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Friday, February 21, 1975
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Poge Fivs!
Fridciy, February 21, 1975 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Pose Five
Pick of the week:
Rebecca
Cinema Guild, Arch. Aud.
Sat., 7, 9:05
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(0"1.1nPm
weekend
The years immediately sur- 1 J.JL. L . L
rounding World War II were
w mo gul Dvs O. Sel f io o Randy Quaid turns in a probably the least crude. It's
wd Ddes 0.e Shenom ellznpro.ksplendid performance as Mea- also the only one that attempts
Besides tephomenally p- dows, a naive, shy, and mixed- to tell a story.
fenitle oedWtaTeWid up 18-year-old Navy enlistee When a slightly preverse old-
Seuckisproducedda'long string who earns a nine-year prison time Broadway producer is vis-
scredp,well-atdbox"fficesthatsentence for bungling a $40.00 ited by a very neurotic account-
scored well at box offices. I rip-off from a polio donation ant, the two discover that they
Part of the reason for Selz- box. could make more money from}
nick's prosperity was a young Whie awaiting new assign- a huge flop than from a hit'
British director imported or- ments, Singleman First - Class play. They grossly overback
iginally for this film. With Re- Buddusky (Jack Nicholson) their production and the rest of
becca, Alfred Hitchcock began and Gunners Mate Mirst - Class the story takes a predictably
an American career that would Mulhall (Otis Young) receive funny course,
gain him the reputation as the orders to escort Meadows Zero Mostel still thinks he's
"master of suspense" - and, from the Norfolk, Virginia brig on stage as the overbearing
indeed, a master of all cinema, to the Navy prison in Ports- producer, but Gene Wilder
Hitchcock spins a complex mouth, New Hampshire. makes up for him as his lovab-
tale about a young wife (played The three sailors take the ly hysterical accomplice.
by Joan Fontaine) who fears long route to Portsmouth via Although parts of the film
for both her life and her safety stuffy, second - rate motel drag, while others just aren't
as it becomes mysteriously ap- rooms, dingy bars, and a funny, Brooks includes enough
parent that her new husband house of prostitution. The trip; of everything to make the film'
(Laurence Olivier) has less ends up being an enlightening work. By no means is it a great
than kind intentions for her but emotionally exhausting ex- piece of comedy, but The Pro-'
future. perience for all three. ducers is a fun way to spend
Nigel Bruce and Judith An- Perhaps the ultimate failure an hour and a half.
derson round out the cast in of The Last Detail lies in Ash- -Linda Fidel
this Oscar-winning example of by's persistent efforts to me-
top-quality Hitchcock drama. chanically control our emo- The Servant
-David Blomquist tional responses throughout the Cinema , Aud A
film. Still, for Jack Nicholson Sat -7
L irn .L%
-' r ut.,/ , V
The Night Porter fans and those who appreciate The ornate veiled style of
Michigan good acting, The Last Detail the Joseph Losey - Harold
Liliana Cavani's The Night is a film worth seeing. Pinter collaborations is not
Porter is an important film. Jfeasy for many to come to
Some critics see it as a brilliant grips with. Director Losey
insight into the eternal man-wo- Zardoz tends through shades and col-
man conflict while others see New World, Nat. Sci. Aud. ors to slide obliquely into his
it as little more than plain Sun., 7, 9plots, while screenwriter Pin-
pornography. Just as we thought Sean Con- ter often ascribes more weight
The film which is the center nery had forsaken the realm to pauses and silences than to
of this debate takes place in of secret - agentry, that hon- his lines themselves.
