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Show Page Thiitv The sh,lat; the Juiuoi a:e an 1! Star Wars: They love B n.-I- have a IliirtjiM lj'sulv lite, iiuhidiUij Robbv the Ro!t lioin the c la wc tuiiiiJr n l'!tiie t and Mi on Sp k. iAttti all, his ihjtaitti is the saline ciiamatic nonv as all r!ie oilit i bete that a i icattueol jun h'ii i mtra i ya, yeah, yeah, yeah delighted lo demented. Oby iu i hours cataloguing tin itftitntts to other moic in the work I lash (.oidoa. obviously, but also The Wizaid of ()z, C'(ii.f !ii'na. vi!!1uui picture and John RICK BROI CH Ciironicle staff Ilu entotainmcnt event of the vcar, a CVOVone win I haslll I til lOUUtOvC j! lhf last mx months knows, is a movie callce! S':it IV tit Before hr stall lolling Inn, we should define what an fifut is. It is the kind of show hi ut t t that have it Ian dim ding in ctstasv, and suffocate the ft vt of ih wnh (In I'V plugs, eomp!imon.itv magazine attitles. and a thousand pun basing gimmii ks loi evt ivthing slum of uj'oMtiHH's and foot iiowdtr. Lvoit art-- : the ton. Roots, the Beatles, in thru "Yeah, Yeah" ki i k!. ami Star Ttrk. But Star Mars gue wav beyond all of l! it st , sioting in wavs we ne vt r di earned of. Who would piedio that John Williams' mom- would lx ionic a top disco hit, 01 that li ars would land on the covet of that sedate riohiital journal. 'eu- ltrfubli , (whiih is like td Muskie w eating a Donm ami Maiic - Ihc tone is with us every whoe, down every stnri, around every (oiner, pasted on hilllxxud and Dixie Cup. In an editorial at toon President (Inter rejeits die HI foi a Cruise Missile leaiing an every uncanny lesemblance to Aitoo-P- t too...Datth Vatlcr j x )s up at the in downtown SIX'.. signing autographs. ..Tom Snyder, with his usual enthusiasm, informs his audience that Am hi was actually played hy a little man. "Its haul to Ik lievethoe was a lohot inside that machinery," he hloojxis. The movie has even whetted the puhlic aptetite for the kind of summettime link they usually p.iss up: such biennial offerings as James Hond (The Spy Who Loved Me), the Disney cartoon (lie scure r), and Burt Reynolds' country corn Smokry Broadwav foot-in-mout- and the liandtt). Critical reaction to Star Wars ranges from fold. In the highhiow magainr tihn Comment which printed Lot!, pro and con opinions on the putuir a entii jioiimd out that the final awards Mine is ioninic cut of a segment from Lou Nai piopagaiula Kiiinstahl's film Triumph oj the Will. I rading bom that, he disiovo that Star Hem has tshuddn, shuddei), a sliong Fascist unddloiu. Ihe Kou e, he w litis, "is an ex pit ssion of a basii Nai toient: the fundamental uiut . had savtd t have-spoi- nature." Luke Skywalko Atyau stock, as opposed to the pim-sim- l Jaw as, "itineiant nun bants whom the I uhrer would have found familiar." And 'Goeblnl too would have Ikiii thiilled" along with modem audit n i s who cheer the ilcsti union of the enemy base, the Death Star. And this is wiitten bv the ft How who liked the movie. These ctitical btaihtomlx is searching for piolound meaning undone. till even film usually sm ihI theit lime writing on topics like "I. unci and liatdv as Closet Homosexuals." What would they make. I We Hitler , of C-hicepio fatewcll sitccc h lo Altoo Ik hue thet limat tit battle: "Yon w ill tome back, Altoo- - You wouldn't want ni nights to get bo 11114!" he-ad- 1 1 You mean Stat Wars is .iIm mt a pail of gav robots No, tht v le