www.list.co.uk/film

Shoii'case Cinema. Coatbridge. Glasgow; Showcase Cinema. Paisley. Paisley. Speed Racer (PG) coo (Andy Wachowski/Larry Wachowski. US. 2008) Emile Hirsch. Nicholas Elia. Susan Sarandon. l34min. A live action though CG-heavy adaptation of a l960s Japanese television anirne about a futuristic family of racecar designer-drivers who are pitted against a corporate fat cat. The film's message is: business had. family good. winning best of all. Not that this matters in a film with migraine-inducing race sequences and stomach-chuming thrill- rides. Empire Clvdebank. (‘lydebank Star Wars: Clone Wars (PG) co (Dave Filoni. US. 2008) Voices of Matt

Lanter. Samuel L. Jackson. Christopher Lee.

98min. Emperor Palpatine. Count Dooku and General Grievous are poised to rule the galaxy. The universe rests in the hands of the daring Jedi Knights. led by Anakin Skywalkcr and Obi-Wan Kenobi. along with brand-new heroes such as Anakin‘s padawan leamer. Ahsoka. Like the more recent Star Wars films. this is fairly tedious stuff. but it is nicely animated and fans will probably love it. Selected release. Step Brothers ( 15) no (Adam McKay. US. 2008) Will Ferrel. John C Reilly. Mary Steenbergen. 97min. This sporadically funny but generally gross comedy features Brennan (Ferrel) and Dale (Reilly). two grown men who despite pushing 40 are still living at home. An unlikely twilight romance between their parents brings them together. leading the step-brothers to repel each other before teaming up to form an alliance. General release. The Straight Story (U) C”. (David Lynch. US. I999) Richard Famsworth. Sissy Spacek. Han’y Dean Stanton. l l lmin. Midwestem old timer Alvin Straight is hell-bent on being reunited with his estranged. temiinally ill brother so he takes to the road aboard his motorised lawnmower. Famsworth's lead performance is honest. heartfelt and credible. while Lynch maintains his fascination with the inherent strangeness of small towns and lost highways. But. in this sublime snail's pace odyssey. modem psychosis is replaced by old time decency. lngleby Gallery. Edinburgh. The Strangers ( I5) coo (Bryan Bertino. US. 2008) Liv Tyler. Gemma Ward. Scott Speedrnan. 85min. Kristen (Tyler) and aspiring beau James (Speedman) retire to a country house to lick their wounds after she rejects his wedding proposal. On arrival. they find themselves teased. tonnented and eventually tortured by three unknown assailants. Straight. serious chills combined with an impressive directorial turn by Benino make this taut thriller a deserving sleeper hit. General release. Superbad ( l5) em (Greg Mottola. US. 2007) Jonah Hill. Michael Cera. Martha Maclsaac. l l2min. Cracking autobiographical teen fantasy (written by Knocked Up star Seth Rogen) that harks back to the glory days of Risky Business and Ferris Bueller's Day 017. It‘s outrageously rude and crude. yet somehow remains both sophisticated and compassionate in its consideration of what makes teenagers tick. (irost'ettor, Glasgow. Swing Vote ( 12A) 0” (Joshua Michael Stern. US. 2008) Kevin Costner. Kelsey (irammer. Dennis Hopper. l 19min. See review. page 44. General release front Fri 26 Sep. Sydney White (12A) co (Joe Nussbaum. US. 2007) Amanda Bynes. Sara Paxton. Matt Long. l07min. Nussbaum‘s modem high school adaptation of Snow White should mark an end to the tediously fashionable practice of shoehoming classic texts into a modern teenage setting. Bynes plays our eponymous hero. and the wicked stepmother is sorority leader and school president Rachel Wicthburn (Paxton). Unfortunately such inventions as the modern mirror on the wall. the college website. do not last as the movie descends into tedious schmaltz. Vue Edinburgh ()cean. Edinburgh. Taken ([5) COO (Pierre Morel. France. 2008) Liam Neeson. Maggie Grace.

Famke Janssen. 93min. See review. page 44. Selected release. Then She Found Me (15) cu (Helen Hunt. US. 2007) Helen Hunt. Colin Firth. Bette Midler. 100mm. See feature. page 14 and review. page 47. Selected release. This is Spinal Tap (15) oeeee (Rob Reiner. US. 1983) Christopher Guest. Michael McKean. Harry Shearer. RJ Pamell. Ed Begley Jr. 82min. Certainly the most ingenious. accurate and funny of all spoof rockumentaries. with wonderfully spontaneous dialogue. convincing fly-on- the-wall camera work. self-penned heavy metal parodies. and of course the amp that goes to l l. Grosvenor. Glasgow.

