Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 67

Chicago Tribune, riday, June 3. 1983 Section 4 3 Kiovies v. IWarGames' tale of computer evil ijnushrooms into top entertainment "WarGames" Mlnl-revlew: Nuclear war for a quarter Directed by John Bedhem; written by Lawrenoe Laeker and Walter F. PtrkM; photographed by William A. Frakar; adltad by Tom RoH; production deelon by Anoelo P.

Graham; mutle by Arthur B. RuMneteln; praduoed by Harold Sohnaldari an MQhVUA ralaaaa at outlying theater. PO. THE CAST David Ltarrtman Maltha Brodarlek McKlflrtek Dabnay Colaman Falkan John Wood Jennifer AllyBhaady Can. Baringar Barry Corwn Pat Haaly Juanln Clay Kant Wllllama Wataon Dannie Llpaoomb Conlay Joa Doraay -y ry Gene Siskel rVjavie critic THE TIME IS right, wouldn't you say, for a thriller about a nuclear war disaster? The time is rfeht in world history, of course, with worldwide nuclear protests at a record level, and the time is right in movie history it has been 19 years since John Frankenheimer "Seven Days in May," 20 years since Stanley Kubrick's "Dr.

Strangelove." LJohn Badham's "WarGames" is not as well rrfade as either of those films, and yet with its nod ini the direction of the youthful addiction to video games and computers, who is to say that "War-Games" won't have the same connection to this generation of moviegoers that the wicked burlesque of "Strangelove" had to a generation 'WarGames," with an exceedingly clever script by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes, tells the story of young David Lightman Matthew Broderick, a typical, middle-class Seattle teenager, who is bored at school, bored by his parents and turned on only by video games and the computer in his bedroom. In an effort to impress Jennifer I Ally Sheedy, a cute, lanky girl in, his class, David taps into his school's computer and changes her biology grade from to A. I Remember the days when buying a girl a Coke wts enough? JATER, DAVID tries to tap into a California game company's computer to play its latest toys before they are released to the public. By mistake, however, David hooks into the U.S.

Defense Department computer that controls our missile watch from beneath the Colorado mountains. When the computer asks David, "Would you like to; play a game?" and lists "Global Thermonuclear War as one of the options, David gleefully accepts, not realizing that he is about to trigger an international incident. "WarGames" is wise in not making the rest of its story another "American President versus Theater 'Whales' has its moments but it's lacking in By Richard Christiansen IU TT Critic at large "The Whales of August" "THE WHALES of August" Is both ZlX the title and the chief symbol of David Adams Berry's fragile little T3u unSom playa at 6 p.m. Tueeday play at Victory Gardens Theater. fSTLZ The whales, a sign of the changing WuSSZi I "IS t2dlaoount Of 8eaSOIlS and the passage Of time, and eenlor eHliene.

Oroup rataa are very much on the minds of the rtmmSSSr two elderly New England sisters who vr mm''1' form the centerpiece of the drama 'SSL Bracken Lee'podeteu Libby, 86 and awaiting death, and Tina jwaureen steindie Sarah, her widowed younger sister, "ichoiaa "'no Edward Maawn who still hopes that life has a few more surprises left for her. Together on this August weekend Pwer ne has cast Mary Ann The- (lu in 1954, they sit in their cozy little bus an actress at least 40 years Maine island home designed with the part, as the spunky loving detail in Nels Anderson's Ub- tt entirely a foo ish cutaway set and await the arrival gesture, either. Thebus, a talented of the whales at sea, while a crisis in woman, doesn give in to the their relationship festers under the trremo and fodders of stage old everyday activity despite an obvious wig of white hair and penciled-in age lines; she tackO-, Neighbors visit them: Mr. ies tfe roie head ou and 8imply play8 Maranov, a courtly old White Rus- the lines intelligently, sian who has been adrift in life for ku. years; Tisha, a chirny little thing SJSSLPwS plagued with arthritk but still gfg- in th product! tonJWto gling like a litUe girl; and Joshua, Maranov.

r1 Meekin wtetftiUy? 1 the teed handwman who bemoans but wisely withdraws from a late- ft the coming of the summer com- mLmZu? plaint" tourists. te iel cately done, despite Meekin's There are some sweet scenes occasional line lapses. When Sarah, thouehtful nausea and a lot of small Joshua Les Podewell, who is the changing decision, the two sisters Iio tearfully vow their love for each fTMfr rtSPlta other and the lights slowly fade to ritual. Even when Sarah communes-1" This sentimental salute to old age in a midnight anniversary ceremony might have beer, a lutlc more witn ner dead husband, this touching and significant if it had not grotesque scene is given some been so underwritten by the BelievabUity by Seibel's conviction. playwright and if a little dramatic tension had been allowed to develop Stm these segments can make i in between the sighs and tears.

evening any more Oian fitfully involving. The play just doesn't give'' AS IT IS, however, Sarah's great ug enough substance. ,0 decision seems abrupt and inexpli- cable, and the whole matter seems NOTES. Douglas much ado about something con- Wood and Cheryl Rhoads, the young! fusing. Perhaps by trying to avoid "JfLfe the pfot contrivances of an "On Gold- "'0F8, taSSfpSSf en Pond," Berry has gone overboard EiUi6Nn rtnrtt It ge in underplaying his Theatre, 1016 N.

