Page Two

THE MICHIGAN DAILY



Friday, June 2, 197

cnema

Slaughterhouse Five:
By CHRISTOPHER PHILLIPS Five take place interchangably
Slaughterhouse Five might be during World War II at Dres-
a total failure if it weren't for den, in the wealthy suburb of
the slickness of its presentation. Illium and on the distant planet
Stephen Geller (scriptwriter), Tralfamadore. Billy is jarred
George Roy Hill (director) and loose from a logical succession
Dale Allen (film editor) pack- of events by the bombing of
age Kurt Vonnegut's novel in a Dresden and a subsequent plane
a slick glaze of Hollywood tech- crash. He moves randomly
nique and an occasional genuine- through the film from episode to
ly earned laugh. Unfortunately, episode, changing his place for-
the substance of the film re- ward and backward in time, but
mains more a collection of never his perspective.
cliches than anything else. The film's most highly devel-
The film is presumably about oped segment takes place in
the absurdity of war. Men fight- Dresden before and after its
ing under the banner of pre- catastrophic bombing. Billy with
conceived and unrealistic ideals his boyish slobber wanders
made worthless when contr ict- through Dresden oblivious to the
ed by the violence of war. Billy horror around him. While at the
Pilgrim, the film's main char- POW camp Billy is befriended by
acter slides through his time the surrogate father figure, Ed-
on the screen unaffected by any- gar Derby. Derby's inane speech
thing around him. Hilly displays on the "nicety" of mothhood,
no sincere emotional response to the virtues of democracy, free
the violence of war, the stupid enterrisesandef-determina
materialism of his middle-class tion are as useless as the porce-
existence or his total surrender lain figure for which he dies.
to authority on Tralfamadore.
The events in Slaughterhouse After the war Bill enters the
world of middle class material-
ism complete with Lion's Club
"Give us your tired, your presidency, white Cadillac, ob-
weary, and through travel we noxious inlaws, idiotic wife and
will show them happiness." two waspish children.
NATIONAL BANK OF YPSI Here he remains the same
TRAVEL BUREAU mindless boy, playing with his
611 W. Cross S. dog, Spot, and his fire truck
while his wife calls him to come
Are You Interested in Preserving
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Too slick
and wash his hands for supper.
Billy's wife is Ms. Typical Su-
burban Housewife, who stays at
home concocting caloric goodies
and providing all the banalities
one can stand: she continuously
promises to lose weight, squeals
over the new Cadillac and wor-
ries over what the neighbors
think. Billy's son is a long-hair-
ed no good who is caught turn-
ing over grave stones in a
Catholic cemetery but becomes
"enlightened" and eventually
joins the Green Berets.
The brief episode on Tralfa-
madore continues in the same
vein. Strange powers zap Billy
and a luscious starlet into a
Sears and Roebuck decorated
geodesic dome where under ideal
conditions they are to mate. On
Tralfamadore all of Billy's
needs are fulfilled, he has his
loyal dog, a suitable mate and
a comfortableaultra-modern
home. The ultimate way of life
for Americans, the way of life
they dream of, sacrificed and
fought for is really little more
than a spoon-fed existence lack-
ing creativity, passion and pur-
pose. The film ends with Billy,
mate and offspring being ap-
plauded as they happily accept
their existence.
No doubt some of the super-
ficiality of Slaughterhouse Five
is because it is adopted from the
Vonnegut novel, but the ultimate
blame for the film's overall lack
of depth ties with the director
and writer George Roy Hill
and Stephen Geller. Both have
given us a slick film hiding be-
hind a theme of great potential.
On the whole, Slaughterhouse
Five lacks a sensitivity and ele-
ment of humanism which would
have lent a film - now con-
sidered amusing at best - a
deeper and more lasting impact.

Weekend whirlwind
It you have sggestie onfo future clumuns - travel ideas, block
parties, musir, u and games - please send them to Rose Sue Berstein,
c/o The Daily, 420 Maynard st., by wednesday each week. Happy WeekeS4.

Movies


Campus-Adrift
Michigan-XY & Z
State-Skyjacked
Fifth Forum-Fri., Night of the Living Dead (7:30,
11:00), Spirits of Dead (9:00); Sat.-Night (4, 7:30,
11:00), Spirits (2, 5:30, 9:00); Sun., Mon., Tues.,-
Hellstrom Chronicle and On Any Sunday.
Wayside-Slaughterhouse Five
Fox Village-Cabaret
Cinema Guild-Mr. Hulot's Holiday (Fri. and Sat., 7 and
9:05 p.m.)
Cinema II-Bedazzled (Fri., 7 and 9); A Day at the
Race (Sat., 7 and 9); $75.
Festival of Soviet Films: Alexander Nevsky (Fri., 7 and
9); Ballad of a Soldier (Sat., 7 and 9); Chapayev
(Sun., 9 p.m.) Mother (Sun. 7 and 11) Conspiracy,
330 Maynard.


2

Music
The Ark-Lynn and Joe Hickerson (Fri. and Sat., 8:30,
$1.50)
Golden Falcon-Opus IV
Lums-RFD Boys
Pretzel Bell-Silver Wings (Sat.); Chuck Johnson (Sun.)
Bimbos-Gaslighters (Fri., Sat., Sun.)
The Del Rio-Jazz band every Sunday
Odyessey-Black Ensemble (Fri., Sat.)
Mr. Floody's Party-Steve Newhouse (Fri., Sat.)
Other Events
LOCAL
Greek Festival-Bake Sale-Fri. and Sat., St. Nicholas,
41 4N. Main, Greek Food, Greek Artifacts for Sale,
Entertainment.
Ann Arbor Sun Benefit-Steve(Mackay (Sat. night at the
Blind Pig, $.75)
Farmers Market open Saturday 8-3
Community organic garden at North Campus open daily
Graduate Outing Club-outside Rackham Hall, Sunday,
1:30 p.m.
NOT TOO FAR
Toledo Museum of Art-Toulouse-Lautrec Exhibition (9-
5 Tues.-Sat., 1-5 Sunday and Mon.)
Led Zeppelin-Cobo Hall, Tues., June 6, $5.50)
Irish Festival-Detroit Civic Center, 6 to 11 Fri.; noon to
11 Sat., Sun.
Raven Gallery-Chuck Mitchell, 9:30 and 10:30 p.m.
$2.50, Southfield
Ilene's-Old time music with the Sunnysiders, 7-11 Sat.,
bring instruments, join in. $1.00 cover. 4050 W. Jef-
ferson, Ecourse.


SHOP TONIGHT UNTIL 9:00

661
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presents
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FREE
ROCK 'N ROLL
CONCERT
SATURDAY NIGHT
8-12
on the DIAG
featuring GEYDA

JacoboY
LIBERTY AT AAAYNARD