SCOTTISH FILM
SCOTTISH FILM
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i heroin addicts w ho improy ise jaH I St Bride’s Film Festival The timing I for the Centre's lifth lilm festiial , couldn‘t be better. as (‘entenary of ; ('inema celebrations are just getting Shore l’oets‘. underway noth of the Border. from | Mon 22 until Sat 37. lidinbtrrgh‘s St Brides (‘entre will pla}. host to some of
tlte most famous (aces lll film historv \lirtister lt‘t'tl lintl‘d} “mslls‘tl il
(iene Kelly in a g'ala charity screening : l‘liltllls' L’t‘lll'l‘C'WWillmil “W “N “W
offline/turns .-\i-.-i-.'_g/'r. ()ison \Velles in filtn performance at the limpire ('I'Irxr‘n Iva/1e. Humphrey Bogart iii ('irsii/u’irm'ir. the Man Brothers in .l/ The ('rrt‘lrv and John \Vay rte tn Hie (twirl/um my and [he (jun! .l/inr A
include an illustrated talk on
series of talks and special eyents complement the screenings. t'heck liilnr listings for titles and times
I The Connection Poet and playwright 'l'otn .\lc( iralh looks at the links between the mass medium ol cinema and the prr\:itc w .trld of poetry at a special screening of Shirley. ('larch l/lt‘ (' 'unm i In»: at the l‘rln‘housc.
lidinburgh. on 'l'hurs.‘ ‘l‘he filrn is
short films making itp this year‘s ('entenary Reels (prey iottsly. first
and llltll‘s‘ 25.
based on the play of the same name by Jack (ielber and follows a group of
while waiting for their dealer. .\lc(}rath will read some of his poetry after the ‘ screening. which has been organised by
I Centenary of Cinema .s‘eorlanit‘s celeln'ations officially began on tlte mornith of bill l3 :ts Scottish tlffice
l’layhoiise tnow l'icstiyal 'l‘lteatr‘ct in lidinburgh. tlther eyents this fortnight
lfdinburgh's crrtetna history by Bill Smith entitled "the lh‘eam l‘actories lirnpirc 'l'o llorninion' at the Dominion ('inema on Mon 29 (entry by free ticket from \lorningside Library and the cinema itself); and two programmes ol
ls’eelsi by up and coming Scottish filmmakers at the l-‘ilmhouse on 'l‘ue _‘.‘~
Tunnel vision
Okay, we all know there’s such a thing as underground filmmaking. but isn’t this taking things a bit literally? Down below the surface of Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens, a young film crew are shooting one of the six films in the new Scottish Film Producton Fund/British Screen/Scottish Television ‘Prime Cuts’ scheme. Take a walk into ever-increasing darkness along a disused railway tunnel, and suddenly the gravel underfoot and slime on the walls give way to a busy location set-up.
Here’s Johnny, written by Tom Shankland and Brian Kirk (who also directs), tells of a thirteen-year-old boy and girl who come across a bogeyman figure in a deserted tunnel. Douglas Murphy, who’s the same age as his character, is already a veteran of Scottish Youth Theatre, and has
maybe get a glimpse of the sky.’ The tunnel makes an extremely
problems for producer Gill Parry.
Here’s Johnny: ‘atmospheric set’
been given three days off school for - the shoot. ‘lle’s a right drip, a prat
' who’s probably a mummy’s boy,’ the ' young actor says. ‘I don’t know if I’d say the film was scary — it’s a very emotional piece - but you certainly feel detached from the real world down in the tunnel, where you only
atmospheric set, almost a character in itself, and getting the equipment to the right spot raised a few logistical
However, when a bit extra was needed for the budget, the Post Office came to the rescue with additional funding - which is quite appropriate, given that this year sees the 60th anniversary of John Grierson’s influential GPO Film Unit short Nightmail. (Alan Morrison)
I Nightwatch t (M w'hcre better to set a horror thriller thari in a morgue where the irrational fear of dead bodies is (werpowered by the very real threat of a setial killer on the loose. Martin is a young law student moonlighting as night watchman. bill when a game of dares w itlt his best friend brings him close to a series of brtttal murders. he finds himself being set tip as the prime suspect. A tense. funny“ (without beitrg sillyl movie that carries off its clitna\ with a brilliant flourish. (’l'artatt; also retail. U599:
I Land And Freedom 1 (Si Ken l.oach concentrates on one aspect of the Spanish (‘ry rl War the ideal:snt and ultimate betrayal of the l’( )l '.\l militia arid delivers a film that rs both emotionally moving and intelligently debated. lan Hart plays a yourtg |.i\erpudlian whose passionate sense of judgement leads him into the conflict. where lie finds love and tragedy. The flashback techrritpte. llllls‘ltlgy these events to Hart's character's granddaughter in the present day. ensures that the film's political relevance is not consigned to the history books. this (iurld)
I Blue Juice t tst it‘s a shame that this British comedy set amongst the surfing slackers of (.‘ornwall didn't get a better pitsli at the Scottish box office. The film's clearly armed at blokes in their late Ills. as Sean l’ertwee struggles to lay aside his laddrshness and settle dow It with ('atherine '/.eta .lones despite the bad influence of three London cronies. 'l‘here‘s perhaps one morality tale too nrany. but the tone is upbeat. the soundtrack cool arid loud. the water photography superb. ((‘olumbia 'l'ristari I The Neon Bible t (5) In a strange way. the very elements that disappoint 'l'erence l)uvies littlls over his adaptation of John Kennedy 'l'oole's novel are the same ones that make the film more accessible to those who have previously held the director at arms length. The concerns are the same as ever: a young boy by es a lonely. detached childhood there in the Southern llible Belt of Americat. btit finds comfort in the older fetrrale members of his family. By moving one
small step away from Davies‘s owrt
VIDEOS
autobiography. the approach becomes less self-absorbed; arid the picture is literally
w idened-out by Mick (‘oulter's magnificent photography.
