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 . 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