INDEX FILM
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 Huck Finn (PG ) (Stephen Sommers. US. I993) Elijah Wood. Courtney B. Vance. Robbie Coltrane. Jason Robards. 108 mins. Woods. America's best male child actor. carries his role at the centre of this appealittg Disney version of Mark Twain's classic. Teaming up with a runaway slave. Iltrck heads down the Mississippi. tneetirrg two riverfront rouges: The Drrke (Coltrane) and The King (Robards). Fine entertainment for all the family. Central: MacRobert. I The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert ( IS) (Stephan Elliott. Australia. l99-l) Terence Stamp. Hugo Weaving. Guy Pearce. l()-l mins. Two transvestites and a trans-sexual tcarrr up for a trip across the Arrstralian otrtback for a drag show in Alice Springs. Setrotrs rsstres pop up from time to time. but the emphasis is on the carttp httnrorrr of the in-bus bilclrirress and outrageous rnrrsical set-pieces. Glasgow: Gl-‘l’. Odeon. Edinburgh: Cameo. ()deorr. Strathclyde: UCI Clydebank. I Andre (ll) (George Miller. I'S. I994) Tina Majorino. Keith (‘arradirre. Chelsea Field. 9-1 mins. This time it‘s the turn of a seal to keep the kids oohing artd aahittg. as the true story of Andre unfolds. Set during the early 60s in a small fishing town in Maine. the frlrn has all the necessary elements — cute kid bonding with ctrte animal — and with a few adventure sequences in the plot that puts this flippered hero in the Skippy/Champion/Rin Tin Tin class. All Odeons. All UCls. Glasgow: MGM Parklread. I Assault On Precinct 13 ( IS) (John Carpenter. US. 1970) Austin Stoker. Darwin Joston. Laurie Zirnrner. 91 mins. Cow boys and Indians come to the inner city — or. rather. Iloward Ilawks's Rio Bram relocates itself to a l..os Atrgeles police station. as cops and innocent bystanders are besieged by local gangs. Writer/dhector/composer Carpenter keeps the atmosphere nail-bitineg tense in this excellent low budget actioner. Glasgow: GFI‘. I Baby’s Day Out (PG) (Patrick Read Johnson. US. I994) Joe Mantegna. Lara Flynn Boyle. Brian Haley. 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. Sacchar'ine sweet storytelling which diabetics would be well advised to steer clear of. Glasgow: Cannon. I Bad Boy Bubby ( l8) (Rolf de lleer'. Australia/Italy. I993) Nicholas Hope. Claire Benito. Ralph Cotterill. ll-l mins. Bobby's lead something of a sheltered life. trapped by his mom and used for sex in a brrnker. When he emerges at the age of 35. he's got a rather limited view of the outside world and its inhabitants. An exceedingly warped and unforgetable cinerrratic experience that builds to a surprisingly trroving clirtrax. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Bad lieutenant ( 18) (Abel Ferrar‘a. US. 1992) 3 Harvey Keitel. Frankie 'I‘horne. Zoe Lund. 96 mins. A return to urban sleaze by master of the genre Abel Ferrara. A NYPD cop (Keitel). in debt due to drugs. alcohol artd gambling addiction. is intrigued by a big money reward in the case of a raped nun. Ilarsh. powerful. but filled with a religious orthodoxy. this is a reminder of the director at his best (Angel of Vengeance. Driller Killer). Edinburgh: Cameo I Bandit Queen ( 18) (Sheklrar Kaptrr. India. I994) Seerna Biswas. Nirtnal Parrdey. Manjoj Bajpai. I19 mins. Using the story of Indian outlaw Phoolan Devi. Kapur savagely attacks the caste system and the way it allows men to continually abuse women. llrrgely controversial in its home country (although it was funded by Channel 4). Bani/it Queen is a major
international film. and as far from normal Indian fare as Ken Loaclr is from an MGM musical. Glasgow: GET. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Black Beauty (U) (Caroline Thomson. US/UK. I994) Sean Bean. David Thewlis. Peter Cook. 82 mins. The most famous horse in children's literature returns iii a faithful screen version by debut director 'I'homsorr. whose work as a screenwriter - The St’t'l'r’l Curt/ell. [Lil/It'll”, Scissor/lands. The Nightmare Before Christmas — taps into a darker cun‘ent of childhood vision. The pace sets off at a gallop and should intrigue adults as well as younger viewers. General release.
