FILM
Films screening this fortnight are listed below with certificate, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Alan Morrison.
I The Adventures Of Priscilla. Queen Of The Desert (18) (Stephan Elliott. Australia. 1994) Terence Stamp. Hugo Weaving. Guy Pearce. 10i mins. Two transvestites and a trans-sexual team up for a trip across the Australian orrtback fora drag show in Alice Springs. Serious issues pop up front time to time. btit the emphasis is on the camp humour of the iii-bus bitchiness and outrageous musical set-pieces. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Strathclyde: Mothenvell. ()dcon Ayr I Advise And Consent ( I 3) (Otto Preminger. lJS. 1962) Don Murray. Charles Laughton. Henry Fonda. 139 mins. ()ne of Preiiiinger's best. and a key political film of the 00s. The ('5 President's decision to appoint an rrnpopulat secretary of state leads to blackmail and scandal. At times melodramatic. it's crammed with brilliant performances from an all-star cast. with Laughton at his slimy best. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Andre (U) (George Miller. ('5. 199-1) Tina Majorino. Keith (‘atradine. (‘helsea Field. 94 mins. This time it's the turn of a seal to keep the kids oohing and aahing. as the true story of Andre unfolds. Set during the early otls in a small fishing town iii Maine. the film has all the necessary elements — cute kid bonding with cute animal — and with a few adventure sequences in the plot that puts this flippered hero iii the Skippy/Champion/Riti Tin Tin class. All ()deons. All UCls. Glasgow: MGM Parkhead. Strathclyde: Cannon.
I Baby's Day Out (PG) (Patrick Read Johnson. ES. 1994) Joe Mantegna. Lara Flynn Boyle. Brian Ilaley. 98 mins. Talk about regression! After Home Alone and Dennis. writer John Hughes now has a drooling toddler on the loose in the big city after he escapes from his kidnappers. led by man-with-no-shame Mantegna. Saccharine sweet storytelling which diabetics would be well advised to steer clear of. Glasgow: Grosveiior.
Gay, esbian,
I Bad Taste ( 18) (Peter Jackson. .\cw /.ealand. 1983-7) Peter Jackson. Mike Minnett. 'l‘err'y Potter. 93 mins. Painstakingly assembled by Jackson every w eekettd over a four year period; he and the cast had day jobs during ilie week. Rarely has intergalctic carriage been presented with such charm and humour. Glasgow: Gl-‘I‘. I Bandit Oueen ( IS) (Shekliar Kapur. India. 199-1) Scema Bisvvas. Nirmal Pandey. Manjoj Bajpai. 11‘) mins. Lsing the story of ltidiati outlaw Phoolan Devi. Kapur savager attacks the caste system and the way it allows men to continually abuse women. llugcly controversial iii its hotne country (although it was funded by (‘hannel ~1). Brim/tr Queen is undoubtedly a major international filnr.,:ind as far from normal Indian fare as Ken l.oacli is from an MGM musical. See feature. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Barcelona t 15 ) (Whit Stillman. LS. 1994) 'l‘aylor Nichols. ('hi'rs Frgeman. 'l'ushka Bergen. 1()() mitts. As a follow-up to .Ilr'tnpronto/i. writer-director—ptodtrcer Stillman foc risses on another group of young people who seem to converse solely through witty dialogue. The backdrop is interesting: .r pair of Antericari cousins get on each otlicik nerves in Bai;elon.t during the 70s. a trmc when their countrymen were unpopular because of anti-NATO tensions. Glasgow: (ii-'1‘.
I Bicycle Thieves (PG) ( \dlltiilo De Sica. Italy. I948) Lamberto .‘vlaggiotaiii. litrzo Staiola. An
unemployed Italian workman has his bicycle
stolen. and badly needs it for a new job. so he
and his small sort search the busy streets of Rome for it. The epitome of Italian neo-realism.
with the Roman setting vividly sketched and the
petfotrriances compellineg natural. so that this
uruo'iiantic drama takes on an over w hemrng power. Masterly stuif lidinbuigh: l‘rlrtiliorise.
