Eric Till's Stuart Gillard's If You Could See Paradise What I Hear

Judging by Eric Till's recent feature Paradise, a strange mix of The Blue films, the director is in hot pursuit of a Lagoon and The Wind and the Lion, boffo theatrical hit; a bona fide Holly­ offers the not particularly edifying spec wood popcorn popper. As if to shed his tacle of two clean-cut American teen­ parochial media image of being a TV agers frolicking unclad in s> Ivan glades man (Till reached prominence with the while the creatures of the forest coo and :, CBC series The National Dream), his snorkel at their feet. This picture is films are taking on more and more of an afflicted with the terminal cutes - of American look and feel. Last year it was cour.se, any film with not one but two Improper Channels with Alan Arkin (countem) funny, loveable chimpanzees and Mariette Hartley. Before that there (which are .African forest animals, not was Wild Horse Hank and Hot Millions. Iraqi desert beastsi is enough to strain All suffered from varying degrees of the patience of any adult "cutesy" and predictability but were It is Baghdad, 1823 (it is never made excusable when lined up against Till's clear wh> the film is so precisely dated) fine television achievements, most and Sarah, a young English girl (Phoebe notably Bethune with Donald Suther­ Cates) with a flat .American accent, is on land. But his current entry into the box her way to Damascus with her faithful office sweepstakes, // You Could See manservant, Geoffrey I the usually reli­ What I Hear, cannot be so easily excused. able Richard Curnockl Joining the Amassed here is an insulting and totally caravan is David (Willie Aaraesi, an absurd amalgam of cliches and for­ American boy travelling with his mis- mula : the kinil of film that makes cinema sionar\' parents I Neil Vipond and A\iva lovers eye Hollywood with contempt. Marks.i However, the beautiful >oung Tom Sullivan (played by Marc Singer) girl, who actually has a rather pudg\, is a campus Casanova. He's "into" writing unformed face, has caught the lustful music, playing golf(?), horseback riding attention of the Jaikal, an evil Arab sky diving, drinking beer and perpe­ shiek (Tuvia Tavi), who is willing to kill trating college hijinks. One wild and • The up-beat triumvirate of Shari Belafonte Harper, Marc Singer and R.H. Thompson to get the girl. Soon after, he attacks, crazy Ail-American boy. The clincher is wiping out everyone but David, Sarah that Tom Sullivan is blind. But he's too Animal House and The Miracle Worker. friend about the proper way of wearing and Geoffrey, who escape into the de­ dumb to know it. How many variations This kind of creative impotency im­ socks. And when Will comments on the sert. They quirkU lose Geoffrey, who is of this have shown up on the TV Movie- bues almost every aspect of the filra. musical abilities of the blind to a bar murdered by the Jackal, and are forced of-the Week is anybody's guess, as are Marc Singer, who is being touted as a owner, the man retorts "Yeah, but they to press on alone, discovering perfect the reasons why Till and bis co-conspi­ major new talent by the studio, works make lousy astronomers " This sort of little oases every few miles ; which is a rator, vvriter Stuart Glllard, felt this very hard at making bis Tom a likeable stuff may not come entirely unexpected good thing since the Jackal is in hot mish-mash of a premise was worthy of a guy. To be kind. Singer's performance is from the writer of such TV gems such as pursuit and David is in the habit of feature film. Whatever their reasoning energetic. To be not so kind, he just tries The Donny and Marie Show and Captain saying things like"" If we miss Damascus, the two are hopelessly mistaken. The too damn hard. It is one thing to be high and Tennille. we can hit Alexandria," which, according "overcoming the personal handicap" on life (as Tom is supposed to be), and Howard Makin's photography is pretty, to my atlas, is several hundred miles genre has been so overmined on both quite another to run around Hke an too pretty. His fog and star-filtered ap­ beyond, with an awful lot of sand in the tube and the big screen that it would "asshole" (to borrow a recurring term proach is totally inappropriate to the between. take considerably more than a simple from the film). Singer gives us precious low-level humour being presented here. They build homes (rather elaborate thematic twist- a blind man who refuses little insight into Tom. He repeatedly What is particularly objectionable sets that are straight out of a Gilligan's to accept he's blind - to open the flood­ resorts to pratfalls designed strictly to about If You Could See What I Hear