Dearborn St. To fill in the matter that the The Organic Theater Company in- playwright has left out in his script, troduces a summer season of the performance needs to be espe- day night performances of a new cialiy rich. Director Dennis Zacek audience-participation "role-playing doesn't have the resources for that, fantasy trip" called "Dungeon Lacking an older actress of sufficient Master" at 7:30 p.m. June 21. Soviet Chairman" thriller.

That can't be done any better than Kubrick did it years ago. Instead of picking on the tired target of politicians, "WarGames" wisely attempts to skewer our love affair with computers. One of the central themes of the film is that we have come to trust our computers more than ourselves, thus allowing our own personal responsibilty for the future to be taken out of our hands and placed on autopilot. Where "WarGames" gets into trouble is toward the end of the picture when David and Jennifer confront a scientist John Wood, the fine English actor, in the worst performance I've ever seen him give, who proceeds to explain the message of the movie long after we've figured it out. It's too bad the writers of "WarGames" didn't have enough confidence in their script to avoid this hackneyed science-fiction device.

It's always better to take a message from the action of a movie rather than from one of its characters. Still, this is a most entertaining and thoughtful mass entertainment. Matthew Broderick as David carries us along with his cheerful "gee whiz" approach to the disaster happening around him. And director John Badham "Saturday Night Ally Sheedy is Jennifer in. Innocent play turns evil.

Fever," "Blue Thunder" certainly knows how to tell a complex story and how to make a video diagram of thermonuclear war come alive, even though we never see a mushroom cloud. FILM NOTE: "WarGames" is the victim of too many big summer films in town, as downtown and Near North moviegoers will find when they look for a nearby theater playing the film. The closest theater to this big movie-going audience is the Lake Shore at Broadway and Belmont Avenue. Bookings are more satisfactory for movie fans who live in the suburbs. Film series are an offbeat alternative to Hollywood A series of four independent black films of the '20s will be screened this weekend in the theater of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbus Drive and Jackson Boulevard.

The schedule will feature "God's Stepchildren" 5:30 p.m. Friday, "Scar of Shame" 7:45 p.m. Friday, "Body and Soul" 5:30 p.m. Saturday and "Eleven P.M." 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

All programs will be preceded by a talk by film historian Pearl Bowser. Admission is for details phone 443-3733. ByrHoward Reich IF YOU'RE looking for an alternative to the latest Hollywood blockbuster, two offbeat film series will kick off this weekend. The Chicago Festival of Independent American Cinema will run from Friday through Thursday, with screenings at Facets Multimedia Center, 1517 W. Fullerton and FacetsColumbia College Cinematheque, 600 S.

Michigan Ave. Admission is $3.50. Notable on this weekend's schedule will be "Deal" 8 p.m. Saturday and 9 p.m. Tuesday at Facets Multimedia Center, a documentary about TV's "Let's Make a Deal" program; and "Cali-gari's Cure" 8 p.m.

Sunday at Facets Multimedia, and 9 p.m. Wednesday at FacetsColumbia College, a pop culture fantasy by Chicago filmmaker Tom Pollazzolo. OTHER FILMS on the schedule will represent feminist, New Wave and other contemporary subjects. For details phone 281-4114. YOU CAN NEVER TO- I l.tl-il.l CHICAGOLAND ea tre OIL aUirecti Hrectorif REPEAT THIS DAY, SHOULDN'T IT BE THE BEST? TDK UI.TIMATK IN IIAN1HKT SKMVICK W'liliin Amilvf rnrl-' Sliowrra" llurllua MilKvuha Sw'l SJxl-ii I'urltfa liuiiiifla Uvlr Kvfiila lloliduy I'urtlra IB IVIvnla) lluniiil Hmiim Ai'fiiiiiiMl)ilhii fistm 20-2i00 liiifMtn, Iim-IimIIiik IuihI'm jtrKMl IMIur-Krt-f Hpllrooma K.uh) Ai'rriw All IVlujiy, lliailiwaya Kor a laiMurl lallorrtl to ymir rif ir nrvda, contact iur ratrriim tlrpartiiM'iil llir rMilrnlmrnl aiwrlalUta.

