20
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, June 28, 1985
MORT AT THE MOVIES
TRES e mme
at
ammimmom
MORT ZIEVE
Prizzi's Honor' Spoiled
By Gloomy Outlook
LENIN'S
BY MORT ZIEVE
E U I P NE G A N
MOUSSE
ONLY $ 1.69
12 oz. cans
WEST Orchard
BLOOMFIELD
PLAZA
lk. Rd., S. of Maple
Next to Sam & Son's Fruit Mkt.
Open Mon.-Sat. 9-6, Thurs til 8
Special to The Jewish News
OAK PARK
10 Mile and Coolidge
Open Daily 9-6
Now Open Sunday 11-5
547-9669
85 -7323
dr. daniel lazar
is pleased to announce
the grand opening of
his new practice at
13740 west nine mile rd.
oak park, mich.
548-6633
(formerly the offices of dr. seymour smelsey)
specializing in:
• laser treatment
• calluses
• bunions
• diabetes
• ingrown nails
• warts
• sports medicine
• heel spur pain
• in toeing
-••••••••••mmilsoi4 A111/RLAS tilammommomm--
COMMODITIES OF SOUTHFIELD, INC.
17000 W. 8 Mile — Suite 387
Southfield, MI 48075
FREE GUIDE:
HOW TO MAKE BIG PROFITS IN GOLD, SILVER,
FOREIGN CURRENCIES & T-BOND OPTIONS
• Limited Risk • No Margin Calls • Huge Profit Potential
Gentlemen, I'm interested in knowing how I can have powerful leverage,
pre-determined limited risk, no margin calls and unlimited profit potential.
Please send me your popular guide on commodity options, FREE
I
I
I
I
I N A M E
1
I ADDRESS
I CITY
1
I HOME PHONE
I understand there is no obligation.
I
I
I
I
I
STATE
7IP
BUS. PHONE
1
1
1
I
IIIMIIII11111111•11IIIIIIMIIIIIIIIMMIIMMIIIIIMMIUM 111111 •111111• 1•1111111111• 11111111111111111111=11111111111O1111•11111110111•Ia
PLEASE ENCLOSE PHONE NUMBER TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE GUIDE
Michigan Watts Line 1-800-321-7762
Southfield 313-559-1400
Prizzi's Honor (Rated R) is a
nasty, mean-spirited, cynical,
depressing film.
Director John Huston may
have set out to make a wry,
ironic, black comedy but the pic-
ture he ended up with is all
black with very little comedy.
The opening music chirps
brightly and sets the tone for a
funny film. But music alone
doth not a comedy make. Noth-
ing even remotely funny hap-
pens for the first hour.
Finally, the film's hook
emerges. Leading actors Jack
Nicholson and Kathleen Turner,
both portraying professional Idl-
lers, meet, fall in love and
marry. The switch is, they each
get a "contract" on the other.
When this movie asks, "Will boy
get girl or will girl get boy?",
the question takes on a rather
grisly hue.
Apparently, it was the out-
rageousness of this bizarre situ-
ation that was supposed to pro-
vide the basis for a "black com-
edy." But Huston has not pulled
it of The movie can't make its
mind up whether it is The God-
father or Eating Raoul, and that
is disastrous.
The character played by
Turner is an example of how
muddled this melodramatic mis-
fire is. At first, we're asked to
believe she is faking her inter-
est in Nicholson for "business"
reasons. Then, she seems to
really care about him. By the
end, we're confused again.
All the things that worked so
well for Turner in Body Heat
and Romancing the Stone work
against her here. The breathless
anticipation, the moist, misty-
eyes come-on. Here she seems to
be "acting," because the char-
acter is so ill-defined.
The representation of the
Mafia life-style has been done
before, and done so well that
one wonders what the point is of
taking us through all that
again: the elaborate Mafia wed-
ding and party, the workings of
the private Mafia system of
honor and justice, the family in-
trigues.
All this preoccupation with
the money and power of the
Mafia poses a moral and ethical
question too. Theoretically, this
is meant to illuminate the dark
reaches of human nature and
the underside of society. But it
all seems much more like adula-
tion. It's simply portrayed with
too much relish. It's like the
puritan who wants to prove to
us , how bad pornography is by
showing us the most salacious
material.
Of course, any film by John
Huston will have merit and re-
deeming features. The produc-
tion values here are excellent.
Settings, camera work, style are
all of a high order. And there
are two outstanding supporting
performances — the director's
daughter, Anjelica Huston as
Mafia princess Maerose Prizzi,
and William Hickey as the
aging Don. Anjelica turns in an
electric performance. She has a
penetrating intensity, and an
arresting screen personality.
Hickey is amazing as the
ghoulish, dying, fragile but still
dangerous don. I was astonished
to discover that this talented
actor is only 40. Even with
these two fine performances,
however, I had trouble with
Prizzi's Honor. I squirmed
through most of its 129 minutes.
D.A.R.Y.L. (Rated PG) is pure
unadulterated fun. This is an
innocuous sci-fi comedy adven-
ture that offers lots of laughs,
thrills, and schmaltz. Sure, it's
one part E.T., one part War
Games, and one part Rockyl
Rambo, but the melange works.
How can anyone resist a little
boy who takes on the whole U.S.
military establishment and de-
feats it? The same little boy who
knocks out home runs so the
underdog team can win its first
game in four years?
I just wish Mary Beth Hurt
and Michael McKean weren't
written and played as such nin-
nies. And it's about time that
the movie makers retired the
cliche of the government want-
ing to destroy the exceptional
thing. -
It's gotten to the point now as
soon as a film introduces such a
character, we know what's going
to happen. The scientists and
militarists are going to want to
chop up the poor soul to find out
what makes it tick. Enough al-
ready!
But forget these quibbles. The
picture doesn't take itself
too seriously and offers plenty of
entertainment. It's wonderful
summer pleasure, with or with-
out the kids along.
Benefit Boblo
Cruise Planned
The fifth annual Boblo
fireworks cruise will be held
Monday with boarding taking
place between 6:30 and 7 p.m. at
the downtown docks. Proceeds
will go toward the March of Di-
mes.
To order tickets and for infor-
mation, call the March of Dimes,
423-3200.
Free Concert
Phil Marcus Esser and Barbara
Bredius will give a free concert in
Somerset Mall on Sunday at 2
p.m. The concert will take place
in the Mall's Center Court.
Concert Series
The city of Oak Park's concert
series, "Music In the Park," will
feature Ron Coden on Tuesday at
7:30 p.m. in Shepherd Park.
Admission is free.