is Island view of life) and discover each gates on our tears. And it would take get a laugh. Who should take the blame the claim that it is a true story (a claim other's sexuality. Mind you, with Gates' filmmakers with considerably more for this. Till or Singer, is up for specula­ that is made not once, but twice, during full-body tan, it looks as if she's been talent than Till and Gillard to warrant tion. But in a film where the main the credits). By stressing this fact Till hanging out in the sun for > ears, some­ another look at the subject. Instead of a character is solely present to win our and Gillard seera to be seeking absolu­ thing rather unlikely for an English girl slightly interesting story of a man coming hearts, and the actor portraying him tion. They should consider themseKes in 1823. to terms with his personal tragedy, we manages to do the exact opposite, the lucky that the real Tom Sullivan will They run around in clean, designer never get to see this picture. are treated to a long string of cobwebbed actor's performance must be put into loincloths, never experience hunger, sequences. question. S. Paul Zola • and manage things without difficulty While at school Tom falls in love with Sarah Torgov who plays Patty, the until the Jackal shows up, I What I want to know is how does the Jackal, a deadly a beautiful black coed (played by Shari pretty little creature who eventually IF YOU COULD SEE WHAT I HEAR Belafpnte Harper in what must surely calms Tom and marries him, fairs a little p.c. : Cypre.ss Grove Films Ltd, Production exec. Arab chieftain, a scourge of the desert, be one of the most leaden debut perfor­ better. But Torgov is given pathetically p. Gene Gorman. Dale Falconer p./d. Eric Till manage to keep missing these two in­ mances in recent memory), only to be little to do. Till circumnavigates their co-p. sc. Stuart Gillard prod, conaultant Tom competent teens, who look as if they'd Sullivan d.o.p. Harry Making CSC art d. Ga\in be more comfortable boogieing on the heartbroken by her inability to deal relationship and is content on spotlight­ Mitchell ad. Rod Haykin prod. mgr. Joyce Knzv with his condition. Tom is upset by this. ing Tom's female hunts at a bar where King 1st assL d. David Shepherd 2nd. aasL d. disco floor than dragging their camel If he can accept her blackness, why he plays piano during summer recess. Richard Flower loc. man. Otia Nanus continuity through the desert. I rather like the can't she accept his blindess ? It seems R.H. Thomson as Will Sly, Tom's dry- sup. Lili Foumier prod. accl. Ann Fitzgerald camels - they're wondertui beasts, prod. sec. Debbie Zwicker prop. maaL John pregnant with comic potential, as when like a fair trade-of but, alas, the relation­ witted pal, proves that he's one of Ca­ Fisher set dec. Farle Fiset ap. efx. Mart in Mali voire ship is not to be. It doesn't take Tom long nada's most versatile actors, comfortable wardrobe Patti Unger makeup Ken Brooke hair. -Arnold Schwarzenegger punches one to rebound. By the next eve he's off with "comedy" as well as straight David Beecroft gaffer Ray Boyle key grip Steve out in the current Conan the Barbarian. womanizing with his best friend Will drama His performance in 7/Vou Could Sheridan ed. Eric W rate sd. ed. Jim Hopkins 2nd. They are shamefully underexploited unit d. Rod Malenfant 2nd. unit ram. Bert Dunk here, replaced by those unfortunate (played by R.H. Thomson). Will is sort of See What I Hear is welcomingly tethered. stills Bill Langstroth Marni Grossman unit pub. a seeing-eye dog to Tom... a fact inanely But as with Torgov's role, Till never G R (J.-Glenda Roy pub. Guttman Ai. Pam lUSAI chimps who were last seen as aceom- pointed out on more than one occasion. bothers to elaborate on Tom and W ills music pei^formed by Helen ReddyA. Tom Sullivan plices to the felonious assault committed 1 You're the One"l l.p. Marc Singer, B H, Thomson. on Tarzan by Bo and John Derek.) Grafted onto this anemic story line is a friendship, restricting it to fights in bars and picking up giris. Sarah Torgov. Shari Belafonte Harper, Douglas Director Stuart Gillard is suing the healthy (that should read unhealthy) Campbell, Helen Burns Harvey Atkin. Barbara dose of slapstick and schtick from a ,\ great deal of the messiness in this Gordon. Sharon Lewis Lynda Mason Greene, Tony producers. RSL Films, over questions of film stems from Gillard's painfully dis­ Van Bridge, JackCreley, Neil Dainard. Michael Tate salarv'; he is also concerned about the more recent film phenomenon: the r)a\id Gardner, Noni GrifFin, Adrienne Pocock whacky campus romp. All this, of course, jointed script. The premise, the plot, the addition of some nude/sex footage. Hugh Webster Eaatern Cdn. diaL Citadel VS'hile the added material stands out, must have been shrewdly decided upon dialogue, all have an out-of-date ring to French Cdn. diat Cine-360 Ueslern Cdn. dlat to win a wider audience. What instead them. For Instance, a five-minute se­ Hoke Film Distributors colour 35mm running bearing no visual or stylistic resemblance results is an unholy cross between quence has Will putting on his blind time 103 min. to the rest ol the film, the producers may

