68 -: The M igan Paily - Weekend,* tMagazine - Thursy F ary, 1999 New-look events provide fans excitement on the hardwood ': r0 * The Michigan Daily - \ ekend, etc. Maga etc Road-Trip of the Week Star Theater offers more than just latest Hollywood features ;, r : . J e t By Matthew Barrett Daily Arts Writer Like it or not, much is different with the Michigan men's basketball program this year. The team has struggled and looks as though it will miss post-season play for the first time in over a decade. In addition, a new floor, tweaked jerseys, new shot clocks, relocated banners and the free "Maize Rage" T-shirts are all changes that have happened since the end of the 1998 season. Crisler Arena has become much livelier this year and much of this can be attributed to the Maize Ragers and the high level of enter- tainment that is provided to fans during the game's breaks. Going to a men's basketball game at Crisler Arena, you could get a free T-shirt, catch another one in the crowd, have your seats moved to the first row and win a gift certificate to the M-Den. And that's just in the first half. Granted this sequence of events would take quite a stroke of luck on your part, but it's possible. The man behind these contest and events is the new Director of Marketing Tom Brooks, who sets up what he calls "basically the whole game entertainment package." "One of my big pushes here with Michigan is to increase and try to improve our overall game-day atmosphere. The venue falls into play there in addition to the enter- tainment, not only half-time but all of the TV timeouts," Brooks said. Brooks has set up a series of con- tests for the first three television timeouts in the first half to keep the intensity high during stoppage of play. For the first timeout, two fans from the top row are moved down to front-row seats courtesy of Staples - at these seats, you might even be able to hear what Bobby Knight says to the officials. During the second timeout, 25 Michigan basketball T-shirts are thrown into the crowd by cheerlead- ers. At first, fans in the lowest seats seemed to get all the attention from the throwers, but now a catapult sys- tem, along with cheerleaders com- ing into the crowd to toss the shirts, has given some of the higher-seated viewers a better chance at the prize. According to the master plan, during the third timeout, two stu- dents are selected to compete in a free throw shooting contest, with the winner snagging a gift certifi- cate to the M-Den. Competition for this contest is hard-fought and fans who don't practice their throws are sure to face the fury of the crowd - the "Crisler Crazies." In the past, half-time shows at Michigan seemed to be a combina- tion of highs - the Alexis Brothers; lows - country line dancing; and musical chairs (which always seemed to come down to a large, hungry adult and a small child bat- tling for the free pizza). But now, fans can look for a combination of contests and shows throughout the intermission. Brooks recognizes the impor- tance of half-time to both the team and the fans. "It's really important, you want to keep that spirit up. You don't want to have a lull there See BASKETBALL, Page 7B DHANI JONES/Daily The cheerleaders are not the only attraction at the basketball games anymore. University officials have worked to bring in a variety of half-time acts. Are you thinking about law school? Plan to attend and bring a friend to..... 0j STUDEN 1% TS OF COLOR LAW SAY x//OO# TO 4pM By Erin Podolsky Daily Arts Writer . SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - The lights are blaring, the crowd is roaring and drunken revelers stand transfixed by the sweet sounds coming from the boxes on the walls. A disco it isn't - a movie mecca it is. The Star Southfield movie theater is like the garden of Eden to movie fans, a place where nearly every movie in release is playing on one of its 20 screens (soon to be expanded to a whopping 30), and it's no coincidence that this massive building has had the highest attendance of any theatre in the nation since it opened in June 1997. The huge lobby of the the Star Southfield is packed with movie memo- rabilia (as are the halls leading to the actual screening rooms), video games, big screen TVs on which trailers play and various stands where salespeople hock jewelry and designer coffee. As a special nod to the Motor City, a classic car stands on a pedestal at the back entrance. The teeming masses cre- ate long lines for tickets - although the automatic ticketing machines provide a speedy alternative for credit card holders - and snacks. The actual screening rooms flank both sides of the lobby away from the noise of the main drag. One restaurant, Johnny Rocket's, finally opened several months ago after many delays. Several other restaurants are slated to be a part of the main lobby, though nobody is holding her breath. The Johnny Rocket's burger joint serves up burgers and other semi-fast food treats that taste much better than anything com- ing off the scary hotdog cooking mecha- nisms at most other theatres. Then again, there's always the central- ly located snack barn run by slower-than- molasses Star Southfield employees, who sometimes also operate the smaller snack bars on either side of the screening room halls. Standing in line for these and still getting back to the seat before the movie starts - regardless of the 15 min- utes of trailers that precede each screen- ing - is something of a crapshoot, so it is best to get food early. But nobody really goes to the movies to play arcade games or snarf down pathetically garnished chicken tenders, despite what the Star Southfield manage- ment would have us think. As one would expect, the actual movie-going experi- ence inside the screening room is where the Southfield proves itself as the Cadillac of movieplexes. Beautiful plush rocking chairs with room for the most ample derriere make up row upon row of stadium seating. Crystal-clean floors that shine without unpleasant stickiness flow between aisles of red carpet. Dozens of speakers line the walls, offering the very finest sound stan- dards in THX certification (the special sounds-the-same-from-anywhere-you-sit setup pioneered by George Lucas), SDDS and Dolby Digital. Most importantly, the screens are mammoth. No matter where the seat is located, the view is unhindered by heads or other appendages that block line of sight at non-stadium theatres. There are rarely problems with projec- tion - a nice treat in this day of laissez- faire movie theaters - and when there are, Star Southfield's policy is to offer free passes to disgruntled customers in order to keep them coming back again and again. A simple complaint at the cus- tomer service desk can solve any prob- lem. The Star Southfield stands as much more than an experience - it's an addic- tion. Whatever the reason for the journey, the best place for catching mainstream movies in southeastern Michigan is pro- vided only at the Star Southfield. The tickets are cheaper than Showcase and matinee prices are available until 6 p.m. A mere 30-minute drive from campus, it's worth the time to hop in the car and experience movies as they were meant to be seen: In style. or, The Star Theater in Southfield, Mich., is a bright and shinning example of the much better. Wether sitting in the theater's stadium-style seats or just soakin -- the Star has something for everyone. Just don't forget to actually watch th Get Writing! The Deadline for submissions f Literary Magazine is two weel Call Dail Arts at 763-03 I I d I " Collect application information and explore options in legal education. " Win t-shirts, sweatshirts and other stuff from schools attending the event! " All students interested in law are encouraged to attend. CANCUN Saturdays - 7 nights Aquamarina Beach Hotel (Beachfront) 33 Air/hotel pkg from $5499s air only, fr3round trip NASSAU Thursdays/Sundays . 3, 4, 7 nights Best Western British Colonial (Beachfront) Airlhotel pkgs: ' f 3 nights from $529' air only, 4 nights from $589 rroundtrip 7 nights from $7799 r I ORLANDO Fridays/Saturdays " 7 nights Feb. 4: Theater thrill-ride / What: The Star Southfield Theater / Where: Southfield, Mich. / How to get there: Take U.S.-23 North to M-14 East to 1-275 North. Follow that to 1-696 East to the Lodge. Get off at the Telegraph Road exit going East. From Telegraph turn left on 12 Mile Road. The theater is about a half-mile up the road on the left. / How long: 30-45 minutes depending on traffic ~ How Much: $5.50 for matinee shows, $7.50 for all seats after 6 p.m. J What's There: 20 stadium-seating screens all with cockpit-style bucket rocking chairs. Lots of candy, popcorn and over-priced soft-drinks waiting to be bought. Johnny Rocket's '50s era diner, where if you're not killed by Brando and some of his "wild" biker friends, the grease will get you in the end. 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