University of South Carolina Libraries
Burton's 'N Imagine having ItHBH Tim Burton as a IIIQ|1QJ childhood playmate. I|mj This little boy, who KEY||TOf*|S would later direct "Beetlejuice," "Bat ?C,l?,or,l I "J ^ilfi 11 i Id U iiidii auu i^u waiu ilffMllllU Scissorhands," proba- iiiliiMiini bly juggled skulls, beheaded cabbage It isn't surprising that the latest offering >l'rom this craftsman of inacabre, this engineer of oddity, is a holiday story with somewhat darker twists than "Miracle on 34th Street." "The Nightmare Before Christmas," Tim Burton's splendidly demented animated production, features the wiry Jack Skellinglon, pumpkin king of tl^ | f land of Halloween, fired of tricks treats, he yearns lor something more. : JPl Laying quj| By JACK Staff Writer Lay Quietr |pf|^. ^Iff Awhile, a Columbia-based band WM |V ( that has remained out of sight for ^^^^k the past couple of ^ years, will head- , >. ^ W a for s^s \ ZOn the heels of |-a ; W | c its first full-1 r fledged album release, the band, } which has been together for seven | years, is looking for a little recognition. "Delicate Wire," a 13-song LP, s brings Lay Quiet Awhile's talents to the forefront, exposing the band { for die first time in a manner con- ^ tiguous to its live sound. . uaiucnc nviwit > vuitt nuvti> above the sometimes restrained 1 grunge, sometimes pretty composi- ' tions with an awkward grace that t O grows on you. But any awkward- r ness is intentional, which you can ( hear on the opening track, "Go ^ Right Through," and other songs such as "Well II It Don't Happen" and "Storyteller." Howie uses a * free-flowing word crunch that i sounds offbeat at first but soon i tlows for the desired effect. K Howie covers uie usuai emououal topics: love and loss and the notso-usual warnings to friends. 1 "Wait" shows you a voice of a * woman- in love as beautiful as Joni t lvmcucii s, wuiic nun^ui ui me j Ant Mutants" shows the stinging ^ c c bite of a woman seorned and done wrong. Howie also warns from 5 experience in "Time Won't Help" ^^B and "Sweet E-lise." both excellent 1 MT guitar songs. ^B A highlight of die album is gui- ( tarist Phil Cook's "The Tree Song," a quirky piece of pop-punk that ^^^^^^^^charms with Howie's and Cook's ightmare' b One day, Skellington stumbles upi a portal in the woods, a pathway other holiday worlds. Intrigued by green and red sparkly symbol, he opei the door and is transported to Chrh mas Town. Skellington is inspired by the joy 1 sees as elves create gifts and ehildn | smile with glee. He takes back his ne J knowledge of this holiday to Ha lowcen Town, where the ghosts ar I: goblins decide that this year they w 1 make Christmas. Burton's creepy characters have < innocent charm about them as tht stuff jack-in-the-boxes with dead ra ;uk1 package shriveled shrunken hca< for good boys and girls. The ghosts even plot to kidnap San Claus to give him a vacation from li toils this year. Jj^Jannv Elfman, the ex-lead singer ^^^^Vitninoo and a nonular film sco ^^oser, provides the voice for Ja< longer W Ctx)k comes up with some imagery of boy meets girl/boy oses girl, using a U"ee and a leaf as ymbolism. They are together in he beginning, but time brings all hings to a close: "You were on my ranch as a million suns/Came ris 1 1 1 Ml 71 11 (lg huiiiu uie uciiu/ w iicn ian laiuc 'ou had blown away/When 1 hought you were my friend." Lay Quiet Awhile's lyrics are ife with clever word play. An :xample of Howie's insight into the nale animal is in "Well If It Don't lappen": "You were a guest in my ife/Trashed me like your room/Full >f things you couldn't value or conumc." "Boot Lady," an acoustic num )er, is a variation on "Eleanor Rig>y" hut not so pessimistic: "For all ogether natural/Creatures detach heir bodies' laws/You will go on, tpprehend/You will save the now or then, ending in..." A death-istot-the-end message. Bassist Dan Dook adds a Beatlesque feel to die ;ong with violin accompaniment. Brothers Dan and Phil provide iome solid bass and guitar on "Delcate Wire," drawing influences "rom punk-era guitar pop and