oundaries of

Blank Check * * (Disney) Rated
Mature (al Famous Players
Cinemas)

Blank Check (or Blanque
Cheque in Canadian) aims right
at the brainpan of 12-year-old
boys,

First, the hero, 11-year-old
Preston Waters (Brian Bonsall) is
plagued by his Beavis & Butthead
older brothers. Second, his
accountant father churns out the
old “when | was your age...” lec
ture with monotonous regularity.
Finally, his closest buddy is his
Macintosh, Besides the fact that
most boys relate better to Sepa
than to Apple, it’s that familiar
tune, the Oppressed Male
Adolescent Blues.

What 12-year-old birthday
bay hasn‘t wished for a million
dollars to buy his own house and
to knock off his brothers?

And this being a standard
Disney film, guess what happens
next? Reptilian ex-con Carl
Quigby (Miguel Ferrer), acciden:
tally crushes Preston’s threc-
speed bike. A hastily written
blank cheque to cover the dam-
age and — voila - we have lift off.

Through a logic-stretching
series of events, the kid enters the
wonderful warld of conspicuous

“consumption. Big-ticket toys, his
own chauffeur (Rick Ducommun)
‘and a mansion (conveniently on
his family’s street) draw a fot of
attention from his family,the
mobsters and the FBI.

I'm not sure if this was written
for or by 12-year-old boys. It's
more of a juvenile object lesson
with Rick Ducommun’s one-lin-
ers to keep adults mildly amused.

The moral that you can’t buy
happiness (“yeah,” says David
Lee-Roth, “but you can dock.
your yacht right next to it")
would carry more weight without
the shameless product placement
for executive comforts.

Special Women

to join us for our
Membership Night!

We support B.C. Special
Olympics, the Canadian
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,
the Children’s | Wish
Foundation and other local
groups.

TUES. FEB. 22/94
6:30 - 9:30 pm
AVALON HOTEL
1025 MARINE DRIVE
NORTH VANCOUVER
Wine & cheese will be served

RSVP Feb. 21/94

Joanne Calverley”

737-2348
687-2201

Canadian Progress Club

Vancouver Evergreen

7 m Bell
FILM REVIEW

The Summer House * * *
(Alliance Fiims) Rated Mature
(Opens Friday at the Park
Cinema)

“IF YOU'RE lucky in marriage,
Aunt Lili (leanne Moreau) says in
her foghorn voice, “you'll have a
few quiet moments and a few
dates that don’t incite you to"
murder,”

She also notes that a black
bridal gown would suit her

about-to-be-married niece
Margaret (Lena Headey) better
than a white one, Margaret is dis-
tracted and suffers recurrent
nightmares. But then again, look
ather betrothed, Syl (Davie
Threllfall), This insufferable boor
with a silly name would disturb
anyone's sleep. To be fair, she
doesn’t always dream of Syl A
mysterious and profound event
during her recent vacation in
India stirs her dreams, sometimes
unpleasanily. Everyone misinter-
prets her gloam as wedding anxi-
ely - except visiting Aunt Lili
(Moreau) and Syl’s own mother
(loan Plowright). Over more than
a few drams of whisky, the two
unlikely allies plan to rescue her
Margaret from a fete worse than
death,

Showtime Hotline:
Cineplex Odeon 687-1515;
Famous Players 681- 4255

LIFE SEEMS dismal! for 11-year-old Preston Waters (Brian
Bonsal). He is endlessly bullied by his older brothers and all
but ignored by his parents in Walt Disney Picture’s new come-

dy Blank Check.

CRITICS:

AVERAGE; RATING

“Asin the Line of Fire 0°

2. Last Action Hero

MPAA VIOLENCE) COARSE | SEX &

LANG. |HUDITY f
Lots | : Lots Mild

Much | Some | Mild

3. - Poetic Justice -

5." Hard Target

i Much |” Lots LSoma
None “Mild | None |
Lots | No

8 Their

, &, Cencheads ae

Everyday we prepare a

j fresh Fast Lunch featuring

your choice of
Pizza « Pasta « Sandwich.

1078 MARINE-DR. N.VAN.

Romance

None f
Lots | Some]
Mita | Mild }
| bots | Lots i Mitd |

Hunter hits the air

IT'S ALWAYS nice ta see
one at our awa make it onto
the tube and in this case it is
NEWS columnist Bob Hunter.

The show is The Time of

Your Life, airing Friday, Feb.
28 at 7:30 pum and Monday,
Feb, 28 at 10:30 a.m. and
3:30 pam, on Vision-TY,

Back for its fourth season,
the show is featuring Hunter
for ane of its 13 half-hour
episodes specializing in sto-
ries of interesting Canadians
past the age of 40.

The documentary series
profiles the coming of age of
vigh-profile people as they
share their human experi-
ences with viewers,

Host Jan Tennant will be
talking to Hunter, who is
referred to by the producers as
a “20th centruy pioneer.”

The co-founder of the envi-
ronment group Greenpeace is
52 now and no longer the
fiery activist whose exploits
included fighting for the well
being of whales from his
perch in a kayak, clinging to

an ice flee in the St. Lawrence
River while attempting to save
seals and generally houncing
around the planet isa whole
hearted and selfless attempt to
save it from extinction,

Hunter worked as a writer
and journalist. for The
Winniper Tribune and The
Vancouver Sun (where lis
daughter fustine still works)
before staking his claim with
Greenpeace,

He went on to become the
organization’s first and most
famous president

These days his pursuits
other than churning out news-
paper columas include writ-
ing books and making films. .

As Toronto's CITY-TV envi-
ronmental reporter, Hunter
sill gets his anti-pollution
shots in at the establishment
he loves to hate.

The show’s producers
maintain that life after 40. is,
“chacterized by evolving
philosophies of life.”

Hunter began writing for
the NEWS 14 years ago.

C9HCHBOHTSSESERHSOSCEHRHUSHOHSSEAHDE

Step 3: Be Smoke Free.

B.C. has the lowest percentage of smokers in
the country. That's good. Unfortuately, over
one-quarter of the province still smokes.
Here's some helpful tips to quit.

Make up your mind you truly want to quit.
& Try any Non-smoking prograni.
* Spend the money you save on a personal

reward.

*% Talk to people who have quit to get

support.

¥ Don't give up if you have a "slip".

@ Sit in "non-smoking" sections! 7
@ Go for a walk when you want to smoke.
Post "You Can Do It" signs in your home.
@ Love yourself for having the courage to ty!

For more information please call

North Shore North Shore
Health Neighbourhood
House

Heart Sinart North Shore is funded by British Columbia Ministry of Hiealth, Health Canada, 4

Roseway

983-6718

wqueese Tart, UD

North Shore
Travel! News

a.

Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C. and Yukou, aud North Share Health,