(Jim Sharman. UK, 1975) Tim Curry. Susan Sarandon. Barry Bostwick. 100 mins. Kinky. musical horror spoofwith Tim Curry giving his all as a sweet. transvestite transsexual from Transylvania. Cult late-night attraction. Edinburgh: Playhouse
0 St Elmo’s Fire ( 15) (Joel Schumacher. US. 1985) Emilio Estevez. Rob Lowe. Martin Balsam. 108 mins. Seven recent college graduates. dull rather than magnificent. face all the sorts of problems that glossy rich American college graduates usually face in this sort ofglossy. rich American college graduate type of movie. Lothian: Regal
0 Santa Claus—The Movie (U) (Jeannot Szwarc. US. 1985) Dudley Moore. John Lithgow, David Huddleston. 108 mins. With Christmas under threat from the unscrupulous scheming of wicked toy manufacturer B.Z.. Santa and his reindeer must ride to the rescue ofall the children in the world. Charmless. badly misjudged seasonal story that is never quite as bad as it threatens to be. A good panto remains infinitely preferable. Edinburgh; ()deon. Glasgow; Odeon. Strathclyde; Kelburne. Odeon (Hamilton)
0 Sebastiane (18) (Derek Jarman. Paul IIumfrees. UK. 1976) Leonardo Treviglio. Barney James. Richard Warwick. 85 mins. The exile and persecution of a Roman captain in AD 303 who has interceded on behalfof a Christian sentenced to death provides the focus for Jarman‘s debut feature. The first film made entirely in Latin is also renowned for its depiction of male nudity and homosexual passion in a characteristically forthright manner. With subtitles. Edinburgh: Filmhouse
0 Silverado (PG) (Lawrence Kasdan. US. 1985) Kevin Kline. Scott Glenn. Linda Hunt. 122 mins. See Caption review. Edinburgh; Odeon. Glasgow; Odeon
o The State of Things ( 15) (Wim Wenders, West Germany. 1982) Patrick Bachau, Samuel Fuller. Roger Corman. 121 mins. In Portugal a multi-national film unit are stranded at a coastal hotel whilst the producer seeks the necessary finance to complete their science-fiction epic film The Survivors. In his absence the abandoned crew examine the shortcomings of their lives and relationships. Gloomy. inscrutable drama in which total boredom overrides any other reaction. Edinburgh: Filmhouse
o Stranger Than Paradise ( 15) (Jim Jarmusch. US-West Germany. 1984) John Lurie. Eszter Balint. Richard Adson. 89 mins. In New York Willie (John Lurie) receives an unexpected and not entirely welcome visit from his 16 year-old immigrant cousin Eva en route to their aunt Lottie. Her presence forces him to justify his inert lifestyle and an unarticulated bond grows between them. Expressiver photographed. relentlessly hip minimalist
Lshaggy-dog story. Edinburgh;
26 The List 10 — 23 January
l "N _
Silverado (PG) (Lawrence Kasdan, US, 1985) Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, Rosanna Arguette, John Cleese. 130 mins. The Western rides yet again. Eastwood's Pale Rider proved that the ol‘ critter was only playing dead atterthe Great Heaven’s Gate Massacre, and now Lawrence Kasdan shows that the genre is still as rootin'-tootin' as ever. Accomplished Hollywood revisionist Kasdan has already turned his talents to Saturday morning serials with his script tor Raider 01 The Lost Ark, and film noir
__F_1..1:M_-L_1_SI--_ _ __ . -_ __
curious cameo by our very own
' SILVERADO
‘.. John
Cleese as a Sheriff, and you tind yourself with a very rich mixture
indeed.
The problem with such rich loads is that one can only manage a little at a time, as anyone who has ever tried to eat a whole Christmas pudding will tell
you. There's probably enough
with Body Heat, and Silverado attempts ~ can have too much at a good thing.
to similarly revivily the dusty shoot-‘em-up of years gone by.
