arts@Entertainment
‘Smart drugs’ boost
energy, appealing to
teens, college students
By Lori Witte
Staff Reporter
Drugs that can increase life span,
cause better memory function and
lessen fatigue with virtually no side
effects.
Sounds good, right? But most of
them arc not readily available in the
United States — though nutrition
stores do carry some of the vitamins
and nutrients bel ieved toenhancc brain
function. I decided I would try some
and see why the vitamins had become
such a craze.
There arc numerous brands and
nutrients to choose from. Some of the
more popular nutrients are Gingko,
Guarana, bee propolis, Royal Jelly,
Choline and variousaminoacids,said
Lynda Clause, n ight manager at Open
Harvest Natural Foods Grocery.
I chose Royal Jelly because I would
experience itseffec tsafter one doscof
the 500-milligram capsule. The cap
sule was football-shaped and ex
tremely smooth, so it was easily swal
lowed with no chalky or bitter taste.
Royal Jelly is a food product, not a
drug, intended as an energy booster,
according to the consumer affairs 800
f number operator. The only reported
side effects were by individuals aller
gic to bee stings, the operator said.
Royal Jelly also includes eight of
theesscntial amino acidsandisrich in
B-5, also known as the anti-stress
vitamin.
Less than two hours after taking
the capsule I had a boost of energy
similar to that after drinking three
Cokes. It was more than six hours
before I was able to get a good night’s
sleep.
My attention span also increased. I
did experience some stomach cramps,
but the cold I have has well improved,
though both of these effects may be
attributable to the chicken soup.
The extra energy boost has made
“smart drugs,” as they are commonly
cal led, the ne west cra/c at the alterna
tive scene. Smart bars that serve drinks
with the brain-enhancing drugs and
vitamins can be found at Raves or
Techno nights at Grandstand.
“They give you extra energy, keep
youawake and build yourendurance,”
Jeremy Hacckcr, a sophomore in en
tomology at the University of Nc
braska-Lincoln, said.
Most consumers of smart drugs arc
college-age people, young profession
als and even teen-agers, Clause said.
Other sources for vitamins or smart
drugs arc The Golden Carrot and other
nutrition and health food stores.
“Nutrients do enhance mental ca
pacity,” said Debbie Wyrrick, man
ager at The Golden Carrot, and sales
have increased on amino acids.
Books and articles have brought
Beggar' ___->
David Badders/DN
the drugs and vitamins into the main
stream.
“Smart Drugs and Nutrients" by
Ward Dean, M.D., and John
Morgenthaler discusses the smart drug
appeal and individual drugs and nutri
ents.
Smart drugs that arc not available
at nutrition stores, without prescrip
tions or within the United Slates can
be ordered through the mail from
Europe or Mexico, according to
Morgenthaler and Dean.
A new law allows consumers to
receive less than a three-month sup
ply of a drug not yet approved by the
Food and Drug Administration for
personal use.
“Smart Drugs and Nutrients” also
includes a source for physicians who
are aware of cognitive enhancers and
their usage.
The Killer’ thrills
I Director’sfamous actionfilms
finally come to. U.S. theaters
^-1-1
Courtesy of Cirde Releasing Corp
A scene from John Woo’s violent thriller “The Killer.”
The action films of John Woo
are famous in just about every cor
ner of the world but here. For years
he’s had a reputation for box -office
smashes in his native Hong Kong,
a city where fast-paced shoot-’em -
ups are the rule.
In Hong Kong all but the most
popular movies arc gone within
days, and Woo’s films play for
weeks. Success has brought him to
the United Slates, where this sum
mer “Hard Target” will premiere,
starring Jcan-Claude Van Damme.
“The Killer” is a present-day
crime thriller that has the aura of
films like “Blade Runner”andClint
Eastwood’s “Tightrope.”
Jeff (Chow Y un-Fat) is a merce
nary who inadvertently blinds a
young woman (Sally Yeh) and risks
his life to get enough money for an
operation to restore her sight.
Danny Lee plays a cop whose
job is to put this hired killer away.
With careful camera work and ed
iting, director Woo probes the rcla
tionship of the cop and the killer
and finds their psychcscerily alike.
“The Killer” is not for the faint
of heart. If you can get past the
heavy cartoon violence, you might
appreciate this modem film noir,
and if you like fast-paced action,
you’re definitely in luck.
“The Killer” is showing at the
Mary Ricpma Ross Film Theater as
part of the UPC International Film
scries. Showtimes arc Sunday at
2:30,4:45,7 & 9:15 p.m.
— Calvin Clinchard
“Homicide”
to premiere
on Sunday
By Scott Williams
AP Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - NBC’s “Ho
micide: Life on the Street.” begins in
the nighttime with a body on the
pavement. Two detectives chat while
searching the ground for the bullet
that did the deed.
This idle conversation — to be
broadcast Sunday night immediately
following the Super Bowl — intro
duces the much-heralded, best-acted,
best-wriuen, most sty lish, atmospheric
and inventive show on TV.
What’s unexpected about this
crime drama is that it’s one of the
funniest showson TV,too. Broughtto
TV by Baltimore’s great movie direc
tor Barry Levinson, “Homicide” de
serves to be TV’s next big hit.
Those search ing detectives arc talk -
ing about the human condition—sort
of. “Life isamystcry,’’detective Steve
Crosolti (Jon Polito) says, expound
ing half-baked existentialism: “I read
this book. An cxccipt of a book.”
His long-suffering partner,
Meldrick Lewis (Clark Johnson), im
pugns Crosclt’s intelligence and calls
him a name. Crosclli, all wounded
dignity and hurt feelings, calmly re
plies, “You’re going to regret that.”
Marriages should be so imtimate.
The dialogue, by series creator Paul
Attanasio, is crisper than breakfast
cereal.
Our two detectives bend over the
body. “Well, it looks like he ducked,”
Crosetli observes, “but he didn’t duck
good enough.”
“Lost art, ducking,” Lewis replies
absently.
Jazz! /
Legendary trurkpetento play
courtesy of local school band
miisir
Maynard Ferguson has become
a jazz legend in hisown lime, known
for his blistering excursions into
the high ranges on his trademark
Holton LcBlanc MF 302 trumpet.
Ferguson will bring his powerhouse
version of jazz to Lincoln Feb. 2.
Ferguson began his career in his
native Canada at age 16 with his
own band. He played for such jazz
and big-band greats as Charlie
Barnett, Jimmy Dorsey and Stan
Kenton before going out on his
own.
With more than 60 albums to his
name, as well as virtually every
jazz award known (including
Grammy nominations for his ver
sion of “Gonna Fly Now” in 1979),
he has become the premiere jazz
band leader for the 1990s. Some of
the alumni from the M.F. horns
include Chick Corea, Bob James,
Chuck Mangione and Greg
Bissonette, to name but a few.
Ferguson appears courtesy of
the Lincoln High School Band, with
the proceeds going to sponsor a trip
to the National Adjudicators Invi
tational Band Contest in St. Louis
this spring.
Tickets are SI2 in advance and
$15 at the door, or call 474-2984
days, 438-6840 nights. The show
begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln
High School Auditorium.
— Sam Kepfield