Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 21

(EhicafiD QTribune FridayJune 13, 1980 Section 3 BEST COPY AVAILABLE ovios waves: 2 summer films a at Shock take stab violence Scares are scarce in lne onining TRIBUNE MINI-REVIEW: Dull finish "THE SHINING" Produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick; ecreenplay by Kubrick and Diane Johneon baaad on the novel by Stephen King; photographed by John Aloott; edited by Ray Lovejoy; mualc by Bala Bartok; production daalgn by Roy Walker; Warner releaee at the State lake and neighborhood theater. Rated R. THI CAST Jack Torrance Jack Nlcholaon Grady Phlflp Stone Wendy Torrance Shalley Duvall Joe Turkel Danny Denny Uoyd Doctor Jackson Halloran Scatman Crothera Durkln- Burton Barry Nelaon iuiiu I I I inifc.jjaiu. uimni I mi mi II num. iimi iuiiiiu.iiumiiii.iii.ii..

i. iui lis- f- JJ -f yjJtA has been blessed with a form of ESP that the departing hotel cook calls "shining." The cook (Scatman also is able to "shine." If. the film had been more of a direct mano a mano between father and son', it would have been crude but a lot more engaging than what Kubrick has come up witH. Instead, we get repeated scenes of Nicholson encountering an imaginary bartender in the hotel's deserted dining room. These scenes allow Nicholson to do a star turn of getting drunk before our eyes, but add little to the story.

THE BOY PROVIDES the only scary moments in the film when he talks to a playmate named Tony, a figment of his "shining" imagination. When speaking as Tony, the boy (played by 7-year-old Danny Lloyd of Pekin, 111.) crooks his finger and talks in an unsettling, squeaky voice. We fully expect Tony to play a big role in the film, but he never does. Shelley Duvall, a talented actress in many Robert Continued on page 3 By Gene Siskel Movie critic STANLEY KUBRICK'S latest film. "The Shining.

which is being billed as "the, ultimate horror film," turns out to be much less. In fact, it's a crashing disappointment. The biggest surprise is that it contains virtually no Given Kubrick's world-class reputation, one's immediate reaction is that maybe he was after something other than thrills in his horror film. If so, it's hard to figure out what. Save for one superb moment when Jack Nicholson's face suggests that the ultimate horror may be the secret demon that lurks in all of us; "The Shining" is more boring and on a couple of occasions downright embarrassing than anything else.

You can't blame the source material, which is the terrifying novel by first-rank shock writer Stephen King. King's story tells of a weird Colorado hotel that closes down every winter because of its remote mountain road location. Each winter the hotel hires, a caretaker to look alter the deserted place, and on one occasion the caretaker went stir-crazy and ended up slaughtering his wife and twin To this sprawling, haunted house, one winter comes Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), a teacher who has taken up free-lance writing and is looking for a secluded writing pvw aw if" Michael Caine (left) and Dudley Sutton in "The Trapped in a terrifying world of pirates, TRIBUNE MINI-REVIEW: Thrills over troubled waters "THE ISLAND" Directed by Michael Ritchie; acreenplay by Peter Benchley baaed on hie novel; photographed by Henri Decae; edited by Richard A. Harrte; mualc by Emtio Morrlcone; produced by Richard 0. Zanuck and David Brown; i Unlveraat releaee at neighborhood theaters.

Rated R. THE CAST till location. Jack is married, has a 5-year-old son Danny, and a history of drinking too much. Once, when drunk, he dislocated his son's shoulder in a fit of rage. Jack's wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), is a put-upon woman, frazzled and held in check by Jack's temper.

ONE OF THE MAJOR problems with the film is that neither Jack nor Wendy do much changing. Right from the beginning she's a mess, and he's under terrific tension. There's virtually no development of character, and we don't have a clue why they married each other. There's no attraction between them. When Jack arrives at the hotel to interview for the caretaker job, and is told of the murders some 20 years ago, a strange look crosses Nicholson's face.

It's as if the notion of murder has been smoldering in his heart for a long time. The bloody history of the hotel is just the spark to send him careening into the blackest of thoughts. How-many other parents would have a similar reaction, the film seems to be asking. Seeking to prevent the murders is the boy Danny, Danny Lloyd (right) and Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall (below) in "The A family haunted by a house of horrors and each other. Michael Caine Dr.

