i 3r4igan DailI Eighty-Six Years of Editorial Freedom 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Film co-ops foc" Saturday,, April 17, 1976 News Phone: 764-0552 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan WHAT'S SO FUNNY? THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY RACE! I THE THREE LEADING CONTENDERS ARE JIMMY, SCOOP AND MO! IT SOUNDS LIKE AN OLD THREE STOOGES MOVIE! By CHRIS KOCHMANSKI ANN ARBOR is often called the film center of the Midwest due to the existence of the University's five major film societies - Cinema Guild, Cinema II, the Ann Arbor Film Co-op, the New World Film Co-op and UAC Mediatrics. This is the last of five articles on the movie industry. The film groups are similar in that they are all non-profit organizations, en- trusting their operations to volunteers from the Michigan student body, the faculty, and the Ann Arbor community. They are also alike in that each group serves the public by exhibiting a diverse selection of films (mostly in 16mm as opposed to commercial theaters' 35mm) at sub-commercial theater prices. Michigan's film societies recruit mem- bers from all walks of life who, sur- prisingly, need not have a consuming passion for film. They look for people who are interested in the organizational and business aspects as well. "The recruiting process," says Pat Murphy, former chairperson and now active member of Cinema Guild, "usu- ally consists of advertising for prospec- tive new members, interviewing them and having them apply. The members choose films and handle the business end of the operation. There's no profit -just free movies." BEFORE DRAWING UP a film sched- ule, each group submits a request to the Student Organizations Board (SOB) for auditorium space. SOB processes all requests, works with the Scheduling Of- fice to iron out all schedule conflicts with academic events, and eventually allocates auditorium space. Since each film groups is well es-. tablished in its home, they encounter little conflict with other groups over scheduling. In many ways, the film groups have been a blessing to the auditoriums in which they operate, since their operation has resulted in many building improvements. Cinema Guild's $10,000 investment in the Architecture Auditorium, for ex- emple, has equipped that facility with better lights, a new screen and com- fortable new backings for the chairs. "The auditorium," says Pat Murphy, "is now a much more comfortable place to enjoy a movie." to show less popular films at a con- siderable profit risk." Cinema Guild, originating in the late '50s, is the oldest of the five and spe- cializes in pro-'60s classics. "We started out," says Pat Murphy, "as an alter- native to commercial theaters and tele- vision. We're inclined to show less well- known films of major European and American directors to shed light on their careers." Murphy says that there is "a mo- mentum generated by seniority. We've never had any problem getting space in the Architecture Auditorium because we've been there so long." THE UNIVERSITY places no restric- tions on the films shown by Cine- ma Guild, but, says Murphy, "we're not entirely independent of them." They share their projection equipment with the University because "apparently you can't have private equipment in a Uni- versity-owned building." Murphy expresses the philosophy of all film groups in saying: "All film groups try to make money; it's how you use the money that's important. We need money to show money-losing pro- grams - like our pet project, the Ann Arbor 16mm Film Festival." Though not a profitable venture, fest is considered prestigious. A 1975 win- ner - Rob Gardiner's and Will Vin- ton's Closed Mondays. - later won an Academy Award for animated short sub- jects, an indication of the quality of the films entered. In the late '60s, Cinema Guild had established its priorities with classic old films, but with the public's desire to see more contemporary works, a Cinema Guild by-product - Cinema II - began to flourish. TODAY CINEMA II is best known as a showcase for "arty" contemporary films and has the unique good fortune of having 35mm projection equipment installed in its home, Angell Hall's Audi- torium A. Also in the late '60s, a rash of film groups sprang up (the Orson Welles and University of Michigan Film Societies included) which, for various reasons - including criminal charges-were forced out of business. The Ann Arbor Film Co-op survived the mass bankruptcy, and continues op- eration today at the Modern Languages Building and Angell Hall. It combines a healthy dose of intellectual films with solid commercial favorites, and Since each film group is well established in its home, they encounter little conflict with other groups over scheduing. In many ways, the film groups have been a blessing to the auditoriums in which they operate, since their operation has resulted in many building improve- ments.' . r -.:} } . :";a ' . ...........*. ...... X s ,",?J n. :.. ".w: {.:n ":: 'v : :S n-+ : :' av..w,"+: 3" o e'.i a?: m .";" Js r.