Name Robert Stone. Occupation Documentary filmmaker.
Born 1958. England. Background Stone spent his childhood in both England and America. He got a histOry degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1980 and eventually settled in New York. where he started making a film about nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific. The result was the acclaimed Radio Bikini. which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Feature Documentary in 1987. This was followed by the feature documentaries The Satellite Sky (1989). about America's reaction to Sputnik. and Farewell Good Brothers (1992). about 19508 flying saucer cults. His only fiction film is a unique and controversial fake historical documentary called World War Three (1998). In recent years he has made several verite films including American Baby/on (2000) about Atlantic City. What’s he up to now? He is working on a prequel to his excellent 2004 documentary Gueri/Ia: The Taking of Patty Hearst. The film will look into the US political history. paranoia and hysteria that lead to the rise of anarchist terrorist groups in 603 and 703 America.
What he says about Patty Hearst ‘I didn't know how she was going to react to the film but
it turned out that she really liked it.
I think it strikes a fair balance. It's not like she can say. "Oh. I didn't say that. oh I didn’t do that. I didn't rob that bank." The truth is in the real footage.’
Interesting fact Lawrence Stone. Robert's father. was a well known and respected social historian and professor at Princeton University. His many published works included The Crisis of the Aristocracy, 1558—1641 (1965).
I Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst is at GFT, Glasgow from Fri 1 Jul. See review, page 45.
54 THE LIST 2:) Jun / Jul 2001')
Memento ( l5) ..... ((‘hristopher Nolan. L'S. 2000) (iuy Pearce. ('arrie-Ann Moss. Joe Pantoliano. l lbmin. Beginning where most other films would end with an act of vengeance. writer-director Nolan tells his story by gradually working backwards in time. Leonard Shelby (Pearce) is obsessed with avcnging his wife's rape and murder. Trouble is Leonard suffers from a condition of short-term memory loss. and .so he relies on an elaborate system of mementoes maps. polaroids. body tattoos - to piece together the clues in his investigation. A compelling. elliptical reconstruction of the revenge thriller. which skilfully examines the connections between memory. identity and perception. ('umi'o. Edinburgh.
The Miami Model ( 15) (lndymcdia. ('8. 200-1) 91min. Documentary about how. in November 2003. trade ministers from 3-1 countries tnet in Miatni to negotiate the Free Trade Area of' the Americas. The l’l‘AA threatens to destroy the rights and enviroment of indiginous peoples in north. south and central America. Strong. depressing stuff. Part of 'I‘wenty—to-(hie: Films for a (ireener Future. (ilus'gmi' I-‘ilm 'I‘ht'um'. (i/us‘gmv; Film/rouse. Edinburgh. Millions ( IZA) 0000 (Danny' Boyle. l'K/l’S. 2004) Alexander Nathan litel. Lewis ()wen Mc(iibbon. James Ncsbitt. Daisy Donovan. 98min. Young brothers Damien (litel) and Anthony (Mc(iibbon) when the boys find a bag of pound notes but they only have ten days to spend it. Director Danny Slut/lon- (iruvc' Boyle and writer Frank 24 Hour I’urrv I’t’np/t' ('ottrell Boyce‘s first foray into family entertainment is an absolute joy. (ii'rii'rul rc'li'ust'. Monster in Law ( 12A) .0
(Robert Luketic. l'S. 2005) Jennifer Lopel. Jane Fonda. Michael Vanan. Wanda Sykes. l0l min. When (‘harlotte Honeywell (Lopez) finally meets her perfect man. Kevin (Varian). she has to jump one last hurdle his merciless. ovemrotective mother (Fonda). who will do anything to destroy their relationship. (‘liched comedy. (it'ltt'ml I'i’]('ll.\'(’.
Mr & Mrs Smith ( l5) ... (Doug Liman. LS. 2005) Brad Pitt. Angelina Jolie. lifren Ramirel. Angela Bassett. l 17min. Pitt and Jolie play married suburban couple. John and Jane Smith. who happen to be spies working for rival agencies. When they are both assigned the same target. they quickly disco\ er the truth about each other and set about dissolving the marriage in the most violent of ways. Fluffy. likeable. slapdash but overlong marital comedy. (it‘ltt'l'u/ I'i'll‘UM‘.