not homosexuals, but thev ate the most opulai featuie ol the film, which is iiotut since they'll- also its woist flaw. Kilst of all, the idea Ih hind thev-- omit a I tlioids is not temblv ongiual. and ihe j)cople who Ik lieve it is have not ie.nl 01 seen science fn tion since thev mailed awav for 20,000 Leagues f'nder the Sea iluotii;!) bv eipo- - .a.) uiiuu!.ii it mini's one Artiwi in f ilu tiinkv ihoids fioin the movie 1U7I Silrnt I'wi'ii'iz, an c if'Ut at ihoufnful m it rue fu lion th.it shows whv escapism is irmie j"1 oibitin-xij)ul.ii now. tit stttuii4 wildof the last Karth's jiUiictumiaiivin life, while ciatd spaiemen lituce Dun kills his ft How asttoiiauts and ks the ; hi-j.- a ship alter authorities unlet it dcstiuud. Critic at the lime stittud ami said the stotv's message was "Kill lot ecooi;."i Ikiu's rolot htljKis, Huc, Dewtv. and Ijotiic, Ik traved tht ir human idiosv n lasies in small detail, (a io!ot tappmt; his foot, a nuilin anoihu ihoid '"avsake"). But in S.'ar i is from gcxtd i o-I- k M an, ditei ioi-wii- t t (ieoie I.uias tltvotts v!i.!- scene to dialogue Ik Ivmcii (.' I hteepto, a liatilv laiicatuted lussbudmt, and Artoti's ut;estive ulee-psIjIoij) and buips. Ihe iKjjinnint; jI the mov It finds thelll stranded I1 the desel t of the pl.iixt latooine. and it' an apt loi tht ii duaiv comtilv mt taphoie - loutiiie. I he Ioiil; stt ne like this alwavs fail, but I. in as it dt tins tht in with little moments thiowti into the piituie, like Ilmrpio intt nuptini; Ben kenohi's jlowini; dtsenption tif Jetldi knii;hthonl to ask I. tike. "II Mm don t need me, sit. I II shut down lot a while." Somehow the lumpy tinned woi ks in mi). 11( I doses; it It litis an till spa i kit- to what miidit In come tlullv sei ions momt tits. I he patatiox is patt of the mov if ' sm t ial m.it;i( , itsabihtv tolx - oll-the- tsiapist without fallini; cnjtivablv loinpltfelv off the edi;e atul beiominn buhblt yum t it in e fn Hon. Still, I utas is painfullv awate tf the film's shot tt otiuniis. siah as the dialogue lit must have wuttt ti on tht- bat k of a box - I hefoic shoot im;. iiik I le" i on It ssi d in a Hollin Stone iiittivicw lo wintim; when he heats some ol the line now. Mavlie lit hinted at the time ihe pit tute toultl ui toiiu is. suih itetl as it is with gremlins. iadi; ts. stieamiui; and sabei duils I vcivone has his own favollit Hi ins horn the pit line. A nood list doi;-fii;ht- s Vould lilt hide these: Tin- sptiial effects, a I. uidiii.uk in the and fat histotv ol the cialt. livahui; Im ttt i than tin linkti I ov tllottsof I)e I .a in tit its' kiniz Koi. hn l)v kstt.i and a mii.iI! .iiiiiv ol let hnit ians t n aled an aitav ol mov ie llusioii utlsui p.sset in its vat ietv and sttikini; lot Ms awesome be.uuv. - 2iI i i Houston vs. Utah Sept. 24 Football 7:30 p.m. Stadium j i.i Si.u t ul. u pii ! t ! !i ! di it ni mi i i k 'ion Wyoming vs. Utah Football 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8 Stadium ' i nbo" lilt daimilew Idf Wookit . and oik oi tin pit lure's ' tomes noi t nuaciiiu i a.' tt ifjuiplMtl with a wondet fully ixpiessive Utowl that sounds like (iHilla t!oM tl on Seconal, plus a captitious yellow stteak -( hi Ji.it i.i. " i M. ve.u-ol- d i1-- . of lui that (hidd n undi t that hall-aticomes ovti bun at all the wmn.n times. e -- John N.B.A. Basketball Game Oct. 4 Kansas City vs. Houston on sale Sept. 6 lt hui;e I Art Exhibit, show Sept. 30 Special Events Center - all