FILM INDEX
I the Engiishinan Who went Up A 11111 But Came Dom A Mountain (Chris Monger. UK. 1995) Hugh Grant. Tara Fitzgerald. Colnr Meaney. 95 mins. Business as usual front Grant in the light comedy department. as he stars as one half of a map-making team which descends on a Welsh village during the First World War and wins unpopularity by declaring the beloved local landmark a hill. not a mountain. The villagers‘ subsequent plots and plans have a distinctly Ealing air about them. but the characterisations (here rather stereotyped and cold) suffer in comparison. See review. Glasgow: Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon.
I The Exorcist (18) (William Friedkin. US. 1973) Linda Blair. Ellen Burstyn. Max Von Sydow. 110 mins. Earnest priest Vort Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Dead good. dead scarey. dead priest. Edinburgh: UCl.
I F For Fake (U) (Orson Welles. France/lran/W Germany. 1973) Orson Welles. Eltrryr De llor‘y. Clifford Irving. 75mins. An examination of hoaxes from one of the world‘s greatest lroaxers. Welles adds anecdotes of his own to original footage on art forger De llory and literary prankster lrving to create a masterpiece on fraud. Glasgow: GET.
I Fiorile (12) (Paolo arid Vittorio Taviani. Italy/France/Gemrairy. 1993) Clatrdio Bigagli. Galatea Ranzi. Michel Vartan. 118 mins. A typically classy affair. the Taviani brothers' latest takes a ZOO-year trek through the travails of the unfortunate Benedetti family. Transitions between past and present are handled with great fluidity. btit the longer the piece goes on. the nrore the pace begins to drag. Edinburglt: Filnrhouse. I First Knight (PG) (Jeny Zttcker. US. 1995) Richard Gere. Sean Connery. Julia Ormond. 132 mins. Without the action set pieces of other period epics or even the mysticism of lirealiber. this disappointing tale of Lancelot's (Gere) love for Guinevere (Orrtrond) despite her marriage pledge to King Arthur (Connery) is pretty leadett stuff. The matte Camelot landscapes are tacky. Gere is nriscast and Orrrtorrd can't carry a role that's obviorrsly been beefed up due to her recent rise to stardom. General release. General release. I The Flintstones (U) (Brian Levant. US. 1994) John Goodman. Rick Moratris. Elizabeth Perkins. Rosie O'Donnell. 92 mins. Fred is promoted to an executive post at the quarry. l)lll only as a stooge for his boss's corporate rip-off; nevertheless. money and power go to the Flintstones‘ heads. causing friction with the Rubbles. The movie keeps to the TV series' prehistoric parody of modern suburban life. adds bright and chunky sets and a post-yuppie morality tale on greed that doesn‘t quite sit right. and comes out a little plot-heavy. The one-liners will be picked tip by adults. kids will get bored. But it's no the yabba-dabba dodo it could have been. Strathclyde: UCI East Kilbride.
I Forrest Gump (12) (Robert Zemeckis. LS. 1994) Tom Hanks. Robin Wright. Gary Sirtise. 142 mins. Even those with the lowest le cart rise to the top in the land of the free. as this piearesqtte tale sets out to prove. Brit despite its incurably sweet hero and its fairly standard love story core. Fat-rest Camp has a surprisingly dark-tinted view on recent American history -- complete with racism. drug and child abuse. war aitd political assassination. There are some bitter tasting choices hidden among the soft centres. Glasgow: GET. Grosvenor.
I The Fort and the Hound (U) (Frank Thomas. Ollie Johnston. Cliff Nordberg. US. 1981) With the voices of Mickey Rooney. Ktrrt Russell and Pearl Bailey. 83 mins. Sltiggish. uirimaginative Disney cartoon in which an orphaned fox C111) and a loveable hunlittg hound puppy spend art idyllic childhood together until their traditional roles and enmity are reawakened. Ctrte iii a verv familiar fashion. General release.
