The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 23, 1980, Page Page 8, Image 8
Entertainmer
Fair draws
By Lynn Massey x
oian writer
The S.C. State Fair came to town last week for its annual
display of delights and frights, but did not bring anything
spectacularly new. It is more of an experience to walk
through and observe the characters the fair attracts than to
spend a buck and a quarter for a brief ride on the Zipper.
The fair brought along an unusual melting pot of interesting
characters with zany qualities. Quite a few obviously
favor the group Kiss, as their faces are painted in
wild designs.
One of the most flabbergasting sights is the "Snake Lady,"
who calmly cradles a boa constrictor, while it wraps itself
around her almost nude body.
One of the worst drawbacks of the fair is the sly way it
absorbs your money. It is $2 to park and then $2 just to walk
through the gates. It is almost impossible to resist the persistent
people determined to lure vnu nvor tn tai^o i
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their "games of skill." It is obvious many succumb to this
temptation, because many fathers are shrouded with huge
lions and panda bears. It is very amusing to watch these men
wrestle with these overstuffed obstacles on the rides.
The rides are somewhat expensive and hardly worth the
mediocre thrill you get in return. However, the children
couldn't care less about the prices, and the parents couldn't
care less about letting them down. It is quite obvious a lot of
Mommies and Daddies satisfy their kids hearts' desires to
ride a little bit of everything, and to take a little bite out of
everything.
As far as rides are concerned, the fair does not fail to bring
along their traditional thrills,such as the merry-go-round, the
ferris wheel and the pony rides. There are enough rides to
sling your guts and gash your nerves, but nothing you can't
get over in time to ride the Octopus or the Tobaeean.
There are enough spook houses to keep kids up at night for
weeks, and enough side shows to make another Gong Show
movie. There are also some new gut grabbers like the Pirate
ride, which rocks back and forth in a pendulous motion, and
the Ripcord which offers the closest sensations to ski diving. <
There are some hazards to riding these contraptions, which
are usually brought on by the visitors themselves. It is i
painful to watch the little guy on the Flying Bobs get crushed^,
to tears by his hefty sister who is leaning into every turn,
and I can really feel compassion for the poor guy who lost all
his change from his pockets while stopped upside down on the
Zipper. And on the ferris wheel, it would be a good idea to
cover your head while going around, because little kids
sometimes drool and drop candy apples due to the ex- 1
cilpmpnt r?f tVio pi^o
Blake, Cannon
in comedy 'Coo
By David Bokor He's laid back to the point
Fum critic where he all but disappears
.Joseph Sargent's new from the screen. And not for
romantic comedy, "Coast to a split-second do we believe
Coast," is two, two, two that either can stand the _
movies in one. The first is a sight of the other. I
1930s screwball comedy Sargent stages the high- i
starring Dyan Cannon, the way scenes capably, but 1
second a 1970s road epic when the motion of the truck |
starring Robert Blake, stops, so does that of the (
Unlike the chewing gum movie. Sargent also seems to j|
commercials, however, have been unable to resist ||
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wncii me iwo components stealing scenes from other 1
are banged together, they do recent comedies, most
not form a pleasant whole. notably "Smokey and the
Bandit," "Silver Streak'Und
In a nutshell, the plot of "For Pete's Sake."
"Coast to Coast" goes like
this: Madie Leverington Nowhere is the latter
(Cannon) escapes from a problem more evident than
Pennsylvania mental in- in the climactic scene, where
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ouiuuuii, wnere ner nusnand iviaaie drives the truck
has unjustly had her com- through her husband's anmitted.
Still in her tique-filled house. Here, ;=|
nightgown, she hitches a ride Sargent has merely re- |
with Charlie Callahan created the train-crashes- |
(Blake), a feisty truck through-station scene from
driver whose 18-wheeler is in "Silver Streak." ||
danger of being repossessed. a
After fighting off both the Sargent captures the I
people wanting to put Madie action from the precise I
back in a straightjacket and angles Arthur Hiller used in ||
those who want the truck the earlier film, and he uses I
from Charlie, the couple the same slow-motion I
arrives in California, having photography. He even has a H
fallen in IfiVP U/ifh paph phanHolin?- f?,ll
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en route. flickering, onto the truck,
and the truck hitting a sports
The problem with the car before coming to a halt. I
movie, surprisingly, lies not g
so much in the script, which Word-of-mouth -publicity I
isn't nearly as hackneyed as often makes or breaks a
it sounds, but in the casting borderline movie like "Coast
and the direction. to Coast," and by clipping I
Cannon and Blake have as such a well-remembered Pf
much rapport as a snake and scene from such a popular
a mongoose. She's manic to movie, then placing the
the point of beins obnoxious sr*>m? at hie num
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big crowds,
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The S. C. State Fair will be in Columbia through <
sho ws, food and exhibits. (Photo b y John Par net!)
