FILM | Index
BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT Ridley Scott’s 1982 cult classic about feeling and thinking human machines is the grandfather of AI films. A group of ‘replicants’ escape to Earth from their off-world colony. The weary and disillusioned ‘blade runner’ Rick Deckard (legendarily personified by Harrison Ford, pictured) is assigned to hunt them down. This spectacular masterpiece is loosely based on Philip K Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and Scott examines no less intriguing questions. (Eszter Simor) ■ Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Film Theatre, Sun 14 Dec.
an exercise in time-wasting. General release. St Vincent (12A) ●●●●● (Theodore Melfi, US, 2014) Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts. 102min. Vincent (Murray) is a war hero turned lonely, misanthropic drunkard, who becomes a comically inappropriate babysitter to neighbour Oliver (Lieberher). Murray and Lieberher are a fine double act, Watts is a hoot as a pregnant Eastern European prostitute/pole-dancer, and despite a conventionally tear-jerking finale it’s mostly scrappy and likable. General release. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (12A) ●●●●● (Jonathan Liebesman, US, 2014) Megan Fox, Alan Ritchson, Jeremy Howard. 101min. Visually distinctive reboot of the franchise chronicling the adventures of four late-adolescent, martial-arts-trained, pizza-addicted chelonians and their intrepid reporter pal (Fox). The CGI- enhanced turtles are an improvement on their cinematic predecessors, Fox is commendably committed and Arnett is enjoyable as her smitten cameraman. Like its heroes’ favourite food, exciting and loaded with cheese. Showcase Cinema, Glasgow, Thu 11 Dec; Showcase Cinema Paisley, Thu 11 Dec. The Homesman (PG) ●●●●● (Tommy Lee Jones, US/France, 2014) Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Grace Gummer. 122min. When Mary Cuddy (Swank) needs help escorting three madwomen from frontier Nebraska to Iowa, her only help is from rascally claim jumper George Briggs (Jones). A sombre, frequently horrific depiction of the pioneer experience, enlivened with flashes of sardonic humour and a few meaty cameos; Swank is heartbreaking and Jones keeps the western alive. Glasgow Film Theatre, Thu 11 Dec. 86 THE LIST 11 Dec 2014–5 Feb 2015
ONE-OFFS, SEASONS AND FESTIVALS Absurdistan (tbc) (Veit Helmer, Germany/Azerbaijan, 2008) Kristyna Malérová, Max Mauff, Nino Chkheidze. 88min. Allegorical comedy about two childhood sweethearts whose first night of love is put in jeopardy when the women in their isolated village go on a sex strike. CCA, Glasgow, Wed 14 Jan. Action Jackson (tbc) (Prabhudheva, India, 2014) Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Yami Gautam. 144min. Action packed comedy with swords fights, hand to hand combat, gun battles and some fantastic musical numbers. Odeon at the Quay, Glasgow, Thu 11 Dec. Aerial View: A Guid New Year with STV (U) 90min. A journey into STV’s Hogmanay archives. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Wed 31 Dec. Alasdair Gray: A Life in Progress (12A) (Kevin Cameron, UK, 2014) Alasdair Gray, Liz Lochhead, Edwin Morgan. 94min. An intimate portrait of Alasdair Gray, filmed over a 15 year period. Double bill with Alasdair Gray: The Bedfords. Glasgow Film Theatre, Sun 14 Dec. Annie (U) ●●●●● (John Huston, US, 1981) Albert Finney, Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett. 128min. Feelgood musical schmaltz courtesy of the orphaned red-head (Quinn) who sings her way into the heart of hard-nosed businessman Daddy Warbucks (Finney). Showcase Cinema, Glasgow, Fri 26 Dec–Thu 1 Jan; Showcase Cinema Paisley, Fri 26 Dec–Thu 1 Jan. Arthur Christmas (U) ●●●●● (Sarah Smith, UK/US, 2011) Voices of James McAvoy, Bill Nighy, Hugh Laurie. 97min. With characters boringly reflecting different degrees of niceness, this contrived family feud lacks the wit that made Aardman’s name. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sun 21 Dec. Banff Mountain Film Festival (E) (Various, US, Various) A collection of films selected as the best of their kind at this prestigious mountain festival. The films cover feats of skiing, climbing, white water rafting, and extreme mountain biking and many more daredevil activities from across the globe. Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Sat 24 Jan. The Bishop’s Wife (U) ●●●●● (Henry Koster, US, 1947) Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven. 105min. An almost classic holiday film about a bishop (Niven) who neglects his wife and parishioners to save his cathedral, until an angel (Grant) intervenes. Glasgow Film Theatre, Fri 12–Thu 18 Dec; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sat 20–Tue 23 Dec. Black Christmas (18) (Bob Clark, US, 1974) Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder. 98min. Yuletide stalk’n’slash fun as a group of sorority girls are picked off by a mysterious killer. Glasgow Film Theatre, Tue 16 Dec. Blade Runner: The Final Cut (15) ●●●●● (Ridley Scott, US, 1982) Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer. 112min. Fifteen years on from the 1992 ‘Director’s Cut’, Scott has had another bash at his sci-fi opus which pitted Deckard (Ford) against a slew of replicants. Now a more linear, voiceover- free film noir, for once a great film has been made better thanks to advances in special effects technology and thoughtful rethinking. Selected release. Bolshoi Ballet Live: Le Corsaire (tbc) (2012) Loosely based on Byron’s poem, this romantic tale tells of the rescue of a beautiful slave from her master by a handsome pirate. Featuring music by Adolphe Adam and Leo Delibes. Cineworld Fountainpark, Edinburgh, Sun 25 Jan; Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Sun 25 Jan.
Bolshoi Ballet Live: Lost Illusions (tbc) (2014) A live screening of a new version of Balzac’s tale of thwarted love and ambition. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Sun 21 Dec. Bolshoi Ballet Live: The Nutcracker (tbc) (2014) Sugarplum Fairies and Rat Kings live from Russia. Selected release. Bolshoi Ballet Live: Swan Lake (12A) 160min. A tragic love story ensues when young Prince Siegfried meets Odette, who is white swan by day and human by night. Odette can only wait for an oath of true love to break the curse. This tale of love, drama and deception is brought to life by Russia’s world famous Bolshoi Ballet. Release from Sun 25 Jan. Cathedrals of Culture (PG) ●●●●● (Germany, 2014) 165min. A collection of six short films from six acclaimed directors, each focusing on a different world-famous building. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Tue 16 Dec. Cult Movie Mondays (tbc) Weekly screenings of movies that people go mad for. Sofi’s, Edinburgh, Mon 15–Mon 29 Dec. Das große Museum (PG) (Johannes Holzhausen, Austria, 2014) 94min. Documentary about Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum. Glasgow Film Theatre, Fri 19–Tue 23 Dec. Die Hard (18) (John McTiernan, US, 1988) Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia. 131min. Willis plays a cop who attends a tower block party with his estranged spouse. The building is raided by terrorists, so it’s left to Willis to bump off the baddies and save the hostages while the police and FBI languish ineptly on the sidelines. Unbearably tense actioner that gets good mileage out of yawning lift-shafts and flying bullets, while Willis is convincing as an ordinary guy trying to cope with it all. Watch out for Brit Rickman as a villain with a sense of humour. Glasgow