I Free Willy 2 (PG) (Dwight Little. (TS. 1995) Jason James Richter. Michael Madsen. Jayne Atkinson. When his real mother dies. Jesse (Richter) discovers that he has a half-brother. who then joins him and Jesse's foster parctrts on an island holiday. Killer whale Willy's also there with his family. as is an oil slick (artd. of course. a convenient eco-message). A tad too anodyne and uninventive to r‘eallyjustify its existence. the movie does have its familiar charms. See review. General release.
I Friday ( 15) (Gary Gray. US. 1995) Ice Ctrbe. Chris Tucker. Bernie Mac. 92 trtitts. Don't expect the frowning. gun-tottitt' Cttbe here: this is an attempt to find his lighter side. as he plays the unlikeliest victim of peer and parental pressure you could imagine. A different take on the ‘hood. with the cliches slightly inverted and a script that keeps plugging away in search of a laugh. lt's pleasant enough. even when the pace sags. Strathclyde: UCl East Kilbride.
I The Harder They Come ( 18) (Perry lletr'zell. Jamaica. 1972) 109 rrtins. A brilliant fusion of reggae soundtrack and gangster story as country boy Jimmy Cliff comes to town and finds himself seduced into a bad way of living. The
music is tremendous. the take on its business machinations truthful. the story rivettittg. Glasgow: GET.
I The Hudsucker Proxy (PG) (Joel Coen. tTS. 1994) Tim Robbins. Jennifer Jason Leigh. Patil Newman. 111 mins. When lludsucker Industries' boss takes a dive from art upper storey boardroom window. mailroom boy Norville Barnes (Robbins) finds himself calapttlled to executive status. Brit pretty soon he's forgotten his roots aitd is becoming as heartless as ltis manipulative mentor. played by Partl Newttran. A winning blend of40s screwball comedy. 50s consumer quirks and satire on 80s corporate greed. the Coetr brotheis' latest is cinematic fantasy in its purest form. Central: Allattpark.
I Innocent Blood ( 15) (John Landis. US. 1992) Anne Parillaud. Anthony LaPaglia. Robert Loggia. 113 mins. ()r a French Vartrpire In Pittsburgh. Sexy vampire Marie tA’ilJta's Parillatid) is environtrtetttally aware enough just to feast on bad gtrys. btit tltis has its drawbacks when a new Mafia member of the Undead decides that now he's more powerful than ever. Chic attd powered by l’arillatrd's sexual energy. this still isn't one of Landis's best moments. Glasgow: Gl’l‘. I Interview With The Vampire ( 18) (Neil Jordan. l'S. 199~1)Tom Cruise. Brad Pitt. Christian Slater. 122 trtitrs. More faithful to Anne Rice's book than anyone had any right to expect. Jordan‘s blood-soaked movie never shies from the more gruesome aspects of vampii'ism. The homo-erotic qualities of the original may be downplayed. btrt the morbid melancholy of 18th
pieces are well realised. making this the most trrtconrprortrisittg studio horror film since The Shining. Glasgow: Gl’l'.
I Jack & Sarah ( 15) (Tim Sullivan. UK. 1995) Richard E. Grant. Samantha Mathis. Jtidi Denclr. 105 mins. eretr his wife dies shortly after giving birth to a baby daughter. Jack (Grant) at first rejects tlte child. bill is persuaded to lake on his responsibilities by Iris family. 1n order to keep his job as a City lawyer. he hires Amy (Matltis) as a live-in nanny. and so adds an extra complication to his life. A familiar scenario. helped along by breezy supporting performances. suffers when it takes a turn into tirelodratrratic romance. Glasgow: MGM Filrtr Centre. Edinburgh: MGM.
I Judge Oredd(15) (Danny Cannon. (EK/l 'S. 1995) Sylvester Stallone. Armand Assante. Diane Lane. It seems that Mega City ()ne's toughest lawman. Jtrdge Dredd. has a genetically-nrutated clone of a brother. who has just escaped front prison arid is betrt on destroying the Judge System. the only thing that keeps this post-atomic world itr order. Fans may have a feeling of unease about Stallone's castirtg. btrt itt young director Danny (.‘annon there's at least someone who understands Dredd's irrythology and who proved. with The Young Americans. that he's good on attttosphere if not plot. General release.
