Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 41

Chicago Tribune, Friday, jute 4, 1982 Section 3 3 wmmiii jr jrW' f.lovics As a screamer, 'Poltergeist' is mute 2 "Poltergeist" Mini-rtview: Beyond and back Dtractad by Toba Hoopars aeraanalay by Stavan SaMbar haal Oralj anjl Ma Victor; photographad by Matthaw LaonaM; adkad by MIchaalKahn; muale by Jerry CokUmrth; production daalgn by Jamaa H. Soanear; pnuca by Stavan SpWbarg and Frank Martha; an MOMUnMad ArtiaU ralaaaa at Statajaka, McChirg Court and neighborhood thaatara. Ratad PQ-JHC CAST Slave FraeHng. JJSES Diana Freellng Jobeth WIIHamj Or. tmiiDi sW Dana FreeKna.

BobWa FreelTo, JMi.5?2i Carol Anna FreVlno Haathar O'Hourka Ban TuthW McMara By Gene Siskel Movie critic ASIDE FROM a deliciously frightening locking of a door and a surprising tug on a mother's dress, the new terror film "Poltergeist" is without terror, thrills or entertainment value. In fact, the last half of the picture is a bunch of silly mumbo jumbo that combines the. worst elements of "The Exorcist" and the pseudoscien-tific laugh riot "Beyond and All of this comes as a surprise because "Poltergeist" German for "noisy ghost" was created by two very successful filmmakers. Tobe Hooper, whose "Texas i if lovios Second 'Star Trek' film is light years beyond the first 3y Gene1 Siskel tforie critic THOSE OF US who had never been fang of had never even seen the enormously popu- TV show "Star Trek" and thus never derstood the show's appeal were startled len we saw the very first "Star Trek" vie. It was a leaden piece of special effects jlishness attempting to hide cardboard aracters in a story that was laughable in its to say something profound, rhe film had no style and no weight.

Happily, none of this is true of the second 4ar Trek" movie, which is called "Star ek: The Wrath of Khan." The new film is a flat-out winner, full of ipealing characters in engaging relation-ips in a futuristic film that has a delightfully i-fashioned sense of majesty about its aracters and the predicaments they get jo. The difference: At every level this film is tter better script, direction, production de- rand acting, used to ridicule the "Star Trek" fanatics The Tribune, grown men and women in the and 40s. No longer. This new film explains a appeal of such characters as the coura-qus now-Admiral Kirk William Shatner. Ik 111 v.

1 1 .1 Chain Saw' Massacre" has become a midnight show favorite, arid Steven Spielberg, whose films include such worldwide favorites as "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." What went wrong? Hooper began as the film's director with Speilberg originally serving only as its producer. But Spielberg quickly stepped in to control the day-to-day filming after becoming dissatisfied with Hooper's humorless treatment of the story. In other words, what you have is a film that wants to be both scary and cheerful a tough trick to pull off. "Poltergeist" begins as almost an echo of "Close Encounters," with a suburban child being abducted by spirits that are not the least bit mystifying. You should be 'able to guess the "secret" of this story in an instant.

THE SETTING for all of this intended terror is a nice suburban home full of nice suburban children who play with their "Star Wars" toys while their young parents play with everything from books about Ronald Reagan to the recreational use of marijuana. Director Spielberg has said the film consists of everything that scared him as a child from the big tree outside of the window of his suburban Arizona home to a clown doll in his bedroom and, sure enough, it's all there. The first of the only two genuine scares in the film comes when the children are tucked in bed and their hulking, dad Craig T. Nelson, who looks like a family-size version of Richard Dreyfuss says goodnight and closes the door of their bedroom. The sound the door makes is very special, and in a Tribune interview Spielberg said he sweetened the natural sound of the door closing with the sound of the jail cell tockdown in "Brute Force." It's a tiny moment, but it works.

After the child is taken away from the however, "Poltergeist" loses any sense of Itself and becomes a most ordinary tug-of-war between the film's ghosts and a midget psychic ghost expert. The casting of a dwarf in the role of the exorcist is cute, but so It's very difficult to figure out exactly what's going on here. Apparently the ghosts want the child for some purpose, but if they are so darn powerful, why can't they do what they want without anyone's help? THE ANSWER to this unimportant question is contained in an expository speech by the little exorcist, but the explanation is drowned out by the tumult in the film, which seeks to blow us away with noise and special effects. "Poltergeist" is very good at getting the details cl suburban life right in other words, it bets Ms stage beautifully but when it comes time for the terror to begin, the whole thing is very, very silly. FILM NOTE: There has been some controversy over -the audience-suitability rating for "Poltergeist," which was first rated by the Motion Picture Association of America, but then re-rated "PG" following an appeal by the film's producer.

