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Combining sports excitement and wartime-escape drama, the new movie Victory offers light- weight but thoroughly satisfying entertainment. Set in 1942, with the action alternating between {German prisoner-of-hear camp and Nul- occupied Paris, Victory blends elements of The Longest Yard, The Great Escape and even the Bridge On The River Kwai. In fact, there is virtually noth- ing original about the picture, but, since there hasn't been an overabundance in recent years of either sports movies or films about escaping POWs, Victory seems relatively fresh. The main plot line revolves around a proposed soccer game between Allied prisoners and a team of Germany's finest toot- ballers. Complicating matters is a plan by British officers and the French Resistance to use the occasion to pull off a mass escape. A While remaining fairly predict- able, the action moves along at a nice steady pace and neatly builds up to the climactic game. which turns out to be a real eheer-rouser. The brutality .0! the wartime environment is downplayed con- siderably, and this lessens some- what the tension-building aspects of the escape procedures. This would be a serious flaw in a movie of more substance, but Victory never outdlstances itself by trying to, be anything other than straightforward entertain- ment. T It's the 37th movie directed by John Houston, who, at 74, is reportedly the oldest working director out of Hollywood. He actually filmed this one in Buda- pest, with an international cast that includes England's Michael Caine, America's Sylvester Stal- lone, Sweden's Max Von Sydow and Brazilian soccer-king Pele. Houston, who has directed such classics as the 1941 Bogey ver- sion of The Maltese Falcon, 1947’s The Treasure of The Sierra Madre and The African Queen in 1952, directs Victory with compe- tence but no tumboyance and draws like performances from his players. We don't get terribly involved with any of the characters in this picture - just enough to cheer for them come game time. Probably the most interesting character is that of the benign German omeer (Von Sydow) who initially pro- poses the game as a friendly encounter between enemies. One can't help wondering at the and 01 the picture just what his ultimate late not“ be. . Although F'teateh-Canadiatt ac- treas Carole Laure appears brief- ly as a member of the Wench Not great but not bad By VICTOR STANTON Despite some graphic depiction of the effects of these creatures’ violent actions, the movie does not indulge in the kind of gratu- itous gore typical of sick nicks like Friday the 13th and Happy Birthday To Me. The horror, therefore, takes on a deeper sense of reality, and it is in. this reality that the picture tries to mate itsrpoints. -- ' The picture, which features Albert Finney as a New York cop investigating a series of savage murders, takes an almost Jaws- like approach in introducing the beasts of the title. We initially perceive their victims through the animals' eyes and ears, and only gradually are the creatures themselves revealed to us. Women is unusual for a horror movie; it seems to carry a mes- sage. - A A Resistance, Victory is stouthenr- tedly a "man's" picture with little of a sentimental or roman- tie nature about it. (It's curious that Laure, who has appeared in several tlima including Get Out Your Handkerchiefs which won the Academy Award for best foreign-language film of 1978. t given "introducing" billing Victory. Actually, another curious thing. on the print 1 an at a recent sneak-preview screening the title of the movie was Escape To Victory.; It would be doing Victory a considerable injustice to simply tag it a "Longest Yard set in war-time Europe." It certainly has more class than that 1974 movie, which matched regular prisoners against guards in a brutal game of football. And the game-playing skills demonstrat- ed in Victory by Pele and other actual soccer stars are definitely far more impressive. This works well in developing some very creditable tension, although less of real suspense since we are always madehware when an attack is about to take place. _ The exact nature of the 'wolfen. who appear as wolves bin may be some kind of spirit creatures, remains rather elusive right to the end of the picture, and this may be somewhat disconcerting to those who prefer simplicity and clarity in their horror stories. _ Victory is by no means a great film; it is good escapism. There is a constant paralleling of the precepuon of the wolfen and that of the big-brother-style security techniques developed by humans. Man’s teehmriogy, the picture seems to be saying. 1:? be sew mote sophistica ' tttttits onlybnaamantoa level of porcelain manly pow sensed by animala. Walton pnhahly won’t be a crown! pleager. but diminut- in; Wha- may and It very Mennonite chair gets new conductor The Inter-Mennonite Children's Choir, , com- munity choir of Conrad Grebe! College, has appointed a new Director to replace Dr. Helen Martens, who vacated the position in early June after founding and serving the choir for 14 years Chosen for the Position for a two-year period effective July l, is Miss Seats Todoroff, a music teacher with the Waterloo County Board of Education. The choice was made by a selection committee and confirmed by Dr. Raloh Lebold, President of Conrad Grebel College. Todoroff was chosen from a field of eight candidates, three of whom were auditioned with choir members. With Bachelor of Music Education (Honours) and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Toronto and two years' experience as a music teacher In the elementary setting in additimrto a variety of ttutaie-reiated part-time positions, Talon“ brought the optimum mixture of an: to the position, according to Wilbur Manet, Chairman of Conrad Grebel Music Department and a participant in the Selection Committee. "We are (pew with the teaching shill: she who to the chef! and he: proves modvab children. must sntd.’ .. tr 2t,ttt a $3.54] Michael China can in Victory WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEQNESDAY, 1liut6, tMt - PAGE 9 Todoroff sums up her philosophy as "encourag- ing students to develop a positive attitude, love and respect for music which will remain with them for the rest of their lives. I have learned how to implement different teaching styles and istrategies to help students of varying ability eve s." What of the future for the Inter-Mennonite Chiitirett's Choir? "rt looks bright and exciting," Maust said. “There will be an increased empha- sis on the choir as a music school for children." This will be achieved by assistants working with groups of children under the direct supervision of Todoroif who will always be the key Instructor and conductor. . Nelson Scheifele. Chairman of the Choir Committee, said the choir hopes to recruit 100 children for the coming year. Publicity has gone out to area Mennonite churches. In addition, ads willlbe placed in local papers Inviting children to app y. The Children's Choir will be meeting every Tuesday evening beginning in September. Mem- bers of the choir are chosen by auditions. Applications are currently being accepted for positions in the choir. For further information. hone sauce.