The North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 62, No. 52, Ed. 1 Friday, December 1, 1978 Page: 5 of 8
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THE NORTH TEXAS DAILY—PAGE 5
Friday, December 1, 1978
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Movie Reviews
'Watership Down' Raises
k.o.HM^TT
'Express' Film Suffers
From 'True' Form
By DARRELL GOOLSBEF.
Special Writer
As a general rule, films promoted as
based on true stories are little more than
melodramatic nonsense.
And, to be sure, “Midnight Express,"
the story of American Billy Hayes’ ex-
periences in a Turkish prison and insane
asylum, suffers from some of the same
excesses that have marred earlier “true"
movies.
The hero is overly virtuous (although
"Midnight Express" does offer a couple
of exceptions to the rule). The villains
are loathsome, evil beings. And though
the hero has had to suffer unbelievable
hardship and injustice, his goodness in
the end prevails (the happy ending).
THE FILM’S PLOT, as characterized
by the true-to-life rules, is a rather sim-
ple one. Hayes, played by Brad Davis, is
caught with hashish at a Turkish airport
during the height of the hijacking craze.
His parents’ attempts to obtain his
release are unsuccessful, and he’s
sentenced to three years, which he is
content to serve out peacefully. The
wicked Turkish officials, however,
change his sentence to 30 years as the
first three come to an end, and Bill)
decides that escape (the “Midnight Ex-
press") is the only solution to his
problems.
A disgusting informant, however, foils
the plan, and when the loathsome Turk
squeals on a friend for dealing in prison,
Billy loses his cool and brutally murders
the deserving creep. Billy is transferred
to a hospital for the criminally insane,
and, after bribery attempts fail, acciden-
tally kills the cruel guard who beats him
in the sanatorium, walks out in the
guard’s uniform and escapes.
AND IF THE plot of “Midnight Ex-
press" is simplistic, the acting and
dialogue do little to save it. Davis is
almost impassive as Hayes, though he
does have some guou moments in the
asylum, where his virtually expres-
ssonless fHC£ i* nui tn good use The
remainder of the cast is hopelessly
stereotyped. Randy Quaid as an
American bent on escape is particularly
wasted.
But producer-director Alan Parker,
despite the weak script and
melodramatic plot, manages to keep
“Midnight Express” from being
hopelessly mired in the "B” movie syn-
drome. The film’s great strength, the
thing that makes it quite worthwhile to
see, is its magnificent cinematography.
Parker captures the horrors of prison life
and the emptiness of the asylum in
such fashion that the film's flaws can
almost be forgotten.
Violent scenes are graphically done,
but not to excess. And, although prisons
and asylums are not exactly beautiful
settings, Parker uses stark lighting to
produce some absolutely stunning
scenes. Particularly excellent are a
meditation scene and the asylum walk-
ing area because of soft, white lights
filtering through windows, and an in-
credibly powerful shower scene, in
which Hayes is seduced by a Swedish
friend.
"Midnight Express" is not a film for
the purist. Its Haws are simply too great
to ignore. But “Midnight Express" is a
visual experience. It is, in short, a film to
be watched but not really thought about.
By CELIA LASKA
Special Writer
“Watership Down” is not a Saturday
morning children’s cartoon. If it were, it
wouldn’t be worth seeing.
It is a "hare-raising" adventure based
on Richard Adam’s bestselling novel
about a band of idealistic bunnies.
However, if you haven’t read the
book, don’t feel you’re at a disadvan-
tage. Producer-director Martin Rosin
made the movie easy to understand, yet
he kept the book’s basic plot intact.
THE MOVIE IS about a group of
rabbits who, after warned by the
soothsayer Fiver, narrowly escape land
developers’ careless and brutal destruc-
tion of their warren. Led by the practical
Hazel and the tough ex-policebunny
Bigwig, the gallant band sets out across
the English countryside to find a warren
of its own where the rabbits can be free
from the oppression of dictatorial
governments and the threat of man.
