THE MICHIGAN DAILY
A rts E n te rta in Friday, December 5 1975 Page Five
cinemca
we**Omekend
Christmas season opens
festively at Hudson's
Pick of the week:
Chinatown
Mediatrics, Nat. Sci. Aud.
Fri., 7:30, 9:30
The summer of 1974 is almost
certain to be remembered as a
film release season that was
dominated by directors and
screenwriters, The period's best1
two releases, Robert Altman's
California Split and Roman Pa-
lanski's Chinatown, were both
marked by some of the best
behind-the-camera work seen in
an American film in years.
Robert Towne's fine Chinatown
screenplay is set in an atmo-
sphere of corruption-the smoke-
filled era of machine politics
that suwrrounded the arbaniza-
tion and development of Los
Angeles. His theme could be
generalized for almost any
American city, for urban growth
and political graft went hand
in hand nearly everywhere in
the United States after the Civil
War.
Jack Nicholson portrays a pri-
vate detective injected largely
by accident into the seamy so-
ciety of the "boss" politicians,
as he attempts to fill in the
missing pieces ofastrange puz-
zle woven by a mysterious wo-,
man (played by Faye Duna-
way).
Polanski deftly, evokes thei
shadowy, '30s-ish image called
for by Towne, yet maintains aI
distinctly modern sense of
abrupt horror and pacing. Aptly
aided by superb performances
by Nicholson and Dunaway, he
creates an almost perfect por-
trait of a long-forgotten period
in American political history.
-David Blomquist
The Way We Were
The Movies, Briarwood
This film stands out as one
of the bigger turkeys made in
the last couple of years. Robert
Redford and Barbara Streisand
star in a movie that will in-
evitably end up as a five part
summer replacement for The
Days of Our Lives or some other
afternoon soap opera.
Redford is once again cast as
the golden-boy type (a la Gats-
by) while Streisand portrays his
communist girl friend,,and later
wife.
The film tries to appeal to
our nostalgic senses (The Way
We Were), but as time pro-
gresses and the couple move
from east to west, and from at
girlfriend-boyfriend relationship
to marriage, disbelief slow!y butI
surely begins to appear in the!
viewer's mind.-
Streisand's singing of the title
song only serves to remind us
of her far-reaching talents as
exemplified in such films asI
Funny Girl, What's Up, Doc and
Hello Dolly, and in this instance,
how utterly wastedrshe is.
The Way We Were is for Red-
ford and Streisand fanatics 9nly.
-Mitch Dunltz
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What's playing this Cinema Weekend
This weekend in cinema continues our recent run of
Generally Unknown movies, the most notable contribution
being Get to Know Your Rabbit.
But there are, for Barbra Streisand fans, a couple of
saving graces in the forms of Funny Girl, and the some-
what syrupy The Way We Were. And for those who haven't
seen it, Roman Polanski's Chinatown was probably the
best film of last year, an absolutely overpowering tale of
corruption and water-scandal in Los Angeles.
H-ere's the complete rundown:
Friday-Yojimbo, A Girl in the Mist, Aud. A, Angell,
7, 9:45; Rules of the Game, Old Arch. Aud., 7, 9:05; Get to
Know Your Rabbit Aud. 3, MLB, 7, 8:45, 10:30; Don't Look
Now Aud. 4, MLB, 7, 9; Chinatown, Nat. Sci. Aud., 7:30,
9:30; Funny Girl, Couzens Cafeteria, 7:30 10:30.
Saturday-Age of the Medici, Aud. A, Angell, I-7 p.m.,
I1-8:30, III-10; Phantom of Liberty, Old Arch. Aud., 7,
9:05; Funny Girl, Couzens Cafeteria, 7:30, 10:30; Separate
Peace, Bursley Cafeteria, 8:30.
Sunday-Ugetsu, Old Arch. Aud., 7, 9:05; The Sound of
the Trolley, Aud. A, Angell, 6, 9:30.
All weekend long-3 Days of the Condor, Michigan (665-
6290), Treasure Island and Dr. Syn, State (662-6264), Monty
Python and the Holy Grail, Fifth Forum (761-9700), Jaws,
Hearts of the West, Rooster Cogburn, The Way We Were,
Briarwood (769-8780), The Hound of the Baskervilles, Cam-
pus (668-6416).
resourceful Depression-era wo-
By CATHI SUYAK
i
I
' man with a large heart, and", -"
Alan Arkin as a B-movie tyrant.! Inside the store, a festive
The surprise of the film, spirit has awakened-a Christ-
though, has to be the fallen, mas carol greets you at the
cynical and unscrupulous char- door, Santa Claus has taken pre-
acter that Andy Griffith brings holiday residence up on the 12th
to hearshly realistic life, ;floor, where he greets good boys
Hearts of the West succeeds and girls in the midst of an
ultimately because it is per- elaborate display called "Twin-j
ceptive enough to avoid the easy kleland."
pitfall of becomin- cane of the!, -
Ft 1g l
simplistically moral films it so
accurately depicts, and yet re-,
tains a small,, uplifting triumph
for the hero.
