
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 28, 1990                   TAG: 9004280361
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

`THE GUARDIAN' DEGENERATES INTO SILLINESS

Writer/director William Friedkin is responsible for one of the most influential modern horror films, "The Exorcist." But he's also responsible for such turkeys as "Deal of the Century," without question one of the worst comedies ever made.

In one sense then, "The Guardian" is an exoneration for "Deal of the Century." Though it is supposed to be a horror movie, in the end it's much funnier than anything he's ever made. That's unfortunate because the film begins on an oddly promising note.

Friedkin establishes a dreamlike mood with a simple situation. A married couple is about to leave on a trip. The kids are staying home with a sitter. Through odd lighting, unexpected camera angles and slight slow motion, the scene becomes menacing, sexually charged and mysterious. It appears that Friedkin is trying to work with the archetypal material of fairy tales: abandonment by parents, the loss of children, ancient secrets hidden in the forest.

But that mood soon evaporates as the real story gets under way. Phil (Dwier Brown) and Kate (Carey Lowell) have just moved from Chicago to Los Angeles. He has a new job and she's pregnant. When baby Jake is born, they decide to hire a nanny. Enter Camilla (Jenny Seagrove). She appears to be perfect.

But then one night, Phil has a horrible nightmare. He stays up late to work, then drinks a root beer float while listening to public radio - that'll get you every time - and dreams of a tree growing in his living room.

Right after that, three punks, who might have wandered in from a Dirty Harry movie, stumble across Camilla and baby Jake while they're out in the woods. Right there, Friedkin loses control. Ridiculous special effects take over and from that point on, "The Guardian" just gets funnier and funnier.

The suspenseful scenes resort to cliches. The plot wanders aimlessly for the last half-hour or so, and the big scary finish will have audiences rolling in the aisles. It's just as silly as it can be. To describe it would spoil it, but if Stephen King and Mel Brooks teamed up to make a version of "Three Men and a Baby," they couldn't come up with as many good laughs. `The Guardian,' A Universal release playing at the Valley View Mall 6 (362-8219) and Towers Theatre (345-5519). Rated R for violence, bloody special effects, brief nudity and sexual content. It's 90 minutes long.

by CNB