Button Niu Devld Warner Beth Anoela Punch McQraoor Hluoner. Colin Jeavona Weecott Zakee Mokae i Wlndaor Frank Mlddlemaee Hollo Don Henderaon Stark Brad Sullivan Juatln Jeffrey Frank I 4 aaiiiiieiiiiiiiiii.ii.iiiii.1 I I 1 tt A bloody thrill trip to a fantasy 'Island' y' THIS MAY TURN out to be a controversial review of what undoubtedly is going to be a controversial movie. I liked "The Island," and if you go to see it based on that, the chances are about 1 in 5 that you're going to write me a nasty letter. That's because "The Island" is excessively and, unnecessarily bloody: from a hatchet in a forehead to a dozen people being chopped up by machine gun fire. Add to that a story premise that asks you to believe that a colony of 17th Century pirates is alive and rapacious and living in an isolated island in the Bermuda Triangle, and you've got reason to think that "The Island" is both preposterous and bloody.

Yet it is never boring, and toward the -end of the film, when the existence of the bloodthirsty pirates is most seriously threatened, I actually felt sad that they' might be destroyed. That's a powerful reaction for a violent and fanciful film to achieve. "The Island" is based on the third water-logged best seller to flow out of the pen of "Jaws" and "The novelist Peter Benchley. As in his other books, Benchley offers us a terror that lurks in the water and then 'pits that terror against some rather ordinary people. "THE ISLAND" BEGINS much in the same way as "Jaws" )vith a brutal killing by a partially 'seen monster.

The killing is so violent and bloody that we are kept on edge for the rest of the film. (A terribly violent beginning to a shock film is a well-established movie convention. The explicit violence of "The Island'' is unwarranted only later on.) The ordinary people who combat this terror are New York-based magazine writer Blair Maynard (Michael Caine) and his 12-year-old son. Reading about the disappearance of yet another pleasure boat and crew in the so-called Bermuda Triangle, Caine persuades his editor to send him down to the Bahamas to see if he can develop a hot news story. Caine gets much more than he bargains for.

To begin with, he and his son charter' an airplane out of Miami that barely makes its island destination. Actually: the plane doesn't survive. Uh, there's this problem, with its. landing gear. It doesn't come down.

But Caine and his son, a crack shot with a pistol, do survive, only to go fishing and land a barracuda. "Can't we try for one more?" Caine's son pleads. At this point, the tension level of the movie is so high that you, want to reach up to the screen and smack the kid across the But Caine does agree, and that turns out to be one fish too many. He and his son soon wind up on another island where the long-lost 17th Century pirate civilization is alive. Yes, real pirates.

Guys who jabber in a mixture of old and new and pidgin English. David Warner plays the pirate king, commanding a primitive society that practices cannibalism and other disgusting rituals. THE ARRIVAL OF Caine and his son is perceived as a blessing by the pirates. They need some new genes. Caine is promptly placed in stud with the pirates' only beautiful woman (a corny, sexist, but thoroughly welcome development), and his son is adopted by Warner, who is looking for an heir.

The threat of violence hangs in the air as Warner trains Caine's son to become a man (the ultimate test will be to kill his father), and as the pirates continue the regular booty hunting forays that jeopardize their lives. It's a tribute to novelist. Benchley's imagination that he could take the public domain idea of the Bermuda Triangle and crime up with such a simple but thoroughly entertaining explanation. This is a film that often comes dangerously close to falling apart. You may, for example, wonder why some of the pirates speak better English than the others.

But on the whole, the film never reaches the point where you're thinking, "Look at those dumb Hollywood actors dressed up like pirates." Foremost at sustaining the film's believability is Caine, who, in turn, is convincingly cynical, horrified, and then courageous. His son is well-played as a somewhat spoiled brat by Jeffrey Frank. And Dudley Sutton is superior as an island doctor who has a special relationship with the pirates. SUTTON ALSO HAS the film's most important line of dialog. He tells Caine the significance of the pirate population and why it is worth preserving.

"It's an anthropologist's dream. You are looking at the 17th Century, at a specimen of the past." We believe him, and that's when the film has us hooked. "The Island" was directed by Michael Ritchie, an extremely talented San Francisco-based director who previously has made small but good features Racer," "The Candidate," "Smile," and "The Bad News With "The Island," Ritchie makes his debut in the world of big-scale Hollywood movies, and this is his triumph, too. One final word of caution. This is a very bloody and violent movie.

