SARA T. - PORTRAIT OF AN ALCOHOLIC

US, 1975, 100 minutes, Colour.
Linda Blair, Verna Bloom, William Daniels, Larry Hagman, Michael Lerner, Mark Hamill.
Directed by Richard Donner.

A very effective and strong telemovie. Taking very real problems of adolescent alcoholism, the film shows us the effect on the adolescents themselves, on the parents, on the tragic consequences of violence, rejection and so on.

Directed effectively by Richard Donner (he was then to make The Omen and Superman) it stars Linda Blair who is much more effective than in many of her film roles. It is interesting to note that her sympathetic boyfriend is played by Mark Hamill who was to go on to Star Wars. Verna Bloom is very effective as Sarah's harsh mother. There are many good sequences and the film could be and should be effective disturbing television watching.

1. The use of television for presenting such themes and issues? The story impact, the visual impact of a teenage alcoholic girl? What is the effect on the home audience? The moralising effect and didactic effect?

2. The telemovie's qualities for communicating these themes in the home itselft the use of the stars, the middle-class and glossy setting, the staging of particular sequences with which audiences could identify?

3. How credible were the characters, the plot and the issues? As representing the seventies? The social situations and problems? What critique did the film make? What solution did it offer?

4. The tone of the credits with the cross between the commercials and the monochrome grim scenes and statistics? How did this lead into audience awareness of Sarah, the topic itself?

5. What made Sarah drink at such an age? The home environment, her parents, her relationship with friends and peers, her understanding of herself and dissatisfaction? Her self-image and a pessimistic outlook? How were each of these aspects illustrated? Fairly? The blending of all these
factors?

6. The importance of Sarah's age? Her father leaving? The divorce, her mother having custody, her stepfather? Her relationship with her sister? The need for parental love and care? The atmosphere of wealth, her family's parties and the people there, for example Mr Peterson? Her mother and Mr Peterson arranging dates? Nancy and her reaction to her parents, especially her absent father? Ken and his offhandedness but growing to like her? School, failure to get into the Glee Club? The fights at home? Her mother accusing her of embarrassing her so often? The punishments meted out by Matt?

7. Comment on Sarah's good qualities and strengths as presented: her brightness, intellect, her capacity for singing especially at the party, relationship to Ken, the horse-riding etc.

8. The character of Sarah's father with his dreams? Her anxious ringing him so often and hoping that the phone would ring and that he had to be there? What impact did his presence make? Wandering and talking the city? Giving her so much money? His absence and hopes for jobs? Drinking? His agree
ment to participate in the therapy and his angers, especially with his wife? His walking out and seeming refusal to have Sarah! The ending and his asking her to forget everything and come with him? What help did he offer his daughtr? What could he have done?

9. The contrast with Joanne, her attitude towards her daughter and Sarah not thinking that her mother loved her? Her remarriage? Relationship with Matt? The stress of Sarah embarrassing her? Her whole set of values in terms of time, wealth, prestige and position, jobs? Expectations of her daughter? Pushing her especially into the date with Ken and then the violent reaction when she came home drunk? Her own drinking habits? Her attitude towards the maid and dismissing her?

10. The character of Matt, his presence in the house, relationship with Joanne, reinforcing her values, his attitude towards Sarah, her punishment? His not participating in the therapy? Joanne's anxiety and the therapist?

11. The role of Nancy and the elder sister and not being a support and telling her parents about Barah?

12. Ken as a character, nice boy, the group with which he moved, his horseriding? The bonds between them, tentative at school, sexuality? The study ng night and their clash? His asking her to go to Alcoholics Anonymous for his sake? His love for Daisy and the impact of the death of the horse? His turning away from Sarah? would he forgive her?

13. The atmosphere of the party and Sarah taking drinks? The drinking in the closet, pretending her mother was in the shower and getting the drink from the cellars? The maid? The repercussions of her drinking and hurting others? At school? The school councillor and her reaction?

14. The wisdom of what the school counsellor said and Joanne's reaction and violence? The doctor and both Sarah's and her mother's resistance to him? His telling her the truth, his handling of the situation and his method of therapy? The importance of confrontation? The importance of the sequence where the family therapy went on and the violent anger of the reactions? The husband and wife getting out their hostilities? The, truth told? The impact on Sarah herself and her trying to express her feelings and hopes about each of them? The nature of her resistance to saying that she was an alcoholic?

