FILM LIST
o This section aims to provide a review of every lilm to be seen in central Scotland over the next fortnight. For programme times see individual cinema listings.
(U)— Universal, suitable ior all ages. (Po) — Parental Guidance suggested as some scenes may be unsuitable ior youngerchildren.
(15) — No one underthe age of 15 admitted.
(18)- No one underthe age of 18 admitted.
air-New Release.
0 Alien (18) (Ridley Scott. US. 1979) Sigourney Weaver. Ian llolm. Jon 1 lurt. 116 mins. A space-freighter landson a mysterious planet and the crew unwittingly take on board a hungry intruder which suspensefully proceeds to chomp its way through the cast list. Glasgow; OFF
0 Aliens (18) (James Cameron. US. 1986) Sigourney Weaver. Carrie Hchn. Michael Biehn. 137 mins. Revived from aS7-year snooze in deep space. Warrant Officer Ripley is cajoled into joining a marine rescue mission to the planet 1.8426. home for the original alien. A nerve-shattering sequel that not only matches its predecessor but cannily surpasses it. Glasgow; GET 0 An American Tail (U) (Don Bluth. L18. 1987) With the voices of Dom De Luise. Madeleine Kahn. (‘hristopher Plumrner. 81 mins. Cutesy but not unbearably so animated feature with the Spielberg touch as the Mousekewitz family make the journey from old Russia to the New World. The rich detail demanded by master Bluth wins the day. Glasgow: Cannon Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh; Cannon
0 The Aristocats (U) (Wolfgang Reitherman. US. 1970) With the voices Maurice Chevalier and Eva Gabor. 78 mins. Superior latterday animated Disney charmer with a band of resourceful moggies getting together to preserve their rightful inheritance. Glasgow; Odeon. Edinburgh; Odeon
0 Beverly Hills Cop ( 15) (Martin Brest. US. 1985) Eddie Murphy. Judge Reinhold. Steven Berkoff. 105 mins. Chicago cop Murphy is out of his depth on the casein LA. Well-tailored star vehicle with a sequel/clone, showing at the Film Festival. Glasgow Grosvenor 0 Big Trouble in Little China (PG) (John Carpenter. US. 1986) Kurt Russell. Kim Cattrall. 100 mins. Misfiring fantasy adventure in a mystic Chinese underworld beneath the streets of San Francisco. with all concerned a little unsure of the frantic pace and frenetic plotting. Edinburgh; Odeon
0 Black Witton ( 15) (Bob Rafelson. LS.
1987) Theresa Russell. Debra Winger. Sami Frey. Dennis Hopper. 102 mins.
Jttsttce Dept computer expert Alex
Barnes ( Debra Winger) comes across evidence pointing to a mysterious (‘atharine (Theresa Russell) elusively marrying a series of wealthy men then murdering them to benefit from their substantial legacies. Tracking her down in Hawaii where she has her sights set on a French millionaire (Frey). the investigator is to become involved in a disturbing relationship with her prey. (‘hic modern thriller meets psychological drama in this elegant and slickly entertaining effort frotn the painstaking and always watchable Ratelson. Glasgow: ()deon. Edinburgh; ()deon 0 Cactus (PG) (Paul Cox. Australia. 1986) Isabelle l luppert. Robert Menzies. Norman Kaye. 96 mins. Static. slow-moving sensitive romance as lluppert visits friends in Australia to escape from a failing marriage and loses the sight in her left eye following aear crash. Her remaining sight may also be impaired. but as she wrestles with the medical options she meets Robert who has been blind since birth and is now himselfa teacher of the blind. Major decisions about her future must be faced when her husband arrives to encourage a reconciliation. Glasgow; G171" o Chronicle of a Death Foretold(15) (Francesco Rosi. ltaly France“Colombia. 1986) Rupert Everett. ()rnelia Muti. Gian Maria Volonte. 98 mins. Dark stranger Rupert Ii. wanders into (‘olombian provincial outpost and without furtherado marries the beautiful daughter ofthe Vicario family (Ornelia Muti). before returning her to her folks on the wedding night after discovering she is not a virgin and thus provoking the elder brothers to violently avenge the family's honour on the local playboy she alleges as the author
INDEX
ofthe misfortune.
