The Times

22 TIMES/GUIDE Wednesday, January 5, 1977

Nick picks flicks, bad and the beautiful

By NICK SPANOS Correspondent Each person has his own criteria for what he likes or dislikes, enjoys or hates, in motion pictures. Each film critic, if still a person, not bought by money under the table, not floating too high above the average human being, is no exception. Thus, with 1976 decidedly settled in the past, one can list what one liked and disliked, enjoyed and hated. But, first, two brief explanations. Each film critic follows guidelines in selecting his own "bests" and "worsts". Timewise, if the film opened in Los Angeles, Calif., and played for seven consecutive days before the end of the year, it qualified as a 1976 release (per Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences regulations). Forget New York City, and try to forget Dade and Broward counties. Second, a few films remain unseen and unplayed in Dade and Broward counties: Sidney Lumet's "Network," John Avildsen's "Rocky," Elia Kazan's "The Last Tycoon," Hal Ashby's "Bound for Glory," Disney Productions' "Freaky Friday," Elaine May's "Mikey and Nickey," plus "Bugsy Malone," "Voyage of the Damned," and Truffaut's "Small Change." Which leads to the ten best films of 1976 (in order of preference): "Cousin, Cousine" by Jean-Charles Tacchella; "The Marquise of O" by Eric Rohmer; "Carrie" by Brian de Palma; "The Shootist", by Don Seigel; "Taxi Driver" by Martin Scorsese; "Obsession" by Brian De Palma; "Robin and Marian" by Richard Lester; "Inserts" by John Byrum; "All the President's Men" by Alan Pakula; and "The Bad News Bears" by Michael Ritchie. Runner-ups for "honorable mention" go to: "Ode to Billy Joe" by Max Baer, "The Bingo Long Traveling All Stars and Motor Kings" by John Badham, "From Noon till Three" by Frank Gilroy, "The Seven-Percent Solution" by Herbert Ross, "Silent Movie" by Melvin J. Brooks, "The Man Who Fell to Earth," by Nicolas Roeg, "Murder by Death" by Robert Moore, "Les Zozos" by Pascal Thomas, "Mother and Kuster's Trip to Heaven" by Ranier Werner Fassbinder, and "Grey Gardens" by Paul Mazursky, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" by Clint Eastwood, and "Seven Beauties" by Lina Wertmuller. The worst film of the year must go to "Grizzly" if only because Christopher George stars in that and in the film I have just scripted for producer-director Bill Grefe, "Whiskey Mountain." Otherwise, tied for worst top honors of the year are "The Blue Bird," a revolting, wretching re-make of the Shirley Temple diseased fantasy and Arthur Penn's "The Missouri Breaks" with a fat, mumbling Marlon Brando and a whale-sized Jack Nicholson. Runner-ups for "honorable mention" in the "worst" category resemble a herd of buffalo stampeding General Custer: "Midway," "Lipstick," "Burnt Offerings," "Shoot," "The Next Man," "Tunnel Vision," "The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday," "Silver Streak," "Alice in Wonderland" (X-rated version), "Two Minute Warning," "The House of Exorcism," "Shadow of the Hawk" ...plus "Annie," "Misty Beethoven," "Scorchy," "Bobbi Jo and the Outlaw," "Hustler Squad," "The Girl from Starship Venus," "Las Vegas Lady," "Death Machines," "Black Heat" (these titles, at least, are interesting, if not kinky), "The Pom Pom Girls," "They're Coming to Get You," and "Let's Talk about Men." Disappointments ran fast and furious, too. Being kind, however, these films failed intrinsically, attempting yet never achieving. The list, too, is long: "A Star Is Born," "The Magic Flute," "End of the Game," "Baby Blue Marine," "The Shaggy D.A.," "The Nickelodeon," "The Amazing Dobermans," "Norman, Is That You?", "Pony Express Rider," "The Winds of Autumn," "The Big Bus" ...and "Embryo," "The Treasure of Matecumbe," "St. Ives," "The Tenant," "Monkey Hustle," "Alex and the Gypsy," and "Up!" Being kind and merciful, a film can be strictly entertaining, lacking the highest of aesthetic ambitions, and still merit recognition. On this basis, the following films deserve mention: "The Incredible Sarah," "Car Wash," "Marathon Man," "The Ritz," "King Kong," "The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox," "Gable and Lombard," "Stay Hungry," "Breakheart Pass," "Gus," "Jackson County Jail," "The Return of the Man Called Horse," "Family Plot," "Ride a Wild Pony," "Dupont Lajoie," "The Old Gun" ("Vengeance. .One by One"), and "Shout at the Devil." Hopefully, 1977 will be even better. Hopefully. 'All the President's Men' was also one of best films ...starring Hoffman and Redford it told a chilling tale

'Story of Sin' Polish film strong on mood

By CLAIRE ORTALDA Staff Writer "Story of Sin," a Polish film now showing at Grove Cinema; Grand Ave., is a visually beautiful film, strong on mood and character development, that fulfills the need for serious drama which recent American releases have bypassed. Part social commentary and part erotic melodrama, in the tradition of turn of the century realistic works like Dreiser's "Sister Carrie" or Flaubert's "Madame Bovary," the movie traces the moral downfall of a beautiful virgin who becomes a whore and a murderess. The heroine, played by Polish actress Grazyna Dlvgolecka, is shown both as a victim of society and a victim of her own passions. Her name is Eve, the name of "the first sinner," as her priest confessor tells her. The story is set in the early 1900's, when the Polish landed gentry, of which Eve's family was a member, was economically and socially oppressed by the Russians, which ruled Poland at that time. Eve's family is forced to take in boarders to make ends meet and Eve, of course, falls in love with one of them, Lucas, a handsome married man. An exploration of a fall from innocence, the story at first shows Eve's passion in conflict with her rigid Catholic upbringing. Though she has confessed to a priest, she turns away from the communion rail before receiving the host because of the sinfulness of her thoughts, though she and Lucas have not yet become lovers. Later, Eve sins against basic moral precepts, forced by blackmail and poverty to commit murder and prostitution. Her worst sin, however, is unintentional treachery. She murders Lucas' friend who has helped her in the past and sleeps with the young man who conveys the message that Lucas has remarried during their separation, though Lucas had once told her, "There is treachery everywhere, but not in your eyes." Yet "Story of Sin" is essentially a romance. Though society victimizes Eve and Lucas, they continue to love each other to the end. Scenes of complete nudity make this film, though unrated, unsuitable for children under 17. And its length(two hours and eight minutes)and English subtitles do not recommend it to the restless or easily bored. Eve is influenced by a con-man who forces her to commit murder