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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 1995)
Arts ©Entertainment Monday, September 18, 1995 Page 9 Gerry Beltz Film ratings no criteria for censors If movies and television are sym bolic of culture, then we are a nation proud of violence, but shy of sex. Honest! Just look at how differ ently movies are treated when the “questionable content” involved is either sex or violence. People are skinned alive, have body parts removed and eyes pecked out— just to name a few unhealthy demises — and the movie is hit with the stan dard ‘R’ rating, meaning kids will be allowed into the theater provided they are accompanied with an adult or guardian. When the clothes start coming off, however, that’s when the kids stop coming into the theater, either be cause of controversy or the dreaded ‘NC-17’ rating, which means no chil dren — ABSOLUTELY no children — will be allowed into the theater. The NC-17 rating doesn’t just start and stop at the theater. Many newspa pers nationwide will not advertise movies with such ratings, and Block buster Video, the nation’s largest video rental chain, also refuses to carry ei ther NC-17 or unrated films, in order to be seen as a “family store.” We comprise a nation concerned with violence among youth, yet we seem more concerned with keeping a stranglehold on sex. This is not to say that violence hasn ’ t had its fair share of controversy when it comes to movie ratings. “Phan tasm” and “Dressed to Kill” were both originally rated ‘X’ for violent con tent, but were recut to bring the ratings down to ‘R.’ Those films were also made back in the late ’70s, and films much more violent (“The Silence of the Lambs”) have been released since then with only‘R’-ratings. But these rating discrepancies aren’t limited just to violence and sex. Gender discrepancies run rampant in movies. Women’s breasts and but tocks have become commonalities in films today, but male frontal nudity... Heavens no! It’s as if the female body were made for showing to the world as freely as pictures of O.J., but not a MAN'S PRIVATES!! The bottom line: The present guide lines for rating NC-17 movies aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. But does that mean we should just accept them as part of today’s movie indus try? Such movies will likely be released eventually, even if on video, making them even more available for children. People who believe in the present system are welcome to their beliefs, but that is where it should stop. News papers also have no business not advertising for places that support the NC-17 rating. They have a duty to reflect what is going on in the sur rounding area without showing value judgments. j And Blockbuster may want to re consider its current policy of not car rying NC-17 and unrated films. True, these generally are not family films, and many families would never rent such films. But they don’t have to rent them. Instead, Blockbuster is censoring the choices for all its customers by not carrying these films. Not all of Blockbuster’s customers are families, and not all video customers need to go to Blockbuster. Courtesy of the Sheldon “Reflex and Memory-Revisited,” by Warren Rosser, is part of the “Sheldon Solo: Warren Rosser” exhibition now open at the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden. ......... extraordinary art - By John Fulwider Senior Reporter ~ A chance to see—and hear—the latest works ofa renowned Midlands artist is available now at Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden. The usual quiet of Sheldon is broken by the mechanical components of constructed paintings by Warren Rosser. Rosser is chairman ofthe Paint ing and Printmaking Depart ment of the Kansas City Art Institute. Daphne Deeds, who curated “Sheldon Solo: Warren Rosser,” said the exhibition represented a depar ture from Rosser’s previous work. In the past, she said, Rosser has worked with free-standing sculp ture. The pieces in Sheldon’s exhibition can best be described as sculpture hung on the wall. They are not just flat paintings; they are three-dimensional, multitextured and multimedia. Two of the pieces have motorized elements that turn and whir, creating a steady droning noise in the exhibition hall. Deeds wrote that the sounds were meant to mimic the body’s pulse. The pieces address as subjects not only the human body, but time, motion and memory, Deeds said. The works are meant to be viewed sequen tially. Each work has several panels, sometimes moving from left to right or from bottom to top. Deeds said the multiple panels reflected Rosser’s “post-modern mentality.” Because Americans are inundated daily with so much imagery, she said, Rosser felt that choosing just one picture didn’t accurately represent reality. “Reflex and Memory-Revisited” has three panels and a mechanized wire-frame windmill. Deeds said the piece was meant to illustrate art history. The first panel represents early modern ism, the second cubism, and the third the use of photography to show illusion and reality. The ghostlike photographic images on the third panel arc reinforced by the shifting shadows cast on the panel by the slowly turning windmill. “Vertical Landscape” will probably be the first work to catch visitors’ eyes; it uses bright blue and yellow neon lettering. It is a four-panel, vertical piece; from bottom to top, it is meant to represent body, mind and soul, Deeds said. “Sheldon Solo: Warren Rosser” runs through Nov. 26. Admission is free. New eatery has diverse menu By Albert Schmid Restaurant Critic The Comhusker Hotel, 333 S. 13th St., has renovated its first-floor eatery, giving it a whole new per sonality. The Terrace Grille, for mally the Cafe, offers a new menu and an upbeat decor. The cafe’s face-lift pared down the avail able seating, but the lifelike murals on the walls give the illusion of un limited space. Wonderful scenic portraits of South ern France. Italv and Greece almost distract the diner from the food. The hotel’s less formal dining room serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from 6:30 a.m. to 10pjn.lt is open until 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. I sampled the lunch menu, start ing with a cup of the soup of the day ($ 1.95), which happened to be black bean. I was surprised to find that it did not come with the traditional complement of sour cream or lime. The soup itself was bland, but the abundance of whole beans helped with the presentation. I enjoyed an appetizer of Baja Roll with a Mango Tomatilla Salsa ($4.95). The fruit salsa was the per fect complement to this flour tortilla filled with creamy goat cheese and roasted red peppers. The Baja Roll was rich and hard to finish by my self, but for two people it would be perfect, and I recommend it. The appetizer menu, however, was limited and not well-rounded. It featured only three items for lunch. The other items to choose from were the Bruschetta, a toasted homemade focaccia with olive oil, roma toma toes and goat cheese ($5.95) and Crispy Onion Strings ($3.50). The Terrace Grille’s sandwich menu has many classic selections including the Grille’s twist on a club, hamburger, Reuben and a tuna melt. I chose the Jamacian Jerk Pork Sandwich ($6.50). The onion roll that it was served mi was fantastic but the sandwich was dry and it had more of a Mid west flavor than a spicy Jamaican Jerk. It was served with a choice of fries, chi lied roasted vegetables, cole slaw, peanut cole slaw (which the restaurant was out of when I was there) and potato salad. I found the cole slaw to be sticky in texture instead of creamy, so I sent it back. The potato salad, however, was great. My server had a friendly smile and was attentive. She did a good job. Sandwiches ranged from $5.50 to $7.75 and also included the Car ibbean Chicken Sandwich, Grilled Portabella Mushroom Sandwich and a Pan Bagna. The menu also offered four en trees and a catch of the day, all served with homemade bread. The dinner menu makes many of the same offerings as the lunch menu, but is expanded to fit more of a dinner format. Prices ranged from $4.95 to $17.50. The breakfast menu included items for all appetites and ranged in price from $1.50 to $7.25. T-birds playing ‘Guitars’ From Staff Reports Guitars and Cadillacs will get a dose ofblues tonight when the blues based rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds plays a 19-and-older show. Though the group’s most famous player, Jimmie Vaughn, has left the band, the Thunderbirds’ music has continued a great marriage between rock and blues. The Thunderbirds are best known for the 1986 hit ‘Tough Enough.” The band is currently sup porting its latest release, “Roll of the Dice.” The show starts at 9 when open ing band The Daily Blues takes the stage. The Thunderbirds follow, around 10:30. Tickets are $9 in advance and $ 11 at the door. The event is spon sored by KTGL-FM, 92.9 The Eagle.