{. son in Butterfield theater chain (which includes the Campus, the State and the Michigan). They see the film groups as financial competition." New World originated in 1972, when it operated off campus at the People's Ballroom. When that building burned down, the film group - then calling it- self Third World - moved to the Mod- ern Languages Building, where it book- ed mainly social commentary films. It changed to a commercial film for- mat, says Kenny, "to make possible the free International Film Series, a multi- media presentation on world affairs." The series, now defunct, was held each Friday at the Undergraduate Library and focused on individual nations of the world. But differences with the University administration led to almost insurmount- able financial obstacles. flicks Pink Flamingos and closed it doors in. definitely. Dallas Kenny's impassioned pleas for $20,000 (the amount needed to reopen the Matrix) have been to no avail; the theater's future remains un- certain. The newest of the major film groups is Mediatrics, a division of the Univer- sity Activities Center (UAC). Mediatrics specializes in contemporary favorites like Blazing Saddles and Shampoo, with the intention of showing such films at low prices. Of all the film societies, Mediatrics is least interested in preserving film art, but most interested in catering to the general public's taste. In its regular weekend screenings at the Natural Sci- ences Auditorium, Mediatrics teaches its employes as much about the movie busi- ness as it disregards film aesthetics. "WE DEAL IN entertainment films," ellp Ix t r tl /AL N ~ I.. I '~\ ~ x" \; t- THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL Tuition: Let Lansing hear THE DAILY urges students to join the Michigan Student Asseibly (MSA) protest of the newest tuition increase, announced at the Regents' meeting yesterday. A clamor loud enough to be heard in Lansing Is urgently needed. It is somewhat fatiguing to speak once again of the financial plight facing both the taxpayers and gov- ernment; nevertheless, it is import- ant to note that there is no readily- available scapegoat in this matter. Money is short, and cuts must be made. H o w e v e r, spiralling costs are threatening quality education, an en- tity which must rank high on a list of state budget priorities. It has sunk alarmingly low in the eyes of Gov- ernor Milliken and the state legis- lature, and it is to them that we must address our appeal. Michigan residents pay taxes among the highest in the nation, yet allocations for higher education rank near the bottom. There is no ques- tion that state-supported universi- ties, Including our own, have already suffered, and further cuts will make Editorial positions represent consensus of the Daily staff. a shell of the University's formerly well-regarded self. Where are our chief advocates in Lansing? This role is the Regents' and it was clear this week that they were embarrassingly ignorant of the details of the tuition hike. They are elected officials and it is their obli- gation to throw their collective weight around the legislature and the Milliken administration to the best of their abilities. Where have they been? The administration is by no means blameless. The tuition increase will account for roughly half of the $10 million deficit, while the other half will come from internal cuts - made by the administration, of course. Are they lean themselves? Will programs and faculty posts suffer before the administrators? Have they substitut- ed tuition money where funds could be saved by the elimination of obso-1 lete positions? Protest. We have no other choice. TODAY'S STAFF: NEWS: Dana Baumann, Lani Jordan, Jay Levin, Cathy Reutter, Jeff Ris- tine, Bill Turque. EDITORIAL PAGE: Marc Basson, Mi- chael Beckmon, Jay Levin, Jon Pan- sius, Tom Stevens, Jim Tobin. ARTS PAGE: David Blomquist. PHOTO TECHNICIAN: Scott Eccker. "THE UNIVERSITY," says Kenny, "tried to take over our funds. We had to change the structure of our out- fit and cancel the International Series. Then they (the administration) cut off 90 per cent of our auditorium space." Kenny believed the answer was to move off campus and create a "people's" movie theater in what is today the Matrix. "Our intent," he says, "was to con- trol our own funds." Selecting a location on William St,, Kenny initially estimated the Matrix's building fee at $20,000. Safety standards eventually ran that cost up to $70,000. Kenny personally raisedythe funds through loans from faculty members and private citizens. Initially, the Matrix presented a di- verse selection of films and introduced live entertainment to movie audiences. But the considerable debt incurred in its construction had recently confined it to repeatedly showing proven money-making yet artistically questionable films like Pink Flamingos, Flesh Gordon and Em- manuelle. KENNY SAYS THAT New World was "lucky this term, since we got the MLB on Thursdays and Saturdays," prime play-dates. But because of the Matrix debt (which they had hoped, perhaps futilely, to have paid off in two years), New World scheduled a spate of big money-guarantee porno films at the MLB. Herein lies the all too common necessity of sacrificing artistic stand- ards for big profits. Moreover, New World's continuing problem with repaying