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FILM LIST
A The Running Man(18)(Paul Michael Glaser. US. 1988) Arnold i Schwarzenegger. 197 mins. Based
i (very. very loosely) on Stephen King’s
pseudonymous novel. the latest trom Arnold Schwarzenegger is set in a totalitarian future with civilisation as ever divided into the haves and have nots. To keep the lormer docile and the latter in their place. television has become the ultimate society pacitier and programmer with commercials inviting its audience (1984 style) to sneek on lamin members and such shows as ‘The Hate Boat' and Captain Freedom‘s Work Out. Most popular though is ‘The Running Man'. a high-tech. brutally violent game show where contestants (ie ‘criminals') are given a chance to tight tor a pardon and luxury lite againstthe superstar steroid-enhanced athletes, the Stalkers who. armed to the teeth. pursue them throughthe Running Man maze. But show host Damon Killian has a problem. Audiences have become tired ot the wimps who die too soon to put up a decent show. Ratings have been slipping. what's needed is something extra. Enter Ben Richards aka the ‘Butcher Dt Bakerstield‘. an ex-cop tramed as the mass murderer of innocent civilians. When Richards escapes trom prison and is subsequently recaptured Killian knows he's lound the pertect contestant to boost ratings. And so an unarmed Richards becomes The Running Man.
, and members at the resistance.
THE RUNNING MAN
alongside two ol his tellow escapees
Laughlin (Yaphet Kotto) and computer whizzkid Weiss (Marvin J McIntyre). plus his lormer hostage Amber (Maria Conchita Alonso) who's also ended up i a ‘contestant‘ for digging too deep when reports at his capture didn‘t tally with reality. Their expected deaths will be beamed live across the city with the studio audience winning prizes on the outcome and the masses betting on lirst kills. Unfortunately. Richards proves better than expected and it‘s the Stalkers who lind themselves biting the dust as their prey hits back and searches to tind the key transmitter that will enable the resistance to take over control of the television output and reveal the truth ot the game and the government lies.
l i
»
v. \
Directed by Paul Michael Glaser (ol ‘Starsky and Hutch tame) the lilm manages (in similar comic book style to ‘Robocop‘) to be both lairly violent tuturisticthrillerand sharplygleetul satire on American game shows and theirgreedy audiences—not to mention media manipulation perse. There‘s hilariousthrowaways (Richards‘s Court Appointed Theatrical Agent, the Cola ads etc). gloriously overstated dialogue and cast that even includes Mick Fleetwood (Mac) and Dweezil Zeppe as resistance leaders. but it‘s Schwarzeneggerwho takes the honours and gives the best laughs. tlexing the muscles and sending himsell up in the process, scattering excruciating puns as he goes. Come on down! (Mike Davis)
decade. Ilc'l toliicci's posserliil drama rsa meditation on the espression and commirnreation ol personal identits through intense sesiial contact. ( ilasgoss: (ill
I The Last Temptation Dl Christi is) l.\lartin Scorecse. l 'S. I‘ISS l \\ illein l)aloe. I laises lscitcl. Barbara I lersltes. lMiiuns (ilasgoss; (‘annonSatichiehall Street (I oeal ( 'oiincil licence permitting). Izdrnluirgh: ( anieo
i I Made in Heaven 1 l’( il (Alan Rudolph.
I‘S. WSWI imotlis lliitton. ls'ells
.\lc( irllis. Debra \Vingei. Ill: mins. l’eruisslsania. I‘lls I'\-\L‘l\lL‘L‘ITIilll llirtlon is dross ried ss liilst it'smgto rescue the s ictims ol a car crash .v\rr'is ing ma coss alterssoi Id Ire lear us that reincarnation a\satts him as part ol the natural cscle ldlirig ass as the trrne. he meets .\Ic( iillis and thes lalI helplessls in los e, \\ hen she is dispatched to be reborn
asthe daughter ol an .'\ll l'orce
scigeant-eiim-tos maniilacttir‘ei . he begs to lolloss her .\ bencsolcntorganiser
permits him a iicss human Irarue and thrrts
sears ol lile in ss liich to track doss ri histrtie lose. il she recognises luin
(harming. otlbeat tantass romance born a consistentls underrated director. as
‘ a s) mpathetic cast enact a thoughtliil and
ssilts stois about the pursuit ol Ios e and
happiness I‘Llllll‘tllg'lli ('ameo.
I MOOHSITUCK l l’( i l 1 Not man .less ison,
I 'S. l‘lS" ) ( 'her . \icolas ( ~age. ( )I_s mpia Diikakis lllllmins 'I Iioroiighls ssrimmg romantic comeds ss ith ( 'her on
‘( )scai-ssrnning lorin asadossds soung
ss idoss ss ho accepts a proposal ol marraigc hour a man she does not los c in i'ettir‘ntor a sale and secure ltrttire. Asked to clear up some had blood ss ith hissoirrrg brother it is lose at lirst sight sshen the} meet : she iindeigoesa('iridcrella-like translor‘mation and is torn betsseen the
conllictrug demands ol her head and heart.
