FILM LIST
A Summer Story (15) (Piers Haggard, UK, 1988) James Wilby, Imogen Stubbs, Susannah York. 97 mins. Piers Haggard enjoys a far from enviable cinematic track record; his career encompasses the final Peter Seller dud The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu and the perfectly visible Venom. His television credits on the other hand have included Pennies from Heaven and the award-winning Knockback. A Summer Story is undoubtedly his best film but perhaps only because its virtues are the ones of scale and intimacy normally associated with the small screen and more specifically the tasteful teatime serial as perpetrated by the BBC.
Adapted by Penelope Mortimar from John Glasworthy's The Apple Tree, A Summer Story is a sun drenched tragedy of class and ill-starred romance during the early days of Edwardian England.
London lawyer Frank Ashton (James Wilby) is on a hiking tour of Dartmoor when a badly twisted ankle forces him to rest a few days at a remote family farmhouse. Soon he is infatuated by the servant girl Megan (Imogen Stubbs) and prolongs his visit indefinitely to pursue a mutual
for an early grax e and the insurance company for a hig pay-off. Splendid update of ])UII/llt’ Indemnity xx ith a drenchingly sxxeaty atmosphere(theses has a lot to do xx ilh it ) and a script that lcaxcs teethmarks. ltdinhrirgh: l‘ilmhouse.
I Broadcast Newsr IS ) (James 1. Brooks. 1S. 1%") William Hurt. Holly Hunter. Alhert Brooks. 13: mins. llurt is'l‘om (irunick. a hlandly charismatic presenter xx hose face is his fortune. Brooks is Aaron Altman. a hard-edged nexx shound xx ho still retains a heliel in the paramoiincy of a story 's content rather than its presentation. Hunter is the xxork-ohsessed .lane ( ‘raig. a high-fly ing producer torn hetxyeen hei respect for Aaron and her liist torl'om.
llighly entertaining romantic comedy set against a com incingly exoked milieu of telcx ision netxyoi k nexxs production and a generation of achiey ers xx hose prix ate and professional xxorlds acknoxx ledge no houndaries. litlllll‘Lll'g‘llI(.iflllL‘ll. IBustert l5)ll)a\id(irecn. t'k’. Wss‘i l’hil('olliiis. .lulie \Valteis. l.arry l.amh. Stephanie l.axx rence. “'3 mins. l.oxx-hudgct hiography of ( ireat 'l‘rain Rohhei Buster l'dxxards that manages to gloss ox er the planning. execution and x iolence of the heist itself to focus on his sentimental loy'e affair xxith his xx ile.
A creditahle starring dehiit foi (‘ollins and a stihducd \Valtet‘s help tocompensatc for an inadequate script and some crass moments. creating some of the affection of a xxorking class couple xx ho need each other and their oxx n folk. ()x‘erall. the result is the trix'ialisation of the realexents into a hland mix of .Mills and Boon xxith Mmdcp (ilasgoxx: ()deon. lidinhurgh: ()deon. Strathelyde: AM(‘ (‘lydehank. ()deon Ay r. ()deon Hamilton.
I The Candidate ( 15) (Michael Ritchie. 18. I973) Rohert Redford. l’elcr Boyle. Allen(iarl'ie|d. 11“ mins. A bright young ('alifornian laxxyer is persuaded to run for office. and in so doing ohscures his personal ideals
Seemingly iindemonstratixe. hut finally persiiasix'e look at the crushing hlandness of the American political scene. xx ith a
ASUMMER STORY
attraction.
Their love earns the taciturn disapproval of Megan‘s aunt Mrs. Narracombe (Susannah York) and arouses the violent jealousy of Megan‘s intended Joe (Jerome Flynn). When Frank is forced to leave, he persuades Megan to accompany him and they arrange to meet two days hence. However, absence merely plants doubts instead of fondness in the heart and the time permits Frank to think on their social incompatibility and whether they have a genuine chance of happiness in such a rigidly class conscious society.
good deal of authentie-lookiiig location xxork. Diehard liheral Redford. perfect in the title role. also produced. l-.dinhiirgli: lidinhurgh l’nix'ersity l‘ilm Society.
I Coming To America ( I5 ) (.lohn l.andis. l'S. l‘lSh‘l l'.(l(llL‘ Murphy . Arsenio l lall. .lames l2arl Jones. llh mins. Murphy is Prime Akeem. heir to the throne of a fahuloiisly xx ealtliy central African state. hut dissatisfied xxith the hridc arranged for him hy ls'inglaines lzarl .lones. Instead. he tray els to Neyy York \\ lth sidekick Hall to seek his oxx ii choice of queen.
