immigrant and gang leader named Kazablan. Part of the Israel 50 season. Glasgow: GET. The Killer (18) (John Woo. Hong Kon. 1989) Chow Yun-Fat. Danny Lee. Sally Yeh. l I 1 mins. Genre-led thriller. with old school buddies turned cop and contract killer as sparring partners. transferred into the sleazy gangland of Hong Kong. The violence puts RU/NN'HI) to shame. btit there’s a glorious. oriental fatalism about the whole shebang that lends it a certain sheen of romanticism. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Knockin' On Heaven’s Door (18) (Thomas Jahn. Germany. 1997) Til Schweiger. Jan Josef Licfcrs. 100 mins. 'l'wo yotitig men. both terminally ill. escape frotn hospital and steal and car. determined to live their last days to the full. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
The King And 1 (PG) (Walter l.ang. US. 1956) Deborah Kerr. Yul Brinner. Rita Moreno) 133 mins. Visually spectacular film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical with Kerr's prim widow falling for Brinner's autocratic monarch and teaching him a thing or two along the way. Edinburgh: St Brides 'lheatre.
The Land Girls (12) (David Leland. UK. 1998) Anna l-‘riel. Rachel Weisz. Catherine McCorinack. 1 l 1 mins. Down on the farm comes a film that reminds us of times passed. Not necessarily good times. of course. as II is set during the confusion of World War 11. but against this dramatic backdrop the human story it describes proves curiously affecting. Three contrasting young women join the Land Army. only to find themselves knee-deep in rustic accents and bad weather on a remote Dorset farm. Edinburgh: Dominion. Irvine: Magnum. Lethal Weapon 4 (15) (Richard Donner. CS. 1998) Mel Gibson. Danny Glover. Joe Pesci. 138 mins. A series of films that started so darkly has undergone some drastic changes in recent years. As the violence has been downplayed. the humour has come more to the fore. especially the bickering relationship between Riggs and his long- siiffcring partner .‘slurtaugh. who are coming to the realisation that they (and the series) are past their prime. (ieneral release.
Life Is All You Get l l8) (Wolfgang Becker. Germany. 1998) 115 mins. Life's a riot for Jan. w ho accidentally decks two undercover cops whilst coming to the rescue of lovely Vera one night. It‘s a chance meeting that changes his life. He gets a night in the cells and a trip to the dole queue. while the possibility he might have contracted AIDS from a one-night stand helps him keep his distance from Vera. Except it's not as bleak as it sounds; it‘s leavened by a wry humour and a happy ending. Stirling: MacRobert. Little Pink Pictures World premiere of Glasgow's new gay and lesbian short films: l)£l\l(l Kinloch's Iii'il. Lousie Lockwood's Ilnniu I/oiiii's and Robin Mitchell's Dream ()Il .l/iiii/it' lint; Part of (ilasgayl Glasgow: (il'\‘\\'.
Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (18) (Guy Ritchie. CK. 1997) Nick Moran. Jason Statham. Vinnie Jones. 107 mins. A cocky young bunch of ‘entrepreneurs' set tip a card game with east end London criminal llatchcl llarry. ()f course. things don‘t work otit in their favour and they find themselves owing the gangster plenty of dosh. Willy homage to the British crime thrillers of the 1960s. with appropriately seedy. underworld locations and streetwise dialogue. Glasgow: ABC City Centre. ()deon Quay. Showcase. UCI Clydebank. Paisley: Showcase.
Lost In Space (PG) (Stephen Hopkins. US. 1998) William Hurt. Gary ()ldman. Matt Le Blanc. 109 mins. 'l‘he ctilt TV series for the 60s gets a 90s make-over and. despite the stateollthe-ai't special effects. it's every bit as cheesy as the original. Professor John Robinson (Hurt) and his family are sent to colonise the distant planet of Alpha Prime. btit an act of sabotage causes them to spin into the stratosphere. Certain performances are so irritating that most viewers will sympathise with ()ldman‘s ci‘aven villain. Glasgow; L'Cl Clydebank. Edinburgh. ()zleon. llCl. East Kilbride: UCI. l.args: Barrl'ields. Kilmarnock: ()deon. Mtissclhurgh: Brunton 'I'heatre. Wishaw: Arrow Multiplex.
