Friday, February 2, 1973

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Page Three



Confessions of an
Opium Eater
Cinema Guild
Fri.
Although I haven't seen the
movie version of Confessions of
an Opium Eater, from the sound
of things, it should be pretty wild.
Based on DeQuincey's novel
about the pleasures and pains of
opium addiction, this film di-
rected by Albert Zugsmith does
not faithfully follow the novel.
Made in the early 60's, this
movie apparently incorporates
opiated surrealist symbolism with
a look at white slavery in San
Francisco at the turn of the
century. I am not too sure how
this matches the struggle of De-
Quincey, a romantic writer who
was a contemporary of Coleridge.
My curiosity was up, however,
when I heard that Vincent Price
announces, "I am DeQuincey,"
and experiences the painful sym-
bol of an albatross falling out of
the sky onto his back.
If you are interested in "cheap
surrealism achieved by the most
bizarre methods,"-or are cur-
ious to see how DeQuincey trans-
lates onto the screen, it's prob-
ably safe to recommend this film.
Not reviewed at press time.
-BARBARA BIALICK
tov.
tonight
6:00 2 4 7 News
9 Courtship of Eddie's Father
50 Flintstones
56 Bridge with Jean Cox
6:30 2 CBS News
4 NBC News
7 ABC News
9 I Dream of Jeannie
50 Gilligan's Island
56 Book Beat
7:00 2 Truth or Consequences
4 News
7 To Tell the Truth
9 Beverly Hillbillies
50 I Love Lucy
56 World Press
7:30 2 What's My Line?
' 4 Hollywood Squares
7Wait Till Your Father
Gets Home
9 Lassie
56 Wall Street Week
50 Hogan's Heroes
8:00 2 Much Ado About Nothing
4 Sanford and Son
7 Brady Bunch
9 Woods and Wheels
56 Washington Week in Review
50 Dragnet
8:30 4 Little People
7 Partridge Family
9 Getting Together
50 Merv Griffin
56 Off the Record

The Dr. Chicago Trilogy
Cinema Guild
Sat., Sun.
There are moments when these
films by former U-M professor
GeorgehManupelli border on the
comprehensible. Most of the time
they trace the oddyseys of Dr.
Chicago, a disreputable sawbones,
accompanied by two faithful
companions, one very cute, the
other mute and hirsute. Together
they roam through the desert, or
ride through the country, discuss
philosophy, politics, and meaning
of it all in sleazy Mexican res-
taurants. And all the while, be-
ing pursued by villains with
deadly black jellybeans.
Dr. Chicago is the earliest of
the three, and not as polished as
the others, together, the films
constitute a bizarre satire as de-
void of significance as "What's
Up Tiger Lily?" and every bit
as insane as the Firesign Thea-
ter.
-DOANLD SISIN
Two Or Three Things I
Know About Her
Cinema II
Fri.
"I don't write my scripts. I
improvise as shooting goes on.
But this improvisation can only
be the result of previous inner
preparation, which presupposes
concentration. And in fact I
make my films not only when
9:00 4 Circle of Fear
7 Room 222
9 News
56Fine Art of Goofing Off
9:30 7 Odd Couple
9 Sports scene
56 Nature of Mime
10:00 4 Bobby Darin
7 Love, American Style
9 Tommy Hunter
50 Perry Mason
56 High School Basketball
11:00 2 4 7 News
9 CBC News
50 One Step Beyond
11:20 9 News
11:30 2 Movie
"Gentlemen Marry Brunettes"
(English 1955)
4 Johnny Carson
7 In Concert.
50 Movie
"The Razor's Edge" (1946)
12:00 9 Movie
"The BMyetaoino
"The Mysterians" (Japanese
1957)
1:00 4 Midnight Special
"Under the Gun" (1950)
1:30 2 Movie
"Viva Bandito" (Italian 1966)
2:30 4 News
3:00 2 7 News

