Film LISTINGS
Cosmopolis (15) (David Cronenberg, Canada/France, 2012) Robert Pattinson, Paul Giamatti, Samantha Morton, Sarah Gadon, Mathieu Amalric, Juliette Binoche. Adaptation of the Don DeLillo novel, starring Pattinson as the brattish, overindulged, 28-year-old billionaire riding around Manhattan on a limo-borne day-long odyssey. General release. Dark Horse (tbc) (Todd Solondz, US, 2011) Jordan Gelber, Selma Blair, Christopher Walken. 84min. A toy collector and a woman whose life is a mystery to her family form an unlikely relationship in this drama from the director of Happiness. Selected release from Fri 29 Jun. Dark Shadows (12A) ●●●●● (Tim Burton, US, 2012) Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloë Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcote. 113min. 18th century vampire Barnabas Collins (Depp) escapes from his coffin to find himself in Maine in 1972. Burton regulars Depp and Bonham-Carter are a hoot, but Moretz and Green could have used more restraint. macrobert, Stirling. Day of the Dead (18) (George A Romero, US, 1985) Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato. 100min. The conclusion of Romero’s zombie trilogy has the last humans holding out underground in a Florida bunker while the undead on the surface outnumber them by 400,000 to one. Glasgow Film Theatre. The Dead Zone (18) (David Cronenberg, US, 1983) Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt. 103min. A schoolteacher survives a car crash only to find he has second sight. Cronenberg’s brooding thriller utilises Walken’s skeletal features to their best advantage. Cameo, Edinburgh. Detachment (15) ●●●●● (Tony Kaye, US, 2011) Adrien Brody, Christina Hendricks, Marcia Gay Harden. 97min. See review, page 71. Filmhouse, Edinburgh; Glasgow Film Theatre. Dirty Dancing (15) ●●●●● (Emile Ardolino, US, 1987) Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach. 100min. In the summer of 1963 bad boy Johnny (Swayze) meets good girl Baby (Grey) and teaches her hip grinding, eventually winning the respect of her parents. This is a ‘Dance- along-Movie’ as part of the Big Dance. St Andrew Square, Edinburgh.
✽ Edinburgh International Film Festival The EIFF returns for
its 66th year of unique and interesting programming. Films screening as part of the festival aren’t listed here, but see list.co.uk/ eiff for full listings online, and our EIFF editorial coverage, page 30-35. Various venues, Edinburgh. Edward Scissorhands (PG) (Tim Burton, US, 1991) Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Vincent Price. 105min. Edward (Depp) lives alone in a crumbling mansion, unable to even scratch his nose without needing stitches. Discovered by a friendly Avon lady, his talent for coiffure and topiary makes him a neighbourhood favourite until tragedy strikes. Beautifully shot, tenderly acted and full of hidden depths. Sloans, Glasgow. Elvis Presley Film Society (tbc) A screening of a handful of the swivel-hipped one’s 30-plus films, including California Holiday, an hour of rehearsal and concert performances, and footage from his last ever tour, in June 1977. O’Neill’s, Glasgow. The Exorcist (18) ●●●●● (William Friedkin, US, 1973) Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, Jason Miller. 132min. Earnest priest Jason Miller steps in to save poor little 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). Part of a Dundead double bill with Carrie. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Fast Girls (12A) (Regan Hall, UK, 2012) Bradley James, Rupert Graves, Lily James, Lenora Crichlow. 90min. Drama following the British female sprint relay team in their quest to win gold, focusing on the relationship between two runners from different backgrounds. General release.
78 THE LIST 21 Jun–19 Jul 2012
Beyond EIFF
Spilling out from the cinema into Edinburgh’s art galleries is a series of film-related installations and screenings, part of this year’s film festival. Ingleby Gallery present The Gorgon’s Dream, a silent film by David Austen screening in The Burns Monument on Regent Road. Stills Gallery will be setting up a film lounge showing 15 short videos by Italian artists from the 1980s to the present day. And at Collective is a film by Simon Martin considering the cultural value of objects and ideas through the evolving Louis XV chair. ■ The Gorgon’s Dream, The Burns Monument, Thu 21–Sun 24 Jun. Stills’ Film Lounge: La Nostra Terra, Stills Gallery, now until Sun 22 Jul. Simon Martin at Collective, Collective Gallery, Sun 9 Jun–Sun 22 Jul.