15. The A.A. meeting and the people there, their friendliness, the testimonies? The eleven year old boy and his story? The girl trying to help Sarah and parallel her own situation? Sarah's brazenness in taking the drink, the effect of the boy's talk and her running away? Her choice at the end with their presence in the hospital?

16. What convinced Sarah at the end that she was able to say she was an alcoholic? Her parents trying to play it down? The doctor and his response? Her angry sequence when she smashed everything and talked about the people that she hurt, specially Ken and the horse? (The importance for the audience of the death of the horse and the emotive response to understanding what was happening to her?) The values that the film stood by and their impact for a modern audience? at home?

LE SAMOURAI (THE GODSON)

France, 1967, 105 minutes, Colour.
Alain Delon, Francois Perrier, Nathalie Delon.
Directed by Jean- Pierre Melville.

Made in the mid-60s, this is director J.P. Melville's study of a gangster, hitman, arranging his kill and alibi, executing his commission, then evading the police and the murderous double?cross of his employers. The story is not new, but to concentrate on the plot would be a mistake. The important facet of the film is the relentless following of the kille rin his self?confidence, confrontation with the police and his fatalistic walk to his doom. Alain Delon has done this kind of thing often, but he is at his intense best here. Not so much for action fans, but four connoisseurs of styles and genres.

1 This film is considered a gangster classic. Why? Does the title indicate any meaning for the film?

2. The film is noted for its meticulous presentation of the gangster, his crime. his behaviour under investigation. in seeking revenge, and in being tracked down. How did the film communicate this . precision ? e.g. with time slots? How well did the film communicate and present this meticulous precision? What was the effect of this on the audience? And its appreciation of .?Jeff Costello and what he had done and what he was?

3. How well did the film.take us into the mentality attitudes and fears of a gangster? Of a hired killer?

4. What kind of person did the film show Jeff Costello to be? His style, his tacittrn manner, his precision in planning? We knew nothing of his life. Did this matter? How clever was he? How cold blooded - especially in his planning and executing of the murder? How tense had he to be ? at his home, in his use of the underground in eluding the Police? What impression did he make in planning his alibi with his girl friend and with the card players? In leaving the apartment? What was your response to his attitudes when being interrogated by the Police? Did you admire him in any way? Was he too fatalistic in returning to the scene of the crime and in his finally being shot and his gun being empty?

5. What relationship did he have with his girl friend? Did she need him? Why did he need her? Merely for alibis? Why did she refuse to comply with the Police, even under threats?

6. The importance of the piano-player? for the mood of the film, her way of looking at people in the bar and cafe, her looking towards Jeff, Her behaviour during the interrogation? Her relationship to him after the interrogation? Why did she not answer the phone to him? Why was she the contract for him to kill?

7. Comment on the picture of Parisienne gangsters? their organisation, their motives, their hiring of assasins, their murdering of their paid asassins.

8. Were you impressed with the presentation of the Police?
In their hunches? Or did they victimise their suspects? The style of the interrogation and the witnesses viewing the suspects? The relentlesness of the Chief? The bugging of Jeff's room - did they have a right to do this? The number of Police and the methods of tracking Jeff? How impressive was this presentation of Police work?

9. What was your emotional reaction to the murder? What was your reaction to the seeming second murder?

10. How successful a suspense film was this? How interesting a film was it? What insight did it give into the criminal world?

THE SCARLET EMPRESS

US, 1934, 104 minutes, Black and white.
Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe, Louise Dresser, C. Aubrey Smith.
Directed by Josef von Sternberg.

The Scarlet Empress is one of many films where Josef von Sternberg directed Marlene Dietrich, with the camera adoring the actress who does not need to act but simply be there. This is especially true of her role as Princess Sophia Frederica of Germany who is married off to the Grand Duke Peter of Russia (played by Sam Jaffe). His mother, the Empress Elizabeth, played by Louise Dresser, is determined that there be an heir.

The princess is not particularly fond of the grand duke, has affairs with soldiers, produces an heir which is enough for the Russian throne. She engineers a coup at the death of the grand duke and sets herself up as the Empress Catherine.

Marlene Dietrich had made an impact in von Sternberg’s The Blue Angel and they had come to Hollywood and for the first years of the 30s had made a considerable impact with such films as Blonde Venus, Shanghai Express.