I The Last of the Mohicans ( 15) (Michael Mann. CS. 1992) Daniel Day-Lewis. Madeleine Stowe. Russell Means. Steven Waddirrgton. 122 nritts. James Fertinrore Cooper's tale of the English/French colonial wars in America becomes the most thrilling movie of the year in the lratrds of Mann (Man/nutter) artd a splendid cast. Day-Lewis makes a fine llawkeye. blending Native American aitd European nobility to create a sympathetic. truly itteirroi'able hero. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Legends Of The Fall ( l5) (tidwai-tl [wick ('8. 1994) Brad Pitt. Anthony Hopkins. Aidan Quinn. Jtrlia ()imond. 133 mitts. A sweeping epic that follows three brothers. their
thllllllCCl‘lllg father and the wortren they all love. Legenr/t covers the period from the end of the ()1d West. through WW1. to the beginning of modern American society. A bit like a conting- of-age tale for a itatiotr. its narrative is too condensed. with the effect that it ends by lurching frortr one tragedy to the trext.
r Edinburgh: Cattteo. Central: MacRobeit.
I Leon (l8)(1.uc Besson. France. 1994) Jean Retro. Natltalie Portitran. Gary ()ldrttarr. 110 mins. When his neighbour's farrrily is wiped out by crooked cops on a bungled (li'tigs bust. ice cool hitmait Leon finds himself looking after the sole survivor ~ twelve-year-old Mathilde. Luc ‘lesson‘s first film in English is. nevertheless. a irench film itr terms of style. editing and its roldtress irt story and theme. It's good to see that :lre director has finally got over the all-style-no- .‘ontent obstacle. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I little Rascals (1') (Penelope Spheeris. US. 1994)'1‘ravis Tedfot'd. Bug llall. Brittany Ashton lloltttes. 82 trritrs. After Beverly Hillbillies. director Spheeris does another TV remake. this
tirtre going for a bunch of smug brats who leave
'a trail of destruction behind them. Even kids
; who ettjoyed the Home Alone level of mayhem
might not take to the American sentiment and unnecessary low humour here. Glasgow: ()deon. Edinburgh: ()deorr.
century New ()rleatrs arid the Grand Guignol sct-
I little Women (11) (Gillian Armstrong. LS. 1994) Winona Ryder. Susan Sarartdort. Gabriel Byrrte. l 18 mitts. Louisa May Alcott‘s novel has charmed readers for generations. despite weiglting down its morals with a mountain of sentimentality. ltt Hollywood's third screen version. the Marclt girls are still unbelievably good and forgiving. btrt Attrtstrottg and writer Robirt Swicord have added a touch of 90s post- feminism to give a conteitrporary relevettce to their borrditrg and independence. A glowing view of farrrily love. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Luck, Trust And Ketchup (15) (Mike Kaplan/John Dorr. US. 1993) 90 mins. A fascinating behind-the-sccnes account of Robert Altman's Short Cuts. which features cast and crew interviews. as well as insight front the man himself. Close collaboration over years allowed co-director Kaplatr to have complete access to the set. making this a doctiitretttary that goes beyond the confines of ‘Making ()f...' proittotion. Edinburgh: liilirrlttrtrse. I A Man 01110 Importance ( t 5 (Sun Krishnaitrma. UK. 1995) Albert Firrrtey. Tara Fitzgerald. Michael (iatrrbott. 98 mins. A batclrelor bits cotrductor iit 60s Dublin is inspired to produce a stage version of Oscar Wilde's The Importance ()flleing Ifarnett. btrt tlte play causes a scartdal and forces ltirrr to declare his owtr love which. until trow. has dared riot speak its name. The treatment of sexuality is well handled. bttt it's the period setting that is the film‘s downfall. bringing with it art overbearing sentiitretrtality. See review. Glasgow: (1171'. Edinburgh: Filtrthonsc. I The Man Who Fell To Earth ( )8) (Nicolas Roeg. 11K. 1976) David Bowie. Rip Torn. Btrck Henry. 