Saturday, October 2, 1976
THE !MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Three
Saturday, October 2, 1976 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Three
I
01
1k
. gSo..
events and entertainment
week of Oct. 2-8
HAFPENINGS film reviews
are written by Christopher Pot-
ter.
all week
COMMERCIAL CINEMA
Seven Beauties - (The Mov-
ies, Briarwood) - Lena Wert-
muller's flawed but extraordi-
nary film of an Italian stud in
the 1930's dedicated to the sole
purpose of survival above all
else, even if it means selling
his own soul to do it. Wert-
muller follows her protagonist
from his relatively carefree
days inhthe late 1920's into the
rigors of World War II and
Dore-like horrors of a Nazi
death-camp, allowing him to
survive only at the cost of any
innocent or idealistic notions
he may have once possessed
about his own instincts. The
lengthy plot doesn't all hold to-
gether, but Wertmuller's tech-
niques is exquisite and glorious-
ly enhanced by Giancarlo Gia-
nini's masterly conception of
the craven hero - whose final
line may eventually rank with
Clark Gable's Gone With the
Wind utterance in immortal-
ity. ****
A Clockwork Orange - (Cam-
pus) - The grotesqueries of
Alex and his droogs sit less and
less well with me as the years
go by; Stanley Kubrick cinema-
tizes Anthony Burgess' sterile,
soulless future through a film
so static and soulless itself that
it becomes more a product of
Burgess' nightmare vision than
a depiction of it.
Yet crowds of moviegoers
still flock to Clockwork, then
sit snickering nervously at the
unpleasantries unfolding on
screen. They seem akin to a
groupnof chain smokers longing
to kick the habit, but rendered
helpless by the inexolicable,
mesmerizing lure of the evil
product. Use a little will power,
folks; there are far greener
cinematic and socialogical pas-
tures than this one. **
Leadbelly - (State) - Gor-
don Parks' biographical drama
of the famed black blues singer.
St. Ives - (The Movies,
Briarwood) - Charles Bron-
son's latest Neanderthal stomp,
and from my prejudiced per-
spective probably worth avoid-
ing for moral as well as artistic
reasons.
A Woman Under the Influence
- (Michigan) - John Cassa-
vettes' merciless study of non-
communicative marriage, with
Gene Rowlands and Peter Falk
working the director's impro-
visational technique to an al-
most unbearable intensity. Row-
lands is simply spectacular, de-
serving of every award on re-
cord including the Oscar she
didn't win. ****
Alice Doesn't Live Here
Anymore - (Michigan) - Mar-
tin Scorcese's ever-more-fam-
ous film of a New Mexico
housewife who packs un her
baggage and her 12-year-old
son and strikes out for Califor-
nia following her husband's
death. Alice has in some ways
become a sort of metahor for
Women's Lib although it would
hardly seem in step with that
particular banner given its
bland, conventional everv-wo-
man's dream conclusion. Good
but hardly great cinema from
a man who made Mean Streets
and Taxi Driver; in contrast to
the electric breathlessness of
those two eics. Alice Just pert-
lv meanders along from scene
to scene.***
Sex With a Smile - (Fifth
Forum) - 'Cause sometimes
it's a pretty grim affair.
saturd aV
CINEMA
The Bicycle Thief - (Cinema
Guild, Arch. Aud., 7 & 9:05) -
The above mentioned sobering
spectre for many Ann Arbor-
ites actually carried far more
catastrophic consequences for
inhabitants of post-WW II Italy,
where possession of a bicycle
was often an absolute prere-
quisite for obtaining a job.
