FILM INDEX
Beatty won a Best Director Oscar for his version ofthe life ofAmerican communist John Reed. whose book Ten Days Thar Shook The World was a firsthand account ofthe Russian Revolution. Long and flawed. but unique in its favourable treatment of intellectuals. and notable for Nicholson‘s wonderful portrayal of Eugene O‘Neill. one of the actor's last roles before descending into self-parody. Scripted by playwright Trevor Griffiths. who will be present to talk about hiswork. and whose television film Country will also be shown during this day-long event. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Regarding Henry ( 12) (Mike Nichols. US. 1991) Harrison Ford. Annette Bening. Bill Nunn. Mikki Allen. Nancy Marchand. 107 mins. When lawyer and general bastard Henry Turner (Ford) nips out to the shop for a packet of fags and accidently gets shot in a hold up. all memories of his life are wiped out. Now begins a long period of rehabilitation of both mind and body. and. with it. the chance for Mr Ford to indulge in some serious Hollywood acting. Mike Nichols glibly directs a script that is far too black and white and takes too many predictable turns. Edinburgh: Dominion. UCI. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon. UCI Clydebank. UCI East Kilbride. I Rescuers Down Under (U) (i Icndel Butoy/Mikc Gabriel. US. 199(1) With the voices of Bob Newhart. Eva Gabor. John Candy. George C. Scott. 77 mins. Miss Bianca and Bernard. the two top mouse agents from the International Rescue Aid Society. this time journey tothe Australian outback in order to help an eight-year-old boy protect an endangered eagle from a ruthless poacher. Disney‘s 29th full-length animated feature uses statesof-the-art animation techniques to give more of an action/adventure slant to this sequel to 1977‘s The Rescuers. which is still a favourite of Disney fans of allages. Glasgow: Cannon Clarkston Road. Cannon The Forge. Odeon. Salon. Edinburgh: Dominion. Odeon. UCI. Central: Allanpark. Caledonian. Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon. Kelburne. Odeon Ayr, Odeon Hamilton. UCI Clydebank. UCI East Kilbridc. I Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves ( 12) (Kevin Reynolds. US. 1991) Kevin Costner. Morgan Freeman. Christian Slater. Alan Rickman. 147 mins. Second outing of the year for the Nottingham legend. this time with Hollywood'sgolden boy in the title role. Costner‘s Robin slips into Indiana Jones mode as he sets about undoing the wrongs of Rickman‘s scene-stealing Sheriffin a way that is wonderfully reminiscent of the best Saturday matinee swashbucklers. Glasgow: Cannon The Forge. Cannon Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh: Cannon. Dominion. UCI. Central: Allanpark. Regal. Strathclyde: Kelburne. Odeon Ayr. La Scala. UCI Clydebank. UCI East Kilbride. I Hocketeer (PG) (Joe Johnston. US. 1991 ) Bill Campbell. Jennifer Connelly. Alan Arkin. Timothy Dalton. 109 mins. After discovering a stolen experimental rocket pack. out-of-luck pilot CliffSecord (Campbell) finds himself assuming the role of mystery flying figure The Rocketeer in order to save his girlfriend. battle Nazis and save the civilised world. roughly in that order. Great. old-fashioned. matinee-style adventure. if a little sickly in the all-American apple pie department. Edinburgh: UCI. Central: Cannon. I The Rocky Horror Picture Show ( 18) (Jim Sharman. UK. 1975)Tim Curry.Susan Sarandon. Barry Bostwick. Meat Loaf. 100 mins. The cult film to end all others. this rock spoof on old horror movies has created a breed of Rocky Ilorror crazies. and packs them in at late shows everywhere. The film has its moments. and Curry is splendidly camp asthe bisexual Frank N. l-‘urter. Edinburgh:
24 The List 11 - 24 October 1991
TOY SOLDIERS
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Toy Soldiers (15) (Daniel Petrie, Jnr, US, 1991) Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton, Denholm Elliot, R. Lee Ermey. Not one of the most thought-provoking storylines ever dreamt up by Hollywood in its struggle for a homogenized world market; when Colombian drugs baron Enrique Cali is extradited to the US of A to lace the wrath of democratic justice his reptilian son Luis (Andrew Divott) commits himsell to forcing his release. In a remarkable and somewhat absurd act of filial gratitude he and a collection of neanderthal narco-terrorists take over Regis ‘Hejects' School, holding the tun-loving rebellious boys (sons of the wealthy and powerful) hostage.
