• • and rid himself of his own unwanted Instead, Peter remains as Bedros, achiev­ Atom Egoyan's identity. ing his dream of family bliss at the cost Allan Eastman's For Peter, the project is his first ven­ of destroying himself. As he lies in bed ture out of the home and the ultimate surrounded by his new family, dread Danger Bay Next Of Kin test of his "pretending" skills. The mixes with satisfaction: Peter realizes Deryans immediately accept him as he is among strangers, strangers who their son. It doesn't matter that he love Bedros, not Peter. As his sister doesn't look Armenian: all their lives places his photographs into the family they have fantasized a role their son album during the final credits, the gro­ A scene from Danger Bay, the new half­ Seldom do you find a low-budget film­ would have played in the family, so tesqueness of his fate is underlined : the hour drama series coproduced by To­ never mind a first feature - as technic­ when one arrives they don' t ask ques­ roving camera has represented the spil'it ronto independent Paul Saltzman, CBC­ ally accomplished as Next of Kin, pro­ tions. Playing it straight, Egoyan works of the real Bedros, while Peter's frozen TV, and the Disney Channel: deep in duced, written, directed and edited by this family's lavish affections toward image suggests his soul's imprison­ the British Columbia interior the Bad 24-year-old Toronto independent film­ their improbable son Peter - for whom ment. The last laugh; chillingly, is on Guy aims his rifle at the Good Guy, maker Atom Egoyan. The narrative is the epithet "Whitebread" surely applies him. valiant veterinarian Dr. G,'ant "Doc" engaging and crisply paced, the dialogue - for much deadpan humour. Part of the story's charm is that Peter's Roberts (Donnelly Rhodes). The good sure and authentic,. the performances Soon Peter faces a choice between his ruse is never revealed, but this limits the doctor escapes, though, in a helicopter solid, the locations, sets, and small hollow WASP existence and the rich film's overall scope. The ambiguous piloted by the capable and lovely Joyce details appropriate. Then there is the emotional life of this strange ethnic ending sidesteps Peter's identity pro­ Carter (Deborah Wakeham ), who un­ camera - a camera which not only family. It sounds like a cliche, and blem, and many issues set up by the film hinges the villain with a blast from her moves, but moves swiftly, fluidly, as­ would be a terrible cliche were it not for hardly get touched - questions of cul­ craft's propellers. The Bad Guy aims at suredly. It adds up to quite an achieve­ Egoyan's persistent undercutting of the ture, class differences, the gap between his fleeing partners but they get away, ment for a $37,000 film made on Canada narrative. A nightmare lurks at the "real" and "pretend." Given the film's too. Disgusted, he flings his rifle to the Council and Ontario Arts Council grants edges of Peter's adolescent dream of high level of accomplishment, one ground without firing a single shot. (it looks like it should have cost $100,000l. choosing his own family, giving Next of wishes Egoyan had pushed his material It's odd. Guns on TV are as familiar as Egoyan must share the credit with cine­ Kin a quirky, unsettling feel: wholesome further; one senses many of these issues the medium itself, but a TV gun that matographer Peter Mettler (director of family drama played out in the 1:wilight remain unresolved for him, to be ex­ doesn't go off is rare - which says the the praised 1982 experimental feature Zone. In one scene, Peter curls up on the plored in later works. Perhaps it's that makers of Danger Bay are up to some­ Sciserre) and a dedicated crew of kitchen table so the mother can cuddle the film's intellectual premise demands thing different. young Toronto film professionals. him as she did the infant Bedros; it's Peter be something of a cipher, but Pat­ Danger Bay builds its stories around A cultural comedy with disturbing funny but disturbing - especially since rick Tierney's performance makes him real-life environmental concerns, not undertones, Next of Kin premiered at it's the same table upon which they a more sympathetic character, so you cops-and-robbers fantasies. Each epi­ the Festivals of Festivals and was Cana­ consumed Peter's homecoming meal. want to know more than the film is sode tries to teach the audience some da's sole entry in October at the Mann­ Add to this the film's roving, probing prepared to tell you about his life, his unusual facts, like the origin of the heim Film Festival in West Germany. camera style, said by the director to relation to his parents (who are only expression "Mad as a hatter." The show Egoyan's background is in theatre (he represent the spirit of the missing son. broadly sketched caricatures), his emo­ scrupulously avoids excessive violence, has written 10 plays, including one to be Through this device, the film subcons­ tions. Nevertheless, its ironic texture, sexism, racism, and exploitation, creat­ produced in New York this fall, External ciously contrasts its visual style with the visual style and feel for genuine cine­ ing its own benign unreality where guns Affairs) and, to a lesser extent, film family's deadening need to fix Peter/ matic exploration make Next of Kin a are aimed but never fired. Using the criticism (while at University of Toronto, Bedros in its own image