The film is not historical – in the least. Rather, with their American accents, this is an American of Hollywood camp or kitsch. The following year Elisabeth Bergner was directed by her husband Paul Czinner in Catherine the Great with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. In 1945 Tallulah Bankhead was the Empress Catherine in Czarina. In the 1960s, Jeanne Moreau was Great Catherine.

1. The enjoyment of the film, as a Marlene Dietrich vehicle? Filmmaking in the thirties, impact then, now?

2. Audience interest in Catherine the Great an a person, Empress? Interest in 18th century Europe, Russia?

3. The importance of the black and white photography and its style, the cluttered decor, the impressive interiors? The photography's comment on the atmosphere of Russia and royalty and its enclosed insane atmosphere? The importance of the sets, the decor, the religious symbols, the secular? The baroque for example the skeletons, the statuary as part of the setting? Chapels? The importance of the editing and the fade-ins and outs and superimpositions? The importance of close-ups especially those of Marlene Dietrich, for example, at her wedding? The atmosphere of tracking shots, for example, over the wedding banquet and back again? Through the chapel during the ceremony? The use of religious music and choral effect for example during the wedding? The use of the classics and operatic scores anachronistically, Wagner and Tchaikowsky? The atmosphere that they created for the audience who know this music?

4. How important were the silent techniques, so many captions and chapter headings - the amount of information given, supplying for dramatic changes that were not seen on screen? Did this add to the film and its style, detract from it?

5. The importance of atmospheric detail - the banquet table with the skeleton, the locket falling through the trees and the branches, Peter boring the hole in the palace wall? The effect of so much focusing of the audience's attention on such detail? Symbolic?

8. The atmosphere of the 18th century and arranged marriages, the ideals of Catherine when she was Sophia, Prussian way of life, as a nice child and her doll, being taken away but yet her keeping it? Stories of slaughter and the collage of such violence as background for royal families in the age of enlightenment and despotism? And the transition from carnage and torture to the princess on the swing? The news of her marriage and its arrangement? The repercussions of arranged marriages and the lack of lovot the disappointment for the princesses?

7. The handsome appearance of Alexei, his stories on the trip, lies? His dubious character - liaison with Empress Elizabeth, his courting her, attitude towards him, a survivor at court? The melodramatics of his note at the table? Did he intend it to be seen by the Empress? An occasion for discussion about extra marital love affairs and their status In the courts of Europe?

8. The appearance of Archduke Peter and his madness, an imbecile, the Empress's domination of him and hold over him, controlling his whole way of life, changing him especially when his mother died? His unwillingness to marry Catherine? His keeping away from her? The effect on Catherine - her going through the wedding with dignity but ambiguity? Her disappointment with Peter? Courting others and becoming pregnant by the soldier? The atmosphere of the permissive court and its effect on her? The Empress and the example
that she set, ignorant and barbaric yet powerful?

9. The atmosphere of the marriage ceremony, the blessing of the bed, the effect of Peter's dislike and Catherine flirting with Alexi? The conceiving of the baby and the repercussions of its birth - the Empress's joy, Peter's hostility?

10. The importance of the tableaux of Russia - the importance of the visuals with the statues, the skeletons, the meals, the Empress and her Council?

11. Catherine and her change of attitude and her dalliance, her courting the Army? Her playing when the Empress died? Her transition to love of power and her loss of ideals - the way this was exemplified?

12. Peter and his place in the court, being bored with his wife, his it fascination with the Countess Elizabeth and using her - her exile, her return? The effect of his becoming Emperor, the slaughter, the growing proclamations and the way that this was illustrated - the idiocy of his growing tyranny? Catherine's reaction? Why did he act in this way?

13. Catherine and her growing political power, her luring on of Alexi, and then the ironic revenge in terms of his romantic attitudes? Boris and the humiliation of Alexe and sending him to be the messenger? His saying that he understood?

14. The build-up to the final banquet, Peter and his way of ruling, Elizabeth and her taunts? The visuals of the banquet? Catherine and her reaction - the humiliation and her decision to take over?

15. The melodrama of the takeover, her dress, the riding, the ringing of the bell, the religious authorities trying to ingratiate themselves?

16. The inevitablity of the death of Peter and its violence and ugliness? Catherine's reaction?

17. Catherine at the threshold of her rule? how had she changed? Her place in Russia, her title, the Mother of all the Russians?