Now there are soir ? things that are unique at the fair, and
iust aren't rmitp thp if unn ?i ? rk?
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is food. Good ol' corn dogs, chewy candy apples and
sticky cotten candy are prime example of the delicacies that
only the fair can offer. However, if you would like to avoid
heavy heartburn, then pass up the greasy sausage and the
runny hot dog chili. As far as iunkfood goes, the safest bet at
the fair is the snow cone.
There are tents which serve as arcades for the pinball
freaks, and Bingo for the laid back crowd. Other tents held
fortune tellers, picture takers and abnormal farm animals.
However, I don't believe I can imagine anybody who would
like to pay money to see a goat with four horns or a
calf with five legs. There was also a dunk-the-clown booth
which could be done by pitching a ball to hit a lever to dunk
an odd couple
ist to Clnnftt'
end, Sargent is committing Coast" thinking only of how
commercial suicide. People nice it would be to see
are apt to leave "Coast to "Silver Streak" again.
&3H1&&
Dyan Cannon and Robert Blake run away together
'Coast to Coast,' a comedy and road epic in one.
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, money
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Oct. 25. The fair offers an abundance of rides, side
BoBo into the water.
The fair is not all fun and games. Also on display were the
county arts and crafts show, along with the farm animals
exhibition. The farm animals exhibition is the most entertaining
because it is fun to watch how people unaccustomed
to the rural animals react to the smells and to the
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..VUM. uvci j idi in diiimai irom neuers 10 nogs can be seen
in the stalls and sheds.
Believe it or not, the most hilarious section of the fair was
the "Bird Brain" tent where ducks and chickens play games
with fair goers for a quarter a try. I personally played Tic
Tac Toe with a chicken, who beat me only because I was so
amazed that the bird could actually play. You could play
basketball or baseball pinball-style with a hen or a duck. One
hen tells you your fortune and another answers questions
about your weight and love through "yes" and "no" buttons.
Apparently, these bird brains have had a lot of practice at the
games, because they win the majority of the time.
The fair has other characters one would usually expect to
see such as the clowns, men selling ballons. and even an nlH
organ grinder with his pet monkey. There is nothing missing
from the fair, but then there is not anything new either.
At night, the fair seems to be more exciting, and takes on a
more attractive appearance. All the wires, trucks, trailers
and fair trash seem to be swallowed up by the spectacular
lights from the rides. The illuminating colors that the lights
project could make Walt Disney feel at home.
JL J I tfcSIl |
FICTION
1. "The Key to Rebecca " by Ken Follett
2. "Firestarter" by Stephen King
1 "TUs* it
x we 1- uui riurseinan by Larry Collins
| and Dominique Lapierre
4. "The Rage of Angels" by Sidney Sheldon
5. "The Tenth Commandment" by Lawrence Sanders
6. "Loon Lake" By E.L. Doctorow
7. "Fanny" by Erica Jong
8. "The Spike" . by Arnaud de Borchgrave and Robert Moss
9. "The Origin" by Irvine Stone i
" ? ~~
NON FICTION
1. "Crisis Investing" by Douglas H. Casey
2. "Shelley: Also Known as Shirley" .... by Shelley Winters
3. "Side Effects" by Woody Allen
4. "Free to Choose" by Milton & Rose Friedman
5. "Music for Chameleons" by Truman Capote
6. "Craig Clairborne's Gourmet Diet" .. by Craig Claiborne
with Pierre Franey )
7. "Nothing Down" hv Rr?h*?rt n au??
8. "The Sky's The Limit" by Wayne Dyer
9. "Goodbye, Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War" ....
by William Manchester
10. "Ingrid Bergman: My Story" by Ingrid Bergman
and Alan Burgess
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