Rim R€yi€iur Whether or not Pinball Summer An alien being exposed to this super­ tion of his lack of courage, gives one of reaches the adolescent and post- market of sexual innuendo with no sex those oddly angled, jittery bits that have adolescent market it aims down for, is a might conclude that play, fantasy and been an Hustonian hallmark since Peter moot point 1 heard one fiftyish matron consumption with no consummation Lorre's entrance in The Maltese Falcon sigh upon leaving the theatre, "Ifs are what earth creatures do. Or perhaps almost forty years ago. frightening if you have young kids." I suburban survival from junk food over­ The story concerns a group of five think she was bemoaning the film's dose is the latest adaptation of the phobic patients under the treatment of reflection of the adolescenfs never- Margaret Atwood "survival is Canadian" Dr. Ross (Glaser): an agoraphobe ending wresfling match with runaway litany. (Stewart), a claustrophobe (Eisner), an hormones and unrequited sexuality. Gary Evans acrophobe (Bolt) an ophlophobe (Rob­ ert O'Ree), and a giri terrified of men (Lisa Langlois). One by one they are killed off in ways appropriate to their fears. Enter a scen­ ery-chewing detective (Colicos, of Despite the rather Hobbesian reviews course), determined to get to the bottom John Huston's Phobia has received in the Toronto of things. Scattered about are Ross's old press, it isn't that bad. Despite what Jay and current girlfriends (Hogan, and, in a Phobia Scott would have you believe, it is not nicely underplayed turn, Patricia Collins). the worst film that John Huston has Of course, at the bottom of it all is directed (remember, we have here the Doctor Ross (This becomes apparent d John Huston execp. Larry Spiegel, Mel director of such yawn-lnducers as The about half-way through the film). Bergman p. Zale Magder sc. Lew Lehman, Misfits, Night of the Iguana and Hea­ Jimmy Sangster, Peter Bellwood story Gary The narrative inconsistencies could ven Knows, Mr. Allison), it is not the Sherman, Ronald Shusett asst to Mr. Spie­ fill several volumes. Ross, for example, gel/Mr. Bergman Judy Goldstein mus. An­ worst Canadian film of the year (there's is from California, but his accent is pure dre Gagnon d.o.p. Reginald H. Morris, Prom Night, for starters), and although CS.C. co-ord. Alice Ferrier p.man David Brooklyn. The detectives take their sus­ it is certainly negligible as art or com­ Sheperd, Emily Eng (asst) loc.man Barry pect for the first murder and brutalize merce, it has a few things going for it Bergthorson sec Monique Savarin, Sue him for no apparent reason. Ross's Murdoch loc. audit Edythe Hall, Penny Despite the singularly dull presences Royce (asst) assoc. to Mr. Huston Gladys "radical" technique, of helping his pa­ Hill a.d David Robertson (1st), Richard of Paul Michael Glaser, Susan Hogan tients overcome their fears by exposing Flower (2nd), Karen Pike (3rd), Louise Cas­ and John Colicos in the leads, there are them to what they fear, is almost as old selman (3rd) p.design. Ben Edwards artd. some good performances from: Alex­ as psychotherapy. David Jaquest Joe Cselenyi (asst) set dec. andra Stewart who is unfortunately Andree Brodcur, Chris Biden (asst) cam.op. Phobia's real significance, however, Murray Magder, Neil Seale (1 st asst), Mike killed off in the first reel; David Bolt, as a Hall {2nd asst), Kerry Smart (3rd asst) gaf. timid acrophoblc; and most memorably, comes from the very precise ways in Chris Holmes best boy Tony Eldridge elec. David Eisner, who in one brief descrip­ which it demonstrates exactiy what is Ron Chegwidden, John Spurell generator op. John Ferguson key grip John Hackett Jim Krauter (2nd), Wayne Goodchild (3rd) prop, master Elena Kenny, Hilton Rosema­ rin script superv. Blanche McDermaid make-up Kathy Southern hair David Bee­ croft ward. Aleida Macdonald, Ann Russell (asst) sdrec. Noland Roberts boom Herb Heritage & Tim Roberts driver capt Jim Kennedy head driver John Cocks craft ser^ vice Brad Blackwood casting dir. Vicki Mit­ chell casting extras Peter Lavender ed. Stan Cole, Bruce Lang(asst), Gilles Le Clair (asst) sded Peter Burgess, Jeremy MacLaverty (2nd) Gary DaPrato (asst) mus.superv. Tim McCauley re. rec. Paul Coombe, Mike Ho- genboom spec, efx Martin Malivoire stunt co-ord. Paul Nuckles, Bob Hannah stunt persons Greg Gault Jack Verboise, Joie Chitwood, Moo Herbst Gloria Fioriomonte, Terry Martin, Joanne Lang-Hannah stills Anthony Bliss psych, consult, to Mr. Hus­ ton Melvyn Hill, Ph.D. l.p. Paul Michael G laser, John Colicos, Susan Hogan, Alexan­ dra Stewart Robert O'Ree, David Bolt David Eisner, Lisa Langlois, Kenneth Welsh, Neil Vipond, Patricia Collins, Marian Waldman, Gwen Thomas, Paddy Campanero, Gerry Saisberg, Peter Hicks, Joan Fowler, John Stoneham, Terry Martin, Ken Anderson, Ja- nine Cole, Karen Pike, Wendy Jewel, Coleen Embry, Diane Lasko p.c. Borough Park Pro­ ductions (1979) col. 35 mm running time Trying to conquer her Phobia of open spaces, medical patient Alexandra Stewart in a sudden 91 min. distrib. Paramount Pictures panic. 