-Cynthia Cheski
,Jaws
The Movies, Briarwood
So the booking agents at
United Artists Theater Circuit,
the owner of the Briarwood film
complex,, have decided to bring
Jaws back to town after nearly.
Stephen Spielberg's phenomenal=
three months of first-run play
at the State. Is there really
anyone left who hasn't seen this
sanguine tale (subtitled The
Crunch Fish)?
Well, absurd as it seems,
expect a line out at Briarwood
this weekend. For Jaws, like its!
genre predecessors Airport,, Po-!
seidon Adventure, and Towering
Inferno, is a perfect specimen
of today's financially successful
film: the movie with sufficiently
broad audience appeal as to
develop a virtually inexhaust-
ible pool of potential patrons.
The so-called "disaster" genre
has the same audience effect
as the old P.T. Barnum cir-
cuses: it quite literally offers
some form of entertainment for'
every taste. Jaws has some de-
lightful moments of humor, a
light,, mysterious plot, a little I
bit of sex (but not too much
and not at all in the erotic
I It's Christmas time at J.L.
Hudson's, Detroit.
Santa was not too busy to an-
swer a few questions. Inflation
has indeed hit the North Pole,
he said with a sigh.
"But rest assured, the elves
are working full time and we
should make the quota this'
year," he promised.
The girls are asking for dolls
this year, as always, and the
boys favor the typical trains and
planes. Women's lib apparently
has not sparked a reverse trend
of girls asking for "masculine"
toys, and vice versa. "I haven't
noticed any c h a n g e," Santa
noted. "The traditional favorites
are still on top."
Santa squelched a rumor that
he now uses a gas-powered
sleigh for speed and conven-
ience. "I still use the reindeer,"
he said, "and there's no park-
ing problem in Detroit. I just
park on the roof-lots of space,
up there," he explained.
Twinkleland is the ideal en-
vironment for ol' St. Nick. Cot-
ton snow and twinkling lights
surround scenes of toy elves
and children in Candyland.
A display spokesman estimat-
METRIC MEASUREMENT
NEW YORK (AP) - If you've
ever wondered just how much
a . "gram" weighs, World Book
Encyclopedia's new metric arti-
cle has the answer. A gram
is about the weight of two
ed that over 9,000 tiny lights are Competition. A theme of "De-
strung throughout Twinkleland. troit's Holiday Heritage" was
It adds to the beautiful and illustrated by Detroit Public
convincing displays-so convinc- School students. The winners,
ing, in fact, that numerous signs chosen from 600 entries, are on
warn curious children "Candy display.
Not Edible." Hudson joked that works "fea-
There is a carousel for chil- turing the store or the parade
dren to ride. Fourteen Christ- weren't given special merit."
mas trees surround the ride. Some of the cutest pieces, how-
Among the most striking are a ever, reflected the store spirit.
Raggedy Ann and Andy tree, A paper house labeled "Hud-
and a gingham and straw tree. son's" c a m e complete with
At the entrance toTwinkle- paper people lined up to see
land is a special department Santa.
''For Children Only." Adults are A mob of anxious, proud par-
not permitted i n s i d e, where ents and teachers thronged the
there are gift items priced for hallway to see their Rembrandts
kiddie budgets. accept prizes. Tots cried in the
Annetta Venus, 10, and her 9- background, frightened as they
year-old brother Bert of Detroit approached that strange beard-
were inside shopping for gifts ed man in a red suit. Parents
for their parents and grandpar- fumbled with large, bulky pack-
, ents. Chocolates, pierced ear- ages filled with someone's De-
rings, and after-shave were in cember 25 fun.
their shopping baskets. Ironical- You may call it distasteful
ly, much of the merchandise commercialism. But something
displayed seemed appealing to would be missing if there were
kids, following the notion that no crowds, cashiers, or long
we like to give what we'd like lines to see Santa. Regardless
to get. of Hudson's motives -- profits,
Elsewhere on the 12th floor, we can be assured-the kind of
Joseph L. Hudson Jr., Chairman atmosphere Hudson's creates
of the Board of the store, was adds something extra to the
handing out awards in the 2nd Christmas m o o d for some
annual Children's Holiday Art people.
- GREAT DISNEY FUN!