Vittorio de Sica's study of one
victim's endless, wrenching
city-wide search for his stolen
vehicle stands as one of the
great cinematic documents on
the redemptive power of hu-
man love, even in the face of
overwhelming tragedy. The Bi-
cycle Thief was one of the first
products of the host-war Italian
Cinema, n-"d remains one of
the finest f+1"s of any era. ****
The Killers - (Ann Arbor
Film Co-op MLB 4, 7 only) -
A remake of the1946 Burt Lan-
caster film based on the Hem-
ingway short story. Orieinallv
made as a TV movie although
eventually released in theaters
instead, this version is reputed
to be on a pretty shoddy over-
all level, including a very TV-
ish budget; but it does present
us with Ronald Reagan (in his
last screen role) as the villain
- a part all nice folks should
relish.
Young Frankenstein and
B r i d e of Frankenstein -
(Ann Arbor Film Co-op, MLB 3,
Young Frankenstein at 7 &
10:30, Bride of Frankenstein at
8:45 only) - A first-time-ever
pairing of the best of the Kar-
loff thrillers with Mel Brooks'
masterful takeoff. It should be
a fascinating experience to
watch the Old and New match
each other sometimes scene for
scene, although the effect might
prove unsettling for purist ad-
mirers of the original. Impos-
sible to say what the mix will
make, but a very definite ****
for either film taken separate-
ly.
Dead Pigeon on Beethoven
Street - (Ann Arbor Film Co-
op, MLB 4, 9 only) - Crime
thriller by Samuel Fuller, a
perennial grade-B movie direc-
tor who, despite the determined
non-distinction of his work, is
revered as a virtual deity by
the auteur film critics. As the
advertising blurb for Pigeon
says, Fuller is glorified in al-
most every country but his
own - and judging from what
I've seen of his work, I think
we should comment ourselves
on our excellent taste. *
Fox and His Friends - Cine-
ma II, Ang. Aud. A, 7 & 9) -
A 1975 German film about the
adventures of a suddenly-rich
homosexual and the effects of
his money on himself and his
acquaintances. Unseen here,
but possibly a trend-setter.
2001: A Space Odyssey -
(Mediatrics, Nat. Sci. Aud., 7 &
9:30) - Stanley Kubrick's outer
space Genesis II is - among
many other things - one of the
most completely personalized
works in all cinema. A madden-
ingly cryptic film, the merits
of which will probably be de-
bated forever - perhaps it's
not even a good film, but cer-
tainly an incredible one. Itis,
of course, a movie which has
to be seen at least twice - but
most of -17ii have probably pro-
gressed '-ond that score al-
ready.*""
EVENTS
Benny Goodman - Musical
Society, Hill Aud., 8:30 pm.
RED SKELTON SHOW CAN-
CELLED appearance at Cris-
ler, refunds available thru to-
day.
I Do, I Do - musical drama,
Ann Arbor Inn.
Contemporary Di-
rections - Uri Mayer, cond.,
Rackham Aud., 8 pm.
BARS
Ark - Michael Cooney, folk
9, $2.50, no alcohol.
Bimbo's - Gaslighters, old-
time singalong, 6, 50 cents after
8.
Casa Nova - Sequoia, blue-
grass, 9, no cover.
Golden Falcon - Melodioso,
Latin jazz, 9:30, $1.
Mr. Flood's Party - Red
Mountain String Band, hoote-
nanny,9:30,$1.50.
Old Heidelberg - Mustard's
Retreat, folk-rock, 9, no cover.
Pretzel Bell - RFD Boys,
bluegrass, 10, $1.50.
Rubaiyat - The Celebration,
top 40, 9:30, no cover.
Second Chance - Salty Dog,
rock, 9:30, $2-2.50.
sunday
CINEMA
Walkabout-(Cinema II, Ang.
Aud. A, 7 & 9) - A Nicholas
Roeg film about the intercul-
tural adventures of two Euro-
pean and one Aborigine child in
Australia. Rarely seen, but any
Roeg film should contain some-
thing worth viewing, and what
few critics that have seen it
consider it a gem.
the Father's House, 4:10
Pendleton Rm. of Union.
p.m.,
BARS
Golden Falcon - Roots, jazz,
9:30, $1.
Mr. Flood's Party - Eric
Glatz, folk, 9:30, no cover.
