The Ottawa Journal from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • Page 39

OS lnlDCn ThtGrMMry is nic things to Mt, 0k CELEBRATE THE BURGER I CJH pw MM ban aba) toa our IVMW toodcfrcuiiKMCMMrtlom MM Wi Kmrni "Iimi i fc ancaa br i naapBQ cotoi mm. QUICHE ZEIO A IIIIsC (LaraMMM) PEANUT BUTTER AND JAM SANDWICH HWT raw. mtmm goon wrnriad fl(Cl pK bam mn a Onvt en mo amar.ai on llVts nawral RMpvMckat bnad Swao Wt Ihja yogurt and a banana. 1 SUPER COUOSSAL.SUNDAES tV Wa. Cumin.

Pun mart ncmxp I 1 1 LC ba NairMniMkM Wouldn't tnt tMjt nk kt tonefitt The Greenery Etw A lariat lor lunch and aflwPlMtnj '(i OPEN 7 DA 8 A WEEK I I'm lit U. ya Oliver Reed: believed In the script T-ice tho'soeed of sound 3aJ the Concorde evade vXsLP Vs AIRP0RT79 I tMiMUMWIUHltl JUWDIION SUSMRMir ROBfffBWR Ifll MIW WHIttCfMSt (WW JIMUVMIR DJIWUHH IHI (MM ilHlM I iBCSOW JldNtNKill llill'iMWi 'iiMHWii Wi Pf PP a a) Wednesday, August 1, 1979 Ottawa Journal Page 39 Uptempo Pages 39 44 i Director defends his work Horror good for you By Mike Leo Journal Correspondent When asked about the content of his fourth feature film The Brood, Canadian director David Cronenberg smiled faintly and replied, "It's the story of a marriage under selge." Now that The Brood has gone into general release and the hush surrounding the film's content has been lifted, one can see that Cronenberg's thumbnail description omitted several rather major details: The Brood is the story of a troubled marriage, but the source of trouble happens to be a collection of pint-sized monsters with nasty tempers and homicidal impulses. Samantha Eggar, leading lady of The Brood, is also the leading problem of the story. She plays a neurotic woman whose rage at her own psychological inadequacies prompts a series of growths to appear on her body. The'y eventually form into a collecion of albino monstrosities with a penchant for murder.

If The Brood sounds Illogical, to say the least, then it is with what cult followers of Cronenberg have come to expect from him: ladle on the horror, don't spare the gore, examine the horrifying possibilities of everyone's physical vulnerability, and don't bypass the potential for exploring the horror-movie phenomenon of physical transformation. After Cronenberg's first two features. Shivers and Rabid, no one should expect Cronenberg to play nice with his audience. That would kill' the possibilities for frightening the viewer. Ever-watchful of slipping into a harmless stance, Cronenberg plays on one's realization that none of us have complete control of our bodies, and in doing so Cronenberg exploits our dread of mysterious physical change.

Cronenberg's films lead one Jo expect him to be a ghoulish chap with a morbid aura about him, but he is Instead an articulate and pleasant man in his mid-30s with a positive attitude towards his work, viewing the dire conflict he presents In his films as being a medicinal treatment for his audience. "I think that the movie audience needs the catharsis that horror brings. It's very Important I think to follow a character through various problems in a film and to come out the other end with him Is quite healthy. It provides Its own kind of relief," he said. Made at the relatively minor cost of $1.4 million in Toronto during late 1978, early 1979, The Brood stars Oliver Reed as a mastermind doctor whose field is the fleetingly explained "psychoplas-mics," a school of psychological practice that allows the patient to develop the ability to alter their bodies.

Cos tarring with Reed and Eggar are Art Hindle, Susan Hogan, Henry Beckman, Nuala Fitzgerald and eight-year-old Cindy Hinds. Getting Reed was a considerable coup. Reed, who is reputed to be fussy about his paycheck, accepted the lead role at a reduced salary because be believed In the script, which was written by Cronenberg over a 2 year period. When asked whether the lenghy time period between the script's conception and the actual filming presented problems for Cronenberg In the way of unexpected changes, Cronenberg said, "A film changes all the time because you have a different perspective on It while you're making it from when you first thought of doing It "Once you have actors and a set everything automatically changes because of the physical reality of filmmaking. It can really change a script But unless you go off on a tangent that feels wrong this change can be very exciting because you come closer to a film reality." While Cronenberg has been attacked by the press for the nasty content of his films, be expects The Brood will change some minds on the content and nature of his work.

"I won't say that I don't care what the press says because to the extent that they are people seeing my films they are part of my audience. This film, however, is not an attempt to prove something to the press, that's for sure. But this film is different, it Is. a development. I'm matur-, ing, so I expect and hope that this will be better than everything I did before It, that it will be more example.

To that extent I hope it will- be seen differently from the way that Shivers was." Well, not exactly. So far critics Gene Sussktnd and Lawrence O'Toole have dumped on The Brood, dismissing it disdainfully. It's doubtful. greenery however, that this sort of reaction will slow Cronenberg down any. There is always something new for him to do.

"I think if the ihysteries of film making stopped then so would I. It's never the same. In terms of the most basic film-making technique, I'm more solid than before. "But beyond that each film has its own life, and so you of then find that things that worked in the past no longer do and you have to move on. "There Is always a subtle shift in the tone and look of a film that you must be aware of, so you must always try something new.

"But if I felt that I was just repeating myself and going through the motions than it would just be boring." if "irniiiiiiiii iiiim ii iiai(BliiiwimiMif1lM Ltfi Samantha Eggar: problem of the story I i tummtmnrmt-niimvwrmTimmt itmnmt wh' t- iii i POTSDAM, NEW YORK "The Best Music Theater this side of thb 1 ere SEASON SARA SMU. MUSIC TMATtR FIDDLER ON THE ROOF: Aug. 7-8 PIRATES OF PENZANCE: Aug 11-13 A irmi MGHT MUSJC: July30Aig. I.Aug. 15-17 HELEN HOSMIR HALL THE FANTASTICKS: Aug.

19. 21. 23 JACQUES BREl Aug. 3-6. Aug.

20. 22. 24 For ticket Information, subscription ratss and group sales: CALL (31 5) 265-3070 Canadian Money accepted at par MUSIC THEATER NORTH, p.o. box sae, POTSDAM, NEW YORK 13670 Rogers no hard feelings EDMONTON. (CP) Greg Rogers says he has no hard feelings towards Citadel Theatre or its' artistic director, Peter Coe.

Rogers, 28, whose resignation as associate! director was announced a week ago, is the third: asoclate director to resign In a year. He says he quit because some of his expecta-; tlons were not met and because he had com muni-; cation problems with Coe. THIS WEEK VEHICLE NO COVER CHARGE tmiriPiiKTrr I ckiccmri Rockcliffe Park August 4 4pm MICHAEL O'REILLY CODY KALIL NESRALLAH BUG ALLEY BAND August 18 8pm THE GREAT SNEEZY WATERS and HIS EXCELLENT BAND SUE-ELLEN CHANCE Theits and sounds of the Ws. There were bittersweet times. There were crazy and it was all unforgettable.

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