Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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uurinsuns By David Baker Entertainment Editor Ice Castles is a very good movie that is cor plagued by trying to be better. The film borrows heavily from three of the 1970s' hits, The Turning Point, One on One, and Love St< make sure that no one escapes noticing the similar those three films, Tom Skerritt of The Turning F again cast as a wary father foisting another sweet daughter into the vicious jaws of professional comp Robby Benson is cast as the male equivalent to t Annette O'Toole played opposite him in One on Or Benson's character, Nick Peterson, is a foul-m hr nlottnr incf lilr/% T*F -? * 1 .1UV.HVJ piojrti , jUOl line U1IVCI Dill l CU 1 V 111 Love SIO To his credit, director Donald Wrye never 1< Castles' illusions of grandeur get too far out of hand the points are made that Ice Castles has sometl common with the three other movies, Wrye does n< on them, preferring instead to let the new movie fc own identity and its own sense of unity. This attemj independent is remarkable, considering that Ice Ca Wrye's first feature film. It's too bad that Columbia Pictures didn't have the let Wrye get away with it. The ad campaign Co] chose for Ice Castles is almost identical to the Warne used for One on One, with Benson as the central therein. Such a campaign is absolutely ridiculoi trying to pass off Ice Castles as a female version of1 One is like trying to disguise chocolate mousse as rav Such a feat can be done if you're good enough to do ii lnt r\f ?AAArvln ? 1 iui \ji pvu^ic me gumg lu uc iui iieu on Dy ine iooks stuff and will refuse even to try it to begin with. Thankfully, however, Benson is only a supporting a Ice Castles. He still manages to be totally inept, but i you don't have to look at him as often as in his pi movies. The real star of Ice Castles, believe it or not, is the young lady who is given sixth-billing, Lynn-Holly Jol Looking like a cross between Goldie Hawn and M< Baxter-Birney, the 19- year-old blonde beauty used I featured performer with the Ice Capades. In the role of Lexie, a young girl who is bound I Olympic ice skating team before a tragic accident her virtually blind, Johnson turns in a stunningly r debut performance. If the people with money in Holl have any sense for talent, Johnson will have a picture-contract in her hands by the time this i reaches print. Ice Castles is Johnson's movie in toto. It is she wh Jazz duets make up 'Apt Saxophonej ? nil 11??e? ??if?w^m um |?iniminiwiii?nr iiiuhiiimi I ^DAncc ^^Iriniii i n ir- 1? minirmni irm lrnnn i i 1 wtf i mranT-rrrrrri? I i him i,mi parkles I ^ John^jn vv nrnt K; Vinson. the film's best performance, and it jredith film several notches above the wa to be a makes-good movies spawned by the si Ironically, Johnson's stellar screen for the be a hinderance to many of Ice C; leaves During the movie's first half-houi latural sequences and numerous bits of dialoj lywood to make Johnson's character mor three- Johnson, like such illustrious ac review Streisand and Diane Keaton, has the audience almost immediately, so sue o gives to make her more appealing are just r _ * gee showcased in IBy Dale Smc Gamecock Staff V Pete Christlieb a Marsh made a re< saxophone duets, back HHH^ L and drums, that was heard by Walter B I Donald Fagen. They | they heard so much jffiHS I decided to produce a jBBHR I them. The result was A| I The featured player \ tenor saxophone. Both t experienced; each ha; /? *'ve S0U,K*anc* st^e . distinguishing who is wl jfiHraj W Pete Christlieb is a JS& jSSEBM Angeles studio music ar /P^Bf member of the Tonight Ir / 401 several years' sta r / l^y lack of opportunities foi y out that is a part of bei f musician does not sec hurt Christlieb's jazz pi; a big-toned saxophoni I obvious debt to Charlie shades of Sonny F casionally peep through sometimes reminded y Gordon also. Warne Marsh proves of the unsung gianl fc ^ WmmW 'ith Benson, Johnson v is she who raises the By far the most ive of underdog-who- Castles are those uccess of Rocky. skater. The behind i presence turns out to of the skaters by tl astles' early scenes. work that goes into r, there are several theicearefascinat gue that ar^.therc only If Wrye had beer e sympathetic. But by these sequences iiresses as Barbara nave probably done ability to win over an for dancers. It's sti h scriptual endeavors ladies will enjoy its epetitious. enjoy its star. Christlieb - ft ,ak saxophone playing. He wor ^r^,r with thp lnfp I .Ann to Trli'l'inn .V.VX, ^viUIIV AllOUlllU nd Warne many years, and he is alsi wording of veteran of Supersax. His recort :ed by bass opportunities have been gre. eventually recently than they have beei ecker and years. His recent A11 Mi liked what (Nessa) and Warne Out that they terplay) albums have b record by critically acclaimed. He is a li [>ogee. toned player and a most origi *s are both exploratory imnrovispr u/V are highly lines often shift unexpectedly ? a distinc- always logically. , so there Despite their stylistic trouble ferences, the two tenorists \ horn. well together. In fact, some of i busy Los best moments on the album oc ian and a when they improv Show band simultaneously. nding. The The support of the rhyt r stretching section merits special ment ing a studio Pianist Lou Levy contribi ?m to have several fine solos that serve a aying. He is contrast to the saxophoni at wiui an Drummer Nick Ceroli is suite Parker, but i low key. Perhaps the only w tollins oc- j moment on the album is the fc i, and one is I solo in "Rapunzel." of Dexter j " Magna-tism" which opens I album, is an obvious highlight himself one begins with some screwy te s of jazz counterpoint that moves into so s 'debut I iiiigMniin i V :$ :_ ,-.-li -v \/ith Skerritt > uiicieduiig piui angles explored in Ice dealing with the life of a professional l-the-scenes jealousies, the manipulation leir publicists and trainers and the hard each movement that a skater makes on ing things to watch. i able to maintain the interest generated throughout the film, Ice Castles would ; for skaters what The Turning Point did ill well worth seeing, however, as most sentimentality and most gentlemen will larsh album ked taken at a fast clip, by Christlieb, for Marsh and Levy respectively. "317 0 a E. 32ND," an odd-sounding Lennie iing Tristano tune, introduces some of ater the most interesting soloing of the 1 in session. "Rapunzel" is the first usic Becker-Fagen bebop tune, and it is (In- a fine one. Christlieb and Marsh een solo simultaneously^"- and ght- memorably, at the end of the tune, nal, "Tenors of the Time" opens side lose two at a racehorse clip. Heated but solos by Christlieb and Marsh make this track another obvious dif- highlight. "Donna Lee," a Charlie )lay Parker classic, has the principals the simultaneously trading eights with :cur the drummer. "f'm Old ise Fashioned," a ballad feature for Christlieb, is a fine close to the hm album. ion. The tunes for the album are well jtes chosen, and the arrangements are is a excellent. The liner notes, by sts. Robert Palmer, are interesting ibly and informative. All aspects of i. 1?* - * - cuk piouuciion are nrst class. ?ass Such factors, however, are secondary in a jazz album, the because it can by good only if the It playing on it is good. This alburn nor has plenty of good playing and is los, highly recommended.