BACARDIBLACK
INDEXFflM
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FILM
Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, credits, brief review and venue details. Full length reviews oi new releases can be found in the listings section wich follows. Film index compiled by Alan Morrison.
I Accion Mutante ( l 8) (Alex de la lglesia. Spain. 1993) Frederique Feder. Antonio Resines. Alex Angulo. 94 mins. A group of handicapped revolutionaries kidnap an heiress and head to an off-world mining planet for a bloody showdown. An instant sci-fr/horror cult classic let loose from the Almodovar experimental labs. Try to imagine Freaks meeting Barbarella at a party thrown by Mad Max. Glasgow: GFT.
I l'Accompagnatrice (PG) (Claude Miller. France. 1993) Richard Bohringer. Elena Safonova. Rornane Bohringer. 111 mins. During the Second World War. a poverty-stricken pianist‘s life is transformed when she becomes accompaniest to a beautiful singer. whose luxurious appartment she moves into. But her mentor. although nrarried. is having an affair with a member of the French Resistance. which continues when they rrrove to London. Fairly lifeless stuff from a country that still hasn't got to grips with this period of its history. Glasgow: Gl’l‘. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I The Addams Family (PG) (Barry Sonnenfeld. US. 1991) Anjelica lltrslon. Raul Julia. Christopher Lloyd. Dan Hedaya. 100 mins. When long-lost Uncle Festcr returns from 25 years in the Bermuda Triangle. it disrupts the idyllic lifestyle of the Addams clan. But is this Fester a fortune-grabbing imposter'.’ Big budget movie has all of the macabre sense of fun of the TV' series and the original New Yorker cartoons. as well as sets and design that any self- respecting ghoulish household would die for. Literally. Edinburgh: MGM.
I Addams Family Values (PG) (Barry Sonnenfeld. US. 1993) Anjelica Huston. Raul Julia. Christopher Lloyd. 95 mins. The Addams clan are back in residence. btrt this time with the addition of baby Ptrbert and gold-digging nanny Joan Cusack. who‘s got her eyes on Fester‘s riches. Twisted humour and inverted morality for the adolescent in trs all. Great set design. btrt jokes that will go way over the head of the kids. See review. General release.
I Bad lieutenant (l8) (Abel Ferrara. US. 1992) Harvey Keitel. Frankie Thome. Zoe Land. 96 mins. A return to urban sleaze by master of the genre Abel Ferraro. A NYPD cop (Keitel). in debt due to drugs. alcohol and gambling addiction. is intrigued by a big money reward in the case of a raped nun. Harsh. powerful. but filled with a religious orthodoxy. this is a reminder of the director at his best (Angel of Vengeance. Driller Killer). Edinburgh: Odeon. I The Bandwagon (U) (Vincente Minnelli. US. 1953) Fred Astaire. Cyd Charisse. Oscar Levant. 111 mins. Exuberant Arthur Freed-produced. MGM musical has Hollywood dancer Astaire trying to regain his popular appeal with a broadway comeback. A tart satire on theatrical behind-the-scenes goings-on and on the conventions of the musical genre. This is one musical that has the lot - including ‘That's
Entertainment' and the famous ‘Triplets' routine.
Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Baraka (PG) (Ron Fricke. US. 1992) 96 mins. Environmentally aware eco-doc in the style of
9 Kuyaarrisqatsi has the major advantage of
having been shot in 70mm. which makes the stunning cinematography the star of the show. Beautiful footage of Planet Earth is juxtaposed with man‘s harmful relation to it. with the Big Statement being pushed forwards by a series of powerful images. A genuine spectacle. Glasgow: GET.
I Benefit Dl The Doubt (18) (Jonathan Heap. US. 1993) Donald Sutherland. Amy Irving. Graham Greene. 91 mins. Out of prison after a 22.year sentence for murdering his wife. Frank (Sutherland) tracks down his daughter (lrving) whose eye-witness testimony put him away. When he charms her young son. she wonders if
her mother's death was the accident her father always claimed it to be. Another twist on the
‘outsider threat to the family unit' thriller fonnula that should have run its cotrrse by now. Edinburgh: UCl.
I The Birds(l8) (Alfred Hitchcock. US. 1963) Rod Taylor. Tippi llendren. 119 mins. Brilliant
macabre idea from a Du Maurier tale to have our winged friends turned into malevolent killers.
this is Hitch at his most misehevious. Glasgow:
MGM Film Centre.
I Blade Runner: the Director's Cut (15) (Ridley Scott. US. 1982/92) Harrison Ford. Sean Young.
Rutger Hauer. 116 mins. ()ut go the pseudo-noir narration and the tacked-on happy ending: in comes a more defined sense that Deckard himself may be a replicant. The look and feel
remain as powerful. and the acting is superb. A
flawed masterpiece is now a restored
3 masterpiece. Strathclyde: L’Cl Clydebank. I 034(18) (Tamra Davis. US. 1993) Chris
I Aladdin (U) (John Husker/Ron Clements. L'S.
