FILM INDEX
FILM
Films screening this fortnight are listed helovr with certificate, credits, brief review and venue details. Film index compiled by Alan Morrison.
I Ace'V'éntt‘l—a: When Batiste Calls (PG) (Steve Oedekerk. US. 1995) Jim Carrey. Simon Callow. Ian McNeice. 94 mins. This puerile. stereotyped and occasionally brilliant followup to the surprise hit that launched Carrey‘s career finds the pet detective in Africa. The natives are defined by silly rituals and a war-like nature. the English as upper-class twits. and amongst it all. Carrey’s hit-and-miss antics become wearisome. Strathclyde: UCl East Kilbride. WMR. I All Dogs 60 to Heaven (U) (Don Bluth. US. 1989) With the voices of Burt Reynolds. Loni Anderson and Dom DeLuise. 84 mins. Likeable Alsatian Charlie Barkin is killed by his partner in small-time crime. but manages to trick his way out of the Afterlife to face earthbound adventure with cute orphan Anne-Marie as he seeks revenge on his double-crossing buddy. Occasionally sloppy animation is more than made up for by the inventive story-line and an allusive sense of humour that should even have adults suppressing the odd guffaw. Glasgow: MGM Parkhead. I Mater! (15) (Hal Hartley. US. l994)1sabelle Huppert. Martin Donovan. Elina Lowensohn. 105 mins. lsabelle. an ex-nun writing porn stories. meets amnesiac Thomas on the streets of New York; soon they find 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. but this time there are a few filmic jokes thrown in with references to specific genres and other movies. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Angels & hsects(l8) (Philip Haas. US/UK. 1995) Mark Rylance. Kristin Scott Thomas. Patsy Kensit. 117 mins. An explorer accepts the job of cataloguing the insect collection of an aristocrat. but when he falls in love with his daughter. he faces class rivalry and snobbery. An infuriating period piece with only Rylance and Scott Thomas proving themselves in the acting stakes. And the metaphors are so forced. it's embarrassing. Glasgow: GFT. Central: MacRobert. Fife: Adam Smith. I Apocalypse MI! (18) (Francis Coppola. US. 1980) Martin Sheen. Marlon Brando. Robert Duvall. Dennis Hopper. 153 mins. Vietnam as The Ultimate Trip. We follow US Army assassin Sheen downriver and deeper into the Heart of Darkness ruled over by Brando's mad Colonel Kurtz. Alternater pretentious and visually overpowering (the Valkyries helic0pter attack. for example). its grandiloquent folly somehow pierces right to the bone of the conflict. Edinburgh: Cameo. Fife: Adam Smith. I Manna Dream (15) (Emir Kusturica. France/US. 1993) Johnny Depp. Faye Dunaway. Jerry Lewis. 135 mins. We're talking the ‘logic of dreams' here. so it‘s useless to attempt a plot synopsis. Let's just say it has Depp as an NYC fish inspector out west. a bizarre love triangle with wacko Dunaway and her weirdo daughter. caddy salesman Lewis. Eskimos and a flying machine. Sometimes inspired. often infuriating. mostly impenetrable. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I M (U) (Chris Noonan. Australia. 1995) James Cromwell. with the voices of Christine Cavanaugh. Miriam Margolyes. Hugo Weaving. 92 mins. An orphaned pig falls under the eye of a kindly collie and begins to think he‘s destined for glory at the regional trials. Talking animals suggest that this is a kids' movie: to an extent it is — and a great one -— but there‘s enough skewered humour (hail the psycho mice!) for adults to discover an unexpected cult hit. A triumph for the underpig. General release. I Bad Lieutenant (18) (Abel Ferrara. US. 1992) Harvey Keitel. Frankie Thome. 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). Edinburgh: Cameo. I The Bait L'Appat (18) (Bertrand Tavemier. France. 1995) Marie Gillain. Olivier Sitruk. Bruno Putzulu. 115 mins. Middle-class also-rans Nathalie and Eric. along with shady pal Bnrno. try to get the cash to open up a fashion store in America by robbing appartments of the rich. Tavemier's portrait of the iniquity of contemporary youth is repetitive and unconvincing; he labours the issue even while his cast give decent naturalistic performances. Central: MacRobert.
