FILM INDEX
FILM INDEX CONTINUED
an sfx-heavy vampire western as the clientele spring fangs. Repetition abounds in a messy. tedious affair that's neither scary nor funny. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The “loathed The MUS) (Stephen Hopkins. US. I996) Michael Douglas. Val Kilmer. Bernard Hill. I09 mins. Young colonial Kilmer arrives in Africa to build bridges. but when two vicious lions get a taste for human meat. he determines to kill the beasts with the help of hunter Douglas. The natives. however. reckon these are no tnere big cats btrt evil spirits. Needlesst racist and devoid of intelligence. humour or emotion. this unexciting actioner lacks suspense. Edinburgh: UCI. Fife: Glenrothes.
I I Goofy Movie (U) (Kevin Lima. US. I996) With the voices of Bill Farmer. Jason Marsden. Jim Cummings. 74 mins. After a school prank backfires. Goofy decides to take troublesome son Max off on a bonding fishing trip. Max is trying his best to be cool. bttt that isn't easy when your dad's this particular Disney star. An incident- packcd journey provides plenty of laughs which should keep restless kids and accompanying adults amused. Fife: ABC. Glenrothes. Strathclyde: Odeon Ayr.
I la Ilalne ( l8) (Matthieu Kassovitz. France. I995) Vincent Cassel. Hubert Kounde. Said Taghmaoui. 85 mins. This edgy. black-and-white portrait of racial tension and police brutality on a run-down estate outside Paris won twentysornething Kassovitz the Director's Prize at the I995 Cannes Film Festival. Three ethnically tnixed lads come up against the cops when one of their pals is hospitalised after a raid. Urgent. compelling lilmmaking that's as punchy as a blow to the head. Glasgow: GF'I‘.
I llatnIet (U) (Kenneth Branagh. UK. I996) Kenneth Branagh. Julie Christie. Kate Winslet. 238 mins. Four hours long (with interval). bttt strong performances. visual delights and hearty portions of sex. violence. horror and intrigue all combine to make Branagh‘s *6llamlet worthy of its extreme duration. The story of the paranoid prince‘s revenge on his murderous uncle is freshened by its updating to the I9th century. while the glorious widescreen photography and succession of clever cameos also keep the audience on their toes. See feature and review. Edinburgh: Dominion.
I Ilarriet The Spy (PG) (Bronwen llugltes. US. I996) Michelle Trachtenberg. Rosie O'Donnell. Gregory Smith. l02 mins. Precocious schoolgirl Harriet. convinced she has a future as a writer. notes down the minutae of daily life in her journal: btrt when her classmates discover her criticisms of them. she has to work hard to win back popularity. 'l‘rachtenberg gives a fresh. sparky performance. but the teacherly tone won't amuse accompanying grown-ups. See review. Glasgow: ABC Film Centre. Odeon Quay. Virgin. Edinburgh: ABC. UCl. Strathclyde: UCIs.
I The “mth 0' Ilotra Dane (PG) (Gary Trousdale/Kirk Wise. US. I996) With the voices of Demi Moore. Tom llulce. Kevin Kline. 90 mins. Young Quasirnodo is kept prisoner in medieval Paris's great cathedral by the evil Judge Frollo. but when the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda comes on the scene. the boy‘s heroic instincts save the day. Strong vocal performances. stunning cityscapes. grand songs and an expertly mature handling of adult themes make this an instant classic with plenty to say about moral hypocrisy. Glasgow: Odeon Quay. Fife: New Picture House.
I I) love And *2 ( l 5) (Richard Attenborough. US. I996) Chris O‘Donnell. Sandra Bullock. Emilio Bonucci. I IS mins. If ever a film was killed by its casting. this is it. O'Donnell plays the young Ernest Hemingway. falling in love with American nurse Agnes Von Kurowsky (Bullock) in Italy during WWI. Bullock's face doesn't ftt the period. and O‘Donnell turns the writer's macho passions into spoilt brat arrogance - meaning there's no sense of romantic tragedy when they don‘t get it together. The true story that inspired A Farett'ell To Arms. it‘s devoid of irony or wit. See review. General release.
I Ba! ( l 2) (Roland Emmerich. US. I996) Will Smith. Jeff Goldblum. Bill Pullman. I50 mins. Day One: alien ships hover over the world‘s major cities. Day Two: they attack. Day Three: mankind goes into hokum overdrive and gears up to kick some alien ass. A SOs-style invasion B-movie with 90s state-of—the art effects. Independence Day is popcorn value- for-money at its very best. A gripping scare scenario that doesn‘t take itself too seriously. _ throws in some conspiracy theories and rounds it off with the tnost devastating disaster scenes ever put on film. Edinburgh: UCI.
