LISTINGS
I The Accused ( 18) (Jonathan Kaplan. US. 1988) Kelly McGillis. Jodie Foster. Berni Coulson. 1 11 mins. SarahTobias (Foster) is raped on a pinball machine by three men. but when the assailants goto court. a plea bargain with Sarah's lawyer (McGillis) reduces their charges. When both women realise this is a sell-out. they decide to bring charges against the onlookers who offered encouragement to the rapists. Standout performance from Foster in this sympathetic and responsible treatment ofdifficult subject matter. whose firm grasp of character helps allay one's reservations about the content. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
I All Dogs Go to Heaven (1.) (Don Bluth. US. 1989) With the voices ofBurt Reynolds. Loni Anderson and Dom DeLuise. 84 mins. 1n Bluth‘slatest animated feature. likeable Alsatian Charlie Barkin is killed by his partner in small-time crime. but manages to trick his way out of the Afterlife to face earthbound adventure with cute orphan Anne-Marie as he seeks revenge on his double-crossing buddy. Occasionally sloppy animation is more than made up for by the inventive story-line and an allusive sense of humour that should even have adults suppressing the odd guffaw. Glasgow: (‘annon Clarkston Road. Strathclyde: ()deon Ayr. I Back To The Future Part 3 (PG) (Robert Zemeckis. US. 1991)) MichaelJ. Fox. Christopher Lloyd. Mary Steenburgen. 119 mins. After the elongated trailerof BTI‘? we‘re back in 1885 for the third and absolutely final instalment of the series. in which Michael has to face tip to longstanding enemy Biff and save the Doc from certain death. except that the latteris much more interested in falling for Mary Steenburgen. The end result is not quite a bad film. but. as with almost every other sequel of a sequel there‘s an overall slaekness which prevents it from liftingoff in the way that it should. In almost every sense. we‘ve been here before. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge. Cannon Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh: Cannon. l'Cl. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: (‘annon. UCI Clydebank. UCI East Kilbride.
I Betty Blue ( l8) (Jean-Jacques Beineix. France. 1986) Jean llughesAnglade. Beatrice Dalle. 121) mins. Tempestuous love gone mad as an older handyman and a free-spirited woman embark on a passionate. peripatetic fling that ends in tragedy. Filmed with a dazzling technique and an irritating emptiness by the maker of Diva. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
I Blackiiain (18) (Ridley Scott. US. 1989) Michael Douglas. Andy Garcia. Ken Takakura. 125 mins. Not so much theland of the Rising Sun as the land ofShiny Surfaces as adman extraordinaire returns
((1170
Days of Thunder (12) (Tony Scott, US, 1990) Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Bandy Ouaid. 107 mins. The formula, quoth the pundits, worked forthe dollar-spinning Top Gun, so why shouldn‘t it bust the block again? Punterland was wowed by Cruise in a plane, so superproducers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer (Flashdance, Beverly Hils Cop) with the commercial nous that has made them multi-squillionaires decided to put hunky Tom in a stock car, team him up
with reliable Brit directorTony (brother .
of Bidley) Scott, and watch the dollars roll in.
Likeable northerner Scott, whose previous credits including Beverly Hills Cop II have made him the most commercially successful of Hollywood's gaggle of British ex-admen, rises to the accusation. “People have branded the film Top Car,’ he sighs, ‘because of the players involved, but the different factor in the equation this time is Robert Towne (Chinatown) the writer. I was surprised he took the project, but he came on board and gave the piece a lot more integrity, made the characters a lot less transparent. And because of that, I don't think you can call this formula
DAYS OF THUNDER
film-making.‘
To some extent he's right, in that Towne's screenplay does attempt to explore the psychological imperatives that make men want to consistently risk their lives in automotive competition. Yet as the sculpted dialogue piles up and the cast (Cruise, Duvall and Kidman all emerge with credit) rise to the challenge, there‘s a sense that everyone concerned seems over-anxious to make this more than just a car-racing movie. Judging by the oddly undescriptive title (is it about weathermen?) and the heavily Tom-orientated poster artwork, it's as if they’re ashamed that it's just a car movie.
Ironically, of course, Days of Thunder happens to be a very proficient car movie, its racetrack action more convincing than the film's strain towards meaningful characterisation. You can sense that Scott talks with some enthusiasm about the huge technical tasks the $50 million production presented—shooting real race meetings with 26~camera coverage, losing millions of dollars worth of equipment, and totalling some fifty cars— while he's well aware of ‘the need to do something visually fresh because stock cars just go round and round the track.‘ In the end, as we launch into another slick montage with Steve Winwood‘s Gimme Some Lovin' pumping away on the soundtrack, the familiar high-powered Simpson- Bruckheimervibe is much in evidence, something that Scott knows all about. ‘The look is down to me, I created it.’ (Trevor Johnston)
Glasgow: Cannons and Grosvenor. Edinburgh: Cannon, Dominion, UCI. Central: Allanpark, Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon, Kelburne, Ddeon
Ayr, Ddeon Hamilton. UCI Clydebank,
UCl East Kilbride.
to a set not unlike Blade Runner. However. some promising ideas are shunted to the sidelines by Douglas's sour and rather uninspiring heroics as the New York cop sent to Osaka to counter a counterfeiting ring. The whole perhaps
martial arts expert‘.’ That's right. a blind Vietnam vet who‘s out to reunite an old army buddy with his young son. and who knocks offthe villains trying to stop him
with the same cane he uses to crossthe
confirms Scott as a master decorator hired
to tart up a very obvious formula. Edinburgh: L'Cl.
I Blind Fury ( 18) ( l’hilip Noyce. 1S. 1991)) Rutger llauer. Terry ()‘Quinn. Brandon Call. 87 mins. Rutger 1 latter as a blind
road. Simply accept this ludicrous premise and you're in for a violent. tastelessand. yes. entertaining hour and a half. Strathclyde: l.'(‘l Clydebank.
I The Brave Little Toaster ( LI) (Jerry Rees. L'S. 1991)) 9-1 mins. Ftinanimated adventure as a group of plucky electrical
appliances go off in search of their master who‘s moved to the big city. Yet for Toaster. Lampy the lamp. Kirby the vaccuum cleaner and Blankey the electric blanket there are many dangers to be face along the way. Glasgow: (‘annon Sauchiehall Street.
I Communion ( 15) (Philippe Mora. US. 1990) Christopher Walken. Lindsay Crouse. Francis Sternhagen. Joel Carlson. 109 mins. Special preview of a film notdue to open until the autumn. Writer. Whitley Streiber(Walken). is hattnted by ever more disturbing nightmares; eventually iii a psychiatrist’s encounter group be realises that he may not be alone and others suffer the same visitations. In an effort to expurgate his fears he sits down to write about his experiences. only to be drawn towards a final confrontation with his nightmare. Tobe reviewed in full when the film goes on general release. Edinburgh: ()deon.
I The Cook. The Thief. His Wife and Her Lover( 18) (Peter Greenaway.UK.1989) Richard Bohringer. Michael Gambon. Helen Mirren. Alan Howard. Tim Roth. 121) mins. Greenaway has ntade a film guaranteed to offend everybody. Though beautifully art-directed. photographed. produced and acted. it deals with the kind of subject matter normally only found under the counter at video nasty stores. Compulsive and unforgettable but you'd be hard pressed to like the thing. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Crimes and Misdemeanours ( 15) (Woody Allen. US. 1990) Woody Allen. Mia Farrow. Sam Waterston. ('laire Bloom. Anjelica lluston. 104 mins. Woody‘s 19th film. another blend of minor incidents in downtown Manhattan addressing the larger questions of life. gets asneak preview prior to going on general release next month. Tobe reviewed in ftill at a later date. Edinburgh: ()deon.
I Cry Baby ( 12) (John Waters. US. 1990) Johnny Depp. Amy Locane. Susan Tyrell. lggy Pop. 85 mins. Baltimore. 1954.and droolsome Drape Johnny Depp’s across-the-tracks romance with once-prim Square gal Locane is the catalyst for momentous moral consternation and oper warfare between the town‘s teen factions. but love is to prove itself strongerthan prison bars. Boasting the usual theoretical trash casting (Traci Lords. Patty Hearst. Iggy Pop). lapsed sleaze merchant Waters most mainstream movie to date is an exuberant and knowing satire of Fifties juvenile delinquency movies. Glasgow: (‘annon The Forge. Cannon Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh: Odeon. L'C‘l. Strathclyde: L'Cl Clydebank. l.'(‘l East Kilbride.
I Dark Angel ( 18) (Craig Baxley. US.
1991)) Dolph Lundgren. Brian Benben. Betsy Brantley. 92 mins. Dolph stars as all-action llouston cop Jack Caine on the trail of drug pushers from space who remove their enemies by use ofkiller compact discs. doutless featuring k-tel‘s
74 The List 10- 16 August 1990