I The Basketball Diaries (18) (Scott Kalvert. US. 1995) Leonardo DiCaprio. Bruno Kirby. Lorraine Bracco. 102 mins. This dull and disappointing screen version ofJim Carroll‘s crrlt book is full of the usual drug cliches as DiCaprio's good Catholic boy slips down an increasingly hysterical path to ruin. An inadequate script and bad direction are the ball and chain around the ankles of a reasonable performance. Edinburgh: Cameo. Strathclyde: East Kilbride Arts Centre.
I Beethoven’s 2nd (U) (Rod Daniel. US. 1993) Charles Grodin. Bonnie Hunt. Debi Mazar. Chris Penn. 89 mins. it's love at first sight when cinema's favorite St Bernard sees Missy. looking delectable with a pink bow in her hair. Pretty soon. this Beethoven has produced a not-so- musical quartet of pooping pups. whose ability for mischief is matched only by their sickening cuteness. Cloying stuff. certain to be lapped up by kids and people who smile at Andrex adverts. Fife: MGM.
I Bicycle Thieves (PG) (Vittorio De Sica. italy. 1948) Lamberto Maggior'ani. Enzo Staiola. An unemployed Italian workman has his bicycle stolen. and badly needs it for a new job. so he and his small son search the busy streets of Rome for it. The epitome of italian neo-realism. with the Roman setting vividly sketched and the performances compellineg natural. so that this unromantic drama takes on an overwheming power. Masterly stuff. Edinburgh: Film Guild. I The Big Chill (15) (Lawrence Kasdan. US. 1983) Glenn Close. Kevin Kline. William Hurt. 105 mins. A group of college friends from the 1960s are unexpectedly reunited at the funeral of one of their number who has committed suicide. During the weekend of friendship. fun and sex they reflect that yesterday all their troubles seemed so far away. Short on plot. the film is rich in sardonic humour. pertinent music and expert ensemble acting. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Billy Liar! (12) (John Schlesinger. UK. 1963) Tom Courtenay. Julie Christie. Rodney Brewes. 98 mins. An undertaker‘s clerk slips in and out of a Walter Mitty-style fantasy world to escape the drudgery of life in a northern town. The spirit of the swinging 60s is captured in Christie. while Courtenay brings a warmth and sensitivity to the tale. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Bob Roberts ( 15) (Tim Robbins. US. 1992) Tim Robbins. Alan Rickman. (iiancarlo Esposito. Gore Vidal. 103 mins. Man-of-thc- moment Robbins takes over as director. writer and star of this wonderfully sharp satire on contemporary American politics. Tire eponymous Roberts is a right-wing folk singer with senatorial ambitions. appearing here in a mocked-up Spinal Tap type documentary. Funny and pertinent. Glasgow: GET.
I Braveheart (15) (Mel Gibson. US. 1995) Mel Gibson. Patrick McGoohan. Sophie Marceau. 177 mins. Mel Gibson's long and bloody account of the life of Scottish warrior hero William Wallace boasts some remarkable battle scenes and great performances. particularly McGoohan‘s merciless King Edward. Aiming to entertain on a wider scale than the more literate Rob Roy. Brar'eliearr's Scottish passion is tempered by a few Hollywood moments - touches of sentimentality and 'dramatic' historical inaccuracy. Neverthelcs. it's a fine. full-blooded attempt to tap into the spirit that fires Scotland's history and heroes. General release.
I the Brothers Mcflullen (15) (Edward Burns. US. 1994) Edward Burns. Jack Mulcahey. Michael McGlone. 97 mins. Adultery. commitment. splitting up. fidelity — the main topics of conversation for three Irish-American brothers who are each undergoing a period of adjustment in their personal lives. Edward Burns‘ award-winning debut is a low-budget indie charmer. with a well-crafted screenplay and charismatic performances. Fife: Adam Smith.
