HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-11-23, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1988.
Movie review
Blue City Slammers portrays grim view of rural life
BY KEITH ROULSTON
Area residents flocked to the
Lyceum Theatre in Wingham Sun
day afternoon for their first chance to
see themselves in the film Blue City
Slammers that was shot in and
around Blyth in the summer of 1987.
The film had opened and closed
quietly in Toronto last year and
earlier this year, never winning wide
theatrical release. It is expected to
be released on video cassette next
March and appear on pay TV in July.
The story of the film had its birth in
Blyth when Blue City was produced
on the stage of the Blyth Festival in
1984. Boththeplayandthemovie
were written bv Layne Coleman with
director Peter Shatalow co-writing
the movie) who has appeared many
times on the Blyth stage as an actor
and has also directed plays. Al
though Blyth may have been partly a
model for Blue City, the mythical
town in the movie is actually moved
to the Niagara Penninsula close to
the U.S. border. Scenes are shot in
Goderich and at the Fergus Quarry
as well as in Blyth.
The audience Sunday was waiting
for the appearance on the screen of
familiar faces like Blyth’s Joe
Chatterton as a harmonica-playing
bar patron and Jeff Sippel as an
umpire in the game and Brussels’
Sheila Richards as a farm wife
calling the men in for dinner. Many
in the audience had served as extras
in the crowd scenes and waited to see
if they could spot themselves.
From the opening shot of the
Howson and Howson elevators
Many changes at Hall
Continued from page 13
an exemption as of September, 1971
and received our 1971 taxes back.
The 68, 69, and 70’s were long gone.
They admitted we should never have
been taxed.
We purchased a second hand
piano and bench for $481.50 in 1977.
In 1976 the men’s choir disbanded
and donated money to us which was
used for ceiling tile on the stage and
carpet on the floor. We bought more •
bowls, relish dishes and teapots.
About this time we purchased blinds
for the windows so we could see
slides in daylight. The curtains were
made and putup around 1974 and we
began holding our meetings here.
We had a big work bee in 1974,
scrubbing and waxing dance floor,
varnishing cupboards, etc. We also
bought two coffee urns, three dozen
each of knives, forks and teaspoons
to add to our set. Also 16 more salt
and pepper sets. Linoleum was pu’
on kitchen, hallway and washroom
floors.
We really appreciate all the help
and monies received from the
community and hope we can always
live up to your expectations of us.
The 1980’s have been a busy time
for the Belgrave Institute. In 1985 we
received a donation from Ethel
Wheeler and purchased 60 orange
stacking chairs. In 1987 we needed a
new roof on the hall. The Institute
was approached by the Huron
County Library about moving the
library from upstairs at the arena to
the Institute Hall - the hall being
more accessible for the elderly. The
Institute would have to supply book
storage.
The Institute decided to go ahead
with both projects and asked for
tenders. Tenders were received
from Jerry Freiburger, David Hed
ley and Bryan Black. By secret ballot
Bryan Black’s tender for $7,050 was
accepted.
We applied for a n O ntario Govern
ment grant through the Ministry of
Culture and Recreation and were
turned down. We approached both
East Wawanosh and Morris town
ship councils and received generous
donations of $1,500 from each. The
glowing in the sunset (photographed
from the “arch”) Huron county is
portrayed in all its beauty and, at
times, its grunginess. There’s plen
ty grungy aboutthe people in the
movie and little of beauty - particu
larly among the men. Although the
movie can be no doubt argued to be
realistic (there were probably people
even in the movie theatre to match
nearly every character in the movie),
the view of small town life was still
seen as pretty grim.
The movie centres around mem
bers of a women’s baseball team,
The Blue City Slammers who are in
the championship of the annual
Labour Day softball tournament
held in Blue City. It’s narrated by a
young member of the team who can’t
take part because she’s pregnant
(father apparently unknown, at least
at the movie’s beginning). Other
members of the team are Kim, who
works at the local hotel as a waitress
but has decided to break out of the
whole mess by going to college; Lori
who has raised a son by herself since
her boyfriend left years before;
Chicken, who is resisting her
father’s urging to go off to college
because she’s afraid of the big city
and Barb who is trying to keep a
marriage alive. The women are
generally attractive and likeable, if
you don’ t start wondering how many
of them in their right mind can get
tied up with the men they’re with.
Kim is stuck in a messy affair with
Butter, a supposedly likeable party
animal who is still struggling to
grow up in his 30’ s (Eric Keenleyside
Belgrave quilters donated a quilt
and 1,000 tickets were sold at $1
each. Debbie Rintoul from St.
Helens won the quilt.
The Belgrave Ladies Club and the
BelgraveEuchreClubeach made
donations as did some individuals.
The balance of the renovation
money was made up out of our
general funds.
The Belgrave branch of the Huron
County Library moved from the
Arena to the Institute Hall August
20,1987 with Irene Lamontas library
supervisor. Open House for the
Library was held October 1987 with
100 people in attendance.
In February, 1988, the Institute
purchased six new card tables and
more recently 14 banquet tables
from Durham Chair Factory for
approximately $1,900and also a new
used piano for $600. This time, we
applied for and received a grant tor
$1,021 from the government to go
towards these purchases.
The Institute’s newest project,
still in the planning stages, is to
improve the hall by insulating it and
putting on new siding and new
windows, also a new furnace if
necessary. We are working with the
Morris Township Council to apply
for Pride Grant which if approved
would provide 50 per cent funding.
In the New Year 1989 pot luck
dinners are planned with the first
one on January 17 and every second
Tuesday until the end of March.
Hallexpensesin 1986werejust
under $2,500. Hall rent went up from
$20 to $30 in 1987 per booking. The
caretaker was paid $5 for booking.
Senior citizens and community
showers at $10.
The Women’s Institute Hall was
used 125timesor moreinthepast
year as a meeting place for
community activities: 4H clubs,
Brownies, W.I. meetings, Euchre
club, suppers. Sunday School con
certs, church bazaars, community
showers and family gatherings. It is
a memorial to the pioneers who built
the hall one hu ndred years ago and to
those who through the years main
tained and made improvements to
the building, that the building has
been so busy. Birthday cake and ice
cream were served by the ladies.
doesn’t give the likeability to Butter
in the film that Ron Gabriel brought
to the stage version). So it’s no
surprise when Kim finally wises up
and drops Butter but it’s truly
mindboggling to see Chicken stoop
to pick him up. Barb isn’t much
better off with her husband Doug,
Butter’s best drinking buddy, who
has a continually wandering eye for
other women. Lori meanwhile has
Colleen Van Camp, 6, left, and her sister, Becky, 9, were among the large crowd that enjoyed the sumptuous
Beef Supper at the Belgrave United Church on November 17, an annual event sponsored by the United Church
Women to raise funds for church work. The girls are the daughters of Jane and Gary Van Camp of RR 4, Brussels.
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—GOT THE MESSAGE?—
her past love come back from years of
absence looking like he’s doing a
Peter Fonda imitation from “Easy
Rider” and she immediately drops
her rather straight new boyfriend to
pick up where she left off.
There is only one male in the whole
town who seems to have neither sex
or beer on his mind 24 hours a day
and he turns out to be the religious
fanatic Bill (played by Murray
Westgate) who sponsors the Slam
mers. He of course turns out to be a
hypocrite and the real villain of the
piece.
The writers try to be uncompromi
sing and realistic in their dialogue
with the result that crude language
abounds, turning off many in the
audience. In fact, it’shardtosee who
this movie was aimed at since it’s too
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