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- THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3 1988
~ •
Television / entertainment 1
—~- - i
New Coppola movie not
up to ‘Godfather’ levels
Every lime Francois Ford
Coppola makes a new film I hope
il will be of an equal to "The
Godfather, Parts I and II," But up
till now, and that includes his latest
film "Tucker," 1 have always been
disappointed. "Tucker" is a slick,
glossy movie that renders a
beautiful recreation of the days of
the forties but has absolutely
nothing in its center. It is just a
movie about cars, cars, cars and by
the end of the two hours 1 was
"tuckered" out.
Movie
I review
Jeff Bridges gives his all in
playing Preston Tucker, a man who
knew how to make a better auto
mobile but found the world was not
ready to reward him for doing it.
He was a good forty years ahead of
his time but the big three
automakers conspired to keep him
out of the marketplace with his in
novative vehicle.
To create Tucker, Bridges had to
smile, smile, smile. He flashes his
teeth enough to make a million
toothpaste commercials He is the
cheerleader of the film and a more
rah-rah type you can not imagine.
He is so full of good cheer and op
timism he grates. And when you
tire of Preston Tucker you tire of
this movie.
Behind Bridges arc a cast of good
actors who have very small roles.
Martin Landau has the best of these
and he makes it work, he plays
Tucker's partner and money man,
who has a dark secret in his past.
The little bit of emotion in the
Victoria Holt still getting better
with every new novel she writes
Some authors get worse with
each novel, while others get better.
Victoria Holt is one of those who
get better. Having written almost
thirty novels in the gothic romance
genre, it would be logical to as
sume she would soon start repeat
ing herself. But in her latest book,
The India Fan. Holt offers one of
her freshest and most intriguing
stories.
As usual, the heroine of Ms.
Holt's story is an orphan, or nearly
one. Drusilla Delaney's mother is
dead and her curate father is off in a
world of his own. So the warmth
and affection given to Drusilla
comes from her nanny, Polly. She
is the one who gives a sense of self
to Drusilla and keeps her head on
right during her formative years.
‘Flash’ gives readers female view
For decades the world of spicey
novels was an all male domain. If
you wanted to read a novel dealing
with sexuality in any explicit
terms, the author was a man nine
times out of ten. But times they
are changing and female authors
have come a long way, baby. Now
you can have a beautiful creative
woman like Carole Mallory writing
a soft pom epic named Flash.
The problem with Flash is, that
like its name, it is all style and no
substance. Mallory has created a
heroine named Maya Endicolt,
given her a beautiful face, a lush
body, and a perceptive mind, but
has made her the ultimate victim.
She is a woman liberated in the area,
of sex but decades behind in her at
titudes towards men.
When she is describing Maya's
sex life Mallory writes with assur
ance. When she is discussing the
relationships Maya has with the
men in her life she is on shaky
ground. Maya becomes a weak
brained, fluttcry female who is
pushed around by men for their
pleasure and in a sad sense she cn
joys it.
The story, such as it is, makes
little sense. Maya has an adventure
through the wonderland of Holly
wood but she learns nothing from
it. At the end of the brief story she
\
\
.k\
Jeff Bridges stars in new Coppola film, 'Tucker*
...He stars as an innovative car designer
movie comes from him.
Joan Allen could have done
something with the role of Vera,
Tucker's wife, but she has so little
on-screen lime she can only just be
there smiling and supporting him.
The movie indicates theirs was a
true love story but never indulges
itself into exploring the relation
ship.
In the briefest of all roles, Dean
Stockwcll has a cameo as Howard
Hughes. It is a bizarre sequence
that emphasizes Hughes paranoia
about touch. But once again it is
so brief the audience is left shaking
its head in disbelief.
Mostly the movie is just about
Book
I review I
Also as usual Drusilla is the
poor but proper young lady brought
into contact with the tilled and
wealthy in the neighborhood. The
Framling family members are
looked up to by all who come in
contact with them. Fabian and
Lavinia Framling arc the two chil
dren Drusilla's age and they play a
vital part in her life from an early
age.
Holt spins a story of romance,
murder and mystery that involves
the enchanting Drusilla and the
Book
i review I
is as confused as she was at the be
ginning and the reader is even more
so.
If you read this book purely for
the sexual content you will be
moderately satisfied. If you are
looking for even a scintilla of a
storyline you will be found want
r~ 4 —\
Jackie rates the movies
The Big Blue PG (Some Profanity & Mild 6
Violence)
Big Top Pec Wee PG (Very Mild Profanity) 3
The Blob R (Profanity & Violence) 4
Clean and Sober R (Much Profanity, Brief Nudity 7+
& Violence)
Cocktail R (Nudity, Profanity & Mild 3
Violence)
The Dead Pool R (Profanity & Violence) 5
A Fish Called Wanda R (Brief Nudity, Profanity 7 +
& Cartoon Violence)
Monkey Shines R (Nudity. Much Profanity 5
& Excessive Violence)
The Rescue PG (Profanity & Violence) 5
Young Guns R (Profanity, Violence & 4
oiicf Nudity)
Movie rankings listed above are the result of personal screenings of
films by Home Journal entertainment writer Jackie K. Cooper. The
1 ratings are his personal opinion.
' ' | U"nny.„M.l ,
Coppola is still a brilliant
moviemaker. His use of camera
angles and turns is inventive and
imaginative. He also can recreate
an era like no one else in Holly
wood. For these reasons the movie
is one that should be seen.
However there is that missing
clement which is necessary to keep
the audience interested and wanting
more. Like the Tin Man of the
"Oz" movie, movies have to have a
heart. "Tucker" is a shiny, gleam
ing film that is as cold and brittle
as the chrome of the car it cele
brates.
I scored "Tucker" a heart-less 5
out of 10.
Jackie K. Coopp
enigmatic Framlings. Although
much of the style is warmed over
Holt the essence of the story is
brand new adventure. To assure this
"newness" Holt places a large seg
ment of the story in India where
mystery seems to thrive in every
shadow.
There is a joy in seeing a gifted
writer continue her gift book after
book. Holt's creative talent is none
the worse for wear even after ail
this lime. She is still the Bronte of
modern limes, and a writer whose
stories will be read through the
ages.
The India Fan is published by
Doubleday and Company. It con
tains 404 pages and sells for
$18.95.
—Jackie K. Cooper
ing. This is a book for stimula
tion, not content.
The wonderful thing about
equality and liberation is that all
sexes are free to write boring, triv
ial books. Ms. Mallory has cer
tainly proven this point with Flash.
Flash is published by Poseidon
Press. It contains 200 pages and
sells for $16.95.
Jackie K. Cooper
Sat.--Fri. primetime television
SATURDAY
SATURDAY EVENING SEPTEMBER 3
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