Hartford Courant du lieu suivant : Hartford, Connecticut • 46

D2 THE HARTFORD COURANT: Wednesday, June 29, 1983 VQM 10 SlWSIUHt 00 osss nni A nil Tiurfi tt mi niii. iimtoi i 1 riAII MATIMCrCI II 1 Witless 'Yellowbeard- Founders, Takes Its Famous Crew With It UL. IT MUTHHU THIS IS A Hill Of A WAV IT im nvDin niiLinmi dUn, ClIDUIUADC" duniiivtisi CUL RICHARD CERE anuna nnr itiii rett ITHE SURVIVORS blue SUN. DKtninU. SI14HSI I.

VI' 11 A I ssssskenxnawMi inn' 'i 1 am film ncviniv 530 9,30 By MALCOLM L. JOHNSON Courant Film Critic Roughly halfway through "Yellowbeard," David Bowie makes an unbilled appearance as a cabin boy. His brief turn is not especially droll in itself, but it momentarily buoys up this foundering pi ill I "1 REP AT HE CITY NOW tun SAT. 2:10 6:451 4:45 f'K MEMOIRS OF A FRENCH in I I VKLLOWBIARD, Directed by Ml Demskl; screenpley by Graham Chapman, Peter Cook and Barnard McKenna; director of photography, Garry Fisher; muilc by John main tltla craatad by Ed RuKha; executive producer, John Daly; produced by Carter Oe Haven. A Seegoet Production, distributed by Orion Pictures Corp.

Playing at The Movies, Westfarms; UA Theatres East, Manchester; and the Newlngton Cineme. VellOwbeard Graham Chapman Moon Peter Boyle El Segundo Richard "Cheech" Marin El Nebuloso Tommy Chong Lord Lambourn Peter Cook Gilbert Marty Faldman Dan Martin Hewitt Or. Gilpin Michael Hordern Commander Clement Eric Idle Betty Madeline Kahn Captain Hughes James Mason Blind Pew John Cleese Mr. Crisp, Verdugo Kenneth Mars Flunkie Spike Mllllgan Trlola Beryl Reld Lady Churchill Susannah York Lady Lambourn Beryl Reld Queen Anne Peter Bull TWIIICHT ZONE 11040 7:30 9:30 11 iii Octopussy the early interior scenes, which resemble the classic illustrations of N.C. Wyeth.

Its scenes at sea is 4 OS i )i shot on the Marlon Brando Boun ty" are also stirring, and fine use has been made of the British locations in Rye, which doubles as 1 tSJ 20' 1009 old Portsmouth. TRAOMi PLACES 2:00 4:30 7:40 9:55 John Morris has contributed a score that gets things off on a stir ring note under Ed Ruscha's au Ui II iupu il TUI i i rrvi It-u CUl thentic and evocative titles. But I wwiHF) most nm NOW PLAYING rate parody. Have other famous figures slipped by unnoticed? Will there be more to come? Perhaps "Yellowbeard" bears more careful scrutiny. But alas, neither Mick Jagger nor Roger Daltry turns up in the subsequent episodes.

And "Yellowbeard" again drifts into the doldrums and slowly begins to sink. The old questions begin to reassert themselves. WluTis Mel Damski, the director? How could such wits as Graham Chapman and Peter Cook have written such an uninspired script? Is their lesser-known collaborator, Bernard McKenna, to blame? Why are Chapman and the other members of the Monty Python collective so fascinated by pirate pictures anyway? What is James Mason doing here? Or such distinguished British players as Michael Hordern and Beryl Reid? Or Susannah York, in a virtually invisible cameo? It's not difficult to fathom the reasons behind the participation of John Cleese, the tall, dark, almost handsome Python member who gives one of the film's few interesting performances as Blind Pew; or of Eric Idle, whose Commander Clement of the Royal Navy is the film's faintly amusing upper-class twit. Loyalty to Graham, whose rabid acting of Yellowbeard is as unfunny as the overall film, was probably reason enough for these lads to sign aboard. Also easy to understand are the impressment of such veterans of Mel Brooks 'films as Marty Feld-man (playing a sly villain's accomplice in what unfortunately was to be his last role), Madeline Kahn (as the tart, cheeky wife of Yellowbeard) and Kenneth Mars after that, "Yellowbeard" slides into one plodding scene after an other, the alleged humor increas mm ingly repetitive or puerile.

