FILM INDEX
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 at The Desert ( l8) (Stephan Elliott. Australia. 1994) Terence Stamp. Hugo Weaving. Guy Pearce. 104 mins. Two transvestites and a trans-sexual team tip for a trip across the Australian outback for a drag show in Alice Springs. Serious issues pop tip front time to time. btit the emphasis is on the camp humour of the iii-bus bitcliiness and outrageous musical set-pieces. Fife: Adam Smith. Strathclyde: Odeon Ayr.
I Amateur ( l5) (Hal Hartley. US. 1994) Isabelle Htippert. Martin Donovan. Tilina l..owensohn. 105 mins. lsabelle. an ex-nun writing porn stories. meets amnesiac Thomas on the streets of New York; soon they fitid that his past is somehow linked to Sofia. a porn actress. and two violent corporate assassins. The patented Hartley dialogue and wit is ever present. bill this time there are a few filmic jokes thrown in with references to specific genres and other movies. Glasgow: Grosvenor. Central: Allanpark. Fife: Adam Smith.
I Andre (U) (George Miller. US. 1994) Tina Majorino. Keith Can‘adine. Chelsea 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 60s in a small fishing town in Maine. the film has all the necessary elements — cute kid bonding with crrte animal — and with a few adventure sequences in the plot that puts this flippered hero in the Skippy/Charripion/Rin Tin Tin class. General release.
I Baby's Day Out (PG) (Patrick Read Johnson. US. 1994) 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. Saccharine sweet storytelling which diabetics would be well advised to steer clear of. Fife: Robin's.
I Bad lieutenant (18) (Abel Ferrara. US. 199) Harvey Keitel. Frankie Thorne. 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 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). Fife: MGM. I Bad Taste (18) (Peter Jackson. New Zealand. 1983-7) Peter Jackson. Mike Minnett. Terry Potter. 93 mins. Painstakingly assembled by Jackson every weekend over a four year period: he and the cast had day jobs during the week. Rarely has intergalctic carnage been presented with such charm and humour. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Bandit llueen (18) (Slrekhar Kapur. India. 1994) Seema Biswas. Nir'nial Pandey. Manjoj Bajpai. 119 mins. Using the story of lridian outlaw Phoolan Devi, Kapur savagely attacks the caste system and the way it allows men to continually abuse women. Hugely controversial in its home country (although it was funded by Channel 4). Bandit Queen is a major international film. and as far from normal Indian fare as Ken Loach is from an MGM musical. Glasgow: GFT. I Beyond Bedlam ( 18) (Vadim Jean. UK. 1994) Craig Fairbrass. Elizabeth Hurley. Keith Allen. 96 mins. Dream-invading serial killer The Borte Man (Allen) is the guinea-pig for mind-control dnig experiments which allow him to go on a psychic rampage. bringing him face to face with cynical cop Craig Fairbrass. Pitched somewhere between a psychological thriller and an out-and- out horror movie. Jean's follow-up to Leon The Pig Farmer is creatively put together and avoids many of the typical genre trappings. Glasgow: Grosvenor.
I Black Beauty (U) (Caroline Thomson. US/UK. 1994) Sean Bean. David Thewlis. Peter Cook. 82 mins. The most famous horse in children's literature returns in a faithful screen version by debut director Thomson. whose work as a screenwriter — The Secret Garden, Edward Scissorhands. The Nightmare Before Christmas — taps into a darker current of childhood vision. The pace sets off at a gallop. and should intrigue adults as well as younger viewers. General release.
I BIOI-Dllt (18) (Brian De Palma. US. 1981) John Travolta. Nancy Allen. John Lithgow. 107
mins. Flashy. stylish. desperately undervalued variation on Blow-Up. with Travolta's best adult perfomiance as a sound effects man whose inadvertent recording of a car accident swirls him into a life-threatening. politically motivated conspiracy. Glasgow: GFT.