I'm shooting but as I dream,
eat, read, talk to you.
"Deux ou trois choses que je
sais d'elle is much more ambi-
tious (than Made in U.S.A. (both
films were made simultaneous-
ly)), both on the documentary
level, since it is about the re-
planning of the Parisian area,
and on the level of pure re-
search, since it is a film in
which I am continually asking
myself what I'm doing. There is,
of course, the pretext of life
itself - and sometimes prostitu-
tion - in the new housing com-
plexes. But the real purpose of
the ilm is to observe a huge mu-
tation.
"For me, to describe modern
life is to observe mutations, and
not simply to describe, as cer-
tain newspapers do, the new
gadgets and industrial progress.
"Is this cinema? Am I right to
go on trying?
-JEAN-LUC GODARD
Claire's Knee
Cinema II
Sat., Sun.
In the fifth o a series of
"moral tales " director Eric
Rohmer conveys a complex
mass of emotions through a de-
ceptively simple story. When his
audience anticipates the meeting
of a hand and a kneecap with the
same eagerness they usually re-
serve for passionate love scenes,
Rohmer deserves to claim suc-
cess.
The success is due largely to
a presentation which is both sub-
jective and objective, usually at
the same time. Jerome is the
confident man who decides to
study two young women, experi-
ment with them, guide them.
He shares his observations with
a third woman, a writer (per-
haps the writer of a journal tell-
ing the story of a man who de-
cides to study two young wom-
en), a friend, a confidante, a

fellow observer of human foibles.
Jerome focuses at first upon
an inexperienced teenager but
soon moves on to her compelling
older sister. From beginning to
end, he is certain he has the up-
per hand. His actions betray his
words, however, even as the ra-
tionalizations leave his mouth.
While his self-assured tone pro-
claims detachment, a movement
of his hand or an expression on
his face declares an involvement
far beyond his control.
Fortunately, Rohmer can take
note of dishonesty without point-
ing any accusing fingers. The ac-
tion unfolds amidst the deep
greens and blues of a blissfully
peaceful countryside, and the
film breathes with the freshness
of sunshine, gardens, mountain-
sides and lakes. As for Jerome,
despite his flaws or, more prob-
ably, because of them, we can
identify with him, share his ex-
citement and feel his humilia-
tion, even when he fails to feel
it himself.
-LARRY LEMPERT
Macunaima
M. L. B.
Sat., Sun.
Macunalma (ma-koo-na-eema)
bills itself as a social satire
about the political and economic
problems of modern-day Brazil.
It is the story of the life and
times of one Macunaima, a Ne-
gro born into a savage family
deep in the wilds of Brazil. He
appears to be 45 years old at
birth. To complicate matters
further, Macunaima is periodic-
ally transformed from a ,middle-
aged black baby to a handsome
white boy and back again, all of
which, in a more orthodox set-
ting, might have led to a fierce
identity crisis a la "The Gradu-
ate in the Jungle".
Buit these psychological hur-
dles are not the only thing he

must face - there are also the
cannibals, including one evil gi-
ant (a giant industrialist as it
happens) who literally stews his
guests in his swimming pool as
preparation for soup stock.
Given that plot line, Macuna-
ima could hardly fail as an in-
teresting entertainment at the
very least, but as "social satire''
I suppose it is something only
a Brazilian might fully appre-
ciate. In the original Portuguese
with English subtitles.
-WILLIAM MITCHELL

ma, try a few festival films."
-STAFF
Ryan's Daughter
Fifth Forum
Ryan's Daughter is a pretty
simple love story afflicted with
filmic elephantiasis (which is, af-
ter all, exactly what we go to a
David Lean movie for). The dis-
proportion here betweenmthe
small, personal subject matter
and the movie's scope and large-
scale production is greater than
in any of Lean's previous giant
films, but Frederick Young's
Academy winning cinematogra-

*cinema
weekend

marriage that seems inevitably
(in movies, at least) to produce
great film stars. Her mother is
very aggressive, very much in-
volved with astrology. And her
father is quite openly an unfaith-
ful philanderer. Naturally, Pan-
dora, as a child, chooses to ido-
lize Rita Hayworth. Destined for
fame. right? Uh-uh. Panda Gold
becomes an average looking, no
talent zip, a frustrated, quirky,
failed woman who enters into one
lousy romantic relationship after
another.
Made For Each Other depicts
Pandora's affair with another
neurotic in his thirties, Giggy
Pinimba (Joseph Bologna)-this
time the malajusted product of
a feverishly Catholic upbringing.
The film, written by the stars,
often manages to be disconcert-
ingly realistic in its depiction of
two lonely New York misfits and
their desperate attempt at becom-
ing seriously involved with each
other. Yet all too often, I found
the movie moretuncomfortable
and awkward than poignant.
Why? Probably because of Rob-
ert Bean's poor direction. Still,
I wonder if Bologna-Taylor's
neurotics are perhaps too mun-
dane, too simply explained, too
ordinary to be truly sympathetic
characters under even the best
direction.
There's one, exception to the
generally unsure tone of the film:
Pandora's sleazy night-club act.
Her one woman show is quite
literally a public enactment of
an idenitity crisis ("Whd am
I???" she asks the audience as
she does a horrible Dietrich
imitation). Pandora's mother's
reaction to the performance: "It's
Now, it's pithy, it's trenchant!"
Gig's reaction: "El Cheapo! It
stuink!" Here Made For Each
Other manages to be involving,
funny, touching-the sort of ef-
fect the rest of the film seems to
be trying for but rarely achieves.
-RICHARD GLATZER

