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Page 12-Friday. April 3, 1981-The Michigan Daily
There's a lot going on in town this weekend. The following is a
sampling of the best events, according to our critics.
Performance Guide
MOVIES
Disney on Film - A forum on the past, current, and future state of the late
alt's'studio, featuring the presence of veteran animator Eric Larson, new-
generation animator John Musker, and special effects expert Harrison
Ellenshaw. After 15 years of tamely producing the formula comedies Disney
favored in later years, the studio is finally making attempts to move into the
future, with game if mixed shots at a larger, more sophisticated audience
(ie.. The Black Hole, the co-producing with Paramount of Popeye). It should
be fascinating to catch the studio's view at this transitional point. Along with
discussion by the Disney reps, there will be clips from upcoming productions
and a 50-minute behind-the-scenes film featuring interviews with Shelley
buvall, Ray Bradbury, Kirk Douglas, and others. Friday, April 3, 7:00, Aud.
A.
The Creeping Terror - A large shag carpet from outer space crawls about
suburbia curiously motivated by several frequently visible pairs of
sneakers, gobbling up a lot of houswives, and dating couples too stunned with
terror - or is it laughter?-to move a muscle. This 1961 $1.99 epic features
lots of screaming hysteria (in the audience) and practically no dialogue -
the original soundtrack was apparently lost, so the "filmmaker" merely
tacked on a narration to explain things. And explain it does, to "Then Joe
picked up his cigarette pensively" lengths. You may tire of such mind-
warping camp after a while, but not before several fits of convulsive, ap-
palled amusement. Saturday, April 4, 9:15, Nat. Sci.
ApRBOR's~
Caan takes shortcut
toward the American
Dream in 'Thief'
2 Days of Sales Madness!
OVER 40 STORES
April 4& 5
U of M Track and Tennis Building
FREE ADMISSION
' Y
VI
Gertrude Stein,
one-woman show
THEATRE
Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein - Pat Carroll stars in a
about the celebrated writer who palled around with
By ELIZABETH SCOTT
For those who are disillusioned with
school but continue to study dilligently
because a college degree could guaran-
tee success, the movie Thief illustrates
a practical alternative.
Some, driven by glittering
aspirations of fame, fortune, and the
ability to pay off their student loans,
will invest exorbitant sums of money to
devote years to grueling studying.
Others, like the veryrprofessional thief
Frank, can get up to 11 years for a
mere 40 dollars, and learn how to
creatively make money with a flair for
unorthodoxy.
JAMES CAAN STARS as Frank, who
after 11 years in prison for stealing 40
dollars, is out to collect on the debt
society owes him.
He wants a family, a home, a sense of
security, all of which he hopes to attain
after a few more scores (He deals in
diamonds and cash). Although soun-
ding somewhat unconventional at first,
Frank's ambitions characterize the
American Dream, perhaps even in the
way he tries to achieve it.
However, as Frank strives to enhan-
ce his life, he neglects the actual essen-
ce of these objects themselves. Tuesday
Weld, who plays Jessie, is one of these
objects (or more of an ornament)
whom Frank chooses to play the part of
Wife in his gameplan - and that's all
she is.
FRANK DECIDES that two or three
scores will be enough for him to be able
to finally settle down and be Man of the
House, but on the way he makes the
mistake of ~getting caught in and
manipulated by an underv'orld
organization. Consequently, the family
Frank sought for security makes him
vulnerable.
But Thief is even more complex and
consequently captivating not as a cops
and robbers movie, but as a fascinating
inside view of a professional thief's
system. Police do come into the picture,
but they're no different from the
thieves since director Michael Mann
chose not to label his world in terms of
good and bad.
For those considering pursuing a
career in highline robbery, Thief is an
absolute must because of its merits as
an educational film, or at least one of
enrichment for the less ambitious.
FRANK'S RELATIONSHIP with his
fence, Okla (Willie Nelson), is the most
sensitive aspect of the movie. However,
Mann attempts pathetically to add
more sentimentality with a scene of
Frank's family frolicking on the breezy
beach in slow motion. In this shot,
Tuesday Weld is even wearing a lace
dress - but we must remember that
she is now a mother, as the attire not
too subtly implies.
Caan gives a commendable perfor-
mance, but his gesticulating gets an-
noying at times. Others, such as
Tuesday Weld and Jim Balushi
(Frank's partner, Larry), although
usually incidental, complement Caan's
role and enhance the aura of the movie,
while Robert Prosky plays an excep-
tionally volatile boss of the organization
in which Caan is entangled.
But phenomenal photography and
music further make Thief a success. At
times the extensive portrayal of
Chicago absent of any sign of nature is
oppressive, and even overdone. But the
overall effect, augmented with music
composed by Tangerine.Dream, is, like
the movie itself, nothing less than ex-
citing.
