FILM
form. two small time crooks who bungle their final heist up and soon find themselves taking refuge disguised as nuns in a convent. The unpredictable gags that follow easily surpass the high standards of the above-average Carry-On film. It has proved immensely popular across the Atlantic too. Glasgow: Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon. UCI. Strathclyde: UCI Clydebank. I Old Gringo ( 15) (Luis Puenzo, US. 1989) Jane Fonda. Gregory Peck, Jimmy Smits. 119 mins. Epic story of the Mexican revolution follows the interweaving fortunes of peasant-turned-general Smits. American governess Fonda. caught up in the action. and a splendid Peck asthe satirist Ambrose Bierce ambling his way towards death. The lavish battle scenes and the Hollywood stalwarts are the most obvious attractions of this latterday blockbuster. but they sit uneasily with the film‘s avowed socio-political commitment. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Oliver And Company (U) (George Scribner. US. 1989) With the voices of Joey Lawrence. Billy Joel, Dom DeLuise, Bette Midler. 74 mins. Disney studios’ free adaptation of Dickens' Oliver Twist is set in modern New York. with Oliver asa cute kitten hanging out with a bunch of streetwise dogs. The Artful Dodger is played by pop-singer Joel. while La Midler turns in a pampered poodle. The usual Disney charm prevails, though Dickens‘ cutting edge is blunted somewhat. Glasgow: Cannon Sauchiehall Street. I Once Upon A Time In The Weat(15) (Sergio Leone, US. 1968) Henry Fonda. Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale. Jason Robards. 165 mins. Probably Leone‘s best film. this classic western details in operatic fashion the drive of crooked railroad magnate Fonda to cheat widow Cardinale out of her land, until lone stranger Bronson comes to town. Brilliant Morricone score, achingly slow pacing, and an enthusiastic use of the wide screen mark this out as an idiosyncratic gem. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Parenthood (15) (Ron Howard, US. 1989) Steve Martin, Diane Wiest. Jason Robards, Rick Moranis. 124 mins. A film apparently derived from the experiences of Ron ‘Mr Nice Film‘ Howard. the ex—Happy Days star. Our Steve, ex-Happy Fee! star, is in his element as a lovablejerk trying hard to be a good dad. However, the climactic montage where every member of the cast is either giving birth or cuddling some cute wee baby in glutinous slow-motion had our critic reaching for his Sten gun. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Play Me Something (15) (Timothy Neat. UK. 1989) John Berger. Tilda Swinton. Hamish Henderson. 72 mins. In the lounge at Barra‘s airport. assorted travellers await the fogbound Glasgow plane. and old man Henderson conjures up a storyteller (Berger) to keep them entertained. His story of romance and politics in Venice is transposed against Neat‘s dislocated images of the city and Swiss lensman Jean Mohr’s evocative photographs. The result is an impressive examination of the art of narrative from a celebrated homegrown talent. Central: MacRobert Arts Centre. I Pretty Woman (15) (Garry Marshall. US. 1990) Richard Gere. Julia Roberts. Ralph Bellamy. 120mins. In this hugely succcsful comedy-romance. Gere stars as an unfeeling financial wheeler-dealer discovering he is human after all when he spends a week in the company of Roberts‘ downhome goodtime girl. Conversely. she rediscovers her self-esteem by flawlessly carrying off the role of his high society companion. so the audience can feel happy for both of them. The outline might be as hackneyed as they come, but television veteran Marshall has just the right lightness of touch. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge. Odeon. Edinburgh: Dominion. Odeon. UCI. Strathclyde: Odeon Ayr. UCI Clydebank. UCI East
Kilbridc. I lie-Animator 2 (18) (Brian Yuzna, US, 1990) Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Claude Earl Jones, Fabiana Udenio. 96 mins. Following in the gorily humorous footsteps of the original, Brian Society Yuzna re-animates Herbert (Combs) and Dan (Abbott). whose pranks with Herbert's serum in Stuart Gordon‘s original caused a massacre in the morgue. This time, their plan is to assemble a jumble of spare body parts— human and other - and produce a re-animated woman. Things do not, of course, go quite to plan, with predictably, ifenjoyably disgusting results. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hilla(18) Paul Bartel, US, 1989) Jacqueline Bisset, Ray Sharkey, Robert Beltran, Mary Woronov. 104 mins. Years after the splendid Eating Raoul, director and actor Paul Bartel attempts another blend of the urbane and the grossly vulgar with this pervy variant on Renoir and Marivaux. Bisset is an ex-TV soap star attempting a comeback and, as friends and relattions gather in her Hollywood mansion for the weekend the scene is set for all manner of sexual entanglements between masters and servants. The intention is obviously to leaven the comedy of manners with a modicum of low humour, but sadly the jokes aren‘t fast and funny enough. All round a bit of a misfire. Glasgow: Grosvenor. I Sea Of Love ( 18) (Harold Becker, US, 1989) Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman, Michael Rooker. 118mins. Pacino, a homicide detective in search of a murderer whose crimes seem to be connected with the personal ads, sets up a date with single mother Barkin, and, although attracted to her, begins to suspect that she is the killer. The plot may be on the creaky side, but the performances from both leads are spot-on, the dialogue and the sex scenes are remarkably realistic. However. the film is more likely to be remembered for its humour than for its tension. Glasgow: Cannon Sauchiehall Street. I sex. lie: and videotape ( 15) (Steven Soderbergh. US, 1989) Andie McDowell, Laura San Giacomo, James Spader, Peter Gallagher. 