Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 31

movies DETROIT FREE PRESSFRIDAY, NOV. 1, 1985 3C New faces take to the streets of L.A. 'Macaroni' is bubbling with charm -aJ Catharine I flambeau tfjl movies created a nervy, punkish, stand-on-its-own sound track that's Academy Award material. Every sound intensifies the flavor of the film: Cries echo in the night, sirens pulse and wobble, the insistent murmur of flies reveals a rotting corpse. Fans of the "French Connection" car chase will adore its "Live and Die" clone, and comparisons to TV's "Miami Vice" are probably inevitable because of thepicture's look and sound track.

But "To Live and Die in L.A." is hotter, faster, kinkier, and has better music. Gerald Petievich, who wrote the novel and co-authored the screenplay, has been a U.S. Secret Service agent since 1970 and worked on counterfeiting cases with Interpol. He has written five novels in his spare time (he starts at 4 a.m.): This is his first film, and he should be proud of it. As its title suggests, "To Live and Die in L.A." is a story of life and death, murder and mayhem, heat and lust all of it shot in the streets and alleys of the City of Angels.

It's also sensational entertainment, no surprise to admirers of the director and co-writer, William Friedkin, who has won best-director Oscars for "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist," films not noted for their languor. Like the others, "Live and Die" is violent, crude, hot, energetic, intellectually suggestive, and raises audience energy levels as fast as a cup of Colombian coffee. The plot starts simple and eases into the baroque, finishing with all its loose ends neatly knit. "Live and Die" is not for the fastidious: People are shot in the face; blood dribbles from Dumpsters; the ratio of stuntmen to performers is 72-43. FRIEDKIN HAS USED relatively unknown performers with excellent theater credits, and their freshness opens up the picture's possibilities; no one, for instance, is guaranteed any breaks because of box-office popularity or public pre-conceptions.

"Live and Die" moves fast from its first moments, when Secret Ser- Petersen vjce agent Rich ard Chance (William Petersen) and his partner Jim Hart (Michael Greene) stave off an attack during a presidential visit, a scene that clarifies their friendship and trust. Hart has an unerring eye for counterfeit bills, and he and Chance have been working on a major funny-money case for months. When Hart is killed, Chance hits the streets 2 PRE-THANKSGIVING SPECIAL SAVE 15 Fish, Fowl and Roast Beef Naturally. Present I coupon to our Cashier. Save 15 on your entire Complete meal about $3 95 Free refills on cotfee.

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Dalroll. Mlla Waalland Shop. Ctr TURKEY DINNER SPECIAL 2 I SAVE 1 5 1 I By CATHARINE RAMBEAU I Free Press Movie Critic I It took Italian director Ettore Scola put Jack Lemmon and Marcello Mastroianni in the same picture, and -what an inspired idea it was. Without tthem, "Macaroni," a slight, loving tale of a casual friendship that blooms again -after 40 years of separation, could hardly have worked so well. I Because of their specific talents Lemmon's at portraying exhausted, -frustrated businessmen, Mastroianni's I at conveying a joie de vivre that transcends poverty, family troubles and bad health, "Macaroni" is a shining -little bubble of pleasure that gleams with humor and glistens with charm.

ROBERT (LEMMON), a high-t powered American businessman, ar-; rives in Naples on business. It's not his first time in the city; he was stationed there during World War II. But, he says at a press conference, he has forgotten those days. Antonio (Mastroianni) has forgotten nothing, however, and when he sees Robert on TV, he arrives at his hotel with a picture of his sister Maria and Robert during their courtship in the mid-1940s. After an awkward, angry begin-; ning, the old friendship has a three-day resurrection.

Robert, it turns out, is famous all over Naples because of his letters to Maria, now a grandmother, telling her of his worldwide exploits as a foreign correspondent and adventurer. That the letters were created by Antonio to comfort his sister after Robert left makes sense Robert just doesn't understand why Antonio continued them for so many years. HELD OVER 5TH 5 25 7 35 9:35 12:30 2:45 4:50 7:40 10 10.12.J.J4SSJO 7303O 10:30 12 30 J. S. 745 9 5 1.7:15 9.15 11.15 1,7:30 9:40 11:50 I'M Fish, Fowl and Roast Beef Naturally.

Present coupon to our Cashier. Save 15 on your entire Complete meal about $3.95. Free refills on coffee, soft drinks. COMPLETE TURKEY DINNER now $4. 19 November 5 thru November 24.

mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm rSmmmmmnmmmmmmmmm TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. Area Theaters 8 OUT OF 10 Richard Chance Eric Masters John Vukovich Bob Grimes Jim Hart William L. Petersen Willem Dafoe John Pankow Dean Stockwell Michael Greene Directed by William Friedkin. Screenplay by Friedkin and Gerald Petievich Irom the novel by Petievich. Cinematography by Robby Muller.

Music composed and performed by Wang Chung. Edited by Scott Smith. Production design by Lilly Kilvert. Produced by Irving H. Levin.

PARENTS' GUIDE: extreme violence, explicit sex, strong profanity, nudity. fueled the film with visual surprises, startling beauty, and faint craziness. Jack Hues and Nick Feldman, the British duo dubbed Wang Chung, have 11 a.m.-8:30p.m. I (1 Guest Check Please) COUPON OOOD Now thru Nov. 14, 1985 Not Accepted After his Date (ia 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

(1 Guest Check Please) COUPON OOOD Nov. 15 thru Nov. 27, 1985 Not Accepted After This Date Directed by JACK SHOLDER LINE CINEMA 9:40 11:20 1:00 7:15 9:15 11:15 11:30 7:45 9:40 15 11 15 12 001:50 3 40 5:30 7:20 im mm mm mm mm On Baked this meal. tpa anH Allan Park Daarborn Eaalland On Baked this meal. tea and Jack Lemmon, left, and Marcello Mastroianni: The characters they play are reunited 40 years after a casual friendship in World War II.