UAC MUSKE
ANN ARBOR THEATER
CHEAP FLICKS
Fri & Sat night
ALL SEATS $2.00
THE HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
IS HERE:
,..
presents
GREASE
Apri 2, 3, 4-8 p.m.
April 5th-2 p.m.
b
,e
w-
'A'
i
"LA CAGE
AUX
FOLLIES II"
(R)
~dof tmidnight
Tickets are $5 and $6 on sale now at Ticket
First Floor of the Michigan Union.
For more info: call 763-1107
i
Central,
te.w.o
,1~
'S '
. ' '
PAT CARROLL, performing in Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude
Stein, will bring the solo show to the Power Center Monday night at 8 p.m.
-Picasso, Cezanne, and other artistic luminaries of the early twentieth cen-
tury. One night only. Monday, April 6, 8 p.m. Power Center.
Griease - A Happy Days-ish musical, about growing up in the 50s. Worth ex-
periencing at least once for fu even if Musket is presenting it. April 3 and 4,
8 p.m., April 5, 2 p.m., Power Center.
MUSIC
Ragnar Kvaran - Kvaran and his co-horts have not received the local
following they deserve. The group has played the local scene for quite some
time, and has a few topnotch songs in its array of New Wave originals. The
sound in the Halfway is far from desirable, but the show is worth the incon-
venience. Friday, April 3, Halfway Inn.
St$e Nardella Band - If fifties standards are your bag, few do them better than
Steve and his gang. Mr. B on piano is a show in itself. Friday, April 3, Blind
Pig.
DANCE
Dance Theatre - Ann Arbor's professional modern dance company presents
its spring concert.-Local dance at its best. Friday and Saturdays April 3 and
4, 8 p.m., Michigan Theatre.
IMPACT Dance - The annual jazz dance concert by UAC's organization for
6horAdance majors. The technique is on the shaky side but the enthusiasm is
far from lacking. Friday and Saturday, April 3 and 4, 8 p.m., Lydia Men-
delssohn.
Do a Tree a Favor:
Recycle Your Daily
CINEMA II
presents
TONIGHT, Fri. April 3
LORCH HALL
7 p.m.
9 p.m.
THAT MAN FROM RIO
(Philippe de Broca, 1964)
Jean-Paul Belmondo stars in this comedy-adventure from the
director of KING OF HEARTS. Assigned to catch the thieves who
have stolen an Amazon statue from a Paris museum, Belmondo
tracks them by land, sea and sky to the beaches and lights of Rio
de Janerio. French with subtitles. (114 min.)
CAT AND MOUSE _(Claude Lelouch. 1978)
An unorthodox police detective investigates the mysterious
death of a millionaire. Was it suicide-or murder? As he at-
tempts to unravel the puzzle, he finds himself falling in love
with the most likely suspect, the dead man's wife. A delight-
ful mystery-romance from the director of A MAN AND A WOM-
AN. French with subtitles. (107 min.)
They said
tuberculosis
was hopeless.
They said
polio
was hopeless.
They said
smallpox
was hopeless.
Cancer
is only
a disease.
Even when most
people considered the
struggle against polio
hopeless, the people
who worked in
medical research
believed they would
someday find the
answer.
The same was true
for tuberculosis. And
for smallpox. The
same is true for cancer
now.
Weknow because
we hear from people
doing medical research
in laboratories all over
the country. They talk
to us because they all
need support. They
are all excited because
they all think they're
on the right track.
And that the work
they're doing will
unlock a secret and
lead to a solution for
cancer. And you know
what?
At least one of them
is right. But whih
,7 1I7. « . .... «
SAT. April 4 7:00 and 9:00 AUD. A, ANGELL
THERESA THE THIEF (1979)
-Ann Arbor Premiere-
Theresa comes from the wrong side of the tracks, but instead of resigning
herself to a life of poverty, she displays amazing resourcefulness and a modus
operandi that keeps her fairly well-off, and film audiences in stitches. Re-
leased at the same time as DOWN AND DIRTY, Theresa presents the wom-
an's version of surviving against great odds. Italian with subtitles. Back by
popular demand (yes, we'll get it this time!) 35mm. (113 min.)
SUN, April 5 AUD A, ANGELL
Jean Gabin/Jean Renoir Night
FRENCH CAN-CAN (Jean Renoir, 1954)
7 p "Set in Paris of 1888, FRENCH CAN-CAN stars Jean Gabin as a
nightclub owner who decides to revive the can-can to rescue
his dwindling finances. A spectacular cabaret-the Moulin
Rouge-is built to premiere it in. We follow the production,
rehearsal, and staging of the entire project. Gabin's relation-
A