18. Audience interest in history, Hollywood treatment of history and the particular slants that they have, choice of issues and style of treatment? Satisfactory historical entertainment?

SCARED STIFF

US, 1953, 108 minutes, Black and white.
Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lizabeth Scott, Carmen Miranda, Dorothy Malone.
Directed by George Marshall.

A typical Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis vehicle of the early fifties. Lewis plays the clown - has some good opportunities for joking in a restaurant sequence, seeing himself as his conscience in a mirror, imitating Carmen Miranda, being scared in the Cuban castle. Dean Martin sings as usual and seems slightly bullying towards his friend Jerry Lewis. Lizabeth Scott takes time off from being sultry to enjoy herself in this comedy. Dorothy Malone has a guest sequence and Carmen Miranda has quite a number of songs.

Direction is by George Marshall who made the original Bob hope, Paulette Goddard film The Ghost Breakers. This film follows The Ghost Breakers fairly carefully but adds to it, especially in comedy routines and a lot of musical numbers. This dissipates somewhat the tension and suspense that was in the original. The Bob Hope material is divided between Martin and Lewis. Lizabeth Scott is more sultry a heroine than Paulette Goddard. The fright and scares on the island are more limited than in the original. It is an interesting example of how Hollywood remakes its films. George Marshall did the same with Destry Rides Again made in 1939 and its remake by him, Destry, in 1954, for Martin and Lewis fans.

SCANDAL AT SCOURIE

US, 1953, 90 minutes, Colour.
Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Donna Corcoran, Agnes Moorhead.
Directed by Jean Negulesco.

An attractive Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon vehicle, their last together. With its theme of orphans and illegitimate children, it is similar in theme to their original film together, Blossoms In The Dust. The emphasis is on family warmth, small town life and politics, bigotry between Catholics and Protestants. This dates the film - an advantage for contemporary audiences because the setting takes us back to the turn of the century. Interaction between the Churches has changed considerably since the film was made.

Young Donna Corcoran gives a very spirited and engaging performance. Direction is by Jean Negulesco, a director of competent thrillers in the forties who moved to lavish, lightweight Cinemascope comedies and dramas in the fifties. A pleasing family film - with a touch of sentiment.

1. An attractive family film? portrait of orphans? family life? Love, prejudice?

2. The popularity of this kind of social, family film? The quick sketching of the children? The encounter with the potential parents? hero and heroine parents? love, difficulties, clashes and resolutions? How well handled in this film?

3. Colour photography, atmosphere of Canada at the turn of the century? The musical score and the traditional Greensleeves and Frere Jacques themes?

4. The sense of authenticity about Scourie, the family, Patrick and his political ambitions, his shop? Victoria and her place in the town? The Protestant town and its way of thinking, acting? attitude towards French Canada? The Catholic orphans and their being adopted? The quick encounter of Patsy and Victoria? The adoption? The immediate difficulties? Patrick's stand? The lost children and their being found? Credible for the purposes of the film? How satisfactory were the contrived elements?

5. The opening, with the orphanage - the burning to the ground, Patsy's sense of guilt, the rescue of the children, the nuns and their care, the adoption along the train line? Patsy and her wandering off? The encounter with Victoria? How attractive a little girl, forthright and definite speech, good manners, affectionate? The encounter with Patrick at the shop? The plausibility of her being adopted? Her behaviour at home, fish on Friday, going to Mass, school, the clash with Edward, her winning, the drawing competition, the sequences with Harold her fish (and the origin of his name!)? The picking of the mushrooms, her prayers? Her feeling rejected, and running away? Her being found again? An attractive orphan? and the making of the points about orphans and adoption?

6. Patrick and Victoria? the Greer Garson- Walter Pidgeon style? Their harmony together? The initial encounter and Victoria's plans, the sequences in the shop, the delay to the railway station, Patrick's coming home and finding Patsy? The meal and Patrick's use of large words? His allowing the adoption? The political clashes and his fighting? The burning down of the school and his reaction? His reaction to Vickie's mushroom poisoning? His decision to stand by Patsy and the irony of her runningy away? Victoria and the happiness in having the child in the house?

7. The domestic scenes and their happiness, the optimistic presentation of adoption? The report in the paper and Victoria's reaction in the barber's shop? The political questions and the fight? The visit of the minister? The burning down of the school and Patrick's reaction and decision? The search for the children?