mer of '42 so disappointing.
Well, now Mulligan's dipping
his hand into the horror film.
The Other, taken from actor Tom
Tryon's novel of the same name,
tells of two twins, living in Con-
necticut in the 1930's, and the
series of bizarre and horrible
crimes one of them is respon-
sible for. The problem is, which
one? (Not Reviewed at Press
Time)
-STAFF
The Sword and
the Stone
State
Students who were hoping to
ditch their Monarch Notes in
favor of a trip to the movies had
better forget it - classically
speaking, Walt Disney is no
match for Sir Thomas Malory
or Tennyson when it comes to
relating the life of King Arthur.
On the other hand, neither the
Morte D'Arthur nor the Idylls of
the King can boast a muddle-
brained, madcap Merlin who
constantly gets twisted up in his
beard, nor can they produce an
owl called Archimedes to help
instruct the young king-to-be.
Extensive mathematical com-
putations reveal that the ideal
age for viewing this tale of King
Arthur's boyhood is something
less than ten (i.e., the film was
first released in 1963 and, pre-
sumably, all us kids over ten
have already had one shot at it.)
But have no fear for these im-
pressionable young patrons. Al-
though the film-makers have
loaded the story with healthy les-
sons on life. and love (obviously
attempting to brainwash all chil-
dren to be good, study their
books, and respect their elders),
Disney's vivid colors and imagi-
native animation keep the mor-
alism in the background, where
it belongs.
-LARRY LEMPERT
And Yet Another
Week Of
Deliverance-Fox Village-Okay,
kind of carelessly directed ad-
venture that fails dismally when
it tries to be more.
The Poseidon Adventure -
Michigan-Is it true that Ernest
Borgnine has laryngitis? Does
Shelley Winters float?
Not to Mention ...
It Came from Beneath the Sea
& Rocket Ship XM - Couzens -
Fri., Sat.

ruCru iIRE CLENLAR I

DANCE-International Folk,
9)

in Barbour 8-11 (teaching 8-

v's


wcbn
listings

9:00 The Morning After Show
12:00 Progressive Rock
4:00 Folk
7:00 Live Folk
7:30 Rythmn and Blues
11:00 The Oldies Show

CONCERTS-Musical Society presents Alvin Ailey Dance
Theatre in Power at 8
DRAMA-U. Players perform Pinero's The Magistrate in
Mendelssohn at 8
WEEKEND BARS & MUSIC-Bimbo's, Gaslighters (Fri., Sat.,
Sun.) cover; Blind Pig, Terry Tate (Fri., Sat.) cover,
Classical Music (Sun), no cover; Del Rio, Hotshot Jazz
(Sun) no cover; Golden Falcon, Phase II (Fri., Sat.)
cover; Mackinac Jack's, Brooklyn Blues Busters (Fri.,
Sat., Sun.), cover; Mr. Flood's Party, Diesel Smoke and
Dangerous Curves (Fri., Sat., Sun. aft) cover; Odyssey,
Mojo Boogie Band (Fri., Sat.) cover; Pretzel Bell, RFD
Boys (Fri., Sat.) cover; Rubaiyat, Iris Bell Adventure
(Fri., Sat., Sun.) no cover; Bimbo's on the Hill, The
Epics (Fri., Sat.) cover.
~ - - - -

