PREVIEW FILM
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I N l .. ‘5 153;"; \ 9‘ Oi: ' ‘ \‘xi; Colpo dl luna Given the distinct lack ofnew Italian product on Scottish cinema screens. you would be forgiven for thinking the Italian film industry to be dead. But. as the programme for the second Italian Film Festival demonstrates. the truth is somewhat more optimistic.
Almost inevitably. the Festival includes Roberto Benigni‘s latest hit: the British premiere of his latest chuckle-fest ll i’I'IUSlI'U. A typically fast- paced Benigni creation full of slapstick. incompetent detectives and Benigni‘s own crazed. babbling antics as a suspected sex beast. it is Italy‘s most commercially successful film ever and guaranteed to offend.
Another commercial success on show
which will be introduced by director ; Meme Perlini.
is Maniaei Sentimentali. directed by Simona 1210. who was at last year’s festival with her husband Ricky Tognazzi. director of [a Santa. Likened to Peter s Friends and The Big Chill. it focuses on the emotional tensions which surface during a family reunion in a country villa.
Although lzzo will not be present this year. Mario Manone will be introducing the screenings of .llor/e l)i Un Maiemaiieo Napo/eiano. giving
CITY CENTRE
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audiences a chance to quiz him about this film as well as L'xlmore iIIo/esio which is in competition at Cannes this year. Also being flown in is director Aurelio Grimaldi to introduce his controversial look at the street prostitutes of Palerno. l.e Britta/1e. Besides contemporary offerings. the Festival also offers the chance to see films. such as the highly evocative I.a .S'Iarioni. which have slipped through the distribution net. This category must also include the retrospective on writer Leonardo Sciascia. eight of whose novels have made it onto the screen. Four are to be shown. including a welcome look at Rosi‘s ll/usirious Corpses and (Irand llolel des I’almes
Far from dead. the Italian film industry is weathering the political turmoil of the country. And. as Festival organiser Richard Mowe points out. it offers Scottish audiences a chance to appreciate some of the directors who I might well turn out to be the Fellinis of the future. (Thom Dibdin)
The Italian Film Festival sereens a! lll(’
Glasgow Film Thea/re. lidinlmrg/i ‘ : Fil/iI/Iouse and ii/Iar‘lx’obei'l xil'lS (ell/re.
i Stirling. from Friday 5.
Look back in Manga
In recent years. Manga Entertainment have successfully introduced UK cinema audiences to Japanese animation or anime (pronounced “an- ee-may‘). dubbing it into English themselves. For those wondering what the fuss is about. Manga have cobbled together a weekend season of their features (all dubbed and cut by the censor as per video versions) around two hitherto unreleased titles: Spare Adventure Cobra and l’allabor — The Mobile l’oliee.
Cobra is a fast and furious action fest festooned with ()()s visuals. Shapely heroine Jane is one of three sisters who meld into a single being to govern their home planet. Since one sister has fallen for evil despot Lord Necron. Jane seeks Cobra. the most wanted pirate in the Milky Way who ‘has a detachable arm and knows how to use it‘. Cobra himself is pretty banal. but the skeletal and more original Necron has brass- coloured ribs doubling as spears to throw at anyone who gets in his way. Add a bar. a prison asteroid. skiing female terrorists and the obligatory post-Star Wars space hardware. and you have a pretty strong idea of what to expect
Demanding more of the grey matter. I’ailabor is one of the finest examples ofonscreen mecha (as in mechanism —
mecha are giant mechanical suits/ robots) yet seen in this country. Essentially a mystery concerning a computer virus bookended with bouts of mecha action. this tale of 190‘) Tokyo is populated with huge manned worker robots known as Labor's, who start running amok Godzilla fashion when fitted with a new Hyper ()perating System.
The Festival also includes the assassin thriller (i'o/go I}. the demons vs cops saga Il’ieked (7in (the source manga also spawned a live action Ilong Kong . version). quasi-pornograpliic 5 splattcrfest Legend ()fT/It’ ()i'eij/iend. the dystopian Appleseed. space race variation The ll'ings (Ifllonneamise. and Roujin-Z. ()tomo‘s follow-up to .'U\'ll'(l. (Jeremy Clarke)
The i'l'langa Film Festival is a! die (ilusgoii' Film Theatre on Sal l-i’——Siin [4. See Linings/or details.
RENFIELD STREET, GLASGOW
Legends of the Fall (15) Muriel's Wedding (15) Dumb and Dumberim The Madness of King George (96)
NEW RELEASES
MAY
1 2th Bullets over Broadway (15) 1.00, 3.30, 6.00, 8.45pm BOOK NOW! Circle of Friends (15)
1 9th ROb Boy (15)
1.30, 5.1 5, 8.30pm BOOK NOW! 26th Bye, Bye Love (the)
Angels mm,
NEW RELEASES IUNE
1 6th Bad Boys mic.)
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OMAN OLANSK‘
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GLASGOW Film Theatre -9141 {32 81.2.19
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The List 5- I 8 May I095 33