.\leanss lirle. other members ol her
closekrut ltaliarr-.v\riieiican lamils are similarls throssn iritoamoioustiiiiiioil bs the inlluence ol a mischies ioiis moon.
('ombrmng humour and porgriancs ss ith a charming eccentrrcrts . .llomisrrm Is isa delightlul stors . engagingls told. ( )scars also \sent to Dukakis and .lohn l’ati‘ick Shanles 'srich. ttitti lriitrsciipt. Stratliclsde: (‘lsdebank III.
I My Girltriend‘s Boytriend l l’( i l ( l'.l ic Rolimer . l‘r‘ancc. 1957) limmariiielle ('haiilet. Sophie Renoir. 1' tie \'ie|lar'd. Ill: mins. ‘l‘hesrxth and linal ollerrngin Rohmer 's series ol ('oruedies .-\nd I’rosei bs tociisses on the relationship betsseen eoruputer programmer Renoir and shs crs ll sers ant ( 'haiilet as their search tor lose results in a sr‘eiesol embarassing romantic entanglements.
'I spiealls perceptise arid sell-assured ssork lr'om the ( iallic master . as tisiral apparent spontaneits ol pei'tormance and natttralncss ol obsers atron creates a dell ins estigation ol Iile's emotional comple\ities. (ilasgoss; {iI‘l . lzdinbiirgh: l’ilmhoiise.
I My Sweet Little Village ( l’(ill.liri Men/cl.(‘zechoslosakia I‘).\5).lanos Ban. Rudoll Ilrusinsks. Illllmms. Vignette ol riir'al('lechoslosakiari lite insolsing the misadsenttiicsol a burls truck driser and his simple-minded biil good-natured assistant.
Relentlessls charming stiill born a s eler‘an lilm-maker. ss ith a ramshackle plot the llirnsiest ol esciises lorgathcring together a chorus ol comic countrs biirripkins. (ilasgoss : (ll-'l.
I NearDarkt IS) (Katherine BigeIoss . I 'S. I‘M-7) .-\drran I’asdar'. .lenns \Vright. l.ance I Ienriksen. 98 mins. A chance sesiial encounter tor a 'I'csas}otith leads to his abduction bs a group ot maraiiding bloodstickers and his dillicttlt translormation to their parasitic mode ol existence. .-\s s ampire-biker ss ester'ris go.
this is a prctls good one. (ilasgoss : (il‘vl'.
I Nutcracker: The Movie l l’( i l l ( ‘ai'mll Ballard. I‘S. l‘lhlil Hugh liignes . \‘anessa Sharp. and the I’acilic \or tliss est Iiallet S5 mins. (‘oncentratmg on the darker aspects ol the slots . and berrelitting lrom Maurice Sendak'sengagingls grotesque setsand costumes. director Ballard has created an intriguing and exciting interpretation ol the 'l cliatkos sks score. l'dinbiirgh; l-rlmhoiise.
I Once Upon A Time In America I IS) (Sc‘l‘gltils'tiltc. I‘S. IVS“) Rtilk'll I)L‘\tt‘ti. .ltltllL‘s \Vtiiitls. Iilt/ttlk‘llt .\lc( insert]. .333 mins. 'l'lte slots ol tssoclitldhood lriends and their earls entrepreneurial actis itres \s Iucli blossom into career s in organised crime and politics. l.eottc\ epicgangster chronicle scrutinises the emergent American societs ol the call) part ol the cenltirs through the aspirations ol the rrrob. .\larririiotli. and oltcri iinlorgiseabls s icioiis. set somehoss also ls r real and telling. lzdiribiirgh: ('ameo.
I Paris. Texasr 15) 1 With \Vendeis.
[S \V. (iermans. IUS'J) l lar'rs Dean Stanton. .\'atass|a Kiriski. lliinter(‘aison. IJJ mins. Missing tor tour sears. middle-aged loner 'l ras is turns up in the 'l'esan outback. and is later reunited ss ith his son. ‘I he tsso embai k on a trek across America to lrrid his estranged ss ile. the soiingbos'srriothei.
'I‘he coolls dislocating s isiial senseol \Viiri \Vendei s combines ss ith plasss right Sam Shepherd's s ersiori ol :\irier‘ica's desolate heai'tlands to produce a mos iirg stors ol personal alienation. Izdmbiirgh: l'llinhousc.
