caring. (Columbia VHS rental and DVD retail) (Kelly Apter)
wwn DRAMA CHARLOTTE GRAY
(15) 121 min 00
Sensitive Sebastian Faulks plus cinematic transcriber of conservative feminism Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career) equals “One Year In Vichy Provence'. You know the story: nice Scottish girl gets recruited to the secret service in WWII. falls in love with a pilot. then falls in love with a commie resistance fighter. Nazis. concentration camp trains and one incredibly long episode of Secret Arm y/A/lo Al/o later she has to decide who she wants to be with. Tedious in the extreme despite decent performances from Cate Blanchett and Billy Crudup. Next time I'll just Carve her Name with Pride. (FilmFour VHS/DVD rental) (Paul Dale)
CRIME DEAD on ALIVE 0-92-19.5'W". 221.-.
This is a truly bonkers Crime thriller from Mike Takeshi, the director of Audition. A lone detective takes on the Chinese and Japanese Yakuza in a bid to hunt down the leader of a new ultraviolent gang. It gets personal and then it goes intergalactic.
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This is one of the weirdest films you will see this year. There are scenes here so jaw droppineg hideous that they make Gangster No 7 look like a Punch and Judy show. It doesn't really hang together as a whole but it's great fun while it lasts. if you like this sort of thing. Not for the faint hearted. (Tartan VHS/DVD retail)
(Paul Dale)
GAY SHORTS
CAMPFIRE (12) 56min
From Belgian filmmaker Bavo Defurne come these four homoerotic shons. Made between 1995 and 2000. all four films are heady and sensual. and deal more with atmosphere than story. Deliberately playing around with imagery from gay pornography. they explore young men in bulging shorts at summer camp. or bonding in a communal shower, or obsessional love for a sailor. Influenced by such diverse sources as Pierre and Gilles and Derek Jarman. this collection is full of kitsch. heightened romanticism and religiosity. Only Sailor is humorous. the other three films suffer from po-facedness. Campfire is a Curiosity. certainly never boring. but not an action-adventure either. (BFI DVD retail) (John Binnie)
DRAMA
LAST onoens (15) 105min 000
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When a contemporary British film doesn't make you want to scream in irritation. you can be forgiven for thinking that it may be better than it actually is.
Last Orders is such a film. A cast of British all- stars (Caine. Hoskins. Courtenay. Mirren and Hemmings) are joined by the new guard (Winstone) in Graham Swift's tale of old friends laying their dead pal to rest.
Their journey to Margate to dispose of
Jack's ashes is a trip into
a past of loyalty. embarrassment and repressed emotions. Sweet but never sickly, Last Orders signals a good time for some of these gentlemen to call it a day. (Metrodome
DVD/VHS rental and retail) (Brian Donaldson)
ALSO RELEASED The Fluffer Silly sex romp set round the gay porn circuit in DA. (Metrodome VHS rental/DVD rental & retail).
Long Time Dead Pathetic horror movie involving students. ouiia boards and clubbing. Dog Soldiers it ain't (UniversalVHS/DVD rental)
Ticker Steven Seagal's repulsive career rumbles on with this witless
remake of Speed. Crazy old Dennis Hopper plays the bomb loving terrorist. Dull old Tom Sizemore suppons. (Universal VHS/DVD rental) Women Talking Dirty
Bittersweet British come-
dy starring James Nesbitt and Helena Bonham Carter (UniversalVHS/DVD rental)
The Time Machine 1960 original and best version of H G Wells. classic starring Rod Taylor and loads of scary Morlocks (Warner Home Video VHS rental)
H M v
Bandits
alternative ending.
tests.
the team.
Hardware Wars
Lagaan
Released: 20 May 2002
Comedy drama staring Bruce Willis. Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett. DVD extras include commentary from the actors. screen workshop. ‘lnSide Bandits' workshop. deleted scenes and an
Basic Instinct - 10th Anniversary Edition Released: 20 May 2002
Two-disc set released to coincide with 10th anniver- sary of the original release that catapulted Sharon Stone into the limelight with ‘that' scene. Extras include two audio commentaries. trailers and SCreen
Great Escape - Special World Cup Edition Released: 20 May 2002
This classic film re-released as a special edition with and in-pack competition to win tickets to the World Cup Final. DVD extras include 50 min Steve McQueen dOCUmentary. 60 min True StOry and 60 min HistOry Vs Hollywood dOCUmentary.
World Cup Final 1966
Released: 20 May 2002
Released amid current World Cup fever, this is the first time the great final of ‘66 has been available on DVD. Also includes specially filmed interview with 6 of
Au! Wiedersehen Pet - Complete Series One Released: 27 May 2002
As we are all getting back into the current lives of this group of lads you are given the opponunity to go back to the beginning of the st0ry of this likely bunch. Flix Mix - Ultimate Fights
Released: 27 May 2002
The first in a series of very interactive DVDs from UMG that have been getting great reviews. Featuring action from 16 films including, Crouching Tiger, Gladiator, Scarface and Blade wuth audio commen- tary. profiles of fighters and statistics for each fight.
Released: 27 May 2002
Following the release of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones here is the opportunity to watch George Lucas's fav0urite spoof of the original film. First time release on DVD. extras include Director's commen- tary, interviews. lost scenes and out takes.
Released: 27 May 2002
One of the biggest Bollywood films ever and highly
praised with Oscar Nominations to its credit. This 2- disc set includes 15 minutes of deleted scenes.
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tv@list.co.uk
OPERA ROMEO ET JULIETTE Channel 4, Sat 8 Jun, 6.55pm .000
Watching opera can often be an endurance test. albeit a rewarding one. So it's nice to swap a sore bum and aching legs for a night stretched out on the sofa.
Originally performed in five acts. Charles Gounod's 19th century opus is here condensed to a wonderfully civilised 75 minutes. Not only that. but we’re transponed from the confines of a theatrical spacetothe atmospheric beauty of Prague's Royal Castle of Zvikov. Of course. there has to be a trade-off for such comfon and location. and at times the action feels a tad diluted; the build-up to Mercutio and Tybalt‘s fight lacks drama. and the two lovers slip away at the end without prompting a tear.
That said. real-life couple Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu are joyful and passionate in the lead roles. their voices more than worthy of the breathtaking scenery. (Kelly Apterl
Graham-Dixon outlines his Caravaggio theory
DOCUMENTARY OMNIBUS: WHO KILLED CARAVAGGIO? 8802, Sat 8 Jun, 7.15pm 000.
Andrew Graham-Dixon is an arts presenter from the new school. Which means that rather than sitting in libraries looking inquisitive and respectful, he drinks vast amounts of espresso. turns his hotel into an incident room. has a go at fencing and gets himself banged up in a Maltese prison cell.
It's a method that his subject might well have approved of. because when he wasn't bringing biblical scenes to dark. violent life. Caravaggio brawled. whored and fled from city to city. escaping his many enemies. That. at any rate is Graham- Dixon's theOry. and while he doesn't have a great deal of equivocal evidence this remains a hugely invigorating dOCLimentary.
Among the gems unearthed are a 17th century police report in which the painter claims to have 'fell down the road and hurt myself on my sword' and an incident in which he assaulted a waiter for serving him artichokes cooked in butter rather than olive oil. Great art. crazy artist.
(James Smart)
(3—20 Jti.” 20(‘2 THE LIST 109