Page 8 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, February 7, 1986
IS
A succe
By Lisa Borgnes
SIDNEY LUMET'S new film
Power is a revealing glimpse
at the role of a political media con-
sultant. Starring Richard Gere as
the enormously successful yet
highly manipulative Pete St. John,
the film reveals how political can-
didates are groomed and
"packaged" to run for high gover-
nment offices.
These media consultants control
every facet of their client's life in
order to create a winning media
image. They advise their clients
on what to wear, when to smile,
how to stand and they tell them
what the voters want to hear. In
the hectic months before the
November elections, St. John is
hired to oversee four major cam-
paigns. as the film progresses,
however, he becomes increasingly
aware of the dishonesty and the
behind the scenesmaneuverings of
the election process, and his is
ultimately forced to confront the
moral responsibilities of his power.
Gere told Elle magazine that he
was shocked at what he learned in
making Power. "If the general
populace knew the process by
which they are presented with
their candidates, they'd be
horrified. There is enormous
manipulation and insensitivity and
abuse of the process by all the
people involved. All your favorite
politicians, all your favorite can-
didates."
The fast-paced editing and con-
trolled cinematography emphasize
the high-powered intensity of the
-sful PO
film. Lumet cuts rapidly and
precisely from scene to scene,
keeping the viewer's constant at-
tention. There are no languid pans
or deep-focus shots; instead, we
see everything in close detail with
the camera's critical eye. In the
frenzied world of Pete St. John,
there is no time to rest or slow
down. Indeed, the frequent scenes
showing him frenetically "drum-
ming" away not only reinforce the
film's own rhythms, they also
provide a momentary release for
its tense energy.
wer trip
Gere turns in a strong perfor-
mance as Pete St. John. In con-
trast to the forgettable King David,
he seems genuinely at ease in this
role, and his confidence shows. He
excels in playing the aggressive,
fast-talking consultant whose only
loyalties are to himself, and who is
constantly thinking one step ahead
of the competition. Also first-rate
are Gene Hackman as his aging
mentor, Julie Christie as a political
journalist and St. John's ex-wife,
and Kate Capshaw as St. John's
aide and occasional lover.
Students win against landlord
By EVE BECKER
Ten University students were
awarded $4,475 yesterday in a lan-
dlord-tenant trial that found Modern
Management realtors guilty of breach
of contract and invasion of privacy.
A 15th District Court jury ruled that
landlord David Kaplan broke written
agreements to provide necessary
maintenance for the house at 331
Catherine Street.. It also declared
Kaplan guilty of entering the house
unannounced on various occasions,
threatening the students' privacy.
The students, who have been in and
out of court five times since Oct. 7,
will receive their money out of an
$8,000 escrow account which held
their rent money for five months until
the landlord provided the services.
"We didn't have a kitchen floor, the
cabinets were blocking the bathroom,
the dishwasher was in the livingroom,
and a refrigerator and stove were in
the entry hall," said LSA senior
Tamie Thompson, one of the ten
students.
Student Legal Services attorney
Eric Lipson, who represented the
students, agreed that the house's
living conditions were sub-standard.
"This house was simply rented out-
side of a conformance to housing
codes. That has been the root of many
of the problems," Lipson said.
Thompson said Kaplan continually
let himself into the house unannoun-
ced with his key, creating problems of
privacy for the student residents.
She then described how the house
has originally been divided into two
separate apartments. Kaplan
originally told the students he would
open up a sealed-off stairway between
the two apartments so they could
make the house into a seven bedroom
house, Thompson said.
After the court inspected the house,
an inspector closed off the stairway
because he said it was illegal to have
more than six unrelated people in the
same house.
"We lost a whole bedroom and some
of the peoplle lost easy access to the
downstairs when the stairway was E
closed off," Thompson said.
"He's engaged in intimidating an
threatening behavior."