SonC and Cher
team up again
NEW YORK (A)-Sonny and ended in May 1974 when their
Cher. Bono, divorced last June, marriage broke up.
will t e a m up professionally Sonny Bono flopped in his own
again in a new weekly variety ABC variety series during the
show on CBS- carrying the old 1974-75 season, while his ex-wife,
"Sonny and Cher Show" tiltle, who began her own variety
CBS said yesterday. series on CBS that season, now
The network said the new is in her second season as a solo
series will air early next year TV star.
in the same Sunday night-time Reports of their impending re-
slot Cher's solo variety show has union on a CBS variety show
occupied since February of this began circulating this week, but
year. weren't confirmed until yester-
.i pday. CBS' announcement mark-
Their professional reunion was ed another chapter in the turbu-
announced in ;a brief statement lent lives of Sonny and Cher.
by CBS TV president Robert D. On June 30, three days after
Wood. It said simply: "Plans her divorce from Bono, Cher
have been completed for pro- married rock music star Greg
duction of the 'Sonny and Cher Allman. Nine days later, she1
Show' starring Cher and Sonny filed for divorce from him but
Bono after several weeks of ne- withdrew the action in August.
gotiations." , In November, though, Allman
The couple's previous, high- asked a court in Macon, Ga., to
rated "Sonny and Cher" variety dissolve his marriage to the
show lasted three seasons. It singer.
The Hound of the is to our great satisfaction to
I hear the detective implore with
Baskerv dies a nervous twitch of his sensitive
Campus Theatre nose, "Watson, the needle!" Mr.
Again we are blessed with Rathhone really put something,
another chance to see the into that line.
screenplay of Sir Arthur Conan -Steven Goldberg
Doyle's much read work, "The
Hound of the Baskervilles." Hearts of the West
Though age has robbed it of its The Movies, Briarwood
sensationalism, there are many With biographical films of
redeeming qualities to this clas- Gable and Lombard, W.C. Fields
sic British mystery. and Errol Flynn on cinematic
Above all there is Shermiock rrlFynocieac
Hoellthereb qiso super- tap, Hearts of the West serves
Holmes, that ubiquitous 'pr a valuable balancing purpose.
snoop we have grown to love avlal aacn ups.
op h ae agr ow. Boaoe i1 It is a deliberately small film
on the late late show. Bl !that details the rather bitter
Rath-bone as Holmes, lhighlights 1lvso h i lyr nlt
the movie with his delicate bal- lives of the bit players on lots
ance of keen wit, calculating M ng the Republic or
shrewdness and British aristoc- Mnora western studios of
racy. the early 1430s.
Dr. Watson is 'in his usual A pseudo-plot about stolen
role as straight man. More tnan money is merely a frame for
once we are delighted b; his the sketching of characters that
blundery as Holmes outwits him populated the small time Holly-
at every turn. wood of that era.
But if the omnipotent Detec- Jeff Bridges, as a would be
tive proves his greatness in Zane Grey who falls into movie
outsmarting Watson, it is only work accidentally, is excellent,
a relative success. There's just as are Blythe Danner as aI
the least reason to believe that - - -__--
many in the audience laid their -
finger on the arch plotter be-
fore Mr. Holmes caught on. But THURS., FRI., SAT.
even so it's good fun and unlike
many contemporary mysteries, 6th Annual
it is believable. 1!
If nothing else, this clissicM I -FVLKi
confirms our suspicions of Sher- FESTIVAL
lock's use of extra sensory slim-A
uli. Under careful control for I
the better part of the movie, it
A C :_______ ____ .ik
I
realm),, and - above all - that
slight touch of gory violence
that family hour has banished
from television.
Spielberg's taut direction and
crisp editing by Verna Fields
makes Jaws cinematically note-
worthy. But, primarily, Jaws is
superb entertainment - superb
fun. It illustrates that Universal
is still the master of the re-
spectable grade B movie.
--David Blomquist
paper
One
weight
bile.
clips.
metric ton is about the
of a compact automo-
FLICK
of the
FOOT
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with
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Joe Hickerson
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Owen McBride
:30 761-1451
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DOORS OPEN at 6:45
a multi-art
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Dec. 4, 5, & 6
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CLIFF ROBERTSON /MAX VON SYDOW
IN A STANLEY SCHNEIDER PRODUcTION
A SYDNEY POLLACK FILM
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essiah
Tonight and Tomorow at 8:30
Sunday afternoon at 2:30
in Hill Auditorium
University Choral Union
Interlochen. Orchestra, Soloists
Hill Aud, box office open 1 2hrs. before performances
BjNTIVEkdy
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BURTON TOWER, Ann Arbor Weekdays 9-4:30; Sat. 9-12F
A THREE-DAY
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1421 HILL
8:
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Schorling Aud.
$1.50
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JOHN HOUSEMAN /SC ,.B.AVI.$GRUSINASEOoNT NOEL VXAYSCV THECONDOR
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SHOWS TNIGT at
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THE GREAT CONTROVERSY OF 1939
IS NOW THE GREAT HIT OF 1975!
Phone 665-3717
The University of Michigan
PROFESSIONA L 'THEATRE 'PROGRAM
THE KENNEDY CENTER-XEROX CORPORATION AMERICAN SICENTENNIAL THEATRE
JASON ZOE MICHAEL WALTER
ROBARDS CALDWELL MORIARTY McGINN
with LINDSAY CROUSE
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written by: EUGENE O'NEILL
directed by: JASON ROBARDS
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