Lou Reed 'Rock 'n' Roll Heart' ('liiiioihy (ireenfield-Sanders. US. 1997) 76 mins. The Velvet Underground could be cited as a proto-punk band. reekcrs of sonic havoc
who adhered to a fimi ‘we hate hippies“ attitude. 'lhat Lou Reed has since been feted as a great artist and the VU have been inaugurated into the Rock ‘n‘ Roll Hall of Fame shows that every underdog must have his day. Rock 'n'Ro/I Heart hears from the likes of Patti Smith. and Davids Bowie and Byrne. between clips of Reed throughout his career. See review. Glasgow: Nice n‘ Sleazy. Love! Valour! Compassion! (15) (Joe Mantello. US. 1996) Jason Alexander. John Glover. John Benjamin Hickey. 114 mins. Terrence McNally‘s award-winning Broadway play comes to the screen with the same director and all but one of the main cast in tow. Eight gay men spend weekends at the country house of a successful choreographer and his lover. but a couple of new arrivals threaten to upset the balance of their lives. A camp comedy that's driven by the sheer strength of the writing. Glasgow: GET.
The Magic Sword (U) (Frederik Du Chau. US. 1998) With the voices of Gary Oldman. Jessalyn Gilsig. Cary Elwes. 88 mins. All is happy under King Arthur's rule until evil Lord Ruber tries to steal Excalibur. When the wondrous weapon becomes lost in the Forbidden Forest. plucky young Kayley reckons she‘s brave enough to save the day. This animated feature sticks to the Disney formula — action. bawled-out ballads. kooky sidekicks — btit the animation itself lacks Wall's grace. Glasgow: (irosvenor.
The Man Who Fell To Earth (l8) (Nicolas Roeg. UK. 1976) David Bowie. Rip Torn. Buck Henry. 138 mins. An alien searching for the water needed to save his own planet has his powers destroyed by the sinister machinations of a multinational business enterprise. Well cast Bowie gives perhaps his best performance in this dazzling. occasionally obtuse. piece of Roegian sci-ft. A film that bears and indeed improves with repeated viewings. Edinburgh: Cameo. Matilda (PG) (Danny De Vito. US. 1996) Mara Wilson. Dany De Vito. limbeth Davidtz. 98 mins. Capturing the delicious wickedness of Roald Dahl's writing. director De Vio fully exploits exaggeration and playful camera work to tell the tale of a gifted child who uses her super brain to outwit her neglectful parents. ()ffsetting the lovable Matilda against a series of horribly inflated bad characters. the film's empowering message for children will appeal to the mischevious kid iii everyone. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Mercury Rising (15) (Harold Becker. US. 1998) Bruce Willis. Miko Hughes. Alec Baldwin. 111 mins. That this potentially routine thriller could survive its risible premise is remarkable in itself: a nine-year- old autistic child inadvertently cracks the world's most sophisticated military encryption code. That it could then reprise the bog-standard. ‘alienated cop and vulnerable boy on the run from just about everyone' plot — and still hold our interest -~ is little short of miraculous. (ilasgow: Showcase. Paisley: Showcase.
Metroland (18) (Philip Saville. UK. 1998) Christian Bale. Emily Watson. Lee Ross. 101 mins. 1977. Chris is becalmed in Metroland. a suburban sprawl at the end of London Underground's Metropolitan Line. When his old school friend. Toni arrives to stir up his calm. he's reminded of the time when they were rebellious public school boys. Partially successful attempt to bring Julian Barnes' novel to the screen. Stirling: MacRobert.
Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil (15) (Clint Eastwood. US. 1997) Kevin Spacey. John Cusack. Jude Law. 155 mins. Eastwood bites off more that) he can chew with this discursive tale of life and crime in the beautifully preserved ()ld Southern town of Savannah. Georgia. The main narrative concerns the murder of the gay lover of bon vivetir Spacey. btit Eastwood gets side- tracked by stib-plots. A likeable movie that is subtly ingratiating rather than brazenly insistent. Kilmarnock: ()deon.
