FILM index
FILM INDEX continued
The Exorcist ( I8) (William I-‘riedkin. US. I973) Linda Blair. Iillen Btirstyn. Max Von Sydow. I l() mins. Iiarnest priest Von Sydow steps in to save poor little possessed girl in this hugely effective scarefest. Now re- released in remastered form. with a super stereo soundtrack (so you can hear those obscenities iii ftill). Dead good. dead scary. dead priest. (ilasgow: ()deoti City Centre. ()deon Quay. Iidiiiburgh: UCI. I.args: Barrfields. 42nd Street (PG) (I.ond Bacon. US. I933) Warner Baxter. Ruby Keelcr. Bebe Daniels. Dick Powell. (illy' Kibbec. Ginger Rogers. S9 iiuiis. (‘hance-of-a-lifetime musical comedy as chorus-girl tindet'study Keeler gets to play leading lady and save the show. Six/line Berkeley production numbers and solo routines are the lifeblood of this monochrome extravaganza. which still shines despite the wealth of liammy cliches. Iidinburgh; I-‘ilmhouse, Full Metal Jacket ( IS) (Stanley Kubrick. UK. I987) Matthew Modine. Dorian Harewood. l.ec Iirmey. I()9 mins. 'l'echnically effective and narrativer balanced depiction of raw Vietnam recruits as they endure ba sic training and the even greater horrors of the I968 'l'et offensive. ()ne of the better Vietnam movies of recent years. lidinburgh: I’ilmhotise. Gang Related ( 15) (Jim Koni‘. IFS. I997) 'l‘upac Shakur. .lim Belushi. I I l mins. The late gangsta rapper's Iiiial performance secs Shakur as a police detective partnered with buddy -buddy movie specialist Belushi. 'Ilicse aie police officers in the Dirty Harry mould. killing off drug dealers and pinning their murders on gangland warefare. A fine supporting cast. including Dennis Quaid atid James liarl Jones. add weight to this dark thriller. (ilasgow: (irosvenor. The General ( )5) (John Boorman. UK. I998) Brendan (ileesoii. Adrian Dunbar. Jon \'oight. I24 mins. Controversy and ambiguity surrounds the story of one of Ireland's most notorious gangsters. Martin Cahill. (In one hand. he‘s a Robin Hood figure v. ho shares oiil the spoils of his theft. on the other. he is vicious. brutal and amoral. (ilecsoii's performance is compelling. while the black and white photographs liai‘deas the edges of the Irish Iaiidscape by making very simple things stark and beautiful. Iiilkiik. I’I'H. George Of The Jungle t l 'i (Sam Weisman. LiS. I99") Brendan I‘IIISCI'. I.cine .\lanii. Holland 'I'aylor. 9I mins. I.oinc|oth-clad hero (ieroge ll‘i'ascr) saves San Iii'aiisican socialite IErsuaI (Mann). btit his trip to the urban jungle is shorthvcd when he Iiears of the kidnap of his hairy sidekick. Ape (voiced by John Cleese). The plot is the usual blend of humour. action. slapstick. adventure and. of course. romance. while the know ing and punchy script is easily up with the best of modem Disney. (ialashiels; Pavilion. Ghost In The Shelli l5)(.\lamorti()shii. Japan. I995) S5 mins. It's 2039. and secret service cyborgs are battling with a megaIomaiiiaeal super-hacker. ’I’Iic philosophical tracts and techno (argon area bit of a pi'obleii). bttt the visuals are undeniably impressive The most expensive Ieatuie-Iciigth adaptation of a unmet) comic ever. it‘s woith catching on the big screen. :\)t'. ()(Ietill. Glengarry Glen Ross ( l<i (James l-'oley. I‘S. I992 I Al Pacino. Jack lenimon. lid Harris. Alan .-\l'Is'lIl. I()() mins. The combination of I-olcy 's caiiiei'a and \laiiiet's dialogue makes for verbal choreography in this hard-hitting. word-heavy account of the bonding and back-stabbing in a l.'S real estate office. The cast are magnificent. Pacino and I emmon outstanding. l'ntletl‘aletl director I‘oley (Ioes wonders to break out of the stageplay format. Not easy going. but an iitiforgetable achievement (ilasgow. (il'l. Godzilla (I’(ii (Roland I',Illl)IL‘l'lL‘ll. I’S. I‘I‘IS) Matthew Broderick. .leaii Retio. Maria I’ilillo. III) mins Nuclear testing causes a hand to grow to an enormous si/c. reproduce asesually and head to New York to lay some eggs. When the military take the offensive. it's time for the rampaging reptile to demolish .\Ianhattan. (int/ril/tt goes beyond insulting its audience atid makes the grave error of forcing our sympathy away
28 riiiétisr 2)) Sop -8 ()(i 1908
from the monster and onto the non-descript humans. When a film like this fails to thrill with its effects — it‘s Jurassic Park all over again -— it can only fall flat on its over-sized Hollywood ass. General release. GoodFellas ( 18) (Martin Scorsese. US. I990) Robert De Niro. Ray Liotta. Joe I’esci. Lorraine Braco. Paul Sorvino. I45 mins. Liotta plays Henry Hill. a real-life INQfiUSU. with De Niro as his mentor in crime. And while the bullets. fists and carving knives fly. Scorsese brings us back to that unavoidable question — yes. it‘s glamorous and lucrative to live this way. btit can anyone really live with the consequences‘.’ Winner of BAI-‘I‘A awards for best film. director and screenplay. and a Best Supporting Actor ()scar for Joe Pesci. Iidinburgh: I‘ilmhouse.