All the classic ingredients are mixed together into a complex storyline. An amiable Kevin Kline is a Hawksian regular guy doing what’s right; steely Scott Glenn a hardened gunlighter in the Eastwood mould; Rosanna Arquette's homesteadin' woman is straight out of John Ford; while the excellent Danny Glover’s much put-upon black represents the more liberal side of the genre. Add to this a glossary at your tavourite scenes, gunlights, saloon controntations, stampedes et at, not to mention a
borrowed material in Silverado tor three good westerns, but this means that while any ten minutes orso is beautifully-crafted and stylishly entertaining, the film as a whole is a bit overlong and a touch overbearing. One
Which perhaps makes it sound worse
. than it actually is, tor Silverado is a
quality picture, replete with several splendid action sequences, Kasdan’s customary dry wit, and a
lovingly-photographed period teel,
making it more than worthwhile. Not the great western it would like to be, and one leels throughout that the tilm strains a little too hard lor classic status, but delinitely a good western. Plenty of pleasurably tamiliar enjoyment tor addicts ol the genre. (Trevor Johnston)
Filmhouse
O The Thing ( 18) (John Carpenter. US. 1982) Kurt Russell. A. Wilford Brimley. Richard Dysart. 108 mins. A remote Arctic outpost is terrorist by an alien organism in this grisly remake of the 1950s classic. Glasgow; G rosvenor
0 Trading Places ( 15) (John Landis. US. 1983) Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy. Don Ameche, Jamie Lee Curtis. 116 mins. Two elderly members of Philadelphia‘s Heritage Club indulge in a wager that black down-and-out can make it as a commodities broker and instal him in a partnership. while the former broker he has replaced (now reduced to vagabond status himself) decides
to fight back. Superb comedy
Glasgow; ABC (Clarkston Road) 0 Ugetsu Monogatari (18) (Kenji
Mizoguchi.Japan. 1953) Machiko Kyo. Masayuki Mori. Kinyo
Tanaka. 89 mins. In this prize-winning production set in 16th
| century Japan two peasants leave
their families: one to seek fame and fortune in the city. the other to pursue his dream of being a samurai warrior. Glasgow; GET
0 Up YourAnchor( 18) (Dan Wolman. Israel-West Germany. 1985) Zachi Noy. thach Katzur. Joseph Shiloah. 87 mins. Sixth ofthe Lemon Popsicle series in which the hapless team are all at sea. carrying on aboard a liner bound for Italy. Strathclyde'. La Scala
0 Va BankZ (PG) (Poland. 198‘?) 110 mins. Sequel to. surprise. surprise. Va Bank continuing the story oftwo
erstwhile friends Kwinto and
Kramer. The original was described as a black comedy in the spirit of the 1930s and was directed by Juliusz
(Sex Mission) Machulski. The story
; of revenge among thieves and
bankers continues here. Edinburgh; Filmhouse
o AVlew to a Kill (PG) (John Glen. UK, 1985) Roger Moore. Grace Jones.Christopher Walken. 131 mins. Christopher Walken is the
LISTINGS
maniac bent on world domination in this predictably professional latterday Bond where the stuntmen do most of the work. and the best acting. After 25 years the series has become a redundant institution but surely this must mark Moore‘s farewell to arms. Strathclyde; Kelburne.
0 Weird Science( 15) (John Hughes. US. 1985) Kelly LeBrock. Anthony Michael Hall. Ilan Mitchell-Smith. 94 mins. 'I'wo highly undesirable high school nerds programme their home computer to produce the perfect woman to solve their intimate personal problems. Miss LeBrock is the answer to all their prayers in this infantile farce that overstays its already grudging welcome.
Edinburgh; ABC. Glasgow; ABC (Sauchiehall Street). Lothian; ABC. Strathclyde; ABC (Greenock). ABC ( Kilmarnock). La Scala
0 Witness ( 15) (Peter Weir. US. 1985) Harrison Ford. Kelly Mc Gillis. Alexander Godunov. 112 mins. A young Amish boy is a
witness to murder. The investigation ;
leads a cop into a brush with another culture. a little romance and the expected police corruption. Atmospheric. impeccably acted and beautifully constructed. ()ne ofthe best films ofthe 1980s.
Edinburgh: Dominion. Glasgow; Grosvenor
0 Year of the Dragon ( 18) (Michael Cimino. US. 1985) Mickey Rourke.
John Lone. Ariane. 134mins. Racist .
Polish-American cop Stanley White (Mickey Rourke) is assigned to a new beat in New York‘s Chinatown and determines to clean up the neighbourhood. His appointment coincides with the rise to power of a new young leader in the local underworld. The clash of their ambitions brings a bloodbath to the
streets of the city as White. obsessed .
by his experiences in Vietnam. declares war on everyone including his more conservative superiors. Brutal. incoherent detective thriller. poorly acted. badly miscast and all in the worst possible taste. Edinburgh; ABC. Glasgow; ABC (Sauchiehall Street) 0 Zelig (PG) (Woody Allen. US. 1983) Woody Allen. Mia Farrow. 79
mins. A pseudo-documentary ofthe '
exploits ofthe fictional character Leonard Zelig. chameleon man of the Roaring Twenties. who adapted his physical characteristics to match those closest to him in a bid for anonymity. Clever. witty comic masterpiece. Glasgow; GFI‘
This section gives details of programmes showing at cinemas in central Scotland over the next fortnight. Readers are advised that many cinemas in the Strathclyde and Lothian regions are unable to provide The List with details of their programming for both weeks covered by each issue, as these may not be available at the time ofgoing