INDEX FILM
FILM
Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Alan Morrison.
I The Adventures or Priscilla. Queen or The Desert ( l8) (Stephan Elliott. Australia. 1994) Terence Stamp. Hugo Weaving. Guy Pearce. 104 mins. Two transvestites and a trans-sexual team up fora trip across the Australian outback for a drag show in Alice Springs. Serious issues pop tip from time to time. btit the emphasis is on the camp humour of the iii-bus bitchiness and outrageous musical set-pieces. Glasgow: Gl’l". I Angel Heart ( 18) (Alan Parker. (35. 1987) Mickey Rourke. Robert de Niro. Charlotte Rampling. l 13 mins. Scrtrffy. unshaven private eye Harry Angel is hired by the mysterious Louis Cyplire to track down a missing lior'ties crooner who has reneged on a life-or-death deal. llis investigations lead him to a seedy New Orleans dominated by voodoo cults and extremely dead bodies in this uncomfortable mating of visceral gore arid moody film "Off, with some ingenious if nasty twists in the plot. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Apollo 13 (PG) (Ron Howard. US. 1995) Tom Hanks. Bill Paxton. Kevin Bacon. 140 mins. On 13 April 1970. an oxygen tank exploded on the service module of the Apollo 13 spacecraft. leaving three astronauts stranded some 200.000 miles from home. Howard's screen retelling is a big. epic adventure with a proudly patriotic stance. The space photography isjust fantastic and the acting as good as it gets. Great entertainment. if a little rich iii the apple pie department. General release.
I Assassins ( 15) (Richard Donner. US. 1995) Sylvester Stallone. Antonio Banderas. Julianne Moore. 125 mins. Reflective Stallone is the best professional killer money can btry. btit when he notices that an equally deadly rival (Banderas) is starting to ‘steal' some of his jobs. so begins a long. breathless and bloody chase. The familiar elements are in place. btit given that the director is Lethal Weapon helmer Richard Donner and the producer is Joel Silver. you can be sure of plenty of explosive action for your money. All UCls.
I Bad Boys ( 15) (Michael Bay. US. 1995) Martin Lawrence. Will Smith. Tea Leoni. 104 mins. When a criminal mastermind completes a huge drtig heist. Leoni is the only witness to the accompanying murder. btit she'll only talk to cop Smith. Smith's out of the office. so partner Lawrence assumes fiis identity. and the two buddies with badges have to keep the swapped role stunt up until trial date. Plenty of opportunities for comedy and action are made the most of iii this new post-Murphy black cop franchise. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Barry Lyndon (PG) (Stanley Kubrick. UK. 1975) Ryan O'Neal. Marisa Berenson. Patrick Magee. 184 mins. Kubrick‘s sumptuous recreation of Thackeray's shaggy dog tale follows O‘Neal's gentleman of fortune through 18th century Ireland. An extraordinary attention to detail and a visual style that effectively reproduces the look of contemporary paintings are the major points of interest. easily outweighing the meandering narrative thread. but this is a gorgeous film all the same. Fife: Adam Smith.
I Batman Forever (PG) (Joel Schumacher. US. 1995) Val Kilmer. Tornrrry Lee Jones. Jim Carrey. 122 mins. A lightening of tone has followed the departure of Tim Burton from the director's seat. meaning that this third effort is. in comparison. shallow. noisy and rather by-the- numbers. That said. no one will be asking for their money back. Added to the list of characters this time are Carrey‘s The Riddler and Jones's Two-Face - villains of truly hissable class - and another wannabe vigilante in the shape of orphaned Dick Grayson (Chris O'Donnell). Just don't expect the same dark forays into the shadows of the human psyche. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Beyond Bargoon (12) (John Boorman. US. 1995) Patricia Arquette. Frances McDormand. Spalding Gray. 100 mins. An American physician (Arquette). travelling through Asia. stumbles upon the lawless military dictatorship of Burma and the mass slaughter carried out there in the late l980s. Arquette manages to come through it all with a toughness that's credible. but Boorman overdoes the violence done against her and others. The sweeping landscapes have a powerful beauty. but ultimately the political lecturing becomes too much even for such an impressive canvas to bear. Central: MacRobert.