Jokes about nailing people to the table or decks a Python favorite abound early, and maiming, death and torture take over from Graham Chapman as Yellowbeard takes command of the ship- there. "Yellowbeard" isn't outra geous, however. It has a too des perate air as if the actors all know that nothing is working WM3 Throughout, in fact, Peter Cook's periwigged Lord Lambourn supposedly a reprobate bears a fixed look of bored disdain. He seems all too aware that he is one of the prime culprits in creating a pointless satire on an abandoned (who does a vaguely humorous impression of Peter Sellers' Clou-seau accent in his role as an inventor of instruments of torture). Peter Boyle, featured as the wicked bosun Moon, is the sort of actor who will do almost anything.

And Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who play a pair of mad Spaniards, were perhaps flattered to be included in such company, and are obviously up for any goof that comes along. Cheech and Chong may well contribute the liveliest moments of the film, in fact a sad com mentary on the overall level of the wit. Or maybe they just have the silliest costumes and the dumbest accents. (Cheech does his semi-literate Chicano; Chong lisps, Castilian-style maybe.) In any case, most of "Yellowbeard" is about as much fun as being keelhauled. It's sad, not only because so many gifted people are aboard this three-masted Titanic, but because such care was lavished on its making.

With Gerry Fisher as director of photography, "Yellowbeard" boasts chiaroscuro camera lighting in INTERSTATE BA EXITBB SILVER LANE EAST HARTFORD 5SB- BB1Q BARGAIN MATINEE DAILY- FIRST SHOW ONLY S2.5Q CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCES DAILY MIDNIGHT SHOWS FRI. AND SAT. genre whose wit is not deadly, but dead. Rated PG, this film contains lots of gruesome jokes, some bathroom humor, and a few shots of slave girls With bared torsos. SHOivnr.ins U2 Declares WaronWar SB 12:30 2:40 4:40 7:30 9:40 If you thought the night before was funny, wait till you see the next day.

Dan Haar The Hartford Courant U2 lead singer Bono in New Haven Monday. t. 'V (II t. ROCK REVIEW ASIHAi BflltVUt (patiui. 12:45 2:45 5:00 7:4510:00 "Tff FUNKIEST AMERICAN MOVE COMEDY Of THE YEAR.

Eddie Murphy it the brightest young comic actor to hit Hollywood a decade. Dan Aykroyd gins the best peifofiiuiice in his film career." -Vincent Cantoy, H.T. Tunes DAN AYKROYD EDDIE MURPHY Si; By FRANK RIZZO Courant Rock Critic It was one of those crazy summer nights swhen you're not sure whether the evening is going to be a disaster or delicious. It was hot, -wet and weird in New Haven Monday, and the sound of thunder in the distance might have the drummer at sound check. There were only about 5,000 people in Ihe Coliseum for the U2 concert, maybe be- jcause U2 has performed twice in the last few 1 months in the area.

But it was my first "chance to see them. And it was wonderful in spite of the fact that the concert seemed possessed by some poltergeist who hated rock and roll. Lights went on and off at random. Monitors Jell from their stands. Performers tripped over other performers.

And the sound system seemed permanently clotted. The show opened with The Alarm, a new Welsh quartet that specializes in a type of call to involvement, but with a punk sen-. Sibility Dylan meets The Clash. Their performance was jagged, especially in the songs that demand vocal control and acoustic-guitar finesse. But The Alarm, led by vocalist Mike Peters, showed they are a talent to watch and that future albums may be worth the investment.

Songs in their 40-minute set, such as "Going Out in a Blaze of Glory," "Come on Down and Make a Stand" and "We Are the were gutsy, melodic anthems. But exactly is their stand? What are we going out in a blaze of glory for? And what does the light reveal? They're not saying just yet. As their name suggests, they rouse the troops; they don't lead them. And in this context they acted as a fine lead-in to U2, who knew exactly how they felt, and why, and weren't hestitant in the least to tell us. Sandwiched between these two slices of rock activism was the peanut butter (creamy style) of rock past with Marshall Crenshaw.