Labyrinthinely plotted Marquez adaptation which never recovers from the fatal miscasting of noted Hispanic matinee idol El Rupert Edinburgh; Cameo o Crocodile Dundee (15) (Peter Faiman. Australia. 1986) Paul Hogan. Linda Kozlowski. 98 mins. Slight but disarming comedy romance with Aussie croc hunter Hoges at large in downtown Manhattan. Glasgow; Odeon. Edinburgh; Odeon. Lothian; Cannon. Strathelyde; Cannon Greenock. Cannon Kilmarnoek 0 Dance oi the Vampires ( 15) (Roman Polanski. US. 1967) Jack McGowran. Roman Polanski. Sharon Tate. 124 mins. A crusty professor and his oafish assistant set out to stake at Transylvanian vampire who has been causing great distress among the local maidens. Polanski‘s first Hollywood outingbefore he hit paydirt with Rosemary 's Baby is a real curiosity. a would-be horror spoof with so few laughs it could almost be taken straight. Stodgy and insanely long. the alternative title Pardon Me. Your Teeth Are In M y Neck gives some indication of the inanity ofthe humour throughout. Glasgow; GET 0 Desperately Seeking Susan ( 15) (Susan Seidelman. US. 1986) Rosanna Arquette. Madonna. Aidan Quinn. 103 mins. Delightful feminist fantasy concerning mistaken identity in the Big Apple. Glasgow; Grosvenor o Dona Herlinda and Her Son ( l5) (Jaime Humberto Hermosillo. Mexico. 1985) Arturo Meza. Marco Antonio 'l’revio. Guadalupe del Toro. 91 mins. ()ccasionally ponderous but generally likeably gay Mexican satire in which the strong-willed matriarch Dona Herlinda ensures that her son is a happily married husband and father despite his ongoing passionate affair with young music student Ramon. Edinburgh: Filmhouse 0 Double Take Meet the Astro Zombies Ted V. Michel's 1967 mad doctor turkey with reliable 01‘ John Carradinc. gets a hilarious overhaul with an ‘improved‘ script overdubbed by a cast ofderanged Australians lurking at the back ofthe auditorium. It ran for YEARS in Sidney. so we just dare you to miss it! See also deiUI‘C. Fdinhurnh' (‘ttmt‘O o The Dresser (PG) (Peter Yates. UK. 1983) Albert Finney. Tom Courtenay. Eileen Atkins. 118 mins. The show must go on for barnstorming old trouper Finney touring the sticks in wartime Britain. With the help of his solicitous dresser he cajoles. bullies. huffs and puffs his way through just one more performance ofthe
Pee Wee's Big Adventure (U) (Tim Burton.US,1985) Pee Wee Hermann. Morgan Fairchild,James Brolin. 92 mins. Pasty-iaced, perennial adolescent Pee Wee Herman is a cult comedian in America with his own top-rated television series and a vast and loyal lollowing.Aiter a well-orchestrated amount at hype his long-unreleased lirst leature now makes its bow in the British market and proves to be childish stuff and nonsense with a degree otdisarming cuteness and a certain visual humour.
Hermann himseli is something of a visual joke from the same school 01 arrested development that has most notably spawned Jerry Lewis. He has the vocal characteristics of Kerrnlt the frog, the gait of a constipated human cartoon and the manic chartn oia neurotic nerd.
The slender storyline here revolves around the calamitous events that ensue when Pee Wee's beloved bicycle is stolen. Travelling across America, he is assailed and betriended by ghostly truck drivers. escaped criminals. Hell's Angels. rodeo riders and even a Hollywood movie tycoon.|n Pee Wee's world anything is possible.
Hermann evokes memories olJohn
PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE
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Cleese, Buster Keaton and other comic geniuses and clearly shares their love oithe absurd, physical pantomime and ingenious gadgetry. His angst-ridden aggressiveness may possibly remain an acquired taste in this country but this lilm proved far more
Bard‘s King Lear.
A richly theatrical. sentimental two-hander not ideally suited to the intimacy of film. with Finney in bombastic. lip-smacking form Glasgow; GET 0 The Exorcist ( 18) (William Friedkin. US. 1973) Linda Blair. Ellen Burstyn. Max Von Sydow. 110 mins. Earnest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl Blair in this hugely effective scarefest. Glasgow: Grosvenor O 52 Pick-Up (18) (John Frankenheimer. US. 1986) Roy Scheider. Ann-Margret. Doug McClure. 108 mins. Uninspired account of the immensely readable. pacy Elmore Leonard cat-and-mouse thriller. Edinburgh; Filmhouse 0 Flight of the Havigator(U) (Randal Kleiser. US. 1986) Joey Cramer. Veronica Cartwright. 90 mins. A plucky youngster ends up piloting an alien spacecraft around the cosmos in this uninspired holiday fare. Lothian; (.‘annon. Strathclyde; Cannon Greenock. Cannon Kilmamock 0 The Fourth Man ( 18) (Paul Verhoeven. Holland. 1983) Jeroen Krabbe. Renee Soutendijk. 95 mins. Wonderfully uninhibited gothic black comedy-fantasy with Krabbe an alcoholic gaywriter seeking a peaceful escape in a seaside resort only to discover murder most foul. Great fun. Glasgow; GET 0 Gothic (18) (Ken Russell. UK. 1986) Gabriel Byrne. Julian Sands. Natasha Richardson. 87 mins. Shoddy. irritating Russell farrago with assorted Romantic poets pumped full of drugs and telling ghostie stories in a night of hysteria that was to inspire Mary Shelley‘s Frankenstein among others. Glasgow; OFT o Heavenly Pursuits ( 15) (Charles Gormley. UK. 1986) Tom Conti. 1 lclen Mirren. David Hayman. 92 mins. Conti is the caring teacher caught up in his remedial school‘s miracle fever who must determine the plausibility ofdivine intervention in contemporary Glasgow.
An engaging. lightweight comedy-drama told with wit and charm and performed with assurance. Tartan candyfloss. Edinburgh; Cameo 0 The Hitcher ( 18) (Robert Mandel. US. 1986) Rutger Hauer. C. Thomas Howell. Jennifer Jason Leigh. 98 mins. Drowsy driver Howell gets more than he bargains for when he picks up psycho-hitcher Hauer, a man who enjoys a refreshing spot of in-car mutilation before his pint of plain. Glasgow; Grosve nor 0 lndiana Jones and the Temple 01 Doom
palatable than I had leared. It iustseems strange to be releasing patently children’s tare when the majority oi your audience is preparing iortheir own big adventure 01 going to school. (Allan Hunter)
The List 7 - 20 August 69