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'Silent Movie rAmA^lu By Chuck Cromer and Terry Dugas Until recently, slapstick has remained a noticeably dormant Hollywood commodity for nearly fifteen years. With the disappearance of the Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello, and Jerry Lewis in the mid to late '50s, there have been no adequate replacements to continue the proud traditions of slapstick made famous by such great silent masters as Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. Slapstick (a comic art form that derives its impact from emotional and instinctive reactions to physical comedy) is the forerunner of sophisticated comedy. First seen in silent movies, slapstick reached its peack in the late '30s when W.C. Fields, the Three Stooees and The Mar* Rrnthors wpi-p at their zenith. The decline of slapstick is synonymous with the decline of these comic greats during the '40s, and by the late '50s, the genre had almost faded away. With the disappearance of slapstick, a psychological void was quickly developing in the American character. The most affluent country in the world was losing its sense of humor. Americans were forgetting what it felt like to develop bellycramps from pure, uninhibited laughter, and how to temporarily forget life's many problems while regressing into a world of comic fantasy. Had it not been for the film revivals of the classic or!ione nn KnfK 1 vuinvuiuiio U1I uvui IC1CV13IU1I aim LUllC^C CdllipUMCb plus the present wit of Woody Allen and Mel Brooks, Americans would still have no genuine slapstick comic relief today. Woody Allen and Mel Brooks are indeed our society's central hopes for rekindling the comic flames that have remained extinguished since the late '50s. In essence, Allen and Brooks are the offspring of the early comic greats. Like apprentices with an attentive eye for detail, these comics have provided slapstick with a feasible comback route to the contemporary audiences of the '70s. Mel Brooks suffered Hollywood obscurity for nearly twenty years before dramatically bursting into the celebrity scene with his incredibly profitable 1974 film "Blazing Saddles." Since then,* his illumination has continued to brighten with "Young Frankenstein" in 1975, and this year, with "Silent Movie." Many people Unci Brooks' films fascinating through his crude, often childish, dedication to sight gags and banal dialogue. They also maintain he is successful because he has brought an original comic concept to the screen. They marvel at his "satire" and hail his jabs at American society. Contrary to such attitudes, Mel Brooks is neither original nor satirical if we define these terms by I H Cat H It I ot'ov JUL A V/VV! out of this, the first thing I CAMPUS FI I'm gonna do 1 is go see 9 * tosaiose" 1 xsffi g I ment of pure |7"~. - - 1 #_v r ~ .1 I car chase se |ce ^ ? I aV*. I into an essay | ^ J life it I approach. Oi v \ ' I camera worl v ^ 'gf?' 1 low key pho1 1 the sardonic I imitation of I Philip Mario 11rwrinij drama with ' Revives !S Of Pas their most common definitions, student of slapstick. All he has comic form on contemporary s Brooks does not employ satir satire implies using ridicule an< vices, follies and such other m Brooks is saluting Hollywood sh which has been used less frequei He pays tribute to the granddad films, the western, with 4<Bla expresses his admiration for films of Hollywood's Golden Frankenstein." He has achieve most visual film form there is With "Silent Movie," Brook acknowledge his roots in silent' by poetically saluting slapstick v The heart of "Silent Movie" ploitation of gags. Mel Funn (B his career, as well as Big Pictui 4. ~ n 1? - ' is tu imil a sneni movie starri selling box-office giants. He is and Devour Inc., ("our fingers ? who wish to take over the sti devious purposes. The movie's plot, however, is 1 for the six stars. Paul Newrm Anne Bancroft, Marcel Marceai Liza Minnelli appear in episode the antics of Brooks, Marty F Deluise or as actors in their o\ onimraKlo ? v?jujrui/iv octnco Id rvc JJ1CHJC a: their screen images, such as B cissism and Paul Newman's pas Slapstick is Mel Brooks' domi Two of the film's most effect three knights in armor destroyi an army of hoods being defeats coke cans. The effects are ( Morris' score utilizing both bad sound effects. This is not to say that the fil stick. The film displays outrage verbal humor through titles, si The comedy is highly successf there are several weaknesses. 