day i' d! oi a ) Williams' music, ptilotmed by the London Symphony Onhcstia, is a thtolibini. u nijx stuous n tuin tt) the kind ol uninhibited mov ie st ores of .HO yearsam, w hoc the otc hestia would izo into hysteric s whcncvei Fttol My nn It aped onsc tci n. or Bctte Davis flared a nostiil. A welcome change- ol pace from the hkkIoii styles: adenoidal folk sinning, or Ilcniy Mantini loilialltle slllsli. The sj)aieptrt of Dos Eisley, the oossi'iads loi a bundled planets, pictured with siith a wealth of comic detail that explains why eople keep coming back to see it. It is justly the film's nieist famous se cue nee, ftom the bat room BKMs (Bug-Kycd Johnny Mathis in Concert Oct. 28 Special Events Center on sale Sept. 1 9 also coming up Russians vs. Utah Basketball Football and Basketball Games High School Football Playoffs Motisiosj snoiting clown drinks, tt) the almost subliminal aprKararue I only noticed it on thitd viewing of an ostrich creature shown as a pair of wobbly legs walking thiough the foreground of a sc ene. Acute casting and performing. Director Lucas selec ted Peter Cushing for the role of Governor Tarkin in spite of the conventional wisdom w hich says you don't movies use "h'otror actors in because they will demean the work. But Luc as is young enough to know how mui h resjx'Ct Cushing commands for his genre r films, even if they are the cheap kind of stuff shown in drive-ins- , and his mere piesenie in Star Wars adds c tedibility to the story. Of course, his part is piac titally a walk-em- , but it's a pioblem he shaies with'othei ae toi s. I ve i v bodv has lo in l his own spjt c: ie big-budg- et meat-grinde- I isli! i , whose M.n k I ami II as Luke, ( n i l'i ine ess Lei. has enoiiIi sexv to i movie' hi ol tills nodit Willi tine l; -- i V I 1 I'uh CLionulr. Oixmiigs 1977 udus": Aire (iiiiiiK ss, infusing the role lit n ktii .hi vMth Minjdr (c; anJ .ul J.'ticv, vsho suppiitxi tiir loief j:Ta "e 4 i 1 s. Alii bv R!ts (Jub k i! dine; l.ke hilditn an ! vdtr-sttalirt!;. air iiiMjith svmjudi!i '.r. j i t s:!iit tiiiits cute n i voil! (ttlh athe. uoi!?UHIs, on the :.'.: I und to U hand hk, HAL in ; villain us. Lt ihji anodic! aitit le.) DjuIv i. ' ? ih 1 fx.- tht t 4 tvt u to I' in - t f i 1 lit a' role und the most Imd as Han SiIo Amtiuan Giaijitt, him onl inlaseai (he wa the c I k t hjllt iivjt I to the lot ul drag king K !ut lie piovtd he vas the only at tor who eoiikl wai:gii sitting down. In Wan, he's got Swagiid dovsn !) a f ine art, plav ing the kind tl boo who, vshen oifered "more !;; lit v ihan vou can imagine" to levue a snap back, "I dun t know piuut ss. vimplv I can that. imagine quite a lot! " alut It's tntt icsting to add up the pluses and iniiiuses, but that still tloesn't answer the ctiiiial cHitMion: Whv all the spasms of admiration loi Sun II Ihe sloik hke aiiswei movie.' "l'ciiplc It s a it tut n to est apism", t ti . just won't do. We've lx ti n turning loi neailv se ven seats now. Ihe Nostalgia I aide should be plaveil out b now. lo undel stand whv It isn't, we have to lx.k at the nostalgia urVii vt.ti vi v old-tyji- e " the '7o. ciae began. I supjxisc, with Loi e w hie h was intended to hi mk bai k the Kaitv-Ial- e tomante: Ixautilul Man and Woman lieautdui nitt t, fall in love; ihe Beautiful Woman contiacts the I'gandan St uiv y, or some other obse uie disease; and ihe piiiuie climaxes with a lovtlv. 