The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, June 7, 1983 - Page 9
'Spacehunter' doesn't escape 1st dimension
By Joshua Bilmes
S ACEHUNTER: Adventures in the
Forbidden Zone is a movie presen-
ted in 3-D. Practically the entire film is
so awful, however, that it is difficult to
tell the film is in one dimension. To be
more truthful, the whole thing is not that
awful. Only the production,
photography, and script fall into that
category. The direction, acting, and
music are only a little bit below par.
And there is something good about the
film. When I remember what it is I will
be sure to let you know.
The production itself is awful because
of two poor decisions. The first of these
p decisions was the one to use 3-D. While
it will certainly add dollars to the film's
box office, and while it is not a bad
choice in and of itself, it is not the kind
of decision to be made one week before
location shooting starts. And one week
before location shooting is when the
choice was made.
The second bad decision was the one
to not rely upon 3-D gimmickry such as
explosions sending all kinds of objects
at the audience. Why one would decide
to use 3-D without taking advantage of
the special effects it allows is beyond
me. Why Ivan Reitman, the film's
producer, who has proven his com-
petence in such films as Animal House
and Stripes, made these choices is even
more beyond me.
The script is a combination of all the
many flaws I have grown to know and
dread in many hours of film watching.
It seems to bear more resemblance to a
western than to science fiction. Parts of
the script seem as if they were an un-
fleshed outline. A recap of the film's
Spacehunter: Adventures In the
Forbidden Zone
Starring Peter Strauss and Molly
Ringwald
Directed by Lamont Johnson
Now playing at Movies at Briarwood
"plot" is probably the best way of
demonstrating this.
Wolff, a decrepit salvage pilot, heads
out to Terra 11 to answer a distress call
and gain a 3,000 megacredit reward for
rescuing three lovely ladies stranded on
the planet after a freak space accident.
He gets involved in a battle almost im-
mediately after reaching the planet. It
Earthlings Peter Strauss and Molly Ringwald must struggle to survive on the devastated planet Terra 11.
is impossible to figure out who is
fighting who. After that, he runs into all
kinds of weird creatures (mutant
children, bat people, barracuda
woman, and a Valley Girl in outer
space).
After fighting them and having one of
those classic look-who-else-happens-to-
be-on-Terra 11 scenes (Wolff meets an
old pal, Washington, who happens to be
the Terra Sector Chief), he and Molly -
the Valley Girl in outer space - reach
the Forbidden Zone. This is ruled by
Overdog McNab. They find the three
young ladies, who had been kidnapped
from some of the participants in the fir-
st incoherent battle. Then, everyone
leaves for home, Wolff asking Molly to
accompany him.
It is all a mess. It is all derivative. An
unconvincing plague is supposed to
serve as an explanation for Overdog,
the mutant children, the bat people, and
the barracuda woman. Or, I think that's
the explanation. It was hard to tell. And
I don't think there is any explanation
for Molly. Even more unexplainable is
what Wolff saw in her.
But enough of the awful. Director
Lamont Johnson makes no huge
mistakes, and the direction is rather
competent. Johnson's prior credits in-
clude some Twilight Zone episodes and
One on One. The film immediately
before this was Cattle Annie and Little
Britches. In many ways, this film was
based on that one, as both feature a
crusty man growing fond of a young
woman.
Perhaps Johnson was chosen for just
that reason. Cattle Annie, however, was
entertaining, this is not. One reason
could be that while Johnson directs with
competence, he is a bit bored with the
basic idea, and his direction lacks
sparkle that a fresher talent might have
added.
The acting is led by Peter Strauss, of
Masada and Rich Man, Poor Man, as
Wolff, and Molly Ringwald (Molly), of
Tempest. While both are competent,
both are given awful tasks. Both Wolff
and Molly are abysmal characters,
Molly especially. And Strauss is not
good enough to support a 90-minute film
by himself. Being in practically every
scene, he has to have more screen
presence and talent than is his to com-
mand.
The music is by Elmer Bernstein. He
is obviously a favorite of Ivan Reit-
man's, having scored near all of Reit-
man's projects, including Animal
House and Stripes. His inspirational
music is one of the best parts of the
film, but it bears far too much resem-
blance to his earlier pieces.
Thankfully, I remembered something
good about the film just in the knick of
time. It's the 3-D main title design by
R/Greenberg (sic) Associates, Inc. It is
one of the only things in the film to
utilize the third dimension, or even the
second. So, if you really like looking at
logos, run out to Briarwood and see the
first five minutes of Spacehunter. If you
like good science fiction films, even
ones with a western genre influence, I
have a feeling The Return of the Jedi is
the film to see.
THE DAILY
CLASSIFIEDS
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FAST RESULTS
CALL 764-0557
Cosmetic shines skin deep
Z INGERMAN'S, THE morning after
the Cosmetic concert, is the perfect
place to reflect on talent. Obviously
misused talent on the order of
Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Timothy Mur-
phey, Anthony McClary, and James
Watkins, whose uninspired com-
positions and delivery just escapes
believability - chinks of very talented
musicianship glare through.
Dance music they peddle, and dan-
ceable it is. Even Rick's floor,
seemingly designed to discourage dan-
cing, was crammed with sweating
bodies, gyrating to the reggae-jive-jazz
sound.
But if the emphasis of Cosmetic's
sound is "Night Life," the subject of
their new single, the band is seriously
misrepresenting themselves in order to
cater to instant royalties, not musical
longevity.
Tacuma has proven himself, earning
a great-bassist reputation as Tacuma of
Tacuma, not as Tacuma of Cosmetic.
For, in the band, it is saxophonist
Watkins who shines, the only member
who loosened up enough to improvise
the slightest.
Tacuma, though, kept Rick's audien-
ce entertained, as if urging reaction
would compensate for the stiffness of
the band. No primal scream therapist is
he, but the audience loved him. He
seemed more at ease in the limelight of
cheerleader than in his undeniably
capable, yet back-up status in the band.
Ann Arbor should welcome the return
of Cosmetic in the future, but not in
their present grouping.
- Jayne Hendel
I
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