()x erlong and not terrihly hilarious Murphy \ehiclc. xxith the star in sex eral roles doing his hest to pump lite intoa sentimentalscript. (ilasgoxx: (‘annon Sauehichgill Strathelyde. .v\.\l(‘ ('lydehank H).
I Consuming Passionst 15) f ( illL‘s l-‘osier. l'ls'. WSS) 'l'yler Butterxxorth. .lonathan l’ryce. Vanessa Redgraxe. 05 mins. Ambitious hut humhliiigchocolate factory employee Butterxxorth accidentally drops a pair of his felloxx xxorkers in the production x at. 'l'his radically improx'es the flaxour of the confectionery and our hero gets a promotion. prox iding he keeps his mouth shut.
l'nhearahly unfunny lart‘agool xx hich all concerned should he ashamed. ‘l'o he rex-iexx ed in lull. Strathcly'de: AM(' ('lydehank I”.
I ‘Crocodile‘ Dundee ll ( PU ) (.lohn ('ornell. Axistralia. 1988) Paul I logan.
Linda Kolloxx'ski. John Meillon. lllrnins.
Not entirely unexpected sequel has Hogan‘s Dundee retracing his steps from Manhattan to the AUssie hush to protect his girlfriend journalist Kozloyy'ski from the unxxanted attentions of a gangof (‘olomhian drug peddlars. [idinhurghz l)ominion.
I Dark Crystal (l’( i ) (Jim l lerison. l-‘rank ()1. l,'l\'. 198394 mins. The Muppet men hranched out xxith this unoriginal children's fantasy surrounding the quest for a missing shard from the all-powerful dark crystal vx hich must he retriex-ed to prevent ey'il consuming the known world. lidinhurgh: l-‘ilmhouse.
I Dark Eyes(P(i) (Nikita Mikhalkox.
Glorioust photographed. A Summer Story has echoes of Wuthering Heights in its plaintive tale of tragic love and, with the exception of Miss York‘s wayward accent, is generally well-acted. Imogen Stubbs renders her wide-eyed country lass a fresh and appealing characterisation whilst James Wilby continues to find new shadings in his familiar role as the Iovestruck English gentleman. Only this tame tenor of the piece and a sense of cinematic inhibition on the director's part hampers what is a commendany crafted example of the well-heeled costume drama. (George Bailey)
ltaly l'SSR. NS") Marcello Mastroianni. Silyano Mangano. lzlena Soloiioxa. Marthe Keller. llfi mins. Skillul adaptation of a selection of ( ~hckox stories has ageing rake .\lastroianm reminiscing ox er his past inlidclties and precai‘iotis emotional and financial state; left . as he is. to xxander in exile estranged fioiii his xx ifc and unahle to retui ii to his youngloxer. lts crisp and light tone make Dar/x I'.\'t’x delightful enough. hut the honus of a graceful tour de force from the ( 'annes pi i/cyx inner Mastroianni make it an experience to saxoin ’l he opportunity to \yatch such a master craftsman at \xork‘ is hot to he missed. (ilasgoxx ( il'vl. I Dead DfWinteri 15) (Arthur l’enn. l'S. 10S") Mary Steeiilnii'gcn. Roddy Mcl)oxxall. lllfl mitts. Actress Steenhiirgen is delixeicd to a remote \exx l2iiglaiid mansion to supposedly takcoy er a film part. hut finds malexolent poxxersat xxork to roh liei of her identity . Strange to see the signature ot Arthur l’enn on this stuttering ()ltl Hark Home remake. xxith fragments of l lilcheock throxx n in as xx ell. hccause ll resolutely litlls litetlgztgc‘ audience sympathy . I1dinhuigh: (‘aineo. I The Deerhunten is) t Michael ( “immn. l‘S. l‘f'h'l Rohcit l)e.\£iro. MerylStreep. .loii Sax age. .loii ( ‘a/ale. lefmins. The Vietnam xx ar has the effect of disrupting the Iixes of a small steel toxx n. asx ai ious friends go off to face the horrors of xx at' and return xx ith emotional scars. Daring triptych structure. the first part of which displays a rare sympathy for the traditions and rituals of the emigrant community. marks this out as a ( ‘imino mox ie. ashe explores his fax ourite theme of American idealism heing stretched almost to hreaking point. Sxiperh performancesall round. lidinhiirgh: ('ameo I Distant Voices. Still Lives ( 15 ) ('l‘erence l)ax'ies. l‘K. WSS‘) l’eter l’ostlethxxaite. Angela Walsh. l‘reda l)oxx ie. Dean Williams. SS mins. With this diptych of txxoshort films seamlesst run together. 'l‘erence l)ax ies tells the story of hisoxxn family through the l-'orties and l-‘if'tics. concentrating in the first half on the domineering x'iolence of his autocratic father. and in the latter section on the
marital tensions of the household‘s next generation.
'l‘echnically impeccahle. this hrax ura piece of film-making glues together an affecting emotional mosaic xx ith (udierously chosen music to create an ox erpoxxering piece of filmicart. estahlishing l)a\ ies as one of the country 's premier celluoid talents. lidmhurgh: ' l-‘ilriilioxise.
I Dogs in Spacer ix) ( Richard l.oxxenstein. Australia. l‘lh’h) Michael llutcheiice. Saskia l’ost. (‘hi‘is l layxxood. ltl‘) mins. The young and infuriatinng talented director of Strike/wrqu returns xxith something completely drl'fererit;a punk-era y L‘I‘Sltlll of' Mix/iri/le hrimming xxith raxx energy . a multiplicity of characters and the expected interlocking stories.
Set in 197s .‘ylelhoiirne the ramshackle plot centres around Sam. the lead singer in a punk hand called Dogs in Space. and his l—‘irlfriend Anna. xx ho are two of the inhahitants of a drop-in any time house populated hy punks. vegetarians. students and anyone else interested in an alternatix e lil'esty le incorporating parties. gigs. 'l‘\'. random discussions and loadsa drugs. Lots of ephemeral incidents transpire the most significant of which is the arrixal of a nexx supply of heroin that leads to one death hy ox erdose. ladinhurgh l 'nixei'sity l‘ilm Society.
I Double Daret15)(JohnMackenzie. l'ls'. 197M l)ennis l’otter's teley isionplay is a tense psychological thriller. xx hich. like I/lr' Singing Delve/1w. explores the xxay in xx hich the creatix e mind ticksox er. (ilasgoxx ; (il‘vl'.
I Dream Demont lhl l l lzit'lL‘y (lxtkllss. l'ls'. IUS'S) Kathleen \Vilhoitc. .lemma Redgraxc. .limmy .\'ail. lim Spall. S") mins. lingaged Sloane ahoiit to face her nuptials. and American gal in l.ondon find themsch es throxx n together in a strange house xx here their horrifying dreams keep hreaking through into reality . And repulsixe neyxshoxiiids on the doorstep don‘t make matters any hcttei
Moderately interesting lliilishattempt at l-ieiidian horror 'l o he rex icxx ed in full Stiathclyde. AM( ( ~lydeharik l“
I Dreszcze (Slui'crs) ( 15 i ( \y‘nleieeh Marc/exxiski. l’oland. WM) llltxmins. Screening as part of the Polish realities season. this is a frank study of the inhumanitiesol the Stalinist period. A young hoy 's father is suddenly arrested. and the lad himself is picked upand transported to a summer camp for ideological re-orientation. (ilasgoxx: (il’l'.
I Drowning By Numbers l is) f l’ctei (ireeiiaxxax , l 'K. l‘).SS) .loan l’loxx right. llernard l lill. .loely Richardson. llSmins. In a narratix e as straightforxxard and complicated as the title. three generations of xxomen. all of them called ( 'issie (‘olpitts. dispose of their hushands in a series of aquatic murders. xx hilst the mimhers l to Hill run through the filmin the hackgrounds.
l‘ull ol' the usual t'ay'islting x'isual symmetries and a highly dey'eloped sense of the incongruous. (ireenaxxay's latest sports a numher of highly polished and sympathetic performances. that along xxith the enjoy'ahlc pastime of numher spotting. makes this current effort his most accessihle and pleasurahle todate. (ilasgoxx: (il’l‘.
I Fatal Attraction ( IS) (Adrian Lyne. LS. 1987) (ilenn (lose. Michael Douglas. Anne Archer. l 19mins. Happily married laxy y'er l)ouglas discox‘ers the high price of infidelity xx hen his casual one night stand turns out to he a dangerously psychotic xxoman who will stop at nothing togain her man's affection. (ilossy'. xx'ell-acted mlsogy'nislic l lilchcock-sty'le thriller which has attracted more fuss than it really merits. lidinhurgh: Cameo. Strathcly'de: ()deon Ay'r.
I Les Femmes Du Bois de Boulogne ( PG) (Roherl Bresson. France. 1944) Maria
14'l‘he List 28 ()ct— ll) Nov 1988