111' of it V Hit Storx, lingcimg death, anomjunied by angels, v ioh lis, atul loud sniff It s horn theaudiou e. Ihe mov is woe seaieil by the naivete ol sue h an old lot inula, so they updated it a little. Ali Mi Craw 's hetoine lx tame an anogant snot with a mouth hke a stevcdoie. Love Story was a smash hit, so Hollvwood did the same thing to latum O'Neal, when they n inaele the Shirley Temple me v it- as Paper Moon, and the find Sews lieui, when they tonailc the Little Ix ague Mov ie. I be pirn in w is se t fei ihe Nostalgia - alwavs looked like ai. old mov ie tight t loihe v, the light cats loinmv Dorsey in the baikgiound but the iiuhhI was a l'.70s cy nil ism mistaken for sophistication. And so it won. ..The Godfather remineled us that the lone gangsto. a la Cagney anil Bogatt, wasdead, flu k: II tin tcplatcd by thccototaiien. Robot Altman deliberately demolished the Phillip Matlowe mystique in 77ie Long Good-bye- . SmkIs like Mazing Saddles and The Ijist Itrmake of lieau Geste literally burlesqued of blue the oltl cliihes with shovel-loadhumoi. Kven The Sting was basically the eajxr movie we used to watch so much in s ilu Mis. Ihan along comes Ceotge Lucas, who wants te K tiiakc Hash Gordon but can't obtain the iightsand se the peKr guy has to se tilt fen making Star Wars. Like all the othcts bt fotc him, he beittows the exc iting, me lodtamatit elements he lemonbos from the soials. But his devotion is so complete that he goe s oveiboaiel and borrows all the bad stuff too! M'm is that its comedy iclief, lame dialogue', apathetic treatment of actors, icrxlitienis action ate exactly the kind of mistakes that a cheap, 1933, would make. It's like "chapto-play- " the movie dropted out of a time warp. F.vcn the way it has of mixing John Wayne with spue oKta with sword and sorcery isn't new. (One of the kinkiest movies of that tyrx was made in 1935, a tion western serial called musical sc ience-fiPhantom Umpire where singing cowboy Gene Ann y battled an underground c iviliation, complete with Red Queen, be hidden neath his ranch!) Stars Wars is innocent to the point of being a little stupid, and maybe that's what last i nates audiences so much. It is a quality the other nostalgia movies lack, and on the Ihe Haws thing about oay the eotnball black-and-whi- te c inevitable Wars sequel may lose. Or should I say sequels? Luias has told tolling Stone he hopes tt) serve as executive Lucas producer on a series of follow-ups- . would three t the conclusion of the series, but others would handle the intervening films. Could he maintain the quality? And what other directors docs he have in mind? We know that Lucas belongs to a school mutual fiiends of young moviemakers and critics who all cut their teeth on college film courses in the '60s. The group includes Francis Ford Copjxila, director of The Godfather, Steven Spielberg (Jaws), John Milius (Dillmger, Wind is the Lion), Brian De Palma (Carrie, Phantom of the "'VitiadVie), Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver). Ihe idea that these disparate talents would try their hands at a piece of the Star It is Wars story is it is And in cinema history. unprecedented total ly wild sjH'culation. We don't know if audiences will pay to see the second MVirv nerve-tinglin- movie g. Those of us w ho love Star Wars in spite of its faults can tmlv pray that Geoige Lutas will not be so exhilaiateil with his success that he' nuns out a junk sequel. As II. ins Solo would sav: "(.ic.il, kid! pi mi gel i in k!" |