MouseHunt (U) (Gore Verbinski. US. 1997) Nathan l.ane. Ice Evans. Christopher Walken. 98 mins. Lane and Evans play hapless brothers who inherit a decripit mansion. btit when they decide to renovate auction it. a resident rodent is not willing to be evicted. An excellent blend of l.aurel and Hardy slapstick and black humour.
il/Iousellmir is sheer entertainment and has some real belly laughs. The tone and the pacing are spot-on throughout. and the sets and special effects are the icing on the cake. Edinburgh: Odeon. Ayr: Odeon. Kilmarnock: Odeon.
Mr Magoo (PG) (Stanley Tong. US. 1997) Leslie Nielsen. Kelly Lynch. Matt Keeslar. 87 mins. When a priceless stolen gem falls into the hands of bumbling millionaire Quincy Magoo. who keeps on emerging unscathed as chaos ensues around him. This live action version of the short cartoons relies on broad physical slapstick for its comedy rather than verbal jokes. American critics slaughtered the film — ‘an atrocity' (Boston Phoenix). ‘an insult to the intelligence of the entire human race' (USA Today). ‘corny. inept script‘ (San Fransisco Chronicle). Stirling: Allanpark.
Mr Nice Guy (15) (Samo Hung. US. 1998) Jackie Chan. Richard Norton. Miki Lee. 95 mins. 'lhe martial arts legend makes his latest bid for international stardom with another movie typical of all that is so entertaining about his work: breathless stunts. protracted chases and knockabout humour. Edinburgh: ()deon.
Mulan (U) (Barry Cook. Tony Bancroft. US. 1998) Voices of: Ming-Na Wen. Donny ()smond. Eddie Murphy. 89 mins. After Disney’s tastily designed venture into Greek mythology with Ilcrt'tilcs. the studio has brought its lens to bear on the rich and colourful possibilities of Chinese legend. Details of character. movement arid expression are as fine as should be expected from the world's best known cartoon studio. but the stunning large-scale set pieces are truly astonishing. while the design team stirs in an authentic flavour of China. General release.
Nil By Mouth (18) (Gary ()ldman. UK. 1997) Ray Winstone. Kathy Burke. Charlie Creed-Miles. 139 mins. ()ldman's directorial debut is an account of alcoholism and marital abuse which stalks stnoky East End pubs. smogoridden council estates and cheap-rate lives with an itchy amphetamine energy. In a flawless ensemble cast. Burke (whose performance won her the Best Actress award at Cannes) is heroic as the put-upon wife. while Winstone dominates the screen. This is simply one of the best British movies of the 90s — shocking. funny. heartfelt and honest. Edinburgh: Cameo. Nosferatu (PG) (l-NV Murnau. Germany. 1922) Max Schreck. Alexander Granach. (iustav von Wangenheim. 72 mins. Schreck is a truly terrifying figure as Bram Stoker’s famous vampire. looking more like a skinned bat than a human being. A wonderfully visual movie. with twisted shadows and sexual undercurrents placing it well above the Kinski/Herzog remake. Glasgow: (ii-'1'.
Nowhere (18) ((ireggAraki. US. 1997) James Dtival. Ryan Philippe. Rachel True. 83 mins. A group of impossibly beautiful friends go to parties. agonise over classroom crushes‘and exist in a different world frotn their parents. Meanwhile aliens walk unnoticed through suburbia. 'l'urning 80s Brat Pack movies on their heads. Araki's pulp-fiction-sci-fi-soap-opera-horror- comedy is an outrageous glimpse of a teenage apocalypse. Glasgow: (iFl'.
The Omen (18) (Richard Donner. US. 1976) Gregory Peck. Lee Remick. David Warner.
l 1 1 mins. The young son of the American Ambassador to Britain and his wife turns out to be the Antichrist in this effective and gory honor piece that was popular enough to spawn a succession of sequels. Jerry (ioldsmith's Oscar-winning score certainly helps the mood of unease. Edinburgh: Cameo.
The Opposite Of Sex (Dot) Roos. US. 1998) Christina Ricci. Martin Donovan. Lisa Kudrow. 105 mins. I.ast seen giving a brilliantly understated performance opposite a manic one by Vincent (iallo in Buffalo 66. Ricci continues to impress as Dedee the supersmart teenager on the run froin her white trash family. 'l'hese sneak preview screenings were not confirmed at press time. Please check with cinemas. Glasgow: UCI Clydebank. Fast Kilbride: UCI.
