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| BOHDAN DAMIAN CAP/Daily The towering sign outside the State Theater glows as a prominent beacon near campus. The theater is located on the corner of State Street and Liberty Street. |
But for those students daring enough to try, for those willing to put down their remote controls and part from Beavis and Kramer and Chris Berman for a short while, going to the movies might just be the thing to do.
And Ann Arbor offers plenty of choices for the film-loving fanatic.
Indeed, our small college town is home to six major movie houses: the Ann Arbor 1 & 2 Theaters on Fifth Street, the Fox Village Theatre on Maple Road, the Michigan Theater on Liberty Street, Showcase Cinemas on Carpenter Road, the State Theatre on State Street and the United Artists Theaters at Briarwood Mall.
Nobody can miss the ostentatious theater marquees that tower over State and Liberty Streets, sporting various titles like "Beavis and Butthead Do America" and "The Godfather" lighting up the evening sky. Just a short walk from the dorms are the Michigan and State theaters, which match their unbeatable convenience with reasonable student ticket prices.
"I love the atmosphere of the Michigan Theater," said RC junior Sara Bursac, who regularly attends movies at the grand, restored movie house on Liberty Street. "I like the comfortable red seats and the organ player (who performs before some movies begin). The theater has great acoustics."
Ann Arbor's quintessential art cinema also offers University students some of the most diverse and exciting movie options around - all for just $5 with a student ID.
The Michigan is home to the annual Ann Arbor Film Festival, which has showcased independent movies every March for more than 30 years. It also features interesting programs like silent movies with live orchestral accompaniments (particularly creepy old horror movies usually pop up around Halloween), and visits by famous filmmakers including "Leaving Las Vegas" director Mike Figgis and hometown Hollywood journeyman Jeff Daniels. In fact, last fall Daniels presented the world premiere of his film "Fly Away Home" at the Michigan.
Half a block away at the State Theater, students find a similar reduced admission fee of $4.
In that cramped movie house you can see primarily first- and second-run Hollywood movies like "The English Patient" and "Scream." Regular movie events like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" have also been known to do the "Time Warp" at the State every now and then.
Also in downtown Ann Arbor, just three blocks away from campus, is the Ann Arbor 1 & 2 with its smallish screens and $5 discounted student admission. Home to art flicks and Hollywood blockbusters alike, this theater has a little something for everyone.
Truly, displaced Floridian and new Ann Arbor resident Joyce Masongsong finds the Ann Arbor 1 & 2 most desirable among local movie theaters.
"Even though it's kind of expensive and smaller than other theaters, I love going there because they have herbal teas, which I like to drink in the freezing theaters," Masongsong said.
Some of the larger off-campus theaters may not have herbal teas, but they certainly feature the biggest and most popular Hollywood blockbusters around.
The catches: you'll need a car to get to them, and they sport very high ticket prices.
The United Artists Theaters in Briarwood Mall offer students the convenience of movies-when-you-shop, and some of the best sound quality in the city. But you have to shell out $7 to enjoy Briarwood's cozy comforts.
Likewise, it costs $7.25 to get into the Showcase Cinemas on Carpenter Road near Ypsilanti.
Such high rates don't please students. "Showcase is a total rip-off because it is so expensive," said LSA senior David Ray. "Still, (Showcase's) sound and picture quality are better than most."
Once inside this huge cineplex, viewers also enjoy a wide selection of up to 14 movies, midnight shows every weekend and some of the most comfortable seats in town.
On the other side of Ann Arbor one finds the Fox Village Theatre, which offers the best movie deals in town.
Second-run films at the Fox Village arrive about a month after leaving regular theaters, and they cost a mere $1.50 at most times (shows are just $2 on weekend nights). All you need is a car to get there.
But you don't have to trek far to find some of Ann Arbor's most outstanding cinematic treats.
Each week film clubs present numerous classic movies right on campus, usually in the same auditorium as your history or chemistry lecture.
For a typically cheap fee (sometimes admission to these shows is free), you can see some of the best and wackiest films to come to town.
As you'll find, locating a theater in Ann Arbor is easy. Deciding what movie to see, on the other hand, is more of a challenge.
- For theater locations and phone numbers, see Arts Notes on Page 7D.
09-03-97
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