The Andromeda Strain
UAC-Mediatrics
Fri., Sat.
T h e Andromeda S t r a i n
definitely has good elements at
work - namely, some super-
germs from outer space that
make the London Flu look like
a common cold. For a certain,
select group of scientists, the
mission, whether they decide to
accept it or not, is to isolate the
.virus, develop an antidote, and
save the blood of the world from
instant granulation.
The futuristic labs and exotic
research tools of Michael Chrich-
ton's novel just begged for Hol-
lywoodization. Indeed, Hollywood
dug in above and beyond the call
of duty, and produced a labora-
tory Dr. No would have been
proud to misuse.
Chrichton best-sold his bestsel-
ler by infusing a science fiction
suspense tale with a tone of sci-
entific certainty, developing his
plot with mathematical preci-
sion. In the film, the mysteries
of the plot can still hold the at-
tention of the audience, with rid-
dles like: what do a tiny baby
and an aging wino have in com-
mon?
But the tone tends to give way
to flashing computer lights and
overly intense acting. Perhaps
Robert Wise still had a little too
much West Side Story and Sound
of Music in his blood. The cli-
max, in particular, is painfully
overdone, stretching the moment
of confrontation from the realm
of suspense clear to the realm
of farce.
-LARRY LEMPERT
8mm Film Festival
East Quad Aud.
Fri., Sat., Sun.
Having never seen these films,
The Daily film staff doesn't take
credit for this exuberance, but
we hope you enjoy the festival:
"Whenever anyone goes through
the joyous experience of view-
ing a film festival they are treat-
ed to the very best and the very
worst that film has to offer. This
year's 8mm festival will un-
doubtedly be no exception. It of-
fers films from all over the U.
S. and Canada (one was pro-
duced in Israel) made by stu-
dents, fledgling filmmakers, old
folks and kids. Every film will
impress you with its originality,
inventiveness, and its own spe-
cial was of using the medium. If
you want to free yourself from
the emotional and aesthetic lim-
itations of the commercial cine-

phy is as stunning as ever, and
Lean again demonstrates a dis-
tinct genius for big screen com-
position.
Robert Bolt wrote the screen-
play for his wife (Sarah Miles),
which is perhaps why she comes
off better than anyone else in the
cast. Our heroine is a woman in
love with love, and she falls for,
first, a school teacher (Robert
Mitchum), then a young shell-
shocked British officer (Christo-
pher Jones - who does a fine
job of standing around looking
shell-shocked), all set against
the background of the Irish Re-
bellion of the '20's. The famous
seaside storm sequence (in
which several people's lives
were reportedly risked) is great.
John Mills grunts and drools his
way to an Academy Award (won
entirely on make-up). "A very
good movie, for what it is," says
brilliant, perceptive ex - Daily
critic, Neal Gabler.
-STAFF
Made For Each Other
Campus
Pandora Gold (Renee Taylor)
is unmistakably the child of the
kind of mismatched, unhappy


~Magistrate' has no power:
Pinero is a p rattler

The Other
Campus
The success or failure of a
Robert Mulligan movie seems al-
ways to depend on the success or
failure of a creation of tenuous,
tender, fragile tones or moods.
It was the particularly effective
tone that made To Kill a Mock-
ingbird a fine film in spite of its
now dated pretentions, and it was
the lack of such a tone that made
Up The Down Staircase and Sum-

THIRD ANNUAL
8 mm FILM FESTIVAL'
FEB. 2, 3, 4, 1973

Fri. 7:00-program a
Fri. 9:30-program b

Sat. 7:00--program c
Sat. 9:30-program d

Mediatrics
Andromeda Strain
7 & 9:30 P.M.
Fri. and Sat., Feb. 2-3
Natural Science Aud.
Admission 75c
TICKETS ON SALE AT 6 P.M.

SUN. 8:00-WINNERS

By MITCHELL ROSS
Theatrical p e o p 1 e - actors,
directors, and producers alike-
are often quite careful in dis-
tinguishing a farce from other
comic forms. This fact should be
understood by every playgoer,
who could otherwise be misled
into thinking that a play adver-
tised as "a classic - Victorian
farce" might well be worth
viewing. In fact, what this form
represents is often no more than
indulgence in the imbecile-the
laughter of full bellies at the
vacant corners of the human
mind
Sir Arthur Wing Pinero's The
Magistrate, mounted this week
by the University Players on the
Lydia Mendelssohn stage, has
pinched its way through the
cobwebs of time, and so has
earned its billing as "classic,
Victorian farce." Since opening
in London in 1885, it has enjoyed
periodic revivals, ably serving
directors who wish to avoid
thinking and yet remain respec-
table.
William Halstead, who has
g u i d e d this production, has
proved himself quite able in the
past and there is no reason to
believe he will not do so again
in the future. In the meantime,
he has amazed me at the mess
he has wrought this time around.
Certainly, the work is not his,

