BACARDI BLACK
INDEX FILM
I Jurassic Park (PG) (Steven Spielberg. US. I993) Sam Neill. Laura Dern. Jeff Goldblurn. A group of scientists are invited to give their approval to a theme park filled with genetically engineered dinosaurs. but the giant reptiles are soon rrrnning amok. Unsurpassed computer effects ensure that the dinosaurs themselves are terrifyineg believable (moreso than the PG certificate would suggest). but by the halfway point. it's more or less a chase movie with superior technology. General release.
I like Water For Chocolate ( l 5) (Alfonso A rau.
Mexico. I99I ) Marco Leonardi. Lumi (‘avazos. Regina Torne. IN mins. At the end of the 19th century. Mexico is caught tip in the Revolution. Against this backdrop. Laura Esquival's novel and this film adaptation by Arau depict one woman's struggle for freedom from tradition. A classy melodrama that fills from comedy to tragedy to culinary excess. raising the new
generation of Mexican filmmaking talent to truly
international levels. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The lever ( I8) (Jean-Jacques Annaud. Erance/l'K. I99l ) Jane March. Tony Lcung. Jeanne Moreatr. I I7 mins. In I92()s Saigon. a fifteen year old girl has a steamy affair with a (‘Iiinaman twice her age. Er . . . that's it. Annaud's big screen translation of Marguerite Duras's autobiographical novel is fairly erotic for the first half hour. then moves swiftly into relentless arthouse tedirrm. This really is the cinematic equivalent of wading through lirench literature of an intellectrral bent. Glasgow: GI-T. I Malice (l5) (llarold Becker. l’S. I993) Alec Baldwin. Nicole Kidrnan. Bill Pullman. Hot-shot surgeon Baldwin provides the outsider element in yet another ‘married couple under threat' movie which makes you wonder if the formula thriller has finally rrrn out of gas. Throw in a college setting and a few unsolved crimes. and the result still suffers from its amusineg predictable twists and turns. See review. Glasgow: MGM Parkhead. All ()deons. All UCls.
I The Man Without A Face r )2) (Mel Gibson. US. I993) Mel Gibson. Nick Stahl. Fay Masterson. I I4 mins. A lonely boy gets the town recluse. a former teacher badly burned from a car accident. to help him with an exam resit. but local prejudices rear their heads. A delicate. emotionally balanced debut as director from Gibson. who also puts in possibly his best performance to date. The sentimentality is not overdone. and there is a tenderness to the central relationship that is more credible and fulfilling than in other American dramas. General release. I Matador ( 18) (Pedro Almadovar. Spain. I986: Assumpta Serna. Antonio Banderas. Nancho Martinez. Eva Como. 96 mins. Less rrproarious than the works that established his commercial reputation. this is Alrnadovar at his most intenser dark and ecstatic. Themes of sex and death merge around a pervy ex-btrllfighter. his sexually confused pupil and the latter's murderous defence lawyer. Quite delirioust amoral. Glasgow: Gl’i‘.
I Meet Me In St louis (I') (Vincente Minnelli. l'S. I944) Judy Garland. Margaret ()‘Brien. Leon Ames. Mary Astor. I I3 mins. The comfortable lifestyle of Garland's St Louis family is threatened by her father‘s promotion and a move to New York. Alternately nostalgic. moving and sickenineg sweet. the film paints a memorable picture of an innocent world now long gone. Minnelli's best and an important entry in the musical genre. Glasgow: GI-‘l'. Edinburgh: I-‘ilmhouse.
I Mr Wonderful ( l3) (Anthony Minghella. ('8. I993) Matt Dillon. Annabella Sciorra. William Ilurt. 97 mins. Gus wants to rerrrarry. but the alimony he pays his ex-w ife is killing him. The solution: find her a new husband. a Mr Wonderful. But in the process. he discovers that he isn't ready to let go. An old-style romantic
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comedy with a bean. and a pert'omiance from Dillon that shows he's the only actor of his age who could carry off the working-class leading man role with any credibility. Great stuff that will leave you with a warm feeling inside. Glasgow: GET. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Much Ado About Ilothing (PG) (Kenneth Branagh. UK/US. I993) Denzel Washington. Kenneth Branagh. Emma Thompson. Keanu Reeves. lll mins. A lusty. lively version of Shakespeare‘s comedy of love and deceit. set in the sun-drenched Tuscan hills. Barbed witticism fly across the screen as British thesps and American stars acquit themselves with honours. Glasgow: GET. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Central: MacRober't.
I The Muppets christtnas Carol (U) (Brian llenson. IFS/UK. I992) Michael Caine. Kermit.
