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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 15, 2004)
Expert explains Child Online Protection Act Internet pornography restrictions have faced tests of consitutionality RYAN NYBURG PULSE EDITOR The Supreme Court recently handed down a decision concerning the Child Online Protection Act. The court ruled that the act is too restric tive and handed the case back down to the U S. District Colurt. Profes sional attorney and Internet pornography legislation expert Fred erick S. Lane III has authored a num ber of books, including "The Naked Employee: How Technology is Com promising Workplace Privacy." He recently agreed to talk to the Emerald about the decision and its implications. Emerald: Can you tell me a little of the history around the Child Online Protection Act? Frederick Lane: COPA was passed by Congress after the Communication Decency Act was invalidated by the Supreme Court. The act was signed into law by President Clinton and was immediately challenged as unconsti tutional. The basic premise of the act is to make it illegal to distribute mate rial on the Internet that is 'harmful" to minors. The reason it was challenged is that it would pose a lower standard of obscenity on every Web site. A lot of people were concerned that material that is legal for adults to read will be blocked or would have to go behind a credit card screen in order to be pro tected. Book sellers that sold medical information and sites that distribute sex education material for teens sued to challenge the law. Emerald: How would that law have affected Web sites that distributed adult material? FL: Web sites would have to have been careful about what material could be seen before people put in a credit card number or some form of age verification. Another thing is that any site that wanted to do more than the average Playboy shot would have to use some form of credit card or age verification system, which in some cases can be very expensive. So the concern was not so much about the commercial pornography sites so much as the sites which distribute medical information and other types of material for free right now. They were concerned that by putting credit card or age verification systems in that they would keep some people from having access to their information. Emerald: So what does the Supreme Court's decision mean, in that it did not actually find the act un constitutional? FL What the Supreme Court basical ly was looking at was whether or not Please see COPA, page 10 'The Clearing' proves to be a thriller that fails to thrill The film lacks substance and deviates little from genre formalities RYAN NYBURG PULSE EDITOR It's interesting that the cinematic genre that takes its name from its ability to surprise the audience is the same genre that has become the most dependent upon formulaic plots. Thrillers, which got off to such a good start with the films of Alfred Hitchcock and saw a golden age dur ing the 1970s, have now slipped into James Patterson formalism. The number of adaptations in the past few years of that author's books should come as no surprise given the current Hollywood mindset. The latest offering in this rote cycle of predictable thrillers (an oxymoron is ever there was one) is "The Clearing," starring Helen Mirren, Robert Redford and Willem Dafoe. But while the film offers few surpris es, it is an effective exercise and can of fer a couple points of interest for fans of the thriller genre. The plot is just a bit off the standard kidnapping routine, but not enough break free of the cliches. Dafoe (who always looks like he's up to some thing) kidnaps wealthy businessman Redford, showing^ a remarkable amount of skill given his limited experience in criminal activi ties. The film then begins to focus on Redford's wife, played by Mirren, as she deals with the aftermath of the kidnapping. Scenes of her talking to the FBI and dealing with her children in the weeks following her husband's disappearance are juxtaposed with flashbacks to the day of the kidnap ping when Dafoe has Redford trudg ing through the woods. This time-jumping works pretty smoothly and offers some interest ing insights into the characters. As Mirren finds out things about her husband she did not know, we see Redford discussing his life and how he really feels about it. When Mirren tells an FBI agent about her hus band, we see the traits she discussed played out in Redford's actions. The syncopation between how the char acters are described and how they actually act says a lot for the acting ability in this film. The problem is that for all the somber gravity placed into the film, it's empty of any real substance. For example, the adult children of Mir ren and Redford's characters are hardly real people; like all the minor characters in the film they are noth ing more than background static to • Homemade Soups • Fresh Salads • Fresh Pizza • Hamburgers • Fish & Chips • Pastas • Ribs • Mierobrewed Beer and full bar the central performances. As the private lives of the charac ters are examined, great attention is given to problems that really don't seem that important. When Mirren learns that her husband was still see ing a woman he had had an affair with years ago, it is played as a ma jor event when in fact it ends up hav ing nothing to do with anything lat er in the film. One problem is that for all the inner turmoil, there is very little psy chological depth given to the char acters. We are never given a satisfac tory reason why Dafoe would commit these crimes, why Redford had an affair, as well as any number of other actions committed by these people. In the end it all feels hollow de spite the emotional and narrative twists. While the film is shot, edited, acted and written with skill and intelligence, it simply doesn't work. A poor idea that is well-executed is still just a poor idea, only now with a layer of polish. "The Clearing" is left as just a lost opportunity. It could have broken from the modern thriller mold, but for whatever reason the filmmakers decided to play it safe. ryannyburg(& dailyemerald.com Courtesy Willem Dafoe and Robert Redford star in the upcoming thriller, "The Clearing," in which Redford plays a wealthy businessman kidnapped by Dafoe. July 13 - 17, 2004 McDonald Theatre Schedule 5-day film package $29 1-night $6 All-day Saturday $10 Thursday, 15 July 2004 5:45pm Doors open Introductions The Mystery of Chaco Canyon (USA) Tonto (USA) Searching for Blue (Peru) Sastun: My Apprenticeship With a Maya Healer (USA/Belize) Friday, 16 July 2004 5:45pm Doors open Introductions Bilad Chinqit-The Land of Chinguetti (Italy) A Forgotten Place: The History of an Abandoned Farming Community (USA) Ephesus-Metropolis of the Ancient World (Austria) Saturday, 17 July 2004 10:15am Doors open 10:50 Introductions 11:00 The Mummies of Taklamakan (France) 12:03pm Sagalassos, the Forgotten City (Belgium) 1:06 Kurtal-Snake Spirit (Australia) 1:35 lunch break 2:35 Time Team-Garden Secrets (UK) 3:25 4:17 4:28 4:37 Skull Wars Revisited, Keynote address by Dr. David Hurst Thomas, curator of anthropology, American Museum of Natural History Guardians of a Legacy (USA) The House of Julius Polybius in Pompeii (Italy) The Splendor of Rome (Italy) Festival Events Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, July 13-15 1-4:30pmTeachers’ Workshop, Downtown Athletic Club, $49 10 a.m. Guided trips to Heritage Sites, length varies, $15 Friday, July 16 10am-1pm, Children’s Workshop, Alton Baker Park, $15 10am Guided trips to Heritage Sites, length varies, $15 1 - 4pm Heritage Film Symposium, Downtown Athletic Club, $20 2 For details, video clips & tickets: www.archaeologychannel.org • filmfest@archaeologychanneI.org • (541) 344-5572 | • 4147 E. Amazon Dr., Eugene, OR 97405 • Tickets can be purchased at the box office during the festival 01934C FREE DELIVERY11809 Franklin Blvd. 284-8484 • Sun-Thu. Ham-Midnight • Fri-Sat. 11am-1am ★ Beverage Specials ★ Any Two-Topping 12” Pizza AFTER 10 PM SPECIALS i»% % % %%%\* vi)yy
