BACARDI BLACK
INDEX FILM
FILM
INDEX ‘
Filnts screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, credits, brief review and venue details. Full length reviews or new releases can he found in the listings section wich follows. Film index compiled by Alan Morrison.
I The Abyss: Special Edition (15) (James Cameron. US. 1989) Ed Harris. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Michael Bichn. 168 mins. Let‘s face it: the original ending of Cameron‘s underwater extra-terrestrial drama left a lot to be desired. Much better is the heightened political intrigue of this extended version. which still retains its human emotional impact. Strathclyde: UCI Clydebank.
I Accion Iutante (18) (Alex de la Iglesia. Spain. 1993) Frederique Feder. Antonio Resines. Alex Angulo. 94 mins. A group of handicapped revolutionaries kidnap an heiress and head to an off-world mining planet for a bloody showdown. An instant sci~filhorror cult classic let loose from the Almodovar experimental labs. Try to imagine Freaks meeting Barbarella at a party thrown by Mad Mar. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I l'Aeco-pamatrice (PG) (Claude Miller. France. 1993) Richard Bohringer. Elena Safonova. Romane Bohringer. 111 mins. During the Second World War. a poverty-stricken pianist's life is transformed when she becomes accompaniest to a beautiful singer. whose luxurious appartment she moves into. But her mentor. although married. is having an affair with a member of the French Resistance. which continues when they move to London. Fairly lifeless stuff from a country that still hasn‘t got to grips with this period of its history. Glasgow:
GFT.
I Adriane Fatally Values (PG) (Barry Sonnenfeld. US. 1993) Anjelica Huston. Raul Julia. Christopher Lloyd. 95 mins. The Addams clan are back in residence. but this time with the addition of baby Pubert and gold-digging nanny Joan Cusack. who‘s got her eyes on Fester's riches. Twisted humour and inverted morality for the adolescent in us all. Great set design. but jokes that will go way over the head of the kids. General release.
I An Affair To Reine-her (U) (Leo McCarey. US. 1957) Cary Grant. Deborah Kerr. Cathleen Nesbitt. 114 mins. Romantic weepie with Grant as a wealthy batchelor (again!) and Kerr as the night-club singer he falls for. Warmly sentimental. it was the ‘women‘s movie' that kept popping up in Sleepless ltt Seattle. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Aladdin (U) (John Musker/Ron Clements. US. 1992) With the voices of Robin Williams. Scott Weinger. Linda Larkin. 9| mins. Panto time. Disney style. as street-wise thief Aladdin woos Princess Jasmine with the help of the Genie of the Lamp and hindrance of the evil Jafar. Colourful. entertaining stuff that will be lapped up by children and adults alike. Williams's whirling dervish of a Genie inevitably steals the show. General release.
I Les Aniants tlu Pont'lleui ( l8) (Leos Carax. France. 1991) Juliette Binoche. Denis Lavant. 127 mins. An artist with a degenerative eye disease meets a fire-eating down-and-out. and they fall in love against the backdrop of Paris‘s Pont-Neuf. A stunningly visual movie. the most expensive ever to come out of France. Glasgow:
GFT.
I All Angel At I! Table ( 15) (Jane Campion. New Zealand. 1990) Kerry Fox. Alexia Keogh. Karen Fergussson. 158 mins. Campion‘s follow- up to her remarkable debut Sweetie is a lengthy treauncnt of her compatriot Janet Frame‘s autobiographical trilogy of novels. originally made for television. Following Frame‘s life from awkward childhood and teenage years. through university (where she was diagnosed as
schizonphrenic) and bohemian travels in Europe. :
to her adult achievements as a writer. the film offers a subtle depiction of mental illness. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Another Stalteout (PG) (John Badham. US. 1993) Richard Dreyfus. Emilio Estevez. Rosie O'Donnell. 109 mins. More routine buddy cop stuff that not even charismatic playing from the male leads can save this time round. Here they're hindered on their surveillance mission by brassy. inexperienced assistant DA O'Donnell. Contrived and unmemorable. See review. Glasgow: MGM Parkhead. Odeons: Glasgow. Edinburgh. Ayr. All UCIs.