'MESMERIZING AS WELL AS LOVELY" Dally Harald "AN AUSPICIOUS OCCASION" Sun-Tlma "THAT TREMENDOUS THIRD ACT RIPS OPEN THE Saturday! Juna 4. 11, 16 A 25 7:30 PM Funny pages AComady Review with Muttc Diracted by Don Dapoto Dan CaataManala Adm (8. 2 Dk Mn Rat 7844158 Wo 472-7884 CROSS CURRENTS 3204 N. Wilton (V2 of Belmont ISnemeld) EVENING Chicago Trtbuna Forth Pared QUI On a "Shear GUI CrVHoiltl "YOUU LOVE IT Roy Leonard, WGN Shear madness FUhf Dy Treat Bring Dad Free on June 19th Dinner Package Avallabla MAYFAIR THEATRE Biackelone Hotel Michigan at BalboChlcaoo Ticket Into cat (32) 766-9120 Teletron (312) 454-8400 8 all Tlcketron OuUeta Hare Kennedy. p2ifiajL4t vuaI 5440 N.

River Rd. Rosemont, IL 60018 671-6350 MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN By Eugtnt NH AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT CARLOS KLEIBEH-llis concerts are rare, his recordings few, yet the Kleiber mystique places him among the world's most highly praised and talked about conductors. If you were present at his triumphant American debut in 1978 with the Chicago Symphony, you agree with critics who rank him in the great tradition ofToscanini and Furtwangler. His American appearances have been limited to that single week in 1978, and now he returns for his only engagement in this country. CAKLOS KLEIHEH-brilliant, elusive, enigmatic, dynamic.

Judge for yourself. CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Carlos Kleiber, Conducting Tonight at 8 PM BUTTERWORTI 1 English IdyllMOZART Symphony No. 33BRAHMS Symphony No. 2 thiiAs: $8.50, $13, $14, $1, $23, IV.xcs: $2lt, $35 Prwowls from this concert Ixwfit the Musicians' lVnsion Ktitul, TonlgM al 8 PM 6TEPPENWOLF THEATRE CO. 2851 N.

Hatetod472-4141 TONIGHT AT 8:00 PM Now thru Juna 12 Orttyt CAROL CHANNING MCH-?" gijf Complimentary Parking Agatha sue, i t.nvF vnu ELLO. DOLLYI PrtXaMtofial Y. Co. thru 73 SHADY LANE PLAYHOUSE wwango, u. "AH, WILDERNESSI SINGS" Tribuna WINNER OF JEFF CITATIONS Summer stock murder Chicago' longeat running Muatoal Comedy.

Thura. thru Sun. 89. 112.50 THEATRE BUILDING 1225 W. Belmont 327-5252 GROUP RATES 278-6433 Tuat.

Wad, Thurt Evaa 8PM; Sal Sun Matt 2PM: 22.50, 18.50, 15.00, 11.00. Frli Sat Evaa 8PM: 24.50, 20.00, 16.50, 12.00 Wad Mala 2PM: 19.50, 17.50 14.00, 10.00. Tickeit at Box Orftca Tlckatron ARIE CROWN THEATRE McCormtck Plsca On-Tha-Laka Ticket Into Coll (312) 791-6000 Group Sale Cat (312) 791-6190 1 WAS OIQQINQ FOR A HANKIE" eun-Ttmaa Ah. WILDERNESSI By Eugtm 'NUH Sl. at 7:30 pm.

Sun. at 2 7:30 pm Frt Juna 10 a 17 at 7:30 pm ACTORS REPERTORY CO. 21156 N. HalataoV 477-2403 $5 ijteenSiEnaHiiiiiiiin Art marketplace Bnmdwy Htfipini MuHat JEFF RECOMMENOEDt "WONDERFUL a DEIGHTFUL" BAIUWICK REPERTORY Tha 1920 a Comedy Holiday Thur-Fd. 7 JO Sat.

7:00 Sun. 3 a 7 $8110 THEATER BUILDING 1225 W. Betmor 327-5252 A NIE AUDUBON 15S E. Oble IttOI, "REICH BRINGS TEXANS TO LIFE IN LOVELY COMPASSIONATE COMEDY." Chrttnenaen, Trlb. Texas pipe dreams Engaging, anecdotal oomedW drama.

CLOSES JUNE 12TH. a) 6 PM 864. Partormanoa Community THEATRE BUILDING 1226 W. Belmont 327-5252 kiJLl 7 Tony Awtrdi Dlrmar and Thaatra from $19 Oroup and CNldran'a Dlaoounta CANDLELIGHT DINNER PLAYHOUSE 6820 S. Hartam, SummM 496-3000 VMMcAmai "AN ELECTRIC EVENING" Gay Lite Reach thousands of Chlcagoland's art lovers.

