Friday, November 15, 1974

THE MICHIGAN DALLY

Page' FiVe

Friday, November 1 5, 1974 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Five
E I

crnemci

weekend

Pick of the Week:
The Gambler
The Movies, Briarwood
One of last summer's best
films was Robert Altman's Cali-
fornia Split, a creatively pro-
duced introduction to the fran-
tic life of the professional gam-
bling circuit. Using an incred-
ibly complex yet strikingly inno-
vative sound track, Altman as-

I There, he emerges out of theI
water in scuba gear and, won-!
der of wonders, comes upon his
girlfriend, Catrine. This actiont
occurs several more times un-'
til he again reaches the timea
of his attempted suicide and,
you guessed it, succeeds.
Unless you cannot find any-
thing better to do with 91 min-
utes of your time, do not bother
seeing this film.
-Cinthia L. Fox

balance each other nicely, as Garbed in his casual attire
do the considerable talents of of loose trousers, derby, shoes,
Hepburn and Grant. And pre- and cane, Chaplin further ac-
dictably, all ends well for our centuates his comic antics to
heroes in the tradition of great exhibit originality and sensiti-
American thrillers. Better yet, vity.

Magnificent
Ambersons

you won't soon forget Char-
ade's haunting theme.
-Chris Kochmanski
* * *

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i

The Milky Way

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sembled a remarkable portrait -* * - Cinema II, Aud. A
of that physical "high" that Sun., 7, 9
comes from hitting a golden Cool Hand Luke Luis Bunuel's The Milky Way
winning streak. is a surreal Pilgrim's Progress.;
But what Altman did not conAnn Arbor Film Co-op Largely a satire on religion as
But hatAltan id ot on Aud. 3, MLB i
sider was the possibility of Fri., 7, 9:30 a man-made phenomenon and
what Newton might have called on Catholic dogma in particu-
an "equal but opposite high"- One of the best movies to lar, the film features two
the almost masochistic pro- emerge from the year 1967 was French "pilgrims", Jean and
duct of willingly taking a phe- the largely unrecognized Cool Pierre, who are on their way
nomenal risk on an impossible Hand Luke. Luke deals with 'to the shrine of" the Apostle
long shot and, predictably, los- an uniquely American subject, James at Santiago de Compo-
ing everything, the life of the Southern chain stella in Spain.
Karel Reisz uses this gamb- gang prisoner. Unlike many oth- En route they converse with
Kinasoheism simtilsarityb- er pictures dealing with this some very unusual people: the
ling -masochism simirty to same subject, this film avoids Marquis deSade, the Devil, the
create n The Gamber whatis the familiar pitfall of this genre Virgin Mary (who appears to
in many ways a more "a -the over - emphasis on vio- them sitting in a tree), Jesus,
drama of the gambling life than lence at the expense of plot, and a prostitute.
Californa Split. Luke is a story of a young Bunuel directed and co-au-
James Caan portrays the misfit who is picked up for van- thored this film in 1970, at the
flashy, shirt-always-open-at-the- dslizing parking meters. De- age of 70 He has always had a
collar Axel Green, a New York spite this relatively minor love-hate relationship with the
City English professor and fur- crime he is briskly whisked off Catholic Church, and is credit-.
niture store heir whose entire to a correctional work-camp. ed with the flagrantly ambi-
life virtually revolves complete- Paul Newman plays this valent exclamation: "Thank:
ly around his bookie in the end. proud, aloof loner who endures God I'm an atheist!"
nothing else matters to Axel but the taunts of inmates and the The Milky Way is an ironic
betting and risk - not family, brutal treatment of the prison film, but Bunuel's probings are
not professional scruples, not guards to become the acknowl- sufficiently gentle, and not over-
even love. edged leader of the chain gang. Iv symbolic. Bunuel is work-
Reisz's fine direction moves His eventual downfall, brought ing, I suppose, with the homily
the picture along at a comfort- about by a continuous rain of
able if occasionally listless unhuman abuse heaped on by wicusually acp's any
pc.Unfortunately, Caan is feru4apgadofr discussion of Chaucer 's Can-
pace.fearful camp guards, offers a terbury Tales that "Life is a
only adequate as Green; Laur- chilling look into the humiliat- pilgrimage". But after seeingE
ena Hutton, playing his lady- , ing experience of the prison The Milky Way some reevalu-
friend Billie, is equally medio- camp. ation of that assertion might be
cre. Jerry Fielding's score, bas- The movie is uniformly ex- nessary.
ed on Mahler's First Symphony, cellent. Newman and George nece ry. --Sarah Polarek
adds a suitably regal if usually Kennedy in the major roles are
out of place touch to the film. unstintingly b r i 1 1 i a n t.
Still, Gambler is generally a The script stays gruff and grit- Clockwork Orange
better film about bookmaking tv.E
than California Split. Split had A final note: many film crit- New World Film Co-op
a somewhat tighter ending, I ics and a sizeable portion of the Sun., Aud. 4, MLB, 7, 9:30
suppose, but Reisz's extensive movie-going public find Cool Mon., Nat. Sci. Aud. 7, 9:30
exploration of gambling and Hand Luke a Christ allegory. With what could be one of the;
masochism is often more fas- Go and see for yourself. most artistically and technically
cinating and, on the larger? -George Lobsenz satisfying films in contempor-
scale. more revealing.nr v rin.- . A Clockwrk Or- 1

