Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph from Colorado Springs, Colorado • Page 78

i 5 I i fi 'i Saturday. August 27.1977 lift reviews Time bmmer hits nd soaring By BOB THOMAS InGELES (AP) The force is with 20th ner. The sales force, that is. some of the other film companies watch their super- Bttractions sink slowly in the West and East, Fox is the fstodian of two runaway hits. Also a bomb, but more it later, knows about "Star Wars." But then Fox was gifted winner, 'The Other Side of Midnight, hated by the adored by millions less picky, oes a sales force ride tandem hurricanes? nice problem to have," comments Peter Myers, vice in charge of domestic distribution for Fox.

57, IS a scholarly looking chap with glasses and dark, look like a professor, but his education has been I film sales, starting in his native Toronto. With comput- uts on his desk in the studio executive building, he can he daily returns on the Fox releases, hursday two weeks ago. Other Side of 1100 565 theaters," he says. following Thurs- lid $253.672 in almost the same number of theaters I'S kind staying power is amazing was asked how he approached the sales plan for each a thriller Following its international boxoffice hit with Edgar Rice "The Land That Time American International Pictures has the second in World" trilogy, "The People That Time now showing at Vista Vue Drive- In and Mall of the Bluffs Patrick Wayne, Dana Gillespie, Sarah Douglas, Thorley Walters and Shane Rimmer share the stellar roles, with Doug McClure making a guest star appearance. The film relates the thrillpacked story of a group of turn of the century adventurers who find themselves on an incredible lost island.

Members of the strange expeditionary force Include tense moments for Patrick Wayne and Thorley Walters Ben McBride, the leader; Douglas, the attractive and strong-willed newspaper law Star Wars' last February in San Francisco." he still unfinished- there was World War II airplane some of the space flights would be. Even so, I told That the best motion picture i've ever Bd myseif. What are we selling The picture had It was science fiction, it had an unknown title. George bd a good reputation because of American Grafitti. But wasn much there to sell.

bnswer was to position the picture in the proper theaters it the proper presentation so the people themselves icover it and spread the word. force hand-picked 43 theaters in metropolitan loca- openings over the Memorial Day weekend. That con- pr three weeks as the lines around the theaters grew delighted patrons told their friends, "You gotta see lie." On the fourth week, "Star Wars was expanded to Biers and in succeeding weeks went to 362, 504, 585, 1 and the present 900. has found that in each market when people I line they seem to enjoy the film Myers observed. I us when Johnny Carson says to his glad ire tonight; I'll bet rather be at "Star Wars, jproblem is to get the money from the film, but to feed carefully in each market so the lines continue and the builds.

We watch the figures every day to see if there So far the pattern is holding." )ther Side of Midnight was a different kind of film a because of millions of book sales. Immediately took 550 bookings on June 17, one theater I important area in the country," said Myers. "The quite successful, though not as high a level as we the picture developed staying power. The word uth has been excellent; people like the picture even if 1 didn t. That hurt us.

If the reviews had been better, we ave opened at a higher level." bad news. 1 Sale was a bomb for Fox. "But we II try anoth- in August, appealing to the current appetite for War of the jamer Bros, has acquired distribution rights to "War of the a Hal Roach Studios Production, starring Robert Vau- Christopher Lee, it was announced by Martin Elfand, Mve vice president and co-head of worldwide production imer Bros. pe film, produced by Norman Glick and directed by Ed Nis a story of the invasion of Earth by outer space be- Research for the spectacular technical effects and the pre- ron of the beings is based on exhaustive studies and pws With people who have claimed sightings of UFOs an Tcupants special effects were accomplished by a patented new sn created by Warren Keiller, called the Space Machine, stem has since been acquired by the Hal Roach Studios, anadian financiers Earl A. Glick and Norman Glick are In the Hal Roach Studios.

a wholly owned sub' of the Stampede International Resources, Ltd. Group antes, headquartered in Toronto. photographer; Walters, the eminent English biologist; and Rimmer, the tough American World War I airplane mechanic. Through the fertile imagination of Burroughs, the travelers battle with an 80- ton Seratasaurus, escape the clutches of a pack of montrous snakes only to be taken prisoners by the 'Suspiria' dreaded Na-gas. As prisoners they are helcf captive in the incredible City of Skulls which is built entirely of human skulls and is perched along the rim of a fiery volcano.

The escape from the diabolical City of Skulls soon becomes an adventure in terror no one will ever forget. horror sensation Jessica Harper of 'Suspiria' International showing at Rustic Hills North challenges the innermost reaches of the Imagination, invading the realm of the macabre to an extent seldom dared. The result is a singular experience captured for the screen by Dario Argento, a writer director who is rapidly becoming the acknowledged master of filming terror. With Argento pushes the farthest bound- 'family portrait' for tho film coit of 'Suspiria' aries of suspense Into new worlds of heart-stopping fear, riveting audiences with scenes of incredible power through his use of the building blocks of film sound, music, decor, lighting and special effects as well as extracting exceptional performances from a talented cast which includes Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Joan Bennett and Alida Valli. Using Satanism and witchcraft to explore transgressions of the soul as well as the body, Argento has, in made a breakthrough to a new level of cinematic sensation.

The sound track makes a major contribution to creating an atmosphere of almost unbearable terror and shock, blending the sound of terrified breathing or the pounding of the heart with a weirdly modernistic form of music provided by a group called "The Goblins. More than a movie to see. "Suspiria is a film to experience and for lovers of cinematic suspense and shock. "Suspiria" may prove the most harrowing shocker ever filmed "Suspiria also stars Flavto Bucci. Miguel Bose, Barbara Magnolfi.

Susanna Jav.coli, Eva Axen. Rudolf Schundler and Udo Kier with Alida Valli in the role of "Tanner" and with Joan Bennett. The produced by Claudio Argen- 10, was written and directed by Dario Argento,.