Arts ©Entertainment
Tuesday, February 20, 1996 Page 6 #
Cliff A. Hicks
Swap site
raises legal
dilemma
The Internet once again is faced
with a conundrum that won’t be easy
to solve, between what’s legally right
and morally right, that is.
The University of Nevada has run
a site — for quite some time now —
where guitarists can swap chords and
guitar tablatures for songs by popular
and not-so popular artists.
This site, which came to be known
about a year ago as OLGA (the On
Line Guitar Archive) was shut down a
few weeks ago because of what the
site’s creators call “raised legal issues.”
The crux of the matter is, EMI
Music is suing for copyright infringe
ment.
Since neither EMI nor the univer
sity will go on record, almost all the
information anyone has is hearsay, but
this is what we have.
OLGA housed thousands of songs
in both tab and chord format. Almost
all of these were figured out by aver
age people in their spare time. These
files were available to anyone who
could connect to the site, at no charge.
All songs have, as of recently,
sprawled across the top of them: “This
file is the author’s own work and rep
resents their interpretation of the song.
You may only use this file for private
study, scholarship, or research.”
The above bit is an attempt to get
OLGA to fall under the copyright pro
vision known as fair use. There have
been volumes written on fair use and
what does and does not fall under this
law.
bo when we get down to it, all 1
can do is give my honest opinion re
garding the whole, tangled, bizarre
issue.
I’m no lawyer, so I really can’t say,
professionally, what is legal. But just
by looking at it, I would think EMI
might have a case. The fact that the
lyrics are printed for many of the
songs is probably a violation. But,
again, I’m not sure.
Consult the law itself to form your
own opinion. The copyright laws can
be found at (http://
www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/
index Jitml).
EMI’s justification is that it is los
ing money, but most of what was con
tained on OLGA never has been
printed. So how can profits be lost
from something it never gained from?
Morally, however, I think EMI is
so far out of line that it’s incredible.
OLGA is non-profit and just about
everyone who used the archive used
it to learn songs for nothing more than
to play for themselves.
There was no malicious intent, and
there was no profit. All in all, it’s re
ally just a giant music library, which
may or may not fall under the fair use
section of copyright law.
OLGA was just a place where old
hats to guitar could help out the new
guys who were just learning, and
where people could share favorite
songs. It all comes down to the joy of
music. And EMI seems to be trying to
take that away from the Internet.
Even if EMI wins, more than 50
sites already have all of what OLGA
did. It’s just harder to find.
Hklu is a freskmaa aews-edltorial aad
Eaglisk major aad a Dafly Nebraskaa staff
reporter.
Photo courtesy of Jim Henson Productions
Kermit the Frog (left) holds back the bacon (a.k.a. Miss Piggy) in the newest Muppet film,
“Muppet Treasure Island.”
New Muppet film a treasure
By Brian Priesman
Rim Critic
Jim Henson would be proud.
Son and heir to the crown of
Muppet mas
Movie
Review
ter, Brian
Henson “has
successfully
filled his
father’s rather
large shoes.
“Muppet
Treasure Is
land” is a fun
filled romp
through Rob
ert Louis
Stevenson s classic novel, “Treasure
Island.”
But to tell the truth, this movie
has about as much to do with the
original classic as “Monty Python’s
The Life of Brian” has to do with
the life of Christ.
Starring a wide variety of celeb
rities, “Muppet Treasure Island”
does not shy away from fun.
Tim Curry leads the human cast
as the infamous Long John Silver.
He’s glib, fun and charming as the
one-legged rascal. His human co
star, newcomer Kevin Bishop as the
toothy, wide-eyed Jim Hawkins, is
delightful..
But as in any Muppet movie, the
real stars are the Muppets.
The Abbott-and-Costello-like
team of Gonzo and Rizzo is hysteri
cal, cracking one-liner after one
liner. The two leave no stone
unturned as they make references to
various things from “Star Trek” to
water-skiing.
Unlike “The Muppet Christmas
Carol,” where Rizzo had the bulk of
the jokes, Gonzo gets the majority
of the screen ^time. And being the
ham that he is, he makes the most of
it.
But don’t worry; Rizzo gets his
fair share too — mostly eating and
trying to make a quick buck.
But because this is a Muppet
movie, Kcrmit is around as the lov
able Captain Smollet. As always,
Kcrmit plays a goody-goody frog
who’s not afraid of getting his legs
wet.
But Kcrmit did make some
Film: “Muppet Treasure Is
land”
Stars: Kermit the Frog,
Gonzo, Rizzo the Rat, Tim
Curry
Director: Brian Henson
Rating: G
Grade: B+ *
Five Words: Kermit has a tat- : ,
too. Cool.
changes this time around. Kermit
appears to have a tattoo of his love,
Miss Piggy, emblazoned on his
chest.
And speaking of Miss Piggy, no
Muppet movie would be complete
without her voluptuous form.
And other Muppet classic char
acters make their appearances as
well.The Swedish Chef, Sam Eagle
and more make their presence
known as the Muppets sing and
dance their way through this delight
ful musical mirth.
“Muppet Treasure Island” is a
festive voyage through the classic
novel. Worth every penny, it’s even
better than the original.