34/October-November 1980 Film R€yi€ui/ wrong with the Canadian cinema. John darkness that crowds the edge of the Parker p.c Film Consortium of Canada Huston is without question the best frame in Phobia. This points the way to (1979) col. 35mm Panavision running time director ever to make a Canadian film. a second problem in Canadian movies. 105 min. So why did the producers hire one of With the possible exception of David the last of the old masters, to knock out Cronenberg, is there a single English the kind of story which is regulariy Canadian director with a distinctive One of the most fascinatln g aspects of knocked out by first-time directors? look, or even any visual flair? Phobia is watching mid-level multinational pro­ (The sort of thing that a Carpenter, or a the first Canadian film I've seen since ductions (in this case, one American dePalma, does with his eyes closed). The Brood that hasn't resembled a bad star, one Canadian star, one British Huston's great virtues are as a storytel­ CBC drama; that looks as if someone character actress, British director and ler (note the sweep of The Man Who actually sat down and thought about d,o,p.) is observing the interplay of well- Would Be King, and the relaxed or- how a movie is supposed to look. Con­ known actors with people you have neriness of The Life and Times of trasting the appearance of recent Amer­ never seen before. In fact the "unknown Judge Roy Bean),and as a director who ican films to recent Canadian features, quantities" in these Canadian produc­ can get his characters to inhabit real there can be no question as to which tions often provide some of the major places — as in the extraordinary city- side wins. Where are our Carpenters, pleasures in what are frequently awful scapes of The Asphalt Jungle and Fat ourdePalmas, our Scorseses— directors films — Frances Hyland, for example, in City. He has never been wound tight whose films are both commercially suc­ The Changeling, blowing the comatose enough to deliver that remorseless little cessful and artistically exciting to look Trish Van Devere of the screen without horror thriller that Phobia so longs to at? Even films like Days of Heaven and even working up a sweat be. Therefore, we must ask why he was The Black Stallion, which exist in It is axiomatic that the performances hired. For the class of his name? To complete Intellectual vacuum, are stun­ of "stars" are often the same. For stars control John Colicos? ning to look at Until our producers are not always stars because of talent John Trent, in a recent Toronto Star begin to concern themselves with films but rather chemistry. The ability to sus­ interview, claimed that the Canadian as more than tax shelters for dentists, tain a career is a bonus. James Coburn, cinema is a producer's, rather than a and ' packages" of talent with "proven" the eponymous hero of John Guiller­ director's cinema. This would be no ingredients (out-of-work TV stars, aging min's Mr. Patman, has never been the problem, if the producers hired the right hams, hack directors, and plots made sort of star whose name guarantees the directors for the job. out of elements that weren't very good success of his project Many of his most Mind, Huston did bring something to to begin with), we are doomed to Interesting projects — Dead Heat on a Phobia — aside from a mere forty-odd second-rate, cinematic, junk food that Merry-go-round, Pecklnpah's Pat Gar­ years of experience. He gave it a visual nourishes neither the mind nor the ret and Billy the Kid, Herbert Ross's sense, which brought out the best in adrenaline glands. The Last of Shiela, have been his least cinematographer Reginald Morris. One Phobia itself is destined to become a successful. But he has a fascinating need only compare the bland, television footnote to a great director's career, persona and sufficient star quality to look of Middle Age Crazy, which Mor­ nothing more. often make him the best thing in bad ris lensed for Trent, with the mysterioso pictures, offering sufficient justification John G. Harkness for sitting through appalling messes like Blood Kin. Coburn is certainly the best thing in post sync, efx Terry Burke, Glen Gauthier Mr. Patman, but nevertheless, he faces John Guillermin's engineered by Jack Heeren re-rec.