Film DVD Reviews www.list.co.uk/film Kids
Kids www.list.co.uk/kids
PARODY/SEX VIVA (18) 120min (Nouveaux Pictures DVD retail) ●●●●●
LA based artist and filmmaker Anne Biller’s deliciously diverting sexploitation flick spoof revisits the cautionary sex and drugs melodramas of the late 60s and early 1970s best exemplified by Herschell Gordon Lewis’ 1968 Suburban Roulette, Radley Metzger’s Camille 2000 (1969) and Russ Meyer’s Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970).
Biller stars as Barbi, a voluptuous, bored suburban housewife who turns to her wealthy, swinging neighbours, Sheila (Bridget Brno) and Mark (Jared Sanford) to fill the time. It’s not long before the burgeoning sexual revolution with its psychedelic, drug- fuelled orgies, bohemian nudist colonies and high-class brothels enter Barbi’s suburban world.
Camply acted, beautifully shot and carefully detailed, this painstaking recreation of the kinky soft-core comedies that had a brief heyday during the hippy era is a singular pleasure that’s best approached with a broad mind and broader sense of humour. Extras include Viva La Vita: Canapés, Cabaret and the Carnal booklet by Beth Johnson; behind the scenes with narration by director
Viva
Biller; exotic slide show and original theatrical trailer. (Paul Dale) by a new generation. Minimal extras. (Paul Dale)
COMEDY/DRAMA THE FIREMAN’S BALL (PG) 73min (Arrow Films DVD retail) ●●●●●
Milos Amadeus Forman’s much loved 1967 Czech New Wave lynchpin has the honour of being one of only four films to be ‘banned forever’ by the Czech/Soviet authorities who presumed it was an allegory for their misrule. Forman, who left his homeland after this film to have a very successful career in America, always claimed there was no deeper motive to his deadpan farce about a provincial firemen’s ball descending into complete chaos.
In retrospect its easy to see that maybe Forman was as driven by influences from silent cinema (most notably Buster Keaton in the opening sequence) and a need to push the limits of the comedy of embarrassment (the beauty contest sequence would certainly not be out of place in Ricky Gervais’ Extras), than by political satire, though it is difficult to believe there was not a deeper intention at play here.
Either way it’s a hilarious comedy, one that deserves discovery
HORROR WATCHER IN THE ATTIC (18) 76min (HB Films DVD retail) ●●●●●
Noboru Tanaka’s bizarre and perverse 1974 adaptation of one of Edgowa Rampo’s celebrated horror stories (the Japanese Edgar Allan Poe) has long been unavailable on any format in the west so this release is great news for fans of the Japanese Nikkatsu company’s early ‘roman- pornos’. Set in 1920s Tokyo
and following the doomed progression of a peeping tom boarding house landlord and a murderous aristocratic prostitute as they go a thrill kill spree, the film climaxes in a vision of the 1923 Kanto earthquake (which wiped out the city). The irony and inherent classical analogies of the natural disaster do not escape Tanaka (Rampo’s original story fuses their story with that of Eros and Thanatos).
Strikingly filmed on widescreen Watcher in the Attic (also known as Stroller in the Attic) is a beautiful and unforgettable tale of voyeurism and the cruelties of history’s march. Definitely worth checking out. Minimal extras. (Paul Dale)
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to suzanne@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Suzanne Black. Glasgow Activities and Fun Doctor Who: Cult Comics Until Sun 16 Aug, 11am–noon. Free with exhibition ticket: £7.50 (£4.50). Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. Draw your own sci-fi comic with an exciting adventure for your own characters. Ages 8+. Doctor Who: Fantasy vs Reality Until Sun 16 Aug, 11am–4pm. Free with exhibition ticket: £7.50 (£4.50). Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. Armour and weapons always look great on the TV, but how do they compare to the real thing? Drop in and find out. Suitable for families. Doctor Who: Reality vs Imagination Until Sun 16 Aug, 11am–4pm. Free with exhibition ticket: £7.50 (£4.50). Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. TV monsters aren’t quite as alien as you might think . . . Drop in and see some insects close up for an idea of where the inspiration for some of the scariest ones comes from. Doctor Who: Sci-fi Scarves Until Sun 16 Aug, 11am–4pm. Free with exhibition ticket: £7.50 (£4.50). Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. Drop in and learn some basic knitting skills, and contribute to the large scarf project. Ages 6+. Doctor Who: Time Travel Tour Until Sun 16 Aug, noon. Free with exhibition ticket: £7.50 (£4.50). Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. You can time- travel with the best of them at the Kelvingrove: visit the Ancient Egyptians, the dinosaurs and all sorts on this 30 minute tour. Suitable for all ages. Doctor Who: Cult Craft Until Sun 16 Aug, 2–4pm. Free with exhibition ticket: £7.50 (£4.50). Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9508. Learn sewing techniques whilst making an amazing anti-fear appliqué cushion. Those Daleks will never be a problem again. Ages 10+. Please book in advance. Doctor Who: Stars and Planets Tour Until Sun 16 Aug, 3pm. Free with exhibition ticket: £7.50 (£4.50). Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. A fun and informative jaunt through space to find out how the solar system works. Suitable for all ages. Latte and Paint Tue 18 Aug, 11am. £4. Tapa Coffeehouse, 721 Pollokshaws Road, 554 9981. Painting activities led by Busy Bees Craft Studio. FREE Zest Holiday Programme Thu 13 Aug, 11am–noon & 2–3.30pm. Scotland Street School Museum, 225 Scotland Street, 287 0500. Drop-in sessions for adults and children aged 5+, with fun and crafty activities. Children must be accompanied. FREE Toddler Time Fri 14 Aug, 11.30am–noon. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. Bring the wee ones along for a morning of songs, stories and fun. FREE Weekend Mechanics Alive! Activities Sat 15 Aug, 11am–1pm. Scotland Street School Museum, 225 Scotland Street, 287 0500. Fun, hands- on activities related to the fascinating Mechanics Alive exhibition. Suitable for adults and children aged 5+. The Sound Institute Summer Workshops Until Fri 14 Aug, £4.50–£8. Cardonald College, 690 Moss Park Drive, 272 3291. Music
workshops, covering a range of instruments and songwriting. For ages 4–20. FREE Saturday Art Club Sat 15 Aug, 10.30am–1pm. Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, 287 3050. Art activities relating to the art on display with drawing, collage, sculpture-making and games. Parents can get stuck in too. Ages 3–12. FREE Colour the Clyde Sat 15 Aug, 11.30am–2.30pm. The Lighthouse, 11 Mitchell Lane, 221 6362. Creative drawing inspired by the heritage of the River Clyde with illustrator Stuart White. What can you add to the large- scale mural? FREE Farm Open Day Sun 16 Aug, noon–3.30pm. Tollcross Children’s Farm, Wellshot Road, 287 9000. A day of family fun in the children’s farm with music and games, balloon sculpture and face painting. Aimed at younger children. FREE Back to the Drawing Board Sun 16 Aug, 2–3.30pm. Museum of Transport, Kelvin Hall, 1 Bunhouse Road, 287 2651. There’s no excuse for being bored on a Sunday – drop into the museum and have fun at this creative workshop where you can sketch some of the objects on display. Storytelling FREE Back to School Storytime Sun 16 Aug, 1pm. Borders Books, Fort Retail Park, 390 Provan Walk, 773 2910. Stories to get wee ones’ minds back into the swing of learning. ities Outside the Cities Activities and Fun FREE Baby Bee Until Wed 30 Dec (not Mon), 10am–5pm; Sun 2–5pm. Paisley Museum & Art Gallery, High Street, Paisley, 889 3151. Aimed at pre- school babies and children, Baby Bee is a delightful interactive exhibition experience that tells the story of a little bee and her adventures on her journey home. Go Wild! Summer Programme Until Fri 14 Aug, 11.30am & 2pm. Included in admission: £5.50 (£4.50; under 12s free). National Museum of Rural Life, Wester Kittochside, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, 247 4369. Hooray! No more summer holiday boredom! Take part in games and activities, arts and crafts, music activities and animal encounters throughout the holidays. Advance booking essential. FREE Meerkat Maze Until Sun 16 Aug, 10am–8pm. Calderglen Country Park, Strathaven Road, East Kilbride, 01355 236644. Learn to live life the meerkat way at this fun event for under 5s. There will be mud . . . FREE A Mouse Took a Stroll . . . Until Mon 1 Feb 2010, 10am–6.30pm; Fri & Mon 10am–7pm; Sat/Sun 11am–5pm. Cranhill Beacon, 200 Bellrock Street, 276 1591. Come along and meet a sly fox, a wise owl and a clever wee mouse. But there’s someone else, with claws and teeth and a big appetite . . . who does he have his eye on? Suitable for young children and families. FREE Pierrots, Puppets & Pictures Until Sat 17 Oct (not Sun), 10am. North Ayrshire Museum, Manse Street, Saltcoats, 01294 274059. A fun exhibition exploring travelling shows of cinema, puppet and variety theatre featuring the innovative work of Harry Kemp and John Blundall. FREE Rockpool Investigations at Lunderston Bay Thu 13 Aug, 11.30am. Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Lunderston Bay, Nr Inverkip, 01475 521458. When the tide goes out it leaves behind a wealth of seashore wildlife on the sands and rockpools – come to this family event and get to know these fascinating creatures. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Advance booking recommended. Meet at the car park.
13–20 Aug 2009 THE LIST 31