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 in its native France. Besson's film is a stunningly photographed visual experience in varying shades of blue. Even if the plot is a load of tosh. the dolphins are nice. Edinburgh: Cameo. I The Big Sleep (PG) (Howard Hawks. US. 1946) Humphrey Bogart. Lauren Bacall. John Ridgely. Martha Vickers. 114 mins. Marlowe gets caught tip in the peccadilloes of the Stemwood family as lie tries to stop a spot of blackmail. Needless to say. the broad knows more than she lets on. Witty. sultry. atmospheric. mainstreairr/ilm iioir with Bogey and Bacall doing their excellent double act. ~lidinburgh: Filriihouse. I Birth Of A llation(t’(;)(1).w. (iiir‘r‘iih. (is. 1915) Lillian Gish. Mae Marsh. Henry Walthall. 158 mins. Given that Griffith's groundbreaking film — the biggest grossing silent ever — is based on a novel called The Clam/nun. there's likely to be a nasty racist flavour to its heroic depiction of the Klu Klux Klan. That said. this is an astounding work of art. with epic battle scenes and a melodramatic emotional punch. With piano accompaniment. Glasgow: Gl-‘l'. I Blade liunner ( 15) (Ridley Scott. [S 1982) Harrison Ford. Rulger llauer. Sean Young. 1 17 mins. A tough cop tracks down a group of malfunctioning androids in this gritty hi-tech retread of Raymond Chandler. executed with Scott's customary visrral fiair. and with strong performances. especially from Ford and llauer. But try following the confusing plot first time around. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Braveheart (15) (Mel Gibson. LS. 1995) Mel Gibson. Patrick McGoohan. Sophie Marceau. 177 mins. Mel Gibson‘s long and bloody account of the life of Scottish warrior hero William Wallace boasts some remarkable battle scenes and great performances. particularly McGoohan‘s merciless King Edward. Aiming to entertain on a wider scale than the more literate Rob Roy. Brave/reart's Scottish passion is tempered by a few Hollywood moments — touches of sentimentality and ‘dramatic' historical inaccuracy. Nevertheles. it's a fine. full-blooded attempt to tap into the spirit that fires Scotland's history and heroes. General release. I Bullets Over Broadway ( IS) (Wmdy Allen. US. 1994) John Cusack. Dianne Wiest. Chazz Palminteri. 105 trrins. Self-absorbed playwright David Shayne (Cusack) compromises all the way dowtr the litre as he attempts to get his new masterpiece staged — he's willing to cast a gangster‘s girlfriend for the necessary funding and lake writing tips from her streetwise bodyguard. Allen's emphasis is on witty dialogue and strong performances. which gives the film a slightly theatrical feeling. Strathclyde: East Kilbride Arts Centre. I Butterfly Kiss ( 18) (Michael Winterbottom. UK. 1995) Saskia Reeves. Amanda Plummer. 88 mins. Winterbottom's striking road movie about two lesbian killers is clever. atmospheric and boasts sharp performances. but it lacks empathy at its core. There are tender moments between the two characters. btrt they‘re both too wacko for us to share any elements of humanity with them. If only more time had been spent setting things up. then we might have had a very haunting film indeed. Fife: Adam Smith. I The Cabinet 0f Doctor Caligari (PG) (Robert Wiene. Germany. 1919) Werner Krauss. Conrad Verdt. Lil Dagover. 90 mins. A landmark of expressionist cinema. feasting the eyes with bizarre. angular visuals despite its technical crudity. The acting and directing are superb. and the story of a fairground hypnotist who uses a Sleepwalker to carry out murders still retains a unique sense of horror. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Barrington (18) (Christopher Hampton. UK. 1995) Emma Thompson. Jonathan Pryce. Steven Waddington. 123 mins. Hampton's debut as writer-director concentrates on the deeply loving. platonic relationship between Bloomsbury Group writer Lytton Strachey (Pryce) and painter Dora Cam'ngton (Thompson). The film takes an episodic approach to their life together. letting the performances flourish. but providing some extremely funny and literate one-liners to lighten the moments when tragedy looms. Darker and more intriguing than the typical British period piece. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Casper (PG) (Brad Silberling. US. 1995) Christina Ricci. Bill Pullman. Cathy Moriarty. 100 mins. Everyone's favourite friendly ghost has been living with his three bad-tempered uncles in an abandoned mansion. When it's bequeathed to a money-grabbing heiress who thinks it‘s filled with hidden treasure guarded by unquiet spirits. Casper comes into contact with ghost psychologist Pullman‘s tomboy daughter (Ricci). A very messy amalgam of Ghostbusters
effects. Addams- Famili- gotfric humour and the sort of overblown feelgood Spielbergiana that revels it) funny gadgetry and family values. General release.
