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4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Wed. May 12, 1982 editorial comments Zz, WTEAD OF THE JOURNAL, why DON THEY CAN Hockey MeHr w CANADA FOR THE SUMMER a chatterbox by John B. McClelland PORKY'S One of the hottest movies making the rounds these spring days is Porky's, an utterly tasteless film about teen-age life in the 1950's somewhere in the American deep South. There is no plot, no character development, no message no serious art, a lot -of four letter - words, vulgar expressions, some peep show nudity totally gratuitous, and generally a sleezy expression of the state of the art of film in the 1980's. I loved Porky's. I chuckled, laughed and guffawed through the entire 90 minutes or so. It was more than worth the $4.25 ticket price. I had heard from friends that Porky's was unlike any film they had ever seen before, and they were right. It was tasteless, it pandered to the gutter, but it was sheer delight. It is quite understandable why people of all ages (over 18) are lining up to see Porky's. They are starving for entertainment, no matter how sleazy it might be. With a shooting war going on in the South Atlantic, the world sinking into depression, and the doomsday tellers saying the big bang is just around the corner, who the heck wants to go to the movies for a heavy message. No, the name of the movie game is escape, entertainment, light comedy, and the raunchier the better. Porky's fills the bill completely. It is a sign of the times, and no doubt some 50 or 100 years from now when historians (if there are any left) are poking around the ruins of the last quarter of the 20th century, they will point to the arts as an indication of what was happening and why. This is not to say that people are not making serious films these days. Quite the contrary, there are plenty of serious films making the rounds, and they are playing to empty or near empty houses. In short, they are losing "lf films like Porky's are popular these days, there are a couple of other types which are also drawing crowds. One is the shock thriller with blood, guts, and all kinds of unmentionables leaping off the screen into the laps of the audience. The other is the mystery-adventure, part truth and mostly sci-fi where the heros and the villains are as easily identifiable as the good and bad guys were by their hats in the old dusters of the 50's. Psychological dramas, the kind which explore the human condition with a sense of realism and the immediate, are not going too far at the box office. Maybe Golden Pond is an exception. It won a fist-ful of Oscars. But I bet a box of hot buttered popcorn that when all the receipts are tallied up, Porky's makes more money and is seen by more people than On Golden Pond. Of ° course Porky's won't win an Oscar unless it's for sound effects in the scene with Lassie. All this discussion about Porky's won't mean much to those who have not seen the film. Basically, it follows the actions of a group of "high schoolers, who have a pre-occupation with S--. Well, there is nothing new about that. It was the main topic of conversation when I went to high school, and I suspect it is the same today. Some of the scenes are wickedly funny (if not a bit over-stated) but there is a sense of reality which quite frankly, brought back some high school memories of my own. The night I saw Porky's, the film had been playing the same theatre for almost a month. Yet there was hardly an empty seat. That by itself is a pretty good indication of its popularity. Theatres don't waste much time moving the duds out. 'Like I said, this film is a piece of art but has no redeeming values, and makes absolutely no pretensions to being a serious expression of anything. However, if popular films somehow are a reflection of the way society is thinking and functioning, then we are in deep trouble. If Porky's can leave me with a sore gut from laughing and feeling good at the same time, then maybe I'm in trouble, too. But what the heck, if I want serious drama I just flip on the six o'clock news. Films can't touch the news these days for dramatic realism, not to mention the fact that the news is frightening enough to leave you in a cold sweat. I read an article not too long ago about the big TV networks south of the border actually being concerned that their news telecasts are so dramatic, so real and with so much impact that viewers are tuning out. The TV news media are doing their jobs too well, it seems, and the guys in the boardrooms are worried about the ratings. Is it any wonder that people are turning to the movies strictly for entertainment? What can a movie show that the TV. news can't? Nothing. You want to go to war, see a murder, a suicide or two, blood and guts on the freeway, scandel, a juicy divorce trial, cops and robbers, sex in the streets (and just shout anywhere ele). Tune in the news any night of the wi My guess is that the sequal to Porky's will be out just in time for Christmas. And the first Porky's will hit the TV late show about the same time. I can hardly wait. Public Meetin ublicM g It happens every once in a while, And when It does, there are sheepish grins, red faces, and expressions of disappointment, We are referring to the public meeting, called to inform the public about some topic or another, and literally nobody shows up. Such was the case last Thursday evening in the council chambers in Port Perry where the Kawartha Conservation Authority had called a public meeting to get input and comment on its Watershed Manage- ment Strategy, a kind of policy paper which will guide and direct the Authority, pin-point priorities, and outline what the Authority hopes to do and how It. will do it. The meeting was not widely advertised, and asking the public for input on a Watershed Strategy is hardly controversial enough to shake people away from whatever they may be doing on a warm evening in late spring. Nonetheless, it was a little disappointing to see just two interested citizens (a third showed up partway through the meeting) in the council chambers to hear what officials from the Kawartha Authority had to say. The Kawartha Authority is just two years old, and despite efforts to project a public profile, it seems that there Is very little interest (at this time, anyway) in what the Authority is doing and plans to do over the next few years. . Not quite two years old, Kawartha Is the newest Conservation Authority in Ontario, and it covers a broad area of land and water of about 1000 square miles with Lake Scugog as its southern boundary. Water management, conservation, preservation of the natural environment, wise management of resources are all aims of the Authority. These are issues that should be of concern to all of us. Possibly because' Kawartha Authority has its head office in Fenelon Falls, there seems to be a total lack of awareness on the part of the public in Scugog Township. We would suggest that citizens who are interested take the time to get to know this Authority a little better. The Authority has a mailing list and anyone who would like to get on that list should write to Box 819, Fenelon Falls, or phone 705-887-3112. Or, if you happen to be in that community, the office is located in Heritage House. Public meetings at the best of times are not extremely well attended these days, unless of course there Is a major and burning community contro- versy. So the turn-out last week was not completely a surprise. However, the Authority is doing some interesting work which the public should know about; especially those members of the public remotely interested in water and land conservation and management. Hang Onto Your Wallet 'It appears as if Ontario residents will be asked to dig deeper and deeper into their wallets when Provincial treasurer Frank Miller brings down a new budget this Thursday evening. Some observers at Queens Park are predicting the budget will mean increases in all or some of the following: OHIP premiums, sales tax, liquor, beer and tobacco taxes, and personal income tax. It looks like the government will resort to the old tried and true ways: of milking money from the tax-payers of this province. And the government has a good reason to do it, of course. There is a bill to pay for the Suncor purchase which amounts to $650 million for 25 per cent of an oll company. Nobody Is really sure whether that deal is a good one for Ontario because the Government declines to release a lot of pertinent information. The recent settlement with the physicians of this province will cost a few dollars as well, , and the cost of the entire health care system keeps moving upwards to the point where'it is Now about $6 billion each year. And. there is the little matter of the provincial debt, which will take about $1.8 billion this year just to pay (Turnto page6) re