Pulse Editor
Jacquelyn Lewis
jacquel5mlewis@dailyemerald.c0m
Thursday, January 30,2003
Oregon My Emerald
‘Bumfights’ film
drops down into
cultural toilet
Joseph Bechard
Edge Culture Columnist
Sometimes life is actually fair. Sometimes karma comes back
and bites the bad guys in the ass, and I must admit, it’s nice to
see genuine jackasses get their just desserts. And this could
have been my chance.
But karma chickened out again Jan. 15, when San Diego Su
perior Court Judge Larrie Brainard
dropped felony charges of battery and so
liciting brought against the filmmakers re
sponsible for “Bumfights: Cause for Con
cern,” the controversial video featuring
homeless people committing acts of vio
lence and performing dangerous and hu
miliating “stunts.”
One of the four video-makers will
stand trial for conspiracy to stage an ille
gal fight, and the other three will be tried
on charges of conspiracy to commit bat
tery. The judge cited insufficient evi
dence as his reasoning for dismissing the
felony charges.
If the accusers don’t appeal the case
and reverse the decision, this will be all
the reason I need to finally give up. Jackass culture is taking
over, and the exploitation of the down-and-out is a legally con
doned pastime.
The filmmakers claimed that the First Amendment
protects their work in the same way that it protects other
companies hiring stuntmen. Despite the judge’s inability to
convict the film’s creators of higher crimes, the movie teems
with suspicious activities that should disgust any self
respecting individual.
In one segment, a man who calls himself “Steve Urban: Bum
Hunter” spoofs The Crocodile Hunter as he duct tapes the
hands, legs and mouths of homeless people, measures and tags
them and releases them back into their “natural habitat.”
Rufus “The Stunt Bum” Hannah is the movie’s most promi
nent personality. Viewers see him fighting with other homeless
men, riding in a shopping cart down a flight of stairs, putting
his head through a sign at a fast-food drive-through and run
ning into walls. His fingers are tattooed with the letters “B-U
M-F-I-G-H-T,” and the Web site sells sweaters with his likeness
on them for #34.95. An area nurse even knew him by name.
Hannah and one other man, Donald Brennan, are suing the
producers. Filmmakers taped Brennan having sex with a drug
Turn to Bechard, page 9
Joseph
Bechard
Cultural
Obstetrician
After midnight
m
Adam Amato Emerald
Eugene offers plenty of late-night activities located near the University for students seeking evening extracurriculars.
Time in Twilight
From blacklight bowling to
chowing down at late-night
restaurants, students can find
many activities after hours
Ryan Bornheimer
and Helen Schumacher
Pulse Writers
Eugene may not be the city that nev
er sleeps. But bar hoppers and dancing
machines bored with the same old
scene can look beneath the surface to
see a quirky world that only comes out
after midnight. From playgrounds to
pom stores, there are plenty of alterna
tives to that party on Alder Street.
Students searching for an “illumi
nating” nighttime activity can check
out Strike City Lanes at 1170 Highway
99 N. On Fridays and Saturdays, the
bowling alley on Franklin Boulevard
stays open until 2:00 a.m. Wander in
after midnight when all the white lights
are shut off. Black lights bounce off
everything from the balls to the pins to
tabletops — creating a cosmic land
scape and a truly unique bowling expe
rience.
Lanes Manager Kathi Sutherland
said this is a perfect time for college
students to find an open lane.
“Around midnight, the younger
crowd and teenagers head home, so
there’s always plenty of availability,”
Sutherland said.
Sporting a full lounge, Strike City is
an appropriate place for the over-21
crowd to pick up a pitcher of beer,
throw on a pair of gjow-in-the dark
shoes and bowl the night away.
After working up an appetite, stu
dents can cruise by a staple of the late
night restaurant scene, Shari’s — try
the one at 2950 W. 11th. With greasy
hash browns and chocolate milk
shakes, the 24-hour diner is perfect for
those looking to prevent tomorrow
morning’s hangover. Other options in
clude Lyon’s and International House
of Pancakes. A slightly healthier alter
native, The Pita Pit, located at 1087
Willamette Street, offers delivery and
is located closer to campus.
Sex — a timeless diversion — is al
ways popular after midnight. A visit to
one of Eugene’s adult shops can set the
mood for fun.. .or at least supply some
laughs. Exclusively Adult owner Steve
Mattick said the late night crowd often
stops by his store to break the bore
dom of an uneventful evening. These
folks turn the visit into an experience
that is anything but mundane.
Turn to Twilight, page 6
The Carolines illustrate fun, creative ‘vintage rock’music
Courtesy
Portland-based band The Carolines released their first album,
"Don't Believe What You Hear" in 2001.
With a show this Friday
at Eugene’s WOW Hall,
the Portland-based band
hopes to build a local fan base
Jacquelyn Lewis
Pulse Editor
The Carolines don’t have a “special
message” or a political agenda, and the
band will be the first to admit it.
“We’re not trying to prove anything,”
rhythm guitar player and songwriter Nate
Purscelley said. “We just literally want to
make fun music that we like to listen to.”
Singer and keyboardist Aaron
Trueb agreed.
“People can go to a show and have
fun,” he said. “The music isn’t depress
ing. Our purpose is just to be creative and
make good music.”
The five-member Portland-based
group will play WOW Hall with the Gin
Blossoms and Eugene’s own Glass Hearts
on Friday. The other band members are
lead guitarist Nathan Trueb, bassist Matt
Lenhart, and drummer Jared Abraham.
Trueb and Purscelley said they have
never met the Gin Blossoms, but they
are both excited about the chance to
perform with the band, whose album,
“New Miserable Experience” featured
such hits as 1992’s “Hey Jealousy” and
“Allison Road.”
“I’ve always actually been a fan of
theirs,” Purscelley said. “This is a huge
deal — to play with a band who’s had the
history that they’ve had... It’s one thing
to play with a really popular band; it’s an
other to play with one you really like.”
The Carolines have been playing mu
sic together for three years, save
Lenhart, who officially joined the band
just a week ago.
“Basically, we are all friends,” 26-year
old Purscelley said. “We are all into mu
sic, and we just started hooking up and
writing songs together.”
The Carolines released their first al
bum, “Don’t Believe What You Hear” in
2001, and Purscelley described the
sound as “vintage rock.” The band is now
in the pre-production phase of their sec
ond album, which they plan to release
"The music isn't
depressing. Our purpose
is just to be creative and
make good music."
Aaron Trueb
Singer and keyboardist
early this summer.
“I think the sound will be similar,”
23-year-old Trueb said. “We definitely
aren’t changing our sound, but I hope
that our songwriting has developed a
bit. I’m more excited about the songs
we’re writing now.”
In the meantime, The Carolines said
they are also shopping around for a sup
portive independent label and striving to
build a broad fan base close to home.
“I think that our big thing is to work it
slow, keep it relatively local — develop
fewer markets really well.”
Trueb added that the band will play a
mixture of old and new material at
Turn to Carolines, page 6