I Black Beauty ( l ') ((‘aiolrrie Iiilrliistm.
l'S/I'K. 199-3) Sean Bean. David 'I'hevv lis. l’ctei
(‘ook 8?. mins. llte rirost ltlliititts liorsc iii children's literature returns iii a faithful screen
version M debut director 'I Ilriilis't‘ll. vv hose work as a screenwriter »— 'l'lzr' .vt rm (inn/wt. lftln‘rtii.’
Stir vttl/ttttit/i. llri' .\'.'e/t.'Ir-'ti/r' Rom/r" (ll/{\l'litlr
-- taps itito a darker current of childhood v ision. The pace sets off :it a gallop. and should intrigue .adtilts as well as younger viewers. General
release.
I Blood Simpler tis‘i (Joel cor-n. 1'8. 198?) John Getz. I'rancis McDortirand. \l Iimmet \\;ilsh. 99 mins. Auspicious debut from the ('ocn lrtothcis'
Ldit'ection/prtxluction team. Walsh escels as the seedy Sheriff investigating a simple iirtrider w hose devilish 'I'exan chronicle of double» crossing is anything but simple. .-\n enthusiastic
attempt at conteniiwiary film iron. which keeps everyone guessing even after the final frame Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The Blue Kite ( 15) ('l'ian [hitting/hitting.
hopefully lead to bigger and better things being made on home soil. Strathclyde: Motherwell.
I Clear And Present Danger ( t 2) (Philip Noyce. (‘5. 199—1) Harrison Ford. Willem Dafoe. James Earl Jones. 141 mitts. In the third and least cvciting instalment iii the series. Jack Ryan (l't‘l'dl is promoted to Deputy Director of the (‘IA and has to deal with high office treachery and South American drug lords. An elephantine but not especially interesting narrative that might work better on the bestseller page. this is a new milestone in big budget tediurn. Strathclyde: Mother'well.
I Come and Seer t8) (Elim Klittiov. USSR. I987) Alexei Kr‘av'chenko. ()lga Mironov a. 1-12 mins. Klimov's epic account of art atrocious Nazi massacre iii Byelorrissia in 19.13 is one of the genuinely great films of the decade. The horrific events are seen through the eyes of a young boy (Ktavchcnko). who ages visibly throughout a remarkable perforttiaiice. .\'ot simply a riieditatron on Russian history. brtt an epic about mankind. at once harrowing and
v isionaiy. which demonstrates that film can still take on the most monumental of issues in ii serious fashion. lidinburgh; I'rlriihotis‘e.
I Corrina Corrina (Poi (Jessie .‘s'ctson. ('S. 1994) Whoopi Goldberg. Ray l.iotta. Tina Majorino. 116 mins. Goldberg stars as the ttiaid to a recently widowed jingle writer (Liotta). whose daughter helps them overcome the social distance that the times — the 1950s — demand. (‘omedy and drama move with seamless skill. althortgh the triumph of romance over cytiictsitr may prove tOo sweet for some. Strathclyde: Magnum.
I Cronos ( 18) (Griiller'trio del 'l‘oro. Mexico.
1993) 92 mins. Possibly the strongest featrtre to emerge from Mexico in recent years. alongside
like Hitter For (‘liuco/un'. Iii luin visuals. del 'l'oio spans centuries iii his tale of the human desire for an intricate tirechanieal device that prolongs life. A unique vampire movie that
, brings an to the world of horror. Glasgow: (il’l'. 3 I Days Of Being Wild (13) (Wong Kat-Wat. llong Kong. 1991 ) Leslie (dieting. Maggie
(‘hcrrng Andy Ian. 93 mins. Denied knowledge of his true parents by his desperately jealous
3 foster mother. ice cool Ytiddy (Leslie Chang)
' goes through life leaving a trail of broken hearts behind him. A fresh. chic original that uses the
; cool mood of 1960 and universal themes of
restless youth to capture the current uncertainties
surrounding 1997. (‘entralt MacRobett.
