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And here’s one of the dragons . . .

FANTASY DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

(12) 108 mins 00

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The world famous role playing game gets the big screen treatment as a stop gap for all those who can't wait for The Lord Of The Rings. It's a pretty ropy substitute. Two thieves (Justin Whalin and comedy sidekick Marlon Wayans) get involved in a plot to save the Empress (T hora Birch) and find a staff that controls dragons. lt’s jam packed with the usual sword and sorcery hokum: monsters. wizards and plenty of sword fights. The acting throughout is unbelievably hammy. even the ever reliable Jeremy Irons. as the main baddie. comes across like an over- eager amateur dramatics student. Cheesy. unfunny and even the special effects are Crap. (Entertainment VHS and DVD rental) (Henry Northmore)

DRAMA THE HOUSE OF MIRTH

(PG) 135 mins ee

Gillian Anderson makes the leap from sci-fi cop to early 20th century New York socialite. and only just manages to clear the precipice. Not

that it's her fault that this painfully slow adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel fails to engage on pretty much any level other than the superficial. Her performance as beautiful girl about town Lily Bart

is commendable

enough,buther supposed fall from grace lacks any real gravitas. leaving the tragic ending

wholly unbelievable.

Writer and director Terence Davies has spent so long ensuring each exquisitely framed

shot is candy for the

eye, he forgot about our hearts which remain

resolutely untouched. (FilmFourA/Cl VHS retail) (Kelly Apter)

DRAMA

REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (18) 102 mins eeee

Darren Aronofsky follows up his debut. it, with an equally ambitious

adaptation of Hubert

Selby Jr‘s novel. centering around

addiction from heroin to

television and diet pills

(i.e. speed). Innovative

use of split screens.

camera speeds and

editing makes for a

3 queasy ride. matched by fantastic acting

' throughout: Ellen

Burstyn (who picked up

an Oscar nomination for

her role). Jared Leto. Marlon Wayans (in a rare straight role) and

Jennifer Connelly. It

builds to a crescendo of dizzying fast cuts that almost makes you feel physically sick as the protagonists spiral into a personal hell tailored to their cravings. Powerful, dark yet compelling. moving and even educational. (Momentum VHS rental: DVD retail) (Henry Nonhmorel

COMEDY

THE TAO OF STEVE (_15)_84 minsoo“ r

Dex lives in a w0rld Of laddish humour. frisbee throwmg and shagging as many women as possible - the reSUlt of liVing by the ‘Tao of Steve'. This means being as cool as Steve McQueen so he can treat woman badly. yet still get them to JOID him in the sack. The spanner in this particular works comes at a college reunion where Dex meets up and falls in love With Syd. a conquest from the past. Billed innaccurately as ‘a charming romantic

comedy'. the romance is way too predictable and the comedy appears to have been about Just thrown away with the Tao rulebook. (Entertainment VHS rental; DVD rental)

(Jane Hamilton)

HopMns Coyote Ugly

music video

Center Stage

promos

Battlefield Earth

features

interactive games

02 - Rattle 3. Hum

tour dates

What Women Want

the extras

trailers

Silence Of The Lamb:

Double DVD set of the Hannibal thriller -— heaped with extras including 20 mins of deleted scenes. photo gallery and a phone message from Anthony

Requiem For A Dream

Dark but stunning film starring Ellen Burstyn from the director of the influential Pi disc extras include a director's commentary. interviews with the cast and

Romantic comedy set in a New York bar DVD extras include audio commentary. eight featurettes about the making of the film and the Leann Rimes

Teen drama based around a ballet company think Fame - DVD includes audio commentary from director. deleted scenes, isolated scores and pop

Sci-fi nonsense starring John Travolta very high on the kitsch factor. so bad its good - extras include director's commentary. visual effects and make-up

nghlander - End Game

The real sequel to the film featuring Christopher Lambert features a 55 min behind the scenes. deleted scenes. director's commentary and

The classic film from the Joshua Tree tour, capturing U2 at their critical best - no real extras of note but rush released to coincide with the forthcoming U2

Box office success romantic comedy starring Mel Gibson DVD is set in an interactive bathroom which can be navigated opening cupboards to find

Edinburgh Princes St " - 'r .' .2 Glasgow Argyle _St, Sauchiehall St, .UniOn Stir ' __'.‘ 'Braehead Centre & Olympia East. Kilbride ‘f

DRAMA

TALES FROM PLEASURE BEACH

BBC2. Thu 2 Aug. 9pm .0

i

BOy meets girl. Girl is separated from boy for a COuple Of months. Girl goes to find boy at his work. They are happy. But not wealthy. To get money. girl gets involved with local small time pornographer. Who happens to be boy's boss. Boy finds out to his extreme chagrin. Boy dumps girl. 'Drama' over.

Do you remember last year's fine Secret Life Of Michae/ Fry, in which Ewen Bremner rails against big business and the local small time pornographer in a Welsh seaside resort? This first part of three separate short dramas goes for something similar. but it hasn't the verve. the darkness or anything like the visual ideas which abounded in Paul Abbott's drama.

Instead. this IS a decently-acted, but ultimately empty attempt at portraying alienation: its only success is in scraping surfaces instead of delving tO find what lies beneanf (Brian Donaldson)

COMEDY DRAMA CUPID

Channel 5. Mon 6 Aug, 2.20pm eee

A mysterious lunatic arrives at a srngles club. bonds with the female psychoanalyst who's been hired to prove his sanity and manages to convince her he’s actually the Greek god of love. Cupid. His mission: to earn the right to return to Olympus by creating 100 new couples within a week.

Given that this US drama is obviously

intended to run ar‘d run. we can predict that Sex God pulls this off in the first few episodes. but enjoys it so much he decides to spend the rest of the season making COupIes On Earth, thereby ensuring ratings and a second series for all.

Thanks to the talent of fOrmer Larry Sande's star Jeremy Piven as Cupid. this isn't an entirely unl,>earabl0 concept: if only the gods could son out the revoltingly predictable smoochiness and two- dimenSiOnal characterisation.

(Olly Lassmani

DOCUMENTARY

THE REAL ROMMEL

Channel 4, Thu 2 Aug. 9pm eeee

Rommel is the closest thing the News had to a Saint. l-lis impeccable Infantry command skills saw him reSpected on both srdes and his physcal distance from , . , , ..

the central bureaucracy of Berlin have made him seem less guilty of the anti-Semitic crimes perpetrated by his contemporaries.

This IS The Real Rommel not the sanctified image of The Desert Fox that was used as a propaganda tool during the Cold War. Old footage shows he looks more Ed Harris than James Mason, a Simple man Of war who often treated his soldiers better than his lovers. He is shown as an addictive warmonger who used World War II as a chance to utilise his experiments.

Vain. dependable and loyal to the Aryan cause. we should be grateful that in his paranoia. Hitler began to lose faith in his Generals belief in protecting the Atlantic coastline. (Paul Dale)

249 Aug 2001 me LIST 41