of a son - an promising debut and should establish medium's established conventions, it he wrote some of the most lucid and image which remains largely infantile Egoyan as a young Canadian director seeks to give disenchanted TV viewers a intelligent reviews ever to appear in the (they have even preserved Bedros' teddy worth watching - and supporting - in show which is not only good but good student press), so, not surprisingly, his bear). the coming years. for them. films reveal formal considerations. In the ensuing contest of wills, the Bruce Malloch • The question remains: can a show His previous film, Open House, a half­ family easily overwhelms the hapless like Danger Bay improve television hour drama which aired on CBC-TV, Peter. He finally loses control of his merely by changing the content ? Much was like Next of Kin a deliberately self­ escapade when the Deryans throw NEXT OF KIN d./sc./ ed. Atom Egoyan 'of the show's format is as conventional conscious study of a family in crisis, but d.o. p. Peter Mettler sd. rec. Clark McCarron art d. Bedros a surprise birthday party. With Ross Nichol p. man. Camelia Frieberg, Jere my as any TV half-hour. The same plotlines Egoyan's distance from the material the family's relatives gathered to pass Podeswa a.d. Mark R. Battley gaffer Bill Brown structured around three commercial was too pronounced: you felt you were judgment, Peter is presented for appro­ conI. Susan Haller grip 'mre Geiszt best boy breaks - a sameness ameliorated some­ witnessing an exploration in film form val then led to the cake, where his sister Frank Foster boom Paul McGlashan ward. Delanie what by the uncommon flair of Doug rather than a movie with characters, Prasek assl. cam. Doug Koch sp. efx. ed. Michele beckons him to look closer, closer, until Moses mus. ed. Gordon Kidd assl. ed. Bruce McKay's location cinematography. story and action. In this respect, Egoyan a pair of hands pop out to grab his face. McDonald titled Metamedia stills Tim O'Brien, Same combination of terrific job and has made great progress with his first They are George's hands - it's only Kaloust Babian p. asst... Hagop Apkarian, David wonderful family for Doc Roberts, whose feature: Next ofKin is a warmer, livelier, another of the practical jokes the Der­ Churchill, Jim Coburn. Paul Harris, Vivian Palin, kids (Christopher Crabb and Ocean more engaging film. • Pierre Yeremian class. guitar Atom Egoyan sd. yans enjoy playing- but it signifies how efx. David Rokeby. Traditional folk music by The Hellman) are as cute and likeable as any Egoyan begins Next of Kin in the completely and hopelessly Peter has Song and Dance Ensemble of Armenia. Produced TV siblings. Same loyal supporting cast middle of its story, structuring the first plunged into alien territory. with the assistance of The Canada Council and - along with Carter, there's a bright, 20 minutes so that the narrative both Working the narrative against expect­ Ontario Arts Council p.c. Ego Film Arts, Toronto efficient and pretty researcher (Michelle colour I6mm running time 72 minutes, I.p. catches up and works backward, creat­ ation, Egoyan never gives the audience Patrick Tierney, Be rge Fazlian, Arsinee Khanjian, Chan) to explain the scientific stuff and ing a haunting, effective exposition. It the big discovery scene it anticipates. Sirvart Fazlian. an adorable seal pup, Danger. Same establ1shes the surreal aspect of its synth-pop score pulsing as relentlessly story. Peter (Patrick Tierney), a 23-year­ • Patrick Tierney and 'family' in Next of Kin: wholesome drama in the Twilight Zone as any action thriller's, as if it alone were old, upper-class, White Anglo-Saxon charged with putting the danger in Protestant, lives at home with his quar­ Danger Bay. relling parents. He is unhappy, disaf­ Then there are the show's progressive fected, aimless, spending his days "pre­ elements. Doc's an environmental pro­ tending" (i.e., daydreaming), which in­ tector and crusader against injustice to furiates his staunchly conservative man or beast. Show this public servant a parents. Though the film never explicitly wrong and he'll set it right, hang the states it, Peter's problem IS that he does risk, cost or paperwork. He'll also doing not want to be a WASP. his best as a single father. His kids share The family is undergoing psycho­ the household chores. Joyce holds a therapy- the sessions are videotaped so traditionally male job. Chan's researcher patients can review them later - and is Chinese. There are welcome alterna­ one day Peter looks instead at the tape of tives to the stereotyped blandness of the an Armenian family, the Deryans, guilty TV family, and if Danger Bay is to make over having given up their infant son a dent on public consciousness it will be Bedros 20 years earlier when they were through the dynamic it creates among poor. The father George (Berge Fazlian) these characters, the little daily things takes his frustration out on his daughter they do which speak of a large,' context. Ajah (Arsinee Khanjian) while the As it stands after two episodes, the show mother (Sirvart Fazlian) suffers silently. could probably push these elements Since Bedros would now be his own further. Doc handles only small change age, Peter decides to impersonate him : like rabid dogs and miscreant prospec­ he seeks both to ease the family's paIn tors and still gives most of the orders.