I Bram Stoker's Dracula (I8) (Francis Ford Coppola. US. 1992) Gary Oldman. Winona Ryder. Anthony Hopkins. 128 mins. More gothic love story than out-and-out horror. Coppola‘s version is not the strict Stoker adaptation that many had hoped for. btrt is a visual feast nonetheless. Oldman taps his own dark. sexy. stormy self to create a powerful btrt sympathetic monster. while the rest of the cast range from the ineffectual to the overbearing. A rich and substantial vampire movie for our times. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Bringing Up Baby (PG) (Howard Hawks. US. 1938) Cary Grant. Katharine Hepburn. Charles Rtiggles. 102 mins. Zany gal Hepburn causes
tiiitid zoology professor Grant to lose a valuable , dinosaur bone and mislay a pet leopard within
the course of one screwball evening Archetypal Thirties crazy comedy with one otrtlaiidislrly hilarious scene following another within the progression of an tiiieiringly logical narrative. Both stars at their charismatic best. Glasgow: Gl-T.
I The Browning Version (15) (Mike Figgis. US/UK. 1994) Albert Finney. Greta Scacchi. Matthew Modine. 97 mins. An unpopular classics teacher is given a surprise gift by a pupil
on the day of his retirement. unleashing a torrent of emotions. Finney. as the repressed man. coming to temts with his failings and his wife's
infidelity. is marvellous. Btit there's just enough
sense of deja vu — English repression. nice . mariners. pretty countryside — to make you think
you‘ve been here several times before. Central: MacRobert.
I Casablanca (PG) (Michael Curtiz. US. 1942) Humphrey Bogart. Ingrid Bergman. Paul
Henreid. 102 mins. You must remember this . . . 3 Bogart being impossibly noble. Bergman torn
between two lovers. Claude Rains playing both ends against the middle. devious Nazis. a
fogbound airport. a piano-player tinkling that tune . . . A wonderful hill of beans. Edinburgh:
' Film Guild. Strathclyde: UCl East Kilbride.
I Casualties of War ( 18) (Brian De Palrrra. US. 1989) Michael J. Fox. Sean Penn. 'l'huy Thu Le.
120 mins. De Palma's contribution to the ever increasing pile of ‘Nam films concentrates on the dilemma of the new ‘clierry’ recruit (Fox)
when confronted with his comrades' gang-rape 1 of a Vietnamese girl. The candy coated finale
somewhat destroys the film‘s impact. as if it were rrrerely a bad dream in the American conscience. An intriguing contribution to the pile. even if it doesn't make it to the top. Glasgow: GFI‘. I Clean, Shaven ( 18) (Lodge Ken'igan. US. 1993) Peter Greene. Robert Albert. Megan Owen. 77 mins. A disturbed young man. suspected of murder. searches for his estranged daughter. Using a carefully structured soundtrack of alienating voices and noises. a fragmented narrative style. bleakly minimalistic photography and an intense central performance by Peter Greene. Kerrigan allows the audience to truly appreciate the dreadful anxiety that is the schizophrenic's daily life. Glasgow: GET. I The Client (15) (Joel Schumacher. US. 1994) Susan Sarandon. Tommy Lee Jones. Brad Renfro. 121 mins. Roundly superior to both The Firm and The Pelican Brieflwhich isn't saying much). this John Grisham adaptation has the benefit of credible performances by its leads. A young boy becomes the pawn in a legal battle when he finds himself on the run from both the Mob and the FBI. No masterpiece. btrt as a popcorn movie. there's more to savour than other airport novel fillers. Strathclyde: UCI Clydebank. I Cronos (18) (Guillermo del Toro. Mexico. 1993) 92 mins. Possibly the strongest feature to emerge from Mexico in recent years. alongside Like Hitter For Chocolate. ln 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. Fife: Adam Smith. I Dazed And Confused (18) (Richard Linklater. US. 1994) Wiley Wiggins. Jason London. Rory Cochrane. 95 rrrins. The last day of the 1976 term for a bunch of US schoolkids. and. for some. it's time to face the initiation httntiliations as they move from junior to senior high. Linklater abandons the baton-passing nariitive style of his seminal work. Slacker. and shows masterful skill as he weaves together a multitude of plot Strands a la American Graffiti. COO-til. Edinburgh: Cameo. Central: Allanpark. I Disclosure (18) (Barry Levinson. US. 1994) Michael Douglas. Demi Moore. Donald Sutherland. 128 rrtins. High-flying computer hardware exec Douglas is beaten to promotion by former flame Moore. whose subsequent attempts to get his pants off brings about
allegations of sexual harassment. The spark point in Michael Crichton‘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. General release.
