FILM LIST
Newman. Lolita Davidovich. Jerry Hardin. 117 mins. Newman‘s latest screen incarnation is an extraordinary portrayal of Louisiana State Governor Earl K. Long a loud-mouthed megalomaniac cruising through a series ofmind-bending eccentricities. 1n the memoirs of real-life ‘pre-forming artist‘ Blaze Starr. the luminous cinematography of Haskell Wexlcr meshes with Newman's comic brilliance to form a delightful. if idiosyncratic. whole. Central: Regal. I The Blues Brothers (15) (John Landis. US. 1980) John Belushi. Dan Aykroyd. Carrie Fisher. 130 mins. Bloated. overlong anarchic Chicago comedy with the two stars on a mission from God to salvage the imperilled fortunes ofan orphanage. Lots of guest stars. musical numbers and automotive destruction in a typical product ofover-emphatic contemporary American humour. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Strathclyde: UCl East Kilbride. I Bonnie and Clyde (18) (Arthur Penn. US. 1967) Warren Beatty. Faye Dunaway. Gene llackman. Michael]. Pollard. 111 mins. This stylish and gritty account of the relationship and activities of two self-publicised bank robbers wasa late-196(1s milestone in making extreme screen violence curiously fashionable. Great performances from Hackman and Dunaway. a genuine sense ofthe thrill involved in their nefarious activities. and telling period detail make this one of Penn's best. Edinburgh Film Guild. I Born On The Fourth OlJuly ( 18) (Oliver Stone. US, 1989) Tom Cruise. Willem Dafoe. Raymond J. Barry, Kyra Sedgwick. 144 mins. Surging forward on the crest of a hype-wave. Stone's second trip to ‘Nam features Cruise as disabled veteran Ron Kovie, in a biographical depiction of ambition, disillusionment and national betrayal. as the lad grows up. joins up, gets wounded and finds his country doesn't want to know him anymore. Kovie's plight is rendered symbolic of state-of-the-nation dismay, and Cruise brings an unprecendented degree of integrity to the part.giving easily his best performance to date. Stone's usqu luck ol' subtlety is offset here by Kovic's own involvement in making the movie. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge. Cannon Sauchiehali Street. Salon. Edinburgh: Cannon. Dominion. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon. UCI Clydebank,UC1 East Kilbride. I Bull Durham ( 15) (Ron Shelton. US. 1988) Kevin Costner. Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins. 108 mins. Asurprisingly intelligent and absorbing baseball flick. whose real focus is on the emotional triangle between baseball groupie Sarandon and players Robbins and Costner. the former a half-witted pitcher. the latter an aging catcher who this time lets it slip between his fingers. Strong playing all round and inspired leadership from Shelton (of Under Fire fame) make a winningteam. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Carrie ( 18) (Brian DePalma. US. 1976) Sissy Spacek. Piper Laurie. John Travolta. 98 mins. DcPalma's adaptation of Stephen King is still the high school angst movie to end 'em all. Distressingly awkward teen Spacek‘s adolescent experience is so humiliating that she develops telckinetic powers. and the school bullies are to get their comeuppance when their prom night pranks fly right back in their faces. There‘s enough disgust in here to more than endorse the accusations of misogyny frequently aimed at Del’alma. but asa film-maker he does have an undeniable flair for the big moment like the elaborately staged final massacre. Oh. and watch out for the much-copied shocker finale. Glasgow: Grosvenor. I Cat Chaserf 18) (Abel Ferrara. US. 1989) Peter Weller. Kelly McGillis. Thomas Milian. 102 mins. Elmore Leonard‘s twisting and turningthriller
ALWAYS
Always (Steven Spielberg, 1989, US) Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, Audrey Hepburn, Brad Johnson, John Goodman. 123 mins. Saving his best friend's life with a dangerous mid-air manoeuvre, aerial firefighter Pete Sandich's (Dreyfuss) plane explodes as a result but, courtesy of guardian angel Hap (Hepburn), he discovers that he's still on Earth, albeit dead, invisible and silent to the living and with a new vital role to perform: to make sure that his sweetheart Dorlnda's (Hunter) and new pilot Ted's (Johnson) lives go safely in the right direction. it’s a difficult job, particularly when he has literally to stand by and first endure her grief and than suffer his own as he watches the two of them fall for each other.
Antique aeroplanes. heroic self sacrifice and everlasting love, ‘Aiways' is a compelling high-octane mix of old-fashioned sentiment and state-oi-the-art special effects. A remake of the 1943 wartime fantasy ‘A Guy Named Joe', it's deliberately less an updating of that movie than a return to the wholesome high gloss warmth of the Hollywood of half a century ago.
‘A Guy Named Joe' was all about Spencer Tracy's ghostly fighter pilot helping out his novice replacement Van Johnson at the dangerous game of aerial combat. Spielberg has managed to recapture this rich but risky wartime ambiance by setting his story in the sometimes equally dangerous environment of aerial fire fighting.
Locating the tale in this rough and tough environment enables the director to combine the love story with a strong
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dose of his characteristic colourful adventure. Thetree clipping, sparks showering special effects are edge-of-the-seat stuff, while the many leatherjackets, jeeps and assorted quaint airfield fixtures evoke all the traditional rugged individualism one could wish for.