Crenshaw is a terrific performer and his simple, tuneful ditties evoke a pleasant sense of contemporary nostalgia. But his 40-minute just-folks set seemed thematically out of sync with the rest of the show. (Crenshaw is not touring with U2 but Was added for the New Haven show.) And his straight-as-an-arrow performance style is more comfortable on a smaller stage such as Toad's or the Agora. (Crenshaw will be at the West Hartford Agora on July 18.) The audience was divided as well. There were plenty of Marshallmania fans, but there were musical hard-liners who just sat on their hands, Crenshaw's snappy and infectious beat notwithstanding.

There was no encore. More relevant to these fans was U2 the quartet from Dublin that combined commitment, charisma and riflTzlimr musician. IN HARTFORD Art Cinema Wicked Sensations (X) 2:20, 4:55, 7:30, 10:05 with Girls U.S.A. (X) 1,3:40, 1:50. Atheneum Cinema Reopens Friday.

Cinema City-Tender Mercies (R) 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, :30. Last Tango In Paris (X) 2:10, with Memoirs of a French Whore (X) 4:45, 9:25. The Survivors (R) 1:20, 3:20, 5:20, 7:20, 9:20. Return of the Jed' (PG) 1:30, 4:15, 7, 9:45. Celenlal Deadly Mantis (R) with They Call Me Bruce (R) from noor Webster Platinum Paradise (X) with Neon Night (X) from noon.

IN OTHER TOWNS AVON Park 1 4 2 The Survivors (R) 7:30, 9:20. Breathless (R) 7:15, 9:15. Twin 1 4 2 Blue Thunder (R) 7:15, 9:15. Tootsle (PG) 7:30, 9:30. BERLIN Clne142 Tootsle (PG) 7:20, 9:30.

Blue Thunder (R) 7, 9:10. Cine-Fax Theatre Nothing to Hide (X) with Pink Champagne (X) from 11. BRISTOL Center Mall 1 42 Superman III (PG) 2, 7, 9:10. Octopussy (PG) 2, 7:05, 9:20. EAST HARTFORD Eastwood Pub 4 Cinema Closed for renovations.

Peer Richard's Pub 4 Cinema Blue Thunder (R) 7:30, 9:30. Showcase Cinemas Flashdance(R) 12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 7, 9:15. Superman III (PG) 12:10, 3, 7:10, 9:40. Octopussy (PG) 12:45, 3:30, 7:15, 9:50. Psycho II 12:20, 2:35, 4:50, 7:30, (PG) 12.

2:20, 4:35, 7, 9:20. Twilight Zone-The Movie (PG) 12:30, 2:40, 4:40, 7:30, 9:40. Porky's II: The Next Oay(R) 12:45, 2:45, 5, 7:45, 10. Trading Places (R) 12:30, 2:50, 5:10,7:35,9:55. ENFIELD Cine 2,14,54 Return of the Jedl (PG) 1:30, 4:13, 7, 9:45.

War-Gamet (PG) 1:45, 4:05, 7:25, 9:35. Octopussy (PG) 1:35, 4:10, 7:10, 9:40. Trading Places (R) 2, 4:30, 7:40. 9:55. Superman III (PG) 1:15, 4, 7:20, 9:50.

Twilight Zone-The Movie (PG) 2: 10, 4:20, 7:30, 9:30. Enfield Cinema Naughty Girls (X) 3, 7, 10 with The Adventures of Casanova II (X) 1:30, ESSEX Essex Junction Theater Superman III (PG) 7,9:30. LITCHFI2LD Cinema IV La Strada Sophie's Choice (R) I. MANCHESTER Twin Best of Gall Palmer (X) with Coed Fever (X) from 11. Inside Annie Sprinkle (X) with Delias School Girls (X) from II.

UA Theaters East The Survivors (R) 2, 4, 10. Return of the Jedl (PG) 11, 1:40, 4:20, 7, 9:40. VellOwbeard (R) I 3:50, 5:40, 7:20, 9:30. MANSFIELD Trans-Lux Collet Twin Trading Places (R) 2:30, 4:30, 7, 9:10. Mad Max (R) 7:20, 9:10.