Cann ~honn }.nth
Grey Gardens - (Cinema iIU t.anceI-t 5h
Guild, Arch. Aud., 7 & 9:05) _ rock, 9:30, $1-1.50.
A documentary look by the
Maysles brothers into the fart W
side of the Camelot mystique- w n e s
focusing on the recently pover-
ty - stricken lives of Jackie CINEMA
Onassis' relatives Edith Bou-;
vier Beale and her daughter. What? - (Ann Arbor
Searing and reportedly often: Co-op, Ang. Aud. A, 7 on
embarrassingly explicit, but' A reportedly surrealist fa
probably an ego booster for our by Roman Polanski, no
society's underlings. which for some reason
EVENTS hardly ever been seen by
Encores From Interlochen_ one, despite the fact tha
Music School faculty, Rackham only a few years old. I
Aud., 8 p.m. much in the dark about
University Symphony Band almost everyone else.
and Wind Ensemble. - Hill Dr. No - (Ann Arbor
Aud., 8 p.m. Co-op, Ang. Aud. A, 9 on
Ann Arbor Symphony - 3:30 The granddaddy of al
p.m., Power Center. James Bond epics and
Organ Concert - Marilyn many imitators, and itn
Mason, 7:30 p.m., 1833 Washte- an interesting restrospe
naw (1st Church of Christ Sci- The film is still exciting
entist.) the corresponding mass
BARS of sadism and stridentn
Ark - Michael Cooney, folk, ethos seem far more rep
9, $2.50, no alcohol. and infantile now than in
Mr. Flood's Party - Gwen innocent days of the
& Kevin, C&W, 9:30, no cover. 1960's. Perhaps Vietnam
Old Heidelberg - Mustard's all its related horrors fore
Retreat, folk-rock, 9, $1, Caba- ( all to grow up a little, an
ret Night. to our credit if the value
Second Chance - Salty Dog, tems in Dr. No seem u
rock, 9:30, $2-2.50. fortably out of kilter with
of today's audiences. ***
Wild Strawberries -
M on a ma Guild, Arch. Aud., 7 &
Ingmar Bergman's chroni
CINEMA the intermingling of pas
It Happens to Us - (Women's present in a day in the l
Studies film, Nat. Sci. Aud., 7 an aging Swedish profess
p.m.) Women discuss abortion. little slow-moving, but l
Also, Taking Our Bodies Back, ly - wrought and giveni
the Women's HealthsE x by its acting. andgien
ment; and Self-Help, both about BARS
areas of women's health move- Ark - Hoot Nite, 9, 75c
ment. About hour each. no alcohol.
BARS Casa Nova - Sequoia,
Golden Falcon - V-II-I, jazz grass, 9, no cover,
fifteen-piece band, 9:30, $1. Mr. Flood's Party -
Mr. Flood's Party-Dick Sie- horn, C&W, 9:30, 75 cents
gel, folk, 9:30, no cover. Second Chance - Si'
Second Chance-Stone Front, rock, 9:30, $1-1.50.
rock, 9:30, $1-1.50.
Hooter,?
ly
Film
ly) -
antasy
less,
has.
y any-
at it's
'in as
it as
Film
ly) -
remains more coherent and riv-
eting than anything in 2001 -
taut, straightforward and in the
later stages rather inspiring asi
Earth battles to preserve its
freedom against the seemingly
invincible invaders. Even ifl
you're not a sci-fi fanatic, this;
one will grab you. ****
EVENTS
University Philharmonia -
Hill Aud., 8 p.m.
BARSj
Golden Falcon - Silvertones,
blues, 50's, 60's rock. 9:30, $1.I
Mr. Flood's Party - All Di-
rections, jazz, 9:30, 75 cents. .