the debt recent- ly caught up with them in full. On April 9, the Matrix held a final screen of says business manager Ruskin. "Dave Levick (co-chairman of Mediatrics) is in contact with the distributors all the time. We try to pick the newest movies and what we think are the best." Ruskin makes no claim to being a judge of film art, however. If Medi- atrics' schedule seems somewhat repe- titious, it's no accident. "We know that pictures like Harold and Maude and Clockwork Orange are going to bring in big crowds," he says, "regardless of their critical reputations, pro or con." Significantly, Mediatrics' only two ventures into anything resembling retro- spectives on film - mini-festivals on Charles Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock last fall-flopped resoundingly. But Mediatrics'problems are minor compared to the other film groups. Each term they secure space in the Natural Sciences Auditorium because, says Rus- kin, "no one else wants it." THE OTHER FILM groups have been in the past somewhat suspicious of Medi- atrics, since it is a division of UAC, and therefore run by the University. "Now we have good relations with them all," Ruskin says. "We don't try to conflict with their schedules." Ruskin maintains that the University seldom intervenes into their operation. !"They (the University) say we can't show porno flicks, but they don't enforce the rule. We don't. show many of them anyway. " The University is enchanted with the idea of Mediatrics, Ruskin says, "be- cause its profits go into making up loss- es in other parts of UAC - a fitting' summation of film group politics. Chris Kochmanski writes for the Arts and Entertainment Page. 'When a fim group like the New World Film Co-op sets out as a political organ, however, it invariably en- counters drastic deficits which make showing porno flicks for big bucks an unfortunate necessity. "The prob- lems are not only those of money," says New World coordinator Dallas Kenny, "but also originate in the University administration.' .................. d+ p. The film societies order their films from a number of 16mm distributors - Universal 16, Swank and Films In- corporated, to name a few. RENTAL FEES RANGE greatly for various films. A lesser known, but wor- thy film like John Ford's classic 1946 Western My Darling Clemintine may cost as little as $50, while a recent Holly- wood blockbuster (The Sting, for exam- ple) might cost $500 and a substantial percentage of the profits for a week- end's worth of showings. Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles turned a combined profit of over $5,000 for Mediatrics. "This," says their business manager, Jim Rus- kin, "enabled us to purchase a new sound system (for the Natural Sciences Audi- torium) and gives us the opportunity shows cult favorite King of Hearts a half-dozen times a year. When a film group like the New World Film Co-op sets out as a political organ, however, it invariably encounters drastic deficits which make showing porno flicks for big bucks an unfortunate necessity. "The problems are not only those of money," says New World general coor- dinator Dallas Kenny, "but also originate in the University administration. KENNY BELIEVES THAT the Uni- versity regulates the film groups' funds "to control what the audiences see." He says that the administration con- tinually applies pressure. "There were identifiable FBI agents at our politically oriented International Film Series," he claimed. "The Uni- versity also owns a lot of stock in the .""s: V::;a "};,:;rr"agm: Xmspmm' am.,: 1. wnE.", s :e"vv Contact your reps- Sen. Phillip Hart (Dem), 253 Russell Bldg., Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20515. Sen. Robert Griffin (Rep), 353 Russell Bldg., Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20515. Rep. Marvin Esch (Rep), 2353 Rayburn Bldg., Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20515. Sen. Gilbert Bursley (Rep), Senate, State Capitol Bldg., Lansing, Mi. 48933. Rep. Perry Bullard (Dem), House of Representatives, State Capitol Bldg., Lansing, Mi. 48933. ?:::?: .s"";e . .5}'"?:. . .;. a 'a . . . . . . . . .................. .. .. ,s.F ra.. ......r.... .:r.... s4"''G4: r ": .:..., ...... .- . Crow Dog vs. the govt. By ALAN KETTLER such great social good, it would merely be working con- EONARD CROW DOG is a Sioux Medicine Man. At his sistently in putting down Leonard Crow Dog. L E n RoW DG a oux Medinha a is The deliberate harm the government deals to peaceful home in Rosebud, S.D., doctors and pharmacologists spiritual leaders is seriously corrosive of the striving for have come to learn about the use of herbs. a humane, equitable, peaceful society. With the subversion His friend Richard Erdoes calls him "a teacher for of the peaceful forces of dissent, an aggressive, exploitive, young and old, an instructor in the ancient wisdom of his materialistic political system perpetuates itself. If the >' people, its religion, its langauge, its culture." He has government cannot tolerate the coexistence of peaceful revived the Ghost Dance at his place for the first time holy men, who will they tolerate? since the last of the Khose Dancers were massacred