Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 29, 1993 TAG: 9305290079
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Mike Mayo
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The story begins in the Virginia countryside, where one group of soldiers inexplicably massacres another. McCall (Hans Bachman), a reporter for a sleazy tabloid, is sent to find (or to invent) a story about UFOs and Martians. But he and Army investigator Harry Anders (A. Thomas Smith) find that there is something to the nutty theory.
In some respects, "Invader" is a B-movie that could have been made in the 1950s. Producer Ellis and writer/director Cook get the most out of a severely limited budget while they tell an imaginative story with a strong streak of humor, often tongue in cheek.
At the same time, the script has a few rough spots, the acting in minor roles and by the extras isn't all that it might be, and the special effects aren't consistent. Still, as any fan knows, those come with the territory. Bachman and Smith do fine work in the leads, and the important effects involving a Stealth fighter and stop-motion models are fine. Nobody's going to mistake "Invader" for "Return of the Jedi," but it's enjoyable - a cut above average for the genre.
(By the way, Laura Oaksmith and the Virginia Film Commission get special thanks in the closing credits.)
Turning from Northern Virginia to North Carolina, we have "March of the Tarheels." It is required viewing for every true blue Carolina fan (including yours truly), and even if it's not everything it could have been, it's all right . . . well, more than all right.
Essentially, it's the story of this year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, focusing on the final four teams - Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan and North Carolina. The tape is well-edited, capturing the flow and excitement of the games. The editors had access to enough film and videotape to catch some important plays from exactly the right angle to reveal the details of the action.
But they weren't able to capture everything. For example, during those frantic, high-pressure final seconds of the championship, when Michigan's Chris Webber made his Big Mistake, the cameras remain focused primarily on him. They also highlight an anonymous teammate on the bench whose hands appear to be calling for a timeout. What they don't show - and what most fans would like to know - is what the other four Michigan players were doing at the time. Where were they? Why did they allow Webber to be double-teamed at the sideline?
That's a quibble, though. That play was only one moment at the end of a long tournament and a longer season. The producers feature the most visible stars - Eric Montross actually shows some excitement on camera, and Dean Smith smiles more than once! - but they don't neglect players like George Lynch who haven't received the national attention. They also did an excellent job in re-creating the tension of that championship game, and in capturing the naked emotions of the young men who played it.
Also, it's worth noting that CBS Video and the NCAA were able to put this cassette in stores less than a month after the game. It's just another example of how fundamentally home video has changed the entertainment/information business. Those changes have not gone unnoticed by the Wall St. Journal.
It's been widely reported recently that America's two most valuable exports are weapons and movies. When it comes to destruction and cheap thrills, we're No. 1, and No. 2 isn't even close. That's why the Journal pays so much attention to the film industry, including its March 26 Global Entertainment section called "Hollyworld."
There the Journal noted some fascinating national differences in video tastes. The Japanese, for example, love American blockbusters and have a particular affinity for certain stars - Diane Lane, Mickey Rourke and Audrey Hepburn. In Mexico, Oliver Stone's "JFK" was a monster hit on video, and Madonna's "Truth or Dare" was an equally huge flop. In Italy, illegal copying is so rampant - 35 percent to 40 percent of video sales are low-priced, pirated copies - that it has stifled the growth of the rental market.
But perhaps the most interesting facts were tucked away at the bottom of a page of statistics. There a short column of figures showed how the video market for films has grown while theatrical ticket sales and television revenues have shrunk. In 1986, box-office revenue accounted for 40.2 percent of film distributors' profits while home video brought in 35.9 percent. By 1991, those figures had been reversed: Box office revenue made up 34.5 percent of distributors' profits, while video had grown to 42.6 percent. (In the same years, television revenue stayed essentially the same.)
Does that mean the end of the theatrical side of the business? Not immediately. In recent years, theaters and studios have made up for lagging ticket sales with increased ticket prices, and that will continue.
But video technology is improving more quickly than film technology. Don't be surprised when "Home Alone VII" shows up in theaters and in your favorite video store on the same day, and you can decide whether you want to pay $30 for a ticket or a videotape or a disk or to have it delivered via fiber optics from your friendly local cable/telephone/TV company.
Next week: Spooky stuff!
New release this week:
Howards End: ***1/2
Starring Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter. Written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Directed by James Ivory. Columbia Tristar. 140 min. Rated PG for brief violence, subject matter.
Emma Thompson won a well-deserved Oscar for her vivid portrayal of an independent woman in Edwardian England, but virtually everything else about this intelligent, classy film is just as good. It was made by the same team that was so successful with "A Room With a View," and here, they're even better. This is an involving, if slowly paced story of family conflicts and larger social questions. Highly recommended.
The Essentials:
Invader: **1/2 Vidmark. 92 min. Rated R for strong language, some violence.
March of the Tarheels: *** CBS/Fox Video. 45 min. Unrated, contains no objectionable material (unless you're a Michigan fan).
by CNB