The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 65, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, July 1, 1977 Page: 6 of 12

                                
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Effects transcend plot, characters
Star Wars soars above traditional sci-fi offerings
If creativity entails
integrating conventional
concepts with a new per-
spective, Star Wars, showing
exclusively at the Galleria
Cinema, is creative. It has
traditionally evil men (with
black robes, no less), good,
young, knight-of-the-round-
table men, and a woman who
happens to be a princess and
therefore virtuous and pretty.
The theme of civil war, with
revolutionary good guys and their
bad guy oppressors, is identifiable.
The predictable complica-
tions might have been
irksome, but the rim of the mill
theme was given fresh pulp.
Awesome star battleships
cruise the characters through-
out the galaxy where they
fight with their Flash Gordon
guns and laser swords.
The special effects in Star
Wars are indeed special.
There are magnificent, mind-
boggling creatures which look
real! Shots which opened
pupils in 2001: A Space
Odyssey are commonplace in
Main Street presents Coward
Never had I seen anything
by Noel Coward until I
watched Main Street Theater
produce three one-act plays by
him on Saturday nij?ht.
Friends had forecast a light
fun evening, and Autrey
House was full, so I awaited
the humour in good humour.
"Red Peppers," the first
play, involves George and wife
Lily Pepper, a low-class
English act in a low class
English theater. The entire
play was an excuse for one-
liners, most too old to be
relevant and not quite bad
enough to be good. Maybe the
actors were upset with this, for
their production was as
comfortable as Anita Bryant
discussing Oscar Wilde.
"Hands Across the Sea" was
delightful. Humour came from
the situation, and the cast
displayed the timing and
intricate facial manipulations
necessary in such a comedy.
Coward's contrast between a
genteel couple living in the
Far East and a group of high-
brow sophisticates was better
material than "Red Peppers."
Actors who had left me
unimpressed in the first show left
lasting impressions with their
characterizations in "Hands
Across the Sea."
The final show of the trilogy,
called "Shadow Play," broke
the trend of triviality with
character development and a
well-executed dream sequence.
A dramatic situation of irony,
perhaps even satire, replaces
the punch-line humour.
Characters' Victoria and
Simon Grayforth fall out, then
into love (and their marriage),
but not without some interest
to the audience. I felt that it
dragged at times, but like all of
the Coward productions at the
Autrey House, the play was
short It didn't drag for long.
—greg leroy
Star Wars. Even ornate battle
scenes seem genuine. The
photography is so well done
that you forget that you are
watching special effects. This
does not look like Godzilla
stomping on model cities.
With the exceptions of Peter
Clashing and Alec Guineas,
author/director George Lucas,
who also did American
Graffiti, stayed away from
known faces. The headline
stars are Mark Hamill,
Harrison Ford, and Carrie
Fisher. There was some
overacting, but they were
playing stereotypes, not
characters, and stereotypes
have to be overplayed slightly.
Star Wars progresses fast,
with a quick framing tempo
suited to this adventure story.
Its excessive stereotypes and
unbelievable plot work
surprisingly. People face
death while making snappy
retorts. A pair of androids act
as if they have seen Laurel and
Hardy reruns. Once you
remember what type of show
this is you overlook "tradi-
tional" failings. You forgive
shallow characterizations, as
development would be
unneeded slop. In other words,
you accept Star Wars the
same way you accept Buck
Rogers and Robert Heinlein. It
takes you away on dreams,
unrealistic to say the least, but
different from all of our much
too pedestrian lives.
Star Wars begins "a long
time ago, in a galaxy far
away..." This galaxy is a neat
place to visit, if for no other
reason than its prestige as one
of the best technically
engineered science fiction
films ever. It's fun, too.
Some people found Star
Wars as frivolous as a
babbling cheerleader. It's not
hard to take this movie that
way. I liked it, but as good
romantic science fiction. The
film uses the accepted
formulae of justified war
and of women kowtowing to
superior men, both of which
tend to detract from its
meaning for many viewers. I
think that most of us can resist
the search for meaning in this
sort of movie, though.
Oh yes, expect a sequel.
—greg leroy
fine arts calendar
HAROLD'S GARAGE
HENRY J. EN GEL, Owner
Automatic Transmission — Air Conditioning
Brakes — Engine Tune-Ups — Front End
Rebuilding- — Wheel Aligning
2431 Dunstan 528-5323
MILLER THEATER
From June 27 to August 10,
The Houston Symphony will
perform a group of impressive
classical and contemporary
concerts at Miller Outdoor
Theatre. Dalia Atlas will
conduct the first two concerts,
and Michael Palmer is
scheduled to conduct the last
ten. Lovie Smith, a student at
the Shephard School of Music,
will play solo on the marimba
during the July 3 performance.
Also at Miller Theater, the
University of Houston Drama
Department presents a
Shakespeare Festival. There
will be two shows, "Comedy of
Errors" and "Hamlet," during
July 16 through 29. Having
seen Houston Opera's "The
Daughter of the Regiment" and
TUTS' "Showboat," the new
Miller Theater productions
should be just as good. Miller
Theater is in Hermann Park.
All performances are free. Call
1 
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PAbAUtllH , I caAS ^
Enjoy
Top 40 & Rock
your favorite beverage
dancing 7 nights a week
Jessie Lankford & Dad Manners
Toni Holcomb
7325 Spencer Highway
Pasadena
479-9185
222-3576 for further informa-
tion.
* * *
KIDS!?
The New Texas Theater now is
presenting a special childrens'
summer program. Supervised
and directed by Alfred Hyslop,
who produced the Captain
Kangaroo TV show, there are
updated stories for children
and musicals for everyone.
Runs July and August. Call
658-0900.
MAIN STREET THEATER
Some of Noel Coward's one-act
plays: "Hands Across the
Sea," "Red Peppers," and
"Shadow Play." At 8:30, Wed.
through Sat., until July 9.
524-3168.
* * *
TUTS
Frank Loessers "Where's
Charley," through July 17, at
the Shamrock-Hilton on Main
Street. Tues. through Sim. at
8:30. 664-3344.
* * *
AND ALL THAT JAZZ
The Alley Theater presents
local jazz musicians during
Sundays of July 10,17,24,31.
Starts at 2:30.228-9341.
***
FILM
In Houston, the summer
unleashes fine films along with
mosquitoes. River Oaks
Cinema, on West Gray,
always has an impressive
schedule. The Rice Media
Center, like River Oaks, is
known for showing fine classic
films—or atleastthe unusual, if
not downright strange. Other
places to look into are the
Houston Museum of Fine Arts
and the Alley Theater; both are
having a summer film festival.
There are so many films offered
that it's impossible to publish
their names. Call each theater
for listings and showtimes.
Pre-med?
Pre-pare.
The next MCAT is October 1! Improve your
score with the proven prep course!
5
The MCAT Review Course consists of 28 hours of
instruction taught by qualified personnel. Detailed
review of general chemistry, organic chemistry
biology, physics, and mathematics.
Techniques, timing, and familiari-
zation are included in the
curriculum. Tuition $175.
• Courses updated to conform to major
modifications in Exam.
• Qualified Instructors; no tapes.
• Approved by Texas Education Agency.
For more information, fr« brochure! and registration forms,
call 524-5711. Or write: MCAT Review Course of Texas, 34C7
Montrose Bouelvard, Suite 202, Houston, Texas 77006.
Revtaw
Coarse
the rice thresher, July 1, 1977—page 6