I Blown Away ( l5) (Stephen Hopkins. I‘S. I994) Jeff Bridges. Tommy Lee Jones. Suzy
Amis. l2] tnitrs. A psychotic terrorist blasts his
way out of prison and leaves Ireland for America. where he discovers that a top bomb
disposal expert is really a former terrorist who
caused the death of his sister. Cat and mouse
stuff with plenty of big bangs and high anxiety stress factors for audiences who like their palrrrs
clarnrny. Glasgow: Grosvettor.
I Blue Velvet ( )8) (David Lynch. (:5. I986) Kyle Macl.;rc|rlarr. Dennis Hopper. Isabella Rossellini. |2() mins. In small-town Middle
America. would-be boy detective .\lacl.achlan finds a severed car on some waste ground. When the police shoo him away he decides to do some investigating of his owtr. A singular ftrsion of the cosy and the terrifying which blends kitsch and nightmare. B-movie detection and brutal sex to
deconstruct our complacent vision of normal society. This is film-making of remarkable imagination atrd skill. Fife: MGM.
I The Browning Version ( IS) (Mike Figgis. l'S/UK. 1994) Albert Finney. Greta Scacchi. Matthew Modine. 97 trrins. Art unpopular
classics teacher is given a surprise gift by a pupil on the day of his retirement. unleashing a tonent
of emotions. Finney. as the repressed man.
coming to terms with his failings and his wife's infidelity. is marvellous. Brit there's rust enough
sense of r/eja r-u — English repression. uice
manners. pretty countryside - to rtrakc you think
you've been here several times before. life: New Picture House.
I Carry On Camping (PG) (Gerald Thomas. t’K. I909) Sidtrcy James. Kenneth Williams. Barbara
Windsor. 88 mins. ()ooh-er. Let rrre give yotr Irarrd to get tip your tent pole. etc. etc. liveryone's trying to get into everyone else's sleeping bag in this classic late outing for the usual learn. One of the best. with a mild
smattering of rrtrdity. Part of the Comic Relief
Marathon. Edinburgh; Canreo.
I Carwash ( I8) (Michael Schultz. US. I976) Franklin Ajaye. Antonio Far‘gas. Richard Pryor.
97 rrrirrs. A day in the life of a car wash seen through the eyes and mouths of the underprivileged employees. llip 70s fun with
funky soundtrack and clothes that should carry a
health warning. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Chaplin Operas (PG) Three Chaplin classics - Easy Street. The Adventurer atrd The Inrnrigrant — with music by Benedict Mason played live by the Paragon Ensemble. This performance goes beyond the typical fashion for writing new music
for silent cinema. by using texts lifted from Blake. Joyce. a French cookery book and a
Metropolitan Police recruitment advert — which adds an ironic edge to the montage. Strtr l9 only.
Glasgow: GFT.
I Clear And Present Danger ( 12) (Philip Noyce. US. 199-1) Harrison Ford. Willem Dafoe. James
Earl Jones. HI mins. In the third and least exciting instalment in the series. Jack Ryan (Ford) is promoted to Deptrty Director of the
CIA and lras to deal with high office treachery and South American drug lords. An eleplratrtitte but not especially interesting narrative that might work better on the bestseller page. this is a new
milestone in big budget tedrtrtn. Edinburgh: MGM.
I Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Special Edition (PG) (Steven Spielberg. US. l977/80)
Richard Dr‘eyfuss. Francois 'I‘r'trfl'atrt. Teri Garr. I32 mins. There may be additional effects and an extended ending inside the alien spacecraft. btrt the Special Edition isn't over‘long. mainly
because Spielberg tightened the central section
detailing Dreyftrss‘ growing obsession with
Devil‘s Tower. A magnificent movie. the master
at his best. Strathclyde: L‘Cl Iiasl Kilbride.
I Coogan’s Bluff ( l 8) (Don Siegel. US. t9o8) Clint Eastwood. Lee J. Cobb. Susan Clark. 9-1
mins. The first of the Eastwood/Siegel
collaborations is a straightfonvard Western-style
hunt for a killer. brought up to date in violent
fashion. Clint is the eponymous Arizona deptrty who shows the New York City cops a thing or
two when called in to share his skills. It also contains the poolroom light to end them all.
Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Cool Runnings (PG) (John Turteltaub. US. I993) Doug E. Doug. Leon. John Candy. 99
mins. Speculative Comedy based on the first-ever
Jamaican bobsled learn at the last Winter ()lyrnpics is harrnlessly amiable. btrt unfortunater cranks up too many moralistic messages complete with appropriate
accompanying music. Still. audiences seem to
like its easy-going nature. making it an
affectionate tribute to the late John Candy. Part of the Comic Relief Filrn Marathon. Edinburgh:
Cameo. I Cronos ( l 8) (Guillermo del Toro. Mexico.
I993) 92 mins. Possibly the strongest feature to emerge from Mexico in recent years. alongside Like Water For (limo/ate. In lush visuals. del
Toro spans centuries in his tale of the human desire for an intricate mechanical device that prolongs life. A unique vampire movie that
brings art to the world of horror. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I A Day At The Races (PG) (Sam Wood. US. I937) The Marx Brothers. Allan Jones. Maureen (J'Sullivan. Margaret Dumont. llI mins. Not the best of the Marx Brothers' films — the musical numbers and romantic subplots are a bit too plentiftrl — bill it does have a fair qtrota of classic comedy set pieces and dialogue sequences. As for the plot. it has the Brothers' trying to help out a girl who owns a sanitoritrrn and a racehorse. Edinburgh: Filtrrhouse.
I Dazed And Confused ( )8) (Richard Linklaler. CS. I994) Wiley Wiggins. Jason London. Rory Cochrane. 95 mins. The last day of the I976 term fora bunch of US schoolkids. and. for: some. it's titne to face the initiation lrurniliations as they move from junior to senior high. Linklaler abandons the baton-passing narritive style of his seminal work. Slacker. arid shows masterful skill as he weaves together a multitrrde of plot strands a In American (Ira/till. Coo-til. Glasgow: Grosvenor. l-‘rfe: Adam Smith
I Death In Venice ( l5) (Luchirro Visconti. Italy. I97 I ) Dirk Bogarde. Bjorn Arrdresscn. Silvano Mangano. IZS rrrirrs. Ageing celebrated composer \"on Ausceubach (the capable. slightly rniscast Bogarde) comes to Venice irt the midst of a creative crisis and becomes infatrrated with a beatrtifttl Polish boy who embodies the kind of physical and spiritual ptrrity he‘s becrt looking for in his work. Higth decorative attempt at the unfilmable. though the use of Mahler's Fifth Symphony is highly affecting. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Disclosure ( l8) (Barry Levinson. l7S. I994) Michael Dorrglas. I)emi Moore. Donald Sutherland. I28 tnirrs. IIigh-Ilying computer hardware exec Douglas is beaten to promotion by former tIame Moore. w hose subsequent attempts to get his pants off brings about allegations of sexual harassment. The spark point in Michael (‘richton's source novel is only one factor in this corporate suspense thriller. which is as slick. professional and empty of sure-footed morality as you would expect. That said. you'll stay glued to the screen. See preview and review. General release.
I Don't look llow ( IS) (Nicolas Roeg. UK. I973) Donald Sutherland. Julie Christie. l()3 mins. Restoration expert with second sight visits \‘erricc. where Ire meets up with two old sisters who claim spiritual cotnrnunication with his recently drowned daughter. Against a Manrr-like backdrop of unexplained deaths. he becomes obsessed with a tiny. red-coated figure Ire spies scurrying through the city's dark alleys. Splendid supernatural suspense movie. as subtly textured and brilliantly edited as any of Roeg's work. with the added advantage that it's a rather good yarn. Central: MacRobert.
I ET (1‘) (Steven Spielberg. I'S. I982). Dee Wallace. Henry Thomas. Peter Coyote. l 15 rrrins. An alien creattrre gets stranded on earth (the opening sequence of threatening legs and flashing torches is beatrtiftrlly done). where lie is adopted by sorrre kids. who help him construct a communication device to strrnrrrorr back his spaceship. All the little gtry wanted to do was go home. btrt Spielberg made sure Ire had lots of cute and agreeable adventures first. Strathclyde: Cannon.
