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by Jen Scoville

Substance lies in surprising places. For instance, would you figure that Andrew Shue, the heartthrob actor who plays boy- next-door-with-a-vengeance Billy Campbell on Melrose Place taught high school math to students in Zimbabwe the year before he hit Hollywood? He also co-founded Do Something, a pretty respectable national non-profit organization that actively encourages young people of all backgrounds to come forward as leaders in their communities. Though the notion of mixing entertainment and activism isn't exactly a new one, access to the Internet now offers possibilities for human connection and communication that are practically limitless. With the intention of inspiring people to experience this newfound global community, Do Something is sponsoring Webstock '96, a four-day, international "Web happening" attached to live entertainment events in specific localities everywhere. Scheduled on Nov. 1-4, it's no coincidence the festival ends on election day since part of Webstock's mission, in keeping with the traditions of its sponsor, is to create forums for discussion about the elections, to encourage voters to voice their opinions to a national audience, and ultimately to turn out at the polls and vote. And here's the entertainment part: Concerts at the cyberspace amphitheater; chat rooms where you can talk live to the likes of Michael Stipe, Ken Griffey, Jr., President Clinton, Sheryl Crow, and wonderboy Shue; collective mural painting, a virtual court to shoot some hoops or get together a pick-up game, and lots more. And here in Austin realspace, a totally free Webstock Concert will be held Saturday at the Backyard from 5-9pm featuring Jerry Jeff Walker, 81/2 Souvenirs, and a projection screen computer with the Web event running in the background. In addition, 25 computers will be set up in the restaurant part of the venue, allowing participants to interact with the Webstock Web site. Webstock opens officially Nov. 1, but the site is already set up and early visitors can download all the software needed to experience the advanced technologies of live sound and video. As star-struck as it appears, this looks to be a well-organized and heartfelt effort to test the limits of global communication. Mingle with your neighbors this weekend at http://www. Webstock96.com... The ever-undaunted Austin Film Society has orch-estrated yet another special event, an evening with San Francisco independent filmmaker Craig Baldwin. On Sat., Nov. 3 at the Dobie Theatre, two of Baldwin's films will be shown followed by a Q&A session with the filmmaker: Tribulation 99 (1991), a factual chronicle of U.S. intervention in Latin America that takes the form of a combination of conspiracy theories (space aliens, cattle mutilations, killer bees, and the like), and ¡Oh No Coronado! (`92), wherein Baldwin adds original, dramatic footage to a mix of found materials to recount the story of failed conquistador Francisco Coronado (7:30pm; admission $5). And don't forget the regulars: The Film Noir series (Wed., 7:30pm, Dobie, $5) progresses with Double Indemnity (1944), the definitive film noir of the `40s directed by Billy Wilder and introduced by actress/screenwriter Kim Krizan; Powell/Pressburger (Tue., 8pm, Union, admission free) has The Small Back Room (1949), a perfectly-crafted character study of a crippled munitions expert during WWII.

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