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 Priscilla. Queen Of The Desert (l8) (Stephan Elliott. Australia. I994) Terence Stamp. Hugo Weaving. Guy Pearce. 101 mins. Two transvestites and a trans-sexual teant up for a trip across the Australian outback for a drag show in Alice Springs. Serious issues pop up front tittte to time. but the emphasis is on the camp humour of the in-bus bitchiness and outrageous musical set-pieces. Glasgow: MGM Parkhead. I And The Band Played 0n (l2) (Roger Spottiswoode. US. I993) Matthew Modine. Alan Alda. Patrick Bauchau. l-Il rttins. Countless cameos from Richard Gere. Anjelica Huston. Phil Collins. Steve Martin and others add a bit of zip to this somewhat overlong and Iecture-ish account of the race to discover the AIDS virus. Played as a medical detective story. it has a good strong lead in Modine and certainly points a few political fingers. but its mainstream potential is limited. All proceeds from this screening go to Scottish AIDS Monitor. ~Edinburgh: Cameo. I Angels (PG) (William Dear. US. I994) Danny Glover. Tony Danza. Brenda Fricker. Released iii the States as Ange/s In The Outfle/tl. this particular baseball rrtovie tells of a foster cltild named Roger who‘s the only person to hear arid see the heaven-sent coaches who are helping his team rise from the bottom of the league. ‘The players artd Roger discover the power of believing in dreams and finding the courage to never give up hope.’ says the press release. You‘ve been wamed. Strathclyde: UCI East Kilbride. I Apollo 13 (PG) (Rort Iloward. US. I995) Tom Ilanks. Bill Paxton. Kevin Bacon. I40 mins. ()tt l3 April I970. art oxygert tank exploded on the service module of the Apollo 13 spacecraft. leaving three astronauts stranded sortte 00.000 miles from home. Howard's screen retelling is a big. epic adventure with a proudly patriotic stance. The space photography is just fantastic and the acting as good as it gets. Great entertainment. ifa little rich iii the apple pie department. Glasgow: ()dcon. All [7(‘ls. I Assassins ( l 5) (Richard Donrter. US. I995) Sylvester Stallone. Antonio Banderas. Julianne Moore. l25 mins. Reflective Stallone is the best professional killer money can buy. btrt when he notices that an equally deadly rival (Banderas) is starting to ‘steal' some of ltisjobs. so begins a long. breathless and bloody cltase. The familiar elements are irt place. btrt given that the director is Lethal Il'eapon helmer Richard Dortner and the producer is Joel Silver. you cart be sure of plenty of explosive action for your rttoney. Edirtbttrglt: I'CI. I Asterix Conquers America (U) (Get-hard Ilahrt. Germany. I995) 85 ntins. While brewing tip a potion. village druid Getaftx is captured by the Romans attd takett over the sea to America. Immediately Astet'ix and ()belix set off to save him. coming across a tribe of Indians. starttpeding buffalo artd other Western adventures. The animation style hasn’t changed for years. so yotr know exactly what to expect. Edinburgh: I-‘ilmhouse. I Baralta (PG) (Rort Iir'icke. l’S. I992) 96 mins. [Environmentally aware eco-doc in the style of Kovaanisqatsi has the major advantage of having been shot irt 70mm. w Iticlt makes the stunning cinematography the star of the show. Beautiful footage of Planet Earth is juxtaposed with man's harmful relation to it. with the Big Statement being pushed forwards by a series of powerful images. A genuine spectacle. Edinburgh: I:iIll)I10tl.\‘c. I Batman Forever (PG) (Joel Schutttacher. l'S. I995) Val Kilrtter. Tommy Lee Jones. Jim Carrey. IZZ tttins. A lightening of tone has followed the departure of Tint Burton front the director's seat. meaning that this third effort is. itt comparison. shallow. noisy and rather by-the- numbers. That said. no one will be asking for their money back. Just don't expect the sartte dark forays into the shadows of the human psyche. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Before Sunrise ( l5) (Richard Linklater. LES. I995) Julie Delpy. Ethan Hawke. Andrea Eckert. IOI tttins. American lnter-Railer llawke and French student Delpy are the strangers on a trairt who strike tip a chance conversation and spend a night wandering around Vienna. The actors give career-best perfonttances while director Linklater veers irtto Eric Rohmer territory with a funny. sweet and fundamentally wise movie. Central: MacRobert.
