Newspaper Page Text
8-THE BARB
©AY-INC TC TCIE MOVIES
As the long, not-so-hot
movie summer winds down,
there still isn’t much that’s
worthy of comment among
the post-Fourth of July
releases. There are two films
I particulary enjoyed, but
might have overlooked in a
period of stronger com
petition.
Competition is the subject
of “Smile” -- the “Young
American Miss” pageant, to
be specific; but the real
target of this devasting satire
is “Middle America”--- as a
state of mind, not a place: the
Jaycees and other plastic
people who breed daughters
to be beauty queens, then
coach them to impress the
judges with their desire to be
of service to humanity.
Producer-director Michael
Ritchie explored the same
winner-take-all mentality
that made America great
and now threatens to destroy
it, in his last film, “The
Candidate.” “Smile” isn’t
getting the same publicity
build-up-- Bruce Dern isn’t
Robert Redford; he can act-
so it’s having very short runs
in a very few theatres. Catch
it if you can.
The other goodie is for
nostalgia freaks. “Farewell,
My Lovely” is set in a
beautifully re-created (Dean
Tavoularis, production
designer) Los Angeles of 1941.
It’s from a Raymond
Chandler detective novel
that’s been filmed twice
before.
Robert Mitchum stars as
Philip Marlowe, a role that’s
been played by any number of
actors--most recently by
Elliott Gould in “The Long
Goodbye,” and most
memorably by Humphrey
Bogart in “The Big Sleep.”
Except for the language,
blood and a bit of nudity,
“Farewell, My Lovely” looks
like it could have been made
in the forties. The fidelity to
the period sometimes comes
across as parody; but
however you take it, it’s
worth taking in.
Fred Williamson picture:
never seem to open one at«
time, so we need a collectivi
noun to describe them.
“Gaggle” and “Flock” don’
sound quite right-how abou
“mess,” as in grits?
Fred’s latest mess consist:
of a fairly entertaininj
western, “Take a Han
Ride,” and a standarc
blaxploitation film,
“Bucktown.”
The former actually star:
Jim Brown. Fred becomes his
saddle pal and joins him on i
long trek to Mexico, made
dangerous by the $86,000 ir
Jim’s saddlebags. Fred’s
after it, too, but agrees tc
protect Jim as far as the
border, where they’ll have
their showdown.
Chief among the enemies is
bounty hunter Lee Van Cleef
Alan Bates and Klchard O’Callaghan in “Butley
Choregrapher Michael Kidd (1) drills to contestants in
“Smile.”
Li >
wm 8
Bgplp f§
I i -1 ■
f-M'! il
m |
who brings along som<
cliches from the Italiar
western he usually plays in
to add to the rather complete
collection of Americar
cliches already assembled
Catherine Spaak adds a toker
feminine presence.
The feminine presence ir
“Bucktown” is that of Parr
Grier. She and Fred shoulc
ignite the screen together, bul
they don’t. It, too, turns out tc
be a “buddy picture,”, wher
Fred seeks help frorr
Thalmus Rasulala ir
throwing out Art Lund’s
corrupt, smalltown police
department.
Thalmus’ boys turn out tc
be as corrupt as Art’s, sc
Fred has to whomp his buddy
up’side the head a few times
and settle for Pam in the end.
If these genres interest you.
you’ve already seen both
pictures many times; so it’s
up to you if you want to see
them again.
m.)/;
As “Monty Python’s Flying
Circus” continues winning
friends for Public Television,
the zany British sextet’s two
cinematic efforts are getting
wider release. The first—and
better-is “And Now for
Something Completely
Different,” a collection of the
best bits from the TV series
redone for the big screen.
Karate expert Jim Kelly
Co-Stars in “Take a Hard
Ride”
makes DeSade look like i
pussycat, shows up. Th<
finale is pure “RoadRunner’
cartoon-with tits.
Thalmus Rasulala and
“Bucktown.”
Not everyone gets off on the
Python’s bizarre brand ol
humor; so sample it on the
tube before investing your
hard-earned.
The newer film, “Monte
Python and the Holy Grail,”
is less to my liking. What is
funny in doses of 10 seconds tc
10 minutes, grows tedious
extended over an hour-and-a*
half. There are times wher
the cast look like they’d like
to drop the Camelot bullshit
and move on to something
else, but they’re trapped in ar
epic of their own making.
On another surrealistic
front, “Russ Meyer’s Super
Vixens” are six women wit!
fronts that look surrealistic!
The porno King, tame bj
today’s standards, has long
been aware that his movies
provide as many in
tellectualtypes with laughs as
they do hard-hats witfc
stimulation. This time he
doesn’t even pretend to be
serious.
As “Super Angel,” Shar
Eubank browbeats two men,
the hero (Clint Ramsey
played by Charles Pitts) anc
the villain (Harry Sledge
played by Charles Napier
into impotence. Harry Kills
her, framing Clint. Our hen
hits the road, finding tern
ptation around every curve
until he meets “Super Vixen’
Fred Willianson are buddies in
(Ms. Eubank again-there’s <
reincarnation theme.)
Clint and Vixen seem
bound for Happy-Ever
Afterville, until Harry, whi
As I mentioned last month,
the first American Film
Theatre season is returning
this fall, on a non
subscription basis. Each
picture will play for a week,
and some may be encored at
the end of the series.
_ Each of the eight films has
something to recommend it;
“Rhinoceros” comes closest
to being a total dud. Most are
excellently acted but rather
stagey in appearance^ In
some cases-especially
Chekhov’s “Three Sisters”--
your feelings toward the
material will determine your
reaction.
Three really excellent
movies emerged from the
series -- Eugene O’Neill’s
WAlk on tIie Wilde side
Mi
eros and art
body sculpture
lilm: Glenda Jackson
in Genet 's The .Maids'
fashion: p.m. styles,.
rock: 'Kiss' onstage' vl
tilm: Day ol locust'- \
Mandate discovery
Ua
In-depth and
on-target
the Mandate insight
into the arts, entertainment and eros
takes a probingly perceptive,
bitchily witty, culturally incisive,
pansexually unproblematical
look at practically everything.
Interested in climaxes,
onstage and elsewhere?
Come with us.
MANDA1 E IS SOLD BY I HE FOLLOWING NEWS DEALERS
IN BOSTON
Bookworid. 6 Beach Street
Book Lane Inc . 201 Tremont Street
Liggetts Rexal Drug Store. 452 Boylston Street
Store 24. 717 Boylston Street
Gary Drug. 59 Charles Street
Paperback Booksmith. 753 Boylston Street
Esplanade Paperback. 107 Charles street
Fairfield Pharmacy. 239 Newbury Street
Paperback Booksmith. 516 Commonwealth Avenue
Store 24, 281 Huntington Avenue
Marlboro Market. 45 Massachusetts Avenue
The Bookworm. 493 Beacon Street
IN BROOKLINE
Paperback Bookworm, Cleveland Circle
Brookline News A Gills, 313 Harvard Street
Paperback Booksmith, Cool id ge Corner
IN CAMBRIDGE
Harvard Square MBTA Kiosk
Reading International, Brattle at Church
MANDATE
90 West Broadway
New York. New York 10007''
Yes. l want to come with you
SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER
□ Six issues. $5 00
[_~) Sample issue (June). $ 1 00
Enclosed is a check or money order