FILM index
FILM index continued
Lost In Space tl’(i) (Stephen Hopkins. l'S. I998) William lltirt. (iary ()ldman. Matt l.e Blane. 109 units. The ctilt TV series for the (i()s gets a ()(Is tiiake-ov er and. despite the state-of—the-art special effects. it's every bit as cheesy as the original. l’rofessor .loliii Robinson (Htiit) and his family are sent to colonise the distant planet of Alpha l’rime. btit an act of sabotage causes them to spin into the stratosphere. Certain pertormances are so irritating that most viewers will sympathise vv itli ()ldmaii‘s craveii v illarn. (ierieral release
Love And Death On Long Island ( ISi (Richard va lL‘lllttiWsivl. l 'K/Canada. I997) John Hurt. Jason Priestley. liiona l.oewi. 93 mins. Celebrated writer and 20th century anaclironism (iiles l)e':\th (Hurt) falls for teen heart thi'ob Ronnie (l’riestley ). and eventually tracks him down in Long Island to offer him a new. cultured way of life. Dear/r l/i ll'nir (' is the obvious reference point. yet it is Iiar'd to avoid seeing De'Ath‘s bliiikered existence as a 9()s v et'sion of (‘I'm m/i/r' Hum/cc. ‘l‘lie early portrayal of irrational desire unfortunately gives way to a story that's too daft. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith. The Magic Sword tt'i (I-‘r-etIei-ik l)u Chair. l'S. I998) With the voices oI'(iai'y' ()ldmaii. .Iessaly n (iilsig. Cary lilvves. 88 mins. All is happy tinder Kiiig Arthur’s rule until evil l.ord Rubei' tries to steal lixcalibur. When the wondrous weapon becomes lost in the l‘orbidderi l-‘orest. plucky young Kayley reckons she's brave enough to save the day. 'l‘liis animated feature sticks to the Disney formula -~ action. bawled-out ballads. kooky sidekicks -- btit the animation itself lacks Walt's grace. (leneral release.
The Man With Two Brains ( IS) (Carl Reiner. CS. 1983) Steve Martin. Kathleen Turner. David Warner. 93 mins. [any Martin-Reiiier romp in which the great man play s a brilliant brain surgeon driven to the depths of despair when he weds 'l‘iirnei'. a man-hungry murderess with a penchant for driving elderly litrsbaiids to early gi'av es and pocketing their legacies. l)cliriously delightful. liditiburgh: Cameo. Matilda (l’(i) (Danny l)e Vito. t'S. I996) Mara Wilson. l)aiiy l)e Vito. limbeth Davidtz. 98 mins. Capturing the delicious wickedness of Roald l)ahl‘s writing. director l)e \I'ito fully exploits exaggerayion and playful camera work to tell the tale of a gifted child who uses her super brain to outwit her neglectful parents. ()ffsetting the lovable Matilda against a series of horribly inflated bad characters. the film‘s empowering message for children will appeal to the misclievious kid iii everyone. Stirling: MacRobeit.
Mimic ( l8) ((itiillei‘mo Del 'l‘oro. US. I998) Mira Sor'v irio. Jeremy Northam. Charles S. l)utton. I05 mins. (ierietically altered insects designed to eradicate disease-carrying cockroaches have mutated and bred in the tunnels beneath New York. While scientists and other humans wander around not always avoiding the razor-sharp legs and bone- crtishing mandibles of the insect predators. Mexican director l)el 'l'oro juxtaposes images of poetic beauty with scenes of stark terror. A superior big btig movie. lidinburgh: l‘ilmhouse.
Moio (Jez Butterworth. UK. I997) lan llatt. liwen Bremner. Aiden (iillen. 89 mins. Butterwortli adapted his own play for the big screen and cast one of this country's greatest playwrights. Harold Pinter. in it for good measure. ln I958 Soho. Silver Johnny. a rock n' roll star in the making. has a residency at the Atlantic club. btit soon double-crossing kicks in and a gaiig wai' escalates. The violence remains implicit until the final scene. otherwise yoti might imagine it was an experiment in Cockney argot by 'I'arantino or Scorsese. Kirckcaldy: Adam Smith. Mouseflunt (U) ((iore Verbinski. US. I997) Nathan Lane. Lee livans. Christopher Walken. 98 mins. Lane and livans play hapless brothers who inherit a decripit mansion. btit when they decide to renovate auction it. a resident rodent is not
101 THE lIST 27 Aug—IO Sep 1998
willing to be cv ictcd. An excellent blend of Laurel and Hardy slapstick and black humour. .llurtvc/lunl is sheer entertainment and has some real belly laughs. The tone and the pacing are spot— ott throughout. atid the sets and special effects are the icing on the cake. lidinbiirgh: ()deon.
Mr Nice Guy ( l5) (Samo lliitig. l‘S. I998) Jackie Chan. Richard Norton. Miki Ice. 95 turns. The martial arts legend makes his latest bid for international stardom with another mov ie ty pical oI all that is so entertaining in his work 'I here are the breathless stunts. a protracted chase. kiiockabout humour and yet more breathless stunts. ‘l‘he plot is merely a vehicle for the action. and what a sleek. deliciously pointless velrrcle ll prov es. See review.