8. The political background of Canada? Newspaper articles, political rivalry? The use of the fire for political purposes?

9. The school sequences kind the kindly teacher? Edward and the clash with Patsy? Edward's adoption, his foster father's telling the story about Patsy and the fires? Edward and his note and the accident? running away?

10. The popular blend of feeling, sentiment, humour? The importance of the religious questions - sectarian differences, their use? The harmony of the priest and the minister and their fishing together? The unity of purpose in religious tolerance? A satisfying, popular human drama?

THE SCALPHUNTERS

US, 1968, 102 minutes, Colour.
Burt Lancaster, Shelley Winters, Telly Savalas, Ossie Davis, Dabney Coleman, Paul Picerni, Nick Cravat.
Directed by Sidney Pollack.

The Scalphunters is one of the lighter films by Sidney Pollack, better known as a much more serious director. After this he made They Shoot Horses, Don’t They. Pollack was to win an Oscar for his 1985 Out of Africa.

The film was written by William W. Norton, a prolific writer of screenplays – his screenplay immediately after The Scalphunters was the Burt Reynolds-Angie? Dickinson, Sam Whiskey.

The title gives an indication of the plot. Burt Lancaster appears as a fur trapper who is attacked by Indians who take all his furs but leave him with his slave, played by Ossie Davis. The trapper is something of an oaf. The slave is an educated man – thus leading to a whole lot of comic contrasts. However, the trapper is set upon by another gang of trappers with criminal intent – and their leader is played by Telly Savalas.

The film is an entertaining blend of action and comedy – with some reflection on race themes as well.

1. Audience response to the conventions of a western? To comedies? Which were used here, and how well were they blended?

2. The atmosphere of an enjoyable western? Colour, Panavision, scenery, action?

3. The importance of the structure of the film: the loner, the fur chase, the chase for furs, the climax, starting again?

4. The character of Jim Bass? Burt Lancaster's style, Bass as a person, Bass as the western man, the trapper, his attitude towards the law, trespassing, the Indians, buying back Joseph Lee, the confrontation with the Indians, with the bounty hunters? His ingenuity in stalking the bounty hunters? The individual, tough, violence, success? What insight into the American man of the west?

5. Audience response to the typical western character?

6. The environment and its importance in the west? Mountains, rocks, desert, water? Ways of survival, the western man at home in this environment, hiding, stalking, using it?

7. The introduction of Joseph Lee? The negro and the race question, slavery? The Indian attitude towards the black comparing eith the white? The civilized slave? Education versus brute force? The slave seeking a master? Seeking freedom? What kind of relationship with Bass, Howle,
Kate? His companionship with Bass, subservience to Howie# using Kate? The quality of his personality, as smart# his capacity to fight? His ultimately killing and becoming a man of the west?

8. The portrayal of the Indianst comedy aspects, drunken, robbers, cruel, their being massacred, being dispossessed of their land and heritage?

9. The portrayal of the scalphunters? Howie as the brutal leader, his rich style, disregard of the law, self-importance, relationship with Kate? His overseeing the massacre? His attitude towards Meph Lee? The fight with Bass? The significance of his death? The other scalphunters and their role? Scalphunters as massacring Indians?

10. The success of the action pieces in the films fights, the landslides, the horses, the poisoned horses?

11. The quality of the comedy, especially as regards the horses, Kate?

12. The film as a portrayal of aspects of the American heritage? The light touch and the heavy touch in presenting this heritage?

THE SAVAGE BEES

US, 1976, 100 minutes, Colour.
Ben Johnson, Michael Parks, Paul Hecht, Gretchen Corbett, Horst Buchholz, James Best.
Directed by Bruce Geller.

The Savage Bees is a telemovie that is somewhat superior to other variations on the theme of killer bees and of the 1978 big-budget The Swarm.

The film offers some historical background about migrations of killer bees from South America to the United States. The film also had strong technical advice about bees and what would happen in an invasion. The victim city in this case is New Orleans on the eve of Mardi Gras – when crowds are about in festive mood and not expecting an attack from a swarm.

Ben Johnson is strong as the sheriff and Horst Buchholz appears as one of the doctors.

The film is in the atmosphere of the animal menace films of the period, symbolised by such films as Jaws.

1. The quality of the entertainment, audience interest, excitement and horror?

2. Audience interst in animal science filetion? The insect genre and the terrorising of humans? how good an example? Particular differences?