1 serious of these is casting. Th handled by competent comediar manner. The main characters, I ineffective. The role of Vilma, a vamp wl Funn, was written for Madeline ! down, opting for a part in "Won That Saved Hollywood." Berna was cast for the position, attemot style and delivery but is quite performance is both awkward < See SILKN >sule Revic LMS By Chu MCH CONNECTION (1971)?The si idemy Awards including the muchctor (Gene Hackman). and Rpst 1 ene Hackman and Roy Scheider s ty narcotics demolition team who, igshot hunch, wind up on the trail < heroin worth $32 million. Hackman' quences are cinematic masterpiec very dizziness of its perpetual mo in existential activity, movement f< self were one extended chase to the TI1E HOUSE OF USHER (1928 n Epstein of the French impressioni Cdgar Allan Foe story using somethi ne critic states that the film is disl ( and relies almost completely on :ography, slow motion and effectiv 1 n 1 spnere. riunaay. N(iTll (1967)?45 Minutes of a sing pposedly gives the room "a life of ICKONING ( 1947)?Humphrey Boj evenge-minded man investigating I of a wartime paratrooper buddy. I / t/ni/* mif^? Vkic* <?>"> 1 ~ v-jiiiv. vtiiii mo uwii lliwidl CUUC, I! his roles of Sam Spade in the "Mai we of "The Big Sleep." Still, the fi an abundance of visual violence ipsucK, an art torm (Hp* itly in recent years. Hp Idy of all Hollywood |T izing Saddles." He 1 the classic horror r ^ Age with "Young L d this by using the I s is attempting to B comedy techniques H ^ vith more slapstick, is simply the exrooks) tries to save IHr : < * res Studio. His idea Jff ing six of the best- ?# opposed by Engulf W ' , ire in everything"), V .. jdio for their own I based on the search ' in, Burt Reynolds, 1, James Caan, and ^ av. is either as foils to (n ... eldman, and Dom v,,ma (Bernad^te vn right. The most Vmn s <Mel Brooks) s the stars parody urt Reynolds' nar>sion for race cars. nant comic device. ive scenes include T^Vl ng a cafeteria, and JL II ad by a barrage of ;nhanced by John kground music and m is entirely slap- H* BfiOr ous sight gags and I ogans and graffiti. ui on tne whole, but v 3erhaps the most e minor roles are is in a professional however, are often | 10 is out to destroy Kahn. She turned it Kv HH Ton Ton, The Dog idette Peters, who :s to imitate Kahn's H unsuccessful. The ' ind unsatisfying. IT MOVIE, Page 5 HHHBHp ick Cromer coveted Best PicDirector (William Humphrey Bogart j tar as a two-man "Dead Reckoning", tc after successfully )f a massive ship- dialogue. Lizabet s nerve-shattering star under John es. As Newsweek LKTTEH FK<] tion transforms it taine, in one of h. >r its own sake, as socialite who fall finish." Thursday Even though pooi hnr ir> .? A VI 1 1 1 V- 1 ,1111 CtJIl )?In 55 minutes Lavishly directei st school attempts ng of a "Caligari" DOWNTOWN FI languished by fine camera devices? T1IK BINGO I e use of props to KINGS?A highlj Hears." The plot ;le zoom shot of a all-star professio its own". Sunday. Negroe National jart stars as Hip playing hometow :he disappearance the owners of th InU.ltt'c Miirflrvl/ 4 1 ' ' _o? icuipi 10 pnysica ? somewhat of an eliminate the c Itese Falcon" and Williams, James 1m is a well-acted for film goers of a ? and hard-boiled not detract from , ik ij -^4 c mii* i - ,- .^kssflfe, n ^rT" CJJBi ^8 a :" ' WW s'**' >\ ffl ' Peters) listens intently to movie director Mei dream of glory. ? _ ? ? ? e Gamecock rtainment J *ets the drop on some suspected murderers in ?be shown at the Russell House Theatre. h Scott, Morris Carnovsky, and Marvin Miller coCromwell's direction. Monday. )M AN UNKNOWN WOMAN (1948)?Joan Fon l*i lypicai roies, stars as a wealthy and respected s in love with a handsome pianist (Louis Jordan), r old Joan believes that Jordan is sincerely in love ty he is merely using her for his own advantage, d by Max Ophuls. Tuesday. LMS ,ONG TRAVELING ALL STARS ANI) MOTOR ' entertaining film reminiscent of "The Bad News revolves around Bingo Lone's npwlv fr?rm*?H hinrk nal baseball team, who, after defecting from The League in 1939, barnstorm across the Midwest n black and white teams. Difficulties arise when e other teams in the Negro National League atlly end the all-stars barnstorming tour and thus ompetition. Fine Derformnnppc hu uiiiw Karl Jones, and Richard Pryor make this a must 11 tastes and ages. The predictable conclusion will the viewer's enjoyment. Carolina.