Q
FILM LIST
model. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge.
I Desire ( 15) (Stuart Marshall. UK. 1989) 90 mins. First shown in an abridged form on Channel 4's 011! On Tuesday. the Fourth London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival offers up the opportunity to see the full version of Stuart Marshall‘s examination of homosexual expression in pre-war Germany and its gradual sublimation into the Thirties body culture. before facing the horrors ofthe concentration camp. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Desperately Seeking Susan ( 15 ) (Susan Seidelman.1'S. 1985) Rosanna Arquette. Madonna. Aidan Quinn. 1114 mins. Fun and fizzy. role-swapping feminist fantasy comedy set in the Big Apple. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Les Diaboliques ( 15) (1 lenri-Georges Clouzot. France. 1955) Simone Signoret. Vera Clouzot. Paul Meurisse. 107 mins. Fiendishly clever and much imitated thriller in which a tyrannical schoolmaster is murdered by his wife and mistress. Except that he doesn't stay dead for long. The famous bathroom finale has most recently been borrowed by Adrian Lyne's Fara/A (traction. but this is the original and best. Edinburgh l'niversity Film Society. I Distant Voices, Still Lives ( 15) (Terence Davies. CK. 1988) Freda Dowie. Pete Postlethwaite. Angela Walsh. Dean Williams. 85 mins. Liverpool. the late Forties and early Fifties. a working class household persevere through domestic violence. death and marriage. Brilliantly made tribute to his family‘s experience. and a requiem for a way of life now past by one of the most gifted cinematic artiststhis country now possesses. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Electra Glide In Blue ( 18) (James William Guercio. US. 1973) Robert Blake. Billy Green Bush. Mitchell Ryan. 113 mins. One-off foray into film by former record producer (Chicago. Blood Sweat 8; Tears) Guercio. has Blake as a diminutive motorcycle cop with fantasies of becoming a comic-strip hero. but who findsaround him a world of corruption and despair. Oddly intriguing stuff and worth staying for the endlessly atmospheric final sequence. 'Mazin' man. l'idinburgh: Film Guild.
I Elvira Mistress at The Dark ( 15) (James Signorelli. CS. 1988) Cassandra Peterson. W Morgan Sheppard. Daniel Greene 96 mins. Camp. Morticia Adams-styled vamp is fired from her job introducing horror movies on an LA television station. but having inherited her late aunt's estate and discovered the magical powers within the family. finds gainful employment by opening her own Las Vegas revue. Modest effects aside. this is an engaging romp for Ms Peterson's deft comic timing. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge.
I Ernest Saves Christmas (PG) (John Cherry. LS. 1988) Jim Varney. Douglas Scale. Oliver Clarke. Noelle Parker. 92 mins. Santa. now aged 151. is gettinga little long in the tooth. and arrivesin FTorida to pass the job on to achildren's television presenter. but the accident-prone Ernest P. Worrell is driving the cab so complications can't be too far away. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge. ()deon. Edinburgh: ()deon. Strathclyde: ()deon Ayr. L'Cl Clydebank H).
I The Exorcist ( 18) (William Friedkin. [75. 1973) Linda Blair. Ellen Burstyn. Max Von Sydow. llllmins. Earnest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor little obsessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Dead good. dead scarey. dead priest. Strathclyde: WMR Film Centre.
I Field of Dreams ( PG) 1’“: (Phil Alden Robinson. CS. 1989) Kevin Costner. Amy Madigan. Burt Lancaster. James Earl Jones. 106 mins. See feature.
Glasgow: Cannon Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh: Cannon.
I The Fly ( 18) ( David Cronenberg. CS. 1986) Jeff Goldblum. Gecna Davis. Brilliant reconceptualization ofthe
Ghostbusters II (PC) (Ivan Reitman, US, 1989) Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver. 108 mins. For Columbia Pictures, desperate for a hit after a long arid spell, there was never much doubt about who they were going to call. Messrs Murray, Ackroyd, and Ramis were persuaded by the weight of hefty cheques to don the grey overalls and Heath-Robinson ghost-slurpers and boogie down to Ray Parker’s compulsive theme tune (the best holdover from the first movie), while — the icing on the cake — Ms Weaver also returned in her role as concert cellist and prime ghost-bait.
