FILM LIST
I The Accused (18) (Jonathan Kaplan. US, 1988) Kelly McGillis, Jodie Foster. Berni Coulson. 111 mins. Sarah Tobias (Foster) is raped on a pinball machine by three men, yet when the assailants are taken to court, a plea bargain with Sarah's lawyer Kathryn Murphy (McGillis) reduces their charges. When both women realise this is a sell-out, they decide to bring charges against the men in the bar who cheered on the attack and offered encouragement to the rapists. Standout performance from Foster in this sympathetic and responsible treatment of difficult subject matter, whose firm grasp of character and honest intentions help allay one‘s reservations about the content. Glasgow: GFT.
I The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (PG) (Terry Gilliam, US, l988)John Neville, Sarah Polley. Eric Idle. Robin Williams. 126 mins. Gilliam‘s fabulously expensive 18th century fantasia begins in a city under siege from the Turks where the populace are being entertained by a theatrical extravaganza based on the tall tales of Baron Munchausen. whereupon the lad himself appears to give a first-hand account of his adventures and save the day. Gilliam's extravagant visual sensibility guides this occasionally misfiring maniac epic through its sticky patches. but there is so much to look at and enough genuine laughs that his relentless campaign against mediocre convention is more than justified. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I And Now For Something Completely Different (PG) (lan MacNaughton, UK, 1971)The Massed Monty Pythons. 88 mins. And now for somnething you‘ve already seen on TV is more like it. Perfunctory big screen reproduction of all your favourite sketches from the early Python telly series. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Batman (Tim Burton, US. 1989) Jack Nicholson. Michael Keaton, Kim Bassinger. 120 mins. In which Burton achieves the impossible by creating a product which lives up to possibly the biggest hype job this century. Nicholson is on top form: psychotic, witty and zany like you’ve never seen him before; but the real triumph is Keaton’s. With less screen time than the Great Upstager, he produces a performance of unforgettable subtlety and
power. which gives a new credibility to the Bruce Wayne/Batman character. while remaining true to the comic strip.
With eerie angular design by Anton Furst. a terrific score by Danny Elfman. a suitably wacky script and a strong supporting cast. this is a long movie which you won‘t want to end. See it. Glasgow: Cannon Clarkston Road, Cannon The Forge, Cannon Sauchiehall Street.
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Grosvenor. Edinburgh: Cannon. Central: Allanpark. Calcdonian. Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon. Kelburnc. La Scala. Odeon Ayr.Odcon11amilton. UCI Clydebank 10. WMR Film Centre.
I Beaches ( 15) (Gary Marshall US. 1988) Bette Midler. Barbara Hershey, John Heard. Spalding Gray. 124 mins. Two eleven year old girls meet on a beach in Atlantic City and become lifelong friends despite jealous arguments and diverse lifestyles. C.C. Bloom is a loudmouthed actress/singer bound for stardom (not a very taxing role for Midler) . while Hershey‘s Hilary Whitney is a prim moneyed beauty trying hard to resist conformity. Midler makes good work of the star-vehicle script and is ably supported by Hershey. But make no mistake, this overlong female buddy movie is the schmalziest tearjerker you‘ll see in a while. Glasgow: Odeon. Strathclyde: UCl Clydebank 10
I Biloxi Blues (15) (Mike Nichols. US. 1988) Matthew Broderick, Christopher Walken, Corey Parker. 107 mins. Second instalment (after Brighton Beach Memoirs) of Neil Simon‘s movie
MONTY PYTHON’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY
The latest product of the prolific anniversary industry is the discovery that yes, it was twenty years ago today (well, almost) that Monty Python changed the lace of British comedy, erupting out of late-night television to regale the nation with something that was completely different. Certainly the Pythons built upon the source of English Iooniness that had succoured previous wacko fare like the Goons, Marty Feldman, Pete'n'Dud and the topical TW3 show, but the utterly outre surrealist invention of their absurdist humour when combined with the fortuitous amalgam of comic acting talent and complementary personalities within the group, was to found a surprisingly long-lasting dynasty of dementia that’s won popularity on TV and movie screens across the world for the past two decades.
