daily nebraskan
Wednesday, October 31, 1979
Disagreement evident. on sizeof foreign film market
By Mary Kay Wayman
Although Lincoln commercial movie theater managers
say there is no market for foreign films in Lincoln, the
director of the Sheldon Film Theater and its foreign film
series disagrees.
Dan Ladely, Sheldon Film Theater manager, said the
reason foreign films do not do well in commercial theaters
is because the theaters lack innovation in promoting the
films.
"Most people go to things they know about,' Ladely
said. "But they don't go to a great film they know,
nothing about."
Foreign films are "totally out of my class," Douglas
Three manager Paul Ellsberg said. "I'm not sure anybody
in Lincoln plays foreign films." "
"I think they should and I think they could," Ladely
said. "The main problem is they haven't been able to put
forth the effort it takes to build up an audience."
Ladely said there is an audience for such films in
Lincoln.
"I think that the commercial theater owners down
town rely on the big Hollywood distributors to sell their
product for them," he said.
"The problem is they have to make a profit," Ladely
said.
Commonwealth Theaters manager Dean Zitlow said
that foreign films "sometimes don't have too much com
mercial value." Commonwealth Theaters include the Plaza
Four and Cooper-Lincoln theaters in Lincoln.
Peppermint Soda, a French film with subtitles, did "be
low average" business during its one-week engagement,
Zitlow said.
"But it was reasonable for the kind of movie it was,"
he said.
All of the managers interviewed thought foreign films
appealed to only a small audience.
"If we booked Peppermint Soda in a 800-seat house we
wouldn't even pay the electric bill," Zitlow said. The
smaller Plaza Four theaters offer less risk in showing
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Actors portray puppets subject to the whim of puppetmasters in Mashairo Shinoda's film Double Suicide,
showing at the Sheldon Film Theatre this weekend.
Two Japanese films show at Sheldon
Two films of one of Japan's youngest and most
acclaimed directors, Masahiro Shinoda, will be screened
free this weekend at the Sheldon Film Theatre.
They are Double Suicide, showing at 7 p.m.
Thursday, 9 pjn. Friday, and 7 p.m. Saturday, and
The Ballad of Orin, scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Thursday,
7 p.m. Friday and 3 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Double Suicide (1969, 142 minutes, black & white),
is presented as a Banraku t puppet play with actors
taking the place of. the puppets. The puppetmasters
are ever present during the drama, changing scenery
and manipulating the movements of the players.
The Ballad Of Orin (1977, 109 minutes, color), is
another tale of star-crossed lovers whose defiance of
society exacts the - highest toll. It also is an adaptation
of a puppet drama.
Born-again Dylan music unashamed
By Casey McCabe
With the main flood of reviews from friends, D.J.S
and the print media having passed, it now seems safe to
step back and put Bob Dylan's Slow Train Coming in
some perspective.
When Dylan puts out a new album, it is rarely viewed
in terms of a single musical product. Those who hold on
to the memory of young Bob Dylan's insight and
influence in the 60s are searching through his new offer
ings for some sign that the man still has a pulse on the
times.
This search for hidden insights has become increasingly
frustrating for the Dylan faithful in recent albums. To
some, the nearly unrecognizable remakes of such songs
as "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" and "It Ain't Me, Babe"
was like driving a wooden stake through the heart of a
legendary creature. "Where dost thou lead us, oh great
Bob?" came the cries, while last year's Street Legal had
even more people questioning Dylan's direction.
. Then a funny thing happened. Bob Dylan discovered
Jesus Christ. Gone is the mystery and vagueness that
Dylan surrounded himself with, he now puts forth his
born-again ideology with an unashamed passion.
The idea that people may feel uncomfortable hearing
a religious sermon from someone of Dylan's stature has
been disproved at least partially as Slow Train Coming
is on its way to being one of the year's biggest sellers.
But this has not kept public opinion from breaking into
two strongly divided camps."
