, . ---n- •
Gerry Beltz
Drive-in
a part of
summer fun
Okay, people. The year is up, so
lets review.
Last week, an Omaha high school
banned shirts for the former Omaha
band 311 because someone noticed
the “11” could refer to “K,” the
11th letter of the alphabet, thus
making “311 ” into standing for
“KKK.”
The band members have already
come forward and stated that isn’t
the meaning behind the name of the
band (true meaning: police code for
indecent exposure). Give us a break
people! I guess if you look at a
forest long enough, you look past
the trees and just see the fertilizer.
The drive-ins arc open, at least
the one in Council Bluffs, Iowa is.
This is an experience not to be
missed, and the opportunities are
fading fast. So next weekend, after
finals, load up the car with fast
food, beverages, lawn chairs and
friends, and head over the bridge
for a classic taste of cinema second
to none.
(Hint: bring munchie food too,
and a couple of sleeping bags for
cuddling in the back seat, if the
opportunity comes up.)
Okay, Douglas Theatres Com
pany TECHNICALLY doesn’t
have a monopoly of the movie the
aters here in Lincoln.
They only run 97 percentofthem.
It may as well be a monopoly, but
there are both good and bad sides to
this.
The bad side is there is no com
petition, no need to prove them
selves above anyone else, therefore
quality service tends to slip from
time to time.
The good part — wnicn almost
outweighs the bad — is the prices
charged at a theater run by Douglas
Theatres. As far as theater chains
go, Douglas Theatres charges less
for admission, drinks, snacks and
so on than many other theater chain
I have visited in this nation.
Granted, the prices are higher
than at a U-Stop or whatever, but
for a movie theater snack bar, they
are rather reasonably priced.
Another gold star for the Dou
glas Theatre Company for some
new additions to the snack bar,
though only at the StarShip 9.
Nachos have muscled into the
snack bar area for $2.50, but the
later in the day you go, the greater
the risk of no nachos. Still, any port
in a storm...
Also, concessions for a buck
have reappeared. Boxes of Runts
and Tootsie rolls can be bought for
only a dollar. Cheap concessions
for the cheap movies; good idea.
Finally, Video Station sold out
their five locations to Blockbuster
Video, and now you can’t swing a
dead aardvark around without hit
ting one of the blue-and-yellow
signs. Too bad their customer ser
vice sucks. Go to the independent
video stores for service, selection
and price.
Have a damn fine summer! And
go to the drive-in!!!!
Beltz is a senior English education ma
jor and a Daily Nebraskan senior re
porter.
Stylistic thriller
Marni Speck/DN
Valerie Giunca, the assistant director of “The Walk,” holds up a make-shift take board as shooting resumes. Chad Salem, the leading
male, poses for the camera.
UNL graduate writes, directs own film
Ann Stack
Senior Reporter
It’s not “Pulp Fiction,” but it’s a
start.
Scott Piddock is getting his start in
UlmmakingatRhiney’sBarand Grill,
421 S 9th.
Piddock, a 1995 UNL graduate, is
producing and directing “The Walk,”
a short film he wrote.
“It’s a film noir—a dark, stylistic
thriller,” he said. “It’s about a guy
whose li fe is turmoil. He goes to a bar,
meets a girl and establishes a rapport
with her. It’s about what goes on be
tween them during the night.”
What happens during the course of
the film will challenge how viewers
think, Piddock said. The film is omi
nous, psychological and dark, he said,
and it’s not one he would take his kids
to see.
“There’s some unusual twists to
it,” he said. “But there’s nothing
graphic; no foul language, nudity or
violence.”
After maj oring in photography and
minoring in film at UNL, he decided
to make his own film.
“I think there’s a lot of interest in
Lincoln and Omaha,” he said. “But
there’s nobody out there doing it, so 1
decided to direct and write my own
features.”
Making a film has been tough fi
nancially, but with help from a finan
cial backer and volunteers, he plans to
be done with “The Walk” in a few
weeks.
The experience of making a film is
one that Piddock values for himself
and for everyone who worked on it, he
said.
“It’s been a learning experience for
everyone involved — for the people
working on sets, lights, the
actors...everyone,” he said.
Piddock plans to enter his work in
as many film festivals as possible, he
said.
“If that doesn’t work J’ll send it to
production companies and see if they
find it interesting or not,” he said. “It’s
a risk I have to take — I want to get it
shown anywhere that I can.”
Piddock said he hoped people
would have a positive response to the
film.
“I’m not looking to change the
world, but I want people to think about
something different,” he said. “It’s
been nerve-racking, but I’ve been get
ting good feedback.”
Summertime flicks lack blockbuster hits
By Gerry Beltz
film Critic
Summertime can be counted on for
sunshine, road construction and loads
of movies.
Why would this
year be any differ
ent?
The difference
this year is the lack
of any one or. two
outstanding block
buster films (like
last summer’s
“Batman Forever”).
As usual, Disney
awaits,along with a
couple of sequels, TV-to-movies and a
little something for everyone.
The release dates for those films
are not set whatsoever, and can change
with the wind. This list also may be
missing a movie or two. Nonetheless,
here’s a rough idea of what to expect
over the next few months:
MAY —
“Twister” (May 10)—Stars Helen
Hunt, Cary Elwes and Bill Paxton, and
directed by Jan De Bont (“Speed”). A
bunch of people try to study torna
does. The plot looks kind of lame, but
the computer special effects look ex
cellent.
“Flipper” (May 17)—OK, it looks
weak, particularly with Paul “no-life
after-Crocodile-Dundee” Hogan in the
lead of this dolphin flick, but what
other kid’s films will it have to com
pete against? Also stars Elijah Wood.
“Mission: Impossible” (May 22)
— Very highly anticipated film with
some excellent response to the pre
view trailers. Features Tom Cruise,
Jon Voight and Kristin Scott Thomas,
but don’t count on Peter Graves and
company showing up.
“Spy Hard” (May 24) — A spoof
on the James Bond and “Die Hard”
films starring (who else?) Leslie
Nielsen. At least he’s not letting him
self get typecast.
“Dragonheart” (May 31) — Spe
cial effects from the “Jurassic Park”
wizards will be the highlight of this
medieval film starring Dennis Quaid
as the knight and Sean Connery as the
voice of the fearsome dragon Draco.
JUNE —
“The Phantom” (June 7) — Billy
Zanc (“Sniper,” “Tombstone”) stars
as the fearless purple comic book su
perhero who lives in a cave. But, will
anyone remember the Phantom to make
the film a success?
“Cable Guy” (June 14)—It’s“Fa
tal Attraction” meets “Stay Tuned.” A
cable customer (Matthew Broderick)
See SUMMER on 12
Erin Grant (Demi Moore) plays a Miami stripper in need of some fast
cash for a child custody battle in “Striptease.”
Photo courtesy Castle Rock Entertainment