Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 19

DETROIT FREE PRESS THURSDAY, AUGUST 31. 1989 33 Dining out doesn't mean jacket, tie are on the menu i a STEFKEH ADVOXAT i i -S VCR sales approach the saturation point 1- i to. w. he heady days of record videocassette recorder sales may finally be over. Two new studies, one by Nielsen Media Research and to What To Wear More comments on the dress axie: Traffic Jam, DETROIT: "Just so you are wearing slices and something on top." Pike Street Restaurant, POXTLAC; "We suggest a jacket and tie for gentlemen, but it is not required." What To Do Tliinking about challenging the rules? Detroit Department of Consumer Affairs director Esther Shapiro says that restaurants Michigan, as private enterprises, have the right to establish dress oxles as long as there is no discrimination in the enforcement of those codea In Infocom's new computer game "Shogun," you take the role of a seaman who must get to safety.

Movies hit a smaller screen 6 Star 'and others become computer games Sk Jkfe Mm extra' GIIOSTBUSTER TO PARKVIEW chelle Bowman, whose company also is introducing the movie spinoff game "Die Hard" this fall. "The original 'Ghostbusters' sold over two million copies for us. "This is a way for fans of the movie to relive their favorite scenes and to act like one of their favorite characters would act." But bidding for licenses to movies has its risks. DINING, from Page IB McCarthy recalls. "Under the old regime, I remember walking in there and being given a prestigious table and looking over at a table of six or eight businessmen at least all of them noticeably wearing the LCH emblem jacket and obviously out-of-date ties given them by management." Now that he is a restaurateur himself, McCarthy has his own ideas about proper dress.

And so does his partner at Van Dyke Place and the Whitney, Ron Fox. "A stiff dress code is archaic and outmoded," states Fox. "I would never embarrass customers. In today's style of dining you cannot do that. Cutoffs, that's different.

But people in slacks and a nice sweater, I would not say they couldn't eat. Is it better to come in in a 1950's polyester suit with a tie or in a nice neat sport shirt and decent pair of pants?" He cites an evening a few years ago at Van Dyke Place, the restaurant he and McCarthy established in a beautifully furnished turn-of-the-century town house replete with silk moire wall-covering and Sevres accessories. "Six people from New York arrived in Levi's nice Levi's and designer shirts. We sat them in the dining room. Their bill that night came to over $2,000.

What if we had said no?" Notes McCarthy: "These rules become discriminatory against men. Women can get away with anything, and they have! But most people overwhelmingly want to be part of something. Why would you want to go to an expensive place and not feel comfortable? Still, these days I don't think you should be rigid about much of anything." The dress code at both Van Dyke Place and the Whitney can be described as gentle. "When somebody calls and asks, we say coats and ties are not required but you'll feel more comfortable with a jacket. We're a little more lenient with the Whitney," says Fox, since the Whitney often attracts an after-sports events crowd.

Pick up the phone and ask the person who answers at the Whitney about its dress code, and the reply will be something like this: "We don't have a mandatory dress code, but we don't allow shorts in the restaurant and men usually wear a suit or a sport coat and ladies a dress or skirt." Adds McCarthy: "If people walk through your door with any frequency Cornmi'U-vUitei crowlm irom fwr and nvmlinf a vendor id in dress which is not in keeping, your business image and what you perceive your business image to be, are not on the same wavelength. "Recently a travel writer was here in Detroit and was coming to the Whitney with a representative of the tourist board. They called in advance, because the writer had had his luggage lost on the plane, and he only had 24 hours in Detroit. He said, 'Look, I want to come to your restaurant, but I don't feel I'm dressed "We told him there'd be no problem. But if you had (inappropriately dressed) people bombarding your doors on a frequent basis, you'd better come to grips with what your restaurant's image is." Still, being perfectly dressed does not guarantee a thing, and no one knows that better than McCarthy.

"They misbehave when they are well dressed just the same!" But that's another story. BY STEPHEN ADVOKAT Free Press Communications Writer fi apt. James Tiberius Kirk gazes out into the vastness II of space from his perch at I Ml the helm of the starship Enterprise. His mission: navigati to the center of the galaxy, outwit his Klingon pursuers, prevail over the mind games of his Vulcan passenger and escape the mysterious Barrier Zone. Sound like the plot to "Star Trek which played in theaters this summer? Not this time.

This Trek adventure plays in your house, on your personal computer, and you are James T. Kirk. The game, like the movie, is called "Star Trek The Final Frontier." It's one of the latest computer games from Mindscape and it represents a growing trend among computer game manufacturers. Take a popular movie, create a computer-based spinoff game at between $30 and $60 each and they hope you'll have a built-in market for your software. "Star Trek does not boldly go where no computer game has gone before.

Indeed, "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Top Gun" are only a few of the movie spinoffs that have come to computer. But the makers of these movie spinoffs believe their titles have an advantage over the growing number of PC games cramming store shelves. "What these movie-related games do is buy you recognition in the store that you might not other- The deals can be struck before the film has come out. And that places the computer company in a position of possibly aligning itself with a turkey. For example, while Activision is proud of its "Ghostbusters" game, it also released a "Howard the Duck" spin-off and a "Labyrinth" clone, neither of which sold well.