December 1984 - Cinema Canada/31 • REVIEWS • symbol: he is the particular, specific Jean Beaudry individual having to come to terms with his own finitude in the context of life & Franryois Bouvier's that will continue without him. This saying goodbye to life is brilliantly Jacques handled with both sadness and humor ____ "II in .all its heart-rending fullness : his reconciliation with a distant, hard­ et Novembre working father; his ex-girlfriend who is pregnant with another man's child; his tiresome relatives with whom he no longer has time to pretend; the sale of Is is surely no accident that this extra­ all his wordly possessions to raise money ordinary first feature has already been for the film-within-the-film. selected as one of 15 by young directors In one hilarious scene, Jacques, cal­ from around the world for the Tokyo culator in hand, is adding up a balance­ International Film Festival next summer. sheet of what his life has amounted to. For the sensibility that informs Jacques Totalling the years spent eating, sleep­ et Novembre - by its acceptance - and ing, reading and watching television celebration - of the fleetingness of life ­ produces an unaccounted-for time-gap. is profoundly Japanese in spirit Then he remembers sex. He carefully If in every other sense, Jacques et quantifies his sexual experience and Novembre is Canadian, (or rather a comes to the conclusion that he's known Montreal film) this is simply because it only 39 days of pleasure in his 31 years. is a film in the purest sense: a perfect Slowly, painful hurdle after hurdle, balance between the universality of its with its funny moments and its bitter theme and the specificity of its location. ones, Jacques makes his peace with the For Jacques et Novembre addresses a life that he is leaving. An immense calm topic that concerns all human beings, permeates the ending of the film : gaunt, namely death. thin and ashen, Jacques has begun the Jacques, in a performance of stunning final journey. Alone in his nearly empty simplicity by Jean Beaudry, is 31 years­ appartment, he waters his collection of old and dying of an unspecified disease. plants, each one carefully named and It is November, which will be his last representing Significant moments of his month. The film is a diary of Jacques' life - a jade is November. The film does farewell to life, or more accurately, not so much come to an end as, with a three films : the film i!self, and within it, mounting intensity of visual awareness, the film that Jacques' friend, Denis it seems just to hold its breath. (Pierre Rousseau), is making with him "In fact it wasn't death that mattered about Jacques' ultimate month, intercut to him, but rather life," goes the passage with a video diary that Jacques keeps from Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel when he is alone. Beautifully construc­ that Jacques has read to him twice, and ted - the editing is also by Beaudry - the fully describes the spirit of Jacques et film plays totally effectively on all levels, Novembre. cutting effortlessly from film, to video, For after seven years since the project • Danger Bay stars kids Ocean Hellman, Chris Crabb, and leads Wakeham and Rhodes to stills, and pushing each level of me­ got underway, after having experienced dium to its fullest expressive capability, every conceivable difficulty known to Mom's absence isn't really explained, are attacking campers. While the forest conscious all the while of the evanes­ filmmakers, after having been spurned Joyce's relationship to Doc is largely rangers would simply shoot the bears cence of its subject and rejected by Quebec film-funding undefined and the researcher's role each time, Doc's probing intelligence ":' Jacques et Novembre displays re­ juries, Jacques et Novembre is a pro­ limited to the lab. Both kids may cook, an intelligence patterned on, developed markable control over all its elements ; found, life-asserting affirmation o(artis­ but the boy makes peanut-butter ome­ and assisted by technology - works out not once does it falter ; not once does it tic and cinematic integrity. lettes while the girl prepares dinn.er for the entire picture. There's nothing false slip into