The city of Dallas reportedly has sought to limit attendance of the film to persons 17 years and older, thus favoring the original rating. In my opinion, the film isn't good enough to be truly frightening, except for the very youngest children under, say, age 10, who probably wouldn't understand or be interested in the film anyway. Regardless, much better films for children are due out this summer, and "Poltergeist" is anything but required viewing. Kids would do well to save their money for the charming "E.T.," due next Friday. Gene Siskel regularly reviews the movie scene at 5 and 10 p.m.

on Channel 2 News. Picardo Montalban left and Walter Koenig in "Star Trek: The Wrath of. A flat-out winner. his loyal Vulcan science officer bpocK onard Nimoy, AND THE FILM also Introduces an exciting "Star Trek: of Knan" member of the Starship Enterprise crew, woman Vulcan officer-in-training called MInl-revlew: Worthy of a hit TV thow avik played by striking gamin actress rstie Alley. earlee created by Qm Roddenberry; photographed by Gayne Surprises? There are plenty, not the least of 'i lich is that Kirk turns OUt tO have had a Paramount releaee at the Chicago, Eequlre and althy sex life and that Spock is willing to MT ie up to his constant pledge to Kirk: "I am km wnnemsheiner ur friend.

I have been and always will be." Jg! oSKaEy The new film is set in the 23d Century. Kirk Rjrieoib.n going through a mid-Hfe crisis as he lebrates another birthday. Rather than read a ul Sheehy's "Passages," he's the kind of cam aw Beech if who will reread "Moby Dick." Already ve got to like him. saavw The story here concerns a direct threat to irk by a belligerent hunk of genetic engineer- called Khan Ricardo Montalban. And planet.

can forget about the "rich Corinthian This direct threat on Kirk's life is exactly ather" jokes with this solid performance by what the old man needs to get his juices ontalban. Or even, "Boss, boss, de flowing again. And what is interesting about aceship, de spaceship." Even though he's the script and Shatner's performance is that ten made up to look like Rod Stewart gone to Spock is portrayed as always in control, as Montalban manages to shed his familiar having a good sense of humor about his Uses and comes across here as a genuinely situation, and as always holding a little power igry fellow, upset at Kirk because he claims in reserve Irk abandoned him IS years ago on a distant Those elements are the qualities that movie stars of the '40s and '50s had in common, and Kirk is a throwback to that confident style of performing and presence. He's a stand-up kind of guy. ALSO APPEALING in a way that he wasn't in the first film is DeForest Kelley as "Bones" McCoy, the Enterprise's chief medical officer.

The man has some wit, supplied of course by a talented screenwriter. "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" also has a solid, adult look rather than a whiz-bang, juvenile pinball atmosphere. The film thus' may not appeal to little ones, but if you're looking for a morality play set in space, this is a very good one. Credit screenwriter Jack B. Sowards for a script full of memorable and funny exhanges and director Nicholas Meyer writer of "The Seven Per-Cent Solution" and writer-director of the underrated love story "Time After Time" for telling Sowards' story cleanly.

"Trekkies" owe a lot to these two men. Together they have ensured that there will be at least one more "Star Trek" movie, and Paramount Pictures would do well to make sure that they both have major creative input in its making. or how High mount TODAY IS 0UK LAST I PAY OF SCHOOL ask me in eptembbr! i P0E5 ANYONE WANT TO KN0U) WREN CHARLES PICKENS WAS BORN? WHITNEY HOW TO SPELL MISSISSIPPI 7 DININO OUT GET-AWAY-GUIDE DININO OUT DININO OUT GET-AWAY-GUIDE GET-AWAY-GUIDE GET-AWAY-GUIDE GET-AWAY-GUIDE GET-AWAY-GUIDE RUNAWAY VICTORIA STATION! FOR TW I I I 3 DAYS2 NIGHTS JUST fna. cm nr. aa PER COUPLE Stick-to-your-ribs I Tplus tax and gratuities) i I HI mfciillWII I illll II Ill BIIWlWI i III 1 1 I II II I II Mil I "Imagine a beautiful change from the ordi-j Special Savings.

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