Gold Rush is one of the most
enjoyable of Charlie Chaplin's
movies, and his clever panto-
mimes. will undoubtedly prove
to be delightful entertainment.
-Debby Bienstock
« «
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Cinema II, Aud. A
Sat., 7, 9
A Southern family torn by
hypocrisy and competing pas-
sions is the stuff Tennessee
Williams' plays thrive on, and it
is explosive stuff indeed. The
raw vigor of his Cat on a Hot
Tin Roof is successfully cap-
tured in this 1958 film adapta-
tion, while the flaws of the or-
iginal (long-winded speechify-
ing, high - charged confronta-
tions bordering on melodrama)
are masked by the terrific on-
screen acting.
As Brick, the alcoholic son
tortured by guilt feelings over
his best friend's death and their
(only hinted at) homosexual
attraction, Paul Newman has
never been better. His perform-
ance is matched by Elizabeth
Taylor as Maggie the Cat,
Brick's beautiful but scorned
wife, and by Burl Ives as the
tyrannical Big Daddy, whose
65th birthday occasions a fami-
ly gathering which is hardly
a celebration.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is an
exhausting but engrossing dra-
ma. It's a must for fans of
Tennessee Williams or Newman
and Taylor, and that's just
about everybody.
-Judy Lopatin
Floating Weeds j
Cinema Guild, Arch. Aud
Sun., 7, 9
Yasujiro Ozu, ranked as one
of the greatest directors, has a
unique Japanese style, yet one
that is readily accessible to an
American audience. He deals
with themes familiar to all:
growing up, getting a job, retir-
ing, facing death. Ozu is ob-
viously sensitive to the compo-
nents of everyday life. His film
technique is interesting, char-
acterized by shooting from a
low angley(the viewpoint of
someone sitting on a tatami
mat) and clean transitions be-
tween long-held shots.
This particular film (with
English subtitles) concerns a
troupe of actors of traditional
drama who are unsuccessful in
a small seaside town. However,
the leader of the troupe meets
up with his mistress and his
now grown-up son, who knows
him as "Uncle".
Eventually, the mistress rea-
lizes that the uncle is really
the father and plots her re-
venge by having the troupe's
ingenue seduce her son, there-
by ruining him. Her plot fails.
The two fall in love, the troupe
disbands and the leader is dis-
graced. Thus, the leader again
leaves his mistress and takes
to the road.
All in all, this film has some-
thing of interest for everyone,
whether the photography, the
acting or the story.

Cinema Guild, Arch. Aud.
Fri., 7, 9
The Magnificent Ambersons
was Orson Welles' attempt to
duplicate the artistic (though
not commercial) success of his ,
masterpiece made one year ear-
lier, Citizen Kane. He may well
have succeeded, too - had not{
RKO's top brass sliced some{
35 minutes of footage from his
intended release print.
What's left is a rather chop-
py account of the decline of an
aristocratic family with particu-
lar attention paid to George
Amberson (played surprisingly
well and with deep insight by
veteran cowboy Tim Holt). The
supporting cast includes Joseph
Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, and
Anne Baxter, but some of their
best scenes were probably lost
on the cutting room floor.
Nonetheless, Welles' visual
mastery outweighs the short-
comings of a script that covers
too much territory' and too
many characters in a short 88
minute running time. Likewise,
The Magnificent Ambersons'
theme is too broad for what
Welles presents on the screen.
Chalk this 1942 drama up as a
tragedy of the Hollywood sys-
tem.
-Chris Kochmanskl
* A r *
* * *
Airport 1975