sentimentality. Above all, it is a Simply put, Jacques et Novembre is a company. about this, and an intelligent TV hero is film permeated with respect for film­ triumph. Danger Bay also must integrate its refreshing, but let's hope the whole making, and for its subjects ; and when social concerns with the requirements series does not ignore the various iIIs one considers furthermore that it was Michael Dorland • of good drama, something it doesn't do modern technology has also produced. made for $15,000 in costs, the achieve­ in director Allan Eastman's first episode. There doesn't seem to be any reason ment of these young filmmakers is sim­ The story seems more science lesson to be cynical about Danger Bay. Its' ply miraculous. JACQUES ET NOVEMBRE d. Jean than drama, the characters never really makers seem sincere and committed in Jacques et Novembre was orginally Beaudry & Fran<;:ois Bouvier a.d. Marquise Lepage, come alive, and the music annoyingly their attempt to create a genuine alter­ conceived as a documentary film on the Marcel Simard ..c. Beaudry, Bouvier with Claude covers what seems like 95 percent of the native to current TV fare. Unfortunately, last weeks of a 24-year-old cousin of Laroche, Marcel Simard p. Bouvier &. Marcel Si­ show.Gil Shilton's second episode works these good intentions may not help Bouvier's, stricken by leukemia. The mard art d. Bouvier cam. Serge Giguere, Claude De Maisonneuve sd. Marcel Fraser, Diane Carriere, much better, which may mean Danger their scramble for viewers and survival. rapidity of the boy's death, sadly, out­ Dominique Chartrand, Christine Lemoine, Michel Bay will improve each time out. The To succeed, Danger Bay must consoli­ paced the filmmakers. However, the Charron, Gilbert Lachapelle, Andre Dussault. Fran· story has conflict and tension, so the date its present strengths and take more impact of what Bouvier terms "this <;:o is Reid ed. Beaudry mus. Michel Ri vard p.c. Les educational aspect is submerged - risks, while audiences must be patient extraordinary death" left a searing im­ . Productions du Lundi Matin, with the financial participation of the crew. Telefilm Canada, the where it belongs. Joyce and Doc banter and accept that early victories will be print on the project that explains the (as Canada Council and the Natio nal Film Board of back and forth, -the kids come in at the small. yet unpaid) devotion to the film of all Canada. dist. (Canada) Cinema Libre 15141 526- top and end for comic relief, and the Above all, the show must avoid concerned with the production as well 0473 foreign: Films Transit 1514) 527-9781 colour music is less prominent. It's a solid, becoming merely a TV from _of diet as the uncompromising nature of the 16mm and video running time 72 mins. l.p. Jean cola - same product, except no bad Beaudry, Carole Frechette, Marie Cantin, Pierre well-crafted TV half-hour. filmmakers' approach. Jacques et No­ Rousseau, Reine France, Jean Mathieu. It's hard to · establish Danger Bay's sugar, no bad caffeine, no bad calories vembre stares death in the face, yet does true political line. Despite its left-leaning and no bad fun. Such an approach not flinch. • Jacques (Jean Beaudry) : ledger of a life aspect, it also bears an unquestioning appeals immediately to a certain men­ But it is not in any sense a morbid reverence and trust in advanced tech­ tality. But in the long run, compared to film. As its varied literary references (a nology. No birch-bark and pinecone the guilty, irresistible pleasures of the Jacques BreI song, a line from Marquez's backwoods nature show, Danger Bay original, how many will continue to "100 Years of Solitude") make clear, it sets Doc Roberts in command of an bother ? simply accepts- as we must all accept­ impressive technolc..gical array - which Bruce Malloch • that dying is a part of life. The courage of of course he uses only for good. In this film is in its belief that this realisa­ DANGER BAY d. Allan Eastman, Gil Shihon, episode one technc-logy rescues Doc's Michael Berry exec. p. Paul Sahzman creators tion is something all human beings can daughter from rabies. An improved Saltzman & Peter Dixon exec. story cons. John share in. vaccine not only saves