June 1982 - Cinema Canada/28 transvestite that he urinates on hi. shoes was the most offensive moineni I've seen on film since the baby was nin over by the motorcycle gang in A,,J Ma^. Not that Scandale is some sort of pert Spater la bourgeoisie experience Nah if s a very lethargic cast that stumbles through these hoops. Was it professional embarrassment that slowed them down, I wonder? Downers? I mean, there were some pretty impressive talents in­ volved here, although you'd never know it. Was there some sort of religious cull initiation going on that made evetyone look so tired ? But even the worst sow's earhassome potentiality for becoming a silk purse, so I might mention that even in the midst of all this career mass-suicide that was taking place on the screen, the cinematography was just fine. It was always a pleasure when what there was of a plot set some of the characters out­ side, so we could see those delicate shadings of light that are one of the saving graces of a Quebec winter. And Nanette Workman was good in a little cabaret number she put on for us... In fact, that sequence had the wit and the energy that the whole film should have had. I mentioned that the film had some sort of plot. It was sequenced (just like have done more damage in the editing. have this immense house on the beach. are acting out. The climactic scene, in any porno film must be to get by the Gillard. with his experience as a sketch Where did it come from ? How did they which scissors are applied to the genitals censors) with little bits of a story that in writer, probably provided balanced build it? Did the chimp tell them? of the bound and pleading government this case, had something or other to do scenes that fulfilled some of the genre Where do they get the yards and yards of official, who had been a sort of father with the Pomobec scandal stuck in requirements. When David goes to extra cloth that they use as decoration, figure throughout the film, must cei^ between the sex scenes. rescue Sarah from the Semitic beast, for and why don't they make some clothes ? tainly be of some significance to the I could go on to ridicule individual instance, we see him poised on the hill This is the desert sun, remember They filmmakers. After all, it is preceded by participants in this venture, but why above the camp. Next, we are in the tent should be in a constant state of bum and enough male genital flag-waving, if I bother ? It would be like shootingfish in where Sarah is being prepared for her peel, if not sunstroke and death, rather may coin a phrase, to telegraph to even a barrel. wedding night (she looks like she's wait­ than nicely tanned- the most unperceptive audience the David Clarke • ing for a bus) and suddenly, David The second major problem of the film fact that the filmmakers "do protest too appears in full purdah. How did he is its sex. In The Blue Lagoon (forgive much," and are trying to disguise a SCANDALE p. RSL Films Limited d. George sneak into the camp in broad daylight' me, 1 am about to compare The Blue profound anxiety about the matter. And, Mihalka. ac. Robert Geoffrion mus. Tony Roman How did he get the clothes ? Where's the Lagoon favourably to another movie), whereas Russ Meyer always convincing­ d.o.p. Francois Protat ed. Rit Wallace p. maa Wendy Grean p. acct Manon BougifrBoyer p. sec suspense ? Did Gillard write the scene one could see the growing sexuality of ly distances himself from the castration Jacky Lavoie 1 at a.d. Malthieu Vibert 2nd a.d. like that ? its heroes because they were marooned anxiety he depicts, those in charge of Arden Ryshpan loc. man. Franpois Leclerc sr. Elsewhere, one of the most consis­ as children. The socialization process Scandale would seera to have neither auperv. Monique Champagne casting Andree tently interesting elements of the cast­ was not nearly complete. With adoles­ the psychological maturity nor the Champagne dancera' caatlng Kathleen Graham technical ability to pull off such a feat. focus MichelGirard clapper/loader Patty Morein away genre is how they survive. What cents (19th century remeraber?) the gaf. Don Saari best boy Charles Hughes key grip do the) build their shelter from ? How