w 0 w w w 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 w w - Is *9 r Z PAR'r1 A1 nZ pm D I d e l s4jTRTs! et Til Ol -" wr v udent ubicat ic ationb 420 IMaynrd E"K. IV4t7 to riER Piz, 8 T aY LAml C IADM3 a siyG- I"5 4 '&IO.. Weekend/Fri