I Jack (PG) (Francis Ford Coppola. US. I996) Robin Williams. Diane Lane. Bill Cosby. “3 mins. Again playing a kid-in-adult‘s-body. Williams is this time thwarted by the movie's appalling central concept: the ageing disease suffered by his ten-year-old means he'll die when
barely out of his teens. Further implausibility is added by the way he wins his classmates onto his side. Well-meaning but embarrassing and sentimental piece from Coppola which might disturb young viewers and will irritate older audiences. Glasgow: Virgin. Edinburgh: ABC. I Jacob's ladder ( l8) (Adrian Lyne. US. I990) Tim Robbins. Elizabeth Pena. Danny Aiello. I I3 mins. Vietnam vet Jacob Singer is seeing some very strange things. like nurses with demons' horns and people with faces straight out of a Francis Bacon painting. As his grip on the reality of his present life begins to slip. he has recurring flashbacks to the night his platoon was wiped out during the war. The director of Fatal Attraction and the writer of Ghost combine to pull offa terrifying. yet ultimately moving. paranoia thriller. Edinburgh: Film Guild.
I be: And The Giant Peach (U) (Henry Selick. US. I996) Paul Terry. Susan Sarandon. Simon Callow. 79 mins. From the director of Tim Burton 3' Tire Nightmare Before C lll'isltmts comes a wonderfully colourful adaptation of Roald Dahl's much-loved novel. Live action tops and tails the story. bttt for the most part. it's fun times with stop-motion puppets. By turns funny and scary. it stays true to Dalrl‘s surreal and whimsical vision. Glasgow: GI-‘I‘. Strathclyde: Odeon Ayr.
I Jingle Ill The Way (PG) (Brian Levant. US. I996) Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sitrbad. Phil Hartman. 90 mins. Having failed to learn his lesson with Kindergarten Cop. Arnie again tries for a broad comedy with children in this attempt at a ‘heattwat'ming' Christmas movie. tackling the Yuletide shopping crowds in search of Minnesota's last remaining Turbo Mart toy. Running gags are run into the ground. the slapstick is ltttnpen and the spurious moral sentiments hypocritical. A real seasonal turkey. Strathclyde: UCI Clydebank.
I Jude ( I8) (Michael Winterbottom. UK. I996) Christopher Eccleston. Kate Winslet. Rachel Griffiths. l20 mins. Based on Thomas Hardy's uncompromisineg bitter final novel. this tremendously powerful adaptation shares the novel's romantic tragedy between its two central characters. Determined and honest Jude (Eccleston) is snubbed by Victorian society as he strives for a university education. but worse is in store when he falls in love with his cousin (Winslet). Hard-hitting acting. a director and writer who trttly understand Hardy's themes. and stunning photography elevate this to classic status. Edinburgh: Filmhouse. Central: MacRobett.
I Kansas City (l5) (Robert Altman. US. I996) Jennifer Jason Leigh. Miranda Richardson. Harry Belafonte. I )8 rrrins. What he did for country music in Nashville. Altman doesn‘t quite do with jazz in Kattsm‘ City. although the musical elements of this nostalgic journey to the director's childhood are its strongest. What lets the film down are the Overplayed performances of Leigh and Richardson as. respectively. kidnapper and politician‘s wife in the dramatic plot that lies over a richly atmospheric portrait ofthe city of swing in the 30s. Glasgow: ABC Film Centre. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I The land Before Tille (U) (Don Blrtth. US. I989) 86 mins. Orphaned brontosaurus Littlefoot loses his mum to the claws of a nasty Tyrannosaurus Rex. then teams up with a gang of similarly parentless wee dinos to undertake the hazardous journey across country to the safety of the Great Valley. Classically drawn and chockful of edifying moral lessons. this is solid entertainment perfectly tailored for its target audience of young children. Central: ABC.
I leaving la: Vega: ( I8) (Mike Figgis. US. I995) Nicolas Cage. Elisabeth Shue. Julian Sands. I I0 mins. Sacked from hisjob. Ben (Cage) drives to Las Vegas with the sole intention of drinking himself to death. bttt dtrring his descent comes across hooker Sera (Shue). another lost soul. Figgis's neon-drenched movie captures the irresponsible euphoria and mental pain of alcoholism from a subjective viewpoint. while the astonishing performances by the leads help it transcend the surface tawdriness and delve deep into underlying emotions. Edinburgh: Cameo.
I loch lies: (U) (John Henderson. US. I995) Ted Danson. )0er Richardson. Kirsty Graham. l00 tnins. An American scientist comes to Scotland to disprove the existence of Nessie. but is charmed by the place and the people. So far. so Local Hero. But in its later stages. this fatnin movie leaps into action. keeping you on the edge of your seat. Better than you might expect. but not remarkably special. Fife: ABC.
