Page 17 - TheGoldBug1974-Jan1975

, .'.. Friday, January 11 Page 5 Billy should have stayed where he was Mark Bayer school. -rmcrcosm. Perhaps they suggest. we should even There ought to be a law in Hollywood against THE TRIAL OF BILLY JACK becomes direct that anger at ourselves for allowing such making sequels to popular pictures. In nearly all editorially outsized as well in what seems like the incidents to happen. May I also suggest that we cases, sequels only serve to pull down whatever Laughlins' insane determination to mention every direct our anger toward opportunists like the value the original film had, in addition to being current issue or social problem possible. The Nixon Laughlins who turn complex social issues into disappointing in themselves. The newest-and pardon. the My Lai massacre, consumer rip-offs, oversimplified rallying calls, giving us what they probably the most extreme - example of this trend child abuse, and Indian grievances, among other think we want to hear, and grabbing our money for is in THE TRIAL OF BILLY JACK, sequel to the things. are all crammed into the first hour. Yet, it. THE TRIAL OF BILLY JACK is a.truly offensive highly lucrative BILLY JACK. Both pictures were with the exception of the last mentioned, they are motion picture which I feel will eventually create written and produced by the husband - wife team of only superficially dealt with, as at a cocktail party. more problems than it solves. Tom Laughlin and Dolores Taylor, both of whom When lhe Laugblins do make some sort of definitive With such garbage passing for valid social also starred. statement, it seems that they are more interested comment on our screens, pure excapism wins the The original BILLY JACK, an ambitious home merely in giving their audiences what they want to day. For sheer impudent fun, I recommend THE movie produced in 1971, was a financial failure in hear then they are in presenting any genuine LONGEST YARD, an action-comedy which two that year. However, the Laughlins noticed that the convictions . genres: t.he prison-movie genre and the sports- movie was picking up a small bit loyal audience in The "trial" mentioned in the title is one which movie genre, and laughing at all the cliches of each. certain areas, and, using this as an impetus, spread Billy faces for killing the young punk who raped an intensive advertising campaign in the past year. Jean in BILLY JACK. While he is in jail for four Building the film into a legitimate hit. It is an un- years as-the outcome, the Freedom School, most of deniably likable and engaging picture, but the whose students are now college-age, starts a series Burt Reynolds plays an ex-pro quarterback who simplicity and improvisational technique which of consumer-oriented exposes, which enrage town was fired for shaving points. In prison for stealing make it attractive only serve to cover its basically merchants. When Billy is freed, he and other In- his girlfriend's car, he is soon requested oy the sick premise. The plot concerned the violent con- dians try to forably reclaim land taken from them 'pr-ison warden (Eddie Albert) Io set up a tune-up flicts between the rednecked citizens of a small by the evil whites of the town. All of these eventsset game between a team of prisoners and the guards Wyoming town and the students of a "freedom lhe tone for more increased community hostility, of Citrus State Prison, who have been losing semi- school" run by· Jean (Miss Taylor), a sincere leading to riots, tortures, and finally, a prolonged pro games with guards from other prisons for stubborn pacifist.. When the townspeople an- climax in which the National Guard is brought in. It years -.Burt eventually realizes that a victory for tagonize the students, the mysterious, almost is the Laughlins' conceit in this picture that all cops the prisoners would mean a great deal to their omnipotent Billy Jack (Laughlin) step out of the are sex-hungry, power-maddened morons, that the damaged self-esteam, and so "sets up a highly shadows, using both guns and karate to protect rest of the towns people are all snivelling. corrupt lr~ined prison learn, teaching them every dirty Jean and the idealistic students. Although he and slobs, and that everyone in the National. Guard trick in the book. Jean have a special love for each other, her firm (with one exception) is a trigger-happy sadist who Director Robert Aldrich's best action films (THE nonviolent beliefs and his destructive rages con- likes \.0 shoot people down like squirrels. The DIRTY DOZEN, EMPEROR OF THE NORTHl, stantly run into conflict. This is where the sickness Freedom School kids are the only decent people in have dealt with individuals whom by choice have of BILLY JACK lies. Through the character of the picture. Indeed, this ideology is so u~convinci.ng become outcasts, and eventually engage in violent Jean, BILLY JACK gives lip service to the concept that the Laughlins resort to cheap emotional tactics physical battles with representatives of the ' of non-violence, but by making completely hateful, 10make their points. The first victim of the Guard's reigning system. This, however, is the first time corrupt monsters out of the right-wing towns bullets is a crippled child holding a rabbit. Aldrich has played it for laughs. Tracy Keenan people, it allows audiences the luxury of cheering As the Freedom School is destroyed, Jean ad- Wynn's screenplay is sloppily put together and Billy as he maims and kills them. BILLY JACK monishes her students not to riot back, as an- often resorts to trite gags but is often explosively advocates bloodyviolence in the name of pacifism. swering violence with violence is only self- effective. This hypocritical concept proved to be a highly destructive. A terrific lesson to teach the young The best way to kill a movie like this is to analyse popular one, and so the Laughlins are giving us people watching this film, especially after Billy has it to death, but among the most interesting aspects , more of the same in THE TRIAL OF BILLY JACK. killed another half-dozen rednecks who were tor- of this picture is its refusal to take anything com- However, this lugubrious sequel has been pumped menting an Indian, to thunderous audience ap- pletely seriously. This facet is best in evidence