European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 14, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday december 14, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 9 Moey Star 11, returns to Normal life by Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau Stuttgart Joshua Morrell was doing Home work on the Kitchen table compe ing for space with his sister and a contingent of shopping bags. It was about 3 30p.m. His baby brother 23-Momh-old Luke chattered incomprehensibly As he paraded around he living room furniture. Other family members bustled to and fro. Carrying groceries and dressing for a Romp in the Snow with neighbors in the Robinson Barracks housing area. It was a typical Day in the Back to Normal life of an11-year-old american movie Star. Josh spent half of the past 18 months acting the title role in Joey a $1.4 million German science fiction movie filmed and produced in the Stuttgart area. The film opened across Germany three weeks ago after being dubbed into German. It will appear in its original English version in the United Stales in Spring 1986 or later. For Josh his parents and five Brothers and Sisters the movie is just a lot of pages in the family scrapbook a rewarding experience but life goes on. There were a couple of Days at school where there was some excitement but he has t changed a bit said Josh father. Army chief warrant officer Reid Morrell. It was just like work to him said his Mother Suzan Morrell. Joey is the brainchild of 30-year-old Roland Emmerich. The native of Sindel Fingon Germany was director co author of the script and special effect architect of the film. Assistant director Thomas Lechnyr 26, praised the a orrels contribution. If Joey is a Success he said it s because of that really Lovely family. They were really dedicated to the company and the the film company Centropolis film production had planned to hire a Hollywood child actor to play Joey a boy who talks to his dead father on a toy Telephone and learns to move objects with his mind. But then the firm cast its net locally to save Money and found Josh Al school in Early 1984. I just saw him. I had a video camera with me and i interviewed him Lechnyr said. We knew completely that it was Sas pm co by Joich Owen Joshua Morrell. He has t changed a bit the film became a family project. Josh s brother Baird 14, played a paperboy and his sister Natasha 8, was in a classroom scene filmed at the Robinson Barracks elementary school. His parents found other american children to play bit parts and the company recruited two German children. The biggest fun is really to work with these kids Lechnyr said. That was my Best experience in this outdoor filming occurred in suburban doffing in and in Stuttgart s Rosc Stcin Park even though the movie is set in Virginia. Indoor scenes were shot in sind Clingen. Centropolis ran on z shoestring budget so umm Crich s Crew often improvised to overcome shortages of equip ment or personnel such As he makeup Crew. Sometimes they weren t there so i did it by myself Josh said of the makeup artists. They taught me special effects were added when the cast work was done so when Josh saw the movie at the november pre Miere it was a new experience. Even predictable events proved suspenseful such As a scene in which a ventriloquist s Dummy suddenly confronts Joey in his room. I jumped up Josh said. I knew it was going to happen but i did t know do7.ens of German press members showered Josh with attention at the premiere. The film Crew used the event to celebrate Josh s 11 the birthday which was the next Day. The party lasted until Afler Midnight and they presented him with a great big red Telephone cake. Thai thing weighed a ton his Mother said. Lechnyr said Josh showed unusual maturity throughout the project. He was completely under he said. "1 think it was a lot of hard work for Josh is undecided about continuing a film career which Kepi him from friends. But he said the experience was interesting enough so i did t think about it his friends his parents Sec the experience As a fruitful study of the movie business. It was a lot of fun and it was Josh s father said. It was intriguing to Sec How they did "1 Hope it docs Well Susan Morrell said. When you be got a child that can make or break a movie that s an awesome movie borrows too much to be original film by Joseph Owen Stuttgart Britt in picture the producers of Joey strolling through the used movie props shop at Warner Brothers throwing discount items into a shopping cart with wild ventriloquist s Dummy they la take it. Some canisters of artificial fog. A glowing Bench Ball spider webs the entire Kmart toy department a robot an old Jukebox a Gorilla that rides through the air on a television set they la buy them panels papier mache boulders they la take a dozen of the oversize merchandise department a haunted House a Rhode Island size Maze a car junkyard a trailer full of smart looking scientific gizmos assorted reptilian monsters and a 10-fool-tall walking cheeseburger. The cast is equally diverse. Who says you can t put Darth Vader and the Virginia state police in the same movie Joey also squeezes in scientists doctors technicians Trie Cia a dog a class full of fourth graders and a Gargoyle in a trash the midst of this cinematic traffic Jam is Joey Joshua Morrella 9-Ycar-old boy grieving for his dead father. Beloved dad Bridges the chasm Between living and dead calling his son on a toy Telephone. Joey s Mother Eva Kryll and teacher Jan Zierold first think the boy can t accept his father s death and classmates Start mocking him. Then he displays telekinetic Powers using Only willpower to turn on television sets and blow up toy tanks. Meanwhile dad s Calls disrupt phone service All Over Virginia. Before you can say "e.t. Phone Home a swarm of specialists descend on Joey s House. They a review Don t find out much but the kids do. The ventriloquist s Dummy traps them in an abandoned House from which Only Joey can extricate them. This is a Busy movie. It is not original however struggling under a heavy debt to most mainstream science fiction movies of the past two decades. Echoes of abound in the use of toys and children the swarm of while suited officials the suburban setting and the final scene. Star wars paraphernalia Are sprinkled All Over Joey s bedroom and most of them Spring to s a Bland imitation of the Light show in "2001 a space Odyssey a dash of cherubic chaos from goo Mes and a Gaggle of silly special effects from time i be even seen that wooden Dummy before. And the actors Well Many spend a lot of time standing around with i hair Mouths open gawking at the Pyrola cynics. Joey s Mother worries and cries ,1 lot. The children succeed Al portraying american kids be cause that s what they Are. This All probably sounds cynical because i pretend to be an adult. Kids see things differently. Having a few skulking around my House i grabbed one and took him to Sec the movie. At the end it seemed Only the big cheese Burger had impressed him. But later he gave a detailed account of the entire plot to his jealous siblings. He liked the movie. Parents arc not Likely to object to the film s Content. Any hockey game is More violent and an average household conversation is movie is set in the United states but a German reduction company shot most of the film around Stuttgart. Most adult actors Are German and most of the children Are americans. They performed in English but the movie was dubbed in German for its nov. 18 premiere and is showing Only in Germany to Date. But the language Gap should t dismay Ameri can viewers. The action makes the plot evident. Joey is playing at off Post Heaters throughout Germany. Some vets must sign up with selective service by Chuck Bureau Washington some reservists and veterans must Register with Ibe Selec Tive service before they Are 26 years old even though they have served on Active duty Federal officials said. Failure to Register could keep them from Ever holding a Federal Job under a change contained in the 1986 defense authorization Bill signed by president Rea Gan in november. A loophole in the system exempted Active duty Servic members from having to Register Between 1980, when the registration system was instituted and mid-1983,when adjustments were made said Joan Lamb a selective service spokeswoman. In mid-1983, provisions to include registration in enlistment and discharge papers were initiated but a number of service me tubers had slipped through the system Lamb said. The current selective service system was instituted in 1980 by former president Jimmy Carter. It required All men born in i960 who would have been 20 years old in 1980 the minimum age for draft eligibility and 1961 to Register. Since then All men have been required to Regis Ter within 30 Days of their Lgth birthday. But a Man born in 1960 who enlisted inthe military in 1979 at the Nguc of 19, served a three year tour and go. Out in 1982 would not have been required to Reg ister at the time Lamb said. The person we re really trying to reach is the Young Man who has already served who in t registered and who is about to turn 26," Lamb said. As the Law now stands he will not be eligible for Federal employment and will not be protected from prosecution just because he served inactive