Second Chance - Shooter,
rock, 9:30, $1-1.50.1
with. P e r f o r m a n c e-;
wise, Bruce Dern stands out in
an absolutely straight, non-bu-
foonish embodiment of a bas-
ketball coach - moderate on
the surface but possessing (as1
his character development
subtly reveals) an absoluate
win-at-any-cost mania lying be-
neath the exterior. ***a
Bedazzled - (Ann Arbor
Film Co-op, MLB 4, 7 & 9 -
The Peter Cook - Dudley Moore
fantasy about a modern-day;
Faust and his implausible mis-
adventures. Totally in the Mon-
ty Python - Firesign Theatre
style of comedy, and if you
like them you'll undoubtedly:
' ie tis (I i). *
desperation of urban living as
in no other picture I've evert
seen, Gene Hackman and Roy
Scheider are brilliant as the
edge of society cops, even the
underrated musical score con-
veys a grinding, pulsating ten-
sion. Indeed, the film itself al-
most seems a musical composi-.
tion, building and slowing at ,
regular intervals in an awe-
some display of pacing. a
To be sure, The French Con-
nection's exciting as a thriller,
too; but next time you go see
it, look a little closer - there's!
so very much more to this re-
markable film. ****
MASH - (Mediatrics, Nat.
French Theatre - Les Chai-
ses, Mendelssohn Theatre, 8 p.
m.
BARS
Ark - Bob White, folk, 9,
$2.50.
Mr. Flood's Party - Jaw-
bone, rock, 9:30, $1.50.
Old Heidelberg - Mustard's
Retreat, folk-rock, 9, no cover.
Pretzel Bell - RFD Boys,
bluegrass, 10, $1.50.
Rubaiyat - The Celebration,
top 40, 9:30, no cover.
Second Chance - Shooter,
rock, 9:30, $2-2.50.
Sci. Aud. 7 & 9) - Item: An
The French Connection - army doctor is aurally spied
(Cinema II, Ang. Aud. A, 7 & upon by his fellow workers dur-
9) - I think this is one of the ing love-making, is subsequent-
best and most important films ly taunted about it so unmerci-
CINEMA ever made about American so- fully that he goes berserk and
The African Queen - (Cine- ciety and how we adapt to it, is carted off to a mental ward.
Iand fa-f-- -- - f 4 r. than h Y 41k It A dcisliked reis
tuesday
CINEMA
Citizen Kane-(Cinema Guild,
Arch. Aud., 7 & 9:05) - Sim-
ply put, The Greatest - Orson
Welles gives birth to the mod-
ern film. Shown many times on
TV, but just can't be seen too
often - something new invari-
ably turns up with each view-
ing. A required work for any-
one interested in film, art and
the concept of success in Amer-
ica. ****
Satyricon - (Ann Arbor Film
Co-op, Ang. Aud. A, 7 & 9:15)-
The gluttonous, overblown
dregs of Frederico Fellini's ca-
reer. Based very loosely on Pe-
tronius' novel of two bi-sexual
young men in pre-Christian
Rome, Satyricon displays an
amazing lack of energy and
imagination - it just lumbers
along with its giant budget and
cast of thousands from one sup-
posedly fantastic - erotic ad-
venture to the next, rather like
a low-I.Q. hippopotamus on the
verge of old age and sterility.