I Drop Zone ( 15) (John Badham. US. 1994) Wesley Snipes. Yancy Butler. Gary Busey. 104 mins. Out to catch the bad guys who killed his brother. Snipes infiltrates a group of exhibition sky-divers — btit you can't fool us that this is a plot. it‘s just an excuse to rip off Point Break territory. indulge is some breath-taking airbourne shots. and get the star in skin-tight jump-suits. Delivers the thrills. but nothing else. See review. General release.
I Eat Drink Man Woman (PG) (Artg Lee. Taiwan. 1993) Sihung Lung. Kuei Mei Yang. Clieiri Lien Wu. 123 mins. Ang Lee's The Her/(ling Banquet was a surprise international hit: [fat Drink Man Woman surpasses it on every level. Chu is the greatest chef in Taipai. btit for years his affection for his three grown-up daughters has been redirected into ihc lavish meals he prepares for them. When love unexpectedly enters into the lives of all four. their inability to corirrriunicate comes to a head. Warm. funny. colourful. A joyful experience. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I The Edge of the World (PG) (Michael Powell. UK. 1937) Niall MacGinnis. John Laurie. Belle Chrystal. 81 mins. Powell's first major feature was shot on the wild remote landscape of Foula iii the Shetland Isles. Inspired by the evacuation of St Kilda. the narrative charts how the struggle to survive breaks down even the closest of friendships. Powell returned to the project in 1978 to add new footage for a BBC version. btit the enterprise only proved that his original material and imagination had stood the test of time. Glasgow: GF'T.
I The Evil Dead ( 18) (Sam Riarrri. US. 1982) Bruce Campbell. Ellen Sandweiss. Betsy Baker. 85 mins. Five unsuspecting youngsters head off for a healthy weekend in a mountain cabin. only to fall foul of wicked demons whose purpose is — wait for it — wholesale slaughter. Every horror cliche is exploited and subverted in this stylish. cheapo schlocker-shocker made with imagination by an inventive young team. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The Exorcist (18) (William Friedkin. US. 1973) Linda Blair. Ellen Burstyri. Max Von Sydow. 110 mins. Earnest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Dead good. dead scarey. dead priest. Central: Allanpark. Strathclyde: WMR.
I The Exterminating Angel ( I 8) (Luis Burruel. Mexico. 1962) Silvia Pinal. Enrique Rambal. Jacqueline Andere. 95 mins. Btrnuel's satirical drive may not be as fine as in Tire Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie. btrt this remains a classic example of what could be called Cinema of the Absurd. A group ofdinner guests are unable to leave the room in which they ate; soon the small-talk descends to insults. A brilliant depiction of how breaches in social etiquette become the breakdown of society‘s laws. Glasgow: Gl’T. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Foreign Correspondant (PG) (Alfred Hitchcock. US. 1940) Joel McCrea. Larairie Day. Herbert Marshall. 120 mins. A great wartime spy thriller that shows how well the master was developing his techniques. McCrea is an American reporter sent to Europe to assess the War. and soon he's caught up with Nazi spies. disappearing diplomats. and the obligatory English girl. A terrific climax emphasises the call for Americans to take tip arms. Glasgow: Gl-‘T.
