. Perhaps that’s
why the scars left by the loss of that
first true love mark so deeply.
Young lovers carry so much ideal
ism with them into early relation
ships that the inevitable fall back to
"Real Girls"
includes a realistic
love story, not the
usual Hollywood
superficial tare.
Courtesy
reality is nothing less than cata
strophic.
“All the Real Girls” is the antithe
sis of everything false in most mod
ern love stories aimed at young audi
ences. Hollywood loves to churn out
over-stuffed MTV commercials star
ring magazine cover models in some
superficial approximation of young
romance. “Real Girls” director David
Gordon Green knows that true
romance lies as much in nights spent
alone pining for the one that got
away as in summer evenings watch
ing the sunset with someone in your
arms. And he doesn’t have to use a
pop soundtrack to make his point.
When 22-year-old Paul (Paul
Schneider) falls in love with his best
friend’s 18-year-old sister, Noel
(Zooey Deschanel), he knows he’s
found the girl to curb his womanizing
ways. The two lie in bed connecting
in a way neither has ever experi
enced, and there seems to be little
Turn to Girls, page 6