I The long list Boothifllt ( I8) (Renny Harlin. US. I996) Geena Davis. Samuel L. Jackson. Craig Bietko. l20 mins. Suburban schoolteacher and atnnesiac Davis suddenly discovers that. in the past. she was atop CIA assassin and. with private detective Jackson in tow. avoids a host of professional killers and foils a genocide plot. It‘s action all the way and logic out the window as director (and the star's husband) Harlin delivers
spectacular stunts while Shane Black‘s script contains inspired banter. Pure escapism. Edinburgh: Cameo. Strathclyde: Odeon Ayr.
I Looking For ltlchanl (l5) (Al Pacino. US. I996) Al Pacino. Winona Ryder. Alec Baldwin. “2 mins. Pacino investigates his passion for Shakespeare by scurrying around New York. interviewing ordinary people and famous thespians about the Bard's appeal. When he gets together his chums to chew over the text and enact some scenes from Richard III however. his offbeat film goes sadly off the rails and resembles a Higher English lesson. A noble effort that‘s too self-indulgent to secure an new audience or further enlighten Shakespeare fans. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Matilda (PG) (Danny De Vito. US. I996) Mara Wilson. Danny De Vito. Embeth Davidtz. 98 mins. Capturing the delicious wickedness of Roald Dahl's writing. director De Vito fttlly exploits exaggeration and playful camera work to tell the tale of a gifted child who trscs her super brain to outwit her neglectful parents. Offsetting the lovable Matilda against a series of horribly inflated bad characters. the film's empowering message for children will appeal to the mischeviotrs kid in everyone. General release.
I Michael Collins (IS) (Neil Jordan. US. I996) Liam Neeson. Julia Roberts. Alan Ricktnan. I32 mins. Winner of the Best Film and Best Actor awards at the Venice Film Festival and the cause of knee- jerk criticism from the right-wing press. Jordan's stirring historical epic is an honest portrayal of a tagged and bloody conflict between the British imperial power and idealistic Irish Nationalists early this century. The action is well handled. the clraracterisations strong arid the brutality on both sides is never glossed over. Fife: Adam Smith.
I The Mirror Ilas TWO Faces ( l5) (Barbra Streisand. US. I996) Barbra Streisand. Jeff Bridges. Lauren Bacall. l26 mins. Director Streisand plays art unmarried university professor who meets stuffy maths lecturer Bridges. but is hampered in love by her overbearing mother (Bacall) and her new amour's desire for a partner of the ltead. not the heart. A familiarly plotted romantic comedy that manages a surprising number of laughs. but lacks a strong central dramatic relationship. Bacall steals every scene. Edinburgh: Dominion. I Naked lunch ( l8) (David (‘ronenbetg US. I992) Peter W-ller. Judy Davis. Ian Holm. l2l mins. Body horror maestro takes on the near impossible task of filming William Burroughs's controversial novel The Naked Lune/t and comes out with a cinematic masterpiece. Elements from Burroughs's own life merge with a surreal narrative and the book's bizarre. drug-induced sexual imagery. leaving a bewildered. btrt impressed. audience in their wake. By no means easy watching. btrt well worth the effort. Glasgow: Gl’f.
I Natural Born Killers ( I8) (Oliver Stone. US. I994) Woody llarrelson. Juliette Lewis. Robert Downey Jr. I I9 mins. Stone's visual and aural assault makes for one of the most remarkable cinematic experiences in years: his atterrtpts to rnatry style with content. and provide a damning expose of the media adulation of serial killers is less successful. let down by his trademark overstatement. Violent. mesmer‘ising. hallucinatory and bold in its use of various film formats. NBK is a landmark in MTV-influenced filmmaking. Glasgow: ()deon Quay. Edinburgh: C atneo.
I Nico-Icon ( l5) (Susanne Ofteringer. Germany. I995) Nico. Jackson Browne. John Cale. 72 mins. Ofteringer creates a collage of frank interviews. ftlm extracts and music clips to present an absorbing portrait of the underground icon from her early days as a model through the Warhol period to the drugs decline. Music featured includes tracks by The Velvet Underground and Nico herself. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I Old Glasgow On Screen U) 90 mins. Janet McBain. curator of the Scottish Filtn Archive. introduces a selection of short factual films - silent and sound — reflecting aspects of 20th century life in Glasgow. The programme includes the Oscar-winning Seatr'artl The Great Ships. Glasgow: GFf.
I 101 Dalmatiath) (Stephen llerek. US. I996) Glenn Close. Joely Richardson. Jeff Daniels. l03 tnirrs. Disney turns one of its favourite animated films into a live action pantomime with spodges of Home Alone buffoonery. making sure there are plenty of dogs to make the kids go 'aaahhh'. The story remains pretty tnuch untouched - vile villainess C I'llclia De Vil (CIOse) kidnaps enough spotty pups to make a stunning coat. btrt the animal world gets the better of her — btrt so does the old-fashioned morality. which stresses the sanctity of marriage and that a woman's place is by her man's side. General release.