The trek is not exactly an Easter Bun-
ny frolic, however. The rabbits find, as
the legend of their cherished hero El-
ahrairah indicates, that the world is their
enemy, and they must live by their wits
to survive. One scene after another is
filled with danger for the small band as
it struggles against rats, dogs, humans
and unfriendly rabbits.
Except tor the first scene, which tells
the F.l-ahrairah legend, the rabbits’
adventures are tense and full of action.
The detailed animation, directed by
Tony Guy, and the music, composed by
Angela Morely, makes each conflict so
intense and realistic that the audience is
quickly engrossed with the action.
THE VIVID SCENE of Bigwig chok-
ing in a snare seems real enough to make
you want to loosen your own collar.
Scene after scene of violence, blood and
death creates a sense of gloom
throughout the theater.
If it weren’t for Kehar. the seagull
w ith the charming voice of Zero Mostel,
the audience could reach the depths of
depression. The flighty seabird is a
welcome relief as it cackles and prances
its way through the movie. Kehar is
enchantingly arrogant toward the rab-
bits, yet he is delighted at the challenge
to help them find some female bunnies
Campus Calendar
1 oda>
7.9 30 p m.
“The Goodbye Girl" in Flic 1
75 cents with'VI ID
Lyceum:
Saturday
H I 1 30 p m
“A Good Question" j;i/z
performs in the RBL, free
quintet
7. 9 W p i
h p m
“Celebration." directed by
(ioldfaden of the drama
m the University Theater
general admission. 51.50
and students with NT ID
Harold
faculty,
. 52 50
children
Mondav
5:20 p.m
K115 p.m.
Violinist Phillip Lewis and
pianist
7 .30 p m
faculty rcc
Hall
the Musk Recital
“The (in
75 cents
tdhve Girl"
ith NT II)
va ill present
Womens basketball team vs Baylo
in the Supcrpit. free with NT II)
Mens basketball team vs Baylor
the Supcrpit. free with NT ID
2000 W University Dr
Between Malone and
Bonnie Brae. Phone 383-1453
Mil
1WEM
Valuable Coupon
TflCOI
INN |
1 Special
Any 3 Items
& med drink
$1
with coupon
(May combine in any way)
Tacos .................
....... 47C
Frijoles ..............
........47C
Bean Burrito .......
........47C
Taco Burger .......
........ 55C
Tostado .............
......47C
Good thru Dec. 8
1507 Eagle Dr.
(next to Pizza Inn)
314 W. University
Live Dinner Music featuring
Jimmie Vann
Bring the Whole Gang Fri. & Sat.
No Cover but dinner required. 8:00-10:00 p.m.
'Hares'
Christmas Activities
Start 'Season of Joy'
and fight against the tyrannical General
Woundwart of a neighboring warren.
MOSTEL’S VOICE, however, is the
only distinguishable one in the movie.
All the rabbits sound similarily British,
which seems to make Mostel’s Greek ac-
cent stand out more. The rabbits’ per-
sonalities are distinguished through the
animation and script.
“Watership Down" is a fine movie. Its
animation is easily on the level of some
of the older Walt Disney films. Its in-
tense suspense will draw you into the
rabbits’ world, and the final scene is
guaranteed to bring some tears.
The action, however, may be a little
too intense for children under six. This
isn't Bugs Bunny. Some adults may even
have trouble coping with the violent bat-
tles in the movie.
The movie could bring one a better in-
sight into a rabbit's view of the world. It
seems very similar to our own.
Welcome 'Bach'
The Denton Bach Society will present
its Christmas concert at 3 p.m. Sunday
in St. Paul Lutheran Church at 703 N.
Elm St., Dr. Charles Brown, society
director, said Monday.
The concert will feature the music of
Johann Sebastian Bach as well as three
of his sons: Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl
Philipp Emanuel and Johann Christoph
Friedrich.
Dr. Brown will conduct J.S. Bach’s
advent cantata “Schwingt Freudig Em-
por.” This work includes familiar
Christmas hymns, choruses and arias.
