FILM LIST
GROSS-OUT ' CITY, USA
.loe Bob Briggs could w ell be your kinda guv. As l)i‘ive-ln ttto\ ie critic for the Dallas 'linics-Hem/(l he‘s the kiitd ot true cincaste whose mission it is to seek out those o\erlooked gems that other writers. interested oirl_\ in wimpy indoor t_\ pe stuti nc\ei’ get to see. 'l'liis. after all. is the flu} \\ ho alerted _\Uu to the Best Art l-ilm of 1982 [Hour/sucking l'i'eu/is. actually a i'etitling ot 1970‘s Home of [he .S'i'reuniriig I'i'rgi'iis. but as Joe Bob says himself. ‘ti tie art is forever". Perhaps to gain a lull appreciation otthe gieat mans elegant prose style it’s appropriate to quote at length here. '\\'e’i e talking. women in cages. we‘re talking bodil} mutilation. w eie talking large breast quantities. w e’ie talking midget rape. we‘re talking bondage. w e‘re talking nonstopdeatli. 'l his is the kind ot picture that makes \oti miss the Seventies.‘ 'l ell it like it is. Joe Huh. '
Briggs‘ w eeklv column. now
collected asa l’cnguin()riginal ' entitled/we HUI) (1()('\ It) fI lie Drive-In. is hardlv . as the obsei \ ant among tou mat ali'cadv have
noticed. the ( ~illiii'rs i/ii (rue/m1 \et beneath the comic shock mine or this
endless grosscraiiia there might we ll i
be soirreiliiiig .itipliiae Itlilg thought going on live Bob. one is iiitiigut d . to learn. is meier a pscudoiivm tor the paper’s regular. stilltl. decent liberal lilrn critic .lolin llloom. and with this alter ego he seems IU ha\ c tound a neo-Sw ittiaii approach to the ideological horrors oi the iiiodei n da} c\ploitation mox ic. ll} tackling IVrri/iii l/ie thirteen/Ir I’m/K head on ‘one gut gets it with a pitcliioi k. one especi.il|_\ stupid girl gets it
lolks n .itht this st-all beairsc the} i
want in see 'a picitv good tried
lhllmgh m" “'3‘. “ “II “ ‘l‘W'lf—‘U'L s'lsl evel‘all sccrie' .-\iid that in serious lake .i liiiils at tlte .liie Hitlt t'tttllig
\\\IL lll I'\el_\ iiiov ic is gi\cn an
etc .liis deadpaii humour is getting closer It) the [Hunt \Il \sli_\ people i watttlosecthescriio\icstliaii.iiis “tum-incur” ilowiilikcthe t patronising dismissal iioma so-callcd quality cr itic ()iii loe Hob
gets it right because. like it or lit it.
lollowing tor I’iet m: ‘l leads roll twice .\rmsr'oll. l egsioll. Nine li\ tlig ht‘egisls. two tleatl liteiists. .\i)
motor vehicle chases. (iood kung in. [flight corpses. ()ne beast with a chain saw. Four gallons blood. Not much talking.‘ the obligatory garbon/a count may not endear him to ieminists. il‘vou know what I'm talking about and I think )ou do. the word 'bimbo' is a Joe Bob commonplace. and the sexism of his reviews and his accompanying anecdotes about his personal activites with (‘herrv [)ildav and co are simva taken as normal. (am this be tunnv and expose our attitudes. or this )‘L‘Zif~ IS Ihs‘ 100 “Oh \‘L‘I‘tliCI. 'Iil'CV is this just ottensive. As the storm ot‘ 52in CltCCk it HUI. ('l‘fL'VUF .IUImSIUn)
now wendingits wa} mu. SELECTIONS
MATEWAN John Sayles‘
retellmgot the miners‘
protest his writing aroused. and its eventual termination by nervous publishers attest. Joe Bob certainlv walks on a tightrope. A confused Ian w rites in to ask ‘Is your column descriptive. satirical or what'.’ '.Ioe Bob‘s reply; 'l'd sav it was rc/iriL' Disgustinglv hilarous at times. trighteniiiglv uncomfortable at others. the slangv zest of his unique terminologv probava makes it more endearing than it should be. The Iii'i/ Dem/1’ ‘Best spam-in-a-cabin movie
here. ()deittts release tiom April 23.
