ENTERTAINMENT
Page 12Monday, September 20,1999
Organization aids Nebraska filmmakers
By JoshKrauter
Senior staff writer
In 1991, a group of Lincoln video- and filmmakers got together
to complain.
They were tired of running into brick walls when they tried to
raise money for their projects. And if they were able to raise funds,
they were tired of financial backers who didn’t understand how films
were made, how much money was needed or what the film’s intent
was.
The Nebraska Independent Film Projects began after this meet
ing. Ever since, the organization has been helping video and film
makers raise money, providing a place to show films and educating
the public about film and video.
The organization is nonprofit, which helps the filmmakers raise
money, said Lori Vidlak, president of the NIFP.
“When you try to raise money, you have to be aligned with a non
profit oiganization to get grant money,” she said.
Dorothy Booraem, secretary for the organization, said the NIFP
has grown considerably in the two years she has been a member. She
said the NIFP now encompasses art, experimental, narrative and ani
mated films as well as documentaries.
Vidlak said the NIFP acts as a support group of sorts for people
interested in film.
“Older people tell the younger people how to do things. There’s
even a 10-year-old kid who comes to the meetings with his mother.”
“He’s crazy about it,” Booraem said.
In addition to building a support network for local filmmakers,
the NIFP holds occasional workshops and seminars. Two recent
workshops have featured film industry veterans. Lou Hunter, a
screenwriting professor at UCLA, drew a crowd of 105, Vidlak said.
“That drew so many people because everyone’s got a screen
play” Booraem said.
Fred Ginsberg, soundman for “St. Elsewhere,” also taught a
workshop. Now, NIFP is planning a workshop teaching the basics of
set lighting for video shoots to show what can be accomplished with
a tight budget.
“It’s about what you can buy at Menard’s and jerry rig,” Booraem
said. “How can you create fancy movie effects with just things you
can find in your house?”
One upcoming event, however, is just for fun. The second annu
al “Mad Movie Night,” which is being billed as “Son of Mad Movie
Night,” is being screened at the 7th Street Loft, 504 S. Seventh St., on
Thursday. The screenings are at 7 and 9 p.m., and admission is $2.
“Mad Movie Night” is made up of a collection of short films,
local and national, that Vidlak and Booraem say are humorous and
bizarre.
We encourage squealing and catcalls, Booraem said.
Films shown include “The Eternal Struggle,” “Commander
Cody,” “Frog Pituitary” and “Slugs and Bugs.”
“The whole thing’s based on goofiness,” Vidlak said.
Vidlak and Booraem have had to deal with far ^
more than goofiness in their film careers.
Booraem has made videos for the Nebraska
Humanities Council and worked in the art f\ ^
department for two independent films, ' \\
“Redneck” and “Days Gone By,” as well as lg / \\/
a television movie starring Jamie Lee II | \
Vidlak, a documentary filmmaker V /// | JHy
for public television, has had her share ,‘WmmA
of experience, too. While filming a docu- ^
mentary in Mexico, she got a full body ft
rash, and that was only the beginning of her prob- yk=W (aLgflI
lems. When she and the rest of the film crew tried '—9 TUr*3
to cross the border back into the United States, cus- Am '
toms wanted to open the film cans to see if they were hid- !At'
ing any drugs. This would have exposed the film, and the JmJ
entire documentary would have been lost. Vidlak said Jmj /T
the crew finally talked the customs officials out of the JAJ fl/L
check, but it was a close call. jmj. tUfl
“There’s so much stress, but it gives you good /ml jJa
stories to share over cocktail parties,” Vidlak said. , gml
“They’re like war stories,” Booraem added. ycrfij
Vidlak said raising money, even with flr
NIFP’s backing, can be difficult. jJgwljSF
“If you have no money, you’ve got to real- . gjjAF jjn
ly, really love your project,” she said. ‘ ' • •'
Vidlak and Booraem hope to alleviate uL
some of the stress independent filmmak
ers feel, and they encourage people • r|U^C|
to join NIFP. To become a mem- .-IB
ber, one can visit the NIFP Web site at
w’ww’.lincohwe.com/nonprofit/nifp/ and •
fill out the form found there. Students ^ yBiM|
and novices pay $10 for membership, those a I
little more advanced pay $25, and profession
als pay $35. The NIFP holds meetings the sec- .
ond Wednesday of every month at Telepro, 1844 \JrBBJH
“The best thing about NIFP is the opportu- jA /
nity to show your work to people with experi- .( 1-jAAt^AA
ence and knowledge,” Booraem said. “We’re ^ •ZmBm-iJ —
a cross between a network and a mentor, and •“ ^
we use nonprofit sponsorship to raise money.”
Jazz Orchestra
set to jive, wail
By Shelley Mika
Staff writer
Brian Setzer hasn’t got anything
on the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra.
Even though Setzer’s band and
similar others made it impossible to
ignore the jive and wail of the swing
movement, the Nebraska Jazz
Orchestra was way ahead of them.
The 17-piece big band has been
together for 24 years and performs a
variety of jazz and swing numbers.
For 14 years, they were billed as
the Neo-classical Jazz Orchestra
before taking the new name of the
Nebraska Jazz Orchestra.
The orchestra has a basic core of
members, although guest soloists and
even guest dancers grace the stage
sometimes.
Lincoln isn’t the only place where
this core performs. The Nebraska
Jazz Orchestra can also be heard in
Omaha, Kearney, Hastings and vari
ous other towns in Nebraska.