The film does take a little while to work its spell, but gradually its supernatural idiosyncracies become hypnoticaiiy attractive. As in ‘Broadcast News’, Hunter's bundle of twisted nerves and drawiing anxiety is a unique treasure; Dreyfuss shows a keen talent for literal seif-effacing humour and the chemistry between the two is real and affecting - even though for most of the film he's supposed to be invisible to her. Awkward new guy Brad Davis looks like he's walked out of a Thirties B-movie - a sense reinforced by an accomplished John Wayne impersonation at one point- and John Goodman plays the solid friend of the hero with a gruff, heavyweight charm that would make Fortles icons William Bendix and Thomas Mitchell proud.
A delicately crafted and very seductive slice of whimsy, 'Always' is both a strangely convincing love story and a first division offbeat adventure. Streamlined. big-hearted and sweet in the best sense, it comes in in style — and on much more than a wing and a prayer. (Tom Tunney)
From Fri 30. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge, Cannon Sauchiehali Street. Edinburgh: Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon, UCI Ciydebank, UCI East Kilbride.
makes it to the big screen in a version he co-scripted. Unlike some pres ious attempts to film his skilfully crafted crime novels. this one makes the transition with some credibility. Weller falls forfemme farufe McGillis and undertakes complex manoeuvres to win her. Astrange voice-over helps hold the plot together. as does the score by jazz composer Chick Corea. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Celia (18) (Anne Turner. Australia. 1989) Rebecca Smart. Nicholas Eadie. Maryanne Fahey. 1113 mins. Set in the 195(1s in Australian suburbia. Turner‘s excellent debut feature (similar in spirit to My Life as a Dog) follows the bitter rites
of passage of nine-year-old Celia from the death of relatives and pets to dolingout cruelty and violence on ‘(‘ommunist‘ neighbours. A unique blend ofchildhood paranoia and political nous. Glasgow: GFI‘.
I Le Cinema deJakobois ( 15) Influenced by the writings of Debuffet and the work of Paul Klee. experimental French film-maker Jakobois has. since 1976. been using the Super-8 movie format. Augmenting his painting and sculptural work. he examines the confluence between minimal art and gestural expression and was the subject ofthe major reti‘ospeetis e at the Pompidou
Centre in 1988. Visiting Glasgowto oversee the screening of his Childs-Plav 'l'ruffieJum. a collaborative work with ' Kate Downie which forms part ofher current Urban Circus exhibition at the Collins Gallery (see Art listings for full details). Jakobois will introduce a selection from his filmography. Glasgow; GFT.
I Cinema Paradiso (PG) or (Giuseppe Tornatore. Italy/France. 1988) Philippe Noiret. Jacques Perrin. Salvatore Cascio. 123 mins. See feature. Glasgow: GFT Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Colors (18) (Dennis Hopper. US. 1988) Robert Duvall. Sean Penn. Maria Conchita Alonso. 121 mins. Buddy cop movie set amongst the drug-related gang warfare of LA‘s ethnic street gangs has old hand Duvall and greenhorn Penn differing in their approaches to law enforcement in an almost impossible situation. Benefiting from a steely documentary approach that captures a brutal street culture with disturbing authenticity. llopper‘s return to l lollywood credibility finds his bleak world-view of non-communication somewhat deadcned by formulaic narrative excitements. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Comic Book Confidential (PG) a (Ron Mann. Canada. 1988) Lynda Barry. Robert Crumb. Jack Kirby, Art Spiegelman. 90 mins. A history and celebration of the art and ‘philosophy' behind comics and their creators. Mann provides a lively portrait of22 contemporary cartoonists still working in the USA. delving into their psyche to find their inspirations and illustrating it with comic strip classics. A fascinating and enjoyable insight to an undervalued genre. Glasgow: GFT.
I Conan The Barbarian (15) (John Milius. US. 1981 ) Arnold Schwarzenegger. James liarl Jones, Max Von Sydow. 129 mins. ()0 er. Missus, we've hardly bad the credits and there's a quotation from Nietzsche. That which does not kiflus makes us stronger! Must be serious and meaningful stuff ‘cos this big bloke in a funny costume is off' searching for'f‘he liather. Well. it's Arnie on yer fumianientui existential quest. innit. though it's just lucky he has that big broadsword to knock a few heads in on the way. S'pose, that's just for the punters though. 'cos they don't understand all the intellectual references like wot he does. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
I The Cook, The Thief. His Wife and Her Lover ( 18) (Peter Greenaway. UK. 1989) Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon. Helen Mirren. Alan Howard. Tim Roth. 120 mins. Greenaway has made a film guaranteed to offend everybody. Though beautifully art-directed. photographed. produced and acted. it deals with the kind ofsubjcct matter normally only found under the counter at video nasty stores. Compulsive and unforgettable but you‘d be hard pressed to like the thing. Glasgow: Gf’f. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Dancin' Thru The Dark ( 15) (Mike ()ckrent. UK. 199(1) Con ()‘Neill.Clare llackett. Simon O'Brien. 95 mins. The lads and lases of Liverpool are once more brought to the silver screen courtesy of Willy Russell's pen. This time however. the vital spark of humour is largely missing and without it the central dilema between repression and expression is made merely to seem hackneycd and dull. Adapted from his more successful stage playStags and Hens Ockrent appears to have had the small screen in mind as he focuses on a collection of talking heads. Between him and Russell thay mangage to turn a universal concern into just so much parochial navel-gazing. Edinburgh: Odeon. Strathclyde: UCI Clydebank.
I Dangerous Liaisons (15) (Stephen Frears. US. 1988) Glenn Close.John Malkovich. Michelle Pfeiffer. Keanu Reeves. 121) mins. Madame de Tourvel and the Vicomte de Valmont (Close and
18 '1 he List 23 March — 5 April 1991)