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I Before The Rain ( l5) (Milcho Manchevski.
UK/France/Macedonia. I994) Rade Serbedzija. Katrin Cartlidge. “5 mins. Three interlinked 3 tales shed light on the current Balkan conflict by
concentrating on fraught relationships and love affairs in Macedonia and London. The film's main strength lies in the authenticity of its naked emotions and superb landscape photography. creating a heartfelt lament for a splintering culture. With the Tartan Short Narance. Central:
MacRobert.
I The Big Sleep (PG) (Howard Hawks. US. I946) Humphrey Bogart. Lauren Bacall. John
3 Ridgely. Martha Vickers. 114 tttins. Marlowe
5 gets caught up in the peccadilloes of the
Stemwood farttily as he tries to stop a spot of blackmail. Needless to say. the broad knows more than she lets on. Witty. sultry. atmospheric. tttainstreatttfilm noir with Bogey and Bacall doing their excellent double act. Central: MacRobert.
I Bolvvieser (Rainer Wenter Fassbinder. West
the film is so fresh and unusual that it more than survives this slight imbalance. A Boat De Souffle for our times. Edinburgh: Canteo. Central: MacRobert.
I Clueless (I2) (Amy Ileekerling. US. I995) Alicia Silverstone. Stacey Dash. Britanny Murphy. 98 mins. Beautiful. fashionable and
streetsrttart Beverley Hills schoolgirl Cher
(Alicia) is spoilt to distraction. btrt when teenage romance floors her. she‘s as clueless as anyone. This has all the ingredients for an unashamedly
brainless smash teen comedy — including a new line in kooky dialect — but unfortunately it : doesn't do anything that Heathers didn't do
Gennany. I977) Kurt Raab. Elisabeth Trissenaar.
Bernhard Helfrich. Il2 mins. Fassbinder's adaptation of Oskar Maria Graf‘s novel is set in l920s Bavaria. where a station-master's life begins to fall apart when his wife ltas an affair with the local butcher. A sumptuous period piece that perfectly captures the atmosphere of pre- Nazi provincial life. Subtitled print. Glasgow: Goethe Institute.
I Braveheart (I5) (Mel Gibson. US. I995) Mel Gibson. Patrick McGoohan. Sophie Marceau. I77 rttins. Mel Gibson's long arid bloody account of the life of Scottish wanior hero William Wallace boasts some remarkable battle scenes and great performances. The film‘s Scottish passion is tempered by a few Hollywood moments — touches of sentimentality artd ‘dramatic' historical inaccuracy. Nevertheles. it's a line. full-blooded attempt to tap into the spirit that fires Scotland's history and heroes. General release.
I Brazil ( l5) (Terry Gilliattt. US. I985) Jonatltart Pryce. Kim Griest. Robert De Niro. Peter Vaughan. l-IZ mins. Extr'avagantly desigrtcd artd blackly humorous Orwellian vision of the future. as modest bureaucrat Pryce battles the forces of totalitarianism and fights for his dream girl. feisty trucker Gr'iest. Overlong artd ratttsltackle fantasia. with moments of sheer creative adrenalin arid a classic ending. Iiife: New Picture Ilottse.
I Butterfly Kiss ( IS) (Michael Winterbottottt. UK. I995) Saskia Reeves. Amanda Plutttttter. 88 mitts. Winterbottortt's striking road movie about two lesbian killers is clever. atmospheric attd boasts sharp performances. but it lacks empathy at its core. There are tender moments between the two characters. bttt they're both too wacko for us to share any elements of hutttartity with them. If only more time had been spent setting things up. then we might have had a very haunting film indeed. Central: MacRobert. Str'athclyde: East Kilbride Arts Centre.