My Son The Fanatic I I5) it‘dayan l’rasttd. CK. l997) ()Iti l’ttl'l. Rachel (iriffiths. Stellan Skarsgard. ln llariif Ktircishi‘s screen adaptation ol his ow it short story. put-upon Bradford l.’l\l driver l’uri is caught tip iii a domestic battle that pits pits whisky and Louis Ai‘iiistroiig against the Koran. 'l‘liosc expecting another rock 'n' roll rites of passage tale a la li’m/r/liit ()f Suburb/tr may be disappointed. btit here is an absorbing account of conflicting iiioi'alities and generational tensions in [in (It’ \I(’( 11' Britain. Stirling: MacRobert.
Out of the Past ( l5) (Jacques 'l‘ourneui'. US. I947) Robert Mitclium. Jane (ireer. Kirk Douglas. Rhonda l‘leming. Virginia Huston. 96 mins. (irippirig. moody and expertly mounted flashback mm: starring Mitchum as the condemned man. a private detective whose investigation of Douglas's girlfriend (ireer takes him to Mexico and eventually a confrontation with death. Classic B-mov ie w itli a hallucinatory. almost existentialist atmosphere. (ilasgow': (ll-'l’.
Paulie (I’(i) (John Roberts. l'S. I998) Jay Mohr. 'I‘ony Slialliotrb. (iena Row lands. 9| mins. Caged iii a research rtistitrrte. l’aulie the parrot relates his life-story: from helping a little girl w ith a stutter to a series of adv etitures with various adults. Neither as immediately cute nor as bizarrely inspired as Ii’u/n'. l’uu/u' nevertheless marks a step in the right direction for the l)reaiii\\'orks studio. Jay Mohr‘s vocal talents give the parrot a streetwise sense. wile the mix of live action and animatronics is alway s realistic. (ilasgow: ABC Muirend. Showcase. l-‘alkirk: ABC. (ireenock: Waterfront.
Paws (PU) (Karl Zwicky. Australia/CK. I997) Nathan Cavaleri. liniilic l-‘rancois. voice of Billy Connolly. 83 tiiiiis. Clever doggie PC is on a mission to deliver a computer disc. btit is being tracked down by the unpleasant baddie who killed his master. Befriending computer vvliiu kid Vac. the mutt litiks tip to a voice simulator and starts talking with the broad twang of Billy Connolly. Some genuinely funny moments allow for a whole range of teetiage crises to be dealt with in an tineringeworthy fashion. Ayr: ()deon. Point Blank ( l8) (John Boormati. CS.
Ester Goris stars in Dona Barbara. screening at the [Min American Film Festival
I9o7) l.ee Marvin. Angie Dickinson. Keenan Wy mi. 92 mins. Rev enge-riddcn Marv iii is bent on iustity iiig his dreamlike existence and turning the tables on the my steriorrs criminal ()rgatiisation which employed him in this tense. well crafted thriller that boasts an imaginitive and influential treatment of time. Boorman's impressive first American feature is made meriioi'able by Marv in’s brilliant portrayal of an otitriioded gunman cotiftrsedly taking on a world overrun by technology. l~‘.tlkiik: l’l‘ll
The Prisoner Of Zenda (l’(i) Richard JJIUI'PC. l'S. I952) Stewart (irangei'. Deborah Kerr. James .Masoti. I()() mins. Sumptuoiis remake (one of many ) of the swashbuckling adventure pits snarling hero ( ii'anger against sriiootli v illain Mason with beautiful linglish Rose Deborah Kerr as the pri/e. lot the uninitiated. Anthony Hope's Rtiritariian classic concerns a plot to sav e the throne by putting an imposter iii the absent King's place. ()f course. things do not go according to plan. (ilasgow: (ill
The Railway Children (l’(i) (Lionel .leffrres. l'K. I970) l)rnali Sheridan. William Mei'vyri. Jenny Aguttei'. l()8 mins. A trio of youngsters find that their involvement vv itli the railway that runs past their garden is to lead them into adventure l’leasing family film. lit tip by a bright performance from a very young Ms Agutter. (ilasgovv: (irosvenoi'.
The River ( l8) ('I'sai Ming-hang. 'laiwan. I997) l.ee Kang-sheng. Miao ‘l‘ien. l.u Hsiao-ling. l 15 mins. This long and steadily-paced film sees a 'l‘aipei family rent asunder by their total inability to communicate When Xiao-kang falls ill after working on a film set. their lives teeter on the brink before caving in in more way s than one. At no time is The River a coriifortable experience. btit it is one which more than warrants patience and perseverance with its ltisli
criieni.’itography and heavy sense of dread.
lidiiibtirgli: liiltiihotise.
