FILM
INDEX
I All Dogs Go to Heaven ( LJ) (Don Bluih. US. 1989) With the voices ofBurt Reynolds. Loni Anderson and Dom DeLuise. 8-1 mins. In Bluth‘slatest animated feature. likeable Alsatian Charlie Barkin is killed by his partnerin small-time crime. but manages to trick his way out of the Afterlife to face earthbound adventure with cute orphan Anne-Marie as he seeks revenge on his double-crossing buddy. Occasionally sloppy animation is more than made up for by the inventive story-line and an allusive sense ofhumour that should even have adults suppressing the odd guffaw. Strathclyde: Odeon Ayr. I Always (PG) (Steven Spielberg. US. 1989) Richard Dreyfuss. Holly Hunter. John Goodman. 120 mins. Airborne fire-fighter Dreyfuss‘ deepening relationship with feisty co-worker Hunter faces a slight hitch when he‘s killed in action. trying to save best mate Goodman. Thanks however to guardian angel Audrey Hepburn. his soul returnsto Earth, only to face anguish as his ex-lover falls into the arms ofhunk BradJohnson. An absorbing mix of old fashioned sentiment and state-of-the-art special effects. Spielberg‘s reworking of 1943‘s
. Spencer Tracy actioner A Guy .Vumedloe pays tribute to the wholesome Hollywood warmth of halfa century ago. but his attempts at conveying an adult love affair remain uncomfortably adolescent. Glasgow: GFI‘. IAria ( 18) (Various. UK. 1987) 98 mins. Ten sequences by different major directors (including Roeg. Russell. Altman. Temple. and Godard. although Charles Sturridge's contribution is perhaps the best) each based on operatic arias. A self-indulgent and wildly mixed bag is inevitable. but the film is occasionally excellent. and the music is always impressive. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Back To The Future Part 3 ( PG ) ( Robert Zemeckis. LS. 1990) Michael J. Fox. Christopher Lloyd. Mary Steenburgen. 119 mins. After the elongated trailerof B'I'I'I? we're back in 1885 for the third and absolutely final instalment of the series. in which Michael has to face up to longstanding enemy Biff and save the Doc from certain death. except that the latteris much more interested in falling for Mary Steenburgen. The end result is not quite a bad film. but. as with almost every other sequel ofa sequel there's an overall slackness which prevents it from lifting off inthe way that it should. fit almostevery sense. we'v e been here before. (ilasgow: Cannon The Forge. Cannon Saucliieliall Street. Edinburgh: Cannon. l'('l. Central: Regal. Strathclyde: L'Cl Clydebank. [SCI iiast Kilbride. I Bagdad Cale ( l’(i i ( Percy Adlon. L's w. Germany. 1988). Marianne Sagebrecht. (‘.C.H. Pounder. Jack Palance. ltl8riiins. The wonderful Sagebreeht stars as a redoubtable German lady who leav es her husband in the middle of the desert and settles down with the folks at a run-dow n motel. where proprietress l’ounder has also recently lost a spouse. The two women re-invent themselves through their friendship. and transform the place into the bargain. Adlon displays a warm and charming sympathy with the quirks ofhis oddball but convincing characters. and shapes a beguiling tale from the most basic of materials. lidinburgh: l-‘ilmhouse. I The Big Man ( 18) (David Leland. [J K. 1990) Liam Neeson. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer. lan Bannen. Billy Connolly. l 16 mins. See review. Glasgow: Cannon Clarkston Road. Cannon The Forge. Odeon. Edinburgh: ()deori. lfCl. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: LJCI Clydcbank. L'Cl East Kilbride.
. _°\. y. “ The Big Man (18) (Ba 1990) Liam Neeson, Joanne Whalley-Kifmer, lan Bannen, Billy Connolly. 116 mins. Yes, bufwill it play in Kansas? Such is the perennial question asked by the producers of films that take indigenous British subject matter and throw it upon the mercy of the international market. David Leland’s screen adaptation of the William Mcllvanney novel is a valiant attempt at making a British movie of a greater scale than the usual Film on Four million-pounder or Python crew spin-off, but the familiar tensions between the credibility of its source and the compromises made to render it more accessible are enough to leave the end product showing signs of strain amidst its many well-achieved
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You can see why the film got made. Liam Neeson (sporting pure Ulster brogue) is pretty good casting for Danny Scoular, the err-miner looking to recapture his dignity and bring home the bacon for his family by taking part in a potentially lucrative bare-knuckle fight. The idea of one-on-one bone-crunching pugilism appeals to his Scots macho sense of honour, but as we build towards the very bloody, stylishly executed light scene, he's shown as something of a naive figure beside Ian Bannen’s ‘respectable' underworld operator, the kingpin responsible for setting up the fight. Thus, Leland's film taps a rich core of small town integrity versus big city corruption, a theme of genuine
universality lending the piece a sense of emotional scope (very much aided by a huge Morrtcone score) many a British picture would envy.
Alas though, the filmmakers haven’t quite bad the guts to remain true to the material’s compelling dark heart, for this central thrust (and the momentum towards the light) are rather dissipated by a slew of misjudged subplots. Joanne Whalley-Kllmer (accent modelled on the old Flash adverts we reckon), battles hard to make an impression as Danny’s wife, but somehow this isn’t her story and her secondary liaison with yuppie medic Hugh Grant doesn't raise much interest. Nor, I’m afraid, does Billy Connolly and his comedy canine, further evidence of the way the film tries to compensate for the harshness of its mainline action by overdoing the calculated romantic and comic interest.