I Fall From Grace (PG) ('l‘einosuke Kintrgasa. Japan. I926) Masao lrrorre. Yoshie Nakagawa. Ayako lrjima. 58 mins. Prepare for a few surprises in this radical silent work which. by avoiding trse of subtitles. relies completely on image to tell the story of an elderly worker in a lunatic asylum who tropes for his incarcerated wife's eventual release. Rediscovered by the director in the 70s. it's ftrll of unexpected dramatic turns. Edinburgh: Film Guild.
I Forrest Gurnp ( l2) (Robert Zerneckis. US. I994) Tom Hanks. Robin Wright. Gary Sinise. 1-12 mins. Even those with the lowest le can rise to the top in the land of the free. as this picaresqtre tale sets out to prove. But despite its incurany sweet hero and its fairly standard love story core. Farrel! Gian/r has a surprisingly dark-tinted view on recent American history — complete with racism. drtrg and child abuse. war and politicer assassination. There are some bitter tasting choices hidden among the soft centres. Glasgow: MGM Film Centre. Fife: Adam Stnith
I Four Weddings And A Funeral ()5) (Mike Newell. UK. I993) Hugh Grant. Andie MacDowell. Kristin Scott Thomas. ll7 mins. Sweet btrt stuffy Englishman Charlie (Grant) is convinced that he is not the marrying sort. but when he keeps meeting the alluring American Cam'e (MacDowell) at an assortment ofchurch ceremonies. he begins to doubt his resolve. The son ofcharming British comedy that was destined to storm America. but which adds a little grit to the glamour of the pretty settings thanks to Richard (Blackadder) Curtis‘s script. Central: MacRobert.
I The Girl Can't Help tt (PG) (Frank Tashlin. US. 1956) Jayne Mansfield. Tom Ewell. Julie London. Fats Domino. Little Richard. 97 mins.
Catch the best Film this fortnight.
FIRST RUN
I Quiz Show Robert Redford‘s compelling recreation of a 50s American TV scandal and subsequent Senate hearing sets morality against the drive for farrre and fortune. General release.
I Priest Written by J irntny (Cracker) McGovern and directed by Antonia (Safe) Bird. this is one of the best British movies in years. an emotional belter that tackles the question of sexual identity within the Catholic church. [filinlnnglrr Cameo.
I It] A charmer in the Capra/Sturges mould. as Albert Einstein (Walter: Matthau) experiments with the sexual chemistry of Meg Ryan and Tim Robbins. General release.
I Ilell Jodie Foster delivers a daring. at times disturbing. performance as a young woman who is suddenly made aware of the outside world for the frrst time. General release.
I llatural 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 release.
REPEBTORY
I Chaplin Operas Three Chaplin classics — [Easy Street. The Adventurer and The Immigrant — with a new music score by Benedict Mason. played live by The Paragon Ensemble. Glasgow: GFT
Death In Venice Visconti’s
rooding version of Mann’s novel. with a memorable performance by Dirk Bogarde, and all set to the atmospheric music of Mahler. Edinburgh: Film/rouse.
Ewell's grasping agent grooms dumb blonde Mansfield for stardom in this classic satiric comedy on the early days of rock'n'roll marketability. Former animator Tashlin revels in any number of sight gags about his leading lady's statuesque frame and lays the basis for a type of film-making vision that remains highly influential. All this plus lots of great music. including Julie London's unforgettable original perfonnance of Cry MeA River. A genuine Grade-A treat. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Golden Balls (I8) (Bigas Luna. Spain. I993) Javier: Bardem. Maria De Medeiros. Maribel Verdu. 95 mins. Benito Gonzales has three passions: fried eggs. building skyscrapers and having sex. When he man’ies for money. it seems that all his dreams could come true. especially when he's able to see his former girlfriend on the side. A sleazy take on lust and Spain's nouveau riche from the director of Jainon Jamon. Glasgow: GF'I‘.
I Gone With The Wind (PG) (Victor Fleming. US. I939) Clark Gable. Vivien Leigh. Olivia de Havilland. Leslie Howard. 220 mins. This new print has restored the original colour to the classic tale that brings alive the era of the civil war through gripping narrative and characterisation. remaining faithful to Margaret Mitchell's powerful novel. Edinburgh: UCI.
I Heavenly Creatures ( l 8) (Peter Jackson. New Zealand. I994) Melanie Lynskey. Kate Winslet. Sarah Peirse. 98 mins. In 1952. New Zealand was shocked by the murder of Honora Parker by
The List I0-23 Mar I995 23