as into an expensive, overinflated, 17G-minute zep- plause. And to top it all off, this-blatant display of Reynolds tells a friend why he shaved points. Yet pelin. All the little qualities that made the original lies has the gall to end with the surviving students during the climactic football game, THE BILLY JACK worthwhile are completely singing "Give Peace A Chance." LONGEST YARD pulls off the small miracle of obliterated. As a case in point, we have one scene in having its audiences take it seriously enough to which Jean tells a reporter about how her Freedom actively cheer and holler when the prisoners are I School has received little precious support and had ~eing careful to cover all of their muddy foot- ahead. Whether one loves or hates football at the to work from scratch. With her narration, we see prints, the Laughlins add a prologue to their film. point really doesn't matter. After seeing the shots of tennis courts loaded with modern They suggest that viewers not be angry at "the demogoguery of TRAIL OF BILLY JACK, it is equipment, a television station, a giant swimming violence of the movie, but to direct their anger refreshing to see a film which not only is aware of pool, and a football stadium packed with. towards those responsible for Kent State and other its ability tocharge up an audience, but is willing to cheerleaders - all property of this tiny, ragtag massacres, for which this is supposed to be a take some responsibility for this power. Top 40 What a habitual cosmic joke Top forty radio stations are one of two main types meaning their is no other music available. Disc of rock radio stations--the other being progressive, jockeys appear to be people who have flunked out of Mark Katz & Vic Eremita schools of auctioneering, and comedy- They talk so or underground, rock. Top forty radio stations play fast sometimes, that one can barely understand the forty most "popular" songs of the week, plus a few golden oldies every once-in-a-while to try and what they're saying. That's really not too bad ac- they say so many stupid things. tually, because By Vic Eremita keep the listener from going crazy from hearing the They view their positions at the radio station as a Back from class. You need a break. You've forgotten same song over and over again. comedian to make "jokes" about the name of the how to laugh. You look out the window at the squirrels song, the name of the group, and/or the song it- hoarding nuts. Ennui begins to smother you with pillows self. Not all of the asinine things done by the disc of malaise. You don't have a car. You don't have a girl. Just how a song is placed on the top forty list is jockeys are directed toward music, however. One Your dirty books are as familiar and unexciting to you as unclear. Some stations say it's by how many dee jay had Doris the Go-Go Girl on his show. She your physics notebook. What to do? How can you escape requests they've had forthe song, some say that it's was about six or seven and, come September, she this monster called Hum Drum Life? The radio! Click! by the number of copies of the single sold in their had to leave for school. The only things missed in (Here comes approximately twenty seconds at steuc.) particular city, and some stations use both Doris' absence were the moronic questions that the And then-more static! The disc jacky squeaks something methods. Of course it's never been explained just disc jockey would ask her, and the idiotic answers , at the microphone and you're off on the top forty drag. how the station managers know that the customer she would give. bought the single for the song that is the "hit" and _ One more fault of top forty stations is the lack of You hear Efton John sing about the arch typal cosmic not for the song on the flip-side. That must be a neat continuity in their program. The songs played on lay. Good. You hear a funky dude croon about Kung Fu, lrick. these. stations are either surrounded by com- and yes, you Ire almost off. ff somebody said: "Men-you Most of these "hits" actually lack the kind of rnercials. by some dumb remarks made by the dee got worries?" You would answer: "Nope. II You rum it music t.hat a good radio station should play. The jay. or by both of the above. There is never anv up and Nirvanna screams at you in a series of atavistic songs are usually only about three minutes long and connection between the song played. and the song whistles squeals and grunts."1 ain't seen nothin' yet, this are therefore etched into the listener's head after . before and after it. And hardly ever are three or 'ill get me through the night! Oh jeez, I'm back home just a few playtngs of it. That would probably take four songs played in a row by the same artist so as again!/I Think you got life licked? The first ten minutes about a day or two, considering the frequency that to get more of a feel of the artist's style of music. you lase yourself in the sound. They even sprinkle in the disc jockey plays a single. Then, after a month All-m-all. top forty stations have the kind of some oldie go/dies sos you can remember that time when or so, the song is so worn out that when one hears it, listeners who do not care about the quality of music that lhey hear. They just turn on the radio and no matter how good it may be, they will most likely you and Herneta hands all night long. h.ate the. song. It's unfortunate that the few good listen to the "hits," not even knowing why those But then you hear Elton John sing about the erch- singles released are put to this fate. particular songs are played in the stead of others. typal cosmic lay. Bur then you hear this funky dude The station managers shouldn't take all the Surely if the disc jockey were to play the B side of a croon about Kung Fu. And no-you've heard them five bl.ame for the misfortunes of the top forty radio. single by mistake for several days. the listener minutes betore-end it's just like scratching an itch. First DISC jockeys playa large part in the reason why would soon learn to like that song just as much as he it feels good but then it hurts because you do it too many _people, myself included, no longer listen to would like the A side of the single if it were given much. lOP forty unless when absolutely necessary, the airplay it was supposed to get.