Thursday, September 4, 1975
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Nin
Film groups off
wide variety of
By JEFF SORSENSEN 1
Although most student activi-
ties and groups have been on
the decline in the past few
years, student-run film societies
and local movie theatres have
been booming as never before.
Response to the c i n e ma"
among students has snowballed
to such an extent that attend-
ance figures have more than
doubled since 1970 while the
number of film offerings has in-
creased at least fourfold.
LOCAL MOVIE buffs have a
wider selection of films at their
disposal within walking distance
than at any other university in
the nation, excepting perhaps
such prestigous film schools as
UCLA or NYU. On any given
weekend evening, in fact, a
moviegoer will have a choice
between as many as 15 different
films.
Not only is the wide spectrum
of offerings so outstanding, the
prices are generally much lower
than in most cities. Most stu-
dent groups charge either $1 or
$1.25 for films while the com-
mercial theaters usually charge
from $1.50 to $2.50.
And even commercial movie
houses generally feature bar-
gain days on Wednesday, "two
for one" nights on Mondays,
and a number of student dis-
count plans.
In the past year, some six
student groups have been in op-
eration, in addition to numerous
showings in dorms and other
student hang-outs. Although it
appears that the intense surge
of interest is leveling off some-
what, the student groups pro-
vide a healthy balance of old
and new films, of popular and
classical material.
THE OLDEST societies like
Cinema Guild and Cinema II,
both of which were in business
in the sixties, focus mainly on
film classics and movies that
aren't shown regularly on tele-
vision or in commercial the-
aters. The other groups-includ-
ing. the Ann Arbor Film Co-op,
New World, and Mediatrics-
concentrate mainly on films of
the late sixties and early seven-
ties that are sure-fire money
makers, and those films that
are best received. by the stu-
dent population.
These groups vary widely, not
only in their selection of mate-
rial, but also in the care they
take with their showings. While
Cinema Guild (in the old Archi-
tecture Aud.) and Cinema II
and the Film Co-op (in Angell
Hall) go to great lengths to ob-
tain the finest prints available
of films and have large sums
invested in projection equip-
ment, the other groups seem
more interested in just drawing
crowds.
Particularly offensive in this
regard is Mediatrics, which
shows films in the Natural
Science Aud., a woefully inade-
quate facility for film viewing
with its disastrous sound sys-
tem, uncomfortable chairs and
er a
cinema
b a r g a i n basement projection
equipment.
DESPITE THE higher admis-
sion prices, the choice of com-
mercial theaters in the city is
also first rate. In addition to
the Michigan, State, Campus,
Matrix, and Fifth Forum the-
aters, all located close to the
campus, the Fox Village The-
ater at Maple Village and four
theaters at The Movies in Briar-
wood, provide a varied selec-
tion of recent films.
Between these nine locations,
Ann Arbor generally gets al-
most every important first-run
American film within a few
weeks after they first open in
New York.
Deserving of special praise is
the Campus Theater located on
South University. This movie
house features a large number
of first-run foreign films, focus-
in primarily on the French and
Italian cinema. Important for-
eign releases such as "Lacombe
Lucien" or "The Phantom of
Liberte". which are often not:
shown at all in most cities.
ALL IN ALL, the city pro-
vides a unique opportunity for
the film buff of or even the
occasional moviegoer. There
are more offerings at more
theaters for less prices than al-
most anywhere else. Any stu-
dent who complains that "there1
just isn't anything to do in Ann
Arbor," clearly must be think-a
ing of something else besides
movies. !
Doily Photo by PAULINE LUBENS
A COUPLE OF BICYCLISTS take the easy way out as they ride their bikes through the city last summer. There are as many bikes as cars in Ann Arbor, and
there are probably an equal number of bicycle thieves. A heavy lock and chain are a must for any bikist.
