Red Deer Advocate from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada • 24

4C THE ADVOCATE, Saturday, April 4, 1 981 Entertainment Nash the Slash makes splash in Britain last July North Americas largest-grossing event of the year. It made Billboards No. 1 box office. When Billboard made up their No. 1 awards at the end of the year, there on this page were all the biggest concerts of the year and right at the top of the page was The Who, Heart, J.

Geils and Nash the Slash grossing over $1 million in front of 70,000 people at CNE Stadium. The joke of it all was I was the only artist on the entire page who was unsigned, unknown, a complete non-entity. Eventually he signed with Dindisc and did Children of the Night, the album released last month that made a brief appearance in the Top 60 here. Nash is looking forward to returning to Toronto, sometime in June, and is to hit the concert trail once again with dates lined up in Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Toronto, Winnipeg and Thunder Bay. but put off record companies "because we were too weird." Four years later, he started his solo career and in 1976 he became part of the duo FM, which became a trio, recorded the successful Black Noise album and changed its musical approach.

Nash left in 1977 to go solo. Last February and March he travelled on Gary Numans North American tour. Then came the biggest event of his career playing on the same bill with The Who in Toronto LONDON (CP) Nash the Slash, Toronto's one-man electronic rock band, is seeing his musical career finally surface in Britain. I think what Im doing stylewise is probably more appealing everywhere else other than in England, he says, yet England is where his career is taking a major new direction. Nash arrived in London last fall and since then hes been the support act for Gary Numan, signed with a British record company, done a solo tour around Britain, and brought out an album.

And, Nash says, all of that could only happen here. "In Canada the tendency is to sit back and wait until the artist or the band have done their thing and then it's all backpatting and I-told-you-so kind of stuff." On stage, he looks like the aloof reincarnation of Claude Rains as the Invisible Man with his top hat, bandaged face and dark glasses. But off stage, hes a well-spoken and friendly musician with the maturity of his 33 years and the energy of someone years younger. He prefers not to use his real name, saying "its all part of the game. The original Nash the Slash was a cut-throat butler in an old Laurel and Hardy movie.

Nash was born and raised in Toronto where he studied classical violin for eight years. His rock career began in 1969 when he joined a group called Breathless that did well as a live act H- ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 35 Elks Club Presents DON and TERRY Entertainment Friday Saturday NO, THIS IS NOT CLAUDE RAINS AS THE INVISIBLE MAN bizarre Toronto entertainer Nash the Slash making waves in Britain PEOPLES CHOICE" Entertaining Sat. English TV in sea of French a challenge Elks and guests only Legion Members Guests Only WATCH ble finding people who can speak English. Forget about doing a man-in-the-street interview, sighs Helene Charest, one of three CKMI re-porter-announcers. The lack of English-speaking people to interview is one of several things that make CKMI unusual.

QUEBEC (CP) The Quebec City area may have a population of more than half a million, but reporters at television station CKMI worry about running out of people to interview. As the only English-language television in a city that is 97 per cent French, they have trou We come in here at nine in the morning and unless we talk among ourselves, all day we speak in French, said Bob Dawson, one of CKMIs reporter-announcers. And since all the technical staff is French, all operations right up to broadcast are in that language. For the news announcer, its: "Cinq, qua-tre, trois, deux, un Good Evening. Constant exposure to French takes its toll on the reporters English vocabulary.

Instead of talking of traffic problems the city, one announcer once spoke of circulation problems the French word for traffic. Sometimes we start searching our scrambled brains for the English word, said Dawson. But the stations viewers dont seem to mind either the occasional gallicism, the French commercials or the small amount of local programming. At the last CRTC hearings into CKMIs broadcasting licence, not a single complaint was received. In fact, said Raymond Huneault, an official with the CRTC in Ottawa, the commission didnt receive any feedback from the public at all about the station.

The lack of public response rankles reporter Charest. If there were more feedback, it would be easier sometimes, she said. The lack of feedback isnt a new problem. A CBC affiliate, the station is owned and operated by Entreprises Tele-Capitale which also owns the much larger CFCM-TV, an associate of the private French-language network TVA. Although involved with two networks, CKMI and CFCM share the same owners, building, and facilities.

But CKMI is definitely the smaller operation. Broadcast audience figures for last fall show that CKMIs top show The Price is Right was watched by 31,300 viewers. The top-rated show for the same period was La Petite Maison dans la Prairie, the French-language version of The Little House on the Prairie. Broadcast on CFCM, it drew 396,000 viewers. CKMIs three reporter-announcers all Quebec City natives produce only three hours of local programming a week, much of that the nightly newscast.

Nearly all the ther programming 85 per cent is CBC network material. Newcomers to Quebec City who settle down to watch CKMI are sometimes startled to see French-language commercials produced for CFCM inserted in the middle of an English show. The station says this happens when it is too costly to produce a separate English commercial. And besides, many of CKMI's viewers are francophones. French is also predominant in the newsroom.

Youd walk around with the feeling, Is there anybody listening? said Barbara Smith, who worked at the station for seven years starting in 1966. Recalling the station used to have a draw every year on St. Patrick's Day, she added: One of the last years I was there, the response was so pathetic, we had to put stuffing in the bottom of the box to make it look like it was full of entries. For Tele-Capitale, running an English-language TV in Quebec City is almost a work of charity. If we keep CKMI open, one station official said, its as a service to Quebec Citys anglophone community.

"They know that if we werent there, theres nobody else who would be interested in opening an English-language television station. Tele-Capitale officials were reluctant to discuss CKMIs financial status, saying they didnt know exactly how much CKMI cost because its operations are so integrated with CFCMs that figures for the stations are lumped together. Tele-Capitale itself is doing well financially: Net profit for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 1979, was just over $5 million, and indications are the following fiscal year was even better. Said De Seve: We may not lose money with CKMI, but we dont make any money either.

