In review Situation comedy is a little gory, but good By Steve Williams Staff Writer I "Silver Streak" is essentially a gi­ gantic situation comedy taking place ¡on and off a speeding train bound from Los Angeles to Chicago. Most of the humor evolves from the ridiculous situations in which Gene Wilder finds himself, and the various stereotypes Mattered throughout. I Wilder is cast as a small time pub­ lisher on his first train ride who wastes no time making a fool of himself by stumbling into a neighboring compart­ ment containing a very incompletely [dressed young women - thus the fun plane, milking a cow, stealing three cars - one of them belonging to a typically stupid sherrif, breaking a police road block to avoid being ar­ rested on charges of murder, and Wilder was even forced to disguise himself as being -black to get by the police. "Silver Streak" is a superb comedy commanding a great variety of ways to make people laugh. One of the most effective methods was the ele­ ment of surprise used in unsurpassing excellence in many situations. "Silver Streak" is for those who like to laugh and have a good time as long as they can handle a few gory details. That night. Wilder and the previous­ ly mentioned young lady are inter­ rupted by a rather dead body falling in front of the window - the lady's boss. Wilder then begins his investi­ gation (very privately) which results in his ejection from the train a total of three times, several killings (one with a spear gun), and a mad chase across the country involving a literal army of federal and state police. * Thishilarious madness climaxes with a runaway train that simply demolishes the Chicago train station. While off the train Wilder's attempts to reboard take him through such experiences as flying a two seat air­ [begins. ■ calendar thursday I Focus on Women. "Women in the Middle Years" lecture by Betty Brad- lyn. CC-117. 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. $1. ASG Meeting. Fireside Lounge. 11 a.m. I The New Theatre workshop. M-119. Tumbleweed Connection. Sampan Room, 517 Main, Oregon City. Also Saturday. Mr. Personality. Arrowhead Golf Club. Hwy, 213 on the Molalla River. Also Saturday. 9 p.m. Red and Dixie Butcher with Main- street. Whitehorse Lounge, Main Street, Molalla. 9:15 p.m. No cover. 2 p.m. The New Theatre performance. CC I Mall. 8 p.m. Free. Banshee. Doc Holiday's Pub, 1320 I Main, Oregon City. 9 p.m. No cover. ■ Also Friday and Saturday. ■ "Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye." |KGW TV, Channel 8. 9 p.m. A histori- | cal look at John F. Kennedy's first I run for public office in 1946. l I Country Joe. Paramount North­ west, Portland. $6 advance. ■Til Die if I Can't Live Forever." Portiat d Civic Theatre Blue Room. 18:30 p.m. $4 adults, $3 students/ ■ senior citizens. 226-3048 for reser­ vations. Also Friday and Saturday. I friday ■Spoon River Anthology." CCRT rjrformance. 8:30 p.m. McLoughlin Theatre. Also Saturday evening. packamas Community College weekend Raintree. CCC Dance. 8 p.m. Sat­ urday. Sponsored by NORML. CC Mall. Free for CCC students, $1 gen­ eral. Marbelized scarves for wearing and hanging art exhibit. By Peggy Ty- craft. Hoffman Gallery, School of the Arts and Crafts Society, 616 N.W. 18th, Portland. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. tuesday Mini Concert. CC Mail. Noon. Community Services Workshop. CC 101.7 to 9 p.m. Christopher Parkening, guitarist. Ci­ vic Auditorium. 8:15 p.m. $6, $5 and $4. Foghat with Rick Darenger and Sammy Hagger. Memorial Coliseum. $6.50. Wednesday Coffeehouse featuring the Bov a/ Brothers, acrobatics. Noon. Free. Oregon String Sinfonietta, directed by Eugene Kaza. 3 p.m. Sunday. Holladay Park Church of God, 2120 N.E. Tillamook, Portland, Free. Jazz Ensemble and Swing Choir concert. CC Mall. 8 p.m. monday Creative Bread Making for Men. Homemaker's Update. CC-101.6 p.m. "The Other Side of the Mountain." ASG sponsored movie. Fireside Lounge. 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Kinetic Wood Sculpture showing by Jim Fink. Hoffman Gallery, N.W. 18th and Hoyt, Portland. 5 to 8 p.m. Page 9