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Before you jump to any
unsubstantiated conclu-
sions, let me tell you a bit
about Splash, which is

by JOEL HAGEN

 

1984’s funniest movie to
date. With a witty script and
Ron Howard’s [Grand Theft
Auto, Nightshift] strong di-
recting, Splash rehashes an
old idea, old sight gags, and
old one-liners into some-
thing fresh and new.

The film begins 20 years
ago on a Cape Cod ferry.
Eight-year old Freddie wan-
ders around on deck, drop-
ping coins so he can look
underneath women’s dres-
ses. His brother Allen is a
bit more thoughtful, and he
jumps overboard, coming
face to face with a young
mermaid.

Following this prelude,
the film moves to ‘‘New
York City, this morning.’
Freddie (John Candy) is now
an overweight womanizer,
and he still drops coins on
the ground... Allen (Tom
Hanks) has become a_ suc-
cessful but unfulfilled busi-
nessman. «When his. girl-
friend leaves him, he heads,
back to Cape Cod to ‘find
himself’’, and lo and be-
hold, he is rescued. from
drowning by a mermaid
(Daryl Hannah).

When the mermaid comes
to New York (she has legs
on land) to seek out her new
found idol, the fun begins.

She arrives at the Statue of

Liberty completely naked,
but quickly demonstrates
her superior intellect. Six
hours in front of a T.V.
allows her to master Eng-
lish. Then she heads off to
Bloomingdale’s to discover
the joys of the credit card.

Hannah and Hanks have
the necessary chemistry to
pull off their bizarre rela-
tionship, and for _ this
reason, the movie works.
Allen and Madison (after
the avenue) fall in love most
convincingly, with a youth-
ful spirit that typically ig-
nores the future.

But it’s the boys from
SCTV, Candy and fellow
trooper Eugene Levy, that
provide the film’s comic
relief and dramatic  sus-
pense. This is the first role
in which Candy has realized
his full potential for creating
real laughter. Although
jokes don’t always come off
well on paper, here is one of
many:

FREDDIE: I’ve had a few
troubles with my love life.
ALLEN: Freddie, you took a

THE OTHER PRESS

Thursday, March 29, 1984

~ Mermaid Movie A Big Splash

 

 

 

 

 

date to one of your wed-
dings!

Levy plays a mad scientist
with the verve of a maniac.
He is obsessed with the
theory that a mermaid is

roaming the streets of New
York.

With all this action going
on it’s no wonder that
Splash remains fast paced.
It winds up with an exciting

conclusion that leaves the
audience satisfied and con-
tent. Splash yields more
than a few rib-ticklers and
even has a couple of lines
that could put you out of

your seat. It is definitely
worth the price of admis:
sion. _ Fi

Splash is currently play-
ing at Guildford and Den-
man Place.

Saint Joan of Soul

CLASSIC ALBUMS OF FORGOTTEN BANDS: PART 6

This week’s classic album
is a request from a friend.

Too bad there is no dedica-

tion.

by JOEL HAGEN

 

Next issue’s review is still
up in the air, so if you have
any ideas, drop by the Other
Press Office.

JOAN ARMATRADING
JOAN ARMATRADING

Joan Armatrading’s self-
titled third album is a won-
derful dichotomy of musical
styles. Many artists have
tried to croon and rock their
way through two sides of a
disc, but few have suc-
ceeded. Joan Armatrading,
though, pulls off this hard/
soft sound nicely.

All of | Armatrading’s
songs are personal insights
into her emotions and rela-
tionships, but she doesn’t
conjure up negative images.
Instead, her words and mu-.
sic make for a ‘‘feel good’’
album. She sets the tone in
a jazzy ballad called Help
Yourself, singing, ‘‘If you’re
gonna do it, do it right/
Don’t leave it over night/If
you’re gonna help me, help
me now/Another ten min-
utes will be too late.’’

Her impulsive — song-
writing, coupled with a nat-

ural reluctance, creates
some neat lyrics. On Love
and Affection, the best song
on the album, Armatrading
makes a clever start: ‘‘l am
not in love/But I’m open to
persuasion...’’; setting up
perfect foundation to build
on. This track is also won-
derful musically, adding in-
strument after instrument
until the song peaks with a
fine alto solo.

The music is clearly Ar-
matrading’s forte. From the
slow songs, steeped in
blues, to the fast and funky
R and B, she creates tuneful
melodies.

The best of the rockers
are People, with its great
fuzz guitar solo, and | Wan-
na Hold You, which is al-
most jazz fusion.

Of the ballads, Save Me is
particularly lovely. Border-
ing on ‘‘schmaltz’’, it is
saved by Armatrading’s
singing. A native born Jam-
aican, her voice is earthy
and rich, but also sharp
thanks to her British up-
bringing. This makes her
sound very convincing and
sincere.

Armatrading ends up with
two soulful tear-jerkers, No
Love and The Weakness In
Me. Perhaps they say more
about her than any of the
other songs on the album. |
like The Weakness In Me

because, ironically, it is
sung with strength and con-
viction. It involves someone
who must choose between
two lovers. ‘‘Feeling guil-
ty... worried/Waking from
tormented sleep/The soul
love has me bound/But the
new love cuts deep.’’

Joan Armatrading is just
what the doctor ordered if
you are in the midst of an
emotional void. Pick up this
album. The doctor guaran-
tees no negative side ef-
fects.

News brief

Jackson loses

Michael Jackson has final-
ly come home empty-
handed. The National Fire-

fighters Prize for Safety
went instead to 8 year old
Mark Trimbull of Paducah,
Kentucky for rescuing his
cat from a burning tree fort.

Jackson, thanks to the
Pepsi debacle, finished
seventeenth.

 

if