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
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12” Pizza
AFTER 10 PM SPECIALS
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