PREVIEW
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SEPTEMBER
I INDIAN SUMMER After last year's triumph. this chilled out Glasgow festival returns to celebrate the last gasp
of summer. Last year. Antony and the Johnsons headlined. 1—2 Sep
l LONG-AWAITED
I DOORS OPEN DAY
A chance to get nosey and peek inSide some of the great buildings in Scotland that are normally closed to the public. Each weekend in Sep
J
RETURNS
HERE AT LAST
Maybe all good things do come to those who wait. but sometimes you Just want that ‘.'.’(Iiilll§} to be over. no matter the final result. 2007' is the year when
some high profile breath-holding is concluded. If last
year heralded the almighty literary rt-zsui‘i‘ection of
Thomas Pynchon, this year i. of Norman Mailer. In mid-
The Castle in the Forest. his
vitnesses the comeback February he brings us first novel since 1991
and focuses on Hitler's youth. For the third year in a
row we are proud to present
the larger
unsubstantiated rumour of Blackadder's cunning return. Many will shudder at the memory of 1989's all-too live broadcast of The Brit Awards with Sam
Fox and Mick Fleetwood cru
mbling before our yen;
eyes but Valentine’s Day is the moment when romantic fop Russell Brand aims to £1‘."()l(l career humiliation in that sliox'x's sequel Other l'tlitll'l‘llltl names include Tiswas. Genesis ithe band not the
booki and Richard Kelly \.'
rho finally follows; up
Donnie Dar‘ko with the sci fi musical con‘iedy Southland Tales. lBrian Donaldsoni
SEOUELS
How is the cinema world trying to arrest declining audiences? By recycling old ideas, of course.
There are 2.1 sequels slated for release in 2007. Bad news for cinema goers. because sequels suffer from the law of
diminishing returns. The third Pirates of the Caribbean
promises to "it met;
Thetadl would like to see take up residence this and every year (which I suppose would make it less of a fad and more of a fixture) is shorter film running times and many fewer films being distributed. We are currently running at a
22 THE LIST 4—18 Jan 2007
desixmdency in line with its subtitle: At World’s End. But at least the first film was good. What are we to expcct of Angels and Demons. prequel to the excruciating Da Vinci Code? And do we really need Fantastic Four 2. Goal 2. National Treasure 2. The Hills Have Eyes 2. Resident Evil 3. Die Hard 4. Rambo Wand — no! Halloween 9’? Need has nothing to do with it. If a moVIe makes money. it's guarantrxxl a sequel ithat might as well be a remakei. Sequels are usually bigger but not better. Thus. Spider Man 3 boasts three
batting average of eight or nine films released every week as an ever greater number of new. amateurish. gold digging distribution companies try to push their slush and filth into cinemas through a haze of falling attendances, which has got to be wrong by
anyone's calculation.
I MERCHANT CITY FESTIVAL
A vrbrant arts festival that takes place in over 70 venues across the Merchant City area throughout the month. Glasgow, 7—30 Sep
1
super "rlllétlllfi lo the other
tilms' single toes.
Are sequels any grxx l"? Occasionally. Against the odds Rocky Balboa is generating good ‘.'.’()l'(l of mouth.
Nevertheless. don't also look out for: Hannibal Rising. Shi‘ek the Third. Ocean's 'l'birttxzn. l-lar'ry Potter and the Order of the PlKXEHIX. Astei'ix and the Vikings. The Bourne Ultimatum etc etc ad nauseam. lMiIes l ieideri
I ARCHES LIVE! Experimental theatre at Scotland's most ambitious arts venue. Each year it seems to get better. Arches. Glasgow
OSCAR PREDICTIONS Best Film l’rarre Home Companion or The
[) XXI/{(3%}: 'the
lttfét‘i.",”-.'.’i} gnt batt'e of the century'. The late great Hebert A'trnan with “is simple (Bari-son Kei'lor adaptation or Martin Scorsese '-.'.iith his solid
interpretation of Hong
Kong policier Infernal
Affairs. Both deserve the go'ig for time served
down the celiiloid mine.
OCTOBER
I CONNERY’S COUNTRY
Sean's mate Murray Grigor tells the story of Scotland‘s superstar in this major biography. The title is asking for trouble from satirists .
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Best Director Paul (Sreengrass for United 93 or Stephen items for The Queen. In the words of overweight lancastrian Colin Welland. ‘lhe Brits are coiningf'
Best Actor l eonardo [)l Caprio in The Departed. He's the best thing in the fi'in and he has ii'iétll‘, come of age as an adult star. ()r Matt Damon in The Good Shepherd. [)ainor‘ makes a great fist of playing a CIA man who on paper never e><isteri in De Niro's second film as director. Best Actress Kate Winslet in I itt/e Children or Naomi Watts in The
Film Editor Paul Dale predicts (or at least idly daydreams about) some film fads for 2007
The fad that is most likely to begin to take hold in 2007 is the long, caterwauling and hopefully very painful death of the overpaid Hollywood movie star. Mel Gibson's Apocalypto and Zack Dawn of the Dead Snyder's ‘digital backlot'- tastic Spartan epic 300
I GLASGAY!
Many facets of LGBT culture are celebrated at this ever-growing festival that pokes its nose into every art form. Various venues. throughout Oct and Nov
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Painted Veil. Two hot roles for two brilliant
actresses.
Best Documentary Deborah Scranton's The lr’i/ar Tapes.
Best Foreign Film Niiri Bilge C(3ylan's C/i/nates. A masterpiece.
Best Supporting Actress Jennifer Connelly in MM) Children. Best Supporting Actor Alan Arkin iii 1 .itt/e Miss Sunshine iwe hope. you dirty old man». lPaul Dalei
will prove. with their casts of gifted amateurs and willing second string actors. the fallacy of the overpaid star system. God willing. no longer wrll
we need to stare at the barren decrepit canons
of Matthew McConnaughey. Angelina Jolie. Julia Roberts and Jude Law.