Leland fudges the finale too. A showdown with the good townsfolk of Coalburn steadfastly manning the streets to show solidarity with big man Neeson against Bannen's slick city type, its lacklustre bathos falls far short of the Fordian feel it’s clearly aiming for. In Danny Scoular’s light for himself and his people, there’s a lot of passion here, a lot of good work too from the powerful Neeson, Bannen’s slimy menace (and the delicate lighting of cameraman Ian Wilson’s camerawork), yet the misjudged ending confirms the film's propensity not to do itself any favours. (Trevor Johnston)
From Fri 7. Glasgow: Cannon Clarkston Road, Cannon The Forge, Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon, UCI. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: UCI Clydebank, UCI East Kilbride.
I Black Bainbowr ii i (Mike f lodges. t “is. 1989) Rosanna Arquette. Jason Robards. 'I‘om Hulce. 1H3 mins. Superior supernatural thriller with Robar'ds and Arquette as a rather dodgy tray elling father and daughter medium act traw ling America's bible belt to fleece gullible punterstaken in by their take messages from beyond. One night however. Arquette accurately predicts the .‘ircuinstances of a murder. soatti'acting the unvv anch attentionsof |tttllllttilsll om Hulce and corrupt industrialist .lohn Benneswho'll do anything to prevent his secrets from escaping, After the l’mver I’m The Dying debacle. w rite r director Hodges bounces back with a nicely judged shocker that‘s always reliant on i characterisation rather than cheap thrills. (ilasgow : Cannon Sauchiehall Street. fidinburgh; l'('l,
I Blue Velvet( l8) ltiavra [.y itch. t 's. 1986) Kyle .‘ylacl.achlan. Dennis l lopper. Isabella Rossellini. lZflmins. ln small-tow n Middle America. would-be boy detective .\lacl.ach|an finds a severed car on sortie waste ground. When the police shoo him away he decides todo some investigating of his ow n. A singular fusion of the cosy and the terrifying w hich blends kitsch and nightmare. H-mov ie detection and brutal sex to deconstruct our complacent vision of normal society . 'l his is film-making of remarkable imagination and skill. lidinburgh: f-‘ilmhouse.
I Candy Mountain ( IS) ( Robert
l-‘rank Rudy Wurlitzer. l-‘rance Canada. 1987) Kevin ()‘Connor. Harris Yulin.
Tom Waits. ()2 mins. l)reamer()'( 'onnor longs for fame and fortune as a rock star. and edges closer to fulfillment when he's asked to track down legendary guitar maker inlin (’r'ossing two c‘tttlllll'lesiiy way of various fornisot transport.hc encounters an array of troubled liv cs. brit eventually finds that ‘[.ife ain't nocaridy rnountarn.‘()ftbeat and engaging road rnov ie from noted photographer frank and former scrccnw r itei ll’ar (inn-errant! Iii/Iv 'l'lre lv'rr/l Wurlit/cr . which boastsa cast of music bi/ eccentrics includingl)i' John. l eon Redbone. .loe Stiumnierand Mary Margaret ( )'l lara. lidrnburgh. J'ilrtihottse
I Crimes and Misdemeanoursr !.< i l Woody Allen. l‘S. WW) .\lartin landau. Anielica Huston. Woody Allen. Alan Alda Ill-1 mrns lwostoriesarc interwoven in this accoriiplished Allen offering which effor tlcssly blends the Big Questions side of his art w ith theone-line wit we've taken for granted from illlll. In the first strand. opthalniologist Martin Landau has a hit man buriip oft his unsettled mistress lest she alert his w ifc of their affair. while the second thread has worthy documentary filmmaker Allen clashing with smug media tycoon Alda The two narratives work towards a w isc affirmation of life's impenetrable rnoral compleultes. (ilasgow. ()deoti lzdrnburgh: ()deoii
IDays olThunderi ljii'l ony sc-oii. t 's. l‘Nfl) 'l'omt'iuise. Robert l)uv;i|l. Nicole Kidnian. ltlTiiiins l-aiily routine reruriof the [up (r'rur formula w hich once riiore
unites main attraction Cruise with superproducers Simpson tv Bruckheimer and commercially successful British cx-adman director 'I‘ony (wee brotherof Ridlcy lScott. Jill\ time the difference is that esteemed screenwriter Robert
'I ow iie's dialogue strains toadd significance to the events. but w hile
ev eryorie tries to conv rnce themselves that this is something more than an auto-racing flick. that's just what it Is A very w ellput together stock-car riiov ie. if that's w hat you want to see. (ilasgow; (‘annon’l‘he i-orge. ('annon Sauchiehall Street. lidinbur'gh. Cannon. l‘('l. ('enfr'al: (aledonian. Str'athclyde. Cannon. ( )deon Ay r'. I.a Scala. l‘( ~l ('lydebank. l'Cl liasf Kilbl'lde
I Dead Calm ( 15 ) t l’hilip Noyce. Airstralia. W80) Sam .\'eil|. Nicole ls'idrnan. llilly Zane. Uri mins. A psychoon the sev en seas disturbs a young couple trying toget away from it alloii acruise along the Barrier Reef. i'irst ratesuspense follows. in thiscannv llll\ of on-ship clatistiopliobia and'vv ide open scascapes lioni Aussie new vvavci .\'oycc
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I Dead Ringers t I8) ( l )av rd ( ~ronenbeig. l'S. l‘l8MJcreniy Irons.(ieiievicve liiijold. lleidi l’alleskc l 15mins. J'\ll.lt)ltifll;ll'\ evainintion oi sevual jealousy .in identical twins lroiisplays
L1\ llav‘v‘tiitiglsls. arrogant J” “ml and the iiiore studious llevci ly Mantle. who fall iii lov e w rtli fadriig actress ( ‘Iaiie .\'iveau when their clinic treats lici infertility As the emotional tiri nioils mounts tip. the fr in
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The list 31 August 13 September I‘Nll31