Day of the Dolphin
Campus
It's really a shame that ma-
jor directors become stereotyp-
ed into the level of filmmaking
they most frequently associate
with. Mike Nichols, most not-
ably related with such socially
domestic works as Who's Afraid
of Virginia Woolf? and Carnal
Knowledge, has, much to the
dismay of the critics, wandered
out of his field. He has entered
into the world of "simplistic"
entertainment, abandoning his
usually complex deviations into
social behavior and choosing to
explore a much less disciplined
arena of filmmaking.
The Day of the Dolphin 3 a
far cry from Nichols' previous i
themes, but not from his mas-
tery of filmmaking. A relative-
ly simple vehicle dealing w i t h
inter - species communication,
Nichols has constructed an im-
mensely fascinating film that
serves as a much needed shot
in the arm to the world Uf pop-
ular entertainment.
Working from a screenplay by
former collaborator Buck Henry,
Nichols amply displays his tech-
nical and directoral capabilities.
Backed by the usual excellent
performance of George C. Scott,
Nichols maintains control over
his cast of both actors and dol-
phins. The magnificantly tail-
ored film is crescendoed by
George Delerue's unbelievably
beautiful score, one of the most
superb to accompany a film in
recent years.

Have a few extra moments
during the day? Need
something to occupy your mind?
THEN, tuck a copy of
Crossword Puzzle
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Join the Daily Sports Staff

-David Blomquist


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 * *Sherlock Holmes
Ann Arbor Film Co-op
7eeman Duo And. 4 MLB'
State Fri., 7, 9:15
he infinitesimal reach-t Billy Wilder's The Private
cosmos to the myster- Life of Sherlock Holmes offers
s of the ocean comes a delightfully irreverent "in-
 of the junk movies. side" look at the heretofore
le feature of UFO, hushed-up scandals of the leg-
arth and The Devil's endary detective hero created
is the current swill by A. Conan Doyle.
the atmosphere, prov- Portrayed by Robert Steph-
ately to be so bad you ens, Sherlock here is asatur-
n laugh. nine fellow who gets his kicks
Triangle attempts to sniffing cocaine and pretend-
on the current hype ing he's a homosexual in order
ng what is more com- to avoid the advances of a Rus-
oig wathis morecm-a sian ballerina. He is, however,
own as the Bermuda more severely tempted by a
hoping to ride the lovely Belgian lady (Genevieve
of the popular book Pg)wotrsu nhs
y Charles Berlitz. But Page) who turns up on his
e's single claim to doorstep with (what else) a baf-
he narration by Vin- fling case for him to solve.
Uncharacteristically, Holmes
le Eand his sidekick Watson (Colin
lanet Earth is even a Blakely) bungle the case; also
ke. Rated G for either uncharacteristically, c o m i c
or garbage, this muck genius Wilder bungles any sus-
outfit called Centrum pense and credibility in the
es to pass itself as a plot. Still, there are enough
acumentary. But -it'smonks and midgets scattered
keep a straight face throughout this incongruous
flying saucers look caper to distract one's attention,
;en pot pie stapled to- and the whole film, while mild
 dose of this stuffWilder, is a stylish if light-
ondyosreesbtisnstgf weight entertainment.
an your knees begging-JdyLptn
of My Favorite Mar- -Judy Lopatin
you never thought that
come.Caa
-Jim Valk Charade
4 * Law School Film Series
100 Hutchins Hall
e T'aimne Fri., 7, 9
Director Stanley Donen in-
nema II, Aud. A variably aims his pictures at
Fri., 7, 9 sophisticated audiences, a n d
esnais' Je T'Aime, Je Charade is no exception. In this
French, English sub- lighthearted 1963 thriller, Paris
embles his other pro- and Henry Mancini's elegant
in that it deals with score provide the backdrop for
ry love affair and an sufficient laughs and mayhemI
o recapture the past, to satisfy even the most cyni-
se through a time ma- cal moviegoer.
wever, the film has The plot, briefly: A recently
passionate relation- widowed woman (Audrey 'Hep-
a rich remembrance: burn) is hounded around Paris
s a hazy theme con by a band of thugs who reason
lost romance. that her husband has left her
believable plot follows the $250,000 that rightfully be-
of Claude who, after longs to them. Confused, she
g suicide for supposed- turns to an honest - looking
his girlfriend, is pick- government man (Walter Mat-
"secret research cen- thau) and to handsome Cary
e a guinea pig for Grant, whom she trusts but
ies in time. can't explain his decidedly mys-
this time machine, terious behavior.
g a large brain, The humorous and gruesome
eturns to the past. elements of this slick package