This time, though, she is also a
GHOSTBU
STERS II
mother, and her cute little Oscar is a major McGultin in the none too-elaborate plot. No one who saw the first film will have any real problem in working out what is going on this time around, since director Ivan Reitman and screenwriters Ramis and Aykroyd have basically gone for the simple, tested option of re-using the original story, with the Statue of Liberty standing in for the Marshmallow Man (I give away no more than the trailer does)
The down-at-heel and discredited Ghostbusters are going out of business last (they are reduced to playing children’s parties, to extremely unimpressed guests), until Dana’s pram runs through some slime oozing up from under New York's streets, and takes on a life of its own. Naturally, she looks up the team, and naturally, they stumble upon a plan lor the incarnation of evil — one Vigo, a long dead Carpathian tryant about to transfer into a new life at mayhem in Dana’s baby— to take over the world, aided by a river of slime in the sewers, feeding Irom negative energy generated by New York’s bad vibes.
Naturally, nobody believes them until it is too late, and all hell breaks loose on New York's already slimy streets. Who you gonna call? Who else? Our heroes do their stuff, aided by the golden voice of the late Jackie Wilson and the aloresaid Statue, and the folks of New York chip in with some crucial good vibes. The effects look less cheap this time, and it you liked it lirsttime round, you are on a winner here; it you were less than convinced, stay at home — you’ve seen this one already.
(George MacKay)
original 1958 camp classic with Goldblum highly effective as the scientist whose experiments in teleportation go disastroust wrong. and Davis no less impressive as the love of his life. Special effects superlatively revolting. tension sustained throughout. Edinburgh: Cameo. I The Fly 2 ( 18) (Chris Walas. LS. 1989) Eric Stoltz. Daphne Zuniga. Lee Richardson. 105 mins. Despite the advances in contraception since the original 1958 Fly. insect-man Seth Brundle ( 1986 model) managed to sire a son before genetically crossing himself with his duplicating machine. This at least is the tenuous pretext on which Walas (the man behind the latex mucus and copious gore in Carpenter's remake) buildsthis poor shadow of a sequel. Like father. like son. needless to say (is this a crossoverof late-eighties Hollywood genres‘.’). and the blood-letting which results allows Walas more space than ever for his special talents. Subtle as a vindaloocurrv. intelligent as a seedless grape. and doubtless a box office winner. Edinburgh: Cameo. \
I FrightNighl( 15) (Tom Holland. CS. 1985) William Ragsdale. Chris Sarandon. Roddy McDowall. 95 mins. Enjoyable horror comic with Ragsdale as the boy who cried vampire facing disbelief from his neighbours until he seeks the helpof TV' fright movie host McDowall to despatch the handsome. urbane and toothsome Sarandon. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge.
I Fright Night 2 ( 18) (Tommy Lee Wallace. US. 1988) Roddy McDowall. William Ragsdale. Julie Carmen. Ragsdale has been in therapy for three years to convince himselfthat the eventsin
Tom Holland's original movie. where he and former horror movie star McDowall dispatched Chris Sarandon’s suave vampire. were just a dream. Now however he finds himselfand his friend the subject of the seductive attentions of the demons sister. who‘s thirsting for revenge. Rather hackneyed sequel to a pretty rollicking forerunner. which substitutes a sense of old-fashioned ghoulish glee with a charmless overdose on (admittedly excellent) special effects that will beguile only the most undemandingaudienee. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge.
I Ghostbusters 2 (PG) *5: (Ivan Reitman. LS. 1989) Bill Murray. Dan Aykroyd. Harold Ramis. Sigourney Weaver. 108 mins. See review. Glasgow: CannonThe Forge. ()deon. Salon. Edinburgh: ()deon. Central: Allanpark. Strathclyde: Kelburne. La Scala. ()deon Ayr. ()deon Hamilton. [1C1 Clydebank ll).
I Gone With The Wind (PG) (Victor Fleming. US. 1939) Clark Gable. Vivien Leigh. ()livia de Havilland. Leslie Howard. 221) mins. This new print has restored the original colour to the classic. fifty-year-old tale that brings alive the era of the civil war through gripping narrative and characterisation. remaining faithful to Margaret Mitchell's powerful novel. Edinburgh: Cannon.