her life but greatly buggan p. Mary Eilts post-po Paul Quigley I.p. Jacques is thus Everyman and as such reduces her treatment, while sophisti­ Donnelly Rhodes, Ocean Hellman, Chris Crabb, embodies what is both mortal and eter­ cated telecommunications and trans­ Deborah Wakeham, Kyle Skinner, Hagen Beggs, Michele Chan, Tom Heaton, Roy Vickers. A more nal in man - a very powerful video portation systems deliver it to Vancou­ complete crew list was unavailable from CBC for scene of Beaudry's emaciated body ver overnight. In episode two Doc's this issue. against a wall of light and shadow medical knowledge and the lab's find­ A more complete crew list was unavail­ unmistakeably states the "Ecce homo" ings uncover the real reason grizzlies able from CBC for this issue. theme. But Jacques is also more than a

32/Cinema Canada - December 1984 ,e REVIEWS • e

arL d. Birgit Siber, Suzanne Smith, Debra Gjendem, Bre ndan Smith key 8et dec. Carol Lavoie 18t a88L 8et dec. Linda McClelland 2nd aS8t. set dec. Pau l Edward Mowbray Dreskin 8et dec. trainee Marlene Puritt props & buyer Barry Kemp prop8master Anthony Greco Ruth .Taylor's a8sL prop8 Gordon Sim consL man. Bill Harman hd painter Nick Kosonic pr08thetics Greg Can nom assL prosthetic8 Jeffrey Kinney prosth. trainee Not Dead Yet Linda Preston 8p. e ix. Co lin Chilvers loco man. Ray Elias/ Brian Ross conL Pauline Harlow seL photog. John Williamson stills Pat Harbron aS8t. s tills Dave Hill trans. capL Michael Curran aS8L trans. This honest piece of anthropological capL GofMartin drivers AI Kosonic, John Ciccone, and cultural research had its world Simon Clery, Ri ck Moyle, Gordon Thorne, crafts. premiere at the recent New Media Fes­ James Tamblyn (2nd team) p. man. lIana Frank Not Dead Yet unit man. He lga Stephenson loc. man. Fran tival in Toronto. reveals, Solomon p. coord. Susan Mander p. assts. Carl for the first time, a portrait of an impor­ MarkS-George, Diane Mitchell 1st a.d. Stephen tant sub-cultural movement - punk. Wright 2nd a.d. Donato Baldassarra 3rd a.d. Je­ Traditionally left to marginalization by rome McCann gen_ asst. to d. Brock Simpson cam. op. Fred Guthe, Robert New scs, Marvin Midwicki the rest of the mass-media, considered dlapper loader Christopher Bonniere focu8 freakish, camp or anti-social by the puller Greg Farrow cam. trainee Ray Bronstein middle clash/ class, victimized by mora­ 8d. r ec. Bryan Day boom John Thomson .. d. listic portrayals of punklife on television mixers Joe Grimaldi, David Appleby 18t a8sL ed. Jeremy Maclarverty 2nd assL ed. Haydn Streeter soma-shows, directors Edward Mow­ ed. trainee Laurie Ru sswurm sd. ed. Peter Bur­ bray and Ruth Taylor have here fashion­ gess, Charli e Bowers, Jerem y Maclaverty, Terry ed a very sympathetic and energetic Burke a88t. sd. ed. Michele Cook, Gary DaPrato document. The work features the music mU8. con. Carl Zittrer gaffer Roger Bate be8t boy Adam Swica elecL Ira Cohen, Sandy Carroll, AI and thought of twelve Toronto area • The doll that steals the show in Curtains Lalonde key grip Carlo Campana 2nd grip Chris­ punk bands, their members, friends and topher Dean 3rd grip Greg Pa lermo grip Dennis supporters of the movement that they me to be certain they're all in the final Thompson gen. op. Jock Brandis ward. mi8L represent. Not Dead Yet breathes authen­ Mary Jane McCarty aS8t. ward. Maureen Gurney ticity because it is born out of, and 'Jonathan Stryker's' print, let alone long enough to develop make-up Shonagh Jabour aS8L make-up Suzanne characters. Benoit hair Jenny Arbour set dec. Linda McClelland respects the community that it portrays. Which brings us to that material from 18t a8sL set dec. Greg Pelchat 2nd assL set dec. In fact the producers and creators were Curtains another movie. There was an earlier Brendan Smith props Ed Hanna stunt coord. Bob very conscious of consulting all the Hannah consL man. Bill Harman conL Pauline version of Curtains i people who crewed Harlow trans. capL Michael Curran drivers David people in the tape and made sure that on it say the movie went through a year Chud, Allen Kosonic, Dave Brown, Jerome McCann they would approve of its conception of production, through major rewrites crafts. Laurie