Bradshaw.es@PARC-MAXC.ARPA (05/03/83)
"The High Road To China" stinks. Cardboard acting is my main complaint. Tom Selleck has about three facial expressions and one non-expression (his dumb but cute look - practiced at countless singles bars, no doubt). He's the most unconvincing macho act in show business. Boring, boring, boring. I liked the female lead (I can't remember her name) but not very much. Skip the movie and save your money. Harrison Ford, where are you? As for really good movies, I recently saw a typically low budget surf movie called "Free Ride". Being a surfer had something to do with liking this movie but in general this kind of flick gets boring at the intermission (all surf movies have intermissions - surfers have short attention spans). This movie was definitely an exception. To start, there was great surfing. Incredible shots of the Hawaii pro contests - Martin Potter from South Africa inside a Pipeline tube the size of a large living room and Cheyne Horan showing impressive technique in small tubes at Off-The-Wall. How does he go so fast on such a small board? If your view of surfing is limited to Wide World of Sports then you ain't seen nothin'. These people are really tremendous athletes in a very creative, simple sport. The movies includes their thoughts on technique and equipment. Why should this interest a landlubber and how does this relate to garbage such as "High Road to China", you ask? Well, because the people who make these films make very little money, often shooting in SUPER-8. They do it for fun, food, room and board, and enough money to catch the next plane to good surf. When their enthusiasm comes through, as in "Free Ride", it's fun for anybody. By the way, the photographers are recognized as accomplished athletes themselves. You'll see what I mean when they take you inside a ten foot tube and shoot a passing surfer from two feet away. They do all this under conditions that would terrify me. These movies have the kind of personal involvement and honesty (often awkward and corny) that Tom Selleck and friends had leached out of them long ago (too many margaritas, no doubt). There's another such movie on the way for summer. I'll let you know if its worth taking a risk on. Since we're into vernacular today - Hey Joe Bob - you ain't got it, suck toes VAL. Surfer For President!
NBarbieri.es@PARC-MAXC.ARPA (05/03/83)
Selleck's performance "High Road To China" is at times dissapointing as he somewhat unsuccessfully tries to digress the basic character of a boyish conduct of Magnum fame. As the picture progresses, the "cardboard" begins to loose it's consistency and we slowly become influenced by our being polluted by thursday night tv appearances. However, I forget the name of the female antagonist also, the conflict of hero vs. heroin is somewhat refreashing from the trite cliche' of forrunners of the adventure theme. Certainly not an award nominee, still how often are we offered the chance to feel the cold wind in a bi-plane flight over the Himalaya's all from the comfort of our local cinema? This one gets a 6 (ten is tops).
NBarbieri.es@PARC-MAXC.ARPA (05/03/83)
After watching the first half hour of "V" on Sunday night, and after recognizing the plots of at least five different sci fi novels in the ever important first hour of plot formation, I respectfully turned it off. It brings back remenicense of some other attemps by the tv production industry to "astound and amaze us" ...(anyone want comment on "The Martian Cronicles"?)
FUSCO.ES@PARC-MAXC.ARPA (05/03/83)
1. Bess Armstrong is the female lead in High Road. 2. The DL is "owned" and therefore the owner may do as he chooses with it. (If you don't believe it, dare him to take you off). Its like a newspaper, you may not like the news they print, but about the only thing you can do, besides complaining, is to stop buying the paper. 3. "V" was unbelievable, schlocky, and predictable. I predict it will come back as a weekly TV series on NBC, which should end any chance for the show to get any better, and will ensure that it is relegated to the also rans in TVdom. Joe
Yhap.ES@PARC-MAXC.ARPA (05/03/83)
Just for the record, Bess Armstrong plays Tom Selleck's female antagonist in "High Road to China." Richard
jackson.pa@PARC-MAXC.ARPA (05/03/83)
Is "V" a TV adaptation of the Pychon novel of the same name? stephen