Page 2 -- The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 8, 1988 The Michigan Daily - Thur! FILM The ghosts of Ann Arbor cinema linger AFTER THE SHOW BY JOHN SHEA Certainly, there was confusion. The young man, a first-year student, stood under the State Street Theatre marquee expecting to find the very best cinema in the country. After all, this was Ann Arbor - one of the last bastions of the art outside New York and Los Angeles - long renowned for showing anything resem- bling experimentalism. But only four titles greeted him: Hardbodies 2, Return to Horror High, Surf Nazis Must Die and Shoot to Kill. "Damn," he said, walking away. He didn't understand. Wasn't Ann Arbor supposed to be a wonderful escape for the film buff? Why in the name of Hitchcock would they lie to him? HAVING nothing to do but go to Doo- ley's, the first-year student went to bed early. Up in his loft he tossed and turned at the thought of four years of movies with numbers in their titles. When the thought finally be- came too much, he sat up in a cold sweat. And three ghosts greeted him. "I am the ghost of Ann Arbor Cinema Past," the Past said. "I am the ghost of Ann Arbor Cinema Pre- sent," the Present said. "And I am the ghost of Ann Arbor Cinema Future," said the Future, voice barely audible. "What do you want?" the young man asked. "We want to show you why cinema in Ann Arbor sucks," the Present said. "But you need to get to know me," the Past said, "before you get to know him," pointing to the Present. "FRIEND," the Past continued, "Come with me. Let me show you what you had hoped for before you got here." The young man, slightly curious and having nothing bet- ter else to do, went with the Past. The two flew around the Michigan Theatre at light speed three times and when they stopped, it was 1963. "We've arrived at a very special time," the Past said. "Right down the street a University professor is hosting what will become the first annual Ann Arbor Film Festival." The two walked down the street to the Frieze Building and saw a line of people stretching out the door. . "It's 'Winner's Night,' when they show all the best films," the Past explained. "Doc- umentaries, cartoons, that kind of thing." THE FIRST-YEAR student looked on wistfully, wishing he could get in the build- ing. But just then the Present shot out of nowhere and grabbed him by the collar. "Time to go back," the Present said, and in the wink of an eye they were. "Welcome to the '80s," the Present said when they stopped. "Multi-plexes and cheap exploitation flicks run supreme. "Crocodile Dundee 2 or Rambo 3? Rocky IV or Friday the 13th Part V? It's all here." "No thanks," the young man said bitterly. Moments later, he heard church bells in the distance. "What's that?" he asked. "People ringing the death of campus cin- ema," the Present said. "Every Friday and Saturday at 7, 9 and midnight they come to the church on Liberty to lament the lack of entertainment. The film co-ops can't survive because the University charges them rent for the auditoriums. There's nothing imaginative anymore, just one big Woody Allen film fes- tival from September to.May." THEN CAME the Future, who took the first-year student and waltzed him around a convenience store. When they stopped, they were on State Street. A cinematic tumbleweed rolled down the barren street and all the movie houses had been converted into video stores. "Do I have time to ring the bells?" the first-year student asked. "You have all the time in world, if it makes you feel better," the ghost said. BY ERIC LEMONT When I entered the room I found one impatient student with phone receiver in hand, another two flip- ping through the yellow pages, and three others yelling, placating, and bargaining. In other words, they were ordering a pizza. A calmer head had to prevail. Someone with extensive reporting experience. I stepped for- ward. "So," I asked, "what exactly are you looking for?" "A quality pizza!" someone shouted. BUT WHO isn't looking for a quality pizza? To help the student out, I told him about my talk with Ray Allan, area supervisor at Dom- ino's. "Our pizza is kind of like Mc- Donald's," Ray explained. "It tastes the same everywhere." This consistency requires more than standard proportions of cheese to sauce. Every Domino's pizza must go through the Ten Point Quality Check which includes the, dreaded Number Six - air bubbles. This attention to detail and a "goal of delivering a hot tasty pizza in 30 minutes or $3 off' has pro- pelled Domino's to number one in Ann Arbor, I told the students. "I'VE HAD Domino's in m5 hometown," the woman next to me said. "Let's try someplace a little more unique." "Well, there's Pizza Bob's," I ventured. "But Owner Bob Cranson could tell you better than I can." "We have considerably higher quality on every pizza," Bob had told me. "We don't use just plain mozzarella, we use a blend of three cheeses. We also go heavier on the the upper A search for the perfect pizza You have to let it rise." THE IDEA of a deep dish pizza struck a salivary chord in the stu- dents. The students were noisly preparing to place an order from the Inn, but then a solitary voice rose above the din. "Uno's" the voice said. It was the guy with the yellow pages. He quoted page 521: "'Original Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza. Voted Ann Arbor's best three years in a row."' As Uno's manager Bill Everall explained, Uno's only started deliv- ery because of a "great demand" fo the deep dish pizza, which has a "richer crust and a deeper shell" thar a traditional pizza. While the rest of the students be- gan to argue, I noticed one sitting quietly watching Letterman. I WALKED over to student. S DR " RARE EUROPEAN " MUSIC TOUR T-SH ( STAt ll RWAY I- 340 S. STATE ST. UPSTA OPEN What makes a JOBNFUN? VIDEO HUT Specializing In The Latest Titles WOLVERINES: Make us your one stop evening of fun! Come to VIDEO HUT for all the latest releases as well as the classics. VIDEO HUT Features: " Over 8,000 titles - Hottest new releases - More than 150 classics - A great study break AND a great study tool- we carry a large supply of required reading material on video. " FREE MEMBERSHIP " OPEN 10 AM UNTIL MIDNIGHT, 7 DAYS A WEEK " Snacks & Pop! Enjoy a full variety of snacks and soft drinks to add to your viewing pleasure. * 3 items than everybody else. And then there is just the Pizza, Bob's aura - pizza made by people who are happy with what they're doing." There were murmers. Someone mentioned combining the personal touch of Pizza Bob's with the pro- fessionalism of Domino's. "Maybe Cottage Inn is the an- swer," I said. "HASN'T IT been in Ann Arbor since 1948?" one woman asked. "It's an institution." "It also won best pizza last year in a Daily opinion poll," her friend Entree plus KAREN HANDELMAN/DOily said. Steve Miller, area supervisor for Cottage Inn, justified the billing. "Our deep dish pizza is a favorite and makes up 55 to 60 percent of our sales. It's an excellent meal for two people and maybe you'll have some left over," he said. Steve can't guarantee a delivery in 30 minutes or less but says the extra time is a necessity: "It takes time and labor to make this pizza. Entree "Working at Michigan Telefund!" Join in the excitement NOW Students living in non-university housing can still enjoy on-campus dining with ENTREE-and ENTRGE PLUS! " Three meal plans to choose from! " Ten convenient locations throughout campus! . Special ENTREE PLUS discounts! The University of Michigan Housing Division has the meal plan for your style. Come to 100 SAB (the ENTREE office) today. Or call: 763=4632fordetails WE'LL DO THE DISHES! Open Seven Nights a Week Voted by the Michigan Daily Ann Arbor's 'BEST DANCE BAR' Four Years Running Presenting the Best it Live and Recorded Mu 510 E. LIBERTY, ANN ARBOR *"994-5436 If We Don't Have It, We'll Get It! Customer requests always welcome. PSILANTI/ANN ARBOR ?8 Hewitt Rd. )silanti, MI 48197 13) 485-4454 (Between Packard and Washtenaw) .0 SALES A RENTAL OF VHS MOVIES RECORDERS VIDEO ACCESSORIES - VCR REPAIR 41 SERVICE