I Cinema Paradiso: The Special Edition (15) (Giuseppe Tortratore. Italy/France. 1988) Salvatore Cascio. Philippe Noiret. Jacques Peit'in. 170 mins. The nostalgic chronicle of a Sicilian youngster's formative relationship with his local movie house and its wise old pr'ojcctionist is largely unaltered; the new material details the older Salvatore's traumatic return home. showing exactly what happened to his teenage parairiour. Consequently. the tone is darkened. a corrntertxrint to the central slushiness. A masterpiece restored. Fife: New Picture House.
I Circle Of Friends ( 15) (Pat O'Connor. l’S/L'K. 1994) Chris O'Donnell. Colin Firth. Minnie Driver. 102 mins. A group of friends meet and socialise together as a relief from their college studies in Dublin. with love and disaprmintmcnt inevitably rearing their heads. A slice of life in 1957 Ireland - so parochial it might as well be another planet — ()‘Contior's adaptation of Maeve Binchy's novel is faithfully recreated btrt too lightweight. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Clerks ( 18) (Kevin Smith. US. 1993) Brian ()‘Halloran. Jeff Anderson. Marilyn Ghigliotti. 90 mins. Jtrst when you were sick of the very sight of the word ‘slacker'. along comes Clerks and gives the whole commercialisation of the Gen X lifestyle a good hard kick tip the backside. Kevin Smith's hilariously foul dialogue peps tip the exchanges on life. sex and everyday living between bored convenience store check-out assistant Dante and equally bored video store manager Randal. Strathclyde: l'Cl Clydebank.
I Clueless ( 12) (Amy lleckerling. US. 1995) Alicia Silverstone. Stacey Dash. Britanny Murphy. 98 mins. Beautiful. fashionable and streetsmait Beverley Hills schoolgirl Cher (Alicia) is spoilt to distraction. btit when teenage romance floors her. she‘s as clueless as anyone. This has all the ingredients for an unashamedly brainless smash teen comedy — including a new line in kooky dialect — but unfortunately it doesn't do anything that Heathers didn't do better. See review. General release.
I The Conformist ( l8) (Bernardo Bertolucci. lt/l-‘i'lGer. 1970) Jean-Louis 'l‘rintigant. Stefania Sandrelli. Gastoniie Moschin. 115 mins. A man tries to sublrmate his homosexuality by conforming to the dictates of 30s fascist Italy. marrying a dull wife and agreeing to carry out an assassination. A riiasterpiece of visual style that draws disturbing links between the political and sexual arenas. The Conformixt can now be seen iii Bertolucci's own 1 15-minute cut. Glasgow: GET.
I Cool Bunnings (PG) (John 'l‘ur'teltaub. US. 1993) Doug [5. Doug. Leon. John Candy. 99
mins. Speculative conredy based on the first-ever
Jamaican bobsled team at the last Winter Olympics is harmlesst amiable. btrt unfortunately cranks tip too many moralistic messages complete with appropriate accompanying music. Still. audiences seem to like its easy-going nature. making it an affectionate tribute to the late John Candy. Edinburgh: MGM.