MERIDEN Mertden Twin Psycho II (R) 1:45, 7:15, 9:35. Return of the Jedl (PG) 1:30,7,9:30. MIODLETOWN The Mevleheuse Return of the Jedl (PG) 7, 9:20. Supermen III (PG) 7:15, 9:30. NEWINSTON Cinema LIU-Return of the Jedl (PG) It 2.30, 1 7:30.

9:55. The Survivors (R) 12:15, 2:40, 7:35, 9:45. Yellowbeard (R) 3:15, 4:40, 7:15, 9:45. Newtnoten Theater Blue Thunder (R) 7, SOUTHINOTON Queen Plata Flashdance (R 7:30. SUFFIELO Village cinema Blue Thunder (R) 7.

T0RRIN6T0N HelMay Cinemas WarGamet (PG) 1:30. 4 1. 9:15. Octopussy (PG) 1:30, 4, 7, 9:25. Return of the Jedl (PG) 1:30, 4, 7, 9:20.

Twilight Zone-The Movie (PG) 1,3,5 7:15, 9:20. Superman III (PG) 1, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:45 Porky's II: The Next Dey (R) 2, 4, 7:30, 9:30. Perkede Cinema Trading Places (R) 7:15. 9:30. VERNON Cine 1 4 1 Tootsle (PG) 7:20, 9:30.

Blue Thunder (R) 7, fcM. WALLINSFORD Ceteny Cinemas 3, 441 WerGomee (PG) 1:30, 4, 7, 9:15. Twilight Zone-The Movie (PG) 1, 3, 5, 7:15, 9:30. Octopussy (PG) 1:30, 4, 7:10, 9:35. Superman III (PG) 1,3:10,5:20, 9:45.

Trading Places (R) 1:30, 41 7:10, 9:25. WATERBURY Cinema It 2 3 44 Octopussy (PG) 3:30, 7, 9:30. Return of the Jedl (PG) It 2:30, 5, 7:30, H). Twilight Zone-The Movie (PG) 1:15. 3:15, 5:15, 7:15.

9:15. The Survivor (R) 3:05, 5:05, 7:15, 9:30. WEST HARTFORD Elm 1 4 1 Blue Thunder (R) 2:1 7:15, 9:30. Tootsle (PG) 7, 9:15. The Movies-VellOwbeard (R) 11:15.

1:15.3:15. 5:15, 7 JO, 9:30 Return of the Jedl (PG) 11, 12, 1:40, 4.20. 5:20, 7, ft 10: 20. WETHERSFIELD Paris 1 4 1 Blue Thunder (R) 7, 9. Breathless (R) 7, 0:50.

WILLIMANTtC JMHen Severe Cineme Return of the Jedl (PG) 1:30, 0:50, 9:30. Super, man III (PG) 1:45, 7, 9:30 WerGemes (PG) 7:10. 9:30. Octopussy (PG) 2. 7, 9:30.

WINDSOR Plan Blue Thunder (R) 7:15. MASSACHUSETTS AGAWAM Twin Cinemas Tex (PG) 7:15. 9:15. Breathless (R) 9:30. SPRINGFIELD Cinema Theatre Psycho II (R) 7,9.

WEST SPRINGFIELD Palace Cinemas 1 4 1 Schedule unavailable. Showcase Cinema WerGemes (PG) 3:15, 7:25, 9:45. Return of the Jedl (PG) 11 3:35, S. 7:30. 9:55 Blue Thunder (R) 1:15.

1:25. 5:20, ft HtH). Flashdanco (R 1:20. ft 105. Porkys II: The Next Day (R) 17:45, 3, SrlS, 7:45, 15 Octopussy (PG) 2 51.

ift 7:30, Trading Places (R) 1,3:15, 5 lft 7:45, 9:55. Superman III (PG) 2 SO, 7:30, 10. Twilight Zone-The Movie (PG) 12:45, 3. 5:15. 7:45.

