18 - Friday, August 26, 1988 - North Shore News

Photo submitted

JEWEL THIEF Jamie Lee Curtis uses her feminine wiles on barrister
John Cleese as she tries to persuade him to help her recover some lost

loot in A Fish Called Wanda.

Anderson to head

National

WEST VANCOUVER resident
and Ballet B.C. artistic director
Reid Anderson has been appointed

REID Anderson ...named artistic
director of National Ballet of
Canada.

artistic director of the prestigious
National Ballet of Canada.

Anderson will finish the 1988-89
season with Ballet B.C. before tak-
ing up his duties with the Toron-
to-based National Ballet of
Canada Jan. 1, 1990.

Ballet

At the age of 17, Anderson
travelled to England to study at the
Royal Ballet School, and one year
later joined the acclaimed Stuttgart
Ballet.

‘7 think the company is really
where it should be at this time,’’
Anderson, 39, said of the National
Ballet company. ‘‘They’ve got
super dancers, super choreography
and a fantastic reputation, which |
want to add to.

“T want to restress the
classics...the modern side of the
classics,’ said Anderson,. who
strongly believes in supporting
young new choreographers.

“One’s always striving for
perfection...and I'd like to take a
little bit more time and have those
classics looking really slick.””

Said National Ballet president
Judith Loeb Cohen in announcing
the appointment: ‘‘Anderson's
depth of knowledge and experience
in the world of classic ballet make
him ideally suited to lead the com-
pany into a new era.”’

Busy in rehearsals for the up-
coming Ballet B.C. season, Ander-
son will be leading the company on
a pre-season province-wide tour in
October.

Entre’act, his new piece, will be
danced Nov. 4 by the Vancouver
company.

$3.00 OFF

ADMISSION TO
(Mon. to Fri.)

DEALERS

A Fish Called Wanda ***42 (MGM) Rated 14 Years (at the Vancouver
Centre, Dunbar and Pack Royal Cinemas}

WANDA-FUL, wanda-ful.

Except for movie reviewers, that
is. John Cleese has made a film
that can only be praised and that
tends to make dull copy. It also
raises those ‘‘too-good-to-be-true"’
suspicions. But it’s true — it is
good.

Archibald Leach (John Cleese)
may be a successful London bar-
rister, but at home, the cat gets
more respect. His rich wife, Wen-
dy, and spoiled teenager, Portia,
nag, ignore or belittle him in about
equal amounts.

So when an American law stu-
dent called Wanda (Jamie Lee
Curtis) takes a passionate interest
in him, is it any wonder he
overlooks a couple of facts. Like
the fact that he’s panting over a
woman who is also the alibi for his
latest client, George? Or that her
“brother” Otto (Kevin Kline) is a
little over-protective, popping up
at intimate moments to threaten
him with grievous bodily harm?

Of course, we know that it’s all
a plot to worm information aut of
Archie as to the location of the
diamonds that his client has stolen.
The rest of the gang, Wanda, Otto
and Ken (Michael Palin), are fran-
tically double-crossing each other
and Archie is their only hope for
an early retirement in Rio.

While that brief outline may
sound unoriginal, the characters
are wildly inventive and the situa-
tions are pure surprise.

Jamie Lee Curtis has always
been an attractive screen presence,
but here she displays her terrific
comedic skills as well. She is a
lethal combination — intelligent,
sexy and funny.

Kevin Kline and John Cleese are
total opposites but equal in getting
laughs. Kline is a dim-witted, in-
sensitive bigot who, through sheer

a y = ¢D
Entertainment
Friday and Saturday Nights

This Weekend
Mike Skeener

(Rhythm & Blues)
The Bistro at

157 Chadwick Court
North Vancouver
(Seabus Terrninal)

987-4610

FLEES AALS Ts

“G -
4

Healthy gam are Hight cont pink at colour
Rost cutis ats be a sytreaf tum disease - Hee usager Cauise
af adult tooth doas: [your gums are red (swollen ot putty +
wee vour dentist without tetay
Dyn wart ud i hurts

ry
DENTAL HEALTH

Good ttl fe

CANADIAN DENTAL ASSOCENTION

aeek _ Excellent
eet Very Good
**  — Average

* - Poor

energy and hiJarious mannerisms,
comes off as somewhat likeable.
Cleese is light years away from
the Basil Fawlty of his classic TV
sitcom. Initially a little pompous,
he blossoms into a romantic
leading man. Using his expressive

TIM
BELL

film reviewer

eyes, he conveys vulnerability and
joy when, for the first time, he acts
impulsively.

Finally, there’s Michael Palin as
the stuttering hit man who is also a
devoted animal lover. His secret
love for Wanda (he’s named his
favorite angel fish after her), and
his heartstricken grief after ac-

cidentally killing some Yorkies,
make him an endearing crook.

So, do yourself a favor (trust me
on this one). Go see A Fish Called
Wanda. It’s the best comedy so far
this year.

The Raven/The Black Cat ***
(MCA Home Video)

This double-bill from the mid-
*30s features the teamwork of
Karloff and Lugosi. The Black Cat
has a honcymooning couple
stranded in Karloff’s amazing art
deco home. Bela has returned after
15 years in prison to exact his
revenge on the man who ruined
his life. Colorful subject matter
such as Satanism, incest and flay-
ing are presented with admirable
restraint.

The Raven reverses the roles,
with Bela, a sadistic Poe-enthusiast
and Boris, a criminal, who unwise-
ly chooses the mad doctor to per-
form plastic surgery on him.
Disfigured, Karloff plays manser-
vant to his tormentor, and gets in-
volved in terrorizing Lugosi’s
house guests one dark and stormy
night, The fast paced action and
the Hungarian’s hammy perfor-
mance make this lots of fun.

Craey Mikes Video

OPEN 10-12 MIDNIGHT — 7 DAYS A WEEK

“TWO THUMBS UP!” “GREAT SONGS, GREAT

— Siskel & Ebert & The Movies

“He ck Hr A FINE
SPRITZ OF 60s FUN-’
— Mike Clark, USA Today
““HAIRSPRAY’ IS
A TRIUMPH!”

— Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

DANCING, GREAT FUN!”

— Joel Siegel, Good Morning America

“HAIR-RAISING FUN!”

— Janet Mastin, New York times

“AN AUDACIOUS .

y! ”
— David Edelstein, Rolling Stone

ANew Comedy By John Waters

Get Back To Your Roots!
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“HAIRSPRAY” stansens SONNY BONO - RUTH BROWN - DIVINE - GEBBIE HARRY
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Proton by
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