Paws (PG) (Karl Zvvicky. Australia/UK. 1997) Nathan Cavaleri. Emilie Francois. voice of Billy Connolly. 83 mins. Clever doggie PC is on a mission to deliver a
index FILM
computer disc. but is being tracked down by the unpleasant baddie who killed his master. Befriending computer whizz kid Zac. the mutt links up to a voice simulator and starts talking with the broad twang of Billy Connolly. Some genuinely funny moments allow for a whole range of teenage cn'ses to be dealt with in an uncringeworthy fashion. Kilmarnock: Odeon.
A Perfect Murder (18) (Andrew Davis. US. 1998) Michael Douglas. Gwyneth Paltrow. Viggo Mortensen. 107 mins. There is. quite simply. no one to touch Douglas when it comes to playing alienated. middle- class. middle-aged. white American males. Which is precisely why he's so perfectly cast as a manipulative. predatory ‘control freak' with a talent for exploiting human weakness in this entertaining and intelligent re-working of Hitchcock‘s dramatically flat 3-D thriller. Dial M For Murder. General release.
Poison (18) (Todd Haynes. US. 1991) Edith Meeks. Larry Maxwell. Scott Renderer. James Lyons. 90 mins. The latest target for the venom ofAmerican morality groups. Haynes‘ low-budget triptych pulls together three separate stories with 'deviance' as the linking theme. The Jean Genet-influenced third section. 'Homo'. has attracted most flak over is lurid depiction of prison love. Supported by Haynes‘ short film. Dottie Gels: Spanked. Glasgow: Gf’l‘.
Primary Colors (15) (Mike Nichols. US. 1998) John 'l‘ravolta. Etnma Thompson. Adrian Lester. 143 mins. Now we know all there is to know about President Clinton's sexual proclivities. the belated appearance of Primary Colors can only seem. if you'll pardon the expression. an anti-climax. But even though it has been overtaken by events. there is still a fair amount of satirical bite in this fictional portrayal of a Southern politician whose rampant libido continually threatens to scupper his pursuit of the presidency. See review. General release. Raining Stones (15) (Ken Loach. UK. 1993) Bruce Jones. Julie Brown. Ricky 'l‘omlinson. 90 mins. Another slice of real life from one of Britain's most dedicated filmmakers. An unemployed father brings terror to his household when he goes to a loansth in order to pay for his daughter's first communion dress. Throughout. the northern community's sense of natural humour makes this a heartening. amusing and very accessible film indeed. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Razor Blade Smile (l8) (Jake West. UK. 1998) Eileen Daly. Christopher Adamson. David Warbeck. 101 mins. Enjoyable hokum about a 19th century vampiress who assumes the modern day role of contract killer and goes about assassinating a secret techno-supernatural sect. the Illuminati. Modest. respectable attempt to emulate US low-budget genre films (Evil Dead comes to mind). Edinburgh: Cameo.
The Real Howard Spitz (PG) (Vadim Jean. UK. 1998) Kelsey Grammer. 98 mins. Grammer takes a break from his radio quack characterisation in 'l'V‘s Frasier to star as Howard. a shy author of children's books who befriends Sam. a streetwise kid with an ability to write and a dad who's gone missing. Stirling: MacRobert.
Repulsion ( 18) (Roman Polanski. UK. 1965) Catherine Deneuve. Ian Hendry. John Fraser. 105 mins. Left on her own in her sister's flat for a few days. a sexually repressed young woman gradually deteriorates towards complete mental breakdown. Polanski’s first English language movie remains one of his best. a genuinely disturbing exploration of intense paranoia and claustrophobia that unflinchineg picks at the audience's deepest neuroses. Edinburgh: Cameo.
Safe (15) (Todd Haynes. US. 1995) Julianne Moore. Peter Friedman. Susan Norman. | 18 mins. A vactious Californian housewife succumbs to a mystery environmental illness and. in the process of trying New Age therapies. is made to question her own identity. Timely in its subject matter. chilling in its conception. assured in its forin. this is one of the key American films of the decade. Glasgow: (ll-'1‘.
Continued over page
22 Oct—S Nov 1998 THE ll8T37