I AuantistPG) (Luc Besson. France. 1991) 76 mins. Ambient underwater antics from the man who brought you Nikita and The Big Blue. Besson and his small crew capture a subaquatic world that at times resembles documentary footage of another planet. No actors. no dialogue: just impressive photography and Eric Serra's score to guide you through the not-so- rnurky depths. Edinburgh: Cameo. Filrnhouse.
Harvey Keitel. Frankie Thome. Zoe Lund. 96 mins. A return to urban sleaze by master of the genre Abel Fertara. A NYPD cop (Keitel). in debt due to drugs. alcohol and'gambling addiction. is intrigued by a big money reward in the case of a raped nun. Ilarsh. powerful. but filled with a religious orthodoxy. this is a reminder of the director at his best (Angel of Vengeance. Driller Killer) and should be picked up by Reservoir Dogs fans. Edinburgh: Cameo. I earalta (PG) (Ron Fricke. US. 1992) 96 mins. Environmentally aware eco-doc in the style of Koyaanisqatsi has the major advantage of having been shot in 70mm. which makes the stunning cinematography the star of the show. Beautiful footage of Planet Earth is juxtaposed with man’s harmful relation to it. with the Big Statement being pushed forwards by a series of powerful images. A genuine spectacle. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Betty Blue: The Complete Version (18) (Jean- Jacques Beineix. France. 1986) Jean-Ilugues Anglade. Beatrice Dalle. Gerard Darmon. 180 mins. The story remains the same - boy meets girl. girl flips out — but the extra 60 mins of
help give a creditable timescale to Betty's descent into insanity. while others are distracting. the cinematic equivalent of
friend. Glasgow: Gl-‘I‘. Edinburgh: Cameo. Filrnhouse.
I The Big Blue (15) (Luc Besson. France. 1988) Rosanna Arquette. Jean-Marc Barr. Jean Reno. 120 mins. Barr and Reno. friends since they were children. are divers competing to reach the greatest depths without the aid of breathing equipment. and also rivals for the romantic attentions of Ms Arquette. A commercial smash
photographed visual experience in varying : shades of blue. Even if the plot is a load of tosh. the dolphins are nice. Edinburgh: I-‘ilmhouse.
i I Blade Runner: the Director’s Cut (15) (Ridlcy
Scott. US. 1982/92) Ilarrison Ford. Sean Young.
Rutger llauer. 116 mins. Out go the pseudo-noir
narration and the tacked-on happy ending; in
5 comes a more defined sense that Deckard
3 himself may be a replicant. The look and feel
remain as powerful. and the acting is superb. A
flawed masterpiece is now a restored
masterpiece. Glasgow: Grosvenor. Edinburgh:
Cameo.
I Bound And Bagged: A love Story ( 18) (Daniel
Appleby. US. 1992) Ginger Lynn Allen.
Elizabeth Saltarelli. Christopher Denton. 95
mins. A bisexual woman kidnaps her female
: lover in order to ‘deprogramnie' her from her
dependence on her violent husband. and heads
out on the road with a tnale would-be suicide friend in tow. Sex and comedy blends with moe
serious issues - domestic violence and the
. consequences of obsessive relationships — which
gives this movie a little weight. despite its moral
idiosyncracies. See review. Glasgow: (ll-'1‘.
' I Cabaret ( 18) (Bob Fosse. LS. 1972) Liza
Minelli. Joel Grey. Michael York. 124 mins. In divinely decadent early 1930s Berlin. singer Sally Bowle wows them at the notorious Kit
: Kat Klub. encounters the beginnings of Nazism and shares her pretty English boyfriend with a
gay baron. Stylish and invigorating Broadway
musical turned Oscar-winning cinematic
i landmark. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Carlito‘s Way ( 18) (Brian De Palma. LS.
1993) Al Pacino. Sean Penn. Penelope Ann
Miller. 141 mins. Out ofjail after five years.
1 former drug runner (‘arlito Brigante can't come
to terms with the erosion of any sense of honour
on the streets. and finds his struggle to go
3 straight becoming more and more impossible.
- Pacino at times slips into performance rather
than characterisation. but still squeezes
: sensitivity from the character; Sean Penn is
3 excellent in his return to acting: and De Palma
pulls it all off with more restraint than usual. See
feature. General release.
