MEDIA LIST
A quick shutti around the video market reveals the following forthcoming releases.
I BBC VIDEDS French and Saunders head the Iistol this month's video releases from the Beeb. cannily cashing in on the success at their latest excellent series. This one. however. is based on their previous shows for Auntie. Also available Ior comedophiles are three episodes of Porridge. some Dad’s Army episodes and The Two Ronnies vintage silent classic. The Picnic. (BBC Video. £9.99).
I RIVER'S EDGE (18)99 mins. Dttbeat expose of alienated youth. as a group at smalltown teenage kids are iorced to deal with the seemingly motiveless
murderof one oitheir classmates. Dennis Hopper is in his element asthe crazed ex-biker. (Palace. £9.99).
I THE BLUES BROTHERS (15) 130 mins. UK. we got two lunny hats. two short suits and two pairs at dark glasses—let’s makea movie. The Ellwood boys decidethey have been divinely inspired to save the orphanage. which once had the unpleasant task of bringingthem up. lnthe course oIso doingthey reform an old blues band and write-oil most oi Chicago‘s motorvehicies. An overiong. overblown tale. though the soundtrack may appeal even iithe wholesale destruction oi cars doesn't. Butwhat dol know? It's hard to watch a movie in dark glasses. (CIC. £12.99)
I YOUNG EINSTEIN (PG) 88 mins. Strewth. old Einstein an Australian. who'd have thought it? Well. Yahoo Serious, he of the electriiied hair, for one. He wrote. directed and starred in this inventive and highly Irreverent retelling oi Albert’s early IIle. as it might have been. In this strange romantic comedy Albert not only splits the atom but comes up with an electric guitar. and ass consequence. discovers rock ’n'roll music. (Warner. rental).
LISTINGS
FRIDAY 1
I The $64,000 Dollar Duestion (Scottish) 7.05—7.35pm. A revival ofthe hugely popular American gameshow. Actually. the British contestants can only win up to £6401). but it's still the biggest cash prize ever offered on British TV. Oooh.
I Scottish Women (Scottish)
10.35—1 1.05pm. The discussion forum for one hundred Scottish women. chaired by Sheena McDonald.
I Naked Video (BBCZ) (£9.3llpm. The popular half-hour comedy show from BB(‘ Scotland returns for a series ofsix episodes. Tonight the team tackle sumo wrestling and examine the secrets of Rudolflless's diary. Has anyone toldthe Sunday Times?
I Arena: Please Yourselves: The Frankie HDWBTD STOW (BBCZ) ‘).3(l—1().3()pm. A retrospective of 00/13 and aahs from the enigmatic comic‘s life. Having featurcdin some of the greatest (and worst) British comic films since the 40s. his career is blooming once more. thanks to a stringof successful London shows and sales of T-shirts bearing his legendary ‘tittcrs’ phrases.
SATURDAY 2 I
I California Offbeat (C4) 12.3(l—lpm. Wayne Freedman ferrets out storieson the frankly bizarre way that many Californians live. Today. he tacklesthe subject of jobs and speaks to a ‘dude‘ who smells fish for a living. Obviously someone who knows his plaice.
I Report From The Aleutians (C4)
4. 15—5.()5pm. The first of a trio of splendidly made World War Two propaganda movies by John Huston. It features the lives and missions ofthe American airmen stationed on Adak. in the North Pacific.
I Taggart: The Movie (Scottish) 9-10.3(lpm. Just in case you missed it the first time . . flaggart and .lardine finda ‘deid boadic‘ which looks like a suicide. .. at first.
I Tales From Prague: Kids From Famu (BBCZ) 9.45—lll.3(lpm. ‘Light up the sky like a flame‘ as they probably didn‘t sing at the Famu School. Paul Pawlikowski speaks to some of graduates of the Czech school now making a name for themselves as directors.
I Film on Four International: Tenue de Soiree (C4) Ill—11.40pm. Bertrand Blier‘s black comedy focuses on three hapless people‘s yearning for love and tenderness. Gerard Dcpardieu leads Michel Blane and Miou-Miou into a life ofcrimc and then sets out to seduce Blane. I Paramount City (BBCI) llpm—midnight. Steve Coogan. Jo Brand and Paul Merton are among the acts booked to appear on the final. specially extended show ofthe series.
SUNDAY 3
I The Big Day (C4) 2—5.55pm and 9.3(l—11.35pm. Glasgow‘s street party. which. as you probably know by now. is
the bi ggest event of its kind ever staged in Europe. lfyou can‘t actually be there thronging the streets then Channel 4’s unique ‘hostless' presentation is the next best thing. Over 30 groups will be entertaining the massive crowds expected at the four different venues. See Preview and Feature.
I Aly Bain and Friends (Scottish)
4. iS—Spm. The fiddler‘s chums today include. The Men They Couldn‘t Hang and Michelle Shocked.
I Head Over Heels (BBC1)5.45—6. 15pm. Two TV critics. Clive James and .l aci Stephen. talk to each other on TV.
I .4 -;-'?':'~7 ‘ ~I I, I”!
I Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Dreams and Recollections (C4) 8—9.30pm. Presumably for those south of the border curious about Glasgow‘s buildings that are being glimpsed during the Big Day coverage. Tom Conti stars in this semi-dramatised documentary based on the life of Glasgow‘s art-nouveau architect and designer. Soundtrack by Rick Wakeman. I Shoot To Kill (Scottish) 9.05—1 1 .05pm. The shooting of what turned out to be unarmed suspects in Ulster by an elite squad of RUC officers is at the centre of this dramatic reconstruction. In the end. it all leads to the resignation from the force of Deputy Chief Constable and ail-round reasonable bloke. John Stalker. Continued on Monday.
I Single Voices: Sandy Comes Home (BBCI) 10—10.30pm. Barry Humphries provides the last in the present series of Sunday night monologues. Sandy lived in a nice little bungalow in Gallipoli Crescent for five decades. On a return visit however, he discovers (spookin enough) that life has left him behind.
I Amadeus (BBCZ) l0.05pm—12.45am. Successful film version of Peter Shaffer’s award-winning stage-play has Tom Hulce as the manic Mozart incurring the jealous wrath of court composer Antonio Salieri. Shown as part of the Tales From Prague
I Scottish Books (Scottish) 11.35pm—12.05am. Glasgow Dreamer by the humble. cult figure Ivor Cutler along with The Ballad of Sawney Bain by Harry Tait are among the books getting the treatment tonight.
I Made In The USA: Chan is Missing (C4) 11.35pm—l .05am. A season of recently released American films. which includes Spike Lee‘s debut feature She’s Gotta Have It and Robert Altman’s film of Sam Shepard’s Foolfor Love which stars Shepard himself. Tonight‘s film looks at the Chinese experience of life in the States through the eyes of a taxi-driver searching San Francisco‘s Chinatown for Chan.
MONDAY 4
I The Greatest Game on Earth (Scottish) 7—7.30pm. This week David Pleat reveals what goes on in the Leicester City dressing room on a match day. Yes. 1 bet that's kept you awake many a night. just what does go on in their dressing room?
I Horizon: The Child Mothers (BBCZ) 8.10~9pm. The varying responses to teenage motherhood across the globe come under scrutiny. In Britain alone around 3,500 schoolchildren give birth every year.
I V VIDEOS
I PET SEMATARY (18) 102 mins. Dale Midkttl isa young doctor who moves his family into an old house near a very busy road. It’s also near an old Indian burial ground where
strange things can and do happen. When his young son. inevitably gets run over. Doc. overcome by ngeI. meddles in things he shouldn't and brings the kid back to life. But he's not quite the sweet young thing he was- in tact he’sa tiny-tot psycho. Tense and well acted it occasionally clumsy in its structure. it's by no means the worst iIIm adaptation of a Stephen King novel that there has been. (CIC Video. rental).
I THE DREAM TEAM (15) 113 mins. A day trip to a ball I game for tour psychiatric patients gets out at hand and the tour set off into the city where they realise the world may he crazier than they are. The saving grace of a somewhat plodding illm Is that it does constantly underline the fact that mental patients are also Intelligent humans. (CIC Video. rental).
r. MRBI’S
I I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA (15) 09 mins. Extremely patchy parody of Seventies hiaxploitation movies, written. directed and starring Keenan ivory Wayans. Recently ratumed from inactive military service. Jack Spade (Wayans) is appalled to find his brother has recently o.g.ed (over-golded) on medallions. Determined to fight back against the white Mr Bigs he enlists the help of Kung-tu Joe and former Pimp of the Year Antonio Fargas (Huggy Bear). However. the very limited nature of the genre Wayans is parodylng means there ain't that far he can go with It. (Warner. rental).
I RANGERS CHAMPIONS 1989/90 01 limited appeal. though the powers that be at lbrox hope to shitt100.000 otthem. I can't comment on the quality as the stream of tears made it hard to locus on the screen. (Pickwick. £9.99).
The List 1 — l4June 199077