C.C. Reader
1980 Movie Review
Capes Derr hew Sfrvinr
1980 was not the year of "Heaven's Gate"
and perhaps that sums up this lethargic movie
year best. In other words, 1980 picked up
where 1979 left off: Successful directors and
extravagant background settings. Randal
Eaeiser was allowed to film "the ' Blue
Lagoon" on an exotic tropical island, John
Landis used Chicago as a demolition-derby
backgyound in "The Blues Brothers and "The
Empire Strikes Back" had Darth Vader per
forming in a multi-million dollar outer space.
It is no coincidence that the men responsible
for these high budget movies had first made
- Grease," "Animal House" and "Star
Wars" only a few years earlier.
Then came "Heaven's Gate" and our stan
dard, big budget movie system blew up in
United Artists' face. The movie flopped, of
course, and they reeled it in for re-editing. As
a result, movie studios may think twice before
giving young directors such freedom and ex
travagant financial privileges. •
1980 was the-year of one of the most distur
bing movie trends of the decade: the women
in-danger horror flicks. Movies like "Prom
Night," "Friday the 13th," and "Silentl
Scream" all used women in a degrading way.;
Lacking any artistic integrity, they seemed to
exist only for their brutal attacks on
defenseless women and not for the. fun of giv
ing the audience a thrill.
Most surprising was that the big stars failed
at the box-office this last year. Summer was a
disaster, Cnristnas « dispointment. In bet
ween, little worthy of mentio►, was released.
When January 1 finally rolled around, 1980 at
-die movies was a sad disastrous memory.
And yet, even within this disapointing year,
the studios occasionally managed to spew
something other than junk from their less than
aspiring factories. Studios took fewer chances
than ever before but what is amazing is that
some of these chances paid off.
without further adieu then, here is my list
of the ten best movies of 1980, all of which
stood out in one of the darkest and most years
of celluloid.
In memory of our dear friend, Doris Huges, on the first anniversary of her
passing:
So shalt thou rest -- and what if thou withdraw
In silence from the living, and no friend
Take note of thy departure? All that breathe
Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh
When though art gone, the solemn brood of care
Plod on, and each one as before will chase
His favorite phantom; .As the long tram
Of ages glides away, the sons of men . . . ,
Matron and maid, shall one by one be gathered
To thy side.
The Reel World
THE BLACK STALLION
Usually, the best movie on a critic's top ten
list is a recent release, one that played in
theatres across the country within the last
three months of the year. That's because the
January and February movies have a way of
getting lost in memory with so many recent
features having come and gone by then.
But "The Black Stallion" is and excep
tional exeption because it has stayed fresh in
my mind for the last twelve months.
Technically a 1979 feature, this mini-master
piece didin't reach the majority of the country
until late last January.
The story is directly lifted from the child
animal fairy-tales of yesterday. A boy and a
beautiful stallion are stranded on a deserted
island, alone with nobody nearby. Their rap
port is developed in front of glorious scenery
that does more for the picture than just serve a
s aomething nice to look at. In fact, it
metaphorically clariries the human-animal
relationship we are about to see. Once the boy
And horse learn to love each other, they
almost disintegrate into the lucious
photography. As they ride across the crystal
blue ocean, we get the feeling that they are as
much a part of this natural world as the water,
sun, and sand that inhabit.
Francis Coppola produced the movie mean
ing that he gave the financial support that
allowed Director Carol! Ballard to carry out
his vision of taking old material and giving it a
fresh approach.
ORDINARY PEOPLE
This year's "Kramer Vs. Kramer" was the
directing debut of Robert Redford. Adapted
from Judith Guest's best-selling novel, the
story spends time with the perfect family who,
through one severe 'mess up,' shows just how
imperfect thay really are. In the end, the once
perfect Jarrett family is fatally destroyed.
The family lives in a posh suburb of
Chicago where they exist under the social
norms of their environment. Unfortunately,
their life style is shattered when the oldest of
the two Jarrett boys dies in a boating accident
leaving the youngest to consume the guilt.
from THANATOPSIS
Thursday, March 5, 1981
William Cullen Bryant
Redford is wonderful at the visual observa
tions and, thus, his move doesn't just look
right but feels right too. The world inhabited
by the Jarretts is filmed in soft, cool colors;
leaves fall like a scene from a hallmark card,
landscapes are perfectly manicured and the
grass is almost too green. Women and
especially Mrs. Jarrett maintain such a
meticulous appearance that you almost want
to knock them in the mud. Redford's picture
penetrates this perfection and exposes the real
colors of this decaying family.
The performances are all exceptional in
cluding Mary Tyler Moore as the mother,
Donald Sutherland as the father, Timothy
Hutton as the suffering son, and Judd Hirsch
as hes understanding psychiatrist. In 1980, the
American Movie Industry found a talented
new director named Robert Redford.