Miss Piggy and other bits of foam. It's Christmas i time. and nasty old rniser Scrooge (Caine) needs
taught a lesson by three seasonal ghosts. Colourful version of Dickens‘ classic tale that will please the kids and keep the adults smiling
g with its little irreverent spices. Edinburgh:
MGM.
I Naked ( I8) (Mike Leigh. UK. I993) David Thewlis. Katrin (‘artlidge. Lesley Sharp. I26 mins. Johnny. a cynical drifter. wanders around
' the homeless of London spouting a bitter
philosophy. An episodic. bleak. brrt bitingly funny portrait of 90s Britain that suffers from a few characters who could only exist in a Mike Leigh world. Scenes of sexual violence may be difficult for some audience members to sir
through. brrt the virtuoso performance from
Thewlis is one of the best of the year.
Edinburgh: Cameo.
; I Of Mice And Men (PG) (Gar'y Sinise. US.
3 I992) John Malkovich. Gary Sinise. Sherilyn
; I-‘enn. llI mins. A slow-wilted. gentle giant and
his resourceful. protective side-kick search for
work in Depression-hit America. Sinise the
director marries the themes of Steinbeck's
? classic novel to vibrant landscapes of rural farm : life. American tragedy in its purest form.
1 Edinburgh: I-‘ilmhouse.
I Orphans or The Storm (PG) (t). w. Griffith.
5 LS. l92l ) Lillian Gish. Dorothy Gish. Joseph
5 Schildkratrt. Lucille La Verne. I24 mins. (‘Iassic f silent epic of the French Revolution. whose
rrrelodramatic elements are readily forgivable
. because the acting and the spectacle are so
marvelloust intense. The Gish sisters are well
cast as sisters. Edinburgh: I‘ilmhouse.
I the Parallax View ( t 5) (Alan J. I’akula. US. I974) Warren Beatty. Paula Prentiss. William
Daniels. I02 mins. ()ne of the better conspiracy
theory movies. which goes off at a tangent from
the Kennedy assassination and the world's paranoia over it. Reporter Beatty stumbles on a
plan to kill off the witnesses of a presidential
- candidate's assassination in this tightly directed thriller with great cinematography. Edinburgh:
Cameo.
I Passion Fish ( l5) (John Sayles. L'S. I992) Mary McDonnell. Alfre Woodard. David Strathairn. I35 mins. When a car accident leaves
her paralysed. soap star May-Alice becomes a
borne in Louisiana and battling with a succession :
self-styled ‘bitch on wheels'. retreating to her
of nurse-carers until she meets her match in ('hantelle. Perfectly scripted and acted. this is a
moving. w my account of two women coming to
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terms with major changes in their lives. Another classic from Sayles. who reaches emotional depths without resorting to cliches. Glasgow: GI-"T. Edinburgh: I‘ilmhouse.
I R Perfect World ( I5) ((‘Iint Eastwood. [.75. I993) Kev in Costner. (‘Iint Eastwood. Laura Dcr'n. I38 mins. (‘arecr criminal Brrtclr Hayes (Costner) springs himself from the pen and takes a young boy hostage; pursued by a grizzled Texas Ranger (Eastwood) and a criminologist (Dern). he forms a close relationship with his
captive. who begins to enjoy an adventure previously denied him. Unfortunately overlong. due to too many plot strands. there are still enough personal demons present to give it a compelling edge. See review. General release.
I The Piano ( I 5) (Jane C arnpion. Australia/New Zealand. I993) Holly Hunter. Sam Neill. Ilarvey Keitel. l20 mins. Jane C ampion‘s masterpiece follows mute Scotswoman Ada (Hunter) as she travels to I9th century New Zealand with her piano and daughter to enter into an arranged marriage. Soon she begins a passionate and erotic affair with her illiterate neighbour as the means of regaining her treasured instrument. lrnpeccable performances lift this highly charged piece to the realms of classic cinema. undoubtedly one of the best films of the 90s. Glasgow: Odeon. Edinburgh: Cameo. Strathclyde: UCI East Kilbride.
I Point Blank (I8) (John Boomian. US. I967) Lee Marvin. Angie Dickinson. Keenan Wynn. 92 mins. Revenge-ridden Marvin is bent on justifying his dreamlike existence and turning the tables on the mysterious criminal Organisation which employed him in this tense. well crafted thriller that boasts an imaginitive and influential treatment of time. Boorman's impressive first American feature is made memorable by Marvin's brilliant portrayal of an outmoded gunman confusedly taking on a world overrun by technology. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The Professional Golgo 13 ( I 8) 93 mins. Manga — Japanese animated action - up on the big screen for a change. A ruthless killer tracks down a Mafia assassin only to find his foe once had an intimate role in his own life. Violent cult fare. I8 Dec only. Glasgow: Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon.
