UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 24, Page 3
March 18, 1993
On the silver screen; Radio program highlights what's hot, what's not

     A man sips on a medium Coke while munching on butterless popcorn
kernels as he watches A Few Good Men.  In a neighboring theatre, another is
watching Spike Lee's Malcolm X and avoids the popcorn scene altogether.
Although this seems like an episode of Siskel and Ebert, it is actually how
two University faculty spend many of their Saturday afternoons.
     Thomas Leitch, professor of English and director of film studies, and
Harris Ross, associate professor of English, play the leading roles in
"Coming Attractions," a movie review program produced by the Office of
Public Relations that airs on four radio stations across the state. In 1
minute and 45 seconds, the two reviewers tell their listeners what a movie
is about, who is in it and whether or not they like it.
     "Coming Attractions" began last May with Leitch giving his opinions
about two movies each week. The program was created and is produced on
campus by Barbara Garrison, editor in public relations. It was originally
broadcast on WILM and has grown extensively since then. (For times and
stations, see accompanying article.)
     At the end of the summer, Leitch realized that he could not continue
the "blistering pace" of reviewing two movies per week. It was
time-consuming and exhausting, Leitch said. So, along came Harris Ross to
the rescue.
     "What qualifies me to do this is not my background, it is not my keen
eye, it is not my finely tuned aesthetic sensibility. What qualifies me to
do this is that Tom Leitch asked me to, " Ross said, adding that he was
aware of the program and was excited to take part.
     The two professors don't review these movies together; each professor
reviews one movie per week. "We're not the Gene and Roger of Newark," Ross
admitted, referring to the better-known television critics.
     The radio spot is too short for dual commentary, Ross added. There
would not be enough time for each person to express his feelings about a
film.
     "To do basically what we do is not brain surgery. It's something
everybody does," Ross said. That's the reason the show is popular, he said.
Everyone can relate to it. It is natural to feel the need to ask someone
else's opinion of a movie, and movie reviewers are capable of delivering a
truth about a film. However, that truth is only an opinion that serves as a
guideline for others.
     Neither Leitch nor Ross rates movies with two popcorn kernels,
"thumbs-up/thumbs-down" or four stars.
     Leitch said he believes it is a mistake to use a set criteria for all
movies because there are many different ways that a film can be good or
bad. On the other hand, Ross said he personally finds these types of
ratings a convenient summary for those audience members who are in a
quandary about what the reviewer's final word is on a movie.
     Leitch lets the film decide what criteria to use. For example, the
movie Chaplin impressed him, but not because it was a great film. He said
he felt there was an enormous burden placed on Robert Downey Jr. in the
title role, and he was impressed by that performance, even though it was
not a great movie.
     Ross analyzes the impressions a film makes, figuring out when and why
a movie displeases him or makes him feel uncomfortable. He said he values
the surprise element of a film, one that does not do what others do.
     "I can admire films that I do not like," Ross said. For example, he
cited Reservoir Dogs as an extremely violent film that completely
misbehaved. "It behaved in a way that most violent films do not, and that I
admired the film immensely for," Ross said.
     However, the box office hit, A Few Good Men, was not a pleasurable
viewing experience for Ross. He admitted there were incidental pleasures,
like watching Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise perform, but called the film
"lock-steppy." "Everybody knew how the movie was going to resolve," Ross
said.
     Each critic views films differently, but they do have one thing in
common-the fear of hearing their own voices on tape. Leitch admitted to
listening to his show only when his wife turns it on. "I ran out of the
room begging her not to play it anymore," he said, laughing. "Everybody
sounds different on tape."
     That different sound is exactly what Ross would like to avoid. "The
voice inside my head sounds so wonderful that I can't imagine anything else
sounding better. The voice on the tape must be an impostor," Ross said.
     The voices heard on "Coming Attractions" are not those of impostors,
but belong to Leitch and Ross, letting the Delaware community know if
certain movies are worth that trip to the theatre.
     So, the next time you are curious about a film, spend two minutes
listening to what two faculty members have to say. Tuning into "Coming
Attractions" may offer an incentive to see a stellar performance, save you
$5 on a bad flick or convince you to wait until the show comes out on
video.
                                        -Jennifer Acocella