Faust (15) ●●●●● (Aleksandr Sokurov, Russia, 2011) Johannes Zeiler, Anton Adasinsky, Isolda Dychauck. 140min. Sokurov snips the moral straightforwardness out of Goethe’s famous story, turning a pious fable into an unpredictable story of struggle and self-doubt, but also draining it of narrative momentum. Glasgow Film Theatre. Ferrari Ki Sawaari (tbc) (Rajesh Mapuskar, India, 2012) Vidya Balan, Boman Irani, Sharman Joshi. A family film about a boy whose dream of playing cricket at Lords becomes a reality after he pursues an Indian cricket legend’s Ferrari. Odeon at the Quay, Glasgow; Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow. 5th Ave Girl (PG) (Gregory La Cava, US, 1939) Ginger Rogers, Walter Connolly, Verree Teasdale. 83min. In this Depression- era comedy, a wealthy man recruits an unemployed woman in order to annoy his neglectful family. Introduced by EIFF Artistic Director Chris Fujiwara. Part of the Gregory La Cava retrospective. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. The Five-Year Engagement (15) ●●●●● (Nicholas Stoller, US, 2012) Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt. 124min. See review, page 73. General release from Fri 22 Jun. The Fly (18) ●●●●● (David Cronenberg, US, 1986) Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz. 86min. Brilliant reconceptualisation of the camp 1958 classic. Special effects superlatively revolting, tension sustained throughout. Cameo, Edinburgh. Forbidden Planet (PG) (Fred M Wilcox, US, 1956) Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens. 98min. A classic sci-fi version of The Tempest in deep space. Excellent special effects and acting make it worth seeing. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Forrest Gump (12) ●●●●● (Robert Zemeckis, US, 1994) Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise. 142min. Despite its incurably sweet hero and its fairly standard love story core, Forrest Gump has a surprisingly dark-tinted view on recent American history – complete with racism, drug and child abuse, war and political assassination. Sloans, Glasgow.
✽ Found Footage Festival (tbc) (Various, Various) 90min. Based on an
idea founded in New York City in 2004, this is a unique collection of videos from charity shops and garage sales across North America, with commentaries provided by the hosts. Glasgow Film Theatre. Friday the 13th (18) (Sean S Cunningham, US, 1980) Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeanine Taylor. 95min. Precursor of a whole spate of slice’n’dice extravaganzas, this at least has the saving grace of a few shock moments. Glasgow Film Theatre. Friends With Kids (15) ●●●●● (Jennifer Westfeldt, US, 2011) Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph. 107min. See review, page 73. General release from Fri 29 Jun. Future Shorts (E) (Various, Various) 90min. An international initiative offering a monthly showcase of the finest short films from around the world. Including BAFTA- winning and Oscar-nominated A Morning Stroll, experimental Romanian documentary We’ll Become Oil, Guy Madden’s Notes on Biology, and Scottish short Tumult by John Barrington. As well as the films, there’s a live set this time from hip hop/electronica artist Asthmatic Astronaut, and tunes from the resident DJ. CCA, Glasgow. Giants (Les Géants) (12A) ●●●●● (Bouli Lanners, Belgium, 2011) Paul Bartel, Zacharie Chasseriaud, Marthe Keller. 84min. Teenage brothers Zak (Chasseriaud) and Seth (Nissen) are stranded by their mother at their late grandfather’s house in the country, but when they meet local kid Danny (Bartel) their adventures begin. Selected release from Fri 13 Jul. Gigi (PG) (Vincente Minelli, US, 1958) Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan. 115min. Caron is the coquette allied to Jourdan’s rake; they are watched over by an extravagantly French Chevalier and the rest of fin de siècle Paris. A lavish musical from the golden days of MGM. Club Noir film night screening. Grosvenor Cinema, Glasgow. Glyndebourne: La Cenerentola (E) (Peter Hall, UK, 2012) Ruxandra Donose, Maxim Mironov. 190min. The story of Cinderella is told by Glyndebourne opera to a score from Rossini. Selected screenings on Fri 22 Jun.