C I Dear Diary (ISHNanni Morettt. Italy. 199))
Nauru Moiettr. Renato (‘atpentieii 100 mins An intimate journal. captured with both narrative and technical freedom. Mor‘etti's (‘annes award- winner sees liiiti zip around Rome on his Vespa. v isit the Aeolian island home ofa friend. and cotrre rip against the doctors who are having
tch the best Film this “attortwniglrt.”
FIIIST RUN I Natural Born Killers Oliver Stone‘s tornado of sound and image blasts its way belatedly to our shores. A violent. dazzling look at media worship of serial killers. General i‘clt’ttSt’.
I Bandit Queen Hugely controversial and damning indictment of India's caste system and its injustices against women. as filtered through the life of outlaw leader Phoolarr Devi. Edinburgh: Film/rouse.
I The Shawshank Redemption Oscar-nominated period prison pic starring Tim Robbins as an unjustly convicted quiet titan who takes his time to beat the system. General release.
I Suture The plot: a man survives a murder attempt by his identical brother and plots his revenge. Tire r‘ality: one identical brother is white. the other black. An intriguing examination of identity. gloriously shot in widescreen black-andwhitc. Edinburgh: I’ll/ii/rouse.
I Heavenly Creatures The true story of a scandouloris 1950s New Zealand murder case. shown through the eyes of its schoolgirl perpetrators. Glasgow: (il’l? lirlt'iilHt/‘g/i: Cameo. BEPEBTDRY
I Bicycle Thieves Unadorried Italian
i l l
China/11K. 1993) Lu l.ipitig. [hang Wenyao. problems diagnosing his possibly irralignaiit (‘lren Xiaoitian. 138 mins. A mother and son illness. What may seem loose and unordered is struggle to survive the upheavals of the Mao actually very carefully structured. with a level of regime arid the violent turmoil of the (‘ulttn‘al | intimacy rarely achieved iii the cinema. Fife: Revolution. 'l'iati's film tells it straight. where Adam Smith
others. such as l’tn-ewi’lr’ .llv ('mir'iiln'in'. have I Destiny (PG) (tit-ii; Lang. cicrmany, 1921) Lil
neo-rcalism by Vittorio dc Sica. which riiovingly conveys the trials of the working class. (Edinburgh: Film/rouse.
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taken a more metaphorical approach. and the result is an honest and moving account of a still sensitive issue. Edinburgh: Film Guild.
I Braindead ( 18) (Peter Jackson. New Zealand. 1992) 'l'iriiotliy Balme. Diana Penalver'. Elizabeth Moody. 10-1 mins. You won't believe the frrn that can be had w itlr a rotary blade lawnmower. a cast of slobberttrg zombies and several hundred gallons of blood. Peter (liittl little) Jackson wrenches the King of Gore title away from Sam Raimi with this outrageous slapstick classic in which our nerdy heroes battles it out with the undead population of Wellington. 'l'remendous. Glasgow: (ll-'1‘.
I Cabin in the Sky (PG) (Vincente Minnelli. US. 1943) Eddie Anderson. Lena Horne. Louis Armstrong. 99 mins. Its political correctness or incorrectness aside. MGM's all-black musical wins you over with its gorgeous design. fun story. memorable songs and etrihusiastic cast. Anderson is great as an idle husband, reformed by a dream of his death. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Camille Claudel (PG) (Bruno Nuytten. France. 1988) Isabelle Adjani. Gerard Depardieu. Laurent Grevil. 175 mins. Despite its slightly forbidding length. this accotrnt of the troubled and eventually tragic life of French scrrlptress Camille Claudel (Adjani). and her relationship as both pupil and lover w rtlr Auguste Rodin (Depat'dieu) boasts a feast of memorable images and goes to prove that France's biggest stars are also two of its best actors. Glasgow: Gl’l‘.