Vienna in 1957. Max (Dirk Bo- eyed land of electronic gizmos a one unfamiliar with the
garde) a former Nazi concen- and bosomy playgirls, he re- vnuances of this team, The
tration camp officer, is now a turns in pazzed-up form in Servant is a good picture to
porter in a hotel. Occasionally Zardoz start with since it is probably
he caters to the perversions of Connery was certainly no their best. It is essentially a
his guests, but normally he is slouch as Agent 007 and he class-warfare film depicting
h the slow envelopment and dis-
aloner, hardly misses a step as Agentthslwevop ntadi-
Enter Lucia, the bored wife 2030. All that seems to have integration of a young English
of a famous seymphony con- changed is Sean's boss, No lord (James Fox) by his cor-
ductor who once was an in- longer subject to the whims of rupt man-servant (Dick Bo-
mate at Max's camp. Within the English foreign service garde).
hours they are back to old Connery now intrigues inthe Games People Play abound
tricks, playing sado-masochis- name of Zardoz, a god of du- through the film, with the
tic games in an effort to regain bious distinction, young aristocrat, a rather nice
the bad old days. It seems all is not well in young chap at first, reduced
Liliana Cavani, the film's di-j Zardoz's cozy paradise of the to blubbering near-catatonia by
rector, regards it as "a love future. The natives are bored the fial scene. The man - ser-
story". Though Porter is a film with scientifically assured im- vant (played with vicious bril-
of dubious quality, it is still by mortality and they're becom- fiance by Bogarde) fares little
nature of the passionate de- ing increasingly restless and, better; at film's end they both
bate it inspired, an important ooccasionally, downright defi- seem self-imposed prisoners
one and certainly worth a ant. Zardoz decides to send within the lord's cavernous,
viewing, down his best trouble - shooter rapidly - decaying mansion.
-John Frank (guess who?) to straighten Losey matches sight and
* * things out. sound with a haunting musical
hThis film has been the source score to achieve a very person-
jsrfTsm controvrsyminlyebreal kind of masterpiece. Some
Cam us of some controversy maly b may find it simply too per-
Tamu . cause of its sexist tendencies. .
There is perhaps nothing Unfortunately this is about the sonalized for their own taste,
more pleasing to the primitive only form of interest Zardoz but for others it is a brilliant
instinct than a movie chocked has stirred up. film. Count me in the latter
full of adulterated, unpreten- -George Lobsenz category.
tious smut. And when it is * * ,--Kim Potter
presented as flagrantly and *
jocularly as it is in Flesh Gor- Bonnie and Clyde Touch of Evil
don, we don't mind the total Michigan Fair Tax Campaign New World, MLB
abolition of good taste. 170 Physics and AstronomyN Sun., 7, 9
The film exists on purely Fri., 7, 9:30 Sun., 7, a
ground level, but there's real- The 1970 Arthur Penn - War- Perhaps the most amazing
ly nothing wrong with that. It ren Beatty film, Bonnie and. tuch o lut not the bril-
definitely has its place in even Clyde, is not really a faithful liant photography, the moving
such a cultural mecca as Ann representation of the desperado characterizations, or the fas-
Arbor, as illustrated by the careers of Clyde Barrow and'ch tatis nsy or athe r
bordes of howling funseekers Bonnie Parker. Too much sen- cinating screenplay but rather
that flock to see it. timent predominates the por- the fact thate wrote the
It does no good to even at- trayal of this notorious team of script and finished all the pre-
tempt at explaining the gist of; bank robbers and killers who induction work within 17 days.
the movie, except that it in- roamed Texas and Oklahoma then film,Charltonedto work(ex-
volves a sex-ray that is raising in the post Depression years. cellent as the Mexican detec-
havoc and others things back Faye Dunaway and Warren tive Vargas, misunderstood
on earth. Beatty have the leading roles, that Orson Welles was to di-
Flesh, as he is affectionately and Michael J. Pollard is their
named, travels to the reaches simpering, yet highly amusing portray Hank Quinlan, the cor-
of outer space in search of sidekick. Farcical holdu-ps and rupt detective, and nothing
the origin of the ray with a rollicking chases in stolen get-
scientsit whose name I can't away cars abound. But the mix- more.
Sevetee davs before pro-I
t
homage to his idol, Alfred
Hitchcock. It is a suspense film,
a genre that Truffaut is unused
to, yet in his hands, it becomes
a touching, delicate film of gen-
tle comedy and strange love.
It is the story of a bride,
widowed on the church steps,
who seeks revenge on her hus-
band's murderers. She kills
five men in all, eabh one a fine
characterization. Jeanne Mor-
eau, as the bride, maintains a
perfect, expressionless, de-
meanour, as she accomplishes
her task.