I Carrington ( IS) (Christopher IIatttpton. L'K. I995) Emma 'l‘hortlpson. Jonathan Pryce. Steven Waddingtort. 123 mins. Hampton's debut as
w titer-director concentrates on the deeply
It)\ irlg. platonic relationship between Blooittsbttry Grotrp writer Lytton Strachey (Pryce) artd painter Dora Cartittgtott (‘I'hotttpsonr The film takes art episodic approach to their life together. letting the perforrtlattces flourish. btrt providing sortte extremely funny and literate one-litters to lighten the tttoments w hen tragedy looms. Darker attd more intriguing than the typical British period piece. Central: MacRobert. Iiife: Adam Smith. I Casper (PG) (Brad Silbet'littg. I'S. I995) Christina Ricci. Bill Pullman. Cathy Moriarty. I00 mitts. When an abandoned mansion is bequeathed to a money-grabbing heiress who thinks it's filled with hidden treasure guarded by trnqtliet spirits. Casper cotttcs irtlo contact with ghost psychologist Pullman‘s tomboy daughter (Ricci). A very messy amalgam of Ghost/msrers effects. Adi/anti l'tllllflt' gotltic humour and the sort of overblown feelgood Spielbergiana that levels itt funny gadgetry and farttily valtres. General release.
I The Cause [he (.r'rtat'he (Michael Verltoeven. Gertttany. I980) ()tto Sander. Hartnes Messemet. 'I‘rttde Br'eitscltopf. IOI rttirts. ~The poet Anton Seiler returns to his home town to confront the sadistic teacher" who bullied hint years before. When he w illtess the man torturing a child for a trivial error. he takes his revenge — with fatal consequences. ~A liteudiatt appeal against capital punishment. Subtitled print. Glasgow: Goethe Irtstitttl.
I Chungking Expressr I2) (Wong Kat-War. Ilong Kong. I994) Brigitte Lin. Takesht Karteshiro. Tony Leting. Faye Wang. 97 mins. Such a glorious concoction of humour. energy. style attd kookiness rarely comes ottr way. The two looser overlapping stories are set around a fast food stall irt Ilottg Kong. with mismatched romance and indulgent heartache the menu for today. The second segment is the stronger. bttt
better. General release.
I Coffee And Cigarettes (PG) (Jim Jamtusch. US. I993) 6/7/I2 mitts. A trio ofcool shorts frortt Jannusch. including the lazy talking session between Iggy Pop and Tom Waits that's subtitled ‘Somewhere In California'. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Crimson Tide ( 15) (Tony Scott. US. I995) Gene Ilackrttan. ~Denzel Washington. George Dzundza. llo rttirts. When a rebel Russian nationalist general with his mitts on the nuclear trigger brings Anttageddon back onto the
agenda. the USS Alabama. with its 2-1 Trident
missiles. is called into action. With a nightmare
scenario. two top stars acting their socks off and a director who knows how to get the ntost from big budget effects. this tense and claustrophobic
submarine thriller is a prime slice of weekend
entertainntent. General release.
I Dance: Elliot Caplan ( l5) A selection of work .
introduced by Caplart himself. Director of the International Video Workshop for Dance and collaborator with choreographer Merce Cunningham arid the late composer John Cage. Glasgow: GET.
I Dance: Interior/Exterior ( 15) Three lilms examining space: Carborte 14‘s l.a [)orroir is set
iii a convent dormitory: a dinner-table iii a
wheatfield is at the centre of Philippe Decoulle‘s surreal Le l"tit Ital: and Regis ()badia artd Joelle Bouvier's La Chantbre examines clatlstr'opl‘obia irt a sand-filled roottt. Glasgow: GI’I'.
I les Diaboliques (15) (Henri-Georges Clouzot. I’rance. I955) Simone Sigrtoret. Vera (‘louzoL Pattl Meurisse. 107 rttins. Iiiendishly clever and rttttclt imitated thriller irt which a tyrannical schoolmaster is murdered by his wife and mistress. Except that he doesn't stay dead for long. The famous bathroom finale ltas most recently been borrowed by Adrian Lyne‘s Fatal Attraction. bill this is the original and best. Edinburgh: Iiilrtthouse.
I Die Hard With A Vengeance ( l 5) (Jolttt .‘vlcTiernan. US. I995) Brttce Willis. Jeremy Irons. Samuel L. Jackson. 128 mins. Basically art extended cat arid mouse game. Mc'l‘ict'nart's sequel to his owrt original has washed-up anti- hero Willis arid pissed-off. good-hearted sidekick Samuel L. Jackson dashing across New York City lrottt pay-phone to pay-phone. solving childish riddles itt time to deactivate a stash of Itiddcn bombs. Imagine Speed with a hangover. with plenty of comedy. the best buddy pairing irt years. but a curious lack of satisfying set pieces. I‘ife: Adattt Smith.
