24 planet of the arts / december 1997 CULTURAL DIALECTICS by Chris Nash t's been a bumpy road, but we’ve finally installed the projection system in the renovated Students’ Lounge and there won't be any more re-scheduling or changing rooms for the evenings of embarassing video bits and bad taste known as Maligned Media Night. Each Maligned Media Night is an experiment. These aren’t formal film presentations: you don’t have to like what you see, and you don’t have to behave or sit still. You can just drift in and out. Something on the Lounge screen might just grab you and you'll sit down and watch. Or maybe after reading this article you will come to the Lounge with the INTENT to watch something trashy...that’s OK, too. A couple of years ago, students Rob Dayton and Erin Gilgannin presented a miscellany of media clips and bits. Many of the video artifacts had to be seen to be believed. Along with the occasional per- formance or audience participation segment, Rob and Erin offered a bunch of really arcane things without any other venues for presenta- tion. I'll never forget seeing the black & white home video of the Go- Gos from back in 1983, in a cheap motel, mollesting, embarrassing, and otherwise torturing a male groupie while everyone in the motel drifts around ripped on quaaludes. Or how about ‘Gay Porn Lite’. Nearly two hours (probably only 45 minutes, but it felt like three hours) of all the porn clips you can take... “without the meddlesome sex”. Ooh, baby. Really bad stuff, but unintentionally profound and poetic. So far this year, Mark Curry (the friendly, busy chap at reception) and myself have been organizing Maligned Media Nights at the last minute. Since few of the people who attended past Maligned Media Nights are still at the Institute, there is definitely less pressure to top the glorious line-ups put together by Rob and Erin. Generally, things are tamer this year ( it IS in an eating area we're showing in, after all). Still, we've found heaps of stuff that just scream to be seen, and let me tell you, anyone who can’t make it misses out. We’ve been saving up our best events for the coming weeks. After being postponed a couple of times, forgetting that Remembrance Day fell on a Tuesday, and then Rogers Video mysteri- ously losing their copy at the last minute, the XANADOOM roller - boogie night takes place the first school week in January. We'll show our first student film, Carmen Morrow’s ‘Yamuna’ and then it’s time to look at ‘KANADU; the ambitious, pseudo-rock-opera attempt to sustain the marketability of Olivia Newton-John after such hits as ‘Grease’ and uh...umm...well at least Travolta’s regained some footing lately in his career. Anyway, Xanadu feels like a TV movie in parts, and sometimes it gives me (one?) this urge to put on pink aerobic leg- warmers and roller skates...with glittery hotpants...and lip gloss...all over my body. I’m going to see if I can get a sort of ‘Rocky Horror’/’Mystery Science Theater’ audience participation going. I NEED YOUR HELP! Man gned Media NIGHt Presents ABLLER BOOGIE nite, featuring: january 6th, 1 Harrison Ford's blush and eye-liner are a bit heavy, too. Kissy-kissy. There’s a lot going on in this movie, actually. Olivia plays a muse from Greek mythology who for centuries has come to earth to inspire lonely, gullible male artists and performers to go for their dreams. But she keeps falling in love with them, they get older, and her dad Zeus doesn’t like her snoggir’ with mortal trash, so she has to dump them. “Singin” in the Rain” guy Gene Kelly plays one of her past victims who’s now just a rich, bored old man who picks up a lonely young painter (woulda’-been-star Michael Beck, from such hits as Warriors and Megaforce) on the beach and takes him home to show him his...big place. Well, the young fellow just ran into Olivia earlier the same day, and now HE’s the next victim!! Olivia gets jealous and calls on her magic roller-boogie demi-god powers and inspires them BOTH to become “partners” and open a cruisy-roller-tronic-(‘40’s) big band-slash-(‘80’s) hard rock-mega-disco theme bar, where she stages a hedonistic musical disco sacrifice to Zeus in the final act. Half the soundtrack was done by Electric Light Orchestra and it rocks my leg-warmers!! Before XANADOOM, on December 2nd was the ‘STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL. This was a Christmas special aired ONCE on TV in 1978. I had to find a bootlegged copy on video, so the picture was pretty fuzzy. The guy who sold it to me sold ten copies, and chal- lenged each buyer to watch the whole thing in one sitting. Those who did would win ten dollars worth of stuff in his store or something. Well, each buyer got back to him, including me, and none of us could do it. So I was ready to give prizes to anyone who could sit through the whole thing. I remember actually seeing this air as a kid, when my mom’s friend’s kids were over. I was only five. We were glued. That says a lot about the days before everyone had a VCR or cable, when you only got a chance to see a movie or TV show once. I love STAR WARS. I wouldn’t say I'm a fan, I just happen to know every- thing about it. And by STAR WARS, I mean the movies. Well, two out of three. I wouldn't wipe my booty