I Forrest Gump (12) (Robert Zemeckis. US. 1994) Tom Hanks. Robin Wright. Gary Sinise. 142 mins. Even those with the lowest le can rise to the top in the land of the free. as this picaresque tale sets out to pr0ve. But despite its incurany sweet hero and its fairly standard love story core. F ()I'rer! Gump has a surprisingly dark-tinted view on recent American history - complete with racism. drug and child abuse. war and political assassination. There are some bitter tasting choices hidden among the soft centres. General release.
I Four Weddings And A Funeral (15) (Mike Newell. UK. 1993) Hugh Grant. Andie MacDowell. Kristin Scott Thomas. 117 mins. Sweet but stuffy Englishman Charlie (Grant) is convinced that he is not the marrying sort. but when he keeps meeting the alluring American Carrie (MacDowell) at an assortment of church ceremonies. he begins to doubt his resolve. The sort of charming British comedy that was destined to storm America. but which adds a little grit to the glamour of the pretty settings thanks to Richard (B/aekarhler) Curtis‘s script. Fife: New Picture House. Robin‘s.
I Funny Face (U) (Stanley Donen. US. 1957) Audrey Hepbum. Fred Astaire. Kay Thompson. Design is to the fore in Doneri's visually brilliant musical fairytale. Following a vaguely
Catch the best Fllmwthls fortnight.
i 4.”: FIR T ltllll ill The Madness 01 King George No dull costume drama here — Alan Bennett‘s adaptation of his stage play about George 111 is topical. witty and superbly acted. General release.
I East Kilbride Animation Festival An amazing feast of animated shorts - a day of world premieres. Oscar nominees. a children‘s workshop and an evening session with the brilliant Barry Purves. Sat 25 only.
Strut/1c! yde: East K i [bride Arts Centre.
iiI les Roseaurt Sauvages Winner of the French Cesar for Best Film. Andre’ Téchiné’s beautifully observed ensemble portrait of French adolescence in the early 60s is subtle and evocative. Glasgow: OFT
I Priest Written by Jimmy (Cracker) McGovern and directed by Antonia (Safe) Bird. this is an emotional belter that confronts the question of sexual identity within the Catholic church. Glasgow: GFT Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Duiz Show Robert Redford‘s compelling recreation of a 50s American TV scandal and subsequent Senate hearing sets morality against the drive for fame and fortune. General release.
REPERTDRY
I Edge Of The World Early in his career. Michael Powell rrrade this fascinating film about two friends struggling against the elements in the Shetland isles. Glasgow: GFI‘.
I Eat Drink Man Woman A welcome return for Ang Lee's mouth-watering tale of the emotional complexities facing a famous Taiwanese chef and his three daughters. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
Pygmalion structure. Hepburn is the dull bookseller who‘s transforrrred into a model by fashion photographer Astaire. A Gershwin score. some biting wit from Thompson as a magazine editor and Hepbum's glowing beauty make this an enduring movie that looks terrific. Glasgow:
GFT.
I Do Fish (18) (Rose Troche. US. 1993) Guinevere Turner. V.S. Brodie. Anastasia Sharp. 89 mins. Twentysomething would-be author Max is pushed by her wise owl flatmate towards vet's assistant Ely. but the two girls' shyness could prove an unassailable obstacle. Troche's film bustles with visual invention. deliciously catty dialogue and natural performances. These are people. not issues. and even if Spike Lee was a romantic and a lesbian. he couldn't make a movie as fresh. funny and openly entertaining as this. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Ital llartley Shorts (15) (Hal Hartley. US. 1991) 84 mins. in between Trust and Simple Men. Hartley refined his filmmaking technique with a trio of shons. Ambition is stylistically closer to Godard. and more physical than his usual work; Theory Of Achievement centres on New York trendy underachievers; and Surviving Desire tells ofa literature teacher's love for a pupil. Hartley's dialogue is as idiosyncratic and entertaining as ever. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Heavenly Dream: ( 18) (Peter Jackson. New Zealand. 1994) Melanie Lynskey. Kate Winslet. Sarah Peirse. 98 mins. In 1952. New Zealand
24 The List 24 Mar-6 Apr 1995