MtlS. ORIVS-INS Berlin The Out Girts (X) 9 with Satlsllers ot Alpha Blue (X) 10:13 with Extreme Closeup(X) 11:30. SestHarrforel Breathless R) 30 with Summer Lovers R) 10:30. Reel Windier Blue Thunder (R) 0:30 with The Toy (R) 130. Farm melon Psycho II 0:40 with Coat Miner's Daughter PG) n3.

Hartford Vigilante (R with They Call Me Bruce (R 1 1055. Mincheiter Biue Thunder (R) 0:40 with Stir Craty (R) 10:30. Mansfield Flashdanco (R) with B. (R) from 0:45. Pike Blue Thunder (R) with The Toy (R) ie-20.

PlemvMe Twilight Zone-The Movie (PG) 0:40 with Best Friends (PG) W-25. Portland Psyche II (R) 0-40 wtlh Bad Boys (R) n.3. aiiisrs Censer (Baikheiwue) Reopens Thursday. South In gton Twta Superman 111 (PG) 040 with Beet Friends (PG) Net. Octopussy (PG) 0:40 with Rocky III (PG) 10-40.

Waleitenn Blue Thunder IR) O30 with Spring Break (R) n. Psycho (R 0:20 sritn Bad Boys (R 10 FeUIn Up (R) 0.25 with Soueets) Play (RI M. Some vr funm business. id 12:30 2:50 5:10 7:35 9:55 "GET IN LINE FAST! THE FUNNIEST AND MOST BRACING OF THE SUPERMAW MOVIES. HOORAY FOR REEVE.

PRYOR IS HILARIOUSr Grv S-" 'CO Sho "'Superman III' is one of the summer's great escapes. Ven funny and clever and strong on the old magic of special Ctr -rt CBS vavS sf "THE BIG SURPRISE HIT OF THIS SIMMER!" jwiiuoeanesni.wiicA mn sound, its soul, its positive sense of aggressive pacifism. Songs such as "Surrender," "Two Hearts Beat as One," "Seconds," "I Will Follow," "I Fall Down" and "New Year's Day" speak eloquently about personal as well as political conflicts. U2's music combines anger and hope, desperation and beauty, and gives harmony to the scream. One of the most moving moments was the performance of "Sunday, Bloody Sunday." The stark set was bathed with a smoky red light, bringing to mind a battlefield after a holocaust.

And there, in the middle of it all, was Bono, a stalwart standard bearer for the white flag. Flags have become quite fashionable at concerts. Spirits as diverse as Ted Nugent and Neil Diamond have made Old Glory a backdrop. Def Leppard uses the Union Jack as running shorts. But U2 scoffs at such nationalistic emblems.

War tends to wrap itself in a bunting. Instead, they wave a pure, white banner a flag of peace. Bono pulls off this combination of politics, theater, and rock with genuine sincerity. And he also has a special relationship with his audience. Bono accepts a welcome banner and wraps himself in it with sweet grace.

Bono takes a white carnation from a girl and places it in his hair. Bono, in mid-song, borrows an Instamatic from a fan and snaps pictures of the audience. Bono searches for a girl named Jennifer in the audience; her father had written him a letter saying that today is her birthday. When he finds her, he helps her celebrate by popping open a bottle of champagne and sharing a glass. But the best came at the very end of the show.

As he sang "I Will Sing a New Song," Bono pulled a young boy from the audience to join him on stage and to the kid's astonishment, hoisted him onto his shoulders. And off they went into that crazy night when anything could happen, the kid taking one last look back to the audience. Amazed. Joyous. Breathless.

A fan's dream come true. PG 12:10 3:00 7:10 9:40 PG 12:00 2:20 4:35 7:00 9:20 An tfanc action high. E. CTOPUSSY mm pel 12:45 3:30 7:15 9:50 in 3 IIUlUCIl HUil FLASHDANCE 12:15 2:30 4:45 7:00 9:15 1 12:20 2:35 4:50 7:30 10:00 I SI RETURNOF TKI' JED1 mi joiisiS band is composed of Larry Mullen on drums, Adam Clayton on bass, Edge Evans on guitar and piano, and a lead singer called Bono. (His parents know him as Paul David, Hewson.) It is Bono, 23, yho gives the band its sf aWfj;".