Mindscape suffered a similar problem with "Willow," a computer movie clone that did well in Europe but never caught on in the United States. "The obvious risk is the movie won't do well," said Winship. "You hope the movie will do well and that you can ride on the coattails of that success. But there have been many cases that prove that not to be true." Programming spinoffs are not confined to the movies. For example, First Row, a Phil-.

adelphia software publisher, has released "The Twilight Zone" and The "Ghostbusters" game. wise have," said Mindscape product manager Nancy Winship. With "Star Trek Mindscape has an instant rapport with any customer that has seen the movie, or is a Star Trek fan. By the fall, four summer movies "Star Trek "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," "Batman" and "Ghostbusters II" will be available as computer games. Game manufacturers have found that the appeal of movie spinoffs is more than just name recognition.

When you play the computer games, you can fantasize that you are playing the movie's starring role. For example, in "Star Trek you pretend you are James T. Kirk, with the responsibility of the Enterprise on your shoulders. In "Ghostbusters II," you pretend you are one of the ghostbusters, who must root out evil before being slimed. And in "Shogun," a new computer adventure game from Info-corn, you are the resourceful English seaman John Blackthorne who must navigate his ship out of a killer storm or lose all on board.

"In the past, this type of game has been really successful for us," said Activision representative Mi another by Zenith, suggest that the majority of sales for VCRs and color televisions for the next few years will from consumers replacing existing models rather than from first-time buyers. Nielsen says 65.5 percent of the households now own a VCR, an increase of only 1 percent from February, the smallest rise since 1982, considered the videocassette's start-up year. Sales figures from March through May suggest that only 39 percent of the VCRs sold were bought by first-time buyers. A Zenith survey suggests that 62 percent of VCR sales went to first-time buyers. That figure is expected to fall to less than 50 percent by the end of 1990.

AFTER PONG: Nolan Bushnell might not be a household name. But there's a good chance you've had one of his products lying around your home. Bushnell invented "Pong" and is the founder of Atari. Now he has a new product and a new company. Bushnell is introducing MicroTV through a company called Aapps.

MicroTV will let Macintosh II computers show live television images. The device will cost $395, will offer 108-channel cable-ready tuning capabilities and should be available in October. NINTENDO PLUS: By next fall, Nintendo hopes millions of Americans will get their financial and current events news through the same machine they use to save Zelda and bonk Super Mario. Nintendo is discussing the project with With a modem and special software, Nintendo owners would be able to use their game machines to accept information via the phone lines. The concept isn't new.

Such systems as Prodigy and CompuServe already are delivering on-line PC data services into the home, with limited success. But Nintendo hopes its game base will give it an edge in convincing Americans to subscribe to a data service. PCs are in an estimated 15 percent of U.S. homes, while Nintendo is in more than 20 percent of U.S. households.

The video giant plans to launch its new computer information service next year. VIDEO, Si: The Electronics Industries Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade organization for the electronics industry, is offering a series of informational booklets written in Spanish. The latest titles in the group's "Consumers Should Know" series are "How to Buy, Use and Care for VCRs, Camcorders and Tape" and "About Service Contracts: About Repair Service." For copies of the free pamphlets, send a self-addressed, stamped business-size envelope to Electronics Industries Association, P.O. I Box 19100, Washington, D.C. 20036.

MAXELL FREEBIE: The Maxell tape company has introduced a free booklet about floppy discs. The booklet explains how discs are made, how they record information and how you can best prolong their life. For a copy, write Maxell Floppy I Disc Handbook, Maxell Corp. of America, P.O. Box CN 4649, Trenton, NJ.

08650. Stephen Advokat discusses home entertainment Thursdays at on (94.7). CAMERA VIDEO NIKON ft CANON CAMCORDERS I VIDEO TRIPODS VIDEO LIGHTS I 288-5444 3017 N. Woodward, Royal Oak "The Honeymooners, two computer games loosely based on the classic television shows. Expect to see even more movie and television computer games in the future.

Says Winship: "It's starting to get pretty competitive out there." Home video buffs take to editing tape from one to the other. But this process is laborious, requiring split-second coordination in starting and stopping both the playback and the recording device for each section to be transferred. Also it is often difficult to locate the exact starting and stopping points for each segment because the tape counters on camcorders and VCRs are not sufficiently accurate. That is why separate editing consoles, connected to both the camcorder and the VCR during copying, are becoming increasingly popular. There is now a choice of several such editing devices; HAMA, a West German company, and Vid-eonics, based in California, are the NEW YORK The six million video fans in the United States who make their own video movies with a camcorder seem to be expanding their creative options.

In terms of rising sales, editing devices are now second only to camcorders. The aim of amateur video-graphers is to reduce two unwatch-able hours of tape shot at Debbie's birthday party into a watchable 10 minutes. Editing is the key. Since videotape cannot be cut and spliced like film, electronic methods are used to produce equivalent effects. By far the simplest way to edit videotape is to connect the camcorder to a standard VCR and selectively copy segments of the chief contenders in this growing field.

