The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • 59

The Fresno Bee Fri Oct 20 1978 7 9fovies around town by Scott Tompkins Lucas films sequel near Modesto The San Francicisco International Film Festival ended earlier this week and generally speaking it was the most successful oite ever A fine variety of films from 20 countries and mteresting guests made it work The one disappointment was that the festival-shy Spanish director Luis Bunuel failed to show up for his special tribute night Too bad He was the prize guest the festival organizers most hoped to land George Lucas the former Modestan who went on to fame as the director of Graffiti" and returned to the valley this week to do some filming for his next movie tentatively called Oddly enough what company has been filming are some scenes for the film which is a sequel to his first hit rican His production company carved out a Vietnam jungle helicopter base from the dense vegetation on the San Joaquin River sloughs northwest of Modesto This week the filming site was ablaze with action as gunfire crackled helicopters whirred overhead and heavy black smoke billowed into the sky The production has shunned publicity thus far but Modesto Bee reporter Thome Gray learned that the story deals with the lives of the original characters and takes place ten years later Most of the original cast (Ron Howard Cindy Williams Candy Clark and Paul LeMat) have signed on The one obvious exception is Richard Dreyfus who is doing his own thing after winning an Academy Award this year The production has already filmed scenes on locations in San Francisco San Rafael Hayward and the Fremont Drag Strip Universal Studios is managing the film which is expected to be released next summer cpilin watch Pleasant way to discover insights There are four new movies in town this week The most promising is Hungs Bright And James appealing story of his life as a Scottish veterinarian The book was an instant bestseller and it should be a fine family picture Also new is an R-rated suspense story about the big New York blackout in 1977 Ray Milland oversees a cast that includes three kids Jim Mitchum Robert Carradine and Belinda Montgomery The third is an intense family drama starring Richard Gere and Tony Lo Bianco Last and certainly the least is a ripoff on the mania Two major films are scheduled to open here next week They include a Cannes Film Festival hit about an American who escapes from a life of torment in a Turkish prison and A Horseman Wild And a post World War II romance-drama starring Jane Fonda James Caan and Jason Robards Brad Davis left does yoga exercises with a fellow convict in "Midnight Express" the highly-acclaimed story of an American Billy escape from a Turkish prison The film will open next Wednesday in Fresno sides bar mitzvahs and weddings Her emotions are marvelously reflected on her face making words unnecessary She captures the hearts of the audience from the beginning As her friend Anne Anita Skinner a pale blonde type is not as easy to see into Yet she brings to her role the same type of expressive characterization as Miss Mayron does She finds marriage is not all she thought it would be and she finally has to break away to find herself The men in the film play lesser roles but they are not stereotypes Christopher Guest relays a certain sensitivity as Anne's husband who quite understand all of her needs and Eli Wallach is perfect as the rabbi who sometimes feels more than friendship for Susan Rated PG is playing at Fig Garden Cinema Kathey Clarey is one of those intimate little films which surprises you with its insight and makes the time you spend with its few characters a pleasant one Directed by Claudia Weill the film is a study of -Susan and Anne two friends and roommates whose lives go in different directions after Anne ets married Susan feels betrayed Anne leaving and believes marriage will ruin her writing talent Anne after a few years of married life and a child becomes jealous of Susan's freedom Each finally comes to terms with herself and the other Dialogue is right on the button of reality and as in life is often touched with humor Ms Weill is given credit for the screenplay along with VicW Polon The film belongs to Melanie Mayron as Susan a plain non-aggressive but very lovable Jewish girl who wants to photograph something be tPmmn kR orikm 264-0401 OllVfM the acrumal schurnhw You can almost hear As the water below tea deathbed of Autjtagr Hugh CHINAS No 1 sAGTIONHIT "Girl Friends is a warm per-- ceptive and disarming movie a winning performance by Melanie Play- boy Magazine i "Melanie Mayron is warm and funny human and lovable" Cosmopolitan "A stunning success often very funny a compassion-' ate Charles Champlin LA Times Films on diving I 4 MTNtCMWFMD JASO EVERS HMCTTA IBCHTW CUFF OHM WlUiAMKEMIN If RT xfmja Cmrmmttcn Mnkn NenMaci a wi'teiwiurrwy-aa Jack McKenney former editor of Skin Diver magazine and an independent film-mater