Roxanne (l’(i) I lied Schepisi. t'S‘. I987) Steve Martin. Daryl Hannah. Shelley l)uvall. It)? mins. Witty. tender and charming reworking of ( ‘i rum; r/t' Ilt'ret'rtir which deploys a range of comedy techniques as fire chief Martin of the etiorttious proboscis copes with life and lov esti'uck romance. lidinburgh: Cameo.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon I t' ) (John
l-‘ord. l'S. I949) John Wayne. Joanne l)iti.
John Agar. Ben Johnson. I().3 mins. The second iii l’ord‘s trilogy of cav alr'y Westerns centres on Wayne's retirement from military service following Ctister's Last Stand. While not as gripping as For! Apt/t llt’ or Iv’in (imm/t'. it has a mellow elegance and a v istial brilliance which won cinematograplier Winton Hoch an Oscar. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
Six Days, Seven Nights (12) (Ivan Reitman. CS. 1998) Harrison I-‘ord. Anne Heche. l)avid Schwimtiier. l()2 mins. l-‘ord is a dissolute pilot. content with island-hopping jobs in the south Pacific; Heche is the single-tiiiiidcd magazine editor with whom lie unexpectedly ends
tip stranded on a desert island. Will bitchy comments and kiiockabout humour lead to romance? The stars make a winning screen couple. although the film itself settles for easier comedic options and light-hearted adventure. (ilasgow: ()deon Quay.
Sliding Doors ( 15) (Peter Howitt. UK. I998) (iwyneth I’altrow. John Hannah. John Lynch. 99mins. Mousy-haired PR executive Helen gets fired and discovers her handsome Irish boyfriend is a two- timer. Blonde I’R woman Helen is tnore successful and dates a handsome Scot. This sharply observed romantic comedy splits Helen's life in two when she misses/catches a tube train. Utterly entertaining. and one of the best British movies of I998. Paisley: Showcase. Stirling: MacRobert .
Sling Blade ( I5) (Billy Bob 'l‘horiiton. L'S. I996) Billy Bob 'l'hortiton. Dwight Yoakum. J.'l‘. Walsh. I35 mins. Writer- director-star 'l‘horntoii‘s ()scar-wintier (for Best Screenplay) is nowhere near as mavvkisli as Ruin Man or I-‘urncvr (in/rip. 'l'lioi'ntoii plays a slightly retarded man jtist otit of prison. who returns to his small Southern hometown only to witness the same pattern of abuse that triggered his earlier murderous attack. Moving witliotit being sentimental. with a morality that's far from simple-iiiinded. lidiiibtirgh: Cameo.
Sons Of The Desert (U) (Willian A Seiier. US. I933) Stan Laurel. ()Iiver Hardy. Charley Chase. ()9 mins. ()ne of the finest of the Laurel and Hardy features sees the pair as lienpecked husbands who attend a fraternal convention behind their wives backs. Nothing goes to plan of course. not least because Stanley is bound to fotrl tip his friends best laid plans. The title of this film was adopted by the boys' international fati club — for those who need to know. Iidinburgh: l-‘ilmhouse. The Spanish Prisoner ( IS) (David Mamet. US. I998) Campbell Scott. Rebecca l’idegeon. Steve Martin. ll 1 mins. Mamet's first film as director. l/UII.\(‘ affinities. was a clever. cold study of the art of the confidence trick; his latest covers similar territory. To write about the plot would be to give too much away. because. for much of the film‘s running time. it's unclear who is conning who. Cryptic and playful. Mamet's writing. which has been compared to that of Harold Pinter. is perfectly suited to the illusiotiary nature of the con. 'l'lie insubstatitiality of everything is deliciously maddening. See review. (ilasgow: ABC Film Centre. (il’l‘. ()deon Quay. Showcase. lidinhurgh: Cameo. UCI. l’aisley: Showcase.
Species 2 ( l8) (Peter Iviettak. US. I998) Natasha Henstridge. Justin Lazard. Michael Madsen. 93 mins. X-I’ilt'x scriptwriter Chris Braneato deserves credit for developing. rather than replicating. the original film's mythology; btit despite its attention-grabbing set-up. his script delivers the goods far too early. tlieti quickly runs otit of steam. The remainder of the film is merely a showcase for imaginatively disgusting alien effects sequences. See review. (iener'al release.
Stiff Upper Lips (l5) ((iary Sinyor. UK. I997) Sean l’ettwee. Georgina Cates. l’ninella Scales. Siriyor's spoof of Merchant Ivory heritage films has as its target the repressed emotions of the upper- class litiglish (as if liorster hadn't already skewered them himself). btit the satire doesn‘t really have much forcefl‘he cast deadpari their way impressively through the quick-fire. Airplane-style gags. but the meandering tiarrative barely supports the jokes. Kirkcaldy: Adam Smith.
The Swan Princess (U) (Richard Rich. US. I995) Willi the voices of John Cleese. Jack l’alance. Steven Wright. 94 mins. Sit-mi hike in its fairytale form. with all the expected ingredients that modern children's animated features contain — talking animals. blatid btit cute heroes. musical routines. An evil magician casts a spell on a princess. turning her into a swan. And any film that features I’alance doing a song called ‘No More Mr Nice Guy" has to be worth a visit. Glasgow: