St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 41

Nov. 12, 1982 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 5C the new movies spinoffs Rocking With Bus Boys horse runs off to join a wild pack and whose father is killed in a subsequent accident. He is aided by his father's old friend, a scruffy, one-legged gold-prospector (Kirk Douglas), and he goes to the lowlands, where his skill with horses quickly becomes evident and he becomes a hand on a huge spread owned by a self-made man (also Kirk Douglas). Burlison, who makes his motion picture debut in exciting style, is smooth-cheeked and boyishly handsome.

He falls for his boss' daughter, played with rebellious charm by Sigrid Thornton, and one thing leads to many others in the mountains and across the valleys. Thornton starred in "The Getting of Wisdom," and "The Man From Snowy River" like that film and "My Brilliant Career" makes some occasional pointed, and effective, comments about the independence of women. Douglas is strong, overplaying one of the parts in a necessary maneuver to provide the old prospector with some individuality, and he's authoritatively stubborn in his relationship with Thornton, as his daughter. Also on hand is Jack Thompson, that marvelous actor who was so great as the defense attorney in "Breaker Morant." He's another mountain man, a legendary horse trainer and an old friend of Burlinson's father. The story, set in the mid-1880s, has all the necessary twists and turns, with' struggles and reconciliations involving parents and children, siblings, man against nature and the good guys against the bullies.

Through it all, the herd of Wild horses, led by a gorgeous black stallion, serves as a backdrop, and so does ihe rugged country of Australia's Great Divide. Like the American Rockies, there are harsh mountains and gentle, rolling grasslands, dark forests grid rushing streams. And Keith Wagstaff, the director of photography, pays the spectacular scenery all the homage it deserves. Director George Miller, who is hot the same George Miller who directed "The Road Warrior," keeps the action moving at a steady pace. There are few surprises, and the acting is on a high level by all hands, especially by the horsemen and trainers.

Most of the action work, which is where the picture really is credited to John Dixon, the second-unit director who also served as author, of the screenplay. All the technical work is splendid, with crisp, taut editing by Adrian Carr and some rich, effective background music composed and conducted by Bruce Rowland. (Running time: 1 hour, 42 minutes. Rating: PG. At the Brentwood, Cave Springs, Grandview, Northwest Plaza, Ronnie's) he certainly proves that Kermit the Frog was right when he said it wasn't easy being green.

Marshall, as a Howard Hughes type wealthy, reclusive and phobic where bugs are concerned offers a splendid performance, and the stark white set is a nifty background for the 25,000 roaches that were obviously found in a nationwide talent search much like the one for Scarlett O'Hara or Annie. (No, I did not count the roaches, but that's what the movie press kit says. It says lots of other things about them, too, but enough is enough.) Nielsen is bright as a sadistic husband who plans a unique revenge on his wife and her lover, played meekly and ineffectually by Danson. The Holbrook-Barbeau relationship will bring memories of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" but Holbrook, who never once changes expression, finds an unusual method of dealing with a wife who would be receiving a compliment if you called her a shrew. Unfortunately, neither of them, nor Weaver, show even the most minimal amount of what might be called acting; Kamen's drawings on a page show more expression and emotion.

Lindfors is most effective in her segment, portraying a cigar-smoking, Rolls-Royce-driving old woman who is, in a word, dotty. As usual in horror films, there are lots of special effects. They're good, but I didn't find them extremely frightening. Maybe it's the comic book feel of the whole film, but it was almost By Joe Pollack Of the Post-Dispatch Staff 'Creepshow' Stephen King certainly knows how to create horror. He's done it in dozens of stories and books, most of which are gripping.

But he also has admitted that when he can't achieve the proper effect of terror, he's willing to settle for the Proof is offered in "Creepshow," where gross is the axiom, but humor the corollary. King's five short tales are inserted in a comic-book wrapper designed by George Romero, the Pittsburgh-based director of such horror classics as "Night of the Living Dead" and "Dawn of the Dead." The result is a film that will not be quite terror-instilling enough for horror purists and not quite funny enough for those who like horror-film send-ups and yet, there's an ingenuous feeling throughout that makes the proceedings generally enjoyable. There's one large exception to the above sentence: Anyone who tends to flee in panic at the sight of a cockroach had better be sure to get an aisle seat. And if a lot of roaches are more upsetting than one roach, well, the credits for "Creepshow" include the names of David A. Brody and Raymond A.