3. The 70's and the disaster tradition, animals menacing human beings, technological solutios? This film as a modest example of the disaster genre? Similarities? Differences?

5. The plausible scientific background? The information given on the bees, the South American experience? Statistics and information? The authentic atmosphere of New Orleans and the investigations? The situation in the city, people terrorised?

6. Audience interest in science, its developments? Developments getting out of hand and uncontrolable? The symbolic significance of the bees? Killers, savege? Confined yet menacing people when uncontrolled?

7. Audience responce to bees in themselves, their symbolism of fear? The visualising of the deaths and audience frightened responce?

8. The contribution of the New Orleans setting? The city, the country side out side, rivers and swamps? Farms? Small towns? The atmosphere of Mardi Gras and the threat to people celebrating? The frame of mind and mood of people? The transition to Ash Wednesday and the solemn atmophere of the city, able to be used for the solution?

9. The opening impact of the death of McKew's dog? His reaction in taking it to the vet? The little girl and her death? The man with the tractor? The sailors and the explanation of the arrival of the bees?

10. The focus of the film on McKew? A solid man, sherrif, reaction to the dogs death? His relentless pursuit for a solution? Work with Goeff? Growing Involvement? His authority, commonsense? The U.S reliable type, appropriate for this kind of film?

11. Geoff as the young hero type? His skill with his work, the encounter with McKew? The involvement of his personal life and relationsip with Jeanette? His growing desparation, his giving Information to the television? His commonsense and heroism in providing a solution?

12. How attractive was Jeanette as a heroine? her relationship with Geoff? Her scientific work? her prevailing commonsense, involvement? Could audiences identify with her and her attwmpts to get a solution?

13. The character of Rufusand his skill in identifying the problem?

14. The background of Dr Muller, the documentary? His arriv&l, skills, control of the situation, his suit? Crises being able to provide some kind of saviour figure

15. The presentation of the police and the inability to cope with danger?

16. How well did the film visualise the swarms, their menace, the angle shots and heights etc? The couple with the kiosk? The solution with Dr Muller and the sudden cutting of his suit and his unneccessary death? The death of a carnival couple?

17. The build-up to the solution? Jeanette and her car, the continued suspense and fear? The long trip into the city? The suspense about the cooling of the stadium? The happy ending, appropriate?

18. How well did the film generate genuine fear, tension? The personal involvement and aspects of human nature? The social implications for science, communication, menace, the states of emergency and technological knowhow for solutions to evil menacing human beings?

SATURN THREE

US, 1980, 103 minutes, Colour.
Kirk Douglas, Farrah Fawcett, Harvey Keitel.
Directed by Stanley Donen.

Saturn 3 came out in the aftermath of Alien – and is certainly much more inferior than that breakthrough film. It was directed by Stanley Donen, an unlikely choice. Donen had made such outstanding musicals as Singin’ in the Rain, On the Town, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers as well as enjoyable romantic comedies like Charade. (He was to make an equally disappointing, or more so, comedy in a few years, Blame it on Rio.)

The setting is Titan, the third moon of Saturn. Two scientists live together there, developing food supplies. They are played by Kirk Douglas and Farrah Fawcett, Fawcett at the height of her glamour, the Charlie’s Angels period. However, their perfect space idyll is interrupted by a psychopath, a scientist played by Harvey Keitel. He has murdered a shuttle captain, has brought with him a droid named Hector. Hector is more unstable than his master. This leads, obviously, to quite some tensions in space.

The special effects are not the greatest – but, in retrospect, it is an undemanding, entertaining variation on the space themes popular at the time.

1. The popularity of science fiction in the late seventies? The Star Wars phenomenon and the imitations? the reason for these trends? The continuance into the eighties? The popularisation of science fiction, the borrowings of Star Wars? How original this film? How satisfying?

2. The modest scale of Saturn Three? Length, budget, three stars? The special effects? The score? How much was done with the smaller budget?

3. The plausibility of the plot - audience interest in the galactic world, space exploration, government of space? The way of life on starships? The influence of the science fiction films of the fifties? Serials? Comics? The appeal of this film to the younger audience, to adults? How serious the comic book approach to science and exploration, technology, the future, pessimism about the world, hopes for the preservation of past values? The impersonality of control of the future? Social comment?