Advertise exhibitions, shows, openings and art (to buy or to sell) In Art Marketplace. Fridays Weekend section Sundays Arts Books Call Sally McKoane at 222-4042 or Julie Rzadzkl at 222-4088. "IMAGINATIVE DIRECTION 8 ARTICULATE PERFORMANCE" NOW PLAYING "A MUST BRA VOI Sun-Tlma Michel Tramblay't Impromptu outremont An axploarva drama Tuee. thru Sun. 112 8 t1S CaK a Che roe 869-7278 NORTH LIGHT REPERTORY 2300 Green Bay.

vane ton mmiiiittitwumi ChrUianeerv Tribune "CRITICS CHOICE" Sun-Tlmee Best of second city Dtrmar Thaatra Paekaga Avallabla. t17.50-$t.60. CHATEAU LOUISE RESORT THEATRE Dundaa, IB. (1 imia No. of NW Tollway on Rt.

31) CaM QAallsht 6-SOO0 AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY NAIVES OUTSIDERS FOLK PAINTERS Yolanda Fine Arts 512 Lincoln Ave. Winnelka 441-5557 Eurtpldee Claaalc The bacchae 2 tor 1 Uokata Wad-Thur 7:30 Frl-Sat-Sun 8PM ANOTHER CHICAOO THEATRE 3730 N. Clark 346-0909 CChicafio (Tribune "POWERFUL, CAPTIVATING" 'TENDER, SKILLFUL PRODUCTION" Trtbuna Kennedy's children by Robe Patrick NOW THRU JUNE 26 $3 Senlora 8 Student $6 Gen. ArJm271-2638 Thurt. Frl.

Sat. 8 PM Sun. 2 8 7 PM PEGASUS PLAYHOUSE 1020 W. Bryn Mawr LAST WEEKEND "A COMMANDING PORTRAIT' 8un-Tlmaa "A SUPERBLY CRAFTED PERFORMANCE" Tribuna Wladom Brklga Thaatra prewnta Clarence darrow Fit. at 8 PM Sat.

al 6 a 9.30 PM Sun. at 3 a 7:30 PM. Tidiata $12114 at lha IVANHOE THEATER 750 W. WaWnolon975-7171 Bag. Juna 3 thru Juna 19th The wall Fintvn John Htnty novtt Frl.

8 Sari. 8:30 PM 8 Sun. at 2:30 Ticket are 84 00 ATHENAEUM THEATRE 2936 N. Southporl Ave. Opana Tomghtl Eploatva Drama Tha The whales of august by David Barry Juna 1at thru Jiirv 10th TONIGHT AT BOO PM tow thmjunt HOnlyl JAME8 EARL JONES VICTORY GARDENS THEATRE LISTH1ING SPIRITS New Broadway Thaatra 3212 N.

Broadway Wad. thru Sua 472-44B8 2257 N. Unookv 671 -3000 VaaMcAmex Mi HAROLD Hern iTr OPENS JUNE 7TH Now In Prwtowt MwA'iiMan IIIMIII II II CHICAGO COMEDY PREMIERE AND THE BOYS Tuat, Wad, Thur Evaa 8PM; Sun Mati3PM: 25 00. 20 00, 15.00 Frl 8 Sat Evaa 8PM: 27 SO, 22.50, 18 50. Sat Mat 2PM: 22 50, 17 50, 13 SO.

Wad Mat 2PM: 20.00, 16 00. 12.00. Ticket! at Box Office 8 Ttcketron Oiittta BLACKSTONE THEATRE 60 E. BalboChlcaoo Ticket Into Can (312) 977-1700 Group Sale CaH (312) 977-1705 2ND SMASH YR -NOMINATED BEST NEW AMERICAN PLAY Er EMERGENCY ROOM A vary aartout oomady. Wd.

thru Frt. 8PM Sat. 9:30 a 10PM Sun. 3 a 8PM ORGANIC THEATER CO. 327-5588, 3319 N.

Clark VMCAmax, Tlckatron Wally-scafe Tua thru 8un, Dlnnar-Show 120. Wed. Lunch Mai. $18 PHEASANT RUN DINNER-THEATRE, ST. CHARLES.

IL 564-14641 CM. 261-7943 Etchings Color Lithographs 1 land-colored Etchings from 'Hie bible Hooks Posters Now thru June 30th mil)' hi our Water Tower Place Gallery 2 ml 1 loon Itrook lliiwtltiirn Womlfkld You get more of everything-ncwg, features, entertainment, tports-in the Chicago Tribune. Call 2224100 for convenient home delivery..