For example, with the Video-nics DirectED or the semi-professional HAMA VideoCut 21 it is possible to preview existing footage and simply punch into a keyboard the chosen editing points. Scenes from the original can be taken in any order. The machine remembers these markings and, when the tape is played again, the chosen sequence is automatically observed without further need of human intervention. This is not just convenient; it also saves time. As a rule, video editing is extremely tedious.

By Hans Fantel, New York Times GLASSES OR CONTACT LENSES. Buy one pair of DuraSoft 3 Colors or VlDEOCASSETTES NEW RELEASES VIDEO When you buy I one complete pair of eyeglasses (frames and prescription lenses) at regular price, you'll get a second pair FREE For your free pair, choose any frame up to $50 regular retail and plastic lenses, single vision or multifocal. Tints, scratch resistant coating and other options are available at additional cost. The iroo pan must be for the same customer as the purchased pair and the price may not exceed the puce of the purchased pair at regular retail. DuraSoft 2 Color Enhancers' at regular price and you'll get a second pair of clear lenses absolutely free.

Kye examination and caje kit, if necessary, not included. Available in powers to fit most contact lens wearers. Kree pair must be from same prescription as purchased pair. Wrwdumit Mtviuiumfiy W.mt Vtsu. Mauri Ami'Tirfiii lixfHi'sh hjhI l)WVlVt'l The following films are available in home video: "Bill Ted's Excellent Adventure" (1989; Nelson; PG; Comedyadventure about two teenage boys who take a trip through time and history.

"Wings of Desire" (1987; Orion; PC-13; Poetic film about two angels who observe life on earth and wish they could be a part of it. "Rain Man" (1989; MGMUA; Winner of the 1988 Academy Award for Best Picture, Dustin Hoffman stars as an idiot savant who inherits $3 million. Tom Cruise, as his con artist brother, tries to scam him out of it. For The Kids Theso offers may not be used in conjunction with any other discount, insmanceor vision care plan. Not applicable to prior orders.

Prescription required Void where prohibited by law. Offers good Auciust through September 4. Montgomery Ward OPTICAL Eye examinations are available by Doctors of Optometry in most Montgomery Ward Stores Or, we can fill your prescription just as your doctor ordered. top u.s. Sales Current week Previous week 1.

Pink Floyd: Delicate Sound of Thunder, CBS 1 2. lethal Weapon, Warner 3. Jane Fonda's Complete Workout, Warner 3- 4. Beetlejttice, Warner 5. Metallica: 2 of One, Elektra 5 Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues, Vestron 4 T.

Playboy Wet and Wild, HBO Video 6 j. CaHanetics, MCA jMjkiMl 9. Cinderella, Touchstone 8 10. Hangin' Tough, CBS Top U.S. rentals Current week Previous week 1.

Twins, MCA 1 2. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Orion 2 3. Mississippi Burning, Orion 6 4. Dangerous Liaisons, Warner 3 5.

The Accidental Tourist, Warner 4 $. Tequila Sunrise, Warner 7. Cocoon: The Return, CBSFox 7 8. Coming to America, Paramount 9. True Believer, RCAColumbia 9 10.

My Stepmother ts An Alien, RCAColumbia 10 believe you've covered this subject before, but I need to refresh my memory. We're moving to England soon and I have a number of video tapes I would like to take with me. Will they be compatible to the VCRs that are used in England? D.L, Mt. Clemens H. No.

The equipment used in Europe is not the same as that used here. If you only have a few tapes, you might consider going to a store that will transfer the cassettes over to the European system. This becomes financially impractical if you have a lot of tape. But Panasonic and others are working on a VCR that can accommodate both the U.S. and European formats.

(Instant Replay, a small electronics store in Miami, already sells such a machine, but it's not cheap, costing more than $1,000.) Some of the larger electronics companies could have these international VCRs available as early as 1990. SOUTHGATE 13665 Eureka Rd. 285-4400 WARREN 28800 Dequindre Rd. 751-7500 "Don't Wake Your Mom" (1989; KVC; 45 minutes): Puppeteer Shari Lewis and her pals Lamb-chop, Charley Horse and Hush Puppy present songs and stories that kids can watch by themselves. "Denver, The Last Dinosaur.

Dino-Star" (1989; Fries; 45 minutes): Two more animated episodes with the lovable dinosaur. In one, Denver thinks he's going to become a movie star, but ends up getting locked inside a shopping mall. "Richard Scarry's Best Ever!" (1989; Random House; $14.95 each; 30 minutes each): Two videos featuring the work of children's author and illustrator Richard Scarry: "Richard Scarry's Best ABC Video Ever" and "Richard Scarry's Best Counting Video Ever." PONTIAC Summit Mall 682-4940 SOUTHFIELD Tel-Twelve Mall 358-1200 DEARBORN 13551 Michigan Ave. 584-0500 LIVONIA 29501 Plymouth Rd. 427-1600 MT.

CLEMENS Regional Shopping Ctr. 791-2000 We participate in most major vision care plans including: Bell Sysm, GM, Ford, BCHS, Medicare Chryslerjnd Ford Retirees,.