will show documentary films of his undersea adventures as well as movies by others (including Jacques Cousteau) Saturday at 8 pm in the Wilson Theater 1455 Fulton St Tickets are on sale for $350 in Valley Dive Center and Bob's Dive Shop (in Herb and they will also be sold at the door for 50 cents more TNC NIUI TOEE tl-CHEN XING" 3RD BONUS HIT Black CO-FEATURE BRUCE BRUCELEEw THE MAN minim Cyclops films presents a film by Claudia Weill starring Melanie Mayron featuring Anita Skinner Eli Wallach Christopher Guest Bob Balaban Gina RogakAmy WrightViveca Lindfors Mike Kellinj produced directed ftyClaudia Weill Up1 CO-FEATURE L-Sl (R) NOW SHOWING! MfwyvB ins fmtivai pxromsES FIG GARDEN CINEMAS PALM AVC'2241 1878 BARGAIN MATINEE SATa pinSfW SUNNYSIDE fO MIVE-IN THCATKE Hcountry cgapsule reviews $ENEff The Orient this is no shallow detective story Christie spins her web of suspense with a multitude of clues and the ending is almost always a surprise Peter Ustinov does a very Intelligent portrayal of the Belgian su- persleuth Hercule Poirot and gets outstanding supporting performances from Angela Lansbury Bette Davis Mia Farrow and Jon Finch If you can stand the slow pace of story love every minute of On The Rated PG At Festival endiTMi iwitv- All SEATS )1J0 Ik 2-00 aarr Sundays ihouoays THAT CAT IS BACK: tmMMC 1:15 530 0 "HEAVY THAFVK" 4-05 1:25 ptu MADAM 1:00430 1:00 atuue Richard TIMES: Dreyfus 1403:10 5:157:25 MURDERS" 1:50 5 AS 10 THE BIG FIX The intent of this movie Is fixed It's pure entertainment Richard Drey fuss is in his usual fine form as Moses Wine a scruffy LA private eye with more than his share of humanity He is hired by a political aide to find out who is smearing a conservative candidate for governor and finds an ever-deepening pool of deception payoffs and murder The film is a good balance of Raymond Chandler-type mystery and humor And Susan Anspach gives the story a nice romantic touch Rated PG At UA Cinema Woodward Park 4 WHO IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE? has all the ingredients for an appealing movie but winds up as an unpalatable stew of murder comedy and romance George Segal and Jacqueline Bissett star as a mismatched American couple (he a fast food king and she a great dessert chef) who find themselves involved in some grotesque murders When she finds she is the murderer's dessert course only a heroic effort can save the day The film has some bright moments particularly froiq Robert Morley who steals foe show as a haughty gourmet editor Rated PG At Festival (JOIN SOUTH Jack Nicholson directs himself in this new Western and his efforts are mostly entertaining the story of a scruffy outlaw named Henry Moon who gets caught while crossing the border and is sentenced to hang His salvation however is the town ordinance that gives any woman of property the right to claim him A stuffy young woman (Mary Steenburgen) agrees to marry him mostly to get a free laborer But soon gold and a spark of romance change all that There are some flaws in the story but it is full of wry humor and Western flavor: Rated PG (lots of profanity and implied sex) At Festival INTERIORS is not the kind of film one expects from Woody Allen It is a serious drama on family life that is more akin t6 the plays of Tennessee Williams and William Inge Geraldine Page heads a fine cast playing a mother who tries to impose her will on her divided family Hers is the perfect understated performance while EG Marshall (as the father) Maureen Stapleton and Diane Keaton help give the film Its undercurrent of intense emotion This is new territory for Allen as a writer and director but he has succeeded in pro a fine human drama PG At Manchester DEATH ON THE NILE Agatha intriguing story of murder on an Egyptian steamboat is full of rich characterization fine mystery and Agatha Christie style Like the earlier On Thi tmrrmr tequiitl BLACKOUT -r-'ySSK- liaMOYIES 4 11 2 ft facSmAIM Starring PAUL SOM-TONY ID BLOT- and RICHARD GERE SECOND HIT fcTMBmWLLtl) -Sffl 2:45 A THANK GOD FRIDAY 1:054:30 SOS UP IN SMOKE Marin and Tommy Chong have been a hit on college campuses and record albums' sold 10 million) but now they are trying their off the wall drug-related comedy on a new medium The result is a sure fire hit Using many of the popular comedy routines from their albums Chong plays the role of the Red while Cheech is de Together they try to form a rock band and-: wind up falling into a drug ring Their high times are often interrupted by Stacey Keach who plays an inept cop trying to find out what' really is going on We may never know but if not offended by their brand of humor be in for a very good time Rated -At Crest Woodward Park Four HOOPER Burt Rey-Sm CapwiM PhgfS item vianoar mvh a 10 A mi lain i wv twin ID SMASH LIKE MA-SH" NEW YORK TIMES Mvm UUNUII 100 0 1155:15 FfTlVAl LAZfPOCir ANIMAL 2:004:357:159:45 BARGAIN MATINEE IVUVOMT 11 MO ML 150 BROTHERS 12:30 4 559:30 SOYS 145 7:10 ALL OF 3:20 645 10:00 0.