Occasionally, tours also take the
band out of Nebraska. Most recently,
it played in Sioux Falls, S.D.
This year’s season starts Tuesday
*iat the Pla-Mor Ballroom. Most per
formances thereafter will also be held
at the Pla-Mor, beginning at 7:30
p.m.
Although the season kicks off this
week, the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra
will not resume until November and
will perform once a month through
May.
A variety of themes are on the cal
endar this year. The first official con
cert in the series is “Swing’s the
Thing,” which will feature guest
artist Daryl White on trumpet.
Series concerts two and three take
on seasonal themes with “Christmas
& All That Jazz” and “Cool Jazz:
Baby It’s Cold Outside.” The guest
artist in December will be Bev Jester,
a vocalist.
“Gotta Dance!” and “Jazz Has
Been Bari Good to Me” will wrap up
the season. “Gotta Dance” will fea
ture guest dancers Stephanie Chase
and Bud and Rita Imley.
“Jazz Has Been Bari Good to
Me” features Scott Vicroy on bari
tone sax and will be performed in
Lincoln in April and in Kearney in
May at the Holiday Inn.
Tickets to see The Nebraska Jazz
Orchestra won’t set you back as far as
tickets for Brian Setzer, but you’ll
still see plenty of big band, swing and
jazz.
Tickets are $7 for students, $12
for seniors and $15 for adults per
show. Season tickets are available for
$28 for students, $48 for seniors, $60
for adults and $ 130 for families.
All tickets can be purchased at
the first concert or by calling the
Nebraska Jazz Orchestra business
office at Arts Incorporated at (402)
477-8446. Tickets also can be pur
chased online by e-mailing
njo@artsincorporated.org.
The
Nebraska Jazz Orchestra
1999/2000
Students: $7 Settlers: $12 Adults: $15
Septet 7:30p.m.- 10:30 p.m. |
What: Tuesday Night Special
Dance to the music of the
Nebraska Jazz Orchestra.
Where: Pla-Mor Ballroom, 6600 W.
O St. Lincoln, NE.
What: Swing’s The Thing
NJO salutes the Big Bands.
Special guest artist- Darryl
white, trumpet
Where: Pla-Mor Ballroom, 6600 W.
O St. Lincoln, NE.
Holiday Inn, Kearney. 110
S. Second Ave. Kearney, NE.
Dec. 7 7:30 p.m.
What: Christmas & All That Jazz
Featuring Bev Jester, vocalist.
Where: Pla-MorBallroom.
Jan. 29 2000 7:30pJTV •
What: Cool Jazz “Baby It’s Cold
Outside”
Featuring the Young Lions All
Star Band.
Where: Pla-Mor Ballroom.
t'
What: Valentines & Jazz
Dinner and Fundraiser.
Where: The Country Club of Lincoln.
Lincoln, Neb.
What: Gotta Dance
With guest dancers Stephanie
Chase, Bud and Rita Imlay.
Where: Pla-Mor Ballroom.
What: Jazz Has Been Bari Good
To Me
Featuring the NJO Young
Jazz Artist Winner and Scott
Vicrov, baritone sax.
Where: Pla-Mor Ballroom, Lincoln
Holiday Inn, Kearney.
Matt Haney/DN
‘Love of Game’ can’t
salvage Costner film
By Emily Pyeatt
Staff writer
Kevin Costner stars in yet
another baseball flick.
But after scoring with earlier
films, “Bull Durham” and “Field of
Dreams,” Costner strikes out in
“For Love of the Game.”
In a coming-of-age film for the
already aged, Costner plays Detroit
Tigers’ pitcher Billy Chapel. After
a seemingly brilliant baseball
career, the 40-year-old pitcher
learns that the Tigers’ not-too-hot
season has forced his owner to sell
the team. Chapel would then be
traded and forced to leave the
Tigers - the surrogate family to
whom he has dedicated 20 years of
play.
At the same time, his long-term
girlfriend, Jane (Kelly Preston),
stands him up and leaves him to
begin a new life in London. Chapel
is forced to decide the fate of his
career and his relationship.
“For Love of the Game” then
unfolds through a critical Tigers v.s
Yankees game in which a Yankee
win would clinch a division title.
Chapel stands alone on the
mound for nine innings of reflec
tion. The plausibility of such a dis
tracted athlete recalling his past
love life is so slim it creates one of
the film’s greatest flaws.
Film Review
The Facts
Title: “For Love of the Game’
Stars: Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston
Director: Sam Raimi
Rating: PG-13
Grade: C
Five Words: Generic Baseball/Costner Flick
Flops
Chapel flashes back to five
years before the game, revealing
the evolution of his relationship
with Jane despite his growing suc
cess. Along with the narrative,
Chapel is haunted by visions of his
parents among the Yankee fans.
Furthermore, Chapel is overcome
by thought-provoking moments
while staring into his glove.
In any plausible baseball game.
Chapel would have been pulled and
sent to the shower. Instead, Chapel
allows such illusions to fuel his
successful pitching in the Yankees’
game.
The flaws increase throughout
the film. It becomes increasingly
obvious that the script is terribly
weak. “For Love of the Game” is
filled with empty lines such as,
“The game doesn’t stink ... It's a
great game” and “How do you like
to be kissed?”
Instantly readable iconic char
Please see GAME on 13
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