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art and creativity in a time of conflict. Screenings include documentary Broken Record, US/Iraq collabo The Dreams of Sparrows, football drama Kick Off and multinational effort Son of Babylon, along with several short films. See preview, page 41. Filmhouse, Edinburgh; The Glad Cafe, Glasgow, Thu 21 Mar– Sun 24 Mar, reelfestivals.org. The Room (18) ●●●●● (Tommy Wiseau, US, 2003) Tommy Wiseau, Juliette Danielle, Greg Sestero. 99min. ‘So bad it’s good’ cult film that has suffered some very harsh criticism but is loyally defended by its mysterious director Wiseau. Cameo, Edinburgh, Fri 22 Mar. LIVE SCREENINGRoyal Opera House: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Christopher Wheeldon, UK, 2013) A presentation of Christopher Wheeldon’s entrancing ballet with all the zany characters, including the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the questionably affected Alice herself. Various venues, Thu 28 Mar. Singin’ in the Rain (U) ●●●●● (Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, US, 1950) Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds. 102min. Absolutely wonderful musical entertainment,
with the slickest of snappy dialogue, enduringly catchy numbers, a cast of genuine charisma, and an engaging picture of the film industry in transition. Cameo, Edinburgh, Sun 24 Mar. Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever (18) (Calum Waddell, UK, 2012) 75min. This Scottish documentary is a celebration of the slasher film, from Psycho (the original) to the present day, via Halloween, Scream and Saw. Double bill with Intruder. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 24 Mar. Strength of Argument (UK) 82min. Ken Loach and Barry Hines reunited after Kes to produce A Question of Leadership in support of British steelworkers after the 1980 strike. Here partnered with Philip Donnellan’s Men of Corby, which focuses on Scottish steelworkers. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Mon 25 Mar. Theatre Of Blood (18) (Douglas Hickox, UK, 1973) Vincent Price. 104min. Classic luvvy-based Vincent Price horror. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Mon 25 Mar. Trainspotting (18) ●●●●● (Danny Boyle, UK, 1995) Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller. 93min. John Hodge’s screenplay perfectly captures the desperate humour of Irvine Welsh’s novel, with fast and stylish direction, a creative soundtrack and acting that’s off-the-rails excellent. Cameo, Edinburgh, Fri 29 Mar. The Tree of Life (12A) ●●●●● (Terrence Malick, US, 2011) Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain. 139min. The lives of a 1950s family are contrasted with a history of life on earth (including CGI dinosaurs). Soaring music, gliding camerawork, the frequent absence of dialogue and a constant sense of yearning gives the film the feeling of a heartfelt sermon. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 31 Mar. LIVE SCREENINGThe War of The Worlds Alive on Stage (tbc) (Nick Morris, UK, 2012) Liam Neeson, Jeff Wayne, Marti Pellow. 100min. Take cover – it’s the original (prog- rock) score for the HG Wells novel adaptation, featuring holographic Liam Neeson as George Herbert. Screening of the London O2 performance from Dec 2012. Various venues, Thu 11 Apr and Sun 14 Apr. We Are Northern Lights (12A) (Nick Higgins, UK, 2013) 98min. A collection of short films combined
Index | FILM to capture the essence of Scotland. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Sun 24 Mar. What Is this Film Called Love? (tbc) ●●●●● (Mark Cousins, Mexico/ US/UK/Canada/Germany, 2012) 77min. A supremely self-indulgent film in which Cousins takes his imaginary companion Sergei Eisenstein on a walking tour of Mexico City in a documentary that is cheeky, fun, personal and a bit sad. Followed by a Q&A with the director. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 28 Mar. Whistle Down the Wind (U) (Bryan Forbes, UK, 1961) Hayley Mills, Alan Bates, Bernard Lee. 99min. When young Kathy (Mills) discovers a wanted murderer in her family barn he tells her that he is Jesus. Falling for the story, Kathy and gang try to hide him from the grown-ups. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 30 Mar. William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (12) ●●●●● (Baz Luhrmann, Australia/US, 1996) Leonardo DiCaprio, Clare Danes. 120min. A magnificent riot of colour, action and sexy teen romance in a by-now classic mid-90s flick that’s both deliciously feverish and studiedly cool. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sat 23 Mar.
TRASHKINO: WAKE IN FRIGHT Also known as Outback, Ted Kotcheff’s 1971 dramatic horror was considered lost. That was until a digital restoration in 2009 brought it back to the attention of the arthouse-going public (including Martin Scorsese, who nominated it a ‘Cannes Classic’ while he was a guest of honour at the festival). It tells the story of a middle-class school teacher (Gary Bond) who gets sucked into a culture of drinking and violence in a small outback town in Australia. The film is screening as part of Trashkino, a monthly event that aims to raise the profile of some arthouse classics, curated by musician and filmmaker Adam Stafford (Y’All is Fantasy Island). (Niki Boyle) ■ The Art School Union, Glasgow, Mon 15 Apr.
21 Mar–18 Apr 2013 THE LIST 69