MACARONI Maple Theater 8 Robert Jack Lemmon Antonio M. Mastroianni Directed by Ettore Scola. Screenplay by Ruggero Maccari, Furio Scarpelli and Scola. Cinematography by Claudio Ragona. Production design by Luciano Ricceri.

Music by Armando Trovaioli. Produced by Luigi and Aurelio de Laurentiis and Franco Committeri. In English and Italian with English subtitles. PARENTS GUIDE: PG; slight profanity, of no interest to children. The answer is that Antonio had created a character he liked a private version of himself as he might have liked to be.

Besides, everyone so enjoyed the letters. MASTROIANNI, wonderfully raffish, elegantly down-at-the-heels, is irresistible as the emphysemic, chainsmoking Antonio; Lemmon, who starts their renewed friendship as a selfish, petulant oaf, is slowly swept into another kind of life, and a genuine sweetness begins permeating his behavior. The immensely popular "Cocoon" is a film about the old made by the young. "Macaroni" is a film about men in their 60s made by their peers: The film's director, writers, stars and at least one of its producers are all 60-plus. "Macaroni" will undoubtedly have a smaller audience, but it has a sense of the years between middle and old age that is absolutely authentic.

1 MOVIE IN AMERICA WEEK 5:25 7:25 9:25 11:10 1:15 3:20 5:15 7:30 9:30 10. 12. 2, 4, 6, 10 10:15 12 2 3:45 5 30 7 30 9:30 7:10 9:10 11:00 5:20 7:15 9:10 5:25 7:25 9:2511:25 A RMfSOHOFF PRODUCTION A RICHARD MAflQUMIO IILM list now nuiKi iHiiini it iuis mm mm mini DELPHI rXLE li MCHIS MUMVEO 1 9:50 12:15 2:35 5:05 7:30 9 50 9:50 10:0012:302 45500 7:309:45 7:30 9:45 10:0012:152154:30 7009:15 9 45 1:00 7:25 9:35 11:45 9:45 1:10 3:10 5 25 740 9:55 vowing justice by any means possible. As counterfeiter extraordinaire Eric Masters, Willem Dafoe is stunning. A stage actor seen in the film "Streets of Fire," Dafoe is not really handsome, but as Masters he has a disturbing, unfettered eroticism and a lunatic edge to his irrationality.

PETERSEN, an award-winning stage actor in his debut as a film star, makes Chance a man whose obsessions we understand, but who should not be a cop he's a natural vigilante who will do anything to get his man. Or his woman: when his informant-cum-toot-'sie asks what he'd do if she quit passing him information, he says he'd get her parole revoked. He would, too. As Chance's new partner John Vu-kovich, John Pankow Chosen," "The is direct and believable as a man caught between what he knows to be right and his empathy for Chance. There are several particularly interesting performances: John Turturro Seeking as an informant, Debra Feuer as Master's assistant and sexual aide, Darlanne Fluegel Upon a Time in as Chance's paroled snitch, and Dean Stockwell whose face has finally acquired enough lack of character to make him believable as a double-crossing lawyer.

Robby Muller, one of the best cine-matographers around these days, has Produced by ROBERT SHAYE FROM AL NEW FOR SHOWTIMES 1:00 7:45 9 15 5:00 8 15 7:30 9:30 11:30 1:00 7:15 9 iHIUIOHS IF HSOPIJg are mm mimmm. FIND OUT WHY. I iff 'IGIVEITA BIGTHUfADSUP. 'JAGGED EDGE' IS BOTH A TERRIFIC COURTROOM DRAMA AND A GENUINELY SCARY Cent Sitktl. AT THE MOVIES 1 I ci rj mm NEW LINE CINEMA, HERON COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

and SMART EGG PICTURES Present A ROBERT SHAYE Production "A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, PART 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE" Starring MARK PATTON KIM MYERS ROBERT RUSLER Special Appearances by CLU GULAGER and HOPE LANGE and ROBERT ENGLUND as FREDDY KRUEGER Music by CHRISTOPHER YOUNG Director of Photography JACQUES HAITKIN Executive Producers STEPHEN DIENER and STANLEY DUDELSON Line Producers MICHAEL MURPHEY and JOEL SOISSON Co-Producer SARA RISHER Written by DAVID CHASKIN MELD OVER MSTRtCTCD 5:15 7:30 9 40 11 50 5:20 7:30 5:15 7:25 9 45 1:15 3:15 5:15 7:30 mm rwmm-i mam i EE. RESTRICTED UNDf 0 17 RfQUiniS ACCOMPINVIIIG I PARENT OR HDUI.I GUAROIAN STARTS TODAY CALL 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:50 9:55 7:15 7:00 9:00 10:45 1 00 New lii (inura Coip M1MLHIV I iHfvmf I 9:20 10:001215 2:15 4:30 7:009:15 10:1512:30 3:00 5:00 WEE 7:20 9:35 5:45 7:45 1 15 7 40 9 50 12 00 5:15 7:25 ft f-.