A Goofy Movie (1') (Kevin I.ima. US. I996) With the voices of Bill l-‘armei'. Jason Marsden. Jim Cummings. 7-1 mins. After a school prank backfires. (ioofy decides to take troublesome son Max off on a bonding fishing trip. Max is trying his best to be cool. bill that isn't easy when your dad’s this particular Disney star. An incident-packed journey provides plenty of laughs which should keep restless kids and accompanying adults amused. Ayr: ()deon.
Hana-Bi (l8) ('I'akeshi Kitano. Japan. I998) 'l‘akeshi Kitano. l()3 mins. Kitano. mega-star iii Japan. returns to the director's seat for Hana-Bi. in which he stars as a cop suffering bouts of guilt. His wife is dying in hospital. his partner has been paralysed during a stakeout and he‘s so far in debt to the Yakuza that he's contemplating robbing a bank. The title. in Japanese. means 'fireworks‘. btit this film doesn‘t esplode like 'l‘akeshi’s earlier films. lio/t'nt Cup and .S'miuti'ne. Instead. a more subdued atmosphere floats over a work that skilfully draws together its visual and emotional plains. See review. (ilasgow; (il’l‘.
The Horse Whisperer (Robert Redford. US. I998) Robert redford. Kristin Scott 'I‘homas. Sma Neil. 168 mins. Redford indulges several of his favourite passions at once in British author Nicholas Iivans‘ best- selling tale of an equine shrink. As with Redford‘s previous directorial efforts this is a fine looking and intelligent film. pitting the yuppie values of east coast magazine editor Scott Thomas against the virtuous all- Attiericati qualities of .‘vlidyvesternei' Redford. (ieiieral release
I Went Down I IS) (Paddy Breathnaeh. Ireland. I997) Brendan (ileeson. I’etci‘ McDonald. Peter Caffey. IIIS lllllls Recently out of choky. (iit falls in with Dublin's finest hoods. btit when he is assigned to cowboy-novel consuming crook Bunny. things go downhill quickly and comically. The film's glories are many. chief among them the interplay of the leads. an eclectic soundtrack and the odd motiient of slapstick surrealism. A gem. (ilasgow: (il-‘l'. Junk Mail (I5) (Pal Sletaune. Norway. I997) Robert Skjaestad. Andrine Saethcr. Per Iigil Aske. 8) mins. Roy is a postie from your worst nightmare: he will probably read your letters before you do. When he stops deaf dry cleaning woman. Line. from killing herself. he ends tip embroiled in crime. A stylishly grungy delight. with ()slo painted as a city washed in a constant. sickly- coloured drizzle. peopledalmostexclusively by pasty-faced malcontents. lidinburgh; Cameo.
Kissing A Fool Dav id Schw immei'. .‘inIi Avital. Jason Lee. I-‘riends star Schwimmer headlines another romantic comedy (he also made The I’ttllht'urt‘r with (iw yneth Paltrow). ‘l-‘ool sees sportscastei' Max testing the fidelity of his fiancee by setting her tip with his best mate (Ice w ho played Ben Affleck's pal in ('husine Amy). Unsurprisingly. he creates a love triangle. (ilasgow; ABC City Centre. Showcase. Iidinburgh: l'CI. Paisley; Show case.