138 mins. An alien searching for the water rteeded to save his own planet ltas his powers destroyed by the sinister trrachiiiations of a multinational business enterprise. Well cast Bowie gives perhaps ltis best petfortrrance in this dazzling. occasionally obtuse. piece of Roegiair sci-fi. A film that bears and indeed improves with repeated viewings. Glasgow: (3171‘. I Manhattan Murder Mystery (PG) (Woody Allen. US. 1993) Woody Allen. Diatte Keaton. Alatt Alda. 108 mins. When her elderly neighbour dies irtysteriously artd suddenly. Carol Lipton (Keaton) does some artrateur sleuthing along with the New York literary set. Allctr returns to the corttic formula that first tirade his name - neat plot. snappy one-liners —- making this a rtrtrclr more approachable and enjoyable experience than his more serious work of late. Edittburgh: Cameo. I Miami Rhapsody (15) (David Frankel. LS. 1995) Sarah Jessica Parker. Antotrio Barrderas. Mia Farrow. 97 trtirrs. It's not oftetr that Hollywood rtrarrages to pull off a rorrrantic comedy that corrtes at you consistently ftortt a woman's point of view. Aspiring comedy writer Gwen decides to settle down and get trtari ied. only to discover that all of her fartrily are having affairs. Despite this ratltci' differetrt approach to roitrance. the totre isn't necessarily cytrical. more open arttl hottest for the 90s. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (PG) (Bryan Spicei'. US. 1995) Patrl Freerrratt. Gabrielle Fitzpatrick. Amy Jo Johnson. 95 rttins. A strictly juvenile big screen version of the TV show with the Attgel Grove teenagers battlitrg the evil lvatt ()oze. Wearing their colour-coded jumpsuits. they use good old-fashioned teairtwork to tumble attd kickbox their way through oodles of monsters. The figltts are well- staged. btrt some of the effects are tacky. It's all panto-bland enough to keep the kids happy. General release.
I Muriel's Wedding ( 15) (Pl. llogatr. Australia. 1994) Toni Collette. Rachel Griffiths. Bill Hunter. 105 mitts. Ugly duckling Muriel decides to leave behind her boring life in Porpoise Spit and search for her Prince Charming in the big lights of Sydney. A bouncy Abba soundtrack and fairy tale ambiance add to the charm of one of the year‘s best crowd-pleasers. As sparkling. in its own way. as The Adventures Of Priscilla.
Glasgow: ()deon. Edinburgh: Odeort. Strathclyde: WMR.
I My Fair Lady (PG) (George Cukor. US. 1964) Rex llarrison. Audrey Hepburn. Stanley llolloway. Wilfred llyde White. 175 mins. Familiar screen adaptation of Lerner arid Loewe's musical slant on I’ygmttlitnt. notable for a catalogue of great tunes. llatt'isotr's somehow endearing half-spoken singing. attd Cecil Beaton's spletrdid costume designs (especially itr the racecourse sequence) Edinburgh: Filrtrlrouse.
I Natural Born Killers ( 18) (Oliver Stone. US. 1994) Woody llan'elson. Juliette Lewis. Robert Downey Jr. 1 19 mins. Stone's visual and aural assault makes for one of the most remarkable cinematic experiences itr years: his attempts to marry style with content. and provide a damning expose of the media adulation of serial killers is less successful. let down by his trademark overstaterrrertt. Violent. rrresmerising. hallucinatory attd bold itt its use of various film fornrats. A’BK is a landmark in MTV-influenced filtttirrakiirg. Glasgow: ()deott. Edinburgh: llCl. Strathclyde: l'Cl East Kilbride.
I Nikita ( l 8) (Lite Bessott. France. 1990) Attire Parillaud.’1’cheky Karyo. Jean-Hughes Anglade. Jeanne Moreau. l 14 mins. The latest exercise itr stylish toslt front Gallic nraestm Bessorr. Parillatid stars as a jtrtrkie waif resurrected front her dreary existence by the enigmatic Karyo. an agent for the government's most secretive undercover orgarristaion. arid pretty soon she's a toprrotclr assassin. But does this make her any trrore fulfilled? Edinburglt: Cameo.