but Pinero's. Yet, the English
gentleman has long gone to his
eternal rest. It is Halstead who
has dragged out this parade of
Victorian bums, fussing over the
cravats around their necks and
the nuts spilled on their floors.
And, this weekend, it is Halstead
who must be held responsible
for reducing the great ethical
forum of the theater to the pret-
tiest prattle, not fit to sharpen
the wits of a six-year-old.
There are two threads to this
story. One involves a woman,
Agatha Posket, who is perplexed
at how to reveal to her husband
that she is five years older than
she told him at the time of their
wedding. The second involves
her sister, Charlotte Veringer
(Jennifer. Martin), who has been
detected flirting by her fiance,
and whose engagement has con-
sequently been called off.
All this s e e m s harmless
enough, and no more absurd than
the plots of a hundred infinitely
finer works. But when we look
closer, we find that Pinero's
puffy phrases are quickly flat-
tened when filtered through the
actors' mouths. We might cite
much evidence to pinpoint this
imposter, but the reader will be
unsettled by only a few exam-
ples.
Early on, Posket is compli-
mented on his wife's beauty by

EAST QUAD AU D.
Door Prizes!

50c one show
75c both shows

"Hollywood has remained frozen, and therefore is
dying, it cannot be revived even with fresh blood.
The underground, however, is coming up free,
strong, and kicking." -Jonas Mekas, VILLAGE VOICE

I

herbie hancock
f reddie hubbard
sat. feb. 24
hill aud. 8 p.m.

a fellow magistrate. "I met her
on a vacation," Posket replies.
"Next year," quips his friend,
"I'm going." When Mrs. Posket
hears a familiar voice in hn unA-
familiar place, she remarks to
her famished sister, "Don't you
recognize t h a t voice?" and
Charlotte responds, "The only
voice I hear is the voice of
hunger." And, finally, near the
play's end, all matters having
been resolved, Posket proposes a
brilliant toast to his stepson:
"Today you are nineteen; yester-
day you were but fourteen. You
are a growing lad!"
What is one to make of such
bilge, other than spit it out no
sooner than it is swallowed? So
I shall remark very little here
on the acting in this perform-
ance. While it is true that the
sudden flash of an actor's in-
sight can illuminate the entire
stage, there is nothing to be done
when the fuse is long dead. It is
out of order to praise Jennifer
Martin, for an occasional fine
moment as Charlotte Veringer,
and yet that praise should sug-
gest little more than Martin's
equipment for portraying old
maids. I recognize that is very
scant glory indeed, but it is the
best I can manage in view of
the entire monstrosity.
The rest of the acting is never
remarkable, but, as I say, I am
not willing to lay the fault for
this at the actors' feet. The gags,
played out ad nauseum, weary
actor and audience alike. There
is a stilted, uncomfortable air
about the whole proceeding-the
fumbling to achieve a "British
tone," the posturing at a foreign
brand of slapstick-all this leaves
us gasping when the well of wit
has run dry.
We might think more highly
of Gary Klinsky as Aeneas
Posket, if the other men did not
seem intent upon copying his
manner. In the title role, Klin-
sky is most prominent of male
characters. He. can throw his
hands and contort his face to
achieve occasional effect, but the
impression does not last, as soon
we discover the other characters
behaving in nearly the same
way.

I

CENTER
rows 1-6......
rows 7-15 $
SIDES
rows 1-15$......$
SECOND
BALCONY $

" Pricing the same for both concerts.
" All seats reserved.
" Box Office sales begin MON., FEB. 5
at Michigan Union, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Mon.-Sat.
" MAIL ORDERS Accepted Now, or Deliver
Your Mail Order in Person to:
UAC-DAYSTAR, MICHIGAN UNION
ANN ARBOR 48104
. be sure to indicate which concert,
" location, price, amount of tickets,
" certified check or money order ONLY,
* stamped, self-addressed envelope OR
a note that you wish to pick up your
tickets in person at the Union ticket
desk after Tues., FEB. 6th,

"THE MUMMERS"
A Photographic Documentary
by JOHN SCHOT T
ON DISPLAY at the Union Gallery
fro ian. 24-Feb. 1
Also: New Prints and Photographs

4.50
4.00
3.50
2.50




'1

1st Floor E
MICHIGAN UNION

Hours: 12-5 Wed.-Sun.
7-10 p.m. Fri.

CINEMA

II1

.fir

FRIDAY 2 FEB.

Midwest Premiere

MACUNAIMA

TWO OR THREE THINGS
I KNOW ABOUT HER

TONIGHT
"Undoubtedly the finest of the
new Brazilian productions, and
one of the most extraordinary
films I have ever seen . . . one

i

,ANG
(Ma-koo-nna eema) LE 1! gE44ps


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WPMiiEs/MI

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