I Burnt By The Stu ( 15) (Nikita Mikhalkov. Russia. 1994) Nikita Mikhalkov. Oleg Menchikov. lngeborga Dapkounaite. 134 mins. Mikhalkov's Oscar-winner is a genuine masterpiece. The gradual slide from the glory of the Revolution into the terror of the Stalin dictatorship is concentrated into the events of a single summer's day in 30s Russia. as the country household of a popular Soviet officer is disrupted by the return of his wife‘s former lover. now a government infomier. The sense of tragedy is immense. as the sunny. idyllic opening gives way to a darker. more uncertain reality. Glasgow: GFT.
I Butterfly Kiss ( 18) (Michael Winterbottom. UK. 1995) Saskia Reeves. Amanda Plummcr. 88 mins. Winterbottom's striking road movie about two lesbian killers is clever. atmospheric and boasts sharp performances. btrt it lacks empathy at its core. There are tender moments between the two characters. but they're both too wacko for us to share any elements of humanity with them. If only more time had been spent setting things up. then we might have had a very haunting film indeed. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Carrie(18) (Brian DcPalma. US. 1976) Sissy Spacek. Piper Laurie. John Travolta. 98 mins. DcPalma's adaptation of Stephen King is still the high school angst movie to end 'em all. Distressingly awkward teen Spacek‘s adolescent experience is so humiliating that site develops telekinetic powers. and the school bullies are to get their comeuppance when their prom night pranks fly right back in their faces. Fife: New Picture House. I Casino (18) (Martin Scorsese. US. 1995) Robert De Niro. Sharon Stone. Joe Pesci. 178 mins. Lifetime gambler Ace Rothstein is chosen as the mobs man in Vegas. and runs the casinos smoothly until things fall apart during the 70s. Scorsese's latest gangster epic has a touch of Greek tragedy about its downfall of a self-made man. but it's too mrrch in GoodFe/las territory to be special. The cinematography and editing are as textbook as ever. and Stone delivers the performance of her career. General release. I Casper (PG) (Brad Silberling. US. 1995) Christina Ricci. Bill Pullman. Cathy Moriarty. 100 mins. iiveryone's favourite friendly ghost has been living with his three bad-tempered uncles in an abandoned mansion. When it's bequeathed to a rrroney-grabbing heiress who thinks it‘s filled with hidden treasure guarded by unquict spirits. Casper comes into contact with ghost psychologist Pullman's tomboy daughter (Ricci). A very messy amalgam of Ghostbusters effects. Addams Family gothic humour and the sort of overblown feelgood Spiclbcrgiana that revels in funny gadgetry and family values. Central: Cannon. I la Ceremonie A Judgement In Stone (15) (Claude Chabrol. France. 1995) Sandrirre Bonnaire. lsabelle lluppert. Jacqueline Bissct. 111 mins. An illiterate maid begins work at a posh but isolated home in rural France and begins a strange relationship with the obsessive local postal clerk. Chabrol‘s masterly adaptation of Ruth Rendcll‘s novel is like a reworked Heavenly Creatures meeting a thinking-man's The Hand That Rocked The Cradle. See review. Glasgow: GFT. I Clueless (12) (Amy Heckerling. US. 1995) Alicia Silverstone. Stacey Dash. Britanny Murphy. 98 mins. Beautiful. fashionable and streetsrnart Beverley Hills schoolgirl Cher (Alicia) is spoilt to distraction. but 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 — brrt unfortunately it doesn't do anything that Heathers didn't do better. Glasgow: GFI‘. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Cool llunnings (PG) (John Turteltaub. US. 1993) Doug E. Doug. Leon. John Candy. 99 mins. Speculative comedy based on the first-ever Jamaican bobsled team at the last Winter Olympics is harmlesst amiable. but unfortunately 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. Fife: MGM. I Crimson Title (15) (Tony Scott. US. 1995) Gene Hackrnan. Denzel Washington. George Dzundza. 