possi>lv a little of the Seattle sound. I heir sound is more free than your lsual commercial alternative bands, uid production is minimal, making he band likely to become more nfiuential on Columbia musicians ind listeners than commercially successful. Lay Quiet Awhile has put out an ~P every now and then. The cur"ent lineup with new drummer 3avid Wright should be the final .me. and hopefully, more albums A'ill be on die way. "Delicate Wire" seems like a great beginning. ecomes dreai >n and wrote the film's songs. His gleefulto ly deadly lyrics provide much of the a film's dark humor, as I thought I was watching "Les Misit erables" for a while as Jack sings a musical soliloquy in front of a huge le moon. ;n The film took years to make, and all w the work really shows on screen. Com1 bining stop-motion animation, pupid petry, computer-generated effects and ill special visual wizardry, it's an eyepopping feast of imagination. in F1 iirtnn nivpc hie rpuicinnicl fnirv ftitf ;y a cold, brazen tone by using snowy its landscapes, foreboding shadows, dark ds towers, spooky mansions and jagged hills. ta Contrasting with Halloween Town is lis a Christmas village to outdo those claymation shows that are soon to of assault our TVs this season. It's like re "Frosty the Snowman" and "Rudolph :k the Red-Nosed Reindeer" spray-painted v ^lll^,. if If '' ^ Jim Cook mulls over the menu at the C Capitol cuisine: c By JOHNNA GOODWIN Staff Writer Food, folks and fun may be an accurate tion of McDonald's, but if you're after am in an eaterv. the Canitol Restaurant mish place to dine. Open 23 hours a day, the restaurant, cc called the Capitol Cafe, closes at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. The restaurant might be better descrit old diner. The tables are worn, the uphols history and the menus are covered with the j meals past, but it's one of the most interestir in town to eat. Since campus dining halls close early, tl late-night hours make it a convenient and SJXJl nmvnc UOG oiuilcNlu^ who often.. (vof\ restaurant after football games. This can long wait for a table, but the highly calorit worth the line lime. Food ranges from hot dishes to cold sat with fries to a variety of breakfast_enLT( m come true a black and cov d with insects and vampires. The love story between Jack and the robotic Sally is ;weet, and the supporting characters are sufficiently welldeveloped. The villain isn't given much screen time, but an evil little fl creature voiced by Paul Reubens provides a lot of dark humor. Quite a strange and daring offering .Jm from Disney, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is sure to inspire different r? t : a. c reactions. Durion, an ex-aiuiiiaioi lor jg i the company, finally gets to prove his talent, which was suppressed for years when he drew bad movies for unin Burton's fantasy film is a definite a change of pace worthy of the highest accolades in animation. It's a wickedly enchanting fable for all seasons. 'C .< : ;. .Jg Wz ^ !"T'"'' mlJr apitol Restaurant on Main Street. The cafe is open unt i r* t lowntown care weicomi breakfasts are heavy on the grease, value but the taste is superior to any ondescrip camPus meal. p atmosp nosnhere Pnces are definitely reasonable, ~ t be the and ,P?rdons ^ tot* cnouSh 10 g selectic satisfy the average hungry person. ^ Hashbrowns and trimmings such ^ immon \ as bacon or grits are extra but & service opens at ' >ed as an Sandwiches and dinner are also o sPeec* itcry has ti^ll r\rr\r\/-\rt i nnor I Thf> /^1nK COnH _ . LJ wurpiuuv/iuuiwu. i iiv* viuu JUIIU urease ol wich is one of the most tasty food qi ig places items. It's also one of the healthier 0 items served, which enables even le cafe's those who are watching their weight to enjoy sorr popular thing at the cafe, inent the The drinks are even healthy in that you do sor cause a exercise Colore S3USIynnr your thh^^BttLerases r : food is served in can. ~ - f^^Brino vn. self While the service tsn t I. % -nP >P[ ldwiches rciorcl time for the food tatc *cs The to make up tor die slower asp^c-s^ 'i' /jm