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M0 VI E S
Not
even
Flashpoint
Starring Kris Kristofferson and
Treat Williams
Directed by William Tannen
Now playing at Fox Village
Theaters
By Joshua Bilmes
T HERE ARE a few things you notice
when seeing a movie that tend to
help you decide if the movie is good or
bad. One of those omens hit me as I was
viewing Flashpoint. I wasn't able to
stop laughing at the end of it. And I was
supposed to be seeing a serious movie.
If there was any doubt in my mind up to
that point as to what kind of movie
Flashpoint was, it left quickly.
Not that the movie is all that bad.
I didn't laugh until the end and
managed to stay awake in the middle,
and I was able to restrain from looking
at my watch a lot. But the movie is cer-
tainly not good.
The plot deals with two members of
the U.S. Border Patrol working in Kris Kristofferson and Kurtwood Smith: Good guy and bad guy
Texas. Kris Kristofferson is Bob Logan,
and Treat Williams plays Ernie Wiatt. more wetbacks. Ernie figures out that So does a Sheriff Wells played by Rip ever becomes of the scene.
Problem number one is that these sup- the new scanners will put him out of a Torn. On the plus side, the music by
posed best buddies never really come job and gets really upset. In fact, it seems as if just about Tangerine Dream is quite good. It
across as being that close. Each has his Another problem becomes apparent everyone has something to do with the manages to put a little punch in the
own jeep, and they spend an awful lot of here. One is tempted to consider this jeep, except for the two girls. They had movie in places where nothing else
time going places separately. I hate to conclusion as the thing that brings Er- nothing to do with anything. provides it. But no music can bail out a
use "Chips" as an example of anything, nie to his flashpoint, but if this is what By the time the end of the movie rolls film like this, Which is really devoid of
but at least Ponch and Jon were always the title is referring to, then we need to around, everything is in a state of anything. While Flashpoint is good
riding their motorcycles together. know more about what else is bringing Er- disarray. The money seems, I think, to enough to sit through, not much else
But assuming that they are as close nie to this state of extreme irritation. be related to the Kennedy assasination. can be said for it. Flashpoint has no
as they are supposed to be, let us go on And if this is not what the title is Enough characters end up dead to flash.
with a look at the plot. referring to, then I have no idea what it make . for a good Shakespearean
These two buddies go to one of those means. tragedy.
start of shift meetings that Shortly thereafter, Bob and Ernie This tale is missing the tragedy,
anything with police seems to have come across two telephone company though. The killing seemed so sen-
these days, and they are told that their employees stranded in the middle of the seless, and it came with so little rhyme
division is going to be putting in new desert after their car has broken down, or reason, that I began to find it all
scanners which will help them spot There is some great dialogue here, all somewhat humorous.
about tickets to the Policeman's Ball. It And to make things worse, no one is
seemed a bit inappropriate, but it was able to rise above the material. The
on par with a good deal of the rest of the direction is hardly noticeable. William
film's dialogue. Tannen seemed not to want tQ do much
Totally unrelated to anything of the on his first film. Rip Torn and Kur-
above, Bob finds a jeep in the desert twood Smith never get to act out
which has been buried for some twenty anything really worthwhile. The whole
years and which contains a rifle and of Rip Torn's character could have
years00been taken away from the movie
Note that Bob is alone when he finds without any great loss, and the 'part
it. It would have helped if they had been given Kurtwood Smith lacks
together at the time. Bob does tell and motivation.
show Ernie, though, and they agree to But. Treat Williams is probably the
try and track down the rightful owner of worst of the lot. Having played the
the money, and split it up if it belongs to corrupt policeman who rats on others in
y, p p Prince of the City, he tries to play the
After the deal, the script by Dennis same kind of role here. But this script is
not suitable for that kind of thing, and
Mn Shryack and Michael Butler begins to Wlim nyed psudn n
deteriorate. Some men from Williams only ends up sounding and
Wseterioratne. Som nme Cfr looking foolish - especially in the
h Washington led by a man named Car-
son (Kurtwood Smith) come on the .scenes when he gets upset about the
scene to help with a drug bust. scanners and when he rails against 3
It turns out that Carson has Pedroza, a local businessman, whom he
something to do with the skeleton and accuses of transporting wetbacks. And
. "money in the jeep. as with so much else in the film, nothing
Williams: Looks Silly Kristofferson: Not so hot
14 Weekend/Friday, September 14, 1984
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