1 I A Chinese Ghost Story ( IS) (Chin Siu Tung.
'g llong Kong. 1987) Leslie Cheung. 98 mins.
While visiting a haunted temple. a young debt
collector falls prey to the charms of a delightful
1 young lady ghost. Engagingly over-the-top
commercial film-making from Iiong Kong. with
Kung Fu. slapstick comedy. gruesome special
effects and traditional supernatural elements
‘ rolled together into one wild package. Watch out
I Bad lieutenant (18) (Abel Ferrara. US. 1992)
unseen footage is a mixed bag. Some new scenes
monstrous carbuncles on the face of a well-loved
in its native France. Besson's film is a stunningly
for the rapping monk and the killer tongue. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The Concierge (PG) (Barry Sonnenfeld. US. 1993) Michael J. Fox. Gabrielle Anwar. Anthony Higgens. 95 mins. Doug Ireland (Fox). a young concierge who dreams of owning his own hotel. meets an investor who will put up the money if Doug ‘babysits‘ his drop-dead gorgeous mistress (Anwar). Lightweight romantic comedy which shows Fox to advantage but. despite lacking the materialistic undertones of the likes of Pretty Woman. still treats its female characters as accessories. Central: Cannon.
I The Creature Frorn The Black Lagoon (18) (Jack Arnold. US. 1954) Richard Carlson. Julia Adams. Ricou Browning. 79mins. Fifties' monster movie classic has a party of scientists on an Amazon expedition discovering a strange amphibious creature. the gill man. who proceeds to threaten the safetv of the entire group. Impressive underwater camerawork and some sympathy for the big green fella mark this out as far superior to most of the genre. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Dalnage (18) (Louis Malle. UK/France. 1992) Jeremy Irons. Juliette Binoche. Miranda Richardson. Rupert Graves. 111 mins. A Tory MP. headed for high office. drops his parliamentary briefs in favour of his son's new girlfriend. David llare's script is restrained and dispassionate. leaving the audience detached from the potential melodrama. A very English sexual repression pulled apart by French master Malle. Glasgow: GET.
I have (12) (Ivan Reitrnan. US. 1993) Kevin Kline. Sigoumey Weaver. Frank Langella. 110 mins. It's one of those eternal Hollywood myths: an ordinary Joe — or in this case. Dave — finds himself in the White House and. despite the powers that be. decides to give US politics a liberal heart. Kline is at his most appealing. Weaver nicely underplays the supporting role. (‘omfortable old-fashioned filmmaking that's a bit like soaking in a wamt bath. Edinburgh: UCI. Strathclyde: UCI Clydebank.
I Demolition Man (15) (Marco Brambilla. US. 1993) Sylvester Stallone. Wesley Snipes. Nigel Hawthorne. 115 mins. Cryogenically frozen in 1996. but thawed out for a parole hearing 36
3 years later. mass murderer Simon Phoenix
(Snipes) escapes and sets about creating major mayhem. The only man who can stop him is Sgt
I John Spartan (Stallone). the man who caught
him first time round and who is also undergoing the big freeze. Producer Joel Silver's trademark big bangs and some lampooning of screen
1 images by the stars enliven this excellent sci-ft
action movie that is laced with sharp social satire. Glasgow: MGMs. Edinburgh: MGM. Borders: Roxy. All UCls.
I Dennis (PG) (Nick Castle. US. 1993) Mason Gamble. Walter Matthau. Joan Plowright. 98 mins. Ile's blond. he's cute. he‘s American. his
'2 dog isn't a flufl'ball with teeth. At least the
stripey jumper remains the same. But. then again. the Dennis of the US cartoon strip never was related to The Beano's arch-menace. When
Dennis's folks go off on business. the
mischevious little brat is left in the hands of his
elderly neighbours: Home Alone scenario from - the John Hughes stable. Glasgow: ()deon.
I Desperate lientedies ( I 5) (Stewart Slain/Peter Wells. New Zealand. 1993) Jennifer \V'ard-lcaland. Kevin Smith. Lisa ('happell. 92
" mins. llunk stumbles off boat into fin-de-siecle
N7. town and is immediately set upon by a millner who reckons he could wean her opium addict sister from her nasty boyfriend. Melodrama? Stylised taffeta sets? Labyrinthine narrative? You've got the lot here in this in-your- face exercise in flashy visuals. See review. Glasgow: GFf.