I Chasing The Deer (PG) (Graham Ilolloway. Scotland. 1994) Brian Blessed. Lewis Rae. Matthew Zajac. JvatiCIinc I’irie. The Jacobite rising of the first half of the 18th century set Scot against Scot. and this lovvsbudget native
I feature tells the tale through the story of Euari
and Alistair Campbell. a father and son who end tip on opposing sides. The religious and poltical background is roughly sketched. the acting —‘ for
. the greater part ~ very .iirrateurish. the dialogue
l often embarrassing. A brave effort that will
Dagovar. Walter Janssen. Bernhard Goetzke. 79 mins. A newly wed bargains with Death for her husband's life. and finds herself transported to three different time zones — Arabia. Venice and (him. A dark allegory with intricate plotting
= from the Gemran espressionist master.
Edinburgh: Film Grrild. I Dr Mabuse - The Gambler (PG) (Fritz Lang. Germany. 1922) Rudolph KIein-Roggc. Alfred Abel. Gei'trtid Welcker. 180 mitts. Over four hours long iii its original forin. arid available in several shorter versions. this cut offers a fairly full account of Lang‘s expressionist thriller in which a criminal mastermind uses hypnotism and blackmail iii his quest for world domination. i Made at a turbulent time in German history. it disturbingly foreshadows the rise of Hitler. With live piano accoritpaniment. Edinburgh: I, Filinhouse. I L'Enter ( 15‘) ((‘laude (‘habroL France. 1994) Emmanuelle Beart. Francois Cluzet. Andre l Wiltns. 100 mins. In the 70s. Henri-Georges (‘louzot stopped shooting this script after a i nervous breakdown. Picked tip 20 years later by (‘habroL the. sense of impasse is obvious and. while interesting enough. it's less than satisfying. (‘luzet suspects that coquettish young wife Bean is unfaithful; she denies it. Credibility is pushed aside as the director concentrates on male paranoia. Glasgow: GF‘I‘. I The Exorcist (18) (William Friedkin. US. 1973) Linda Blair. Ellen Burstyn. Max Von Sydow. 110 mitts. Earnest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this hugely effective scarcfest. Dead good. dead scarey. dead priest. Edinburgh: Cameo. Odeon. UCI. I Flesh And Bone (15) (Steve Kloves. US. 1994) Dennis Quaid. Meg Ryan. James Caan. rzo mins. Easy-going Arlis (Quaid) meets equally rootless Kay (Ryan). but their affair is threatened by their unknown links to a murder 30 years earlier. Matters aren't helped when Arlis's menacing dad (Caan) appears on the
low—budget. feature-length drama made in Edinburgh. recounting the trials of the city‘s young homeless and directed by the late Brian Ci'umlish. (Musician: (Jl’l‘.
scene. Bleaker than Dahl or any of those other contemporary American noirr. Kloves long awaited follow—up to The l-iiliu/tirtv Baker Brivv develops at a snail's pace. but contains some atmospherically sombre landscapes. See review. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Forrest Gump ( 12) (Robert Xeiiieckis. US. 199-1) Tom llanks. Robin Wright. Gary Sinise. 142 mins. Even those with the lowest le cart rise to the top in the land of the free. as this picaresque tale sets out to prove. But despite its incurath sweet hero and its fairly standard love story core. Forrest (firm/i has a surprisingly dark-tinted view on recent Aiirericarr history - complete with racism. drug and child abrrse. war and political assassination. There are some bitter tasting choices hidden among the soft centres. Glasgow: MGM Film (‘entre. Borders: Roxy.
I Fringe Film and Video Festival Celebrating its tenth birthday. the Fl-‘VF boasts an excellent array of international work outside the iriainstream. Full details are available iii the FFVF Programme. Running times are approximate. and all screenings take place at the Edinburgh Filmhouse. See preview and listings. FFVF: Scottish Workshop Screening 100 mins. A selection of work by seven Scottish workshops. followed by an open discussion on the role of the workshops in independent production. See Rushes. Fri 24. l 1.30am. Free. FFVF: Performance 54 mins. An exatrtination of performance and video as a genre iii its own right. with nine works that integrate the camera with the elements fo movement. Fri 24. 2pm. FFVF: Three (It The Best 70 mins. Three short
dramas from film school students -- Trap
24 The List 24 Feb-9 Mar 1995