NEWSREEL
CONTINUING OUR
ONES TO WATCH
Our pick oi the tortnight‘s
hi h” msonme uprlv‘mls’lnlhf NIH“ OBSESSION with public 9 g . I d VirginiacoaIticldscould \Wuwmmhmdmfl‘tn comme'c'a an repent)” w'cllbethehighlightofthe ‘ '
comparing the situation in Quebec (population circa 5 million ). where the olt'icial bod) S( )(iICltttsti mere {3.7 .\t tochuck around. with the current stateot'pla} in Scotland (population also circa 5 million ). w here the Scottish l-ilm Production I~und hasa big Ll.‘\5.llllllto support local liliii culture. Sl-"I’I- director l’erm} 'l'homson will be at the third ()ucbec contcrcncc. .‘l I'luml Nation/tum] at the Iron theatre on Max Ill. and w ill no doubt be green with cn\_\
TAKEA BOW PLEASE ('hristian ( 'hatton hour the Alliance I'r'ancaisc tle (ilasgow . who worked
circuits. . . For more comprehensive reviews and venue details see the Film Index. while complete programme details can be found in the Film Listings.
Mavtest Iilm programming. A committed political edge meets good old-tashioncd American humanism. and the result is an appealing. pow ert'ul movie. (ilasgow Film Theatre I May. PRINCE OF PENNSYLVANIA Don't be put ott b} the title. tor Ron stwancr"s independent Amer ican corned} Is an amiabl} quirk) toiav intodorncstic turmoil. Keanu Reeves Iresh Irom Hunger-nus Liaisons. is the youngster caught between stern \‘ietnam \ct Pop and adulterous Mom. lidinburgh I‘ilmhouse l’rom April 23
NEW MOVIES
LA LECTRICE From the maker ot the elegant!) seductiv e Heath/11.4 l'u'lii’li (iiirdi'n. Michel l)ev illc's new movie isan arrestingtangle exploring the erotic connotationsoi language and \ U}L‘llt'i\tll. (ilasgow l-ilm'l'heatre trom April 23
THE TALL GUY .\te| Smith's debut as feature director Is a romantic coined} lollowirig tlie progressol .\tr sis-toot-pltislett (ioldblum. straightman to Rowan Atkinson's bastard comic. in his wooingattemptson comets iruisc Izmma
I liompson ('aiinons release trom April 28. THINGS CHANGE Humble shoe-shine hit} Don Ameche and mcompentcnt malioso .loc Mantegna get involved in a w r} comic tale oi mistaken identit} amongst tiic mob in Max id Mamets gentle. but penetrating lollow upto/luuwu/
tirelessh alongside the Iolks at tltc ( il’l to arrange the recent \ 1er ol distinguished I'tcnch tiIm-maker .lean«( 'liailes Iachella. but ch'L'H ed not
ALSO OPENING
THE SEHPENT AND THE RAINBOW \Ves ( ~ta\ en. creator t-t the .Vig/Ilmiui on Izlm .Vri'c'! series lca\ cs small town ISA tor a well-rcscarched triprnto the ( at ibbean voodoo t'tte\t)l Ilaili. .-\ iat'eitite this. as art attcmmpt to make a horror mm ic tor grow n-ups. (‘annons release irom Apr it IS
MY STEPMOTHER IS AN ALIEN ( )r. !.I/III'I'I(’(1.‘I Kim Ifusmger l'I'nHI ()lil('l Spat c' as Dan A} kriwd andcotr) tosortout
w ho's human and w hos not oi this earth iii this
a lot ot credit when we spread the Ite\\s in our last issue Soriv iolks. COMING OUR WAY isthe longawaited lilm version oi Il.tt‘\e} I-ieistem's Inn/1.8mm III/oer .aiitl Spanish maniac l’edro Almodovai 's newie Il'mm'n ()II Illt’ I'ergi' ()I .‘I .Vi'ri um lfl'i'iIAi/uii II the} 'II boili be plat mg substantial runs at ( ill and I'Illltlitlll\e in the coming months. a must tor all youcampcadelsout thetc
(“min (ilasgow (linnoii \aiichiehall Street and I'diiibuigh ( ameo tiorii
April .‘l. . stateside ( hristmasbiggic
'l'hcl ist 2| April -I May 108937