Arts & Entertainment
arton Fink’ makes film viewers think
“Barton Fink”
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By Jeffrey Frey
Staff Reporter
“I could tell you stories,” Charlie Meadows
— embodiment of the Common Man — is
trying to tell Barton Fink. But Fink doesn’t
listen. And so, the stories come after him.
Barton Fink (John Turturro), an earnest New
York playwright, has been drafted to write
genre screenplays for Capitol Pictures during
the early 1940s. He is riding the crest of critical
acclaim received for his new play “Bare Ru
ined Choir,” a celebration of the common man.
He has holed himself up in a seedy Los
Angeles hotel room amid the sweltering heat,
nagging mosquitos and peeling, oozing wall
paper, while trying desperately to live a life of
the mind. Fink is looking for inspiration; he’s
grasping at straws when common man Charlie
Meadows (John Goodman) appears at his door.
“Barton Fink,” (The Lincoln Theater) the
fourth movie crafted by siblings/auteurs Joel
See FINK on 11
I Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
John Turturro (left) plays fidgety screenwriter “Barton Fink,” a dark comedy co-starring John
Goodman.
guana’s offers change,
nore traffic to O Street
t Dionne Searcey
tor Editor
MBS—
Being the new kid on the block —
to speak —r doesn’t worry Becky
nith.
Newcomers can get a lot of spec ial
ention, she said, especially when
ty are among old timers.
Smith, along with Jenyand Jody
ith, are co-owners of Iguana’s, a
w bar at 1426 O St.
“Everybody likes a change,” she
id. “They may be faithful to their
d bar, but everyone needs a new
ace to go.”
And she’s convinced her new es
jlishment will succeed even though
uana ’ s is located bet ween two other
>pular downtown bars, Duffy’s and
e Brass Rail.
But Red Tolnai, manager of Duffy’s,
112 O Sl, isn’t worried about busi
es letting up because of the new
tr. He said even though Duffy’s is
rated two doors west of Iguana’s,
isiness will pick up, not slow down.
“Any type of business downtown
ings in more traffic,” he said.
Jason Gaughan, manager of the
irass Rail, 1436 O St., agreed.
“Iguana’s is pulling more people
owntown to our block,” he said.
Lincoln has a big enough market
for one more bar, Smith said. The
city is full of college students and
others looking for a new scene, she
said.
Everybody likes a
change. They may be
faithful to their old bar,
but everyone needs a
new place to go.
Smith
Iguana’s co-owner
-99 -
The bar’s popularity could be seen
on opening night, Thursday, Sept. 26,
when about 250 people showed up.
“It comes with being new. Every
body wants to see it,” she said.
Iguana’s offers 33-ounce mugs of
beer for $2. And drink specials will be
offered regularly once the bar estab
lishes a routine, according to Smith.
Smith said patrons of the bar can
choose from 150 music selections
ranging from alternative to classical,
but she said there are no plans to
feature live bands. Starting in about
three weeks, she said, a disc jockey
will play tunes on weekends.
According to Smith, the grill will
open soon, serving hamburgers,
chicken and salads at lunchtime.
Staci McK*e/DN
A crowd gathered to celebrate the opening of Fat City, a new nightclub at 227 N. 9th St.
Fat City draws full crowd
By Mark Nemeth
Staff Reporter_
clflb
Fat City is a fantasy citv of a club
where people can pretend Lincoln is
large.
“Lincoln is not a big city, but we’ re
going to make it big, said Waheed
Malik, owner of Fat City, 227 N 9th.
Formerly Cafe Society, Fat City is
located on the Haymarket side of the
traffic ravine that separated down
town Lincoln from the historic Hay
market.
Fat City is Lincoln’s new alterna
tive dance and band bar for upwardly
mobile Bohemians and college stu
dents, though that description may be
too narrow. They’re calling it a bar
and grill, full of things that make you
go, Hmmm ... Bar and grill?’’
Fat City celebrated its grand open
ing Friday night, drawing a full and
eclectic crowd. Even those who would
never even think about dancing had a
great lime.
There seems to be something for
everyone at Fat City. Some people
even talked about literature while they
were there — imagine that.
Fat City’s seating is expansive, its
bar beautiful, its size large and its
bathrooms full of interesting adver
tising pictures of sharks and steaks
above the urinals.
There’s a big and bright mural of a
downtown city on the back wall in
side the club, some black and white
photographs on the walls, thick pil
lars connected by black steel geomet
ric patterns, a pool table, leopard
skin stools and tall round tables, black
seats and square short tables, a long,
well-placed bar with stools, large eye
drop lights, a mirror, a pay phone and
a dance floor by the front window.
Maybe what’s most impressive
though, is Fat City’s overall feel —
its composition of attractive things
and people, yet the place and every
one in it is Midwestern. There’s no
pretension here.
“Our market is 21-plus. We don’t
want a label.. . . Let students know
this is a college bar,’’ Malik said.
Unlike many college bars, Fat City
is decorative and maybe too well-lit.
DJ Excellent Dave said he plans to
bring in bands on Wednesday nights.
Wednesday, the Yardapes and Dema
gogues will play.
On non-bands nights, David Con
nover plays a mix of industrial and
popular dance tracks.
“1 groove a techno, industrial, acid
groove, Hi-NRG, hip-hop mix with a
deep bass sound,” he said.
So if for no other reason, you may
want to start going to Fat City just for
Excellent Dave’s musical hairsplit
ting.
Tonight and every Tuesday at Fat
City, draws are 35 cents and well
drinks are 65 cents.
“This is what Lincoln needs,” Malik
said.
Andy Frederick/DN
Kevin Frey plays pool at Iguana’s, which opened Sept. 26.
