Monday, August 28, 197B 1 he Daily Tar HpI 7
KimiMmiMiiiM
FeeEsdlay Face
lPqmI JPI&y9 humorous
mespite twisted plot
DiMECitlem ciMiTdcters
By ANTHONY SEIDMAN
Staff Writer
Foul Play is a dizzy film. At some point
in its creation the movie's plot got spun
znm&dr twtsted"Way off course. This is
too bad, because the separate elements of
Foul Play have enough potential to make
a viewer wonder how good the film might
have been if it had a decent screenplay.
Not to say the the movie is a total failure;
a movie can get by on performance and
style even it its screenplay is terrible, and
Foul Play almost does.
Foui Play'sscriptvtses cliches that were
cliches before they were cliches. And
although the basic premise, about a plot
to kill the pope, may be viable, the way in
which it is presented is not. The main
character, played by G oldie Hawn, is a
recently divorced librarian who wants to
give up being a hermit. She starts looking
for some action and of course she finds it.
From here on the plot follows the lines we
all know so well from our nightly
television shows.
Goldie Hawn is the most important
factor in the concealment of Foul Pay's
structural faults. She gives a performance
that is bright and bubbly enough to cover
up almost anything, yet she avoids being
cloyingly sweet. Hawn is funny in a
controlled way, having abandoned the
crude, carbonated giggly style of Laugh
In for real comedy. Just as important,
Hawn is cute. A sexy, liberated cute, but
cute none-the-less. She knows how to use
her vulnerability, and doesn't hesitate to
on the villains or on us.
Chevy Chase enters into the
mainstream of feature films as a
charmingly effective police lieutenent.
Unfortunaely he picked the wrong star to
play against. In any other film his
performance would be hilarious. Here it's
just funny. His klutz gags do not work.
Cinema
Foul Play
They don't tall funny, they tall flat.
Chase's performance is no more than a
transference of his Saturday Night Live
style, a factor hard to fault because it suits
his character perfectly. As Hawn has a
superb talent for being cute, so Chase is
able to project an appealing
obnoxiousness. He's something of an ass,
but a funny, likeable one.
San Francisco is the third featured
player in Foul Play. The city dominates
the film, with swooping hills and
sprightly architecture helping to pick up
its pace. San Francisco has at least as
much character as any of the actors, and
Colin Higgins, the director, does nothing
to restrain the city's charm. He should
have. After a while Foul Play begins to
look more like and ad for the city than
anything else.
Colin Higgins wrote and directed Foul
Play, his first feature film, with results
similar to what we're getting from a lot of
Hollywood egoists, who try for a two for
one billing, and who should get less than
one. Without another head to criticize
Foul Play's mess of a screenplay, all
balance is lost. The plot grows until it
nearly conquers all. The movie is
supposed to be both a light comedy and a
detective thriller, yet the alleged thrills
3
-
Cinema
Slngln in the Rain Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds
perform their famous seaside duet in one of the greatest
American musicals. At 8 p.m. Wednesday in Carroll Hall.
In Focus Thii week'i featured artists include: Crosby and
Nash; John Prine (Monday); Jesse Colin Young and War
(Tuesday); Traffic and Isao Tomita (Wednesday); and James.
Taylor and Loudon Wainwright III (Thursday). Aired 6-11
nightly on WDBS (FM 107).
Lecture
Television
Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn, stars of 'Foul Play'
only interfere with the comedy. Higgins,
in his choice of plot, has been forced to
restrain his stars, to hold them back so
that the story line could dominate. With
two performers like Hawn and Chase in
the film, Higgins made a mistake. Hawn
has developed her own restraint, a
mature, involving style. And Chase is at
his best when he's allowed to let go
completely. Hawn and .Chase are
comedians. Higgins should have let them
be funny, not brave.
As for the second-line players, Higgins
rarely allows even a hint of balance to
come through. Duddley More, as an
aspiring machoite, comes off as more
pitiful than funny. All the other actors,
excluding Burgess Meredith, are too busy
fighting their way through the plot to turn
in. anything but serviceable
performances. Meredith does well
though, as Hawn's mentorchum
guardian and as a combatant in one ot the
funniest karate battles yet put on film.
-Foul Play is a movie that ignores
talents of its actors for the doubtful
benefits of an overly complex plot. The
actors spend so jnuch time working
around the script that the film just barely
has enough energy to get by. Any film
that features another film in its ads, as
Silver Streak is in Foul Play s, becomes a
little suspect. You can sense that the
producers were somewhat nervous about
their product. They needn't have worried.
Foul Play gets by, slipping out from
under the crushing weight of a crudely
crafted plot through the polished
performances of its well-picked players.
Foul Play is funny, in spite of, not
because of, itself.
Union Forum Frederic Storaska. an expert on rape
prevention, will reveal some of his insights on the act of rape
and its prevention at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Memorial Hall
Art
AcVland Museum The Eighth Annual Student Printmakers
Exhibition will be on display through Sept. 30. The Gallery is
open 10-5 Tuesday through Saturday. 2-6 Sunday and is
closed Monday.
Radio
Inside Track A newly released album will be featured at 1 1
p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Tune in WXYC (FM 89).
Jazz Show The best in classical and contemporary jazz is
featured from 9 p.m. - Midnight Wednesday. Tune in WXYC
(FM-89). ' '
Monday
Flying High Three beautiful girls learn what flying is all
about in this premiere show of CBS's answer to Charlie's
Angeb. At 9 p.m. on Channel 1 1. -
Where Eaglet Dare Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood
star in this WW II adventure. At 1 1:30 p.m. on Channel 1 1.
Tuesday
The Belle of Amherst Julie Harris stars in this one woman '
celebration of the life and poetry of Emily Dickinson. At 8 '
p.m. on Channel 4.