Fred Steingold, Kaplan's lawyer,
argued that the students owed Modern
Management the $8,000 in past rent,
since Kaplan had made the repairs on
the house. He paralleled the students'
situation to buying a used car. Once
the repairs are done on a car, thei
buyer still has to pay for it, he said.
"He (Kaplan) is not an absentee
landlord. He's a person who wants to
respond. He tried to make reasonable
accommodations ' their needs,"
STeingold said.
Student group provides tax assistance
By ADAM CORT
Filling out tax forms can be a
nightmare but a little-known student
project aims to lessen the pain for
students and the less privileged in the
Ann Arbor area.
VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance program, will begin
reviewing tax forms - free of charge
- next Monday until the April 15th
deadline for filing tax returns. As
part of Project Community - which
gives students credit for community
service - VITA has been performing
this service for about nine years, says
LSA sophomore Ed Massura, director
of publicity for the program.
VITA targets people like the
elderly, low-income, the handicapped,
and students, who cannot afford
professional assistance with their
taxes, Massura says. "We're not
trying to compete with the H&R
Blocks and small accounting firms,"
he adds.
Since its inception in 1977, VITA has
grown steadily, according to Jeff
Howard, director of Project Com-
munity. Massura says about 2,000
people were serviced by 110 VITA
volunteers last year.
This year the programs directors
are trying to attract even more people
through a stepped-up publicity drive.
VITA volunteers will be located in
an office in the basement of the
Michigan Union just inside the north
entrance. During the next month they
will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on
Mondays and Tuesdays and 11 a.m. to
5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.
Tax forms are serviced on a walk-in
basis.
Richard Gere stars as a media consultant whose sole purpose is to get
his candidates elected in 'Power' showing now at Briarwood.
Yearbook
4
requests
S Y M P-0
S 1 U M
: D I E G O
R I V E R A
I N C} N T E X T
These events are being held in conjunction with the exhibition "Diego Rivera: A Retrospective"
at The Detroit Institute of Arts, February 12 through April 27, 1986.
editorial
control
(Continued from Page 1)
"With or without Yearlook, we're
committed to producing a video year-
book this year," Capstick said.
Bob Levitan, president of Yearlook;
said he was "shocked" to hear that
the contact may not prove binding.
He supported giving Video Year-
book greater control, however, saying
"they keep telling me that they want
greater independence and I keep
thinking of ways to do this. I know
they have been working very hard to6
raise funds, and I think that's great."
The Yearbook approached Student
Legal Services and the University's
Office of General Counsel for advice,
but both services refused to provide
help. SLS attorneys said they only
handle student cases on an individual
basis, and the counsel office said it
only helps organizations tied to the
University.
John Ketelhut, assistant to the
general counsel of the University,
speculated that the contract could be
declared void if the signer did not have
proper authority. He could not
elaborate, he said, because he hasn't
seen the contract.
Despite the unresolved legal
questions, Video Yearbook plans to
step up its drive for more funds.