There are several small
scenes and details that help to
establish this as one of Truf-
faut's best, on a level with The
400 Blows and The Wild Child.
Bride is proof that Truffaut is
one of the most important di-
rectors in recent history.
--Melissa Harris
4 - *
ain hoe
Ann Arbor Film Co-op
MLB, Aud. 4
Fri., 7:15, 9:15
Released in 1972 with little
fanfare, Gumshoe was critic-
ally well - received, but still re-
mains relatively unknown. De-
scribed as a spoof on 1930's pri-
vate-eye movies, it is ultimate-
lv about boredom, bleakness,
and ineptitude.
Eddie Ginley is a third-rate
comic who dreams of some-
thing more out of life and gets
it. As a birthday present to
himself, he places an ad in the
newspaper as a quasi - Sam
Spade investigator.
Hle is promptly plunged into
a melange of plots, and dou-
ble crosses, involving murder,
kidnapping, and other assorted
goodies.
The dialogue is witty and,
fast, written with zeal and af-
fection. Albert Finnev makes
an excellent Eddie, his surface
bravado hiding his confusion
and incertitude.
-Melissa Harris
The :agicalM ystery
Tour
* *
New World, MLB
Sat., 7, 9
"You've got an invitation to
make a reservation." John,
Paul, George and Ringo are
waiting to take you away on
The Magical Mystery Tour.
Guided by four, or five
strange magicians, the Beatles,
embark on a bus tour through
England, with stops at night-
clubs, and strip-tease shows.
At frequent intervals in their
journey, the Fabulous Four,
tut n to their songs "Fool oon
the Hill" "Your Mother Should
Know", and "I am the' Wal-
rus."
The Beatles filmed this
British television special in
1967, hot on the success of their
monumental Sgt. Pepper's
Lonely Hearts Club Band. In
comparison, Magical Mystery
Tour is a disappointment. Still,
this film offers an interesting
look at the Beatles phenomena
of the '60s, including clues to
the "Paul is dead" rumor.
-Joe McMullen
Dritins Along the
Cinema Guild, Arch. Aud.
Sun., 9:05
Drums Along the Mohawk is
finely - crafted, exciting cine-
ma. This 1939 films is one of
John Ford's best and most ov-
erlooked efforts, certainly su-
perior to the strangely immor-
tal Stagecoach of the same
year.
The story concerns the strug-
gle between Colonial settlers
and British - controlled Mo-
hawk Indians during the final
year of the American Revolu-
tion.
If you overlook Henry Fon-
da's dimples and Claudette
Colbert with nary a hair out
of place throughout the bloody
conflict, then you'll find some
real insight into the trials, ag-
onies and necessary unity of an
isolated community surrounded
by a hostile and often murder-
ous environment.
Director Ford's eve for unity
is everywhere apparent, blend-
ing action and realism to a
degree few films of this genre
were able to achieve. Drums
makes a enjoyable flick for
anyone - and for Ford fans,
it's a requirement.
-Kim Potter
The Boy r-ith (reen
Hair
Cinema II, Aud. A
Fri., 7, 9
The Boy With Green Hair is
a fantasy film from the forties
that tries to entertain and
evangelize at the same time.
Dean Stockwell plays an or-
phan boy who is in the care
of a lovable Irish singing wait-
er (Pat O'Brien).
One morning ,the boy wakes
up to find that his hair has
turned green. (In blazing Tech-
nicolor, no less.) In a vision,
the boy discovers that he has
been singled out to represent
the cause of the world's starv-
ing war orphans.
It is hard to protest a film
that preaches against preju-
dice, intolerance, and war, but
the messages are presented in
a trite way and the plot seems
contrived. Boy will be enjoyed,
nonetheless, by sentimentalists
who like a good cry at the mov-
ies.
-Cathi Suyak
Secrets of a Soul
Cinema Guild, Arch. Aud.
Sun., 7
Based on one of Freud's case
histories, Secrets of a Soul is
a suspense story in reverse,
beginning with one man's fear
of touching knives and retrac-
ing the causes of his phobia in
film's first psychoanalytic in-
vestigation.