116 mins. When a rebel Russian nationalist general with his mitts on the nuclear trigger brings Armageddon back onto the agenda. the USS Alabama. with its 24 Trident missiles. is called into action. With a nightmare scenario. two top star's acting their socks off and a director who knows how to get the most from big budget effects. this tense and claustrophobic submarine thriller is a prime slice of weekend entertainment. Strathclyde: East Kilbride Arts Centre. I Crumb (18) (Terry Zwigoff. US. 1994) 119 mins. Comic artist Robert Crumb has remained resolutely part of the counter-culture since he started drawing in the 60s. in this fascinating and personal film. long-time friend Zwigoff tries to explain the cartoonist's disturbing output. finding a casual connection between childhood. madness and creativity. btit skimming over legitimate concern at his portrayal of women. Edinburgh: Cameo. I Dangerous Liaisons (15) (Stephen Frears. US. 1988) Glenn Close. John Malkovich. Michelle Pfeiffer. Keanu Reeves. 120 mins. Madame de Tourvel and the Vicomte de Valmont (Close and Malkovich) are treacherous 18th century aristocrats weaving a web of erotic duplicity around one another. Frears makes a notable Hollywood debut. guiding his east through a difficult set of narrative pirouettes. Yet for all the pent-up emotion on screen. little fervour seeps through. and the result is rather cold and calculating. Strathclyde: UCl East Kilbride. I Dangerous MindsUS) (John N. Smith. US. 1995) Michelle Pfeiffer. George Dzundza. Courtney B. Vance. 106 mins. in a tougher role than some she's played to date. Pfeiffer is an ex- marine who becomes English teacher to a bunch of underachieving inner city kids with academic potential. The Hollywood optimism of the plot sits oddly with the classroom realism that comes
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FIRST Bill 11. Get Shorty Back on forrn in another cool movie. John Travolta stars as a loan shark swimming in the waters of Hollywood. Scc feature and review. General release.
I Trainspotting A rollercoaster ride through the chemical highs and devastating lows of life with heroin on the streets of Edinburgh. Fast and furious. hilarious and serious. it really couldn’t be better. General release. I French Twist Lewd and rude menage-a-trois antics as writer- director Josiane Balasko stars as a lesbian who disrupts the domestic life of a conventional couple. See preview and review. Glasgow: GI‘T Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Leaving Las Vegas Nicolas Cage gives a career—best performance as a man drinking himself to death in neon-soaked Las Vegas. Limited release.
I Sense And Sensibility More archl y witty than your typical British costume drama, the latest Jane Austen adaptation still has a warmly romantic heart. General release. REPERTDRY
I Witchlinder General Bleak and moralistically brutal tale of the abuse of power in 17th century England, as Vincent Price‘s witchfinder travels the country torturing innocents. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Burnt By The Sun The slide from the joys ofthc Russian Revolution into the darkness of Stalin's regime is concentrated into a single day in Nikita Mikhalkov‘s Oscar-winner. which was possibly the best film released last year. Glasgow: OFT
from casting fledgling actors and streetwise non- professionals. but it's a brave attempt at tackling the serious subject of education in modern-day America. Strathclyde: UCl Clydcbank.
I Dazed And Confused ( 18) (Richard Linklatcr. US. 1994) Wiley Wiggins. Jason London. Rory Cochrane. 95 mins. The last day of the 1976 term for a bunch of US schoolkids. and. for some. it's time to face the initiation humiliations as they move from junior to senior high. Linklater abandons the baton-passing narritive style of his seminal work. Slacker. and shows masterful skill as he weaves together a multitude of plot strands a la American Grrtflitl. Cooul. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Desperado (18) (Robert Rodriguez. US. 1995) Antonio Banderas. Salma Hayek. Joachim De Almeida. 100 mins. Part sequel. part big budget remake. Desperado delivers all the shoot-outs and explosions denied us in Rodriguez's inventive debut El Mariachi. Banderas smoulders as the revenge-driven guitarist. but the emphasis is not on plot — delight instead in the glorious action set pieces. The ultimate firearm flamenco. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. MGM. Strathclyde: UCls.
I DOW Event A day school on documentary form. beginning at 10.30am. with
26 The List 8-21 Mar 1996