Cinema Canada (Sep 1981)

es % . Gerald Potterton's Metal» _ “Heavy Metal is a first-class entertainment for the class of _ people whose eardrums are as strong as the pans of a steel band, whose nerves could be used to conduct electricity and whose fantasies tend to be leathery : it is, in other words, a movie for horny, hell-raising teenagers.” ve o7 — Jay Scott, The Globe and Mail “Probably ideal for adolescent boys who like to masturbate to mutilation, decapitation, and annihilation fantasies with racist trimmings from Soldier of Fortune and Terry and the Pirates.” — Jonathan Rosenbaum, Soho News “This technically first-rate sixsegment anthology has enough marketable elements — an amalgam of science fiction, sorcery, hip humour, violence, sex and a smidgen of drugs — to augur a lively b.o. sway within the core youth market.” Step., Variety “They set out to produce someting totally original that would take animation down new and unexplored roads. Instead, the road gets bumpy, and deflects the green ball back into the quick and rudimentary animation of Saturday morning cartoons.” — Ron Base, Toronto Star “All in all, Heavy Metal is a comparatively painless piece of entertainment. It is not without wit or sophistication, and there are occasional moments x v of pathos that are fully earned. It is really too late for me to get very deeply involved with such enterprises, and I have no idea with what age group Heavy Metal will find the most favor.” . — Andrew Sarris, The Village Voice “Superhuman fierceness is at the root of this kind of fantasy, but there are also enough sym pathetic touches to make the material involving.” — Janet Maslin, The New York Times Les Roses’ «Gas» “An amiable but often witless and disorganized farce... The ending is clumsily handled, the colour in the movie is washed out all the way through, and Rose’s direction has all the subtlety of a gang of Hell's Angels,” — Bruce Blackadar, The Toronto Star “One of the most racist, sexist and disgusting comedies ever. I’m embarrassed to admit that Gas is made in Canada by Canadians for morons.” — Bruce Kirkland, Toronto Sun — Step., Variety PierreAlain Jolivet’s “Black Mirror’ “An allegoric, artistic look at life inside a woman's prison. Slow-moving tale is almost relentlessly bleak with brief glimpses of black humour, although not enough to create audience sympathy for charac WHAT THE CRITICS HAVE TO SAY ters or attention to the story. — Klad., Variety Gilles Carle's “Les Plouffe” “It is a slick and satisfying entertainment that speaks unremittingly, and with no apologies and disguises, of Quebec. In the contest of this notoriously Canada-shy Canadian film industry, that’s a bold step in deed. — Geoff Pevere, Ottawa Revue 16mm prints stolen Telefilm loss insured TORONTO -— Over 300 prints of feature films were stolen from International Telefilm’s Toronto warehouse on July 23. According to Steve Swagaman, the value of the prints, all of which were in 16mm, is approximately $175,000. None of the prints were irreplaceable, but apparently there will be one ortwo television showings: cancelled. . The warehouse was broken into by force, but the thieves seemed to have had no plans but merely grabbed the first few hundred titles. They did exhibit exemplary taste however. Some of the films stolen were Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood and Ikiru, Jiri Menzl’s Closely Watched Trains, and the British comedy The Lavender Hill Mob. The films were insured and the Toronto Police are investigating the theft. © CONTENTS « No. 77 — September 1981 Cover : Selling roses for the cause ~ or to save his soul ? Far David (Nick Mancuso), the price ofa Ticket to Heaven is more than his friends will let him pay. (See pages 24-28). Photo : Lawrie Raskin. CineMag Trade NewS .....-.sssestreseeseeeee sete ee reces 3 First echoes of the festival : Montreal ’81.. weer ee tte ee teens 22 National pay television proposals. eenat PES re .17 In Transit ....cc cece cree e er cen e nen easeeereeaseeass stipe Production Guide, by Del Mehes and Yves Gagnon ......... 46 Features Interview : Ralph Thomas & Vivienne Leebosh, by Gary Lamphier ..... eit te ee PRU 1024 Proparms : Calling it Quits, by Howard Goldberg......... «29 The NFB: Inventing Canada — Again? by Lyn Martin.,.....31 In Progress “The Amateur’ : Action on All Fronts, by Humphrey Grey... 34 “Quest for Fire’ : ‘Pretty Department’ — Dirty Work, by Suzanna Plowright .....00ese vere tree ence eee eee ete sees 35 Book Reviews Culture Statistics : Film Industry, 1978 (from Statistics Canada), by Brendan Hawley......-.++++++. 39 Fifty Years on Theatre Row by Ivan Ackery, by Andrew Johnson........1seeee ree e nen en en nereneraee cess 39 Bookshelf, by Gebrge L. George ...--. +++ sere eeresereee 38 Film Reviews Clay Borris’ “Alligator Shoes,” by Alan Collins «0... se veveee 40 william Fruet’s “Cries in the Night,” by Maurice Yacowar...41 Alfred Sole’s “Tanya's Island,” by J. Paul Costabile ......... 41 Short Film Reviews Paul Shapiro’s “Clown White,’ by Salem Alaton ........---42 eee Publisher: Jean-Pierre Tadros. Editors: Connie Tadros, Jean-Pierre Tadros. Associate Editor: Teri Coburn. General Manager: Del Mehes (Toronto). Staff reporter : John G. Harkness. Researcher: Yves Gagnon. Columnists: Linda Shapiro, Les Wedman, Linda Kupecek, J. Paul Costabile, George L. George. Design: Merv Walker. Typesetting: Concept Médiatexte Inc. Subscription: Sylvie Ouellet. Advertising Manager: André Lauzon. Subscription information: One year (12 issues) : individuals $18. Companies and institutions $24. Add $5 postage for USA and overseas. Two years (24 issues) : Individuals $34. Companies and institutions $40. Add $10 postage for USA and overseas. First class (one year, 12 issues) : Individuals $30. Companies and institutions $36. Overseas: individuals $38. Companies and institutions $44, Requests for replacement of missing issues will be honored for three months after the due date of the issue. Administrative and editorial office: 834 Bloomfield Ave., Montreal H2V 386, Telephone (514) 272-5354. ‘Toronto office: 67 Portland St. Toronto M5V 2M39, Telephone (416) 366-0355. Mailing address: P. O. Box 398, Outremont Station, Montreal H2V 4N3. SPECIALIST IN: > = g eceeeseeseeeeesece Animation Photography Optical effects Special effects i Also Les Productions Ciné-Titres Enr. SSC OCSSSCHOHSSHHHSHEHHTHSHEHHHEHHHHHHOHOHHHOSHSHHHHOZOO® For information : tel. (514) 526-5924 Jim Paquette Jay Mattison