Two movements from C P F Bach's
Organ Concerto in L-llat Major will be
presented, with Dr. Brown as organ
soloist. The concerto orchestra will be
conducted by Carol Lynn Mizell,
formerly of the Texas Woman’s Univer-
sity music faculty and currently director
of the Denton Community Band.
Dr Hildegard Frohlich of the NT
music faculty will conduct a perfor-
mance of J.C.F. Bach's “Die Kindheit
Jesu." “This cantata combines grace,
elegance and the kind of artistic
simplicity which is highly valued in
representations of the Christmas Story,"
Dr. Brown said.
The performance will feature soloists
Jana Kubitza as Mary. Mary Kay Little
as the angel and Donald Little as Si-
meon.
"The cantata focuses on the feelings
and reactions of several of the story’s
"Season of Joy” is the theme for the
University Ministry Center’s schedule of
upcoming Christmas activities starting
today and continuing through Dec. 20.
Dr. F. Leslie Smith of the speech com-
munication and drama faculty will speak
on “All the Films You Should Have
Missed in 1978" at this week’s "Friday’s
Are Thoughtful" luncheon seminar.
The center will hold its annual
Christmas tree hunt Saturday. Students
may meet at the center at noon and then
proceed to the country to search for a
16-foot tree for the center. Those at-
tending will be guests of Dr. and Mrs.
John Galewaler of Whitesboro. Besides
cutting down a tree for the center, stu-
dents may also get a tree for themselves.
On Sunday, an 11 a.m. Protestant ser-
vice will present Clown Worship, led by
the clown troupe of St. Paul’s Lutheran
Church of Denton.
After Sunday’s services, there will be a
hot dog lunch and tree trimming.
The NTSU Readers Theater will pre-
sent Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas
principals: Mary, the shepherds and the
aged prophet Simeon,” Dr. Brown said.
The concert will be free and is open to
the public. A nursery will be provided
for the children of people attending.
Carol” at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Mulled cider
and cookies will follow the presentation.
The Readers Theater will again ap-
pear at the Center next Friday perform-
ing at the final "Fridays Are Thought-
ful” for this semester.
The Readers Theater will present
Truman Capote’s “A Christmas
Memory" at noon next Friday to all
faculty, staff and administrative
members attending the final luncheon of
the semester. For this last presentation,
a wild duck dinner will be served for
$2.50 per person.
Activities for Dec. 10 include "The
Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols”
at 11 a.m. This will be an ecumenical ser-
vice of Christmas music performed and
congregationally sung.
A Sunday Supper will be held that
evening at 6:14 p.m. A Mexican dinner
will be served for $1. The Readers
Theater will present "A Christmas
Memory," followed by carol singing in
the lobby.
From Dec. II to Dec. 19, the center
will stay open until midnight. Students
may go by for coffee and spend a quiet
time around the Christmas tree or use
the center facilities for study or relaxa-
tion, Karpf said.
On Dec. 17, the center will hold its
final worship services and a farewell
reception for the end of the semester.
After 11 a.m. Catholic and Protestant
services, the center will host a reception
at which hot chocolate, mulled cider and
cookies will be served.
An Episcopal Eucharist service will be
at 10 p.m. Dec. 18.
The center will be open from 10 p.m.
Dec. 18 to midnight Dec. 19 to give stu-
dents a place to study, Karpf said.
Society Holds Concert
Give, and
they shall receive.
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And at these prices, they make very sound
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The sounds are great, the prices are great,
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Expert installation is available, and every
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All specials are good until Christmas, and
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volume, balance and lone controls
manoal/aulomatic program selector Full one vear
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Specialists’ Sale [Vice 49,95
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Dial on door. slide bar adjustable shafts antenna
trimmer Suggested list price 89 95
Specialists' Sale Price 59*93*
Muntz 169* 7-hand graphic equalizer with
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Kelsey, Rick. The North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 62, No. 52, Ed. 1 Friday, December 1, 1978, newspaper, December 1, 1978; Denton, TX. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1002622/m1/5/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.