God Bless America (15) (Bobcat Goldthwait, US, 2011) Joel Murray, Tara Lynne Barr, Mackenzie Brooke Smith, Melinda Page Hamilton. 104min. After being diagnosed with a brain tumour, a man goes on a killing spree to rid the world of rude and annoying people. Cameo, Edinburgh. Gold Diggers of 1937 (U) (Lloyd Bacon, US, 1936) Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell. 101min. This Busby Berkeley-choreographed tale sees a theatre company take out a huge insurance policy on their ageing producer who they then try to make sick in order to rescue the business. Followed by a discussion on the 3D atomic structure of crystals by Dr Simon Bushell, influenced by Busby Berkeley’s elaborate kaleidoscopic choreography. Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
✽ Gregory La Cava retrospective A celebration of the American
filmmkaker who made his name directing some of Hollywood’s best screwball comedies. See feature at list.co.uk Wed 27 Jun–Thu 12 Jul. Grizzly Man (15) ●●●●● (Werner Herzog, US, 2005) 103min. Herzog’s superb documentary about Timothy Treadwell, the troubled and eccentric environmentalist and former actor who sought redemption through dedicating himself to saving grizzly bears, filmed some incredible footage of them and was eventually killed by them. Astounding, disturbing viewing. Glasgow Film Theatre. The Half Naked Truth (PG) (Gregory La Cava, US, 1932) Lupe Velez, Lee Tracy, Eugene Pallette. 77min. This lampoon of celebrity worship sees a carnival man become a powerful agent when he turns a dancer into a Broadway star. Introduced by EIFF Artistic Director Chris Fujiwara. Part of the Gregory La Cava retrospective. Filmhouse, Edinburgh. Hobson’s Choice (U) ●●●●● (David Lean, UK, 1954) Charles Laughton, Brenda De Banzie, John Mills. 107min. Delightful working-class comedy charting the descent into alcoholism of Henry Hobson (Laughton), a boot maker in 19th-century Salford. Cameo, Edinburgh; Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. The Hunter (15) ●●●●● (Daniel Nettheim, Australia, 2011) Willem Dafoe, Frances O’Connor, Sam Neill. 102min. See review, page 74. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee; Glasgow Film Theatre. I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like (tbc) (Bill Viola, US, 1986) 89min. Bill Viola’s experimental work is a personal investigation into the inner states and connections to animal consciousness. Glasgow Film Theatre. I Know Where I’m Going! (U) (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, UK, 1945) Wendy Hiller, Roger Livesey, Finlay Currie, Pamela Brown, Nancy Price. 91min. Intriguing comedy romance with dark undertones, in which the young, confident Ms Hiller sets out to marry her rich, elderly fiancé in the Hebrides, but falls instead for Livesey’s sexy young naval officer. Part of Summer of Love Season. Glasgow Film Theatre. Ice Age: Continental Drift (U) (Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier, US, 2012) Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo. 94min. The ice age continues as Manny, Sid and Diego are set adrift in the fourth animated comedy about an unlikely friendship between prehistoric animals. General release from Fri 13 Jul. Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy (18) ●●●●● (Rob Heydon, Canada, 2011) Adam Sinclair, Kristin Kreuk, Billy Boyd, Olivia Andrup, Carlo Rota. 99min. A drear, witless compilation of drug-movie clichés adapted from several Welsh short stories. macrobert, Stirling. Jaws (PG) ●●●●● (Steven Spielberg, US, 1975) Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss. 125min. When peaceful Amity Island is terrorised by a rogue great white, police chief Brody (Scheider), oceanographer Hooper (Dreyfuss) and seadog Quint (Shaw) take to the hunt. Restored and digitally remastered, Spielberg’s thriller remains exceptional entertainment. General release.