Xx i 1 Behind the clown face play subject WINNIPEG (CP) A travelling theatre group out to show children and adults what being a clown really means brought its act to Winnipeg recently to the delight of both. Paul Liittich, assistant director of the Victoria-based Kaleidoscope Theatre, said the groups play, Clowns, deals with them as "real people with real emotions. The play was written to show a primarily young audience the history of clowns from their Greek and Roman beginning to modern times. The production, based on an original play by Victoria writer Stephan Ray, mixes music, dance, mime and comedy. It deals with the death of a clown, but also with rebirth.

Children respond to both the joy and sadness of the lives involved. Liittich said the subject of clowns is a natural for children. "Its easy for the child to be a clown because youre dealing with all the things the child has and loses in growing up, like innocence, a sense of play, vulnerability. Thats basically what a clown is its the child inside us. Liitich, who founded the company in 1974 and is one of its actors, said donning the costume and makeup of a clown is something he looks forward to.

Theres something magnificent about putting on that clown outfit. I feel its going to be a good experience. In his 12-year acting career, Liitich has performed on mainstage and childrens theatre, which he said is more demanding. channel cable 8 Produced by WORLD VISION OF CANADA Stephenson On Film Omen trilogy ends, and none too soon HAPPY BIRTHDAY There will be refreshments available, and balloons for the kids! With every Personal Account opened during the day, we will put the first $1 .00 into the account. Come in and meet our friendly staff and help us celebrate! WHERE: Toronto Dominion Bank 3301 50th Ave.

Red Deer, Alberta WHEN: April 6th, 1981 10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Toronto Dominion the b.ink here people make the difference By Darrel Stephenson Harry Medved and Randy Dreyfuss are the authors of a marvelous book entitled The 50 Worst Films of All Time. These two chaps purposely screened over 2,000 turkeys in a two-year period, to determine the monumental stinkers of all time. One has to admire the hard work behind a project like this.

And I certainly got off on their tongue-in-cheek philosophy. One of the 50 losers listed was The Omen, the 1976 horror smash that starred Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, and David Warner. Medved and Dreyfuss thought it was an awful show. They should see The Final Conflict. They just might change their minds.

First things first. The Omen was an exceptionally well produced, edited, and structured film. Although I agree with the authors of 50 Worst Films Of All Time in most of their selections, we part company when it comes to The Women. I can select a dozen horror films far more ridiculous in concept and weaker in production. Damien: Omen 2 was a disappointing follow-up.

Final Conflict is even more of a letdown. Like so many Hollywood sequels, this trio of horror shockers went from great to so-so to blah. Final Conflict isnt a turkey. But it oftentimes comes so close, that no doubt many crusty and hardened film critics will write it off altogether. Damien Thorne (the devils son the Antichrist if you will) is no longer a teenager.

Hes a handsome 33-year-old. An advisor to the U.S. President (Mason Adams) who later becomes the British Ambassa dor. How convenient! Especially when the movie was shot in England! Damiens diabolical mission is to rule supreme over the world. To spread evil.

And considering his lofty political position, he stands a good chance. But doggone you know it? It seems that British astronomers have excitedly discovered a star pattern identical to the one that was present during the birth of the Christ Child. It has signaled the Second Coming. Somewhere, the new Messiah has been born between midnight and 6 a.m. on March 24, after the brilliant and blinding merging of the three stars.

As long as the holy child lives, Damiens strength will grow less. He urgently commands his disciples to seek and destroy these children, or they themselves will be "smothered by the bosom of Christ. Thereafter were treated to scenes of the Antichrist's assistants (theres even nurses, Boy Scouts, and Girl Guides amongst cant trust anyone these days) killing babies. Theres runaway carriages, nurses skulking into hospital rooms and turning off the controls on an oxygen tent, and some rather shady looking Scouts and Brownies asking to do a "good deed. Sam Neill portrays Damien.

His performances can best be described as wooden and to me, at least, unconvincing. Oh sure, hes evil alright. Hardly anyone youd invite to the company picnic. But his viciousness and diabolical persuasiveness are all surface value. Theres no depth to Neills acting.

Somehow, what could have and should have been a complex character has become one-dimensional. He is more convincing as a politician than the devils son. More horror is conveyed in closeups of his dober-man pincher, growling and baring his teeth. Rassano Brazzi as Father De Carlo, who undertakes the mission to destroy Damien Thorn, to preserve the reverence of the second coming, looks embarrassed, if not downright uncomfortable. Brazzi gives it the old college try, but its not enough.

Here too, the film can be faulted for miscasting. Kate Reynolds, a T.V. journalist played by Lisa Harrow, falls for Damien (theres even a love-making scene) and predictably becomes aware of what is really going on when she discovers Damiens true identity. Predictable is the operative word in reviewing and summing up this movie. The performers are different, the plots different, the characters are older or totally different, but the premise is the same.

Its a weaker re-hash of the original flick. And despite the fact that it was far les gruesome than its predecessor, I found the presentation more offensive. Religious people are apt to leave during the movie as it faces Christianity head on, rather than imply it as Omens 1 and 2 did. And even though it was cautiously done without being graphic, the baby killings are distasteful. The ending is as big a letdown as you can imagine.

We've seen a good six hours of blood, gore, mutilation and carnage in the total running times of the three Omen pictures. Surely, the final minutes in the final chapter in this triology should have been a doozy. It isnt. Its ordinary, and once again, predictable. A 1...