SNEAK PREVIEWS—"'Raiders of the Lost Ark', 'Cutter's Way"—WTTW-TV11 Chicago (06-18-81)

A complete edition of the first movie review program featuring the Chicago Tribune's Gene Siskel and the Chicago Sun-Times' Roger Ebert.

NOTE: Downloaded from the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), and sound amplified via Audacity. Description contains a listing of the Tucson theaters in which all of the films on this show played.

Contents:
Opening credits
Introduction, featuring clip from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Reviews:
a. CUTTER'S WAY, a United Artists Classics release that debuted at the Campbell Plaza 3 on October 16, 1981. Gene believes that this drama, while not designed with a commercial audience in mind, was nonetheless an intriguing film in various ways; Roger finds it a real turkey. (Gene YES, Roger NO)
b. CITY OF WOMEN, made in Italy in 1980, a New Yorker release that played the New Loft (which, at the time, was located in, and run by students of, the University of Arizona) from May 8 to May 21, 1981, and then promptly disappeared. Both men find it a case of a filmmaker they admire—Federico Fellini—running through his expected material, and not doing anything remotely new or interesting with it. (both NO's)
c. I SENT A LETTER TO MY LOVE, made in France in 1980, an Atlantic Releasing Corporation release that played at the New Loft from November 20 to November 26, 1981. Gene finds a completely unexpected handling of a very easy romantic formula; Roger finds it an absoultely prepostrous soap opera full of smarmy undercurrents and overtly corny sentimentality. (Gene YES, Roger NO)
d. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, a Paramount release at the Buena Vista. Gene and Roger find this film a very, VERY exciting experience, full of non-stop twists and turns, and a great many imaginative scenarios, all delivered at a pace that is always breathlessly fast. (both very strong YES's)
Dogs of the Week:
a. Gene picks DEAD AND BURIED, and that's just how he would like to see the monster movie, which was one of the last two for Jack Albertson of WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY fame, who died in November of that year.
b. Roger picks SCREAMERS, a 1979 Italian film originally titled ISLAND OF THE FISHMEN and retitled after a half-hour was cut from its 100-minute runtime. It's an underwater adventure about the lost continent of Atlantis that he finds both boring and misleadingly advertised (as a typical slasher film).
Recap of reviews (note a misapplied R rating on the PG-rated RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK)
Preview of next week's show
Closing credits
Funding credit: "Public Television Stations"
Logo: PBS