Nicholas Winton - The Power of Good (l') (Matej Mina. Slovakia. 2002) (32min. Documentary about the ‘British Schindler‘ wartime stockbroker Nicholas Winton. Part of Peace Season. (i/usgmc I‘i/nr Theatre. (iluxgnn:
:2: Notre Musique ( )5) 0000 (Jean Luc (iodard. France. 2004) Sarah Adler. Nade Dieu. Rony Kramer 80min. See review. page ~10. Hint/muse. lz'ilt'nburgli. Oliver! (1‘) OOO ((‘arol Reed. t'K. 1968) Ron Moody. ()liver Reed. Mark Lester. Jack Wild. llarry Secornbe. l4(iinin. A sparkling cast. great choreography and some dashed good tunes provide handsome entertainment in Lionel Bart‘s musical adaptation of ()Ifl't’l' This]. The grim satire of greed. poverty and corrupted innocence that Dickens wrote is almost entirely smothered. which is just line here in this sing-along-with screening of Reed‘s musical. (i/usgon- Film 'I‘Iirum'. (i/usgnn: 32s“ Once Upon a Time in the West (l5) .... (Sergio Leone. l'S. Whit) Henry Fonda. (‘harles Bronson. (‘Iaudia ('ardinale. Jason Robards. 165mm. Probably Leone's best film. this classic western details in operatic fashion the drive of crooked railroad magnate. Fonda. to cheat widow (‘ardinale out of her land. until lone stranger Bronson comes to town. Brilliant Morricone score. achineg slow pacing. and an enthusiastic Use of the wide screen mark this out as an idiosyncratic gem. See caption. (ilusgmv l-i'lm 'I‘lii'um'. (i/usgnu:
POPaganda: The Art & Crimes of Ron English (PU) (Pedro (‘arvajaL l’S.
Once Upon a Time in the West
Sergio Leone’s brilliant final spaghetti Western really
needs to be seen at the cinema and now is your chance. The film was Leone’s love letter - and final death knell - to a genre he believed had become diluted beyond all control. Unmissable.
I GFT. Glasgow (Sun 26 Jun only).
2004) 78min. A provocative and irrev erent documentary about ‘cultureslamming' the filling of gaps in modern life and culture with art and the fusion of criminality and creation. This documentary explains the motivation behind it and the rewards and fun of it. To some it is a hobby and to others. a way of life. ('arvajal is the perfect man to set the facts straight as he is not only a director but was once a slammer himself. Pan of Twenty -to-()ne: Films for a (ireener Future. (ilusgmr l'i'lm 'l'lrt'um'. (ilus'gmi': l-i'lm/rmm'. [film/Hugh.
The Pacifier (PG) 00 (Adam Shankman. LS. 2005) Vin Diesel. Faith Ford. 05min. Navy Seal Shane Wolfe (Diesel) is assigned to take care of a single- parent suburban famin while mysterious mom Julie Plummer (Ford) goes off on sortie dubious government business. ('ue much lish-otll-ol'r-water ‘hilarity ‘. (it'ncrti/ I'(’/('U.\('.
Paheli (tbcl (Ainol Palekar. India. 2005) Shahruk Khan. Amitabh Bachehan. Bollywood wedding-come-ghost story based on a popular novel by Vijayadanl)etha. ('('I lat/inburglr. Iii/inbru‘gh.
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills ( lit) 00.. (Joe Berlingcr/llruce Sinof‘sky. l‘S. two) l50min. The first in a series of two documentaries from the acclaimed directors of Mela/lira: Some Kim] n/flflmislt'r about the infamous child murders at Robin Hood Hills for which three teenagers were convicted. (iQ maga/ine called these documentaries ‘breathtakingly brilliant‘ and. with the benefit of hindsight. they examine the ‘satanic panic' created by these
gruesome killings. This film contains images that some viewers may find disturbing. Screening with ('hris ('unningham‘s sliot't. Rubber .lu/iiim. See picture caption. I-i/m/musi'. [film/Hugh. Parineeta tl’(i) (Pradeep Sarkar. India. 2005) Saif' Ali Khan. \'idya Balanfl‘he romance between young lovers Lolita (Balan) and Shekar (Khan) is upset by the arrival of another man. Small lndian meltxlrama. ()(lt'UIl A! 'l’lu' Quuv. (i/usgun. (ilusgmv; ('(‘I Ifr/inlmrg/i. [film/Hugh. Peace One Day (t') .00 (Jeremy (iilley. (K. 2004) 80min. Filmmaker (iilley attempts to bring around the [N international Day of Peace in this mm irig documentary that took the years to make. Part of Peace Season. (i/usgmi' I'ilm ‘I‘lii'uln'. (ilusgnn'; l'i/m/iuust'. Iz'tlt'ttlmrg/i. Personality Comedy (l’( i) (Various. t'K. Various) Arthur Haynes. liric .‘slorecambe. lirnie Wise. Stanley Baxter. Tommy ('ooper. l00niin. Selection of clips and extracts from the shows of some of lTVs most successful comedy acts. Part of l'l‘\'50 season. I'T/HI/JUHM'. lat/in/mig/i. The Phantom of Liberty t l5) 0.... (Luis Bunuel. France. W74) Monica \'itti. Michel l’iccoli. Jeati-(‘laude Brialy. l04min. liui‘iucl links a series of episodes from the early l‘)th century to the present day by coiling them around Karl Marx's phrase. ‘the phantom of liberty ‘. This is a surreal portrait of a world turned upside down and inside out. w here dinner guests sit around a table on individual ltlvtltot'ies before excusing themsclv es to go and eat in a small rootu behind a locked door. Part of Bunuel season. Film/muse. I'fi/inbtu'eh.