The 1926 film, though silent,
was technically as well as dra-
matically innovative. German
director G. W. Pabst took full
artistic advantage of the re-
collections and d r e a m frag-
ments involved in the psycho-
analysis.
--Jane Weaver
tn atnv yof al Iurider
Law School Films
103 Hutchins Hall
Fri., 7:30
Anatomy of a Murder was
Otto Preminger's last critic-
ally successful film, and is
therefore noteworthy. The 1959
courtroom drama, based on
R o b e r t Traver's b e s t
seller, garnered an Oscar for
Wendell Mayes' screenplay and
a New York Film Critics Best
Actor citation for James Ste-
wart.
Set in Michigan's Upper Pe-
ninsula, Anatomy concerns a
small - time lawyer (Stewart)
who defends an Army lieuten-
ant (Ben Gazzara) in a sensa-
tional murder trial highlighted
by hints of adultery, rape, and
insanity. Though overly long
at three hours even, the film,
and especially its courtroom
confrontations, is generally ab-
sorbing.
-Chris Kochmanski
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poise
mention. ture of farce with other epi-
After encountering an Em- sodes of grisly violence doesn't
peror with a name I will pass work.
over, Flesh and crew discover The movie lacks the depth
cave monsters that turn out and insight many expect. In
to be gigantic unmentionables. spite of generally mediocre dis-
You get the picture. cretion and a weak script, one
-Jim Valk cannot find much fault with the
* * acting. The film is worth see-
The Last Detail ing, if only to painfully bear
witness to unrealized potential.
Ann Arbor Film Co-op -Nathalie M. Walker
MLB, Aud. 3 *
Fri., 7, 9
Fine acting and a screen- The Producers
play tailor - made for its cast Mediatrics, Nat. Sci. Aud.
highlight Hal Ashby's The Last Fri., Sat., 7, 8:30, 10
Detail. Unfortunately, the His more recent films sug-
film's strong points do not com- gest that Mel Brooks will do
pensate for its choppy, dis- anything for a laugh. This lack
jointed visual texture and its of subtlety is apparently a re-
stilted, often sentimentalized cent element of his style, as his
character development, first film, The Producers, is
.I
seventeen aaysDre pro
duction began the studio exec-
utives explained their dilem-
ma to Welles and he agreed to
write and also direct Touch of
Evil.
The result of this hasty labor
is one of the greatest films of
all time. Welles once again
shows himself as the master of
the camera.
Besides Welles and Heston,
brilliant performances are
turned in by Marlene Dietrich,
Dennis Weaver, Joseph Cotten
and Akim Tamiroff.
--John Frank
Th, Bride Wore Black
Cinema Guild, Arch Aud.
Fri., 7, 9:05
The Bride Wore Black is
supposedly Francois Truffaut's
Records in review
By JAMES FIETIG
'AN IS A GERMAN-BI
GROUP that tries to
bine in its first America
lease, Soon, Over Bab
(United Artists LA 343-9)
tain elements of jazz, rock
avant-garde mediums.
combination might haN e
successful in Germany,1
don't predict much Ame
success.
Soon Over Babaluna turn
to be one of those al
where you're waiting for4
I
'Stars End (VR 13-114) and Ro-! (Capitol .ST-11349), featuring a
ASED bert Wyatt's Rock Bottom, I fine voice in some quiet, soft
com- (VR 13-112) have one basic rock vocals.
n re- thing in common: both are ' Riordan's material generally
aluna very removed from reality, fits the standard attern of
cer-' Stars End, composed by Bed- more accepted artists (like
, and ford and performed by the Roy- James Taylor), but he has
The al Philharmonic Orchestra, is some fine studio backing: such
been a very avant-garde work span- able musicians as Harvey Ma-
but I ning both sides of an unusually son, Tim Weisberg, and
erican long album. The Royal Phil- Charles Larkey.
harmonic performs adequately;
ns out guitar - bass player Mike Old-' Vernon Bunch is another
bums field adds a few plucks here young vocalist who has a lot
some- and there. ! of potential. Although Bunch is
- - , / rv , --