Mendez, who are listed as "roach wranglers," and who certainly should be called upon if you really wish to bug someone. In many respects, "Creepshow" is a cinematic comic book; the film opens with a father grabbing a copy of his son's E.C. Comics and tossing it into the trash. Eventually, it is discarded onto a suburban street and, as the wind flips the pages, we are introduced to the, stories. It will comfort horror-comic fans to learn that Jack Kamen, who was the artist for E.C, did the drawings, and the fun extends to the traditional comic book advertisements for toys, gadgets and techniques to avoid receiving a faceful of sand on the beach.

There are occasional other comic book touches, too, and all work very well. The combination of Romero and King, plus obviously brief shooting sessions, brought some name acting talent to the production, even if much of it was shot in and around Romero's home base of Pittsburgh. Hal Holbrook, Fritz Weaver and Adrienne Barbeau star in one episode; Viveca Lindfors and Carrie Nye in another; Leslie Nielsen and Ted Danson in a third. The other two are virtually one-man operations, one with King himself, the other with E. G.

Marshall. As an actor, King proves himself a first-rate writer who probably never will be confused with Jason Miller or Sam Shepard, to name a couple of other writers who also act. His performance as a Maine lunkhead who finds a meteor and dreams of selling it to the local college is forced and stolid, though From the people who brought you "Animal House? NATIONAL i LAMPOON'S nnrTV 15 4119 rr I PKTUft HELD OVER 3RD WEEK! f-pQ SAT. 5:15, 7: 1 By Dick Richmond 01 the Post-Dispatch Staff Whenever it's pointed out that taste in popular music is most often divided by color, there are complaints from those who seem to think that if it is ignored then it won't exist. Stating the obvious repeatedly serves no purpose, but ignoring the fact makes no sense at all.

However, into this existence has come a Los Angeles rock band called the Bus Boys, which consists of five blacks and a Chicano. The group has Brian O'Neal on keyboards and vocals; his brother, Kevin, on bass and vocals; Gus Loundermon on lead vocals; Mike Jones on keyboards and vocals, Victor Johnson on guitar and Steve Felix on drums. The group's debut album, "Minimum Wage Rock Roll," was filled with satire with songs such as "There Goes the Neighborhood," which is about homesteading whites invading a black ghetto. The band's current album, "American Worker," has left the satire behind. It is no less serious in its intent than the first album.

However, the statements are not as likely to cause guffaws or nervous laughter. "We're from Gardenia," Kevin O'Neal said. "It's a suburb of Los Angeles, a mixed neighborhood, but definitely middle class. Both our parents are schoolteachers in the Los Angeles school system. "Basically, we all went to the same high school.

Except for Victor Johnson, who is from Colorado. So four of us have been playing music together for a long time. When we finished doing our Top 40 time and then our thing, we were sitting around trying to decide what we wanted to do with our careers. We already had some rock 'n' roll integrated into the show. We wanted to break new ground, or at least ground that had not been trampled too much.

Jimi Hendrix was probably the last black to have a major influence on rock." So in December 1979 the Bus Boys performed for the first time. They opened for another new band at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood. The other band was the Go-Go's. A few months later the Bus Boys had a recording contract, and they received a lot of press. "We knew there was a general separation between and rock.

It was this gap that we wanted to fill. We knew we were the only black rock 'n' roll band around, but it presented us with a decision. 20 top pop tunes Billboard's record hits for the week: HOT SINGLES (1) "Up Where We Belong" Joe Cocker Jennifer Warnes. (2) "Truly" Lionel Richie. (3) "Heart Attack" Olivia Newton-John.

(4) "Gloria" Laura Branigan. "Heartlight" Neil Diamond. "Who Can It Be Now?" -Men At Work. j(7) "Mickey" Toni Basil. j(8) "Maneater" -Dairyl Hall John Oates.

'(9) "Steppin' Out" Joe Jackson. 1X10) "Muscles" Diana Ross. "Jack and Diane" John Cougar. 1(12) "Rock This Tjwn" Stray Cats. (13) "Dirty Laundry" pon Henley.

4(14) "The Girl Is Mine" Michael Jackson Paul McCartney. 5(15) "Nobody" -Sylvia. (16) "You Don't Want Me Anymore" Steel Breeze. (17) "American Heartbeat" Survivor. (18) Crosby, (19) "Sexual Marvin (20) Joel.

TOP (1) Usual" (2) "Mirage" Mac. (3) (4) "Lionel Richie. (5) "Built Stray Cats. (6) "Night Joe Jackson. (7) "The Billy (8) "It's Who.

