Continuing our once-a-iortnlght glance at the videos currently on after, or coming soon to a shop near you.
I TIIE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS The melodious tale of two brothers (Jeff and Beau Bridges) who tinkle the keys in a series of increasingly tacky nightclubs. Determined to put a bit of sparkle back in the act, they hire a singer. Michelle Pfeiffer, who soon undoes the tight professional relationship between the brothers. A sultry, leisurely movie spliced with a sharp dialogue provides writer/director Kloves with a notable debut.
I THE WITCRES Young Luke, forever being told by his Scandinavian granny to mind out for witches. just happens to gatecrash their annual shindig in a small English hotel. Unfortuntely. the lad gets turned into a mouse in retaliation. Nicholas Roeg, skilfully guides this adaptation of Rohald Dahl‘s pleasant children‘s tale into a moving and amusing film.
VIN}! i’llVH
a.
I CELTIC & RANGERS: THE OLD FIRM COLLECTION Part of a glut of football videos on the market at the minute. these are two separate 90-minute records of the great Glasgow clubs‘ triumphs— showing astute marketing sense. Pickwick realised that no true fan would wish to endure footage of their ‘other half‘s' success. Also available on the same label are Souness. which records the lbrox guru's progress (in somewhat reverential tones), from pitch to track-side to grandstand. and Grobbelaar which apparently has an hour of the great juggler‘s antics on the football field. The quality of the 63 minute biopic of Brucey is hard to determine. however, as it appears to have been dropped several times. (Pickwick , £9.99)
V VIDEOS
l
MEDIA
Watson,the
radio
There are still a few things that radio does betterthan the movies. Sherlock : Holmes is one of them, Dr Watson i another. Though an array of 70 actors ; have tackled the part of the ludicrously , intelligent ’tec in the 197 Holmes l
movies, not one of them, save perhaps Basil Rathbone, recaptured the true flavour of Conan Doyle's hero. To loilow the overblown deductions ot the Batter Street brain requires a great leap A of the imagination- which is best engendered by the printed word or ; radio broadcast. ’ The latest palrto step into the well-worn slippers of Holmes and Watson are Clive Merrison and Michael Williams- sleuth and trusty companion respectively. In the first instalment of Radio 4's dramatisation of a dozen of Doyle’s short stories (broadcast every Wednesday at 3.02pm) the duo meet up again to tackle the ‘Scandal In Bohemia’. Though Holmes makes no secret at his distaste for the married lile currently being enjoyed by his former co-lodger, the two soon lapse into the love-hate relationship at earlier stories and
Merrison and Williams produce the
A Scandal in Bohemia
‘Ah. Watson, i see lrom your visage andthe ink stains on your right index linger thatyou have been perusing the forthcoming radio shows. I trust that we merit a mention.’
right sparks to keep the stories tlowing.
Radio-work must come as a relief to Andrew Sachs, who plays the towering, King oi Bohemia (such is the power oi radio). The poor lad has been haunted by his own creation — the diminutive Catalonian waiter from Fawity Towels. So much so, that he resurrected him recently for a string at insurance adverts.
The series ot twelve short stories, first published in The Strand magazine, will provide an entertaining broadcast on the BBC’s Holmes service.
:- Margo at
presenting
Scottish Television’s new current affairs programme, Scottish international, will take to the air on Wednesday 14 November with the irrepressible Margo MacDonald at the helm. Her brlel: not surprisingly, will be to examine national and international news trom a Scottish perspective.
MacDonald is an experienced skipper
and has sailed these waters many times beiore. The lormer 3th MP co-presented Scottish Questions and is
currently on the receiving end tor a phone-in programme on Radio Clyde as well as occasionally lronting Woman’s Hour on Radio 4. Producer Henry Eagles is another old hand at this kind of programme. He has recently been responsible tor Scottish Questions, Scottish Women and Scottish Assembly, indeed almost anything with Scottish in the title, making him a natural choice for Scottish lntemational.
Though the programme will be plundering the resources at ITN ior its regular Wednesday slot, Eagles is adamant that they will be providing a fresh approach, ‘We will not just be trotting out the usual laces. New personalities on the business and academic front will be given a chance to airtheir views.’ (Ross Parsons) Scottish international.
I GRIM FIND IN GLASGOW
FLAT Music circles were shocked by the recent discovery of a Bee (iees shrine in a Glasgow garret flat. Police report that an otherwise unremarkable young man is currently being held in contempt following the find.
Investigations revealed a cache of Bee (ices‘ memorabilia. Li’s and music videos. it is feared that unsuspecting music lovers may have been lured to the den ofthis self-confessed born~again Bee (ices' fan to be subjected to hours of delicate harmonies. lyrical platitudes and endless melody in the name ofthe brothers Gibb.
Just as well then that one of the double-video package of the Melbourne leg ofthe world tour was not part of this musical renegadc‘s armoury. Few bands have given so much to pop music for so long. The hits are all here , with. in their exuberant delivery. an indication of why the Gibbs are too. Now available for home conversion courses under the title The Very Bestof the Bee Gees. (Steve Miller) (Video Collection. £9.99)
I BLACK BY POPULAR DEMAND A trio of compilation tapes featuring short films by Black and Asian filmmakers. compiled and marketed by the British Film institute. The highlight of the first is Horace ()ve's Baldwin '5 Nigger. in which novelist James Baldwin sounds off about Black Power. Asian Voices Still Lives. the title ofthc second tape. has two films by (iurindet (.‘hadha (I'm British But
.. and A Nice Arrangement) as well as one by Suri Krishnamma. Mohammed 's Daughter. The third and final tape; Black A nil Blue — Black Women In Jazz rind Blues. contains much rare footage of exactly that. (BF! 21 Stephen Street. London. Wli’ lPl. £29.95)
I THE KRAYS The boys are out; on video — not parole. Too many shots of the Spandau twins (Gary and Martin Kemp) looking coolly at the camera. spoil Peter Medak's attempt to turn urban folklore into fairytale. It follows the rise of the pampered twins from the apron strings of their formidable mother. Vye. to their notorious prominence in the East End. ‘()h dear. Ronnie. I don't think he liked the imaginative filming ofour life story. and I hear he thought Berkoff’scockney villain was frankly laughable. i will be sorry to hear about hislitle contretemps with a cement mixer.‘ (RCA/Columbia. rental)
74 The List 9— 22 November 1990