RAGING BULL
Martin Scorsese's brutal black & white
movie uses prize-fighter Jake La Motta,a
vicious puncher, is seen as animal from the
opening. The movie is honest in that it doesn't
make excuses for its violence; "Raging Bull"
is ugly because it is about a universal ugliness.
The fight scenes are spectacular, and Robert
De Niro as La Motta is a knockout and a sure
Academy Award winner come April.
Scorsese's direction is superb as ahe carries
this dark movie through the very course he in
tended to.
KAGEMUSHA
Akira Kurosowa's Japanese epic is a great
success in the important steps of epic movie
making. "Kagemusha" tells its story with
great narrative drive, bigger-than-life battle se
quences and quiet humanistic moments.
Kurasowa's story is about a Japanese Samurai
who also is a crook but happens to physically
resemble the warlord. When the warlord dies,
he takes over to rule the people. Kurosowa
stages some great battle scenes but just as ef
fective are the smaller moments like when the
little girl realizes her grandfather is a fake. He
let his themes of greed ; power, and people us
ing other people, emerge through his powerful
telling of this bold tale.
The Art Association of Harrisburg, 21 North Front Street, will present the
photographic works of two young women March 2 through 13, opening with a
public reception on Sunday, March 1, from 1 to 4P.M. Sharon Ament and Sheila
M. Smith, both of Harrisburg, will exhibit their photos in the two main--floor
galleries. Monday through Friday gallery hours are 9:30A.M. to 1:30P.M
Saturdays, 1 to SP.M
Sharon Ament, a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, was photo
grapher for the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives 1979-80. She
has taught photography and art in the summer program for Youth in the Arts, the
Boys' and Girls' Clubs of Harrisburg, the Harrisburg School District, and the
Harrisburg Recreation Bureau. Presently a free--lance photographer, Ament has
exhibited in numerous area galleries and shows since 1972. She has won awards in
the Women in the Arts and Arts Festivals exhibitions, and has served as judge in
several photography contests. Ms. Ament's work, dealing mainly with the human
form, is familiar to local exhibition--goers. She is also a talented painter.
Sheila Smith, graduate of HACC's Associate Degree program, went back to
college at age 29 and became interested in photography while striving for a
degree in journalism. Only 35 years old, Ms. Smith is the mother of five children
and the grandmother of one.
Sheila Smith coordinated and participated in a Black Art Exhibit in March,
1979, and wrote columns for Harrisburg Magazine and "Scoop, USA." Calling
herself a freelance writer and publisher as well as a photographer, Smith has
recently published a book of poetry and photographs entitled Ebony Fire, by
Paula Ecole and Sinbad, to be released later this month. Ms. Smith's photographs
deal mainly with subjects drawn from the local black community, and show a
refreshing vitality, sensitivity, and an intuitive sense of composition.
Robert Bissett and Susan Hauschildt, exhibition co--chairmen, plan to feature
more photography in future AAH shows, and hope the Ament/ Smith exhibition
will encourage local photographers to join the Art Association
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS-SPECIAL EDI
TION
Yes, it should be eligible for a 1980 top ten
list because director Steven Spielberg's
changes make this a significantly better movie.
Spielberg went back, edited, added, deleted
and came up with a story that moves swifter
and holds on closer to his characters.
Although most of the material is old footage,
this new "Close Encounters" is a essentially a
new cinematic experience. The ending has you
inside the ship for a brief time and unlike
other viewers, I am happy they did not take us
on and extensive tour. Spielberg still realizes
that the greatest element of science fiction is
not only the spectacle of it all, but our own
vast imagination.
THE TIN DRUM
Gunter Grass' allegorical story is brought to
the screen with fine cinematic flair. At three
years of age, the boy of this German movie
consciously decides he will stop growing to
protest the atrocities of his world. "Tin
Drum" takes place during World War I and
the boy moves through these times with a
drum over his shoulder ready to start banging
when he sees the injustices of his universe. The
stunted growth of the boy is a good tool to
stop and see waht one man can do to another.
The "Tin Drum" like all great allegories, is
filled with striking images. There is one un
forgettable scene where we see the birth of a
human being from that child's point of view.
THE SHINING
Instead of concerning hinself with surprising
and manipulating hes audience, Stanley
Kubrick made a far more fascinating picture.
"The Shining" not only studies a sane man
turning insane but actually enters his warped
mind. Jack Nicholson plays a caretaker who
moves into an omnious resort with his family
to perform the janitorial duties for the winter.
His family is alone in the great, big castle and
as usual, Kubrick's technical wizardry has a
great influence on the characters who populate
his story.
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