I Raining Stones ()5) (Ken Loach. UK. I993) Bruce Jones. Julie Brown. Ricky Tomlinson. 90 mins. Another slice of real life from one of Britain‘s most dedicated filmmakers. An unemployed father brings terror to his household when he goes to a loanshark in order to pay for his daughter's first communion dress. Throughout. the northern community's sense of natural humour makes this a heartening. amusing and very accessible film indeed. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Reservoir O09: ( I8) (Quentin Tarantino. US. I992) Harvey Keitel. Tim Roth. Michael Madsen. IOO mins. A gang of hoods. known only to each other by colour-coded nicknames. meets at an abandoned warehouse to figure how out their rigorously planned heist went so drastically wrong. The best debut in years from writer-director Tarantino. whose stylish violence seduces the audience into complicity. Brilliant in every sense of the word. Glasgow: MGM Parkhead. Edinburgh: Cameo. Odeon. Strathclyde: Odeon Ayr.
I Itohin Rood: Men In Tights (PG) (Mel Brooks. US. I993) Cary Elwes. Richard Lewis. Roger Rees. l04 mins. Two years too late. along comes Mel‘s version of the Sherwood legend. hobbling on its comedy zimmer-frame. The plot is what everyone expects. the gags are what no one deserves. Stuck for ideas of his own. the director can‘t even raise a smile ripping off others. Terrible. terrible. terrible. See review. General
5 release. ; I Iluhy In Paradise ( I5) (Victor Nunez. US. 5 I992) Ashley Judd. Todd Field. Bentley
Mitchrrm. “4 mins. Ruby Lee Gissing (Judd) leaves the drudgery of her Tennessee borne and
heads for West Florida. where she finds work. love and friendship. What could have been
dismissed as another ‘women‘s movie' is
: heightened by its perceptive depiction of self-
discovery and a star-making perfomrance by newcomer Judd. See preview. Edinburgh:
Cameo. . I The Secret Garden (U) (Agnieszka Holland. US. I993) Kate Maberly. Maggie Smith. John
CHRISTMAS & NEW
CARNIVAL
At the SECC Glasgow. Friday 17th December to Sunday 16th January. Open Daily 1.45pm—10.45pm. Admission only 80p.
Opens l'ir‘iria‘v I7tlt December at (i.3()prn. Closed Christmas Day.
1993 IN REVERSE
list writers otter thelr personal highlights ‘ OT ' ON.
TREVOR JOHNSTON
I FIII Reservoir Dogs.
I Band LSO under Pierre Boulez.
I ll' Eugene Onegin Semyon Bychkov/Orchestra de Paris.
I Theatre Show Peleas et Melisande at Covent Garden.
I Art Exhibition Edvard Munch at the National Gallery.
I TV Show Channel 4’s Made In The USA season.
I TV Soap The Ulster ‘peace’ process.
I cook Kieslowsler' on Kieslowskt' and This Is Orson Welles in a photo finish.
I Festive Plans Surviving the attentions of aunties etc on my first Christmas trip home as a mam'ed man.
Lynch. I02 mins. The unusual combination of the director of Europa Errm/m and the writer of Edit-arr! Scismrlmnds conspires to create an authentic and affecting version of the children's classic novel. Shipped back from India. lonely orphan Mary makes friends with a local lad and her sickly cousin. exerting a magical recuperative process on the latter and a hidden walled garden. Touching and uncontrived. General release.
I Sleepless In Seattle (PG) (Nora Ephron. US. I993) Meg Ryan. Tom Hanks. I05 rnins. One of the most warm-hearted romantic comedies to emerge from Hollywood in years. again proving the talent of Nora Ephron. who wrote When Harry Met Sally. Newspaper reporter Ryan hears a radio talk show which features recently widowed architect Ilanks. She's sure they are made for each other. but the whole of the United States lies between them. Date movie of the year. Glasgow: Odeon. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I So I Married An Axe Murderer ( I5) (Thomas Schlarnme. US. I993) Mike Myers. Nancy Travis. Brenda Fricker. I l0 mins. Charlie Mackenzie is a bit paranoid about his girlfriends. such has been his bad luck: brtt now he's sure he's dating Miss X. a female serial killer who chops her hubbies. Fun. over-the-top stuff from the Wayne half of Wrrvne's World. and which includes some of the best Scottish gags recently put on screen - watch out for the ‘Do Ya Think
The List l7 December I993—l 3 January I994 33