in Leonard Crow Dog perpetuates Mother Earth knowl- 1890 at Wounded Knee. edge and practices which developed over the thousands of Also, he is director of the Sun Dance ceremony, at years of Indian life and adaptation to the North American which each summer as many as 2,000 Native Americans land. There is a need for the teaching of compassion for assemble to partake in this rite. Unable to read or write, life and land amidst the prevailing American view of life Crow Dog has preserved the ancient songs and music of and land as either commodities or worthless entities, with his people by passing them on in the oral tradition of the the callous degradation and killing this view has dealt Sioux. to Mother Earth. Letters to the Daily DNA clear oblivion, a by-product of science's blind faith in man- To The Daily: kinds' ability to eventually con- trol his science and protect FOR ALL OF its glories (arti- himself from it, sufficient wit- ficial hearts, nuclear weaponry, ness, evidence, data, reason, space travel, an auto-for-every- andcaution from introducingsan- parking-space, electric gadgets other such seed of potential for every finger ad infinitium) monstrosity? How many muta- modern science has yet to deal tions of chromosomal engineer- with the basic implications and ing removed from man's pres- issues stemming from technolo- ent fabric will it take for him/ gy which threaten maniny's her to realize we can't allocate present and future quality of public and/or private resources life; the examples are common: to answer every whim and fan- ozone depletion by aerosols, de- cy that catches the insatiable pletion and exploitation of non- thirst of science for knowledge, renewable natural resources, especially when such research, ruining the land with modern by virtue of our immature ap- chemical farming, waste dis preciation of its full scope, at- posal and recycling, combustion tempts to set the bandwagon by-products in the environment, rolling with mouth-watering nuclear ener not to mention claims of "a cure for cancer," - nuclearobliteration by atom- "developing new ways to feed ic warfare. How can the miost the starving world," "and elim- intelligent scientists, cognizant nating birth defects!" Science of these astounding implications stumbles from time-to-time upon and ramifications of technology mysterious obelisks, much as and science they helped devolop the one in "2001: A Space Odes- be so coarse as to want to in- sev," and, like the fascinated ence pleads an innate "right" to "freedom of inquiry and pur- suit of knowledge" (very often with public tax monies). If sci- ence is so bold as to not be frightened by the starkness of the truth, and wants so despar- ately to pursue it regardless of present and implied dangers, then please tell me: What man/ woman dares to experiment with the very fabric of life as we know it (DNA) with the knowl- edge and truth facing him/her that we, not in our wildest *elec- tro-chemical-nuclear-physiologi- cal-logical dreams can imagine what chromosome is responsible for love, affection, empathy, sus- picion, greed, envy, or hatred? Our children and future gen- erations will have many and certainly enough problems be- setting them.. Looking at nu- clear energy, which was to be mankind's tool to a limitless energy supply, I would think concerned humans would be somewhat skeptical about wheth- ethnic purity To The Daily: I READ WITH interest your editorial of April 10. While Mr. Carter's unfortunate use of the term "ethnic purity" may ob- scure it, you may be interested in knowing that Mr. Udall and Mr. Jackson take exactly the same position as Mr. Carter with reference to the breakup of long established ethnic neigh- borhoods. Like Mr. Udall's, Mr. Carter's record and public state- ments on open housing and allo- cation of federal funds do dem- onstrate a greater concern with the economic disadvantages of poor people than with neigh- borhood preservation. It is also relevant to point out that it has been Mr. Udall and Mr. Jack- son who' have substituted the term "racial" for "ethnic." In view of Udall's and Jackson's identical views on neighborhood preservation, you might want also to lump them with George Orville Faubus. But then they But this spiritual leader has not lately collected any herbs nor led any dances. During the past four months, he has spent his time in 14 jails. Especially since his role as an Indian civil rights leader at Wounded Knee, he has been harassed by his political enemies and the govern- ment. First he was convicted on trumped-up charges resulting from the Wounded Knee liberation struggle. ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1975, two days following the second incident of the year in which he expelled aggressive tres- THE WHITE MAN has killed the eagles and poisoned the rivers. Crow Dog can teach ways of living harmon- iously with our winged and four-legged brothers, and our- selves. His spiritual teachings do not include words about violence, guns, or war. Yet for his ability to unite Indians to hold fast against white racism, ignorance, and oppres- sion-a 300-year old legacy-he has been threatened with violence, guns, and war. I