(9) John Cougar. 2 304 THE DAILY 1:15 NATIONAL CLASS 1230 2 40 mm inwcn FBI 7:15. 9:15 SAT. 1:15,1:15, 5:15, 7:15,9:15 NIGHTLY rwnn nnosj Fill. 7:15, 9:15 SAT.

1:15, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15,9:15 Should we meet the fact head-on or try to hide our faces until we got there? Then we would just pop up and we would just happen to be black. "We decided to bust our way in, to put it on a confrontation level as strongly as possible. We were black and that's the way it was." So there were songs such as "KKK" in which lines proclaim "Wanna join the Ku Klux Klanand play in a rock 'n' roll band." Or "Did You See Me?" in which the vocalist sings "You think it was hot in the shadeI bet you never heard music like this from spades." "We went through the satirical phase on the first album. That was our statement. We a seed to let people know who the Bus Boys were.

Then it was time to move for a stronger musical approach, which is what we did on 'American "The first album sold between 100,000 to 150,000 albums. That wasn't bad. This album is in a little trouble, but it's selling well enough for us to go on the road and promote it." Radio, like musical tastes, is either black or white. So how are the Bus Boys doing in that most important medium for musical "The breakthrough in radio has been a struggle," O'Neal said. "None of our records has been taken up.

I don't think that's because of a prejudice situation. Radio's format is limited. It's trying to survive, and it doesn't like being experimental. Radio is into being safe and keeping its audience. "Actually, radio has been good to us.

When we go to stations, they do play the record. They don't play it a lot, and they don't add it to their playlist. But they've been helpful. "But the effort has been by no means fruitless. In spite of the fact that we haven't generated any large hits, we've had spot success.

In Detroit 'Did You See was played a lot. Detroit is a black city and it is the only place where we played to a black audience. The majority of rock listeners are white. So most of the time we play to white audiences." If the Bus Boys survive as a band, and they seemed determined to do so, they may make some real changes. For the most part white rock bands are not into being entertainers.

They play their music and that's it. The Bus Boys, however, have an energetic show. They are fun to watch. Which may force other bands to be entertaining as well. (10) "Heartlight" -Neil Diamond.

(11) "Signals" -Rush. (12) "Combat Rock" The Clash. (13) Fagen. (14) 'Famous Last Words" Supertramp. (15) "H20" Daryl Hall John Oates.

(16) "Olivia's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2" Olivia Newton-John. (17) "Screaming For Vengeance" Judas Priest. (18) "Daylight Again" Crosby, Stills Nash. (19) "Love Over Gold" Dire Straits.

(20) "A Flock of Seagulls" A Flock of Seagulls. 1982, Billboard Magazine CREEPSHOW QQ DAILY 7:10 9:30 SAT SUN 2 304:50 7 109:30 NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CLASS REUNION DAILY 7:15 9:15 SAT SUN LAMPOON'S REUNION 00 1:15 3 15 5:15 7:15 9:15 HALLOWEEN III GO DAILY 715 9,15 CREEPSHOW DAILY 7,10 9,30 SAT SUN 2 30 4 50 7,10 9 30 NATIONAL LAMPOON CLASS REUNION DAILY 7, 15 9, 1 5 MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER DAILY 7: 1 5 9, 15 SAT SUN 1,00 305 5 107 159:15 NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CLASS REUNION DAILY 7,15 9:15 SAT SUN 5:15 7:159:15 1 GREGORY'S GIRL DAILY 7:159:15 SUN 1:153:155:157,5 9:15 2 SCREEN HOMEWORK DAH.Y7:I5 9:05 IM MIS hiiwiii 1 DAILY 1:15, 1:15,5:15, 7:30,9:30 SAT. 5:15, 7:30, 9:10 I animal doctor like the haunts of my youth having a class reunion, and it was fun: Blood and violence, though not excessive, are the probable causes of the rating. (Running time: 2 hours. Rating: R.

At the Crestwood, Esquire, Northland, Village, Woods Mill) 'The Man From Snowy River' The Australians seem to have a special touch with motion pictures, a lyrical feel for the beauty and grandeur of their own nation, and it shows to the greatest advantage in those that are set in the past. "The Man From Snowy River," which can claim ancestry from "The Black Stallion" and dozens of American Westerns, is just such a film a standard story but one where two of nature's loveliest achievements, galloping horses and scenic splendor, come together to create an entertaining, enjoyable film. In a slightly unusual touch, the film is not based on a story or a play, but on a poem, a heroic ballad by A. B. (Banjo) Patterson written in the style of Robert W.

Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee," or Rudyard Kipling's "GungaDin." The plot is easily recognized stuff, beginning with an adolescent boy from the mountains (Tom Burlinson) whose Now any McDonald's breakfast DEAR DR. FOX: My husband and I do volunteer work for the local humane society. It is the society policy (as with most humane societies) to require the neutering of any dog or cat adopted. We often find that a prospective owner who wants the dog as both a companion pet and a hunting dog will refuse to agree to have the dog neutered, believing that this will destroy its hunting instinct and "ruin" it for hunting. Because of this widespread belief, a dog may be deprived of the chance to be adopted into an otherwise potentially good home.

Could you comment on the truth of this idea? FROM WHAT is known about the effects of castration on hunting behavior per se, it is unlikely that castration will have any significant direct effect on hunting dogs' performance in the field. Female hunting dogs do well without testicles and male sex hormones. My feeling is that it is a myth. However, since so many hunters, for reaons of their own ego-involvement with their dogs, find castration unthinkable, I suggest vasectomy; the dog will still be entirely male but his sperm will not be able to reach a female dog. Send your questions to Dr.

Fox in care of United Feature Syndicate, 260 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. HIM. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns. "Southern Cross" Stills Nash. Healing" Gaye.

"Pressure" -Billy LPs "Business As -Men At Work. Fleetwood "Nebraska" -Bruce Springsteen. Richie" -Lionel For Speed" and Day" Nylon Curtain" Joel. Hard" -The "American Fool" No class has less class than this class. OlUU LAMPOON 1C IMJIWfNtlflHCfNTUOY-fOlt 7:15, 9: IS NIGHTLY 7:15, 9: IS McDonald Mir fl 1 $2.00 MATINEES DAILY Til 6 PM.

MAN FROM SNOWY RIVERS DAILY 7: 1 5 9: 15 MAT SUN 1.153:155:157:159,15 FIRST BLOOD CREEPSHOW MATINEES CREEPSHOW 507,109 30 7,00 9:00 7,00 9,05 SUNDAY CHOSEN ft 7:20 9:25 SAT SUN 315 5:15 7 JO 9 25 tuoov matinee SAT SUN 2 SHOWS DAILY 1 3 PM FMONSIGNOR il 4 50 7 15 9 30 CREEPSHOW DAILY 7:10 9,30 SAT SUN 2 30 4 50 7 10 9 30 EXPERIENCE THE FANTASTIC. Clash OF theTitaNsiSB SAVE 50 ON EACH TICKET fcy hrwpr in ONE cm of PEPSI. MET PEPSI Kl TAIN OEW tar Met tkktt wrchuti H.iMiT.ijnnfHH.i,iiJ.ii:iti NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CLASS REUNION DAILY 1,15 3,15 5,157,159,15 MONSIGNOR riiiiVT.ino.in TARA TARA TARA FRI. SAT. 7,30 9:10 10,45 SUN.

2,20 4 05 5 45 9,10 "One of the year's best!" Lyons, (AOS RAD orO WPIX TV 8220700 338 Sd 1 SCREEN CHARIOTS OF FIRE DAILY 7:15 9:35 daytime dial By Lynda Hirsch A friend of mine claims that the actress who plays Stephanie on "Search for Tomorrow" once was on "Days of Our Lives." I've watched "Days" from the day it went on the air and can't recall ever seeing that actress on the program. Please say I'm right it means $50! S.K. This means $50 for your friend. Marie Cheatham began her soap career playing Sister Marie on "Days of Our Lives." Perhaps you don't recognize the actress since she's lightened her hair considerably and become sophisticated and- cunning as Stephanie Wyatt everything Marie Horton I 39Uo33 3550414 II Shop CWr S92-OM0 I H.y UUMirrtiiim Hwy 3e7PofliK 4491 Lfwoy tttty I lediM "Irresistible" VINCENT CANBY, N.Y. TIMES $1 00 NOPCPSI "It's a revelation." entree is less than a dollar.

A good, solid meal. At a price. good low Olle' good Nov. 1 1hiu Nov 28. 1982 Sales tax not included Most McDonald restaurants are independent owned and prices may vary I HELD OVER 11 Til WEEK Pjfigk REX REED 1:15 3:15 7:159:15 i DAILY 7,20 9,25 MAT.

SAT SUN 1982 McDonalds Corporation 3:15 5 15 9,25 EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT 7(1. 3300 1 5 6706 Gorton 7:20 wasn't. i.