Leningrad Ice Show A special on a Russian skating troup.
At 8 p.m. on Channel II. .(
Wednesday
The Day of the Dolphin George C. Scott and Trish Van
Devere star in this thriller about a plot to use dolphins in a
political plot. At 8 p.m. on Channel 28.
UJA. Open Highlights from the days activities at Forest
Hills. At 1 1:30 p.m. on Channel 1 1. .
Thursday
The Best of Carson A repeat of the show which features
clips from Carson's most memorable shows. Guests include
Dolly Parton. Charlie Callass and Hose Molina.
ITI-25
SR-40
Bus. Anal.
MBA
ITI 55
Tl 57
iTI-58
TI-59
PCI BOA
Texas Instruments
$28.95
$22.95
$25.95
S59.95
$42.95
$49.95
S99.95
$229.95
S154.95
FREE $5.00 rebate coupon with each Tl-57 purchase 1
UP.11F $M till SB
III W I WW. I " A
UD.79C C7fl fifl HLWLETTLn PACKARD
HP-33E$S7.50 -HP-37E$Ci.OO
V!0 fHP29C1S8.0a.
HP-38ES1C4.50 -"?' HP-67 - $385.00
SHIPPED FREE
KC. CUSTWCRS ADO 3 TAX. WAKE CO. CUSTOMERS 4X
SEND CHECK. M.O., r CO 0. ($1.75 C.O.D. FEE)
P.O.BOX 80S, HWY.
APEX, N. C. 27502
64 OLD HWY.
(919) 362-7000
The right-priced
pizza !
From $2.35
Delivered free!
942-8581
Pizza Transit Authority
CORRECTION
The 15 discount offer good through Sept. 30 from Western Sizzlin
which ran in the August 24 1978 Daily Tar Heel, was in error on our part.
The, ad was supposed to read,
OFFER GOOD AUGUST 28, 29 & 30.
' Again, this was The Daily Tar HeeVs fault, and we sincerely regret the
error.
The Daily Tar Heel
"WHY DO THE HEATHEW RAGE?
Psalms 2:1 and Acts 4:25
WW
"AND THOU SHALT REMEMBER ALL THE WAY THE
LORD THY GOD HATH LED THEE THESE FORTY
YEARS Deuteronomy 8:2. For your consideration: The
same Lord God has led our nation these 150 odd years, 1777
- 1930. Generally speaking, it was the 1930's our nation and
her Government began to turn away from honoring and
following after the G od of our fathers, T he G od of the B ible,
His ways, His Laws, and His Commandments. However, we
kept on writing oh our money "I n God we Trust," and still do,
in spite of the fact that we have "cast away the Law of the
Lord of Hosts" in many respects: concerning idolatry,
profaneness, Sabbath desecration, dishonoring of father
and mother, murder, adultery, stealing, false witnessing, and
covetousness "covetousness is idolatry."
Christ said of Himself: 'The Son of Man is Lord of the Sab
bath Day." Have we not taken away His Lordship of the
sacred Day and turned it over to the Kings of Sport, the
world, the flesh, and the devil? Also, do we not almost boast
that we have nearly done away with the Death Penalty com
manded by The Almighty, and are saving the lives of
murderers, rapists, whoremongers, homosexuals, and
others whom God commanded His people to put to death
and send their spirits back to Him who gave them? We will
not take time to speak of cur heavy and growing crop of
crime, thieves, liars, coveteous, etc.!
"BE NOT DECEIVED: GOD IS NOT MOCKED: FOR
WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETH, THAT SHALL HE ALSO
vREAP. FOR HE THAT SOWETH TO HIS FLESH SHALL OF
THE FLESH REAP CORRUPTION: BUT HE THAT SOWETH
TO THE 'SPIRIT' SHALL OF THE 'SPIRIT REAP LIFE
EVERLASTING.' Galatlons 6:7,8.
This Column has presented God's question to man in the
Second Psalm: "Why DoThe Heathen Rage?" together with
His statement as to who are the heathen: "People who
imagine a vain thing, their kings and rulers," and that their
rage is against God Himself, and His Anointed," and for the
purpose of getting rid of His Laws and Commandments: "
D tiring the past forty years or more have we not been very
successful and made a good Job of "breaking God's and
Christ's bands asunder, and casting away their cords from
us?" Is not the rise of crime, rape, riots, pillage and burning
of our cities good evidence that God Meant what He said
about "holding in derision and vexing with all adversity"
those who reject His Laws and Commandments?
Fear God and keep His Commandments: for this Is the
whole duty of man.
P. O. BOX 405, DECATUR, GA. 30031
m Li iSLfuu
n
n
r"
2 .
f : ' I
A.-
l.Mhl (sH (""---i M r: iwii
p nil j mill itl iii mi
tydots
to uir
pecial
Doscoyini
an
ew SaBa
9p
(good through
Aug. 30.)
' tl
f f ft
All our food j
j is available
for take-out !
Also Offering Luncheon
specials!
except for our
990 Big Tex
; at no extra
charge
Open 11 a:m.
7 days a week
Mi v
4
I rrA IAI I I
fl""l OH VV. I
Rosemary j
J Jk4 am I I jr 1
X
., hiii'uiib-i in in in wr irmrrm1-. in nun i iii'TnrirI-inrrrri i i'ij it j i 1 I r " .i-i- i m i
in adapt m
.1
ESIDENCE HALL
EF-MG EE ATOM MENTA
$36.40 per Year
$24.00 per Semester
plus $15.00 deposit
A
AVAILABLE NOW:
UDEi3T
Suite B
Carolina Union
Mon.-Thuro. 2-4 P.M.
Suite B. Carolina Union
933-3502
II