I The PBT‘IECI Murder ( H il l/.alar l laI. India l‘ls'. IUSS) Naseerirddin Shah. Stellaii Skarsgar'd. .-\m|ad Khan. l)? mins. Distinguished Indian character actor \aseer'iiddin Shah plas s nos elist I ll . R. I's'eating‘s Inspector ( ihote. a Bombas (I!) s ersiori ol (‘hristie‘s l lerciile l’oirot. in this Merchant lsor's production slioton location in Rombas (and lilrued in
ltriglish ) b_s director [alar l lai. The result is a rough-edged and at times iiristeads detectis e sarn. but the leel lor that bristling huge cits ot the sub-continent. and the obser's ation ot Indian middle-class mores make the lilm a ssorlhss hile one despite its laiilts. (ilasgoss : (il’l'.
I Planes. Trains and Automobilesi l5) l.|ohn l laghes. I'S. NS“) Stese Martin. .lohn(‘aiids. l.arla Robbins. 92 mins. lliiglies relinquishes his position as the most pertinent corumentator on teenage ssoes and graduates ss ith honours in the side-splitting adult comeds stakes. Martin is a harrassed ( 'hieago businessman desparale to return home lr'om Ness sork lor' the 'l'hanksgis rng celebrations .-\lter a lien/red attempt to catch the last tlight home he undergoes a series ol iner'easmgls lr'aiiglit iriisadserrtiires. .-\long the ss as he meets ( and} 's accident prone sltoss er
cin tairi salesman and thes inads ei'teritls become ti as elling companions through treacherous srioss . hell. high ssater and mutual iiicorripatibilits.
I’redietable and sentimental ( )dd ('oiiple on the road ss luch is geniiinels Itlllll_\ thanks to the script aridtlie ssell-plased clash ol personalities betsseen the tssostar's. Strathelsde: ('lsdebank It). I Platooni IS) (Ulisei-sionc. t‘S. lush) (‘har‘lie Sheen. \Villem l)aloe. 'I'om lleiengcr, IZtlmms. \Vriter'-seter'ari Stone's multiple ( )sear-ssinnerseeksto portras . as s is idls as possible. the esperience ol the ordmars irilantrsinarion combat dtits in Vietnam around the turn ol but" oh‘. the result is botli harross mg. coiis rncrng and mos ing. lidinbiirgh: (litnco.
I The Princess Bride ( l’( t ) 1 Rob Reiner. I‘S. I‘IS")('ars lilsses. Robin Wright. Mands l’atinkin. Bills (‘r'sstal Wmms. l'he princess in question isone Buttercup. chosen bs the nasts l’rmce l liimperdinck to be his bride; her heart . hoss es er. belongs to \Vestles . a larm bos ss ho has gone oll to make his lor'tune belor'e rnarr's mg her. but has disappeared. 'l'he princess is kidnapped bs a rather dodgs trio. ss luch pros es to he the cue for the re-appcarance ol Westles . noss become the Dread l’ir'ate Roberts. and the begrnniiigol a \L‘t'lL‘SUI ollerr sers l'unns‘ sss ashbueklrng ads entrires belore true lose cart linalls presail.
\Vrlliam(ioldruari's heasils ironic. tongue-in-eheek lairs tale is gisen a spirited treatment b_s the director ol Slum! It’s Me and an enthusiastic troupe. ltdinbiir‘gh: I'llrnhotlse.
I Rambo lllt IS) I Peter .\Iael)onald. ITS. IUS‘S) Ssls ester Stallone. Richard(‘rerrna. .‘slai'c Delonge. llll mins. 'l'hird instalment in an increasingls resistiblc serieshasSls leasing hislileol' contemplation in a 'l'ibetan monasters to rescue his mentor ( ‘ol. ‘I'i'oiitman born the clutches ol the es il Sos iets in Alghanistan.
I‘.\pL‘ltsl\ e riot ol explosions. bombing and killing. the cartoon s iolerice matching; the cartoon politieking. lzdiriburgh: ('annon. ( )deon.
I Romancing The Stone 1 t’( i l 1 Robert Kemeekrs. I 'S. IVS-I) Michael Douglas. Kathleen 'I'tirner. Danns l)e\'ito. 105 mins. Retiring noselist 'I‘iirner‘ isprtched into real Iiigli ads enture in the iiinglesol South American this appealing cascapist trace. a lilm ss hieh set the careersol Douglas and I)e\'ito ss ell and Hill} on the \sas (ilasgoss ; (il’li.
I Roxanne t l’( i l t l'l'L‘Ll Schepisi. t “S. IVS-7) Stese .‘slar'tiri. Darsl l laiinah. Shelles Drisall. Ill" mins. \\'itts.tender and charming ressorkiiig ol (sumo do Bergerac deplos ing a range ol corned) teclmiqiiesas lire chiel Martin ot the enormous proboscis copes ss ith lite and los estrtiek romance. Strathchde: Haldane l'ilm Societs.
I Running Man ( ta) ( Paul Michael (ilaser. l'S. IUSS) Arnold Schssarzenegger. 07 mins. See caption res iess. (ilasgoss': Salon. ('eritral: ('anrion. Strathcls‘de: ('annon
14 The List 16— 2*) September 1988