It's what is known in the trade as a "hard which means that it's a lot closer to being rated (for violence) than PG. The squeamish are warned. And don't take young children. Qene Gene Siskel regularly reviews the movie scene on Channel 2 News at 5 and 10 p.m. 1 mm.

,4 a a v. -W i' .7. a i Eats An update on the in spots jor dining outdoofy By Fran Zell vC-'. Restaurant critic THERE'LL BE A PLACE in the sun for everyone this summer, weather permitting, thanks to all the restaurants that now feature, outdoor dining. For a long time an archaic city ordinance forbidding outdoor food sales discouraged many restaurants from expanding beyond their doorstep.

It has not been enforced in recent years, and outdoor cafes have been springing up everywhere. These tranquil treats from fast-paced city life that flourish in sidewalk, patio, garden, and rooftop ectuiigs have too much romantic appeal not to on. Outdoor menus vary considerably, catering to a wide range of appetites and moods. Some places are strictly sipping featuring summery drinks and other traditional coolers. Those that serve food frequently limit the selection to such simple-to-serve items as salads, sandwiches, and cheese and sausage platters.

Still other restaurants offer diners the run of the regular menu. Most patio dining already is in full swing, but more is yet to come. When the new Hill- (such as salad nicoise and a curried chicken and fresh fruit plate), hamburgers, brat-wursts, and such summery desserts as blueberry streusel pie. This year three dinner items, $7.50 to $10.95, also will be available outside barbecued ribs, chicken in wine, and broiled bay scallops. Brunch entrees are served outside on Sunday.

There is full liquor service and a wine bar. The 85-seat patio is dressier this season, too, with green vinyl tablecloths and a centrally located, green-, frame gazebo. Open from 11:30 a.m. to mid-night Tuesday through Friday, until 1 a.m. Saturdays.

Monday hours are 5 p.m. until midnight. Care Figaro. 2242 N. Lincoln 549-5755.

Both the tree-shaded patio setting and topi quality food are geared to delight. At dinner a Continued on following page' some 50 patrons in the garden adjacent to this two-month-old, northern Italian eatery. Cocktails and full menu service are available. One may choose from a moderately priced array of pastas, veal, chicken, steak, and fish items. Dinners, $5 to $9.75, come with small salads, potato, and a vegetable.

Open from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 11 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday.

THAT'S IT FOR THE NEW spots this season. Here's a look at some of the favorite al fresco spots that have been. around Jerome's, 2450 N. Clark 327-2207. A limited, lighter version of Jerome's American menu takes the outioor spotlight.

This is a "fresh food" restaurant, where bread, pastries, soups, stocks, and even mayonnaise are made from scratch. Most al fresco specialties, $3 to $5, include soups, cold salad platters ary's in Schaumburg's Woodfield Lake Office Complex opens June 23, it will boast a 40-seat terrace overlooking ah 8'i-acre lake. Cocktails and sandwiches will be on tap, with much of the food prepared outside, too, on an open-pit charcoal grill. Also, the new R. J.

Grunts, 1615 Milwaukee Glenview, has big plans for a large As-pen style outdoor terrace but probably will not put them into effect until next year. OTHER NEW sites include: Village Smithy, 360 Park Glencoe, 835-0220. The newly enlarged, 24-seat courtyard in front of this vintage American restaurant opens next week and will play a variety of roles throughout the summer. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mondays through Fridays a chalkboard lunch menu will offer a changeable variety of cold soups, sandwiches, and salads. From 5 p.m. each evening cocktails plus a few hearty hors d'oeuvres, such ts whole stuffed artichokes, will be offered. Drawing from his extensive American wine list, owner Bill Lep-man will make several California wines available by the glass each night. Lepman also plans to remain open late 'enough to accommodate those who stop by after an evening at Ravinia in Highland Park or the Spectrum Theater in Lake Forest.

On Thursday evenings the patio will be brightened by entertainment Of its own local folksinger Lana Rae. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays' and Sun-. days there will be branching in the sun, with a lineup of freshly baked breads, sausages, cheese, fresh fruit juices, espresso, and cap-puclno.

Stefani's, 1418 W. Fullerton 348-0111. Umbrella-topped tables provide seating for.