cinematic equivalent for the subtle shadings of iii Caravaggio's brushwork. Glasgow: Gl’l’.
City Of Angels ( I 2) (Brad Siberling. US. l998) Meg Ryan. Nicolas Cage. Dennis l’ranz. ll7 mins. Cage plays an angel who falls in love with heart surgeon Ryan in this
earnest but unintentionally leaden remake of
Wim Wenders‘s sublime ll'irigs (finest/1'. Moments of high emotion are off-set by flashes of humour. btit the Gothic itiagiiilicence ol Weiiders's film is replaced by a soft focus. filtered earnestness that pushes the story towards soapy melodrama. Kirkcaldy; Adam Smith.
Cousin Bette ( l 5) (Des McAiiuff. 't‘S. l998) Jessica Lange. lilisabeth Shtie. Kelly .‘vlacdonald. l(lS mins. ('nuv‘iii Bel/c brings a wicked whiff of spirit to the world of period drama. Based on a Balzac novel. the story centres on middle-aged spiiister Bette. whose status as poor relation is compounded when her more favoured cousin dies. Widower Hector Htilot offers her the position of housekeeper. but. when she is emotionally betrayed by Hulot's daughter Hortense. Bette constructs a plan of revenge. 'lhe witty script picks away at the hypocrisies of the aristocracy while the pacy direction drives tis effortlessly towards the inevitable and satisfying conclusion. See review and feature. Glasgow: ABC liilm Centre. ()deon Quay. lidinburgh: ()deon. UCl. Kilmarnock: ()deon. Paisley: Showcase.
The Daytrippers ( IS) ((ireg Mottola. US. 1997) Hope Davis. Liev Schreiber. Parker Posey. 87 mins. Strained as a family tiiiit. the Malones pull together when daughter liliza suspects her husband is haying an affair. So begins a chaotic and dispiitatious trawl through New York in a station wagon. Mottola‘s script is as painfully incisive as it is funny and compassionate. That it succeeds as a film is thanks to its talented cast. who revel in the psychological subtleties of their parts. l-idiiiburgh: Cameo. Stirling. MacRobei't.
Dazed And Confused t lS) (Richard Linklatei'. US. I‘M-l) Wiley Wiggins. Jason London. Rory (‘ochrane 95 mins. 'l’lie last d”) “l llts‘ W76 term for a bunch of l‘S schoolkttis. and. lor some. it's time to face the initiation liuiiiihations as they move from ltlllltil' to senior high. Liiiklater abandons the baton-passing narritive style of his seminal work. Slacker. and show s masterful skill as he weaves together a multitude of plot strands a la American GraffitiZ. Coo-til. lidinburgh: Cameo.
Dr Dolittle (PG) (Betty 'l‘homas. US. I998) liddie Murphy. ()ssie Davies. ()liver Platt. 85 mins. A turkey with Rex Harrison in its original form. and still pretty dire this time iound. 'l‘his wild family adventure offers crude bottom humour for the [hi/w audience. btit the talking animals gimmick battles with cheesy morality and nothing comes together. Overall. the lilm might have benefitted from a simpler. less snappy and (note family orientated tale. while Murphy 's comic
iudgeiiieiit has again become decidedly
questionable. (ieiieral release
Ed Wood ( l 5 ) ('l'im Burton. l'S. I‘M-l) Johnny Depp. Martin Landau. Patricia Arquette. IZ.‘ mins. Burton's fotidly atmospheric homage to the so-called 'vsorst director of all time' is his best film to date. It‘s more than a biopic pastiche. how ever; the emotional heart of the film is found in the genuinely caring relationship between Wood and the dy mg. drug-addicted Bela Lugosi (a marvellous Martin Landau). Depp plays Wood as a bundle of energy and innocent romanticism. capturing the spirit of dogged determination that makes the subject such an appealing character. l-Idnibtirgh: Cameo.
The Exorcist ( l8) (William l-‘riedkin. L'S. I971) Linda Blair. lillen Burstyn. Max Von Sydow. ll() mins. liai'nest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor httle possessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Now re- released in remastered form. with a super stereo soundtrack (so you can hear those Obscenities in full). Dead good. (lead scary. dead priest. Glasgow: ()deon Quay. L'Cl Clydebank. Edinburgh: ABC Multiplex. Cameo. UCl.
Fear Of The Black Hat (Rusty Cundieff. US. I992) Mark Christopher Lawrence. Larry B Scott. Rusty Cundieff. 88 mins.
