26 ri(iar, dune 29 1984 _ _ THE bEffiblf 'AWN NEWS , FIRESTONE MOVIES JEWELRY Wholesale Diamonds & Jewelry Remounting Jewelry & Watch Repair ♦Coming Soon; SUITE 318 ADVANCE BLDG 23077 Greenfield at 9 Mee (313) 557-1880 WE DISCOUNT! :Plaza sweetS * ♦ ♦ Be Well Read, & Stay Out Of The Sun, BY MICHAEL ELKIN Come to Special to The Jewish News Bookstore Filmgoer Michael Medved has seen enough failed comedies to make him want to gag. He has sat through so many horrid horror movies that full moons send him diving under his bed. Yet, Medved admits he has enjoyed himself, gobbling Goobers and passing the popcorn in the dark as the worst films unspool in front of him. Losers these films may be, but they have proved productive for Medved. He has compiled these cinematic clunkers into a dubious list of distinc- tiion for a new book, The Hollywood Hall of Shame: The Most Expensive Flops in Movie History (Pedigree Books), which he has co-written with his younger brother Harry. The two also shared writing credits on The Fifty Worst Films of All Time and The Golden Turkey Awards. While some of those listed in Shame come as no surprise to viewers who have sat through Inchon and Can't Stop the Music, there were some mild shockers for the Brothers Medved. "I know for Harry, Doctor Doolittle was a surprise," said Medved. "He had been into the movie when he was younger. He even had Doctor Doolittle toys." So it was somewhat surprising to discover thatDoolittle may have been able to talk to the animals, but he couldn't communicate to audiences. The 1968 film, after two years of screenings around the country, was only able to earn $9 million. For Harry's older brother, the shock came with the discovery that Reds finished in the red. "I liked that movie," Medved said, still surprised. But there is comfort for many in knowing that even stars sometimes have bad days. "Most people tend to look at those in Hollywood as being larger than life, as being different from you and me," commented Medved in trying to explain why books detailing how bad things hap- pen to good movies appeal to readers. "All of a sudden, these demi-gods make fools of themselves (in bad films). There is a deep satisfaction in that for the viewer." The Medveds give directors a lot of dubious credit in The Hollywood Hall of Shame, such as Michael Cimino, whose Heaven's Gate was a financial debacle that closed the gate on lavish filmmaking for many other directors. There are those who may blast the Medveds for what they consider to be pacreligious and unwarranted attacks on their beloved films. Rub- bish, says Medved to such criticism. "That is precisely the attitude" - that filmdom is on an artistically un- touchable plane - "that hurts the motion picture busines," he said. 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Enshrining Hollywood's horrors was still a pleasant job for Medved, who likes film. But when it comes to the small screen, Medved has rib feel- ing of affection. "The difference between good TV and bad TV is the difference between good and bad heroin," he said of the addictive medium. "Criticizing TV shows is like tripping a dwarf. There's no sport in it." There's also no room for a televi- sion set in the Santa Monica, Calif., Medved household that Michael shares with Harry. "I haven't lived Michael Medved has seen hundreds of "clunkers." with a television set for 17 years," he said proudly. Medved would rather spend his time in other pursuits: reading or writing. He also authored What Really Happened to the Class of '65? with David Wallechinsky; The Shadow Presidents and Hospital: The Hidden Lives of a Medical Center Staff. Medved also enjoys following his former hometeam, the Phillies, and, of course, filmgoing. "The most moving moments of my life have been spent in the dark," he said. For him, his past year's most tender moments included Tender Mercies and The Right Stuff. And he has a special affection for Y entl, Barbra Streisand's film version of the I.B. Singer tale of a woman who dis- guises herself as a boy to study at a yeshivah. Medved doesn't claim to be a visionary but there are some films on the upcoming agenda that he feels safe to call as future Hall of Shamers. "I think Cotton Club is a candidate." he said of the film about the notorious Harlem jazz club starring Robert De Niro. "Then there's Once Upon a Time in AmericU4 City Heat - yeh, that looks good for us." No matter how awful or disastr- ous the film, Medved still finds a cer- tain romance in the darkness of a movie theater, .Nocm.atter, what, ,he said, "I loire movies." ;