Much of Fellini's best surreal
work contained a kind of an-
cient, quasi-mythological aura
that hypnotized the viewer: Sa-
tyricon is his first film which
actually takes place in a long-
ago period, and much of the
previous effect seems to evap-
orate into tedious history. **
EVENTS
Poetry Reading - Reed Whit-
temore, The Mother's Breast &
atliursda
CINEMA
McCabe and Mrs. Mill
(Ann Arbor Film Co-op,
Aud. A, 7 & 9:15) - Robei
man's overrated film abo
corruption of free enterpr
the Old West. Loaded wi
mosphere and wonderful
porting performances, b
with most Altman films
thing less than boldly or
and certainly far from the
matic milestone that
claim it to be. Things
helped any by the rather
jobs turned in by stars
ren Beatty and Julie Ch
Sleeper - (People's1
tennial Commission, Nat
Aud., 7 & 9) - Back in
screen, in case you misl
on TV. Woody Allen's fc
tic fantasy is his most
turally solid and thou
film, although as such it
rifices some of the uninh
mania of his earlier e
Nonetheless, grade-A
War of the Worlds -I
ma Guild, Arch. Aud., 7 &
-It's Mars vs. Earth in G
Pal's 1953 updating of the
Wells novel. Pal's speci
fects have since been dw
perhaps by 2001 and o
and I still don't like his
stitution of mini-flying sa
for the infinitely more t
ing Martian tripods of th
iginal book; but the plot
1 the im a Guild, Arch. Aud., 7 & 9:05) , 12." 1"L. Linur L1Ithe uK. hll: A £1 i
lthe - Bogie and Kate ride the straight cops-and robbers thrill- publically humiliated when her
their pids again in the i rtal er it is usually made out to be. shower curtain is deliberately
makes I comedy - drama. All the The keyword to this film is yanked and she is exposed to
ective. elements blend tomake this boredom and how one lashes the rest of the medical corps,
g, but probably director John Huston s out against it, as personified by who have set up chairs for the
doses best film **** both Popeye Doyle and his event - she goes into hysterics.
macho partner Cloudy; the two pur- Haw.
ulsive The King of Marvin Gardens sue their smuggler enemies
those - (Ann Arbor Film Co-op, across an almost metaphysical I skeptically await the day
early MLB 3, 7 & 10:30) - Ever get plain almost unrelated to the someone is able to define the
and the feeling Jack Nicholson s stream of daily events, as! intrinsically humorous value of
ed us incapable of playing anythig though the only release to the such scenes permeating this
id it's but the same basic wise-guy? sterility of their own existence leering, heartless excuse for a
e sys- Well, it's a bum rap; his elo- can be achieved through the comedy; until then, I will con-
ncom- quent interpretation here of a catharsis of physically strikingt ed t
those brainy, introverted radio com- out, even if under the shield of tinue to regard MASH as an
mentator should have dispelled the law anti-war film that makes one
(Cn-Isuch rumors forever, but un- telw
(Cine- ;uhrmr orvr u n long to root for the generals.
& 9 - fortunatelytdidn'tt(hardly any- Practically everything comes EVENTS
cle of . ,, a together in this memorable
t and Iit'sa shame he doesn'tget film - William Friedkin's cam- Faculty Recital - Music
ife of his unexpectedly awesome ver- era captures the raw, grimy School Recital Hall, 8 p.m.
or. satility. -------------- -
oving- aiiy_-
wings As a film, Marvin Gardens [E M
gs far from perfect- a rather Ass j 4DI
j loose -jointed allegory about!
two vastly differing brothersj
cents, (symbollically named Jason TONIGHT in MLB
and David), and the former's
blue- attempts to draw the latter into Frankenstem Double Feature!
his wild, dangerous, money- MEL BROOKS'
Long-,making schemes. This is a mov- YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
" ie that lives on its perform-
ooter,! ances, with Nicholson's with- el Brooks, 1974) 7 & 10:30
drawn, skeptical David match- Ingenious parody of famed horror taie from the mad master of
ed brilliantly by Bruce Dern's mayhem. Mel Brooks. Gene Wilder, who wrote the screenplay
with Brooks, is hilarious a as new Dr. Frankenstein who
manically hopeful Jason. Per- creates a new monster. Transylvanian and laboratory trap-
haps best of all is Ellen Bur- pings all there in stylish perfection. Black and white and
whose portrayal of De's plywood. Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Ken-
neth Mars, Madeline Kahn. "The year's funniest film-one of
cynical girl friend is certainly the year's best."-Gene Shalit, NBC-Tv.
