The Michigan Daily-Thursday, May 28, 1981-Page 3
RISING COSTS, LOWER ATTENDANCE CITED
Co-ops cut back films
By ANDREW CHAPMAN
The Ann Arbor film cooperatives, hurt by rising
auditorium costs, stiffer local competition, and
declining attendance are facing increased financial
difficulties this summer:
The Ann Arbor Film Cooperative (AAFC)-one of
eight film co-ops at the University-is canceling nine
separate nights of films for the rest of the summer.
"Five of these nights are being canceled for money
reasons," said AAFC business Manager Nancy
Yates.
THERE ARE numerous reasons for the financial
problems the film cooperatives are experiencing.
"There is a lot of copmpetition from the local, com-
mercial theaters who are running specials on some
nights. Also, the University has increased auditorium
rental costs. This has hurt us a lot," Yates explained.
Yates cited a change in film-goer interests as a fac-
tor in the attendance drop. "Students' tastes may be
changing. We predicted they would come to certain
movies and they didn't come. Things that usually do
well haven't been doing well at all."
"Something like Superman might
pack them in, but Fellini just doesn 't do
it anymore.''
-Cheryl Yanksevitch,
Cinema Guild President
"There is a lack of attendance even for the block-
buster titles," said Cinema Guild President Cheryl
Yanksevitch, adding, "Something like Superman
might pack them in, but Fellini just doesn't do it
anymore."
LOW ATTENDANCE has not caused as many
problems for the film co-ops as the rising costs of
auditoriums and projectionists.,
Michael Kaplan, treasurer for Cinema II, said,
"Rising costs have hurt us tremendously. Rises in
auditorium costs are on the order of 50 to 60 percent
this year."
Cinema II's average overhead cost is anywhere
from $200 to $300 per night, Kaplan said.
"The escalating cost of film rentals and the rise in
auditorium prices has really hurt the co ops," agreed
Frank Beaver, a University film professor.
ALONG WITH overhead costs, film cooperatives
must cope with film rental costs that run from $50 to
$500 a film.
Also, the appearance of more film co-ops has
created a very competitive mgrket. As the number of
See FILM, Page 5
'Lockdowns'
end state prison
disturbances
JACKSON (UPI)-Nearly 6,500 in-
mates at two riot-torn prisons were
locked in their cells until further notice
yesterday while officials assessed the
damage in the worst prison uprising in
Michigan in more than 25 years.
In Lansing, Gov. William Milliken
was expected to appoint a task force to
study what should be done in the wake
of Tuesday's riots at Southern Michigan
Prison-the second in four days-and
Marquette Prison, 450 miles away.
MILLIKEN SAID the task force will
be charged in particular with in-
vestigating allegations that unionized
guards at Jackson touched off the riots
there with an unauthorized move to
lock up prisoners and search them for
weapons.
The wave of prison violence began
last Friday with riots at Southern
Michigan Prison and the Michigan
THE AFTERMATH OF rioting at Marquette State Prison is evident in the
debris left by fires that devastated three buildings.
Reformatory at Ionia. Damage from
those riots was estimated at least $2
million.
More than 30 people were injured in
the riots Tuesday at Jackson and
Marquette, including 13 guards, 11 in-
mates and six firefighters. There was
no official damage estimate, but it was
expected to be extensive.
ON TUESDAY, about 1,000 inmates
at Jackson, many armed with sticks
and clubs, set fire to modular units
housing about 300 prisoners in an out-
break of violence prison officials said
appeared to have been well planned.
The destruction worsened the housing
situation at the already overcrowded
prison, forcing officials to lock two and
three prisoners together in some cells.
At least 30 prisoners were transferred
to the Allegan County Jail.
PRISON OFFICIALS said over-
crowding was the primary cause of
both Jackson riots. Southern Michigan,
the world's largest walled prison,
houses 5,600 inmates.
The riot at Marquette, which houses
820 of the state's most dangerous
criminals, broke out Tuesday
evening-just as guards at Jackson
were bringing the riot there under con-
trol.
Corrections officials blamed the
trouble at Jackson, which officials
called the worst in three decades, for
the melee Tuesday night at Marquette.
GUARDS AT Jackson said they
received advance warning of Tuesday's
trouble, but Warden Barry Mintzes
said, "We had no word that there may
be problems."
Reporters showed James Pogats,
administrative assistant to the warden,
copies of leaflets which guards said cir-
culated by inmates announcing a riot
would take place at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Pogats said it was the first time he had
seen the rambling, two-paragraph an-
nouncement.
Gerald Fryt of the guarolq'q nion, the,
See CALM,Page 4 7
HORDES OF STATE POLICE with riot gear gather outside J4ksj prison to control riotin that broke out Tuesday.
[ pates!rgtctl go totheir cells afterpolice threatened themwith tear gas. ,.