European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Dudley Moon and Liza Minnelli stars of Arthur 2 on the rocks a comedy that has been receiving bad reviews due to its glorification of alcoholics. Just say no hits Hollywood by John Horn associated Pressi f a second sequel follows this summer s Martini soaked movie Arthur 2 on the rocks it could very Well be Arthur 3 on the Wagon. Once a motion picture Staple the lovable screen Lush May be drying up As Hollywood adapts to the changing attitudes of the just say no 1980s. Since its premiere july 8, Arthur 2 has been greeted by both caustic reviews and unspectacular Box office results. The film s poor showing May signal a shift in audience tolerance for alcohol. I really think that the Public has had it said Brian Dyak president of the entertainment industries Council which monitors Hollywood s depiction of substance abuse. People nowadays Aren t going to buy into the glorification of the  what s More a flurry of filmmakers is now betting that moviegoers Are ready for unblinking looks at the Darker Side of drug use updates of 1945 s the lost weekend. Unlike the Giddy marijuana scenes from 1983 s terms of endearment and 1985 s the breakfast club these new films will take a decidedly bleaker View of getting High. In clean and sober opening aug. 10, Michael Keaton plays a hot shot real estate broker whose career and personal life Are ruined by cocaine addiction. Similar storyline Are featured in the upcoming movies wired about John Belushi s death from a drug overdose the boost starring James Woods As a High powered Salesman with a narcotic dependency and Bird director Clint Eastwood s profile of Alto sax superstar Charlie Parker who died at age 34 after a life of drug abuse. Marketing the three films May prove difficult. Nevertheless it is increasingly Clear that some movies which portray substance abuse in a positive Light have been left wobbling from critical backlash in these More sober times. I think in general sobriety is considered a More popular Model now said Paul Moore development director for the Scott Newman Center which is named for the late son of actor Paul Newman and bestows awards for realistic television portrayals of substance abuse. How we looked at things in the 60s and 70s is very different from How we look at things in the 80s." even cigarette use on screen according to the american cancer society is Down. Those who Don t keep current May suffer. Several reviewers have pounced on License to drive a comedy that stars Corey Haim and Corey Feldman As teen agers out to get their first driving licenses. The problem with License to drive according to Bob Mondello a film critic for National Public radio is that one of its longer scenes uses Drunken driving for laughs. My first reaction was How can these morons do this Mondello said. What kind of responsible filmmaker would write a movie like this and target it to kids we have heard about the dangers of Drunken driving Over and Over and it s impossible for us to take it lightly  License to drive has enjoyed Only tepid business in Heaters since arriving july 6 even teen agers Mondello said Aren t laughing at the Drunken driving. Meanwhile the summer Box office hit who framed Roger Rabbit seems to Send out a mixed message on alcohol. Although the movie s private Eye Eddie valiant Bob Hoskin Abandons his bottle at films end the title character a cartoon figure escapes both depression and danger by gulping a Glass of whiskey. Such Cavalier images of alcohol use upset George Marcelle Public information officer for the National Council on alcoholism. There is a classic tradition of depicting drunks without showing the real effects Marcelle said. In the original Arthur he was falling Down drunk and the total negative effect we were shown were some hangovers. In real life Arthur would Black out he d probably have some serious physical problems like High blood pressure liver disease or body shakes in the morning and he d be prone to throwing up and dry  in Arthur 2, the title character spends All but the final reel of the movie stumbling around in a Drunken Daze. Arthur says at movie s end that he has stopped drinking but the Only Clear consequence of his constant intoxication is a temporary delay in his adoption of a baby. When i first saw the preview for Arthur 2,1 said How can they do it " said Barney Rosenzweig who As executive producer of television s Cagney & Lacey won wide Praise for the show s Frank chronicle of detective Chris Cagney s Battle with alcoholism. I think it s in bad  so consistent is the criticism of Arthur 2 or Ai Moore has said his character May go sober should there be an Arthurs. It just seems times and Public attitude toward alcoholism have changed since we made Arthur in 1981," Moore told columnist Marilyn Beck. Liza Minnelli Moore s co Star in the movie and herself once hospitalized for chemical dependency defended Arthur 2. It s a highly stylized kind of comedy Minnelli said. I Don t know any real alcoholics who Are As adorable As Arthur. In fact some of my friends who have the same disease i do think he s hysterical because he brings Back memories when it was fun to  there Are indications some Hollywood figures will continue to employ drug use for its supposed comic effect. Tommy Chong half of the Cheesch Marin and Chong comedy team and Star of the 1978 marijuana spoof up in smoke is now making far out Man. In it Chong is still bonded out according to the film s spokeswoman Deborah Brown. He plays  kind of character he has always played Brown said. Chong appears in the movie wearing a just say not shirt but the lettering has faded so it reads just say  television film critic Roger Ebert thinks audiences Don t really care about social issues when they set out for the theater. I m inclined to believe that people go to a movie if they think they la have a Good time Ebert said. Public attitudes on the subject matter Are usually not germane to the Box office. I just saw the upcoming movie cocktail. And Tom cruise drinks in 85 percent of the film s scenes. And it la be a huge  the movies have come a Long Way but they still have a Long Way to go said producer Herman Rush a contributor to the White House conference on a drug free America report Given to Congress and the president in june. Among the report s recommendations was one advising filmmakers to avoid any positive portrayal of illicit drug use and another urging the motion picture association of America to employ the movie rating system to More effectively identify inappropriate depictions of illegal drug  in the end the judge of what s acceptable and what s not will Likely be ticket sales. Monday july 25, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 17