1992) With the voices of Robin Williams. Scott Weinger. Linda Larkin. 91 mins. Panto time. Disney style. as street-wise thief Aladdin woos Princess Jasmine with the help of the Genie of the Lamp and hindrance of the evil Jafar. Colourful. entertaining stuff that will be lapped tip by children and adults alike. Williams's whirling dervish of a Genie inevitably steals the show. See feature. General release.
I An Angel At My Table (PG) (Jane Campiorr. New Zealand. 1990) Kerry Fox. Alexia Keogh. Karen Fergussson. 158 mins. Campion‘s follow- up to her remarkable debut Sweetie is a lengthy treatment of her compatriot Janet Frame's autobiographical trilogy of novels. originally
Rock. Allen Payne. Phil Hartman. 88 mins. Three homeboys try for fame and fortune in the
world of rap music. and achieve some success . when they mimic the tough ‘gangsta‘ style. But
then a right-wing politician launches a crusade against the group. An amusing send up of an already overblown musical style. it draws comparisons with This Is Spinal 724/). using the documentary crew to further examine rap's obsession with its own image. See review. Glasgow: MGM Film Centre. Edinburgh: L'Cl. I The Cement Garden (18) (Andrew Birkin. L'K/Gemtany/France. 1993) Charlotte
Gainsbourg. Andrew Robertson. Sinead (‘usack.
made for television. Following Frame‘s life from
awkward childhood and teenage years. through university (where she was diagnosed as
schizonphrenic) and bohemian travels in Europe.
to her adult achievements as a writer. the film offers a subtle depiction of mental illness. and is superbly conceived and acted throughout. Edinburgh: Cameo.
mins. Under the title The Mightv Ducks. this
105 mins. Based on the acclaimed book by Ian McEwan. Birkin's award-winning film intertwines themes of incest and death with innocent insight. Not so much a coming-of-age movie as a regression into childhood. it is meticulously observed and contains flawless perfomtances from its young cast. Edinburgh: Cameo. Central: MacRobert.
I Champions (PG) (Stephen llerek. CS. 1992) Emilio Estevez. Joss Ackland. Lane Smith. 104
"A delicious homage to food, love and strong, brave women”
Company
"A tale well spiced with passion!”
Oily Telegraph
. llArousin , mouth-watering _
_
an enchanting”
Hollywood Reporter
FROM 3 DECEMBER
CAMEO, EDINBURGH
lame flick took over $50 million at the US box office. It's hard to fathom why. A lawyer on community service after a drunk driving conviction helps a little league ice hockey team to victory. The worst level of moviemaking by numbers. Fife: Robin's.
I oliiflianger(18)(Renny Harlin. US. 1993) Sylvester Stallone. John Lithgow. Michael Rooker. Stallone returns to top form as a guilt- ridden mountain rescue pro battling it out amongst the peaks in Colorado with a gang of hijackers. Spectacular vistas and stunt sequences ensure a white-knuckle. vertiginous experience from the comfort of your cinema seat. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The Comfort 0t Strangers ( 18) (Paul Scirrader US. 1990) Rupert Everett. Natasha Richardson. Christopher Walken. Helen Mirren. 105 mins. lan McEwan's short novel of sexual power games and the perceptionwarping possibilities ofctrlttrre shock is inherently hard to film. Schrader and his excellent cast give it their best shot. the Venetian locations and sets are luscious and Harol Pinter's screenplay is surprisingly faithful. But the narrative tension and pace on
which the novel relies are conspicuously absent.
Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The Commitments (15) (Alan Parker. UK. 1991) Robert Arkins. Michael Aherne. Angeline Ball. Maria Doyle. 118 mins. Sod U2 — when would-be manager Jimmy Rabbitte (Arkins) ptrts together The Commitments. soul comes to Dublin and the band become the force to really put lrislr music on the map. Alan Parker delivers a hilarious. down-to-earth. close-to-home movie. stuffed full of good music and with some relevent social comment to boot. Glasgow: GFl‘. I The Concierge (PG) (Barry Sonnenfeld. US. 1993) Michael J. Fox. Gabrielle Anwar. Anthony lliggens. 95 mins. Doug Ireland (Fox). a young concierge who dreams of owning his own hotel. meets an investor who will put up the money if Doug ‘babysits' his drop-dead gorgeous mistress (Anwar). Lightweight romantic comedy which shows Fox to advantage btrt. despite lacking the materialistic undertones of the likes of Pretty Woman. still treats its female characters as accessories. Strathclyde: Cannon.