taboos are locked in place, so it is That being said, I take it all back. I Serge Grenier sd. mixer Donald Cohen boom do they get food ? What new philosophi­ thoroughly unlikely that the sexual have no idea what problems, if any, Gabor Vadney art. d. Csaba Kertesz assL art d. cal and ethical questions are formed ? curiousity displayed by Sarah and the those guys down at RSL have, or don't Michel Dernuet set dec. FrancesCalder set props. Claude Charbonneau aasL set props. Pierre Planle Even the Blue Lagoon didn't push the elaborate sexual techniques shared by have And I have nothing against porno­ ward. des. Paul-AndrS GuSrin ward, mistress natural limitations of their resources them are even vaguely appropriate. In graphy, per se (with the usual caveats Mary Jane Wallace make-up Marie-Jos6e Ufoiv too far. In Paradise, the Kids suddenly this sense. Paradise is sort of a pre- against the involvement of minors, taine hair AndrftLafreniereaaat hairDenisMuller Victorian Porky's. brutality and so forth). Why, just the sills Alex Dukay. Attilla Dory unit maa Jacques Leflaguais assL ed. Chanlal Bowen sd. ed. Aulone PARADISF, p. Robert Cantos, Stephen J Roth On the positive side, director Gillard other day I wandered down to the local Productions Inc. superv. sd. ed. Richard Lightslont exec. p. Bruce Mallen, Howard R. Lipson co-p. displays some solid camera sense and Bijou to see Prison Girls in 3D, and I dialogue ed. Tony Reed, Patrick Dodd sd. efx ed Wendy Grean d. A ac. Stuan Gillard creative gets excellent work, in the Nestor Almer- thought it was a hoot. Monika Dorfman Lightslone assts. ed. Susan consultant Gene Corman prod. des. Claude Bon- Schneir, Ross Overbury Lp. Sophie Lorain, Gilben niere muaic comp. Paul Hoffert d.o.p. Adam dros mode, from Israeli cinematogra- But I thought Scandale was witless Comtois, Alpha Boucher, Franpois Troltier Robert Greenberg costumes Julie Ganton. Mary-Jane pher Adam Greenberg. The rest is trash filth. It didn't just make me sick, it made Des Roches, Sylvie Boucher, Douglas Coco Lto- McCartv ed. Howard Terrill aaat d. Jim Kaufman me angry. And it insuhed the people of pold, Les Freres Brosses (Jean-Piarre Alonzo and ac sup. Munique Champagne procL sup. Manon Quebec by portraying them as a bunch Robert Morrissettel, Nanette Workman, Marcel Bouger Boyer loc man. Gady Levy 2nd assL cL Giguere, Jean-Guy Moreau, Denis Larocque, Liliane Zion HaenSrd assL d. Nitzan.Avirain sd. mixer Fli George Mihalka's of morons. The fat people jokes and the Clune, J.-C, Robillard, Marie-Alyne Joyal, Jean Che Vorkani boom VochaiMoshe chimp trainer Boon portrayal of gays were very unpleasant, valier, Sonny Forbes, Gayle Garfinkle, Celyne Ver Narr assL trainer Paul Reynolds unit pub. Lana and the scene in which the fat, moronic reau. Les Soeurs Ciseaux p.c. RSL Films H'K' Iny alills Noni Hamenachem p. sec. Judy Wasser- Scandale running time 97 min dIaL Vivafilm/CinC 360 mil aec Ha\ a Naslovilch crowd man. Ze e\ Ziegler Quebecois is so startled by the sight of a prod, accounlanl Haney Edinoff focua puller Vossi Zicherman 2nd aaat cam. Avi Koren loader • Scanda/e runs rampant behind closed doors... Here, Sylvie BoucherandGilbertComlois Gidi Porat chief make-up Blanche Schuler assL make-up Lili Ben \teir. Gabi Genigold wardrobe Tami MorassL wardrobe BinaBamonassL artd. Ariel Roshko aet dreaaer David \arod. Mordechai The master of the modem day American Kormush props buyer Zvika Haen props master porno film genre, Russ Meyer made the Ladi \ eelheim key grip Varov Bukman grip David profitable discovery that North Ameri­ Saranga, Yonatan Nati\ gaffer Abraham Leibman can males would fork over large amounts genny operator Yossi Sbmuel hd. wrangler > oski Heusdorff wrangler Deddy Heusdorffcamp of cash to watch castrating females man. Bazi HaenaasL camp man. Citan AlonassL triumph over hapless males. His first camp llzhak Shnki. Eliaim Adjami transp. captain film to really exploit castration anxietv Mike Hartman aaat ed. Bit V\ allace, Hagil Anin was Vi.xen : it was followed by Super stand In Cor Da\ id Gal Cohen atand In for Sarah Ronit Caspi2nd unlld. Aharon Shemi2nd Vifcens, Beneath the Valley of the Super unit cam. Danny Shneor underwater photo­ Vixens, and so on. grapher David Philosoph Lp \\ illie Aames Phoebe If s interesting to see castration anxiety Cates Richard Cumock Tuvia Tavi. Neil Vipond Aviva Mark> Joseph Shiloach. p.c R S L Films turning up as one of the central tropes in (198II American diet Embassy Pictures. Cdn. Scandale; interesting that is, in estab­ dIsL New World Mutual Bunning time 100 min lishing a hypothesis about what critical colour 35 mm psycho-dramas the makers of the film

26/Cinenna Canada - June 1982