Kurt And Courtney ( Ix) (Nick Broomlield. l.'K/l IS. I997) 93 mins. Was Nirvana mainman Kurt Cobain's death suicide or something more sinister'.’ Courtney Love's father reckons Courtney herself had a hand in her husband‘s untimely demise ‘- and that allegation was enough to get Bi'ooitilield's documentary into a lot of hot water on both sides of the Atlantic. However. the interviewees are too drug-addled to be coherent. let alone convincing and
Broomfield seems too keen to get his own tanned mug into the shot. Stirling: MacRobert.
The Land Girls (12) (David Leland. UK. I998) Anna I-‘riel. Rachel Weisz. Catherine McCormaek. II I mins. Down on the farm Comes a film that reminds us of times passed. Not necessarily good times. of course. as it is set during the confusion of World War II. btit against this dramatic backdrop the human story it describes proves curioust affecting. 'Iliree contrasting young women join the Land Army. only to find themselves knee-deep in rustic accents and bad weather on a remote Dorset farm. See Preview and review. (ilasgow: ()deoii Quay. Showcase. Iidinburgh; ABC Multiplex. Dominion. UCI. Paisley: Showcase.
The Last Days Of Disco t I5) (Whit Stillman. US. I998) Chloe Sevigny. Kate Beckinsale. Chris Iiigeman. I I2 mins. Writer-director Stillman has carved out a cinematic niche for himself with his urbane comedies of manners .I'fc'lrti/m/tlun and Barcelona. and his latest is no exception. Sevigny and Beckinsale play publishing assistants who frequent a trendy club in early 80s New York. where they and their male yuppie friends worry about relationships. careers and the reactionary subtext of Disney's [xii/v And The Trump. It's glorious stuff. (ilasgow: ()deon ()tiay. Iidinburgh: l-‘ilmhouse.
Lethal Weapon 4 ( l 5) (Richard Donner. US. I998) Mel (iibson. Danny (ilover. Joe l’csci. IZS mins. A series of films that started so darkly has undergone some drastic changes in recent years The suicidal cop- hero who purposefully lived his life on the edge. has found a reason to live so has lost that lethal edge. As the violence has been downplayed. the humour has come more to the fore. especially the bickering relationship between Riggs and his long- suffcriiig partner Murtatigh. who are coming to the realisation that they (and the series) are past their prime. (icneral release.
Life Is All You Get i IS) (Wolfgang Becket. (iermany. I993) I I5 mins. Life's a riot for Jan. who accidentally decks two undercover cops whilst coming to the rescue of lovely \'era one night. It's a chance meeting that changes his life. He gets .i night in the cells and a trip to the dole queue. while the possibility he might have contracted AIDS from a one-night stand helps him keep his distance from Vera. Iixccpt it's not .ts bleak as it sounds; it‘s leaycned by a wry humour and a happy ending. See rcv iew. (ilasgovv: (il’l'. Iidinburgh: I'IIIIIIIOIISC.
A Life less Ordinary ( I 5) (Danny Boyle. L'K. I997) l-Iwan Mc(iregor. Cameron Dia/.. Ian Holm. ltll mins. The follow -up to Trains/inning is something else entirely — an original script that boldly plays with the conventions of the romantic comedy. .\lc(iregor is a young Scot who kidnaps his boss‘s daughter when lie gets the sack. only to find his hostage turns the tables and uses events to get back at her dad. Not everything works. but it‘s brilliantly designed. funny. romantic and more inventive than most of Hollywood‘s otitptit combined. Ifdinburgh: Cameo.
The Little Mermaid (I') (John .‘vlusker/Ron Clements. l’S. I9S‘9) S3 mins. Disney's ailing fortunes quickly reversed when this delightful animated feature first came otit Ill I9S9. 'l‘here's the universal appealling story of the mermaid Ariel’s love for handsome l’rinee Iirie. ()scar-winning songs. humanised animal sidekicks and some colourful set~pieces. Now with electronically cleaned-up colours and digital sound. (ilasgow: I'Cl Clydebaiik. Iidinburgh: ()deon. l'Cl. I-Iast Kilhride: I’CI. Kilmarnock: ()deon.
Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels ((iuy Ritchie. l'K. I997) Nick :‘yloran. Jason Statham. Vinnie .loiies. It)? mins. .\ cocky young bunch of ’ciiti'ept'enctirs' sel tip a card game will) east end I.ondon criminal Hatchet Harry. ()fcotirsc. things don't work out it) their favour and they find themselves owing the gangster plenty of dosh. Witty homage to the British crime thrillers of the Mom. with appropriately seedy. underworld locations and streetvvise dialogue. (ieneral release.
Lost In Space (I’(l) (Stephen Hopkins. US. I99S) William Ilurt. (iary ()ltlman. .‘vlatt |.e
Blane. |09 mins. The cult TV series for the 60s gets a 90s make-over and. despite the state-of—the-art special effects. it's every bit as cheesy as the original. Professor John Robinson (Hurt) and his family are sent to colonise the distant planet of Alpha Prime. but an act of sabotage causes them to spin into the stratosphere. Certain performances are so irritating that most viewers will sympathise with Oldman's craven villain. (ieneral release.
Love And Death 0n Long Island ()5) (Richard Kwietniowski. UK/Canada. I997) John Hurt. Jason Priestley. Fiona Loewi. 93 mins. Celebrated writer and 20th century anachronism (iiles De'Ath (Hurt) falls for teen heart throb Ronnie (Priestley). and eventually tracks him down in Long Island to offer him a new. cultured way of life. Death In Venice is the obvious reference point. yet it is hard to avoid seeing De‘Ath‘s blinkered existence as a 90s version of ('rot‘m/i/t' Dundee. The early portrayal of irrational desire unfortunately gives way to a story that's too daft. [East Kilbride: Arts Centre. Stirling: MacRobert.
Love. Etc (I5) (Marion Vernouz. France. 1997) Charlotte Gainsbourg. Yvan Attal. Charles Berling. IOS mins. After years of friendship. the bond between flirtatious Pierre (Berling) and steadfast Benoit (Attal) is suddenly threatened by Benoit's introduction of Marie (Gainsbourg). Directed with a light touch. this classic love triangle scenario - based on a book by linglish novelist Julian Barnes — is stylish and subtle in tone. Memorable for its strong performances. particularly from (iainsbourg. (ilasgow: (il’l‘.
Love Is The Devil (l8) (John Maybury. UK. I998) Derek Jacobi. Daniel Craig. Tilda Swinton. 9() mins. By no means a documentary-style portrait of the artist. Love Is The Devil is concerned with the destructive relationship between Bacon and his lover Cieorge Dyer. Far more visual and experimental than most of what passes for British cinema these days. Jacobi has an uncanny physical resemblance to Bacon. btit the real acting revelation is Craig (Geordie in Our Friends In The North) who superbly gives life to this human tragedy waiting to happen. (ll-'I’ screening accompanied by a retrospective of John Maybury's early. csperimental work on video on October 3 only. (ilasgow: (il-'l'. lidinburgh: Cameo. Mad City I IS) (Costa-(iavras. US. I997) John 'I‘ravolta. Dustin Hoffman. I14 mins. When he's laid off. museum security guard Sam (’I‘ravolta) tries to get his job back at gunpoint and causes a siege at his former place of work. Local TV reporter Max (Hoffman) turns the situation to his own advantage. moulding Sam into a media celebrity. This may not be first-class Costa- (iavras (Z and State OfS/ege). but it's top- notch I-lollywood filmmaking. Falkirk: f’I‘H. The Magic Sword (U) (Frederik Du Chau. US. I998) With the voices of (iary Oldman. Jessaly'n (iilsig. Cary [{Iwes. 88 mins. All is happy under King Arthur's rule until evil Lord Ruber tries to steal Iixcalibur. When the wondrous weapon becomes lost iii the I‘orbidden I-‘orest. plucky young Kayley reckons she's brave enough to save the day. This animated feature sticks to the Disney t'oriiitila -- action. bawled-out ballads. kooky sidekicks — btit the animation itself lacks Walt's grace. Glasgow: UCl Clydebank. Virgin. Iidinburgh: UCI. Iiast Kilbride: UCI. Paisley: Showcase.
Men With Guns ()8) (John Sayles. US. I998) Federico l.uppi. I28 mins. One of the few true mavericks of American cinema.
w titer-director John Sayles has never been afraid of dabbling in political themes; and Men lI'i't/i (inns. for all its magic realist trappings. is no different. Set in an unnamed Latin American country. it follows Dr l-‘uentes (Federico Luppi) on a journey from political naivete to a despairing state of knowledge about his homeland. By not identifying the setting he manages to universalise the horror. 'Ihis tragedy is not about casting the blame on identifiable groups. Rather. as the title says. simply put it down to men with guns. See review. lidinburgh: I-‘ilmhouse.
Mercury Rising ()5) (Harold Becker. US. I998) Bruce Willis. Miko Hughes. Alec Baldwin. I I I mins. As The Onion Field. Sea (If/Jive and City Hall all testify. Harold