Manoim ass!. crafts. Daria Stermac and evolution throughout the year-and­ and reshooting. What's left, for certain, casL Karnick Armstrong, Liz Ramos Lp. John a-half that it took to put it together. It is a On some secondary level, Curtains Vernon, Samantha Eggar, Linda Thorson, Anne seems to have been conceived as a from that earlier version, is about a Ditchburn, Lynne Griffin, Sandra Warren, Lesleh model for all documentarians, aided by showcase for rising Toronto actresses. dozen shots involving a two-foot doll Donaldson, Deborah Burgess, Michael Wincott, the fact that Ruth Taylor is herself, a The premise - six actresses are invited with a subtly horrifying face of sorrow Maury Chaykin, Joann Mcintyre, Calvin Butler, Kate member of United State, one of the Lynch, Booth Savage, William Marshall, James Kid­ groups featured in the tape. to the home offeared director Jonathan and resentment. Whoever created that nie, Jeremy Je nson, Donald Adams, Diane Godwin, Stryker (the same name as on Curtains' doll should be applauded, as should the Janelle Hutchison, Virginia Laight, Kay Griffin, Bunty Co-director Edward Mowbr.ay, had a director's credit - more of that anon) to crew, who managed to make the movie Webb, Daisy White, Vivian Reis, Sheila Currie, brief career in television before turning audition for the plum role of mad Audra look consistent and fairly good (despite Frances Gunn, Katya Ladan, Suzanne Russell, Jenna to independent video production. HiS Louise, Anna Migliarese, Elaine Crosley, Mary Dur­ video art has toured North America and and are stalked by a mad killer- is full of a couple of badly-lit exteriors and Stry­ kin, Angela Carrol, Julie Massie, Pat Carroll Brown, opportunities for love scenes, death ker's woefully underfurnished house) Teresa Tova, Janice Nicho1son, Alison Lawrence, J

34/Cinema Canada - December 1984 • REVIEWS • ~------Camera Canada------Three short dramas this month di­ youth", a nd a life-a nd-d eath decis ion The musicia n plays a mean, bluesy, to h is fa ther's farm to he lp the old rected recently by Bruce Pittman that colours the res t of h is life. insinuating corne t a nd, upon disco­ ma n w ith his chores, even th ough he for the 1984-85 TV season - David Exceptio na lly good a tmosph ere vering a pia no in the house, h e gives knows a blizzard is blowing up. He's and Cornet at Night on CBC and The a nd photography in the mountain out with a fascina ting ragtime beat, asked his frie nd Ste phe n to keep h is Painted Door ' on GlobaL All three sequences and, afte r a s low start, the capturing the a tte ntion of the boy's w ife compa ny. Sh e protests tha t films are available for sales and drama builds to a gripping climax. mother. s he' ll keep busy a nd w ill finally p a int rentals, 16mm/video, from ivlagic The actual o n-screen p resence of Tom d oes his b est to instruc t the the door a nd trim in their kitch en. Lantern Film Distributors, Toronto Ea rl Birney doesn' t add much to the musician in stooking but, though Ste phe n arrives; the storm rages ; (416) 844-7216 and Vancouver (604) story, and his contribution could w illing in spirit, his body is too w eak. they talk a nd play ca rds. Flashbacks 271-3311. have been confined to a m e ll ow , Whe n h e leaves the farm after a fe w recall th e youthful threesome, a nd voice-ove r re ndering of his poe m . disastrous days, he's give n the family the d ances w here John never danced DAVID a tantalizing glimpse of a totally but Ann took the floor w ith Ste phe n . Earl Birney reads his poem upon d . Bruce Pittman p. Mic hae l MaCM ill a n, Seato n diffe rent world beyond the little In the emotionally-charged atmo­ Mc Lean, Ja nice Pl a tt sc. J oe Wiesenfe ld c am. farm o n the prairie. which the film is b ased, a nd riffles AlarKiviio I.p. Er ic Murphy, Mila n C heylov, Ea rl sphe re, the pair a re convinced that through an old photo album. As his Birney. ;\,,'ards : Canadia n Film & Te levis io n Andrew Skelly comes across so the husba nd will not re turn through voice flows on, the screen dissolves Associa ti o n/ Columbus film Festival/Ho uston naturally as Tom, the young boy, that the wild weather, and thev sleep into the actual drama of two youths