A season put together by Edinburgh Filmhouse collects six editions from the first and second BBC series, together with the four movies that the Pythons have made as a team: And Now For Something Completely Different (1971), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974), The Life of Brian (1979) and The Meaning of Life (1983).
Also on show will be a fair proportion of the work that the gang have turned out as individuals, with Eric Idle's
*0 ‘ F bLI'. » ' 3;" i‘ A parodic pop-biog The Rutles (1978) and the CIeese-scripted A Fish Called Wanda (1988), joining the rarely-screened training films made by Cleese's Video Arts company. Sadly and perhaps strangely, no room has been found for Michael Palin's spilling television larft Ripping Yarns (1978) or his film The Missionary (1982), but there’s a chance to see all of Terry Gilliam's richly textured movies from the medieval humour of Jabberwoclry (1977), through Time Bandits (1981), his masterpiece Brazil (1985) and the latest magnum opus, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988).
it is expected that Gilliam and Palin (and perhaps others) will be able to attend the screenings, see the Film Listings for further programme details. (Trevor Johnston) Twenty Years of Monty Python season starts at Edinburgh fllmhouse on Mon 28 Aug.
autobiography focuses on his misadventures as an army rookie during the dying days of World War Two. A familiar recipe of basic training capers and the first love routine is transformed into something fresh by a sassy script. Walken and Broderick's cliche-free performances. and the practised cinematic craft of director Mike Nichols. (ilasgow: Grosvenor.
I The Blues Brothers ( 15) (John Landis. US, 1980) John Belushi. Dan Aykroyd. Carrie Fisher. 130 mins. Bloated. overlong anarchic Chicago comedy with the two stars on a mission from (iod to salvage the imperilled fortunes ofan orphanage. Lots of guest stars. musical numbers and automotive destruction in a typical product ofover-emphatic contemporary American humour. Strathclyde: UCl Clydebank 1(l.
IBrazil (15) (Terry Gilliam. L'S. 1985) Jonathan Pryce. Kim Gricst. Robert De Niro. Pcyter Vaughn. 142 mins. Extravagantly designed blackly comic Orwellian vision of the future. as modest bureaucrat Pryce battles the forces of totalitarianism and fights for his dream girl. feisty trucker Griest. Overlong and ramshackle fantasia. but with moments of sheer creative adrenalin and a classic ending. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Bull Durham (15) if (Ron Shelton. US. 1989) Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon. Tim Robbins. 108 mins. See panel. Glasgow: Cannon Sauchiehall Street. Strathclyde: UCI Clydebank 10.
In. Burbs(PG) (Joe Dante. [38. 1989) Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern. Carrie Fisher. Rick Ducommun. 102 mins. When Ray Petersen (Hanks) takes a week off work to pester his wife (Fisher). he and his buddies Ducommun and Dern become obssessed with the activities of his new neighbours, the mysterious Klopeks. whom they hound mercilessly.
Dante‘s offbeat. anti-racist satire is spoiled by overacting and underwriting. but Hanks' ability with slim material is undeniable, and lends the movie a certain light-hearted charm. (ilasgow: (‘annon Sauchiehall Street.
.IChocolaf ( 15) (Claire Denis. France.
1988) Mireille Perrier, lsaach dc Bankolc. Giulia Boschi. Francois (‘luzct 105 mins. Returning to the remote part of the Cameroons where she spent the greater part ofher childhood. France. the daughter of a former French colonial civil servant, recalls scenes from those early years, including the attraction between her mother and their native manservant. This accomplished debut feature is a nostalgic and gentle mosaic ofcolonial life, offering a perceptive look at the Europeans‘ varying attitudes towards the Africans. Glasgow: GF'l'.
I John Cleese’s Video Arts (PG ) 'I‘wo programmes bringing together industrial training films made by John (‘leese‘s company Video Arts. and starring Britain‘s top comic talents including Ckcsc himself. Ronnie Barker, and Nigel Hawthorne. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. IBM" (15) (Roger Donaldson. US.
The List 25 - 31 August 1989 55