ary cinema, t -cwr
ange returns in support of the
theory that you can never get
too much of a good thing. Stan-
ley Kubrick's visionary film on
the not too distant future thun-
ders the viewer through a maze
of images, boggling the mind
with dazzling ironies and para-
lyzing the senses through skill-
ful manipulation of words and
music.
Following the adventures of
Alex, a youth fallen victim to
an immoral society, Kubrick
has faithfully adapted Anthony
Burgess' novel to the screen.
Accompanied by a superb per-
formance from Malcolm Mc-
Dowell, Kubrick carefully
molds his film. Building from
the plastic society of an unspe-
cified future to the transforma-
tion of Alex into a "clockwork
orange", Kubrick's film is a
frightfully caustic vision of mod-
ern utopia.
The film fits nicely into Ku-
brick's scheme of progression.
With Dr. Strangelove, technolo-
gy was presented as a toy of
virtual madmen; in 2001, ma-
chines began to function as hu-
mans. Now, in Clockwork Or-,
ange, humans began to func-
tion as mere mechanical enti-
ties.
Kubrick's real genius lies in
his delicate proficiency and dis-
turbingly acute sense of the art
of film. Exploiting the medium
to the fullest, Kubrick oversees
virtually every aspect of pro-
duction, encompassing nearly
three years in the process.
-Jim Valk
Gold Rush
Bursley Hall Enterprises
Bursley West Cafeteria
Sat., 9
Charlie Chaplin's timeless per-
formance in The Gold Rush
truly demonstrates his natural
talent in evoking laughter and
his innate ability in establish-
ing rapport with his audience.
With his honest simplicity and
artful charm he both moves
his audiences and amuses them.
The Gold Rush is a portrayal
of Charlie Chaplin as a lone
prospector, seeking gold in the
Klondike in 1898. It is a por-
trait of his disappointments,
hopes, loneliness, and successes
- experiences that stir his au-
dience to compassion and ten-
derness.

The Movies, Briarwood It is grossly unfair to Nichols
Fasten your seat belt; the dis- to disregard this film on the:
aster flicks are starting to ooze grounds of its notable 'acR of
in. Continuing the onslaught of substance. He has. a proven
Hollywood's newly discovered track record, and this film dies
gold mine, the biggest rip-off not mar it in any way. If any-
yet arrives on the scene. Air- thing, it enhances his reputa-
port 1975 has so little to do with tion as a versatile director who
the original Airport (197') hat can successfully operate on
it's embarrassing. The only more than one cinematic level.
thing they have in commn is When one considers the trash
that yearning for the almighty being peddled to the public these
buck, mowing down good taste days, The Day of the Dolphin
and cinematic quality 'n the restores one's faith in respon-
process. , sible commercial filmmaking.
This time the disaster takes -Jim Valk
place in the air. A private plane - -
collides into the cockpit of a
747, killing two and injuring one.
It's up to the stewardess to land ! This week,
the complex mechanisms of the' get JBL
g umbo jet, unless just maybe
someone can be lowered into the stereo systems
cockpit and land it safely. for a song.
Director Jack Smight handles
the melee as if he directed it by
mail. The all-star cast, designed
solely as a ploy to lure unsu- j
specting patrons intothe thea-
tre, is the typical cross section
of characters and personal
dramas, from Helen Reddy as
a singing nun to Linda Blair
in a non-existent part as a sick
kid in need of a kidney trans-
plant.

As expected, it's the he-man
heroics of big Chuck Heston,
gritting his teeth through ano-
ther one-dimensional role, rescu-
ing not only the plane full of
people, but the stewardess atl
the controls - whom he j u s t
happens to be in love with. It's
a lot to swallow.
The folks at Briarwood could
pull off a great publicity stunt,
and at the same time provide
a genuine service to their cus-
tomers, if they would provide
each patron with an air sickness
bag. It would sure save the
janitor one helluva mess in the
morning.
-Jim Valk

- Make a mental note:
Tech Hifi has special savings on
systems with JBL components.
" i tM~t iiiiEi' dt ,iilrihY MPlk
122 East Washington Street,
Ann Arbor.
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-Cinthia Fox1


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.7

516 i LIERT

PRESENTS,
FREDDIE
-KING
IN CONCERT
Nov. 18 and 19-8 p.m.
A~ ~ , , A- ... .-.%~ m

7V

ORSON WELLES' 1949
Magnificent Ambersons
After Citizen Kane, Welles chose this evocative story from Booth Tarking-
ton's Pulitzer Prize winning novel of a proud aristocratic family that refuses
to grow with the country and the automobile at the turn of the century.
He departed from his technical experimentation to produce a subtle and

lu IN