4. The use of horror ingredients with science fiction? The appeal of horror and the imagination, nightmares, fear? Monsters? The horror in outer space of the impersonal, the robot, the control of technology, humans playing God? Tests of human values and morals for survival?

5. Earth in the future? Decadence and destruction? The small plant of Saturn Three as a model of the future? The isolated group? Bypassing technology while using it? Preserving humanity? Yet its ultimately being destroyed by technology and madness?

6. How well did the film establish its situation, identify the characters? The choreographic aspects of the opening? visually, movement, characters? The establishing of the mission and the background information? The sinister aspects with the impersonal captain, the killing, the failing of the mission?

7. The detail about Saturn Three and its isolation, mission, its potential for growth and preservation of what was natural? The science fiction and technological decor? The human aspects man and woman? The relationships of man and woman, sexuality? The old values of earth and their being praised?

8. Saturn Three being invaded unawares by the captain? The impersonality of the captain, his failure and his killing his rival, his not having any right to be on the mission? His personality? impersonal? His disregard of Adam, his not functioning technologically well? The capacity for creating false bodies, false information? The Alex body? Feeding in the material and information and intelligence to his own creation? The Frankenstein background of making a robot? Enlivening Hector with Adam and Alex as well as himself? The hybrid and the blend of good and evil in the robot?

9. How well did the film develop tensions: the triangle, communication, language, emotions, the use of the T.V. screen, the invasion of privacy? The effect on Adam, on Alex?

10. Adam and Alex being trapped? the eclipse, the communication and the lack of rescue? The fatalism in the control of Hector? The confusion of identities? the use of false voices, false Adam and false Alex?

11. The monstrosity of Hector as machine, technological invention, robot being fed with the human? The attacking of the captain and the disobedience? The inevitability of Hector destroying opposition and taking over?

12. Kirk Douglas's performance and style an Adam? The older man on Saturn Three, memories, relationship with Alex? Antagonism towards the captain? His being used for Hector? His making decisions, fighting the captain and Hector? Alex and Farah Fawcett's presence and glamour? The relationship with Adam? The control of Saturn Three? The confusion and Adam and Alex being destroyed?

13. The build-up of Hedtor as a Frankenstoin monster, the stalking and chasing throughout the spaceship?

14. Adam and the final human effort to save the Universe from the Frankenatein monster?

15. Saturn Three as a fable about the dangers for future world? The value of science fiction as entertainment, the added horror ingredients? Horror and science fiction and fable and message?

SATURDAY'S HERO

US, 1951, 111 minutes, Black and white.
John Derek, Donna Reed, Sidney Blackmer, Alexander Knox, Aldo Ray.
Directed by David Miller.

Saturday’s Hero is a little-known film about college sports, echoing the atmosphere of sports in the late 40s and early 1950s. Because of its low-key background and it’s cast, it was not as popular and as widely seen as some other films about sports in later decades including North Dallas 40, All the Right Noises, Everybody’s All- American.

A very young John Derek portrays a college kid from the wrong side of the tracks who receives a scholarship, boosts the success of the college team but is subject to blackmail. The film also stars Donna Reed.

The film is interesting insofar as the issues of sport, scholarships, academic achievement, pressure on sports players were just as prevalent but not to the surface as they were and are in succeeding decades. Well worth looking at especially in the light of contemporary aspects of sport.

Director David Miller had a mixed career making a variety of films like Billy the Kid in the early 1940s, Love Happy with the Marx Brothers at the end of the 40s, Sudden Fear with Joan Crawford at the beginning of the 50s and then a number of more successful films like Happy Anniversary, Midnight Lace, Back Street and the excellent western, Lonely Are the Brave.

1. Is this a good drama? Sports film? Piece of Americana and its attitudes in the fifties?

2. The film and film-making in the fifties, black and white photography, college and town atmosphere, the presentation of sport?

3. The significance of the title? Its reality and its irony? The film's presentation of heroism and of disillusionment? How accurate was its presentation of this kind of heroism and how incisive was its critique?

4. The ordinary opening and the presentation of suburban sport? People's expectations of sports heroes and the pressures to succeed? How did the film build its presentation of heroism and disillusionment on this ordinary basis?

5. How attractive a character was Steve? An earnest young man, his skill in sport, his loyalty to his father, to his brother, to his agent? The prospect of success? The realism with which he made his choices? His hopes in the challenge of going to Jackson? His earnestness about study and sport? A man of integrity? Was he doomed to failure? Were his ideals of heroism too good and impractical?