Bikes in A:
The only way to go
Marijuana is easy in Ann Arbor
(Continued from Page 3) I
icals underwent a gradual shift
away from hallucinogens and
amphetimines toward barbit-
urates and other downs. In
early 1972 methaqualone, popu-
larly known as quaaludes, sop-
ers, and "that new s - -" hit
the Hill Area dorms like a
Mack truck.
BALLHOED as some sort of;
wondrous, non-addictive sleep-
ing pill, quaaludes were gob-
bled down as if there were no
tomorrow. Before the year was
out, it wwas determined that
quaalude-popping was one of
the worst things you could do
to your body - but not before
mass - stupefication levels of
record proportion were reached.
Quaalude usage dropped dra-
matically with the announce-
ment that the drug was highly
addictive and could be fatal
when mixed with alcohol. Drug
rehabilitators also found that
people hooked on quaaludes had
to be addicted to barbiturates;
before they could withdraw.
The scourge of the drug scene
this year, says Jane Harris,
Backup On-call Co-ordinator of
Drug Help, has been PCP, a
powerful horse tranquilizer
which can bring on total numb-
ness, uncomfortable hallucina-
tions, and eye vacillation.
"THEY sell it on the street
and call it THC (the active in-
gredient in cannabis)," says
Harris. "But actually there is
no such thing as pure THC. It's
too unstable . . . it disinte-
grates."
Harris has received nuer-
ous PSP-related calls from high!
school kids and street peole-
those Diag frequenters whose
numbers, she adds, are up quite:
a bit from last year.
With the coming of the Sev-!
enties, the pro-dope campaign
had cornered de facto approval
from University officialdom.
Local lawmen still had their
hands full dealing with student
"unrest" over Indochina, see-!
ing the handwriting on the wall,
more more more more more m
were willing to make some con-
cessions on the dope front. Their
hands forced by an all-out mari-
juana legalization drive, canned
by the nationally-covered John
Sinclair Freedom Concert ex-
travaganza - "Ten for Two,
and Tyler too". The Democra-
tic - controlled City Council un-
der Mayor Robert Harris wild-
ly acclaimed legislation reduc-
ing the penalty for possession
and consumption of s m al I
amounts of marijuana to a five-
dollar fine. Dope-smoking le-
gions the town over rejoiced in
this portentous turn of events,
and any reservations they still
may have harbored over toking
in public quiclv went up in
smoke. The Golden Age was
on.
SINCE the council action of
'71, dope devotees have suffer-
ed some minor setbacks. The
GOP-dominated council under
Smilin' Jim Stephenson did
their damnedest to restore some
common sense to the degenerate
state of city affairs by repeal-
ing the five buck law in 1973.
But the GOP coup was relegat-
ed to legislative limbo and the
dope law restored to its for-
mer glory by a city-wide ballot
referendum passed a few
months later.
Doper enthusiasm was riding
high those days, and in 1971 it
was decided that a special day
of suitably hedonistic celebra-
tion should be set aside to com-
memorate the City's newest and
greatest distinction. The Hash
Bash was born, and has flour-
ished on the Diag every April
Fool's Day since.
Of late, the bash hasn't quite
been up to its previous levels of
good-natured merriment. Last
spring's celebration was mar-
red by numerous ripoffs and
the largest collection of incon-
spicuously - attired middle aged
gents in shades this side of CIA
headquarters.
NOT surprisingly, boom for
some folks has meant bust for
others. Since the dope law went
into effect, the volume of local
drug-related crime and arrests
has been climbing off the
charts. Only the die-hard few
still try to directly tie mar-
- - -~;~ -
juana use to the rash of ripoffs
committed in support of harsh-
er habits. Yet most agree, the
law was crucial to Ann Arbor's
emergence as something of a
drug mecca, a reputation that
has brought with it an influx of
big-time dealers and hard-drug
consumers who play the game
for keeps.