Currently, the organization receives
money from the vice president of
academic affairs, the Hillel Found-
ation, the Michigan Student Asseni-
bly, LSA Student Government, the
vice president for student services,
and the college of LSA.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8
MORNING SESSION: 9:30 am Rackham Auditorium, 80 Farnsworth (across from DIA)
Introductory Remarks
Samuel Sachs AI, director, The Detroit Institute of Arts
Dr. Guadalupe Rivera de Iturbe, senator of the Republic of Mexico; daughter
of Diego Rivera
Dolores Olmedo, director, Diego Rivera Museum; director, Frida Kahlo Museum
Maestro Fernando Gamboa, general director of the Fomento Cultural
Banamex, A.C.; former director, Museo Nacional de Artes Plasticas, INBA
(National Institute of Fine Arts, Mexico); former director, Musec de Arte
Moderno, INBA; former director, Museo Rufino Tamayo
Diego Rivera and Politics
Jorge Hernandez Campos, former director, Museo Nacional de Arte, INBA;
former head of Department of Visual Arts, INBA; poet; journalist; winner of
the 1985 National Award for Journalism, Mexico
Diego Rivera and Art Criticism: An Approximation
Dr. Teresa del Conde, director, Artes Plasticas, INBA
Revolution and Revival in the Art of Diego Rivera
Max Kozloff, former executive editor of Artforum; critic and historian
LUNCH, 12:30 - 2 pm
AFTERNOON SESSION: 2:00 pm Rackham Auditorium
Diego Rivera and the Parisian Avant-Garde
Dr. Ram6n Favela, assistant professor, Departments of Art History and
Chicano Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara; curator and
catalogue author for the exhibition "Diego Rivera: The Cubist Years" (1984)
Diego Rivera in Detroit
Maestra Alicia Azuela, researcher, Institute of Aesthetic Research, UNAM
(National Autonomous University of Mexico); author of Diego Rivera en
Detroit
Rivera and Pre-Columbian Art
Dr. Beatriz de la Fuente, director and professor of Pre-Hispanic Art, Institute
of Aesthetic Research, UNAM; member, Colegio Nacional, Mexico
Rivera and the Psychodynamics of Genius
Dr. Francis O'Connor, historian of American Art; author of five books on
American Art of the 1930s; currently working on a history of-the muralism in
the United States
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9
MORNING SESSION: Viewing of the exhibition by registered symposium
participants only, 10 - 11:30 am
11:30 am, DIA Auditorium
The Making of a Film on Diego Rivera's Murals: A Curator's View
Stanton L. Catlin, professor emeritus of Museum Studies and Art History,
Syracuse University; curatorial consultant, catalogue and film
Preview of film "The Frescoes of Diego Rivera," produced by Michael Camerini
LUNCH, 1 - 2:30 pm
AFTERNOON SESSION: 2:30 pm, Rackham Auditorium
Panel: An Intimate View of Diego Rivera
Dr. Guadalupe Rivera de Iturbe, senator of the Republic of Mexico; daughter
of Diego Rivera
Lucienne Bloch and Stephen Dimitroff, muralists; masters of fresco
technique; assistants to Diego Rivera
Nieves Orozco Field, model of Diego Rivera
Marika Rivera Phillips, actress; artist; daughter of Diego Rivera
Juan Coronel, poet; editor; grandson of Diego Rivera
Dolores Olmedo, director, Diego Rivera Museum; director, Frida Kahlo
Museum; friend and patron of Diego Rivera
Ana Merida, choreographer; dancer; friend of Diego Rivera
Dr. John Chariot, research associate, East-West Center, Honolulu; son of
Diego Rivera's assistant and colleague, Jean Chariot
Moderator:
Mildred Constantine, curatorial consultant, photographs; art historian; writer
For registration information, call 313-833-9804
For registration information, call 313-833-9804
The exhibition Diego Rivera: A Retrospective is presented by the Founders Society
Detroit Institute of Arts and the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, Secretarfa de
Educacion Piblica, and the Secretarfa de Relaciones Exteriores of Mexico, D.F. The
international presentation of the exhibition has been made possible through the
collaboration and support of the Ford Motor Company Fund, with assistance from
the National Endowment for the Arts, a Federal Agency of the United States of
America.
RACKHAM STUDENT
GOVERNMENT
ELECTIONS
February 18 and 19
Open Positions:
President,
Vice-President
2 Councilmember seats
in divisions I, IIl, IV
Candidacy Forms
available at
2006 Rackham
due Mon., Feb. 10
Call 763-5271 for questions
6
6
2 Name(s)
Telephone
0
1..
Z
"-
Address
Registration fee:
General public
Students/Senior citizens
Founders Members
Series ticket: Feb. 8 & 9
Saturday only: Feb. 8
$32
$20
$28
$18
$
$
A PuN'
I