I Once Were Warriors (18) (Lee Tamahori. New Zealaitd. 1993) Rena Owen. Termuera Morrison. Mairraetrgaroa Kerr-Bell. 99 mins. 'l‘amahori's feature debut is a gritty Loach-style look at donrestic violence and disenfranclrisetrrent within Auckland‘s Maori urrderclass. It's a film about survival — of individuals. of families. attd of race. It's also air tincotttprontising. shocking film that doesn't seitsatioiralise its material. Glasgow: GFI'. Edinburgh: Filmhotise.
I One From the Heart (Francis Coppola. US. 1982) Frederic Forrest. Teri Garr‘. Raul Jtrlia. Nastassja Kirrski. 107 rtrins. l'ttchai'actei'istical1y optimistic effort front Frank has Forrest arid Gait' as a loviir' an' leavin' air lovin' again couple. whose simple history is told iii the form of a neon-lit musical cortredy set in Las Vegas on Independence Day. Glasgow: GFT.
I Orlando (PG) (Sally Potter. UK. 1992) Tilda Swinton. Billy Zane. Quentin Crisp. 92 mins. A male Elizabethan cour‘tier begins ajourrtey of self-discovery that involves four centuries and a sex change. Swinton‘s simple btit unique beauty captures the androgyrry of the perfect Everyirratt/womair. while director Potter creates front Virginia Woolf’s novel a htirttorotis and visually splendid succession of episodes that is a constant joy to watclt. At last. a literary film rather than a literature strbstitute. Edinburgh: Filirrhouse.
I Out 01 The Archives The first two of five progi'anrtrres exploring the changing ways iit which gay men atrd lesbians were portrayed on British TV front the 50s to (lte 80s. Progratrtrrre l (Thurs 3) consists of episodes of Dim/r ()fDm'k (il‘een. ll’ithin There llitl/r and Jake Bat Jttrr'. pioneering ()0s doctrrtrentai'y 'I'lrii ll'eek: l.(’.\/)l(ll1\'. arid Josie Lawretrce arid Gary ()ldntan in lesbiatt musical Rachel/1nd 'l'lre Rtull't’llt'X. Pt'ogr'amitte 2 (Thurs 10) consists of a 1975 ll'm'lil In Action broadcast and the 1976 BBC2 Play For 'Iinlay.‘ The Other Woman with Jane Lapotaire. Lynne Frederick arid Micltael Gattrbon. Glasgow: GET.
I Outbreak ( 15) (Wolfgang Petersen. US. 1995) Dustin llofftrtatr. Reire Russo. Morgan Freertrart. 122 trrins. A deadly virus transfers front the African jungles to California atrd. in a terrifyirtgly short space of tittte. is threatening tlte entire world. Petersen's AlDS paranoia thriller starts otit well enough. brrildirtg on very real fears. bill it does descend itrto a hardware shtxrt-eitt-up. ()kay as a slab of entertaintrrent. bill it fails to tap the potential of its subject matter. Edinburgh: (fCl.
I Performance (181(Nic Roeg & Donald Carrtrrtell. UK. 1970) Jatttes Fox. Mick Jagger. Anita Pallenberg. 105 mitts. A gangster on the run arid a famous rock star itt seclusion hole tip in a London mansion. and artridst a welter of sex attd drugs their two lives begin to irrtertwirre. Fascinating avant gan/e-islr mosaic that anrtotrttced the arrival of two unique directorial talents. though the fragmentary narrative and visual overload make it an uneasy experience. Glasgow: GET.
I Poetic Justice (15) (John Singleton. US. 1994) Janet Jackson. Tupac Shakur. Tyra Ferrell. 109 mins. Justice (Jackson) and Lucky (Shakur) are soul survivors of the ghetto who take a road trip round California and discover a black identity. Singleton's rentarkably uncynical follow-up to Bay: N The Hood has a romantic structure that adds too rttuch sugar to the spice. although Maya Angelou's poetry. spoken by
32 The List 28 Jul-10 Aug 1995