I only Angels Ilavo Wings (PG) (Howard Hawks. US. I939) Cary Grant. Jean Arthur.
Richard Barthelmess. l2l mins. Tough businessman Grant wins the heart of Arthur as he sends pilots on dangerous joumeys carrying air freight across the Andes. Despite the fact that the action plays out almost entirely indoors. the film has a terrific sense of adventure bttt succeeds best as a complex character study. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I onon‘s Belt ( l5) (Ola Solurn. Norway. I985) I03 mins. Three sailors. who make their living by running North Sea tours and indulging in various petty scams. step into hot water when they stutnblc upon a Soviet spy installation in the Arctic. A well-received. big budget thriller that's sometimes a little too ideological for its own good. Shown as part of Scottish Norwegian Week. Glasgow: GFI‘.
I The Outlaw (PG) (Howard Hughes. US I943) Jane Russell. Jack Beutel. Walter Huston. l2l mins. Offbeat Western taking a new path along a well trodden story of Doc llolliday. Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid. There were personal tensions on set (Howard Hawks is reputed to have stormed out). and the not always subliminal eroticism upset the censors. But there's enough sly humour and stunning photography at play to compensate for any misgivings about the plot or the acting. Glasgow: GFI‘. Edinburgh: Filmlrouse.
I Part: Was A Woman (I2) (Greta Schiller. UK. I995) 75 mins. Schiller‘s argues that the creative input of the women of the Parisian Left Bank scene early this century has been grossly overlooked in favour. trnsurprisirtgly. of their male counterparts. Mixing interviews and archive footage. she r‘cassesses the work of Gertrude Stein. Sylvia Beach and others and. perhaps more importantly. suggests that their lifestyles — it's implied most were lesbians — that broke many barriers. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
I The Pillow Book ( I 8) (Peter (ireenaway. UK/Netherlands/France. I996) Vivian Wtr. Ewan McGregor. Yoshi ()ida. l26 mins. Gr‘eenaway's distinctive style of fratnes within frames and text scrolling across the screen reaches its zenith in this visual masterpiece. A Japanese model chooses her lovers on the strength of their calligraphic skills. and slowly she pills in motion a revenge plan against the man who ruined her father. McGregor co-stars as a bisexual translator whose kit is more off than on. but the graphic nudity is sensually handled. Achineg gorgeous images make for sheer cinematic poetry. Central: MacRobett. Fife: Adam Smith.
I Powder ( l 2) (Victor Salva. US. I995) Sean Patrick Flanery. Mary Stecnbur'gen. Jeff Goldblum. I l2 mins. Like Phenomenon. Pom/er is intended to be a spiritually uplifting film with a sttpet'~achiever fora central character and a conviction that there is good in the hearts of the most unassuming humans. An albino boy (Flanery) found iii a cellar is discovered to have an IQ that goes right off the scale and electrically charged powers which he uses for the good of mankind. Uninspired and sentimental. See review. Glasgow: Sltowcase. Edinburgh: UCl. Strathclyde: UCls.
I The Promise ( l5) (Mar‘garetlte votr Trotta. Germany. I994) August Zirner. Corinna llarfouch. Meret Becker. I I9 rrrins. Two liast Berlin students in love with each other obtain a plan of the sewer system a couple of years after the Wall goes up. but only she escapes and for years they remain separated. A heartfelt work from one of Germany's most important directors. which has art epic scope and human central story that might appeal to more than the arthouse crowd. Central: MacRobert.
I nuadrophenia ( l8) (Franc Roddam. UK. I979) Phil Daniels. Leslie Ash. Sting. l2() trtins. Mods and rockers live it up on Brighton beach by swapping buckets and spades for cltains and sticks. Lively first half has enough energy. music. violence and period flavour to carry it along. btrt all too soon it degenerates into some sort of treatise on the morality of youth. set to tunes by The Who. Glasgow: Showcase. Edinburgh: ABC.
I llanaotntIS) (Ron Howard. US. I996) Mel Gibson. Rene Russo. Gary Sinise. l2l mins. Self-made millionaire Tom Mullen's life takes a turn for the traumatic when his sort is kidnapped. After the FBI btrngle the ransom drop. Mullen goes on network TV to offer the $2 million as a bounty on the kidnapper's head. A tightly paced. dark and brooding Hollywood thriller which has more than the average amount of tension and twists. The acting is all-round excellent. bttt it's Gibson‘s movie and he's perfect as the likeable bloke with an underlying vicious streak. See feature and review. General release.
I la liegle lJII Jetl (PG) (Jean Renoir. France. I939) Marcel Dalio. Nora Gregor. Jean Renoir. “3 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
28 The List 7-20 Feb I997