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Show Page B2 Thursday, April 8, 1982 The Newspaper Mefl WnnIla& b: by flick Brough Cat People 11:C3a.m.- p.ra. Remake fails to capture mystery and poetry of original version r A Classic Recommended Good double-feature double-feature material Time-killer For masochists l only You can: swim play tennis hot tub sauna use the weight room enjoy the game room take the free Chatham shuttle to restaurants and resorts barbeque at the firepit and enjoy breath taking views From $176,000 Models open daily 11 to dusk. Real Estate Division 649-1602 592 MAIN ST. 2 Cat People Filmmaker Paul Schrader must be able to identify with the half-human, half -cat protagonists pro-tagonists of his movie. He seems to be suffering from an identity crisis in "Cat People", which shifts from suggestion to explicit sex violence. The division is reflected in David Bowie's theme song, used over the end credits, which begins as an eerie melody on Moog synthesizer with a calypso beat, then shifts into a standard slam-bang rocker. The idea seems to be this: Let's allude to the moodiness of the 1942 classic, but don't forget to juice it up for the commercial market. The original film was about a young girl, a European immigrant to America who marries a Yank, but won't permit him so much as a kiss because she believes she is descended from an ancient race of cat people who turn feline when they are aroused. The husband hus-band is frustrated (the implication impli-cation being he hasn't been able to consummate the marriage) and turns to another an-other woman, which sets up a sexual triangle drawing the cat-woman closer to what? The movie tried to stay suggestively unclear about how (or if) the heroine is transformed. The remake, written by Alan Ormsby, tries to complicate com-plicate things with explanations, explana-tions, and soon has trouble following its ownplotlines. In this version, set in New Orleans, the cat people change into black leopards Claimjumper Restaurant G -10 WEEKDAYS G -11 WEEKENDS Main Street 013-0051 f! JTQA W A K UtV LOIS NEW McCloud Creek Subdivision aownoaiancea' o AMORTIZED OVER 25 YEARS o NO POINTS o 3 YEAR CALL o COMPLETE ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL o PREMIER VIEWS OF THAYNES CANYON Price range: $61,500 to $73,500 Office hours: 10- 6p.m. 649-3600 arkCity LAND COMPANY when they are aroused and can only change back after they have killed a good excuse for a high body count. The heroine Irena (Natassia Kinski) has a brother (Malcolm (Mal-colm McDowelD-brutishly haunting in the film's best performance; who sells incest in-cest as the pause that refreshes it's the only way, he says, they can vent their passions. After all, she can't make love to the zookeeper she loves (John Heard) without endangering his life. Having established that, the film shows its cat people changing on any pretext. Just about anything starts them sprouting hair voyeurism, voyeur-ism, anger, jealousy, physical physi-cal love. None of this would matter if the movie just blithely ignored the contradictions. (No one cared in the old movies if Lon Chaney Jr. was wearing a different shirt after he changed, off -camera from man to wolf.) But "Cat People" directs your attention atten-tion to the goof. The new fad in horror movies is showing exactly how the creature germinates. germi-nates. It's sort of the monster-film equivalent of those "Birth of a Butterfly" flicks in grade school. In the film's big transformation scene, Kinski bloats up into a cocoon shape and pop! out comes a snarling leopard! leop-ard! (The "hatching" effect is created by a make-up artist named Tom Burman, who created a similar scene for the schocky "Beast from Within.") The make-up artist almost takes over as the star of the film. Techniques in the field are becoming more sophisticated sophisti-cated every day, but the movie almost sacrifices too much in subtlety and characterization charac-terization to display the latest in dismembered limbs and spooky transformations. I don't want to play up the faults too much. The atmosphere atmos-phere created by director Paul Schrader is consistent, if his plot isn't. And his prologue, with a tribe of primitive people sacrificing their children under ashen skies to the leopard gods is good enough to keep you waiting past the more pedestrian pe-destrian scenes written for normal hero, John Heard, and his girlfriend, played by Annette O'Toole. Except for some dull early scenes in New Orleans, Schrader keeps the mood in his drama tense and coiled. One of his biggest problems prob-lems is Kinski, who has mastered an American accent ac-cent for this film the way she took on the English accent for "Tess". The problem lies there. Her voice is authentic but flat like she's so busy keeping the dialect, she doesn't have time to act. Physically, she's memorable she and McDowell have the cat moves down well, and wild-animal beauty of her nude scenes is erotic, not sleazy. It's too bad she spoils the illusion when she opens her mouth. One scene late in the movie captures the tone of the picture. Kinski, in despair, asks Heard to love her just once more, to change her into a cat permanently. He complies, but first binds her hand and foot to the bed. We fade out on her ecstatic groans then, switch to the New Orleans Zoo, where an oddly docile leopard eats out of Heard's hands. It's a good ending, blending blend-ing modern candor with horror-movie tragedy. But the faint odor of exploitation in that bondage bit clings to the scene. The gore and other commercial com-mercial elements taint the film. They're maybe half of the film and I must groan inwardly, for I fear I haven't told you how well the other half works with its tension and poetry. "Cat People" misses out on the simplicity and sug-gestiveness sug-gestiveness of the great horror films that scared you without spilling blood. WlIlBpiP by Rick Lanman Domestic vs. the imports Some debate continues over the purchase of foreign wines as opposed to domestic ones, specifically where character and price are concerned. Let us suggest an easy final answer: one should drink those wines that bring the most pleasure. That simple, yet accurate solution unfortunately disappoints those who love to quibble over the various merits of each nation's wines. In the late sixties, prior to the floating of the U.S. dollar, Americans enjoyed imported wines at relatively inexpensive prices. A policy designed to aid in the recovery of Europe provided us with many imported cheap thrills wine being one. Throughout the seventies, however, following the floating of the dollar, French and German wines became increasingly more expensive, one factor contributing to the renewed interest in California wines. As the great first growths reached unthinkable prices, Americans once again turned their interests to the Napa Valley where premium wines had been grown before the turn of the century. The delicate balance of international currencies had obviously aided those diligent winemakers whose vast acreages were suddenly a sought-after commodity. The trend continued for roughly a decade until high interest rates once again corrected the alignment of international currencies. In the past three years the dollar has gained steadily on currency markets, obtaining new status heretofore reserved for Marks and Swiss Francs. In 1967 to took five Francs to buy a dollar. Eleven years later only three were required and, at one point, 2.8 Francs purchased one U.S. dollar. Today it takes 6.27 Francs to purchase a dollar and for Americans that means lower-priced French wines, despite duties. Those who support the continued acquisition acquisi-tion of foreign wines claim they are still superior to those produced in the United States. This would seem a false claim. Even the stodgy. European-oriented Alexis Lich-ene Lich-ene concedes that great wines are being produced in the country. In his encyclopedia on wine, Lichene writes of Chateau Monte-lena, Monte-lena, a Napa Winery, "Ever since this winery's 1973 Chardonnay surpassed four top French white Burgundies and five other California Chardonnays in a blind tasting held by a panel of experts in Paris in 1976, its wines have continued to live up to their reputation. repu-tation. Frequently, when connoisseurs talk of one wine being superior to another, they are really speaking of style, though occasionally they are not aware of the distinction. They will claim a great Cabernet Sauvignon must come from Bordeaux or be produced in that style. The same will hold true for the great Burgundies. The Cabernet Sauvignon produced pro-duced in California, for example, produces in some cases a bigger wine than those vintaged out of Bordeaux. These big, lush, fruity California Cabernets are criticized as being overblown too big. Actually, they exceed the Bordeaux wines in flavor because the California climate is more generous than that found in Western France. Some argue thev are not classic Bordeaux because of this excessive flavor; others assert that they are in fact better. It is a decision the wine drinker must make. Other supporters of the foreign wines argue that the California wines have escalated so in price that the foreign wines are simply less expensive. Certainly in light of the dollar re-evaluation, there is much truth to this. While a fifth of Chateau Lafite or Cheval Blanc may run $40 a bottle, many other lesser known Chateau bottled wines are available at excellent prices. Many shippers and importers are now bottling very good regional wines at affordable prices as well. The same may be said of California wines, however. Certainly if one wishes to purchase only the private reserve Chardonnays and Cabernets, a high price will be paid. The Robert Mondavi Private Reserve, the Beaulieu Georges Latour, the Staggs Leap Wine Cellars and Chateau Montelena are all in excess of $18 a bottle. Yet Beaulieu also produces a vintage dated Cabernet Sauvignon Sauvig-non under its Beautour label that sells for under $5 a bottle. Other North Coast wineries like Pedroncelli and Sebastiani produce excellent whites and reds for under $7 a bottle. Parducci winery has an excellent selection of wines for under $5 a bottle, as well as some more expensive wines bottled under the Callar Masters selection. Mirassou, located outside of San Jose, produces a beautiful Chardonnay for under $7 a bottle, along with wonderful Rieslings and good Cabernets. Further south, San Martin makes an excellent Cabernet that retails here in Utah for $5.25 a fifth. Even further south, near Los Olivos in the Santa Ynez Mountains, Zaca Mesa Winery makes a great Cabernet for under $6 a bottle. Obviously, good wines are made in all the countries we have mentioned as well as Italy, Spain and even Chile. Ignoring new wines will only deprive the drinker of great enjoyment. In contrast, turning away from great European wines because you have trouble with the names, will also limit your experience. The Trolley Square wine store offers many reasonably priced Europeans. They have all been choosen with care and consideration none are of poor quality. Ask for information concerning the wines from the people there; you'll find them quite helpful. Purchase several wines from each country and decide for yourself which are most pleasing to your palate. Make your decision based on your own preference, not that of an alleged wine expert. You are the ultimate c onsumer and although you should strive to educate your palate, enjoyment is the most important part. LETTERHEADS BUSINESS CARDS FLYERS BROCHURES FORMS POSTERS ADVERTISING PMT VV E DO ESETTING DESIGN BUSINESS CARDS BROCHURES FORMS FLYERS LETTERHEADS POSTERS ADVERTISING LABELS LOGOS MAILERS PMTS TYPESETTING DESIGN fERS BROCp DESK R I N T I N G SING LETTERHEADS BUSINESS CARDS FLYERS BROCHURES FORMS POSTERS ADVERTISING LABELS LOGOS MAILERS PMTS TYPESETTING DESIGN FLYERS BROCHURE 6 4 9 - 9 0 1 4, ERHEADS POSTERS MAILERS PMTS ADVERTISING DESIGN LOGOS LABELS TYPESETTING |