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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 8, 1998)
Jennifer WALKER Nose for news Daily Nebraskan continues through summer months Walker is a junior news-ed and women*s studies major and the Daily Nebraskan Summer Edition co-editor The football team isn’t playing. The dorms are closed, and it seems like no one’s around. So what do you need the Daily Nebraskan for? Although the campus population shrinks 10-fold, and the football stadium is empty, the Daily Nebraskan is still publishing. Contrary to popular opinion, UNL does have a life when hardly anyone is here. And that’s what we’re here for. This summer, we want to continue the Daily Nebraskan’s legacy - as something to rporl Hiiritm lonfurao We also want to let you know what IS happening on campus, and in Lincoln, so you don’t end up wishing the fall semester would start, or spend the summer watching re-runs of “The Golden Girls,” and wishing there really was an episode where the girls all drink poisoned Geritol and die. The Daily Nebraskan will be covering Lincoln’s big events - July Jamm, Haymarket Heydays, Jazz in June and all the concerts that you need to drive to Omaha to see. We’ll let you know how the “X-Files” movie is, and whether you should dish out the Cash for the new Rod Stewart compact disc. The Mary Riepma Ross Theater runs movies all summer, the Temple Building hosts the professional Repertory Theater and the University Program Council shows outdoor movies with free pop and popcorn. And if that’s not enough to get you off the couch and onto campus, then you proba bly need to see someone about that obses sion with Bea Arthur. We also want to hear from you, because although it’s our job to tell you where to go and what to do, we don’t, know everything that’s going on. In fact, most of the time, we’re holed up in our climate-controlled basement offices' and we couldn’t even tell ^you if the Union was about to be sucked into a tornado Wizard-of-Oz style. So write a letter or give us a call. We want a reason to shut off the television, too. Editorial Policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Spring 1998 Daily Nebraskan. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nebraska-Uncoln, its employees, its student body or the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A column is solely the opinion of its author. The Board of Regents serves as publisher of the Daily Nebraskan; policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. The UNL Publications Board, established by the regents, supervises the production of the paper. According to policy set by the regents, responsibility for the editonai content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its student employees. letter Policy The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor and guest columns, but does not auarantee their publication. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submitted material becomes property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major and/or group affiliation, if any. Submit material to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. E-mail: letters@unlinte.unl.edu. . Haney's vn?w V JJCi w '1 ' r’ d /■> U •. N. Todd MUNSON Oh God(zilla)! Unhappy columnist urges fans to write movie executives Munson is a senior broad casting major and a Daily Nebraskan Columnist Wintertime is gone and dead, it's summer timefiill freakin ’the head.”— The Sugarhill Gang. “There’s a sucker bom every minute ”—PT. Bamum. Normally one wouldn’t ever pair up a lyric from die forefathers of hip-hop and the man best known for his collec tion of bearded women. But, like Jerry Springer leaving his show to become an ordained minister, anything can happen. Take for instance the whole concept of “The Summer Movie.” But, before I get to that, allow me to explain die order in which movies are released from the entertainment Mecca that is Hollywood. In the fall, there is generally your action-packed Segal/Stallone farce that just didn’t have enough punch to com pete with the big summer movies. Around Christmas, come the movies the Hollywood likes to call “films.” These are always the ones pin ing for an Oscar nomination, releasing them as close to the new year as possi ble helps insure that the Alzheimer’s stricken Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science will remember them. In the spring the turds get theif day, and I mean day, in the sun. These are die movies that just plain suck, for example “Lostjp Space” and ‘Mr. Magoo.” These movies would have no chance for success, except in Bulgaria, unless they were all released simultane ously, thereby forcing movie audiences to go see them or nothing at all. Thetvwhen all the spring duds „ begin their stay at the local $1.75 the ater, die red carpet rolls out in welcome of the summer blockbusters. Ah yes, the ubiquitous summer blockbuster. Each one is bigger and bad der than the next And each one is the must-see movie of the summer. Last year it was volcanoes and dinosaurs. This years it’s comets and lizards. A huge budget, fast food promotions, dozens of magazine covers, jaw-dropping special effects, ear -shattering sound and a plot like... wait a second, there is no plot And that’s the rub. r Each year, as special effects become more special, it seems that the powers that be spend less and less time crafting a great story to go with great effects. Case in point—Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the duo who brought the world “InedepndunceDay.” Now they bring us “Godzilla.” If the movie is still in theaters when you read this, I implore you, don’t go see it. If you have suffered through “Gaudyzilla” like I have, cut out the fol lowing letter and send it to Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich C/O Sony Pictures Studios 10202 W. Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232. Dear Dean and Roland, You dirty rats. You had to destroy and Americanize the great Japanese icon that is Godzilla, didn’t you? Well, I’m sick and tired of your malicious ways and feel it is time take action. In 1996,1 suffered through "Independence Day” and left vowing never to see one of your films again. Now in the year 19981 find myself still in shock over the horrific swill that was “Godzilla.” I’ve spent the last few days kicking my own ass for thinking you two would mature in the span of two years and create something worth while. My doctor says the brain hemor rhage will subside in time and that the spastic fits of profuse vomiting should stop any day now. The larger problem is that my mind is for ever scarred from your creation. I really wish the person sitting next to me would have allowed me to poke out my eyes Oedipus style so that I would n’t be able to type this letter today. Instead I have to live for die rest of my life knowing that I had to suffer through the worst two hours and 28 minutes of my life. If “Godzilla” had been written and directed by 8 year olds I would have thought it was great But, knowing that it came from two grown men I can do nothing but cry myself to sleep each night. The worst part is that I actually paid to see your garbage. I would just as soon pay to watch you to violate my neigh bor’s cat I’m sure the horrific mental trauma would be the same but it would take two hours less to reach that point As an unsatisfied customer, I feel that I am entitled to the same privileges that extend to unsatisfied customers of any other business. I demand, a full refund. Since I’m a college student, I’ll only ask for a refund of a student ticket rate, which is $4.50. Just feel fortunate that I’m only asking for the mere pit tance of a movie ticket The bills for my extensive medical and mental treatments are climbing into the tens of thousands. Some day you will fall from your pedestal and find yourselves on the “Not” side of US Magazine’s “What’s hot and what’s not list” From there it is just a short fall to being regulated to making made-for-TV movies, which is where you two belong. Regards, A very angry viewer