Inte rna tiona l Film Festival. Produced in asso­ he manages to hold his ow n amid the together. With dawn's cold, clear ciation With the CBC a nd Telefilm Canada. many years ago. first-rate professionals - Marilyn light, neighbours come to break the David works in a lumber camp in Lightstone, R.H. Thomson and Walter news of John's dea th. Ann stands in the Rockies where he meets Bob and CORNET AT NIGHT Mills. the snow by the frozen body, not too fires him with enthusiasm for climb­ The first dramatization of this short far from the house, pulls off the ing the impressive mountains sur­ story by Sinclair Ross by the NFB in d. Bruce Pittman, p. Mic h ael MacMillan, Seaton mittens she knitted, 'and discove rs Mc Lean, Ja nice Pl a tt line p. Gillia n Ri c hardson horrifyin g proof that, during the bliz­ rounding them. At weekends, the 1963 and directed by Stanley Jackson Be. J oe Wi esenfe ld cam. Ma rk In.,v in esc, I.p. pair take off, and the older David acts was a pleasant little black-and-while R.H . Thomson, Ma rilyn Li ghlstone, Andrew zard-ridden night, her husband found as Bob's instructor and mentor. The tale. This time round it seems much Ske lly, Wa lt e r Mills. Pro duced in associa ti o n out that he had been betrayed. ultimate aim is to climb The Finger, a stronge r due, no doubt, to the first­ w ith the CBC and Te le film Canada. Strongly acted, with a gripping and mountain which needs skill and rate casting and an entire shoot on tense atmosphere, and some lovely knowledge to conquer. location in Ogema, Sask. THE PAINTED DOOR cameraw ork, especially in the con­ The friends progress from relatively It's the post-Depression era on the This taut little tale is based on another fin es of the house. easy outings tq more arduous expe­ Pra iries. An isolated farm needs help short story by Sinclair Ross and, riences. David urges Bob to "Let the to stook wheat. The farme r works rI. Bru ce Pillma n p. Mi c hae il\'lac MiJlim , Seato n again, set on the Prairies. However, !\'lc Lean , Ja nice Pla tt, Andy T h o m son line p. mountain teach you patience," as alone and is forced to send Tom, his the wintry location shooting was Gillia n Ri cha rdson sc. Joe \\'iesenfe ld cam. they cling to a rock face and wait for ll-year-o'ld son, into town to bring done near St. Chrysostome, Que., Savas Kaiogeras I.p. Linda Go ra n son, Augu s t the rain to stop before going ahead. back a man "with strong arms." The with interiors in the NFB's Montreal Sch e ll e nbe rg, Eri c Pe te rson. Produced in coll a­ Bob also learns painfully that only boy encounters a rail-thin, probably bora tion \vith the NfB, and w ith th e pa l'licipa­ studio. lion ofTelefilm Canada a nd the Globa l Te levisio n the fittest survive, both man and consumptive, city jazz-musIcian, A few mome nts of love a nd d esire, Net work. beast. who's come west for some clean air. of frustration and regret, of isolation It is the final assault on The Finger He hires him, promising to show him and, in the e nd, unnecessary d eath. Pat Thompson • that brings Bob to "The last day of m y the ropes. Ann's husband John sets out to walk BuuKSHELF • • tifles some 500 such movies with striking tion to cinem a tic art (V. of California state-of-the-art techniques. His com­ For Research illustrations and an informative text, Press $29.75). prehensive and practical survey co vers compiling a fascinating history of the Issued by Canada's National Film in-camera effects, 2- and 3- dime nsiona l and Reference genre (St. Martin's $24.95/ 12.95). Board, Glossary/ Glossaire is a bilingual animation (cartoons and puppe ts), front Basic questions affecting cinematic art Ably edited by G. William Jones, lexicon of technical te rms used in film/ and rear projectio n, mates, m echanical are raised in a stimulating collection of Talking with Ingmar Bergman, taped at video production, data processing, effects and props. Well illustrated , this essays by Canadian filmmakers and an SMU students' seminar, reveals the management and re lated fields. Avail­ clearly written volume provid es much scholars, bringing a remarkable variety Swedish director's insights into cine­ able from NFB Research and Develop­ available information (Van Nostrand of views to a complex problem. Ably matic concepts and techniques, and his ment, 125 Houde St., St. Laurent, Quebec Reinhold $30.50). edited by William C. Wees and Michael struggle to come to terms with life and (Check for $5 made to Receive r General Painter, printmaker and set d esig ner, Dorland, Words and Moving Images himself through his art (So. Methodist U. of Canada). David Hackney reveals his photographic deals with the interrelationship between Press, Dallas, TX i $25/ 12.50). c reativity in a brilliant a nd e xciting the verbal and visual content of film, David Quinlan's Jl/ustrated Guide to collection of montages, Cameraw o rks. and more generally with the link that Film Directors surveys some 500 out­ The Rich Hockney's analytical technique s\'n­ connects or separates literature and standing American and British directors, thesizes his p ercep tion of rea lit)! s "end­ cinema. From the silent films' inter­ plus a sprinkling from other countries. and the Famous less seque nce of d e tails w hich our eves titles to off-screen commentary and lip Informative and thorough, its complete A director who virtually created the deliver to o ur m ind" (Knopf $50). . sync, the juxtaposition of word and filmographies and critical appraisals political fiction film ge nre is disc ussed Pmducer Mic hael Wiese's The Inde­ image, as discussed in this book, has offer sh arp insights into their per­ in Costa-Gavras, John J. Michalczyk's p endent Film/ Videomakers Guide is a created a latent, and often unpe rceived, sonalities and records (Barnes & Noble pe ne tra ting stu dy. Based on extensive knowledgeable a nd detailed m anual hurdle to full cinematic expression $28.50). resea rch, in-depth in terviews a nd discussing ever\, aspect of the process, (Mediate;de Publications, tv/ontreal, James Monaco's insightf ul a nd exten­ screenings of his fil ms, the book probes from finan cing and markel research $10). sive overvie w of the U. S. movie industry, the director's psych ological motivations through budgeti ng and prod uction, to In Women' s Films and Female Ex­ American Film Now is reissued in an and the nature of his commitme nt (Art d istribution a nd promotion. In each perience, Andre a S. Walsh examines upda ted and e nlarged edition. If offers a Allian ce Press, Cra n b ury! NJ ; $39.50). a rea, it offprs creati\'p suggestions and over 30 top-grossing "women's films" of well-informed, lucid a nd ofte n witty A ne wly revised edition of Donald practica l advicp (Fo ca l Press $14.95). the 1940-50 period, and m easures their a ppraisal of film as business and a rt, Ri chie's The Films of Akira Kurosawa \ 'aluable as a consumer guide, HoI\' to impact on women's social and inter­ and comments inte llige ntly on the updates the o riginal study of the leading Select and Use Home Video Equipment personal relationships. She holds films achievements of leading filmmakers Jap anese directo r's \Vork. ,-\ perceptive, by i\larjorie Costello and l\Iichael Heiss like Mrs. Miniver, Gaslight, Mildred (NY Zoetrope/ NAL $24. 95). detaile d an d richly ill ustrated volume, it delin>rs expe rt advice, free of tech nical Pierce as anticipations of the strong Italian films from 1942 to the present examines Kurosawa's choice of themes, jargon, for an educated c hoice among story-tell ing techniq ues, camera work feminist movement of later years are survey.ed by Mira Li e hm in her well­ i\\'a il able \ ,(~ Rs and how best to e njo\' (Praeger $22.95). re search ed volume, Passions a nd a nd director ial s tyle (U. of California the m (HP Books, Bo,>: 5367, Tucson, AZ John McCarty's knowledgeable study, Defiance. With special e mpha sis on the Press $12.95). 85703; $9.95 + Sl.95 handling). Splatter Movies, finds that blood and Fascis t p e riod a nd its aft e rma th, s he gore, preferably in slow motion and close places each film within its his toric, Crafts and Techniques up, distinguishes splatter movies from cultural and political context in a In Special Vis ua l Effects, Jack Imes Jr. rUl)-of-the-mill horror films. He iden- thoughtful assess ment of its con'tribu- describes the great varie ty of c urrent Geo rge L. Georg e •

December 1984 - Cinema Canada/ 35