And that, lorthe most part, is that. Will the cunningand well developed American boys manage to overcome their racially inferior guards, orwill it all end in a Turkey Shoot?
The film, (insidious propaganda or undemanding entertainment, whichever way you see it) is saved by the same high production values and hardware which redeemed Die Hard and friends, with enough guns, bombs and helicopter gunships to do a
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manufacturer's video proud.
The actors, second generation movie people following in Daddy’s pay cheque, play Young American Misfits in the style in which we, and they, are by now accustomed. Which leads to lend sympathy to Divott who, when contrasted with scenes of our underpanted heroes bonding homo-erotically (there are no sexually available women in the film so it happens quite a lot), appears to have admirable aims. It isthis level of incongruity (there are elements of hardcore violence challenging the cartoonish simplicity of the themes and action) which gives an extra dimension to a film that might otherwise be doomed to teen-flick blandness. Not the sort of thing you admit to enjoying, but mildly gripping at moments. (Stephen Chester)
From 11 Oct: Glasgow: Cannon The Forge, Grosvenor, Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon, UCI. Central: Cannon. Strathclyde: Cannon, Odeon Ayr, Odeon Hamilton, UCI Clydebank, Edinburgh Film Guild.
Cameo.
I Seven Samurai (PG) (Akira Kurosawa. Japan. 1954)'1'oshiroMifune.Takahashi Simura. 2110 mins. A groupoftirnid villagers seek protection against the excesses of a brutal warlord by hiring seven heroic samurai. Seminal Japanese action picture. with a slow -building dignity matching the best ofJohn Ford. and in its stylishly aesthetic handlingof screen violence a profound influence on the likes of Sam Peekinpah. Ilighly recommended. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. IThe Shining ( 18) (Stanley Kubrick. US. 198(1) Jack Nicholson. Shelly Dtlvall. Philip Stone. 146 mins. Kubrick's
overw rought. overlong horror film dispenses with much of the psychic apparatus of Stephen King‘s novel to concentrate on the deeper horror ofa family turning in on itself. Nicholson. with all the stops out. is bug-eyed and demonic as the writer cracking up violently in an isolated hotel. and the final scenes are. literally. chilling. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Silence OfThe Lambs ( 18) (Jonathan Demme. ES. 1991 )Jodie Foster. Anthony Hopkins. Scott Glenn. 119 mins. Following a series of horrificscrial murders. imprisoned psycho-killer Ilopkins is released to help Foster and Glenn’s FBI agents track down the culprit. Adapted front a novel by Thomas Manhmrrer I Iarris. Demme‘s film v ersion is a subtle but scarey suspense shocker.
with two excellent performances and great narrative drive. Edinburgh: UCI.
I StarTrek: The Motion Picture ( PG) (Robert Wise. ES. 1979) William Shatner. Leonard Nimoy‘. DeForest Kelley. 132 mins. Kirk and his crew-of old-timers are recommissioned to board the Enterprise once more and save the Earth from the unidentified alien probe fast approaching. lnterminably dull big screen adventure. L'nlike the television series. there's far too much time and money to spend. Glasgow : GI’I‘.
I StarTrek : The Wrath ()f Khan ( P( i) (Nicholas Meyer. ES. 1983) William Shatner. Leonard Nimoy. DeEorest Kelley. Ricardo Montalban. 11-1 mins. The Trekkies battle evil megalomaniac Montalban in the most enjoyable entry to the series. simply because it sticks closest to the tacky verve of the television original. Glasgow: GET.
I Star Trek 3: The Search For Spock ( P( i) (Leonard Nimoy. L'S. 198-1) William Shatner. DcEmest Kelley. Leonard Nimoy'. Dame Judith Anderson. 1115 mins. Following the events of The limit/10f Kuhn. the Enterprise's crew scoursa distant planet for Spock's body. A bit too rambling this one. though the Vulcan rejuvenation ceremony takes sortie heating for sheer campness. Glasgow: GFI‘.
I Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home ( PG) (Leonard Nimoy. US. 1986) William
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Shatner. DeForest Kelley . Leonard
Nimoy. 119 mins. The crew of the Siarshi]
Enterprise beams down to 1986 San Francisco to protect the earth from an alien probe and save the w hale into the bargain. As daft as it sounds. but essential viewing for corset and toupee aficionados. Glasgow: (il’l‘.
I Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier ( PG) (William Shatner. (TS. 1989) William
Shatner. Leonard Nirnoy . Del-'orest 3 Kelley.Jariies1)ooh.in. 1117mm.» In
which James Tiberius Kirk makes his directorial debut. ()n the plus side most of
the characters are as well w rittcn and
credible as they were in the television series. albeit with rather more grey hairs.
. Bill the plot turns out to be the normal
formula hokum. Glasgow: Gl’l‘. I Stepping 0U11I’(ill1.e\yis(illl)er1.l'K. 1991 ) Liza Minnelli. Shelley Winters.
5 Julie Walters. Robyn Stevari. lSZmiris.
Minnelli is the has-been ex-showbi/ dancer (this is fiction. honest i. now reduced to teaching a beginners' tap class. During the process ofgetting her groupof social misfits ready for theirbig perlormance in a charity show. she has to convince them to work as a learn. be better people. revive her ow n dream of the spotlight . etc. etc. Despite a couple of uptempo set pieces. the film drags along. shackled to Gilbert's lackltrstre direction and a plot that seems to demand endless rehearsal scenes. Glasgow : (‘annon Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh: 1'(‘l.
I Taxi Driver( is) (Martin Scorsese. 1'8. 1976) Robert De Niro. ('ybill Shepherd. Jodie Foster. 114 mins. An alienated taxi driver in New York is so repelled by the squalor and the moral decay around him that he is driven to terrible violence. ()ne of the key films oflhc Seventies with the
i Scorsese-De Niro partnership at its peak.
Glasgow: Grosvenor.
I Teen Agent ( PU) (William Dear. L's. 1991 ) Richard Grieco. Linda Ilunt. Roger Daltrey. Geraldine James. \lichael
- Siberry . S9 mins. While on a college field
trip to France. Richard ( iricco (starol 'I‘V'sJ/ Jump Street) is mistaken for atop secret service man and finds himself in a world of spies. lies and hi-teeh armoury . A creaky~ Bond spool that revels in having adversaries called llsa Grant and Augustus Steranko. and which will leave all Roger Moore fans reasonably stirred. if
not exactly shaken. Glasgow: (‘annon The 2
Forge. (‘arinon Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh: L'(‘l. Strathclyde: ()deon Ayr. 1'(‘l (‘lydcbank L'Cl East Kilbridc.
W.\lR Film (critic. I Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 l l’(i)
(Michael Pressman. LS. 1991 ) Paige 'l‘urco. David Warner. Ernie Reyeer. 87 mins. A quick return for theoriginal
shell-suits. although with less plot and less
s ioleriee than the original. The evil Shredder has decided to grow a couple of mutants ol his ow n. and it seems that only our four adolescent amphibians can save the day w ith the odd pizza reference and a truly dire ‘Ninja Rap' (with the painfully embarrassing Vanilla Ice ). Time to hang up those shells. dudes. Glasgow : (‘annon The huge. Edinburgh: 1'('1. Strathclyde: ()deon Ayr. 1'(‘1 ('lydebank. [(1 East Kilbride.
I The Tempest l l 5 ) ( Derek Jarrnan. L'K. 1979) I leathcote Williams. 'l‘oy ah W'ileox. Karl Johnson. Elisabeth Weleh. 9hmins. Substituting a decay ing Gothic mansion for Shakespeare‘s island and placing emphasis on absurdist comedy rather than campness. Jarman's idiosyncratic reworking of the Bard is a strange surnof its parts. In its own way. it‘s as visually interesting as Greenaw'ay 's recent version of the same material. Edinburgh:
Film house
ITerminatorZ: Judgement Day( 15)(James (‘ameron.1'S. 1991 ) Arnold Swarzenegger. Linda Hamilton. Edward Furlong. Robert Patrick. 13(imins.'1'he most expensive film ev er made. Ina reprogrammed role that says much about
his changed image since the first movie.