Ironically enough, a place ru-I
mored to be among the busier{
hard drug and stolen-good clear-
inghouses, the Derby Bar onI
Ann Street, it situated within
two blocks of City Hall, the Post
Office, city. police headquar-
ters, the Armory, and Washte-
naw County Jail.
The recently constructed
booze'n'burgers complex grac-
ing the corner of Liberty and
M a y n a r d, including Chances
Are, (a dance bar) Burger King,
Dooley's (another bar) and,
McDonald's has attracted more!
than its share of shady charac-
ters. Cocaine dealing is fast
becoming one of the featured at-
tractions of the Dooley's men's
room, and more than one of
the pub's patrons has been seen
flashing switchblades a n d
worse.
i
I
I
1
{
1
i
I
I
I
i
{
i
a
i,
1
I
{f
IIi'
f
t
I
i
1
,
1
I
j
i
I
t
I
i
;
By CATHERINE REUTTER
Ann Arbor has 35,000 regis-:
tered bicycles, and about 45,
per cent of them belong to stu-
dents.
Biking in Ann Arbor can be1
a bittersweet experience. Short!
trips out of town lead to some
interesting spots, but dodging
cars and pedestrians to get
there can be tricky. Bikes are
often stolen, despite tough locks
an licenses that are easy to ob-
tain. There are a number of
biking groups around town to:
offer moral support, though.
ONE OF THE best rides out
of town, and an easy one, winds:
along I-uron River Drive to the
northwest, beginning at the in-'j
tersection with Main Street,
just before the US-23 junction.
A set of railroad tracks and one
long hill are the only major
drawbacks of this route. When
you get to Dexter, cross the
bridge to the Cider Mill. The
chain of Metroparks there is
also a good destination. Huron
River Drive is pretty all year
long, especially during the fall.
color display.
For an 'Pcrnate route, go due
west fron town along Scio
Church Road. Pleasant Lake
Road parallels Scio Church, but
must be picked up south of
town. While neither road fea- i
tures a close park destination,
a Metropark is in the planning
stages for that area. Traffic is
relatively light on both roads.
A system of bike paths con-
nects central campus to the
north campus area, and also
winds along routes north and
east of there. Huron Parkway
is a pretty ride, although it's
not well-lighted at night.
IF YOU must ride in urban
areas, Packard Road is the
most convenient route to Ypsi-
lanti. Curb cuts on sidewalks
and even some separate lanes
will grace sections of the route.
At other places, however, you
must take your life in your
be to your friendly neighborhood
bike shop to get one of the 50c
stickers. Affix it to the frame
somewhere, perhaps just below
your hometown license. The li-
cense is permanent, so you
don't have to bother with re-
newals. If you can furnish the
biwe shop with written proof of
purchase, it helps. Otherwise,
they must run a check to make
sure that you didn't steal it.
EVEN A strong lock and a
license sometimes doesn't help.
More than 1,000 bikes per year
are stolen, often by professional
thieves. In the year ending
June, 1974, 1,352 bikes were
ripped off. They had a com-
Wolverine Sports Club, offers
organized activities for racers
and touring fans. The bike club
hosts a ride which leaves the
Diag every Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Professor Joseph Datsko is the
faculty contact for the group.
He leads day and weekend
rides, and tries to set up week-
end tours. The club will be
holding an organizational meet-
ing early this fall.
The Ann Arbor area Ameri-
can Youth Hostel also sponsors
rides of all sorts. Drop-by the
International Center to pick up
their 50c maps of the area and
talk to John Booth. They have
a Tuesday ride at 7 p.m. which
leaves 840 Brockwood for trips
around town.
THEIR meeting will be in the
International Center on Sept. 3
at 8 p.m. Chairman for the or
ganization is Rubin Chapman
The Youth Hostels offer cheaI
places to stop on tours acros,
the country, and the local or
ganization owns a large bikE
trailer.
If racing is more to you
taste, contact Mike Kolin at hi
bike shop on Hoover. The Wol
verine Sports Club has a branc
in Ann Arbor as well as Detroi
and Lansing.