(l-'o\'./ \rtiticial bye; also retail U599)
I Mortal Kombat t IS) A noisy blend of fast-cut action and slo-mo
\ iolcnce. this is filtrrmaking for the arcade generation liorget the story (three lighters hay e to win a tournament or ex rl powers take over liarth) and enjoy bout alter boirt of (admittedly repetitiyet martial arts acrobatics. The production design is
phettornertal. arid it‘s clear
through the bollocks that thunder god (’hristopher latnbert talks that no one is taking tltts too seriously. After .V/li'l/t/tl/I‘g'. it looks like British
I director Paul .Anderson has made style—over- content a \ irtue. tl'it‘sl
Independent)
I Snowboard Shred (ti
£10.99) .‘ylake way for an
hour of Australian powder i
actiort from psychos on
snowboards. set to a loiid
soundtrack of I )own
t'nder bands w ho also tear
along at high speed. l'ilsew ltet‘e. comedy dllo
; limpty l’ockets pill the
'mental' into
'eny rronmental' as they go ill search of 31!!" Jive & Ski tli £7.99). and the biggest natnes iii skateboarding head to ()1 in Johnny Goes Off Down Under t l: £7.99). (no Video)
I The Switchboard Operatori tsi A bit of a scandal for the UK censor iii the (ills, l)u.san Makayeiey 's tale of the love affair between two
~ Yugoslav crti/ens (she
frorn Hungarian lstckground. he of more conservative Moslent
stock) now makes fascinating viewing as it shows some of the forces
that drove the ethnic rrrinorities of the country
l to bloody extremes a few
years ago. .As ever with Makavejev. the theme of personal freedom finding its spark of life iii an oppressive regime is mirrored by the director's liberal collage technique. which juxtaposes drama.
Nightwatch
rtew srecl lllltl documentary footage. Also from l)usan {\lakavejev comes Innocence Unprotected il't basically a visually annotated \ ersiori of the first Serbian talkie. The source movie is a rather amateurish affair that has the acrobat Aleksic performing various stunts w hile saying an orphan from a vile arranged marriage. but i‘ylakavejev brings irt additional footage to comment on the state of Yugoslavia under WWI \la/i control. ((‘orinoisseur £12.99 each)
I Clerks ( 18) Low budget. lower humour. Kevin (‘lerk's foul— rnouthed slouch behind the counter of the local convenience store is the (ieneration X movie by which all others will be defined. Aitnless conversations pass the day for Dante and Randal. and the saute goes for the viewer: you'll be entertairted. just don't expect the film to really go anywhere. (Artificial liy e £15.99)
I The Beast With Five Fingers ( 15) Part ghostly horror. part contest—the- will mystery whodunnit. this intelligently dramatised movie isn't nearly as silly as its title suggests. When a paralysed concert pianist dies in strange circumstances. his dismembered hand seems to be haunting the household. l’eter Lorre is creepily sympathetic as the deceased‘s tortured secretary. and the scenes shot espressionistically through his guilty eye.s give the film a moody psycltologrcal twist. ('l'error Vision 1; lt).‘)9)
I Weekend Of A Champion (ti) Who'd have reckoned Roman Polanski to be a Jackie Stewart fatt'.’ But sure enough. here he is producing a tly-on-the- wall style documentary following the Scots driver's preparations and final triumph iii the I971 Monaco Grand Prix. Stewart drives us round the course. giving insight into Monte (‘arlo‘s tigltt streets and the fusion between man and machine that makes a real motor racing champion. (Lumiere £12.99)
The List l9 Apr-2 May I996 25