moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (03/13/85)
As a devout Pacific Northwesterner, one of my favorite pastimes is to
perfect a superior sneer whenever the words "Southern California" are
mentioned in my proximity. This is nothing compared with the arched
back and rigid stare I delegate to those who mention the livability
(read: sunshine) of the Los Angeles area. Raised by politically
middle-of-the-road chipmunks, living off nuts, berries, granola and
green M&Ms, I have always believed (and many here share my view) that
anyone who lives in LA (or even close) is a primary candidate for the
laughing academy.
Well, wonder of wonders, John Landis has changed my mind (or altered
my mindset, as it is said Down Under (down under the California/Oregon
state line)). His new movie, INTO THE NIGHT, besides being his usual
bundle of fun, and a feast for trivia buffs who like cameo appearances,
has the courage to portray the lifestyles of the Rich & Famous as...
somewhat unusual. But... he has the audacity to make it seem
enviable, and the skill to pull it off. Throughout this film, I kept
noticing that I was enjoying the idea of wandering aimlessly through
the uncrowded streets, observing the urban nightlife like some cross
between Marlin Perkins and Geraldo Rivera. While this is not the first
film to depict the off-the-wall atmosphere of this city (THE LATE SHOW,
WELCOME TO L.A., and REPO MAN have handled this with varying degrees of
success), this is the first to make it appear *attractive*. He
captures that half-awake, half-asleep feeling where one is prepared for
anything or nothing, and then gives us both in large amounts.
Certainly for a task like this, there is no better subject than Jeff
Goldblum, one of my longtime favorite actors; his guileless,
bewildered, and shaken-but-determined character seems to take you
right along with him.
The storyline is loose; this is much more a stylistic movie than a
thriller. There are enough Hitchcock McGuffins to go around, and the
viewer is meant to be far more interested in the characters and their
reactions to events than the events themselves. The film is probably
entertaining enough to keep you interested for the whole length, but
for the occasional slow spot, the movie contains cameos galore. I
completely broke up when Rick Baker (Landis's long-time friend and
multi-Oscar-award winner for makeup effects) showed up as a drug
dealer on Hollywood Blvd. Similarly, Paul Bartell, Jim Henson and
Roger Vadim (remember BARBERELLA?) pop up when you least expect them.
Paul Mazursky has a bit larger role as a TV producer who inadvertantly
gets mixed up in the cyclone of events. David Cronenberg plays the
head of engineering project (I imagine that when "heads roll" in his
department, they *really* roll!). As to actors, Clu Galager gets to play
a Fed again (he must get tired of it); Richard Farnsworth plays
Richard Farnsworth in bed; and David Bowie still proves that he can be
charismatic for even two minutes at a shot. Michelle Pfieffer plays
the Woman In Trouble handily. Oh, did anyone pick up Goldblum saying
"Banzai" near the end of the movie? An in-joke, or what?
Anyway, three stars out of four. Three-and-a-half for film trivia
buffs. I guess I'll be a little more tolerant of those Down South
from now on, though I think I'll continue to live here, thank you very
much. But maybe, now and then, I'll drive down to the airport about
midnight. Just to see what develops...
"But I guess I'm just stating the very obvious (shutup, Penny, shutup!)"
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
UUCP:
{cornell,decvax,ihnp4,sdcsvax,tektronix,utcsrgv}!uw-beaver \
{allegra,gatech!sb1,hplabs!lbl-csam,decwrl!sun,ssc-vax} -- !fluke!moriarty
ARPA:
fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA