FILM LIST
The Dressmaker (15) a (Jim O’Brien, UK, 1988) Joan Plowright, Billie Whitelaw, Jane Horrocks, Will Simpson. 93 mins. WWII. In a modest area at Liverpool, Nellie (Joan Plowright), a woman of stout moral principles, dominates the household where she lives with her gregarious younger sister Margo (Billie Whitelaw) and theirteenage niece Rita (newcomerJane Rorrocks). However, the women’s world is to be shaken by the arrival oi a group at American 613, and in particularthe relationship that Rita strikes up with one of their number. The shy young girl is quite unprepared for the expectations at their burgeoning romance, lor she is laced with the choice between resisting his physical demands and losing his company, orgiving into him and thus shattering the family’s conservative standards of conduct. Events are soon to move to an unexpectedly disturbing conclusion.
Although the strengths ol the lilm's writing and ensemble playing are the virtues we have come to expect in a low-key British film of its kind, The Dressmaker is not without a darker side
that marks it out from the usual rose-tinted memories of the period like Hope And Glory. The poor timing ol the would-be blackly comic coup at the
I The Kitchen Toto ( 15) (Harry J look. UK. 1987) Edwin Mahinda. Bob Peck. Phylis Logan. 95 mins. Kenya. 1950. Mwangi. a young Kenyan boy. witnesses the murder of his preacher father by the Mau Mau. Taken on by the local British police chief as a kitchen toto. he becomes caught in the crossfire between the vestiges ofcolonial rule and the inevitable struggle for freedom.
Sensitively handled first feature with a stong central performance by Mahinda. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Film Society.
I Labyrinth (PG) (Terry Jones. US. 198(3) David Bowie. Jennifer Connelly. 101 mins. Teenage girl has her baby bruv kidnapped by demon Dave. the King Of The Goblins. and so has to enter the fiendish labyrinth to get him back. Not bad family feature. with plenty offurry creatures to keep the kids happy. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
I The Last Emperor ( 15) (Bernardo Bertolucci. Italy/China. 1987) John Lone. Peter O'Toole. Joan Chen. 162 mins. Peking. 1908. a three year-old boy ascends to the Imperial Throne to become the ‘Lord of Ten Thousand Years'. A mere 59 years later. however. he dies a humble gardener in a China that is now the Maoist People‘s Republic.
Intelligent epic following the self-delusion and re-education of a man shaped by a superseded power structure. A little cold perhaps. but the production and cinematography are of such exquisiteness that one only wishes the film were longer. Edinburgh: Cameo. Strathclyde: Odeon Ayr.
I The Last Metro (PG) (Francois Truffault. France. 1980) Catherine Deneuve. Gerard Depardieu. Jean Poiret. 121) mins. Occupied Paris 1942. German Jewish refugee Depardieu has been attempting to work in the city as a theatre director since his flight from Germany. but when he is forced into hiding his wife (Deneuvc) has to take over the running of the theatre and maintain its connections with the
is The List 13—26January
THE DRESSMAKER
close of the piece tends to dim some at the good work that has gone before, but the trenchant critique of a nation's slowly adapting sexual mores, and the sense of paranoia lelt by many ol the locals during the American invasion are elements that makes this intelligent revision of the wartime experience both intriguing and truthlul. (Trevor Johnston)
resistance. Solidly entertaining wartime heroics. very much Hollywood France. Glasgow: French Cine Club.
I Law 0t Desire ( 18) (Pedro Almodovar. Spain. 101 mins) Eusebio Poncela. Carmen Maura. Antonio Baderas. 101 mins. Notorious film-maker Pablo moves through a decadent lifestyle ofsensual pleasure. his only real concern for his younger brother now transexual sister. However. when he falls for government minister's son Antonio. a nightmare of manipulation and deceit is to follow.
Flamboyant Spanish iconoclast Almododvar has been acclaimed a major new European talent. and while this exaggerated sexual farrago is interesting as a sort ofoverheated melodrama. the lack of narrative control near the end does let the film down. Still. a singular talent to watch. Glasgow: GFI‘.
I Like Father. Like Son (PG) 1*: (Rod Daniel. US. 1988) Dudley Moore. Kirk Cameron. Margaret Colin. 1()() mins. Brilliant brain surgeon Dr Hammond (Moore) looks set to be named Chiefof staffat one of the world's leading hospitals. while his son Chris (Cameron) is concerned about his new date and a troublesome biology exam. Guess what? Yes. this is 1988 so they change bodies with an even more predictable set of complications than usual.
An inane body-swapping movie is a tiresome enough prospect. but add the thought of ‘cuddly‘ Dudley (as a brain surgeon. yet) and you have a definite ‘must-avoid‘ experience on your hands. Strathclyde: AMC Clydebank 10. Rialto. I Macbeth ( 15) (Roman Polanski. UK. 1971 ) Jon Finch. Francesca Annis. Martin Shaw. 140 mins. Blood-soaked version of Shakespeare‘s turbulent Scots tragedy which manages to convey the play‘s pervasive spirit ofevil. The Pole‘s dark imagination provides scenes ofhorror encompassed in a brooding vision offate. mortality and power. Glasgow: GFT.
I The Manchurian Candidate ( 15) (John Frankenheimer. US. 1962) Frank Sinatra. Laurence Harvey. Angela Lansbury.
Janet Leigh. 126 mins. In his most convincing screen role. Laurence Harvey plays a Korean war hero who has actually been brainwashed by the Communists. and on his return to America becomes a mere pawn in the sinister mission they have planned for him. Army intelligence officer Sinatra is out to stop him. while the maniacal matriarch Lansbury hovers threateningly in the background throughout.
Brilliant political satire-cum-thriller. with a great cast in top form. and a staggeringly inventive plot clearly and grippingly unravelled. 1t damn well works and surprises in a way that so few films do anymore. See this marvellous reissue. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Mapantsula (15) 1? (Oliver Schmitz. S. Africa. 1988) Thomas Mogotlane. Themba Mtshali. Peter Sephuma. 106 mins. See panel. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Moonwalker (U) (Jerry Kramer «Sc Colin Chilvers. US. 1988) MichaelJackson. Scan Lennon. Kellie Parker. Joe Pesci. 100 mins. The Jacko plan for complete world domination continues apace with this ragbag of bits and pieces masquerading as a feature film. We get some old Jackson Five footage ; an animated section by Jim And She Was Bashfiled; a song called Badrler starring an eight year-old Jackson lookalike: and an extended video for the track Smooth Criminal. which has our Michael leading a double life as both clean-cut good guy and fedora-topped gangster figure.
Criticism is pointless as the kiddies will flock to it anyway. but there's a lot to dislike about a movie which sets out to exploit our younger viewers‘ short attention spans. Spare a thought for the unfortunate parents. Glasgow: Cannon Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh: Cannon. Central: Allanpark. Caledonian. Strathclyde: AMC Clydebank ll). Cannon. Kelburne. WMR.
I The Name of the Rose ( 18) (Jean-Jacques Annaud. W. Germany/France/ltaly. 1986) Sean Connery. F. Murray Abraham. Christian Slater. 131 mins. Marvellous medieval mystery with the masterful Connery as a Sherlock Holmes-like sleuth on the trail ofa murderer in the monastery. A convincing historical atmosphere and a BAF'I‘A winning performance from Sean. Central: Regal. .
I 9% Weeks (18) (Adrian Lyne. US. 1985) Mickey Rourke. Kim Basinger. 113 mins. Divorcee Basinger becomes a slave to love when she succumbs to the stubbly charms ofcommodities broker Rourke. Empty-headed designer bonking. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Orphee (15) (Jean Cocteau. France. 1950) Jean Marais. Marie Dea. Maria Casares. 95 mins. Cocteau creates an unrivalled cinema fantasy in this stunning modern version of the Orpheus legend. replete with surprising technical tricks and the director‘s personal brand ofpoetry. Edinburgh: Filmhouse
I Overboard (PG) (Garry Marshall. US. 1987) Goldie Hawn. Kurt Russell. Edward Herrman. Katharine Helmond. 112 mins. Spoiled heiress l lawn fires hunky carpenter Russell after his attempt at some outfitting work on herluxury yacht fails to satisfy. However. when she falls overboard and loses her memory he claims that she is his wife. and so offshe goes to the backwoods to look after his four uncontrollable kids.
Expertly performed romantic comedy. with husband and wife pairing Hawn and Russell making an effective screen partnership. Almost well enough done to evoke memories of the 30s screwball models the film so obviously draws upon. Strathclyde: Rialto.
I The Perverse Comedies of George Kuchar While Russ Meyer and John Waters remain the most widely recognised icons of trash cinema, the HP! has put together two programmes of short films by the New Yorker George Kuchar. who as yet has
received scant attention on these shores. Entitled Hold Me While I 'm Naked the season offers us a glimpse at the determinedly low budget comic universe this weird talent constructs from the flotsam and jetsam of America's consumer culture. Glasgow: GFT.
I Planes, Trains and Automobiles ( 15) (John Hughes. US. 1987) Steve Martin. John Candy. Laila Robbins. 92 mins. Hughes relinquishes his position as the most pertinent commentator on teenage woes and graduates with honours in the side-splitting adult comedy stakes. Martin is a harassed Chicago businessman desperate to return home from New York for the Thanksgiving celebrations. After a frenzied attempt to catch the last flight home he undergoes a series ofincreasingly fraught misadventures. Along the way he meets Candy’s accident prone shower curtain salesman and they inadvertently become travelling companions through treacherous snow. hell. high waterand mutual incompatibility.
Predictable and sentimental Odd Couple on the road which is genuinely funny thanks to the script and the well-played clash of personalities between the two stars. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The Presidio ( 15) a? (Peter 1 lyams. US. 1988) Sean Connery. Mark Harmon. Meg Ryan. Jack Warden. 98 mins. See panel. Glasgow: Cannon Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh: Cannon. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: AMC Clydebank ll). Cannon.
I Prince of Darkness ( 18) a (John Carpenter. US. 1987) Donald Pleasencc. Jameson Parker. Victor Wong. 101 mins. A Catholic priest convenes a group of scientists in an abandoned church to assist him in a race against time to discoverthe secret of a sinister canister believed to contain the spirit of Satan. As they fight against the purest form ofevil. their numbers are systematically depleted and their mission becomes a simple one of survival.
Perfunctory. low-budget shocker with little of the imagination or sense of menace that the director once seemed adept at conjuring. Edinburgh: ()deon. I Raising Arizona ( 15) (Joel Coen. US. 1987) Nicolas Cage. Holly Hunter. 94 mins. Married ex-con Cage settles down to a life ofcrime once more and remedies his wife‘s childless state by stealing a millionaire‘s recently whelped quintuplet. Exhilirating. live-action cartoon combining non-stop action. crazy situations and deadpan wit. A joy. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Film Society.
I Red Heat ( l8) (Walter Hill. US. 1988) Arnold Schwarzenegger. James Belushi. Peter Boyle. 93 mins. See panel. Glasgow: Cannon Clarkston Road. Odeon. Edinburgh: ()deon. Central: Allanpark. Caledonian. Regal. Strathclyde: AMC Clydebank ll). Kelburne. Odeon Ayr. ()deon Hamilton. Rialto.
I Repo Man ( 18) (Alex Cox. US. 1984) Harry Dean Stanton. Emilio Iistevez. Vonetta McGee. 92 mins. Cult fave blended social satire and offhand sci-fi. as naive punk Estevez gets a job repossessing cars and old hand Harry Dean shows him the ropes. Great stuff. only it makes you wonder whatever happened to Alex Cox? Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Robocop ( 18) (Paul Verhoeven. US. 1987) Peter Weller. Nancy Allen. Ronny Cox. 103 mins. Slick and stomach-churningly violent futuristic thriller blending elements of Dirty Harry. Frankenstein and The Six Million Dollar Man. When diligent policeman Murphyis shot to pieces by vicious thugs. his remains are mechanically reconstructed into a hi-tech law enforcement officer but the human desire for revenge still beats beneath his mechanical exterior. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Film Society
I The Rocky Horror Picture Show ( 18) (Jim Sharman. UK. 1975) Tim Curry. Susan