C4 - Friday, August 24, 1984 - North Shore News $18 MILLION FILM World War Ill is DIRECTOR John Milius has just spent $18 million to fight World War III with the completion of his latest film, Red Dawn. Unfortunately, Milius lost the battle to produce a believable format of a possi- ble conflict between U.S. and Soviet troops. Instead, the American director decided to reach back into the days of John Wayne and pull out the fearless U.S. patriot image, dust it off, put a can of coke in its hand and send it onto the. silver screen to kill commies. Milius, who wrote the ex- ceptional script for Apocalypse Now, has reach- ed a low by allowing his latest By COLIN LAMONT script to sound like it was written for Ronald Reagan to read at a political rally. In the introduction to the film’s scenario, we are told that America stands alone against Russia, following the break-up of NATO. The Soviet Union has just been through its worst drought in decades, leaving its wheat crops decimated. Under this premise, Soviet and Cuban troops invade the U.S. The film's first scene begins with some promise, as Soviet and Cuban paratroopers drift silently down from the sky into the schoolyard of a small town highschool in Calmet, Col- orado. The invading troops immediately lay seige to the town, shooting and looting their way through it. However, Milius can’t seem {tO resist pitting a team of teens against the invading troops. These not-so-average American kids out manoeuver the reds in their four-wheel-drive pick-up, load up on supplies and head for the hills to hide. Led by football star Jed Eckert (Patrick Swayze) and his brother Mati (Charlie Making a name From Page C1 credits include lead parts in the Spirit of Malkin Bowl, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Snoopy and the _ recent Grease. And towards his musical ends, Payne attend- ed Vancouver Community College's music program, where he met the makings of the four-man quartet, now called the Melloyds. Through the college’s jazz choir, Sound Wave, Payne met North Shore. singers Rupert Grant and Sien Ho- sien, as well as instructor Ted Green, who became the quartet. But betore the group became a (reality, Payne got involved in another a capella group, Under Arrest, from VCC. “We had a repertoire of with students Renaissanye, baroque, romantic and = barbershop quartet music And that’s when | started to have an understanding of oa pella "' Taking ay that expenence yi and mixing it with his ad- miration of the Nylons, with their popular music, choreographed act and showmanship, Payne and his three members started out. ‘*] got the Nylons’ album and transcribed four or five tunes, and we sing some tunes from the Mills Brothers and Manhattan Transfer. We don’t have a large repertoire.’ So the group got its beginnings singing outside the Orpheum in Granville mall where they received a good reception, and from there they went on CBC's Fame Game, which showcases new talent. ““We came second, and were very pleased, because we hadn't taken it seriously yet. We were very surprised to have taken uw that far” Hosien’s talents led him away trom the group to join the Blenders, and that’s when Mike Viens, also from VOC. auditioned for his part Before Hosien lett, he sang barotone and Payne sang base Payne says he has Se ~~ coach house try MONDAY THURSDAY: Try our daity Pub specials This Week: Coming Soon: Crossfire in the Pub Kit & Caputo in the Lounge Recording Artist Robbie Rae Band No cover charge over PNE week. IND 3/11 gp some base in his voice but he really is a barotone himself, which worked out well, because Viens is a base. After being featured on the Fame Game, Payne says the group got calls to sing at small conventions, and with Maddalena Acconci from Panther Management acting as their manager, the quartet received overnight exposure at the Arts Club Revue Theatre, Vancouver’s ver- sion of the Tonight Show, and through benefit concerts for Tamanhous, Playhouse, Vaudville East and Whistler Village Music Fest ’84. On top of that, the Melloyds have written jingles and sang for demo tapes for adver- tlusements. A funny story Payne remembers is when the group was hired for a party in West Vancouver Dressed up in leathers with greased back hair, they were suppos ed to ‘crash’ the party, and then sing When they arrived woo early, they thought they would go for tea, but had to stop for gas first “We were AV. THURS. AUG. 23 TO SAT. AUG 25 NO COVER CHARGE Thurs. Aug. 30 to Sat. Sept. 1 DEJA VU — ca ten STARRING THIS WEEK NIXON-ROBERTSON MEET SOMEONE TONIGHT AT THE AV PUB nTERTAIN a losing battle Sheen), the boys from a guer- rilla group, attacking and killing communists at will. Director Milius, seems on one hand to want his au- dience to believe that Soviet- led troops could successfully plan and carry out an inva- sion of the United States, but on the other hand also ex- pects viewers to accept that a group of teenagers can launch attacks against these same crack troops and strike terror into their hearts. Although the town of Calmet is supposedly under close guard by the Soviets and the KGB is looking for the boys that escaped, Jed and his friends who now call themselves the Wolverines trying to get in character and were acting like hooligans, when we noticed a police- man watching us.”’ The group continued on their way, getting strange looks from everyone, and noticed the police car had followed them. After being told that Bino’s had a mini- mum charge, they went to Twickers for tea. The po- iceman went there too. Fi- nally, the group finished their tea and after several more looks rose and sang Grant’s version of Blue Moon. *‘We got everyone in good spirits, and the lady said the tea was on the house. Then | went up to the policeman and said, ‘We're just going to a party now,’ and he said, ‘Can I come?’ * The Melloyds got their Name in an unconventional way As guest singers at a concert at) Carson Graham, the group was in troduced by a DJ trom CEMI, but they didn’t have jars aname One of the members had a box of ‘“Melords’ throat lozenges ain their N ) NK - AVALON MOTOR HOTEL 1025 Marine Orive North Vancouver come and go from the town at will, mingling with the crowds and visiting their parents at the re-education camp, where they are being held, The film might have been more believable if these kids had been allowed to act like the terrified teens they should have been. Even the scene where one of the young girls who has joined the guerrillas is dying turns into an almost comic scene. With her last gasp of life, she asks for a grenade to make sure she dies before the commies can make her talk. The only humanizing ele- ment offered to the Soviet characters is the Cuban of- pocket so spoke up, and from there the name stuck, =—~=SCO000CCOOOON ting roles Aug 27-Sept 1 JIM BYRNES | B.C, Tribute Awards AUDITIONS Principals and chorus for the North Shore Light Opera Society's March 1985 production Sigmund Romberg's THE DESERT SONG August 27, 28: Sept. 5, 1984: 7:30 p.m. St Catherine's Church 1058 Ridgewood, North Vancouver As well as singers, we require a non-singing male singing actress/dancer several small non-singing suppor |}. >: ! INFORMATION 7 ficer Col. Bella (Ron O'Neal). But O’Neal is burdened with a script that offers him cliche after cliche, leaving him sounding like a B grade actor in a B grade film. The character of Col. Bella, tired of fighting and death, doesn't get a chance to mature. Red Dawn leaves no room for the audience to seriously identify with its characters or plot. It is straight American corn served with a large slice of apple pie and lots of flag waving. Director Milius deserves to lose the box- office battle for bucks with this film. Red Dawn is now playing at the Vogue and the Westminster Mall. for themselves but they changed the spell- ing. ° OOO0O00O0O000 ™ NON a ad lead, a non. |‘? lead and [ree Coot Producer Music al irene frit JODY Mans lance Todd Jerry Mc lionmald 924 SHE! 9H', ANG) a TH Held over by 7 popular demand MOJO til Aug 25