One welcomes the new sense of direction from Dylan
with open arms. The other is skeptical of his motives and
. puts his recent efforts side by side with the others
from his 18-year recording career. Any major artist who
has been around even half as long will constantly be put
up to their past acheivements, but no one carries a heavier
burden of the past than that which is put on Bob Dylan's
shoulders.
- . Continued on Page 15
foreign films, he said. .,,
"We haven't had too much success with them, Cinema
One and Two manager Bruce Smith said. Smith also
manages the State Theater.
"I believe there's a limited clientele," he said. "There
doesn't seem to be that large of a crowd that seems inter-
cstcd
"Eachyear the best foreign film of the year will do
only average business," he said.
"I've played some that are good shows but the public
response was not that great," Smith said. "People want
stars they can recog li.e "
Ellsberg said m-wt jommercial theaters compete to
show first -run domestic films which are the money
makers.
"We don't go into competition with the Sheldon,"
Zitlow said. "They can do nicely because they are sub
sidized and people can pay a minimum fee to see films."
"We are somewhat subsidized," Ladely said. "And we
do not need to make a profit."
"But," he said, "sometimes it's still a struggle."
Monsters recycled;
look vaguely familiar
By Peg Sheldrick
From Ghoulies and Ghosties and Long-Leggitie
Beasties and Things That Go Bump In the Night, Good
Lord Deliver Us.
; ... an early English Litany
At one time in history this little prayer was a necessary
protection against the dreadful denizens of the world of "
the supernatural. ,
Although modern thought dismisses these creatures as !
myths and legends, they are real and very much with us.
Of course, modern life has had tremendous impact on :
their lifestyles.
Because today is Halloween, the following paragraphs
are offered to update the status of these so-called figments
of our imaginations. What follows should convince even
the most skeptical that these beings truly walk (and glide
. arm lumoer; among us. . ,
Vampires: Known for their nocturnal habits, blood
sucking propensities and fear of garlic. Vampires are the
victims of gossip and bad press. They aren't really night
creatures are all; they are.just incredibly disorganized. The
typical vampire settles into his coffin each night intending
to "arise at 6 a jn. and get a really good start for once," as
he puts it. However, when the alarm goes off, he inVaribly
rolls over, shuts it off, and sleeps the rest of the day.
Most vampires have found a more modern method of
draining lifeblood from victims than the old bite in the
neck. By joining various boards responsible for setting
utility, phone, and tuition rates, they are able to put the
bite somewhere else.
Mummies: Having fallen on hard times due to rising
medical costs and a shortage of gauze, mummies are a sad
sight these days,, especially the groupies who followed the
King Tut tour. Mummies sometimes can be seen loitering
in hospital emergency wards begging for spare scarabs.
. Frankenstein's monsters: Though technically brilliant
in design and execution, the 1939 Frankenstein monster
was not considered a popular success. Repeated attempts
by the good doctor to demonstrate his creation's
capabilities usually met with harsh criticism culminating
in the storming of his castle. Frankenstein decided he had
created a medical Edsel and gave up.
For years his techniques were forgotten. Then one
happy day they were rediscovered by an astute assistant
' football coach. Plans are underway to "recycle" useless,
injured, old football players into new and better-built
ones. ,
Witches: Nasty, hard-hearted old hags, witches are
known for the bizarre, poisonous brews they concoct
from unspeakable ingredients. Many now work in univer-'
sity food senvce positions.
Zombies: Shambling mindlessly through the world of
tllTgt' theSC t?dead bodies ca" be recognized by Se
SI ?" 3nf, som,nambuIistic movements. Modern
Xre ,L? qUCntly taef"ge in television lounges,
where they linger unnoticed.
Werewolves: "Even a man who is pure of heart and
says h,s prayers by night Can become a wolf when the
wolfoane blooms and the full moon shows its light "
according to legends
Continued on Page 15