with the : trashy novels that started popping up a few years ago. I never got rid of my old toys, which in the ‘80s was really uncool. But now it’s hip again, and the same forces behind the cut-&-paste re-releases earlier this year are gearing up for more movies in 1999, 2001, and 2003, so we'll get a chance to see one of them before we all die in a nuclear hellfire in July 1999. Showing this holiday special gives me a chance to spread the word about a forgot- ten chapter in this most celebrated series of movies. It goes something like this: Han Solo and Chewbacca are trying to get back to Chewie’s home planet. Chewie’s family is worried sick that Han and Chewie will get busted for whatever it is they smuggle in their ship, and phone up Leia to find out where they are. Most of the show takes place at the Wookiee household, with the family barking and mewling at each other over who’s going to do what chores. Leia and C-3PO mostly twist dials and push buttons. Carrie Fisher was deep into her pill phase, and it shows with the drool on her chin and the way she trips over stuff. If you stay to the end, you'll see her sing to Chewbacca (maybe he smuggled something to her). Luke can’t help the Wookiees because he and R2-D2 are busy tightening each others’ nuts and bolts. Mark Hamill looks like Liza Minelli with his hair and BAD stage make-up. Harrison Ford’s blush and eye-liner are a bit heavy, too. Kissy-kissy. The HOLIDAY SPECIAL is an amazing document of the dawn of a new age in marketing. A lot of people don’t realize how little George Lucas has to do with Star Wars. He only directed and wrote the first movie, then burned out. He was afraid it would be a flop, so he fled to Hawaii for its premiere. Other people have written and directed the other two movies, and he’s hired new screenwriters for the next batch, although he will direct again for first time in 20 years. The HOLIDAY SPECIAL takes place after the first movie, but has very little to do with the it. It’s more about pop culture snuggling up to STAR WARS mania. The original actors are only around for a little while. The sets and video stock are straight out of a sitcom. We see lots of recycled stock footage from the first film, like outer space scenes, or Darth Vader pacing hallways with dialogue tacked on. Kids wouldn't notice that these were the hallways of the Death Star, which blew up in the movie. Lots of time is filled up with embarrassing musical numbers. Audiences were scammed. This show was the first appearance of Boba Fett, by way of a funky animated short. A lot of people also don’t know that Lucas didn’t come up with Boba Fett. To sustain sales of STAR WARS merchan- dise, Kenner Toys needed a new character for their toy line to market between movies. Ralph McQuarrie, who did production design for the movies and is responsible for most of the look of STAR WARS, along with John Mollo, costume designer, just designed a costume for a villain, which would be tied in to the second movie somehow. The special would promote the toy. Shortly after the TV special aired, Boba Fett was originally offered as a mail-away offer, advertised heav- ily on TV. This in turn promoted the next movie. The figure was orig- inally offered as having a projectile that shot out of its back, but shortly before shipment to waiting kids, the trigger mechanism was scrapped and the projectile glued down, because we all know what happens to kids’ eyes when they play with projectiles. The STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL has an armada of ‘70s “spe- cial guest stars’, too. You get Harvey Korman, Bea Arthur, Dihann Carrol, Art Carney (“It’s a...It's a WOW!”), and the JEFFERSON STARSHIP. The only person missing is perhaps Gary Coleman, but | have a feeling that’s him as Chewie’s son, Lumpy. Oh yes, the added feature for this show was a small collection of STAR WARS toy commercials and movie trailers. If any of the audi- ence saw any of this as kids THEY FELT OLD. So these are some of the things happening on Maligned Media Nights in the renovated Student Lounge. XANADOOM’s in January, tentatively on the 6th, STAR WARS was on December 2nd. Both nights are Tuesdays, and we generally start at 6pm. It’s free, so it’s even cheaper than cheap movie night downtown, and these are ONE NIGHT ONLY events! And anyone can come — you don’t have to be a student..Oh yeah, don’t say I told you, but there’s cheap beer at The Arts Club on Tuesdays, next to the Granville Island Market. So if you have an afternoon class, a beer or two just might make the show that . much better. You'll get a chance to see that STARSHIP TROOPERS or whatever some other time. ©! 