I The Crow (18) (Alex l’royas. US. 1994) Brandon Lee. Ernie Hudson. Richelle Davis. 101 mins. Infamous as the film on which martial arts star Bruce Lee‘s son Brandon was killed by a defective stunt gun. this is the nrost consistent attempt yet to create on film the distinctive feel of the graphic novel. The characterisation and plot development may be slight — a rock star :omes back from the dead to wrech revenge on the gang who killed him and his girlfriend — but stylistically. it's a gem. Borders: Pavilion.
I Death And The Maiden ( l8) (Rorrran Polanski. UK/US/Fr'ance. 1994) Sigoumey Weaver. Ben Kingsley. Stuart Wilson. 101 mins. A former torture victim believes the man who helped her husband when his car had a flat is the doctor who abused her years before. Polanski thinks he's doing a llitchcockian thriller (which trivialises Ariel Dorfman‘s source material). while Weaver waves a gun around like there's something creepy. crawly and extraterrestrial under the bed. Glasgow: MGM Parkhead.
I Die llard With A Vengeance ( I 5) (John McTiernan. US. 1995) Bruce Willis. Jeremy Irons. Samuel L. Jackson. 128 mins. Basically an extended cat and mouse game. McTiernan's sequel to his own original has washed-up anti- hero Willis and pissed-off. good-hearted sidekick Samuel L. Jackson dashing across New York City from pay-phone to pay-phone. solving childish riddles in time to deactivate a stash of hidden bombs. Imagine Speed with a hangover. with plenty of comedy. the best buddy pairing in years. but a curious lack of satisfying set pieces. Glasgow: Odeon. Edinburgh: UCl. Strathclyde: UCl Clydebank.
I Dumb And Dumber ( 12) (Peter Farrelly. US. 1994) Jim Carrey. Jeff Daniels. Lauren Holly.
Catch the best Film this fortnight.
5.?" "r p, FIRST BUII
I land And Freedom The complexities of-the Spanish Civil War are shown in an accessible and emotional light in Ken Loach’s masterpiece. which features an international ensemble of actors led by the brilliant lan Hart. Glasgow: GFI“. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The lleon Bible Although based on a novel by John Kennedy Toole. Terence Davies's latest bears all the markers of his earlier work — the joys and pains ofchildhood memory told through strong visual images. Glasgow: GI'T Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Third Known llest Director Tom Kalin (of Sir-ooh fame) presents nine of his short film works as part of Glasgayl Glasgow: CCA.
I The Bridges 0f Madison County Clint Eastwood slows down the pace alongside Meryl Streep in this mature and finely textured love story, proving again that he‘s also a director of note. General release.
I Braveheart Mel Gibson dons the facepaint and takes to the field against the English as Hollywood tums the life of William Wallace into an action spectacular. General release.
BEFEBTOBY
I The Big Sleep Bogart, Bacall. Hawks, Chandler. . . a classic film noir with real star sex appeal, cracking lines and a beguilineg complex plot. Re-issued in a new print. Edinburgh: Film/rouse.
I The Wild Bunch Holden. Oates. Borgnine, Peckinpah . . . a classic late western with an elegiac but unsentimental feel. as a group of ageing outlaws apply their violent values to a changing world. Re-issued in a new print. Glasgow: GFT
I Birth Of A llatlon The heroic portrayal ofthe Klu Klux Klan may leave a bad taste in the mouth, but there’s no denying the sheer cinematic power of D.W. Griffith‘s silent classic. Glasgow: GF'II
102 mins. Brainless litno driver Lloyd (Can'ey) drags equally intellectually challenged roommate Harry (Daniels) to Aspen in search of the beautiful Mary. not knowing the suitcase he's carrying contains the ransom for her husband's kidnappers. There's nothing patronising about these guy's sheer stupidity — this is aimless. puerile. shamefacedly hilarious stuff for people who didn't understand the jokes in Wayne's World. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Erna (15) (Zhou Xiaowen. Hong Kong/China. 1994) Alia. Ge Zhijun. Liu Peiqi. 98 mins. Jealous of her neighbour's television. Etmo becomes obsessed with an impressive 29‘ set and dedicates her working life to saving for it. Her determined quest will strike a chord in our
The List 20 Oct-2 Nov 1995 25