If you're low on funds ans
know how to wield a wrench
try the Naked Wrench Bike Co
op, 764-6177. They can furnisl
tools and expertise on how t
make your bike purr.
Wherever you ride, keep ai
eye on traffic. There were 7
bike accidents ending June, '74
Luckily, none of them wer4
fatal.
hands and brave traffic. bined valuei
Once you get to your destina- The Univer
tion, lock your bike securely. Ann Arbor's
If possible, get a chain long American Yo
enough to link your two tires - -- -
and frame to a stationary object - -- -
like a lamp post. Not surpris
ingly, the more expensive locks
are a better bet, although noth-
ing can provide an iron-clad
guarantee. National brands like
Master or American are better
t h a n the department store
brands. Also, watch out that an
attractive plastic casing doesn't
hide thin chain links.
Another important security
measure is a license. One of
your first rides in town should
of nearly $130,000.
sity's Bicycle Glub,
branch of they
uth Hostel and the
- -- -
__
i
Welcome Freshman
For the widest selection
of SHOES for
Men & Women
COME TO
If you have nevershopped
S0at the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul,
I0
THEN COME TO
STurkish Arts& Gifts Shop (I
and you will experience the I
mystical air of the ancient Bazaar. v
HOODED SHEEP SKIN MAXI COATS & CAR
COATS 0 HANDMADE JEWELRY 0 PUZZLE
RINGS A HANDWOVEN RUGS@A KHILIMS &
REAL FURTASIA TAPESTRY * GENUINE
j TURKISH FERRY CLOTHES & TOWELS 0
HAND EMBROIDERED BLOUSES, SHIRTS &
JACKETS 0 HAND CRAFTED TILES, WALL c
PLATES & VASES 9 HAND MADE COPPER,
BRASS & ALABASTER WORK 0 ANTIQUE
GUNS & DAGGARS
-Reasonable Prices-
Open Daily 1Oa.m.-6 p.m.
215 E. Liberty-Ann Arbor
76 1-5554
i
I I'
HEADQUARTERS FOR:
Frye Boots, C I a r k s, Florsheim,
Dexter, Bear Traps, Sperry Top-
siders, Wallabees, Bass Tacks,
and more.
H MAST'S L0-m
- - :_
THE CROWN HOUSE OF GIFTS CORDIALLY INVITES YOU TO AN EXCITING
ADVENTURE IN GIFTS, HOME ACCESSORIES, CANDY, AND GREETING CARD
SHOPPING IN OUR NEW STORE.
DOWNTOWN
217 S. Main
Two Stores
CAMPUS
619 E. Liberty
P6
'
.4
BRIARWOOD
has... ART FAIRS
We're actually 16 shops in one!
CARD SHOP
(Ann Arbor's largest)
Over 500 designs of Contemporary Cards
Over 1500 designs in Everyday Cards
Party and Candle Shop
Season Cards for all occasions
O RUSSELL STOVER CANDY
" CONTEMPORARY ACCESSORIES
SHOP
* COSTUME JEWELRY
O GIFTS FOR AL OCCASIONS
RIDE OUR ESCALATOR TO THE
UPPER LEVEL FOR THE
O BATH AND BOUDOIR SHOP
* PICTURE GALLERY
O GIFTS OF ELEGANCE
O BRIDAL REGISTRY
0 MEN'S GIFT BAR
SPECIAL
SERVICES
Gift Wrapping Service
Mailing Service
anywhere in U.S.A.
Monogramming of stationery,
napkins, matches, etc.
Delivery Service
.. . JAZZ CONCERTS. .. ANTIQUE SHOWS
... PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITS
... SPORTS CLINICS ... FASHION SHOWS
and...
99 OITSTANflING SHOlPS ANDF RFPVI'FS
( n
,oi6
U
I
I
.
I
11
I
I
V