I Dragon ( 15) (Rob Cohen. US. 1993) Jason
Scott Lee. Lauren Holly. Robert Wagner. 119 i mins. Exciting. intelligent biopic on the short life
of martial arts star Bruce Lee will please action fans and provide some insight into the
E motivations that drOve the tnan through his
revolutionary fighting techniques. ground- breaking films and inter-racial marriage. Jason Scott Lee is excellent in the lead role. his sinewy physique a match for the master's. Fife: New Picture House.
, I Les Eniants Du Paradis (PG) (Marcel Carne. France. 194-1) Arletty. Jean-Louis Barrault.
Pierre Brasseur. 195 mins. Paris in the 1840s. Amid the seething heart of the French capital's theatre street. a mime artist falls in love with the delicious but flirtatious Gamace. One of the
§ cinema's most extravagantly enjoyable
l
productions. this gorgeous elephantine wallow of a film is crammed with incident and
compellineg curious Gallic comic characters.
Edinburgh: Cameo. I Equinox ( 15) (Alan Rudolph. US. I992) Matthew Modine. Lara Flynn Boyle. Fred Ward.
“ sponsored by BACARDI BLACK
19931u'nEVEnsE
list writers offer out higth or the year.
ALAN MDBBISDI
I Best Filer Reservoir Dogs (US), Orlando (UK). The Piano (elsewhere). .
I Best Actor David Thewlis for Naked. A torrent of apocalyptic angst that grabs your attention for a full two hours.
I Best Actress Juliette Binoche for Three Colours: Blue. Delicate. detailed acting.
I Best Director John Woo for Hard Boiled. Bullet In The Head. The Killer and Hard Target. No one else is even close when it comes to pure cinematic action.
I Best Screenplay John Sayles for Passion Fish. Characters of real depth exist in the dialogue alone.
I Best Score Michael Nyman for The Piano. Film music that blends with theme and character.
I Best TV Film Safe. Inspired directorial debut by Antonia Bird: devastating performances by Kate Hardie and Aidan Gillen.
I Best Short Franz Kaflta 's It’s A Wonderful Life. Peter Capaldi‘s debut behind the camera shows a perfect grasp of the short format.
110 mins. Another carefully constructed. subtly mannered exercise in symbolic storytelling from Alan (Trouble In Mind) Rudolph. This time Matthew Modine plays separated-at-birth twins. one a shy mechanic. the other a rising hitman. A labyrinthine thriller with existential yeamings. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
I The Exorcist ( 18) (William Friedkin. US. 1973) Linda Blair. Ellen Burstyn. Max Von Sydow. 110 mins. Earnest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this huger effective scarefest. Dead good. dead scarey. dead priest. Glasgow: Grosvenor. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Exorcist 2: The lleretic (18) (John Boorman. US. 1977) Richard Burton. Louise Fletcher. Linda Blair. 110 mins. The horror film that once turned heads receives an unworthy sequel in this silly mumbo-jumbo about priest Burton trying to understand the demons still lurking within the hapless Ms Blair. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Falling Down ( 18) (Joel Schumacher. US. 1992) Michael Douglas. Robert Duvall. Barbara Hershey. l 12 mins. A sacked defence worker abandons his car in a traffic jam and goes on an escalating rampage across Los Angeles. No mere vigilante movie this. but the zeitgeist movie of the 90s. drinking deep of White Middle-Class America‘s fears about its future. Actor Douglas and director Schumacher deliver their finest work to date. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Farewell My Conculiine (15) (Chen Kaige. China. 1993) Gong Li. Leslie Cheung. Zhang Fengyi. 156 mins. The story of two Peking ()pera actors and the woman who comes between them provides an intimately detailed story which is set to a constantly shifting backdrop of Chinese politics during the 20th century. The Opera setting provides colour and spectacle. and questions how far a man will go for his art: the historical episodes give this Palme d'Or winning film the flavour of a genuine epic. See preview. Edinburgh: Cameo.
The List 17 December 1993—13 January 1994 31