6. The film's presentation of the college and its atmosphere and tradition? Entry, class significance, long tradition? The Coach and his attitudes to sport? The contrast with the English professor and his cynical criticism? The role of benefactors in supporting students? Their pressures and hold on students? The criteria for success?

7. Steve’s entry into this world and his competence in his relationship with his friends? The characterization of the various friends, their studies, dilemmas, moral crises, physical injuries? The success in the sports games? Success and practice for sport vs study potential? The importance of Steve’s discussion with the professor and his change of attitude? His attempts at humiliation turning to attempts at helping and coaching? The effect on Steve of this experience?

8. The importance of the encounter with McCabe? What kind of man was McCabe? His tradition, business, ruthless disregard of people's feelings, his interest in and his dismissing of Steve? His using of him? His using of the agent? His attitude towards Melissa and running her life? Was he in any way a sympathetic character? What did he symbolise and represent in terms of American power?

9. Steve’s attraction to Melissa? Her arrogant style, her dependence on McCabe?, the explanation of her background and her wanting to succeed? Her change in attitude towards Steve? Her falling in love and yet her erratic behaviour and her hurting him? The difficulty of her making her decisions to support Steve and leave McCabe? How well and convincingly were these confrontations visualized?

10. The peak of success and yet the precarious nature of success? The importance of physical injury? The selfishness of the people who forced Steve to go on? The blackmail to make him play? The experience and the disillusionment? The coincidence of the death of his father? His brother's attack, his agent's disillusionment, Melissa’s support?

11. How well drawn were the final confrontations of Steve with himself, with his agent, his brother, Melissa, and especially with McCabe? Could audiences identify with the values represented by Steve?

12. The film ended in optimism and realism after disillusionment. Was it realistic? The moral values preached by the film?

SATAN'S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

US, 1973, 78 minutes, Colour.
Pamela Franklin, Kate Jackson, Lloyd Bochner, Cheryl Ladd, Jo Van Fleet.
Directed by David Lowell Rich.

A mild occult melodrama. Set in Salem, with its background of witches and witchcraft in the 17th century, the film shows a Girls' School which is in the power of the Devil. However, it is adapted very much to the living room audience and has very few scares or even much atmosphere.

The main advantage of the film is in using Pamela Franklin as a sturdy heroine. Kate Jackson in an early role and Jo van Fleet, the Oscar-winning actress for East of Eden, in a role in which actually she has very little to do. Direction id by David Lowell Rich who has made many popular films and telemovies.

1. How entertaining and interesting a telemovie? Atmosphere, plot, horror, the occult, audience involvement?

2. The popularity of occult films in the seventies? The idea or having a modern Devil and witchcraft story in Salem with its background of 17th century witchcraft? The headmistress's continual references to Abigail, one of the main witches of that period? The use of the boarding school atmosphere and the menacing of young woman? Ordinary material, how we11 presented?

3. The initial California atmosphere, the atmosphere of New England? Colour, locations, the school, the atmosphere?

4. How plausible was the plot? Sufficient for this occult story? The reincarnation of the Devil and his power in Salem? The nature of the school and the way it was presented? The girls in the power of the Devil? Death for those who refused to succumb to his wishes? The presentation of the Doctor as the Devil and the presentation of his power over the girls?

5. The film's focus on Elizabeth? The initial atmosphere with Martha and her terror finally to her death? Elizabeth's decision to go to the school, the encounter with Lucy, Roberta and the other girls? Her gradual investigations while anonymous? The revelation of the truth to the authorities? Her experiencing the menace? The betrayal by her friend? The happy ending? A vigorous heroine for this kind of film?

6. The presentation of the other girls, ordinary American girls, the special friend and her sharing the danger with Elizabeth and suddenly turning into one of the Devil's women? The presentation of them at the end with their killing of Delacroix with the Devil and their being burnt? The contrast with the personality of the headmistress? was she a Dragon Lady as described, her going mad under the power of the Devil? Delacroix and his class with the rats and their terror? The presence of the Doctor?

7. The crises with the various deaths and their mystery? The build-up to the discovery of the body in the cellar? The eerie atmosphere at the end with the girls leaving the school, leaving Elizabeth to confront the Devil?

8. Plausible theme of the occult? The atmosphere of the mysterious in ordinary life? How well done - for entertainment, for reflection?