New-release videos
are spooky, stylish
m
By Gerry Beltz
Him Critic
Well, another slow week on the
new release shelves, but the good
news is that neither of this week’s
films suck. That’s a good thing! Plus,
the pick of the week goes in the style
of an upcoming theatrical release.
“To Wong Foo, Thanks for Ev
erything, Julie Newmar” (PG-13)—
A great deal of this film was shot in
Nebraska, but that is only second to
the fine quality and style of the film.
And this film has style by the
bucket.
Vida (Patrick Swayze), Noxeema
(Wesley Snipes) and Chi-Chi (John
Leguizamo) help the residents of
Snydersville—and one another —
with a variety of problems and so
cial issues.
The movie has lessons to be
learned, but director Beeban Kidron
uses a deft hand by making it fun.
Definitely worth a look.
“Copycat” (R) — Don’t watch
this one alone. It’ll freak you out
from now until Christmas.
Psychologist Helen Hudson
(Sigourney Weaver) is scared to
come out of her own home, but po
lice detective M.J. Monahan (Holly
Hunter) needs her help to catch a
killer who is copying famous serial
killers.
Harry Connick Jr. also puts in an
appearance as the vicious killer who
attacked Hudson years before. He
has less screen time than Sean
Connery in “Robin Hood: Prince of
Thieves.”
Great, spooky film to be watched
with the lights low, “Copycat” is one
creepy piece of work.
PICK OF THE WEEK — With
“Rumble In The Bronx,” opening
this Friday, curious moviegoers can
check out Jackie Chan in “The Big
Brawl.”
The entire film centers on Chan’s
training and performance in a fight,
but the true showpiece would be
Chan’s acrobatics and skill at his art
of Chinese kung fu.
Chan’s blend of comedy and bril
liant martial arts make this a very
fun film.
Nebraska
Brass to
play blues
From Staff Reports
The Nebraska Brass will continue
its 1995-96 concert season tonight
at St. Paul United Methodist Church,
1144 M St., with “Brass and Blues.”
Tonight’s concert will feature
three guest artists —Annette Murrell
on vocals, Jim Williamson on piano
and John Scofield on drums — in
addition to the group’s usual lineup
of Dean Haist and Brad Obbink on
trumpets, Richard Ricker on French
horn, Jay Pralle on trombone and
John Thomason on tuba.
Murrell has performed profes
sionally for more than 17 years. She
has sung blues, jazz and gospel
throughout the United States and is
probably most recognized for her
work with the Thblerockers, a Chi
cago-style blues band that released
its first compact disc last fall.
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $4 for students, $7 for
senior citizens and $ 10 for adults.
Sandler
turns golf
into chaos
By Lane Hickenbottom
Film Critic
The latest film from the “Satur
Movie
Review
• aay Nignt
Live” breed of
slap-happy ac
tors gives pro
fessional golf
a twist, replac
ing hockey
sticks with
sand wedges.
Adam
Sandler plays
Happy
Gilmore, a
short-tempered, wanna-be hockey
player whose lack of skating skills
keeps him out of the pros. When the
Internal Revenue Service repos
sesses his beloved grandmother’s
house, Gilmore must find lots of
money fast. Otherwise, Grandma
will live the rest of her life in an old
age home from hell.
Luckily, Gilmore discovers that
his powerful hockey slap shot can
be transformed into a tremendous
400-yard drive on the golf course.
Chubbs Peters (Carl Weathers) is a
former professional golfer whose
promising career was cut short when
an alligator made a light snack out
of his hand. Upon seeing Gilmore’s
amazing drive, Peters is convinced
that he can help Gilmore become the
next golf great, and he talks him into
joining the pro circuit.
Gilmore becomes the John
McEnroe of golf as a hollering, fist
throwing, spectator-attracting golfer.
As the exciting new guy, he claims
much of the attention that golf ace
Shooter McGavin (Christopher
McDonald) feels he deserves.
Film: “Happy Gilmore”
Stars: Adam Sandler, Christo
pher McDonald, Carl Weathers
Director: Dennis Dugan
Rating: PG-13 (language, vio
lence)
Grade: B
Five Words: An all-around
happy movie
Conflict develops as the self-im
pressed McGavin wants Gilmore off
the pro circuit. Gilmore finds help
from his beautiful golf public rela
tions manager, Virginia Venit
(Julie Bowen). Before becoming ro
manced by Gilmore, Venit helps
control Gilmore’s temper so he will
not be booted from the circuit.
“Happy Gilmore,” a Dennis
Dugan film, is a hilarious comedy
that does not fall short if all you want
out of a movie is a good laugh.
Sandler is his typical self, a child
trapped in a grown-up’s body. His
short temper leads him to many fist
fights, including an incident when
he goes for blows with game-show
host Bob Barker, who plays the role
of, well, Bob Barker.
The humorous wit makes up for
the shallow, predictable plot and
“Saturday Night Live’Mike acting.
“Happy Gilmore” is a movie that
will make you laugh, but it certainly
will not make you think. It is a movie
that is consistent with Sandler’s pre
vious flick, “Billy Madison.”
It is a must-see for comedy buffs
and a movie a plot-seeker easily can
miss.