24 plonet of the arts / december 1997 CULTURAL DIALECTICS rea earn Right present IGNORE ALL Maligned Media Night by Chris Nash seen a bumpy road, but we've finally insaled the projection system in the renovated Students’ Lounge and there won't be any more re-schedaling or changing rooms forthe evenings of embarassing video bits and bad taste known as Maligned Media Night. Each Maligned Media Night isan experiment, These aren frm film presentations: you don't have to like what you see and you don't have to behave or sit still You can jst dit in and out. Something on the Lounge cren might just grab you and youl sit down and wath, ‘Or maybe after eading his article you will come othe Lounge with the INTENT to watch something trashy. tha’ OK, t0. ‘A couple of yeas ago, students Rob Dayton anid Erin Gilgannin presented a miscellany of media clips and bis. Many ofthe video atifacts ha to be seen to be believed A ng ith the occasional pr formance or audience participation segment, Rob and Erin offered 3 bunch of ealy arcane things without anyother venues for present tion. never forget seeing the black & white ome video ofthe Go: Gos from back in 1983, in a cheap motel, molesting, embarassing, and otherwise torturing a male groupie while everyone inthe mots Aris around ripped on quasludes.Or how about "Gay Porn Lite. "Naaly two hours (probably only 45 minutes but tft hike three hous) of al the porn clips you can tke."without the meddesome sex’ Ooh, baby. Really bad stuf, but unintentionally profound and poetic. So far ths yar, Mark Curry (the rend, busy chap at reception) and myself have been organizing Maligned Media Night tthe last. minut. Since few of the people who atended past Maligned Media [Nights ate still atthe Institue there is definitely les pressure to top the glorious line-ups put together by Rob and Erin, Generally, things are tamer this year (i018 in an eating aes ve'e showing in afer al). Sil we've found heaps of stuff that just seream tobe sen, and let me tll you, anyone who can't make it misses out. Weve been saving up our best events forthe coming weeks ‘Ater being postponed a couple of times, forgetting that Remembrance Day fll ona Tuesday, and then Rogers Video mystr ‘ously losing thee copy atthe last minute, the XANADOOM roller boogie night takes place the frst school weck in January, Well show ‘our frst student im, Carmen Morrow’ ‘Yamuna and then its time {0 look at ‘XANADU; the ambitious, pseudo-rock-opera attempt 10 sustain the marketability of Olivia Newton-John ater such his as ‘Grease’ and uh.umm..well atleast Travolta regained some footing lately in his career. Anyway, Nana fel ike a TV movie in parts, and sometimes it gives me (one? this urge to put on pink aerobic eg warmers and eller skates..ith gitery hotpants and lipgloss ng to see if | can get a sort of “Rock Horror/Mysery Science Theatr’ audience participation going. [NEED YOUR HELP! Harrison Ford's blush and eye-liner are a bit heavy, too. Kissy-kissy. There's ot gong on in this movie, actually Olivia plays a muse from Greek mythology who fr centuries has come to earth inspire lonely gulible male artists and performers to go for their dreams, But she keeps fling in love eth them, they get or, and her dad Zeus oes ike her sgt with mortal trash, o she has to dump them, Singin inthe Rain” guy Gene Kelly plays one of er past vitims ‘who's now just rch, bored old man who picks up a lonely young inte (woulda-beenstar Michael Beck, from such hits as Wartiors and Megafore) on the beach and takes him home to show him his.big place, Wel the young fellow just ran into livia ealer the same day and now HE’ the next victim! Olivia gets jelous and calls fon her magic roller-boogie demi-god powers and inspires them BOTH to become “pares” and open a cruisy-rollertronic-(408) big band-sash-'80) hard rock-mega-disco theme bu where she stagesa hedonistic musica disco sacrifice to Zeusin the inal act. Half the soundtrack was done by Electric Light Orchestra and it rocks my legewarmert Before XANADOOM, on December 2nd was the STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL: This was a Christmas special aired ONCE on ‘TV in 1978. had to find a bootegge copy on video so the picture vas pret zz. The guy who sold ito me sold te copes and chal: lenge each buyer to watch the whole thing in one siting, Those who id would win ten dllts worth of stl inhi store or something. ‘Well cach buyer got back tim, ncadng me, and none of ws could ot So 1 was ready to give prizes to anyone who could sit through the whole thing. 1 remember actualy seeing this sir a6 a kid, when my mom's ‘tina’ kids were over Iwas only Sve, We were glued. That sys alot about the days before everyone had a VCR or cable, when you only gota chance to see a movie or TV show Tove STAR WARS, I wouldnt say 1m a fan just happen to know every thing about it. And by STAR WARS, 1 ‘mean the movies, Well, two ou of three 1 wouldnt wipe my booty with the trashy novel that started popping up 3 few years ago. never got rid of my old toy, eich in the 80s was reilly uncool But nove is hip again, and the same forces bind the ceutepaste rerleases cat 2001, and 2003, 30 wel get a chance to see one of them before weal ie ina nuelar hell in fly 1999. Showing this er this year are gearing up for more holiday special gives mea chance to spread the word sbout forgot ten chapter inthis most elcbrated series of movie, egoes something lke thi: Han Soo and Chewbacca are trying to {get back to Chewie'shome planet. Chew's family is worried sick hat Han and Chowie will get busted for whatever itis they smuggle in their ship and phone up Leia to find out where they are. Most ofthe show takes place atthe Wookiee household, wih the family baking and mevding at each other over who's going todo what chores Leta and C-3PO mostly twist dials and push buttons. Carre Fisher was