INDEX FILM
scenario that doesn't take itself too seriously. throws in some conspiracy theories and rounds it off with the most devastating disaster scenes ever put on film. General release. I mum Giant Peach (U) (Henry Selick. US. I996) Paul Terry. Susan Sarandon. Simon CalIow. 79 mins. From the director of Tim Burton '5 The Nightmare Before C Irrisrmus comes a wonderfully colourful adaptation of Roald Dahl's much-loved novel. Live action tops and tails the story. but for the most part. it's fun times with stop-motion puppets. By turns funny and scary. it stays true to Dahl's surreal and whimsical vision. General release. I Jeffrey (l8) (Christopher Ashley. US. I995) Steven Weber. Michael T. Weiss. Patrick Stewart. 94 mins. Single New Yorker Jeffrey decides that AIDS has made sex too risky. so he goes celibate - just as he meets Mr Right. Cinematic style is cast aside for moment-to- moment entertainment in a punchy. witty film that uses its lead character as an amalgam of AIDS era hangoups. Resoluter upbeat and celebratory. Fife: Adam Smith. I la Jetee (I2) (Chris Marker. France. I962) 29 mins. An extremely rare opportunity to see this influential piece about the power of memory. An image of a woman at the end of a pier haunts a man as he wanders through a post-apocalyptic world. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. I Jonah M The Pink Whale ( I8) (Juan Carlos Valdivia. Bolivia/Mexico. I995) 92 mins. Set during the mid-80s. when inflation was high and the drug barons were in power. this Bolivian drama combines romance. melodrama and magic realism. A teacher at a private girls’ school flirts with his sister-in-law despite his disapproving in-laws‘ links with the drug traffrkers. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: GFT. I “It (U) (Joe Johnston. US. I995) Robin Williams. Jonathan Hyde. Kirsten Dunst. l0I mins. Trapped for 26 years in a jungle board game. Alan Parrish (Williams) is released only when two modem-day kids throw the dice themselves. But they also unleash a stampede of monkeys. crocodiles. elephants. rhinos and other unfamiliar beasts into small town America. The story manages to get beyond its repetitive limits with a brilliantly original central idea and post- lurusiie Park computer effects that make it state-of—the-art cinema spectacle. Strathclyde: WMR. I Kids ( l8) (Larry Clark. US. I995) Leo Fitzpatrick. Justin Pierce. Chloe Sevigny. 93 mins. Photographer Clark brings a gritty yet hip approach to his portrait of urban youth overdOsed on sex and drugs. Verbally. but not visually. explicit. the film is as bleak as it gets. as HIV positive Jennie spends a day tracking down arrogant ‘virgin surgeon‘ Telly. Serious issues are touched on in an unadorned fashion. but it's up to us to discuss a way to find the solutions. Edinburgh: Cameo. I KW (U) (Godfrey Reggio. US. I983) 86 mins. Rather vacuous exploration of the beauty of our planet and the nastiness of our modern civilisation which is in the process of destroying it. Beautifully shot. and with an apocalyptic Philip Glass score to boot. it ends up looking like a spectacular advert for something or other. Prior to the screening. members of Trongatc Studio will outline the progress of the Terra Nova Project. who display of artwork in the cafe-bar was inspired by the film. Glasgow: GFT.
I The last Supper ( I5) (Stacy Title. US. I996) ‘ Ron Eldard. Courtney Vance. Cameron Diaz. 92 mins. A group of American grad students host a series of dinners during which they pose various ‘PC or not PC'." questions to their guests - with fatal results if the answer is not to their liking. Described by the director as 'an Arsenic And Old Lace for the this black comedy relies as much on vividly drawn characters as the bizarre situation that unfolds. Glasgow: ABC Sauchiehall Street. Edinburgh: Cameo. UCI. I lone Star (15) (John Sayles. US. I996) Chris Cooper. Kris Kristofferson. Elizabeth Pena. I35 mins. The discovery of a skeleton with a sheriff‘s badge near a small Texan border town stirs up memories of the past for the current lawman. Unlike the typically shallow Hollywood 'whodunnit'. Sayles weaves wide. ranging social and personal issues into his drama. Little by utrre. the twrn dusts ot time and desert are blown away to reveal the hidden truths that rest uneasily below the surface of America today. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: GFT. I W (PG) (Hirokazu Koreeda. Japan. I995) Esumi Makiko. Naito Takeshi. I IO mins. When her husband commits suicide. a young Japanese woman becomes convinced she's some kind of Angel of Death. while her family try to obliterate this social shame by arranging a new marriage. Slow and contemplative. with minimal dialogue. former documentarist Koreeda fills his feature debut with frames shot in semi-darkness. Arthouse traditionalists will delight at its lingering pace. See review. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I WM Merenoue (I5) (Joseph B. Vasquez. US. I995) Mambo-mad Miguel leaves the Dominican Republic to become a Broadway dancer. hooking up en route with a bunch of illegal immigrants. Big dreams and political reality clash in this energetic romantic drama which bounces along to a score by Lalo Schifrin. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: GET. es 0t Malevolent-eat ( l 5) (Tomas Gutierrez Alea. Cuba. I968) 97 mins. A surprising hit when it played commercially in the US. Alea's breakthrough feature follows the dilemmas of a middle-class intellectual who is unable to commit himself to his country's social revolution. His perceptions are interwoven with documentary footage of historical events (the Bay of Pigs invasion. the Cuban Missile Crisis) to provide a complex picture of an individual alienated from the world around hint. See preview. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: GI’T. I Mission: Impossible (PG) (Brian De Palrna. US. I996) Tom Cruise. Jon Voight. Ernrnanuelle Beart. I I0 mins. Unlike the fondly remembered TV series which pushed the notion of teamwork. this lavishly produced Hollywood thriller is driven by Cruise's solo star power. As the only survivor of a hit on his espionage team. he races across the world. setting up double bluffs to flush out a mole. There are a couple of dazzling set pieces. but they‘re padded out by yards of complicated plot. Slick. but cold. Edinburgh: Cameo. UCI. Strathclyde: UCls. I Mulholland Falls ( I8) (Lee Tamahori. US. I996) Nick Nolte. Melanie Griffith. Chazz Palminteri. l06 mins. A fictionalised tale involving LAPI)‘s real-life tough guy ‘Hat Squad'. 'l'amahori‘s US follow-up to Once Were ll’urrr’ors strays too closely to Chinatown territory to work in its own right. A murder leads to high-up conspiracies and corruption. bringing in personal difficulties for Nolte's morally compromised hero. Lacks the dread or paranoia that the 50s noirs so effortlessly evoked. See review. Glasgow: ()deon. Virgin. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Odeon. UCI. Strathclyde: UCls. I Met Treasure Island (PG) (Brian Henson. L'S/UK. I996) Tim Curry. Kevin Bishop. Billy Connolly. l02 mins. Young Jim Hawkins. along with his friends the Great Gonzo and Rizzo The Rat go hunting for treasure with Captain FIint's map. meeting up on the way with Long John Silver (Ctrrry). and Fozzie. Kermit. Miss Piggy et al as various Stevenson characters. Faithful to the book. but hilarious in its extraneous details - especially in the opening section — this is one time everyone can enjoy Hollywood's plundering of British literature. Central: MacRobert. I low And Then (PG) (Lesli Linka Glatter. US. l995) Dcmi Moore. Melanie Griffith. Christina Ricci. Thora Birch. I02 mins. Four women meet after an a gap of ten years and remenrber back to their childhood. when an enigmatic headstone message set off a chain of events that bonded them together. Hints of a female Stand By Me perhaps. but this is a thoughtful. comforting memory piece. Sentimental. but that comes with the territory. Strathclyde: UCI East Kilbride. I 0" Side ( l5) (Rolando Diaz. Spain. I995) 27 mins. A group of football-mad inhabitants of Tenerife believe that they can directly influence the outcome of matches. With Solo. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: GFT. I The Owner ( l8) (Jorge Rocca. Argentina/Uruguay. I995) 90 mins. An odious landlord sets his eye on an impoverished tenant as the potential mother for his child: but even when he forces her into marriage. events do not turn to his advantage. An award-winning drama on the abuse of power. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: GET. I Phenomenon (PG) (Jon Turteltaub. US. I996) John Travolta. Robert Duvall. Kyra Sedgwick. I23 mins. When a strange white light knocks him flat. rural mechanic George (Travolta) becomes a super-achiever overnight: but his new-found genius turns him into the town pariah and soon the FBI are on his case. This is a big- hearted. big-minded film lit tip by cracking perfonnances from every single one of the cast. with Travolta playing the lead with total cornrmtment and honesty. General release. I Pulp Fiction ( I8) (Quentin Tarantino. US. I994) John Travolta. Samuel Jackson. Urna Thunnan. Bruce Willis. I50 mins. Much more ambitious than Reservoir Dogs. the most awaited second feature of the 90s has many scenes that crackle with Tarantino wit. and a few others that fall flat as the writer-director bravely experiments. Interlocking stories in the pulp crime manner concern hitrnen. ailing boxers. gang bosses and their molls. drug fiends. and assorted riff-raff. A surprise Cannes Palrne d'Or winner is a trip. all the way. Edinburgh: Cameo. I lleliecca (PG) (Alfred Hitchcock. US. I940) Laurence Olivier. Joan Fonteine. Judith Anderson. I30 mins. Wonderfully atmospheric romance. made when Hitch was at his height. The young bride of rich widower Maxim de Winter joins him at his grand mansion -
Manderley — but everywhere she turns. there are memories of his first wife. whose death is surrounded by mystery. Anderson's Overwrought Gothic housekeeper Mrs Danvers steals the show. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I la eagle M Jen (PG) (Jean Renoir. France. I939) Marcel DaIio. Nora Gregor. Jean Renoir. I I3 mins. A weekend shooting party for the assorted bourgeoisie results in a welter of romantic intrigue and a hint of tragedy. Suppressed during the war because censors objected to its portrayal of French moral degeneration. Renoir's celebrated comedy can now be seen as a triumph of bleak satire and fluid cinematic technique. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I ll llelne Mt ( I8) (Patrice Chereau. France. I994) Isabelle Adjani. Daniel Auteuil. Jean-Hughes Anglade. I45 mins. A forced wedding between the Protestant Henri de Navarre and the Catholic Marguerite de Valois can’t calm 16th century France's religious wars or stop the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Chereau‘s breathtaking epic is perhaps a tad gory for the costume drama crowd. but it's a subtitled spectacle that is remarkable in its Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Itch lley ( I5) (Michael Caton-Jones. US/L'K. I995) Liam Neeson. Jessica Lange. Tim Roth. I30 mins. When he is betrayed by the Marquis of Montrose (John Hurt) and a maliciously psychopathic Englishman (Roth). Rob Roy MacGrcgor is deteniiined to win back the honour of his name. Alan Sharp's script is rich. witty and literate: Caton-Jones's direction injects a little action. but doesn‘t pander to Hollywood: and all the performances are wonderful. A stirring epic which refuses to compromise. making it one of the best films about Scotland and the Scottish psyche ever made. Borders: Pavilion.
I The Rock (l5) (Michael Bay. US. I996) Nicolas Cage. Sean Connery. Ed Harris. I35 mins. Psychotic army commander Harris takes over Alcatraz and threatens to decirnate San Francisco in a poison gas attack: but on the goodies side are goofball chemical weapons expert Cage and Connery. the only man ever to have escaped ‘the rock'. Hyped up MTV-style direction. fast cuts. big explosions. Brain removal is recommended for full enjoyment. Glasgow: Odeon. Edinburgh: Odeon. Strathclyde: UCls.
I the Rocky Ilerrer Picture Show ( I8) (Jirn Shamian. UK. I975) Tim Curry. Susan Sarandon. Barry Bostwick. Meat Loaf. I00 mins. The cult film to end all others. this rock spoof on old horror movies has created a breed of Rocky Horror crazies. and packs them in at late shows everywhere. The film has its moments. and Curry is splendidly camp as the bisexual Frank N. Furter. Central: MacRobert. I Ilepe(l5) (Alfred Hitchcock. US. I948) James Stewart. John Dall. Farley Granger. 8| mins. Just as the two young gay protagonists play an intellectual game of murder to prove their superiority. Hitchcock shows off his skills by constructing the movie in uncut ten-minute takes. Some of the dialogue is a little philosophically heavy. which weighs down the parlour fun of the concept. but it does provide another example of the strangely perverse fascinations of the director. Edinburgh: Cameo. I The Secret I” m lniah (PG) (John Sayles. US/Ireland. I994) Jeni Courtney. Eileen Colgan. John Lynch. I03 mins. Master filmmaker Sayles delivers a wonderfully wistful Celtic fantasy that should appeal to older and younger viewers alike. Capturing the mood of rural Ireland and the legend of the half-human. half-seal selkies. he spins a rich tale of everyday magic which taps into the cultural identity of the setting without a hint of condescension. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Secrets And ties ( I5) (Mike Leigh. UK. I996) Timothy Spall. Brenda Blethyn. Phyllis Logan. I40 mins. Leigh's Palme D'Or-winning follow up to Naked is a bittersweet take on suburban domestic life. Young black optician Hortense searches for the mother who put her up for adoption as a baby. but is surprised to discover it's white working-class Cynthia. Genuinely emotional. with great performances by Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Timothy Spall. but the showstopping turn comes from Cannes winner Brenda Blethan. Edinburgh: Cameo. Fife: Adam Smith.
I Snake (l5) (Wayne Wang. US. I995) Harvey Keitel. William Hurt. Harold Pern'neau. l08 mins. Novelist Hurt offers homeless lad Perrineau a place to stay after he is saved from being run over. Elsewhere. well observed Brooklyn characters hang out in the tobacco store where Keitel dispenses homespun philosophies. A delightful and compelling treat. based on the work of Paul Auster. Strathclyde: East Kilbride Arts Centre. ISoMTheIIIOITIeFflelflISHJosde Putter. Netherlands/Brazil. I994) 54 mins. For many young boys in Rio's slums. a career as a professional footballer is the only means of
escape from violence and crime. With the I994 World Cup in the US as the backdrop. this film follows Anselmo and Leonardo as top talent scout appears at their matches. With Oflside. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: GF'I‘.
I Spy It“ (PG) (Rick Friedberg. US. I996) Leslie Nielsen. Nicolette Sheridan. Andy Griffith. 9| mins. Secret agent WD40 (oh yes. the laughs start here) is an accident-prone Bond type who finds himself up against deadly enemy General Rancor. Another one to add to the growing spoof list — Air/)Imre.’. Hot Shots. Naked Gun - but not as good as any of those. Glasgow: Virgin.
I Staroate (PG) (Roland Emmerich. US. I994) Kurt Russell. James Spader. Jaye Davidson. l22 mins. Was Eanh visited centuries ago by aliens? Seems like it. particularly when Egyptologist Spader solves the key to a huge engraved circle found at the pyramids and unlocks a doorway to another planet. Along with a military team led by Russell. he encounters totalitarian space god Ra (Davidson) and reverses US foreign policy by helping the locals. Big budget science fiction with gleefully ridiculous story and brilliant effects. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I Stealing Beauty ( I 5) (Bernardo Bertolucci. Italy/France/UK. I996) Liv Tyler. Jeremy Irons. Donal McCann. “8 mins. A teenage American beauty (Tyler) visits her late mother‘s bohemian ex-pat friends in Tuscany with a mind to lose her virginity to the young man for whom she has had a lasting infatuation. Rivals for her affections are many. and her arrival unsettles the balance of the house. The photography and handling of Bertolucci's first Italian-set film for fifteen years is characteristically masterful. although the storyline may contain a little too much middle- aged male lechery. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Cameo. UCI.
I Strawberry And Chocolate ( I 5) (Tomas Gutierrez Alea/Juan Carlos Tabio. Cuba/Mexico/Spain. I993) Jorge Perugorria. Vladimir Cruz. Mirta Ibarra. ll0 mins. A straight Cuban sociology student becomes the object of affection for a older gay man. As their platonic friendship develops. they find themselves under pressure from the attitudes of other friends and from the political regime. What begins — deliberately - in stereotypical fashion soon transcends sexual and social boundaries and assumptions. Latin American Film Festival. Glasgow: GET.
I The Shrpitls (PG) (John Landis. US. I996) Tom Arnold. Jessica Lundy. Christopher Lee. 94
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