COVER STORY : AT THE CENTER OF THE DOLE FIRESTORM

Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) got plenty of attention when he scolded Hollywood about sex and violence in movies, TV and pop music. But, as The Times reports today (see Page A1), Dole’s comments aren’t changing the face of show business. Yet. The creative and business powerbrokers will tell you they’ve always been thoughful about what they produce. Here, then, are some snapshots of life on the front lines:

ALBERT and ALLEN HUGHES

Movie directors

Allen and Albert Hughes bolted onto the entertainment scene with 1993’s critically acclaimed “Menace II Society”--a grim portrait of inner-city life that cost $3 million and took in nearly 10 times that in domestic box office. Their second effort, “Dead Presidents”--the story of a returning Vietnam vet--is due in October.

Though Hollywood has its problems, the 23-year-old twins concede, some of its detractors are missing the mark.

“Just because I won’t take my 4-year-old son to see ‘Die Hard’ doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be made. It’s all about how you were raised,” Allen says. “Our mother bought us Rambo toys, but we didn’t go out and shoot anyone.”

“We don’t need anyone restricting art--that’s America’s outlet,” Albert adds. “Meanwhile, there’s no one regulating the dirt on the political front.”

Still, movies are getting worse, the brothers say, with too many “blow-’em- ups” and too much “fast-food violence.” On “Menace,” they voluntarily cut some graphic scenes.

To bring people in, Albert says, more diversity is needed--and superstars could take the lead. “Greed is the problem,” he maintains. “By signing on to a low-budget movie, the big actors help that project get off the ground.”

The Motion Picture Assn. of America’s rating board has thrown up obstacles too. On “Menace,” major cuts were needed to avoid an NC-17 rating. In June, the board informed the brothers that they’d have to modify “Dead Presidents” to get an R.

“We referenced shots that appeared in other movies and printed frames that were problematic,” Albert recalls. “The board challenged us on specifics they’d let go in the past.”

Allen offers a possible explanation: “Though we didn’t want to pull the race card, it boils down to [ a fear of ] blacks with guns.”