I Great Balls of Fire ( 15) a (Jim McBride. US. 1989) Dennis ()uaid. Wynona Ryder. Alec Baldwin. 107 mins. See feature. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge. ()deon. Edinburgh: ()deon. Central: Caledonian. Regal. Strathclyde: Kelburnc. La Scala. ()deon Ayr. ()deon Hamilton. UCl Clydebank ll).
I HairsprayU’G) (John Waters. US. 1987) Ricki Lake. Divine. Debbie Harry. Sonny
Bono. 92 mins. Baltimore. 1962. Uproar breaks out on the Dance Council oftop TV pop extravaganza The Corny Collins Show when hefty teen queen Ricki Lake deposes the former star of the show. and begins to make friends with (gulp) black people. thus breaking down the programme's strict racial segregation. Unflagging entertainment as former trash king Waters does his own bizarre version of mainstream comedy. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Heathers ( 15) (Michael Lehman. US. 1939) Wynona Ryder. Christian Slater. Lisanne Falk. 102 mins. An ultrablack satire on the high school teenflick. Lehman's first feature film managesto combine box office success with artistic merit. This cult hip hit of the year has Christian Slater and Wynona Ryder starting a suicide craze to muscle in on the cliquey Heathers running the joint. Tune in. turn on. drop dead. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I HenryV (PG) (Kenneth Branagh. UK. 1989) Kenneth Branagh. Derek Jacobi. Paul Scofield. Judi Dench. 137mins. There are undoubted associations with ()livier in K.B.'s choice of first feature. but he emerges with some credit as both director and performer. Branagh's is a much muddier version than its famous predecessor. both in the scrappy turmoil of the rainsodden battle scenes and in the tempering of zesty jingoisrn with an appreciation of the human cost ofconflict. Portraying the young king as a careworn. rather sullen warrior. the trim seems to offer a more complex reading of the text than before. even if Branagh's budgetary resources stint somewhat on the grandeur of ()livier's charging horses. Solid stuff. Edinburgh: ()deon.
I How To Get Ahead In Advertising ( 15) (Bruce Robinson. UK. 1989) Richard E. Grant. Rachel Ward. Richard Wilson. 94 mins. The Wirhnail team ofwritcr/dircctor Robinson and goggle-eyed actor Richard E Grant return with an even blacker exercise in comedic frenzy. Though the early stages of the film provide a vicious parody of the adman's world there soon begins a slide into screaming incredulity as Grant‘s boil metarnorphoses into a yuppie bastard second head. Nevertheless. the inarticulate anger of the thing generates a sense of involvement with the immediate problemsoftoday's society. precisely the sort of impulsive commitment that's sadly lacking in any number ofwhite-suited efforts decorously fretting about our colonial past. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The Hustler(15) (Robert Rossen.US. 1961 ) Paul Newman. Jackie Gleason. George C. Scott. Piper Laurie. 135 mins. Newman. in the accustomed role of smalltime con man. this time hustling from pool table to pool table. eventually. however. he is snookered by love in this atmospheric downbeat melodrama. Edinburgh University Film Society.
I Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade ( PG) (Steven Spielberg. US. 1989) Harrison Ford. Sean Connery. Alison Doody. Denholm Elliot. 127 mins. The third and supposedly final instalment of Spielberg‘s bumper blockbuster series. in which the archaeological adventurer is joined by his father (Connery) for a romp through the Middle East in search ofthe Holy Grail. hotly pursued (as ever) by the Nazis. A rather dodgy would-be Christian morality and a more-of-the-same-ish plot are offset by strong performances from Ford and Connery and technical bravura. Edinburgh: Dominion.
I The Karate Kid Part 3 (PG) (John G. Avildsen. US. 1989) Ralph Macchio. Noriyuki ‘Pat‘ Morita. Thomas lan Griffith. 111mins. 1n thisinstalmcnt Daniel (Macchio) and his coach Mr Miyagi (Morita) are driven apart when the young martial arts expert agrees against his mentor‘s advice to take part in another karate tournament.
The fight sequences. as ever. are the
highlights. but the signs are there ofa
14The List 24 November— 7 December 1989