Rare screening of this spoof documentary (niockumentary'.’) about a rap band. NWH (Niggers Wit' Hats). which takes its lead from the groundbreaking. classic and cult gem. Spinal Tap. Glasgow: Glasgow University.
Firelight ( l5) (William Nicholson. US. I998) Sophie Marceau. Stephen Dillane.
l l3 mins. Period drama in which a wealthy linglish landowner arid a poor Swiss governess rendezvour in France to complete the terms of a secret business arrangement: She will give him a child in return for which he will pay-off her father's debts. However. dormant desires are rekindled seven years on when she is hired to govern their daughter. Glasgow: (il’l’.
The First Night (15) (Alejandro (iaiiiboa. Mexico. I998) ()svaldo Benavides. Mariana
Avila. Xavier Massinii. 100 mins. Winner of
the International Critics Prize at the Guadalajara Festival of Mexican Cinema. this Mexican teen-movie. which revolves around a group of teenage friends. their girlfriends and their families. was also a smash hit in its home territory. Part of the Latin Amerian l‘ilm Festival. See preview. Glasgow: (il’l'.
Flirt ( l 5) (Hal Hartley. US/Germany/Japan. I996) Bill Sage. Martin Donovan. Dwight liw'ell. 80 mins. With a theme-and-variation structure. l-‘lir/ centres on a single situation - a lover‘s ultimatum - illustrated through three separate stories. Amusing cameo appearances from Hartley regulars titillate the audience. while the rhythmic dialogue. tightly choreographed action and colourful characterisation inject the film with the director's distinctive v ibrancy. lidinburgh: Cameo.
Fred, Gromit And Friends Aiiothology animation package featuring the ()scar nominated l-‘amous lired. the Ardman studio's (iromit plus other cats and dogs. Public animation workshop runs prior to the screening. Stirling: MacRobert.
The General ( l 5) (John Boorman. l'K. I998) Brendan (ileeson. Adrian Dunbar. .loii \'oight. l3~l mins. Controversy and ambiguity surrounds the story of one ol Ireland's most notorious gangsters. Martin Cahill. On one hand. hes a Robin Hood figure who shares otit the spoils of his theft. on the other. he is vicious. brutal and amoral. (ileeson's pertoi‘iiiaiice is compelling. while the black and white photography hardeiis the edges of the Irish landscape by making very simple things stark and beautiful. Stirling: MacRobei't. Girls' Night ( l5) (Nick Hurran. L’K/l.'S. I997) Brenda Blethyn. Julie Walters. Kris Kristofferson. 102 mins. When Lancashire lasses Jackie and Dawn vvin £l()().()()() playing bingo. they split the money and take off for Las Vegas. attempting to leavie their problems behind them: a loveless marriage and terminal cancer. 'l'heie's a little of the rebellious 'l'lit'lniu Am/ Inn/w spirit in the adventures ofthe two women. although the film has a distinctly small screen feel to it. (ilasgow: ABC (‘ity ('entie. ()deon Quay. Show case. ("Cl (.‘lydebank lidinbui'gh. L'Cl. liast Kilbride. l'Cl Paisley. Show case. George Of The Jungle (t'i (Sam Weismaii. l'S. I997) Brendan l‘i'asei‘. Leslie Mann. llolland Taylor. 9| mins Loincloth-clad hero (ieroge tl'i‘aser) saves San l’ransican socialite l’rsual (Mann). but his trip to the urban Jungle is shortlived when he hears of the kidnap of his hairy sidekick. Ape (voiced by John (.‘leese). The plot is the usual blend of humour. action. slapstick. adventure and. of course. romance. while the knowing and punchy script is easily tip with the best of modern Disney. Kiliiiarock: ()deon. Godzilla (PG) (Roland limiiierich. l'S. l998) Matthew Broderick. .leaii Retio. Marta Pitillo. I40 iiiitis. Nuclear testing causes a lizard to grow to an enoriiious si/e. reproduce asexually' and head to New York to lay sortie eggs. When the military take the offensive. it's time for the rampaging reptile to demolish :‘vlanhattan. (hit/:t'llu goes beyond insulting its audience and makes the grave error of forcing our sympathy away from the monster and onto the non-descript humans. When a film like this fails to thrill with its effects — it's Jurassic Park all over again — it can only fall flat on its over-sized Hollywood ass. General release.
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10—24 Sep 1998 THE usr 27 y