Page 6-The Michigan Daily/New Student Edition-Entertainment - Thursday, September 10, 1992 Your filmic rtunities Where, when, why and how to see movies in this town s by Michael John Wilson When University students are starved for entertainment, they choose movies more often than anything else. And why shouldn't they? Ann Arbor is a great place to see great films, though 10 years ago, it was probably as good as Paris or New York City. B ut there are still plenty of opportunities to watch classics from the '30s and dogs from screen in a darkened theater - the way it was meant to be seen. Instead of watching widescreen epics like Lawrence of Arabia on video - with the lights on, the phone ringing, and the frame cropped - see it for three bucks in a theater on campus. It's the chance of a lifetime, really. Unfortunately, the future of cam- pus cinema looks dark at the mo- the '90s, on campus and off. Most importantly, Ann Arbor gives you the chance to see films you might never have a chance to see again. Here's a rundown of Ann Arbor's filmic (yes, filmic) resources: CAMPUS CINEMA What separates this campus from any other are its film societies. Students, faculty and staff team up to show movies cheaply to you. Their films are shown in the large University auditoriums, like Angell Hall Auditorium A, and the prints they rent are usually 16mm (as op- posed to the superior 35mm you're used to). So why would you want to pay money to watch a grainy old movie in your Psych lecture hall on a Saturday night? Because the films that are shown are among the great- est ever made. You may never get another chance to watch Stanley Kubrick's mindblowing masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey on a big ment. Several years ago, the films groups presented movies every night of the week. Now, many of them have folded due to a lack of support, and the societies that remain only show on weekends. It's up to you to keep this valuable Ann Arbor re- source alive by supporting them with your ticket dollar. Here's a rundown of the variety of campus cinema groups. Keep in mind that these groups always need new members; give them a call, it might be the niche you're looking for. Cinema Guild has been around for over 40 years, making it the old- est film society in the country, let alone on this campus. It's known for showing the great Hollywood and foreign classics, from Godard's Breathless to Capra's It's a Wonderful Life. The most consistent of all the film groups, you usually can't go wrong with a CG presenta- tion. The Ann Arbor Film Co-op is more erratic in the quality of their films. They're also a hell of a lot more daring, and might be called the cult film society on campus. Though most of what they show is extremely cool. Where else could you see a se- ries of films by Haron Farocki and Sergei Paradjanov in the same year? Yet not surprisingly, the rather lim- ited appeal of their showings has brought them financial difficulties. They've recently had to resort to surefire moneymakers like Blonde Emanuelle, a 3-D porn film. (You know a film group's in trouble when it starts showing porn.) The Co-op deserves and needs your support. Take a risk sometime and see some- thing you've never heard of - they must be showing it for a reason. M-Flicks is a branch of UAC, the University Activities Committee. In other words, unlike the above groups which are self-supporting, M-Flicks receives a wad of money from the University every year which they can blow on whatever they please. They don't have to worry about los- ing money or making a profit. Instead of using this freedom to show truly great films that might not make money, M-Flicks spends the bucks on the most expensive films possible: recent Hollywood hits like Die Harder. In the past two years, however, the groups has improved considerably in their choices by showing more Hollywood classics and even holding a John Waters fes- Peter Greenaway's Prospero's Books was quite possibly the most confusing, arty, film shown in Ann Arbor last year tival! Let's hope the trend continues. Hill Street Cinema shows good films (hell, no campus group shows consistently shitty movies, unlike Showcase, see below). The problem is that they use their own auditorium in Hillel, instead of paying for University buildings and projection- ists. As a result, their folding chairs are uncomfortable, and their projec- tionists are often clueless. Still, for those willing to endure a little sore- ness and some lousy reel changes, Hill St. has its gems. Last year they were the only place to show Korczak, the latest film from the great Polish director (really, check him out) Andzrej Wajda. And then there's the Michigan Theater. Built to show silent movies in the '20s, restored in the '80s, it's the crown jewel of film in Ann Arbor. The Michigan shows quality second-run films like T h e Commitments a couple months after they come out, as well as art films like Prospero's Books and classics like Apocalypse Now. The screen is huge, the seats are comfortable, the setting is lovely - get to know it. Last year's triumph was the once-in- a-lifetime presentation of D.W. Griffith's 1916 restored silent clas- sic, Intolerance, with full chorus and orchestra. For those with more experimental tastes, the Michigan hosts the Ann, the time, and it's especially cheap on Tuesday. Don't be afraid to walk a few blocks to discover it. In addition to all these unique re- sources, Ann Arbor does have its massive multiplexes to provide the 0 Instead of watching widescreen epics like Lawrence of Arabia on video - with the lights on, the phone ringing, and the frame cropped -. see it for three bucks in a theater on campus. It's the chance of a lifetime, really. Arbor 16mm Film Festival every March. The 30-year-old fest is one of the most prestigious in the coun- try for independent filmmakers. FIRST-RUN FILMS Moving away from campus, a few blocks down form the Michigan is the Ann Arbor 1 & 2. It's the clos- est we have to a first-run art house. Gems like Europa Europa, Barton Fink and Naked Lunch play there. Student discounts are available all finest in first-run Hollywood enter- tainment. They're big, they're im- personal, they're expensive - they're just like the University. Unless you have a car, it's also quite a paint to get to them (hint: become friends now with someone who has a car - they'll serve you well for years). Showcase has all the ambiance of an airport terminal, including long See FILM, Page 8- Despite the down-to-earth presence of our favorite, John Goodman, Barton Fink still managed to annoy us. i I Hear Rostropovich for only $11 . , _a J.D. It k, P ' VV '° 'S )- 9l v Hear Sweet Honey In The Rock for only $6! See the Shanghai Acrobats and Dance Theatre for only $7! u