Tropic Thunder ( 15) coco

(Ben Stiller. US. 2008) Ben Stiller. Jack Black. Robert Downey Jr. 106mm. See review. page 46. General release. Underdog (U) Q. (Frederik Du Chau. US. 2007) Jason Lee. Peter [)inklage. James Belushi. 81min. This live— action film from Disney that features a crime—fighting dog with super-powers. although a seemingly attractive proposition for fans of both the talking-animal and superhero genres. is merely a wayward affair with none of the humble charms of the 1960s cartoon series. Empire Clydebank. Clvdebank. The Visitor (15) O.” ('lhomas McCarthy. US. 2007) Richard Jenkins. Haaz Sleiman. Danai Gurira. 103mm. Widower Walter Vale (Jenkins) is a grouch. When work sends him to Manhattan. a series of misunderstandings lead him to form a friendship with Syrian drummer Tarek (Sleiman) and his Senegalese girlfriend Zainab (Gurira). Underwritten and beautifully performed. The Visitor is a sentimental drama that manages to access a hypnotic rhythm that is both convincing and reassuring. Glasgow I-‘ilm Theatre. Glasgow. WALL-E (U) C.” (Andrew Stanton. US. 2008) Voices of Fred Willard. Jeff Garlin. Ben Burtt. 103mm. Inspired by sci- fi classics from the 1960s and 70s. Pixar have created a post-apocalyptic story set in a future in which the Earth has been abandoned by humankind. where a solitary robot named WALL-E executes his now pointless trash collecting programme. At its hean this is a very sweet romantic comedy. and that‘s what provides the emotional clout. General release. The Wave ( IS) coo (Dennis Gansel. Germany. 2008) Jurgen Vogel. Frederick [.au. Max Riernelt. 107min. See profile and review. page 45. Selected release. What Are We Doing Here? ( IS) (Daniel Klein. US. 2008) 82min. A film which follows three American brothers as they travel from Cairo to Cape Town. asking what happens to the money we give to charity. and whether it is doing more harm than good. Part of Take One: Action! festival. Glasgow Film Theatre; Film/rouse. Edinburgh Who Killed the White Llama? ( l5) (Rodrigo Bellott. Bolivia. 200(3) Miguel Valverde. Erika Andia. l12min. A drug run descends into farce when Bolivian couple Jacinto and Domitila attempt to transport 50 kilos of cocaine to the Brazilian border. Seeking to undermine preconceptions and destroy regional stereotypes. the film is both a celebration and a parody of Bolivian customs. Part of the Latin American Cinema course. Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow: Wild Child (l2A) 0 (Nick Moore. US. 2008) Emma Roberts. Natasha Richardson. Alex Pettyfer. 98min. This vacuous rehash of teen movie cliches presents Califomian brat Poppy. a foul- rnouthed and obnoxious Malibu-mite who is shipped off to a posh boarding school in England in the hope that she learn that values and price-tags are not the same thing. Another dog-cared slice of Working Title crapola aimed squarely at the dumbest of US teens. General release. The Women (12A) oo (Diane English. US. 2008) Meg Ryan. Annette Bening. Eva Mendes. 90min. Depressing update of Clare Booth Luce‘s I936 satirical

play set in the idle and bitchy world of wealthy wives and divorcees. US TV writer Diane English adapts and directs with little feeling for the sacred text she is dealing with. Some adequate performances. nice costumes and a few decent one-liners aside this prompts the inevitable question: why'.’. General release.

Women’s Support Project: Teenage Sex for Sale (ii) (. t'K. 2008) 150mm. Marking September as Month of Action to raise awareness about child sexual abuse. this year's event will screen the Panorama investigation ‘Teenage Sex For Sale'. uncovering how girls as young as 12 are being groomed for sex on British streets. Glasgow I-‘i/m Theatre. Glasgow.

Yesterday ( l2A) (Darrell Roodt. South Africa. 2004) Leleti Khumalo. Lihlc Mvelase. Kenneth Khambula. 96min. Yesterday lives in a remote village in Zululand. When she is diagnosed HIV positive. she sets her sights on a single goal: to be with her seven-year-old daughter Beauty on her first day of school. Part of Take One: Action! festival. l-‘ilmhouse. Edinburgh.

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (12A) .0 (Dennis Dugan. LS. 2008) Adam Sandler. John 'l‘urturro. limmanuelle Chriqui. l l2min. Zohan (Sandler) is a superhuman Mossad agent who renounces violence to pursue his real dream - a new life as a NY hairdresser. As well as a Borat-style delight in his own nakedness. Zohan is characterised by his ‘funny foreigner‘ enthusiasm for hummus. iiuro- disco and Wham-era hairstyling. Sandler‘s latest attempt to un-stereotype himself is a tragic attempt to use outrageous comedy to smooth relationships between New York‘s Israeli and Palestinian communities. Selected release.

Zombie Strippers ( 18) co (Jay Lee. US. 2008) Robert linglund. Jenna Jameson. Roxy Saint. 98min. See review. page 46. General release from I’ri 195(7).

Falkirk Council

Falkirk Town Hall

Prlceless (12A) Mon 22nd September 11:00am & 7:30pm Tues 23rd September 1:30pm & 7:30pm

Couscousaa

Mon 29th September 7:30pm

Mamma Mia! (pa) Wed tst October 1:30pm & 7:30pm

Tickets and further information from The Steeple Box Office or on

the door from FTH Cinema

0 1 324 506850

One little lie...a whole lot of trouble!

Scottish Opera

Opera Unwrapped

A" FREE hour-long taster. introducing

the haracters, plot and some of the key scenes from The Secret Marriage. at .ringThe Orchestra of Scottish

_ Operasingers and back-stage crew. Beolinow to reserve your tickets.

8 October 6pm Theatre Royal Glasgow 0870 060 6647

21 November 6pm Festival Theatre Edinburgh 0131 529 6000

scottishopera.org.uk

Registered In Scotland Number $CO3 7'53) Scottish Charity Number SCO 1 978 I

18 Sep~2 Oct 2008 THE LIST 53