More comments from readers

Press, 16 January 1986, Page 14

More comments from readers

The request for readers’ listing of the top films of 1985 resulted in as many different comments as there are movies and cinemas in Christchurch. An honest summing-up was contributed by Mrs C. D. Nicol, of St Martins, whose favourite films were “Amadeus,” “Witness” and “A Passage to India.” She went on to say: “Movie-going, for us,' is not as it used to be — a weekly occurrence. Gone are the days when most of New Zealand put on its best ‘bib and tucker’ for a Saturday night ‘at the pictures’. “We, who escaped from reality into the Hollywood dream-world of Rogers and Astaire, Bing and Bob, Tracy and Hepburn, and even the not-so-dreamy exploits of Bogart, do not wish to see today’s shock movies with their unnecessary violence or sexploitation. “And after ‘E.T.,’ sciencefiction films are now also given a wide berth. One film like that was more than enough. Oh well, it’s all personal taste.” I will agree with Mrs Nicol that it is all a matter of personal taste. Richard Scheib, who seems to be a sci-fi-fantasy buff, gave these short reviews of two of last year’s top films in that genre: “‘2010’: ‘2001: a Space Odyssey’ didn’t really need a sequel, but this fills the job admirably. Everything about it is great, and the warmth of the characters triumphs over Kubrick’s cold obliqueness. “‘Lifeforce’: A kind of metaphysical ‘Thing’ that goes so over the top in its incredible nonsense that it achieves its own loopy grandeur.” Thank you, Richard. Beautifully summed up. The controversy about the standard and type of films screened by the cinema chains and independent theatres, such as Masters’,

continues. Keith Jacques, of ; Dallington, had this to say: ' “I’ve had a good year of ; movie-going. To me, there is ’ still nothing like the big ■ screen, and if it wasn’t for “ Mr Masters we would miss * out on a great number of J fine films. “It amazes me that the ' larger chains can give the J likes of “Reuben, Reuben” a ; one-week showing and ' others no release at all; and ? then show moronic rubbish ‘ like “Police Academy 2” for ‘ many weeks. It’s the adver- . tising that makes these - films so popular.” J Many people would agree » that any city requires a J small number of cinemas to < screen those important, but ’ less commercial films — a ; service which is provided in • Christchurch by Lang Mas- , ters. Paul Letham, of Ashbur- . ton, said the following about : “The Goonies”: “Being a 16- j year-old means I can sneak '■ (if that’s the right word) into kid movies like this without being laughed at. I found ‘The Goonies’ to be : entertaining, but somehow I ' have the feeling that Steven j. Spielberg is in a rut. •; “All his movies now seem to be ‘adventures under- ; ground with crooks and •; monsters,’ or ‘strange r' creatures who either eat £ people or want to save them.’ J “Perhaps ‘The Colour .> Purple,’ which is his new : movie, will save him. Any- » way, ‘The Goonies’ was ex- * citing and amusing, and I » liked it a lot, but pretty ” routine, really.” L Space permitting, I will - publish comments by a few * other readers next week. Will the four people * quoted above please communicate with me so that I < can arrange a double-pass J to any cinema of their * choice. The same applies to a Craig Brown, of Christchurch 1, and Kenneth ■ Sheat, of Dunsandel, whose «■ letters were used last week, r