I have (12) (Ivan Reitman. US. 1993) Kevin Kline. Sigoumey Weaver. Frank Langella. 110
mins. It‘s one of those eternal Hollywood myths:
an ordinary Joe — or in this case. Dave — finds himself in the White House and. despite the powers that be. decides to give US politics a liberal heart. Kline is at his most appealing. Weaver nicely underplays the supporting role. Comfortable old-fashioned filmmaking that's a bit like soaking in a warm bath. General release. I Death Becomes ller (PG) (Robert Zemeckis. US. 1992) Meryl Streep. Goldie llawn. Bruce Willis. 103 mins. An actress in decline and a frurnpy author discover the secret of etemal life.
and so are able to carry their mutual jealousy to
outrageous extremes. A comedy that is surprisingly black. given the stars involved and
g the pressures on its $10 million budget. btrt which tends to get carried away with its
3 drstractrngly impressive special effects.
Glasgow: Grosvenor.
I Demolition Man (15) (Marco Brambilla. US. 1993) Sylvester Stallone. Wesley Snipes. Nigel Hawthorne. 115 mins. (‘ryogenically frozen in 1996. but thawed out for a parole hearing 36
years later. mass murderer Simon Phoenix (Snipes) escapes and sets about creating major
mayhem. The only man who can stop him is Sgt
John Spartan (Stallone). the man who caught
him first time round and who is also undergoing
' the big freeze. Producer Joel Silver's trademark
big bangs and some lampooning of screen images by the stars enliven this excellent sci-ii
action movie that is laced with sharp social
satire. General release.
A FILM BY ALFONSO ARAU
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY LAURA ESOUIVEL
I Dennis (PG) (Nick Castle. US. 1993) Mason Gamble. Walter Matthau. Joan Plowright. 98 mins. He's blond. he's cute. he's American. his dog isn't a fluffball with teeth. At least the stripey jumper remains the same. But. then again. the Dennis of the US cartoon strip never was related to The Beano's arch-menace. When Dennis's folks go off on business. the mischevious little brat is left in the hands of his elderly neighbours: Home Alone scenario from the John Hughes stable. Edinburgh: UCl. I Dragon (15) (Rob Cohen. US. 1993) Jason Scott Lee. Lauren Holly. Robert Wagner. 119 mins. Exciting. intelligent biopic on the short life of martial ans star Bruce Lee will please action fans and provide some insight into the motivations that drove the man through his revolutionary fighting techniques. ground- breaking frlms and inter-racial man‘iage. Jason Scott Lee is excellent in the lead role. his sinewy physique a match for the master‘s. Strathclyde: Magnum. I Edward II (18) (Derek Jarman. UK. 1991) Steven Waddington. Tilda Swinton. Andrew Tieman. Nigel Terry. 90 mins. Christopher Marlowe's 16th century play was a tale of illicit love. jealousy and regicide. Jannan's reworking of the script makes the central themes more relevant to the present day. with particular emphasis on the repressed love between Edward and his friend Gaveston. Glasgow: GFl‘. I les Entants Du Paradis (PG) (Marcel Carne. France. 1944) Arletty. Jean-Louis Barrault. Picn‘c Brasseur. 195 mins. Paris in the 1840s. Amid the seething heart of the French capital's theatre street. a mime artist falls in love with the delicious but flirtatious Garnace. ()ne of the cinema‘s most extravagantly enjoyable productions. this gorgeous elephantine wallow of a film is crammed with incident and cotnpellingly curious Gallic comic characters. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I The Exorcist (18) (William Friedkin. US. 1973) Linda Blair. Ellen Burstyn. Max Von Sydow. l 10 mins. Earnest priest Von Sydow- steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Dead good. dead scarey. dead priest. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I la Fille de I’Aire (15) (Maroun Bagdadi. France. 1992) Beatrice Dalle. Thierry Fortineau. Hippolyte Girardot. 106 mins. When her husband's consecutive prison sentences mean that he must serve the equivalent of life. Brigitte (Dalle) plans an intricate escape attempt that will lift him from the prison yard by helicopter. Dalle is at her best treading a more credible path between everyday reality and mad fantasy than she did in Betty Blue: the tone of the film is gritty and unadorned: and the prison break climax genuine edge-of—tlre-seat stuff. See review. Glasgow: GET. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I FFVF: Mind and Memory Exploring the complexities of the human mind: decision making. memory patterns. the inner workings of the imagination. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I FFVF: Australia Experiment: 2 The second programme of films selected from Melbourne's Experimenta Festival. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I FFVF: Mediamatic Films to make you question the agendas behind what we see in the media. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I FFVF: Cinema Mortis A programme of shorts which deal with the inevitability we all try to avoid. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I FFVFZ From the East 1 Return to the I’mmiie’d [and follows a refugee family's attempts to establish a new home in the harsh expanse of northem Armenia. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I FFVF: From the East 2 A selection of films and videos from the former Eastern Bloc. strbtitled ‘No Place To llide'. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I FFVF: Art and Nature Work inspired by the natural world. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
The List 3- 16 December 199317