I Dolores Claiborne ( I8) ('l‘aylor Hackfottl. I'S. I995) Kathy Bates. Jennifer Jason Leigh. Christopher Plummet. l3l tttitts. This is about as tin-Stephen-King-like a story as you could get. tttore consistently rtteltxltatrtatic than hottilic. .tliterv‘s Katlty Bates stars as a helpertttaid working for an elderly society queen. bttt when she's discovered one day murdering lter employer. it rekindles thoughts on a related murder two decades before. Poignant artd tltotrgltt-provokittg. with some fine perfottttartces to enjoy. With art episode of cult T\' show Robin Hood. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Endless Winter ( IS) The latest ski film frottt veteran Warren Miller is presented complete with a mini ski Expo fora night's cntertaintttent and bargains. Black Dirttaond Iiilms artd I.abatt's Blue present on screen action. plus competitions arid a selection of ski/outdoor specialist shops showing their wares. A few ticketss may still be available on the door. so call the venues (Dorttirtion. Edinburgh on Sun I9; Glasgow l-‘ilm Theatre on Mon 30) to check. ()thcrw ise snap them up itt advance.
I Eraserhead ( IS) (David Lynch. IS. 1976) John Nance. 90 mins. You may never eat jelly babies again after the repellent httt compelling tale of Henry. his haircut. his girlfriend. his strange offspring artd a sizeable quantity of ptrs. Disturbing stuff. mercifully filmed in black and white. Edinburgh: Cattteo.
I The Exorcist ( 18) (William l-‘rietlktn. ('5. I973) Linda Blair. Ellen Btrt'styrt. .\Ia\ \‘on Syoow. l 10mins. Earnest pt'lesl \'on Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl itt this lttrgely effective scat'efest. Dead good. (lead scary. dead priest. Glasgow: ()dcon.
I Falling Down ( IS) (Joel Schttrtlachcr. I‘S. I992) Michael Douglas. Robert Duvall. Barbara Hershey. I I2 mitts. A sacked defertce worker
abandons his car it) a traffic jam and goes on an
Catch the best Film this fortnight.
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FIRST BUN
I La llalne This edgy. black-and- white portrait of life on a Paris housing estate — complete with racial tension and police brutality — won 25-year-old Matthieu Kassovitz the Director’s Prize at Cannes. Glasgow: GET Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Goldeneye The old puns and gadgets are back. mixed in with spectacular action set pieces and an interesting 90s twist on cinema's most enduring hero. Solid fun front beginning to end. General release.
I French Film Festival The latest films from some of the best known directors and stars of French cinema. as well as spotlights on newcomers. with special focuses on Claude Lelouch and Matthieu Kassovitz. Glasgow: GEE Edinburgh: Film/rouse.
I Crimson Tide Tension and testosterone levels are high as Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington second-guess a renegade Russian in Tony Scott's submarine thriller. General release.
I Living In Oblivion Wandering boom mikes. actors' egos and jealousies among the crew: it all adds up to a hilarious nightmare for Steve Buscemi in Tom DiCillo’s take on the highs and lows of low-budget lilmmaking. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Land And Freedom The complexities of the Spanish Civil War are shown in an emotional light in Ken Loach's rttasterpiece. which features an international ensemble of actors lead by the brilliant Ian Hart. Edinburgh: Cameo.
REPERTORY
I And The Band Played On An all- star cast give weight to this drama about the early days of AIDS in America. which also has fingers to point at govemment inaction. All profits go to Scottish AIDS Monitor. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Metropolis Fritz Lang‘s vision ofa futuristic totalitarian state where workers are reduced to slaves still looks stunning on the big screen almost 70 years after it was made. Edinburgh: Film/rouse.
escalating rampage across Los Angeles. No mere vigilante movie this. bill the zeitgeist movie of the 90s. drinking deep of Wltite Middle-Class America's fears about its future. Actor Douglas and director Schurrtachcr deliver their finest work to date. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Farinelli ( l5) (Gerard Corbiau. I-‘rance/Belgitrm. I994) Stefano Dionisi. Elttico l.o Verso. Jeroert Krabbe. ll0 rttitts. Biographical details. period splendour and a liclionalised narrative combine for art account of the life of I8th century castrato Carlo Broschi. I)L‘[X‘II(ICIII on his brother's music for Itis stardom (while his brother is dependent on hitrt for an outlet for his compositions). his tttairt desire is to sing the rttore emotional music of
The I.l.\l l7-3l) Nov I995 27