101 mins. The sex: John (Gallagher) is conducting a steamy affair with his sister-in-Iaw Cynthia (San Giacomo). The lies: they neglect to tell his wife. Anne (McDowell). The videotape: John‘s buddy Graham (Spader) gets his kicks by filming women‘s sexual confessions. 26-year-old Soderbergh‘s first feature is a strikingly assured. funny and thoughtful piece of work. forcing usto examine our own attitudes toward sex. and won the Palme d‘Or at Cannes. Glasgow: GFT. I She-Devil (15) (Susan Seidelman. US. 1989) Meryl Streep, Roseanne Barr. Ed Begley Jr. 99 mins. TV comedy star Barr makes her screen debut in Seidelman‘s heavily criticised version of The Life and Loves ofa She Devil. When her husband (a marvellously slimy Begley) falls for romantic novelist Mary Fisher (Streep making Miss Piggy seem a modelof thespian restraint). the dispossessed spouse decides to enact a fiendishly cunning revenge. The macabre feel ofthe original has been ditched in favour ofa stylised slapstick farce. but the film still leaves you rooting for the world‘s next housewife superstar. Glasgow: GF'T. I She's Out Of Control (12) (Stan Dragoti. US. 1990) Tony Danza. Amy Dolenz. Wallace Shawn. 97 mins. With a little help from her pop‘s girlfriend speccy Californian 15 year-old Dolenz overnight becomes a nubile nymphet. much to dad Danza‘s consternation. As admiration from the local male teenfolk starts queuing round the block. the old man seeks the help of populist self-help shrink Shawn and mounts an increasingly incompetent surveillance campaign. Despite a few lines that would make the most stalwart People‘s Friend subscriber
INTERNATIONAL ‘l LM AWARDS
squirm with embarassment. this is a fairly enjoyable if predictable morality comedy for undemanding youngsters. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge. Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon. UCI. Strathclyde: UCI Clydebank. UCI East Kilbridc.
I Shirley Valentine (15) (Lewis Gilbert. UK, 1989) Pauline Collins. Bernard Hill. Tom Conti. 110 mins. Gilbert‘s screen version of the celebrated Willy Russell play, now expanded from a monologue to include Hill as the insensitive hubby and Conti as the Greek bit of stuffShirley meets on a Mediterranean holiday that turns into a voyage ofself-(re )discovery. Collins is outstanding in the title role of frustrated Liverpudlian housewife. Edinburgh: Cameo. Filmhouse. UCI.
I Society (18) (Brian Yuzna. US. 1989) Billy Warlock, Devin Devasquez. Evan Richards. 9(1mins. Extraordinary and shocking fantasy as high school kid Warlock develops suspicions about his friends, family and shrink. all of whom exhibit anatomical and behavioural peculiarities. But could it all be adolescent paranoia? Special effects — strictly for enthusiasts of human mozarella — come courtesy of a gentleman named Screaming Mad George. Glasgow: Grosvenor. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Spaced invaders (PG ) (Patrick Read Johnson. US, 1990) Douglas Barr. Royal Dano. Ariana Richards. 90 mins. On the 50th anniversary of Orson Welles' original War Of The Worlds radio broadcast a gang of cuddly aliens land on Earth to begin their quest for world domination from the unlikely base of Big Bean. Illinois. ()nly the intervention of Sheriff Barr and curmudgeonly farmer Royal Dano can save the planet from Lieutenant Blaznee (a fashionable ‘Jack Nicholson in space‘ it says here) and his pumpkin-headed mob ofcxtraterrestrials. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge. Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon. UCI. Strathclyde: Odeon Ayr. UCI Clydebank. UCI East Kilbride.
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I Stars And Bars ( 15) (Pat ()‘Connor. UK. 1988) Daniel Day Lewis. Harry Dean Stanton. Joan (‘ttsack. Spalding Gray. 103 mins. Day Lewis plays a bumbling art dealer scouring Georgia for eccentric millionaire Stanton and his priceless Renoir. However. the Stanton household seems populated by the cream of America‘s grotesques from a surly Elvis lookalike to a would-be Vietnam Vet toa time-warped hippy. Surprisingly successful adaptation of William Boyd's novel. which injects an element of slapstick into the rather wry original and gains more than a few laughs. Glasgow: (ii-'1‘.
I The Tenant Le Lot'aruire ( 18) (Roman Polanski. France. 1976) Roman Polanski. Isabelle Adjani. Shelley Winters. 126 mins. Co-written. directed and co-produced by its star. with less than a year between first draft and first screening. this is essence of Polanski. made during arguably his best period. Set in a Parisian apartment whose previous occupant Ieapt to her death from the window. it's an eerie. monochrome paranoia drama highly reminiscent ofhis earlier (and considerably better) Repulsimr. Quite good fun. if you enjoy the morbid. self-indulgent side ofour Roman‘s delicate psyche. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! ( l8) (Pedro Almodovar. Spain. 199(1) Antonio Banderas. Victoria Abril. Francesco Rabal. 101 mins. It‘s women on the verge of exploitation time as Almodovar reveals his most provocative confection to date with a bare outline that reads like mere sexist trash: male loony Banderas kidnaps porno queen Abril. ties her to the bed. pumps her full of drugs and. lo. they fallin love. Look beyond the sordid details however and the film creates its own moral logic based on mutual need between two very damaged characters. In the end. Almodovar manages to to wring moments
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