the most finely - honed, re- BORIS KARLOFF
ler - strained performance I've seen BRIDE OF F RA NK EN STE IN
Ang. her give in a film. ***
rt Alt- Drive, He Said - (Ann Ar- (James Whale, 1935) 8:45 only
ut the bor Film Co-op, MLB, 8:45) - One of the truly great films in the "horror" genre, BRIDE OF
rsinAn extraordinary film which FRANKENSTEIN succeeds in being both a good film anda
Ise in a good parody of a good film. Karloff is still the best Franken-
th at- was left awash in the wave of stein ever, and Eisa Lancaster emerging from the bandages
sup- college-rebellion flicks which is an image you'll never forget. Better than the originals
ut as glutted movie houses in the ear- and the imitations.DONALD SIEGALS
some- ly '70's. The eventual critical
iginal, and public revulsion to these T H E K1L L E RS
cine- Hollywood - huckster phonies with RONALD REAGAN
some unfortunately also claimed as (Donald Siegal, 1964) 7 only
aren't a victim this imaginative yet A typical Siegal film-tight, quick, exciting and unpretentious.
numb thoughtful study of a college Based loosely on Hemingway's story about two professional
War- basketball star who begins to assassins whose curiosity about a victim leads them to a
iristi.qeto h million dollar bankroll, THE KILLERS contains what Lee
question the value systems of Marvin considers his best role and Ronald Reagan his least. In
society, especially as it relates his last screen performance, Reagan plays a corrupt heavy-
Bicen- to the often regimented world -no jokes about type casting, please! With John Cassevetes
:Sci. of the athlete, and Angie Dickinson.
wide f ie, He S omand the Ann Arbor Premiere of SAM FULLER'S
wie Drive, He Said contains some o
sed it of the usual revolutionary trap- Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street
uturis- pings, but is actually involved (Samuel Fuller, 1972) 9 only
struc- with less campus rebellion than American director Samuel Fuller is revered in every country
ghtful with the Jock Ethic, and its but his own. He had to expatriate to Germany to film this
t sac- recent slow evolvement away intense, taut tribute to the American private eye that was
libited from Vince eolmbrisecawa the surprise hit of the Chicago Film Festival. Glenn Corbett
tLombardi-style con- plays a detective trying to break an international crime ring
fforts- formity toward the assertion of which blackmails political figures in compromised positions,
gold. individual expression. Jack but as Andrew Sarris says, "Fuller's films must be seen, not
Nicholson's lone directorial out- heard or synopsized." ". . . easily one of the most important
films of the year."-Martin Rubin, N.Y. Cultural center. With
(Cine- ing displays a verve and inven- Stephane Audran and Christa Lang.
9:05) tiveness tempered by a great ANN ARBOR PREMIERE
eorge sensitivity to the basically quite $1.25, Double Feature $2.00
H.G. serious material he is dealing
al ef-
varfed
thers,
sub-
rucers
errify-
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itself
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76-DAILY
I
iI~
.
PZtRP t N
-
" FRIED CHICKEN DINNER with whipped potatoes
and coleslaw $1.99
" Afternoon Ohio State vs. U.C.L.A. football on
our seven foot T.V.
" VICTORY PARTY after the game.
" After 8:00 p.m. $1.50 cover/ $1.00 cover with
student I.D.
" For good FOOD, MUSIC, and FUN,
GO BLUE FROGGEI!I
Vittorio De Sica's 1947
THE BICYCLE THIEF
One of the first Italian neo-realist films, The Bicycle Thief is the com-
passionate story of a poor man's desperate search for the stolen bicycle
essential to his livelihood. The late director's masterpiece and fine
example of European cinema.
Short: ANEMIC CINEMA-Marcel Du Champ
SUN: Albert & David Maysles' GREY GARDENS
TONIGHT AT OLD ARCH. AUD.
CIN EMA GUILD7:00 & 9:05 Admission $1.25
Ranier Werner Fassbinder's 1975
FOX AND HIS FRIENDS
The story of a group of homosexual men who run the gamut from bums
to genuine friends. Fox, a circus performer, wins a big amount of
' f
We do it on atlrday!
a - -. . a . i U
I
II