FILM | Index
Christmas’ add to the warm glow. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Fri 20–Mon 23 Dec. LIVE SCREENINGMetropolitan Opera: Falstaff (tbc) (2013) A live screening of Verdi’s masterpiece staring Ambrogio Maestri. Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Sat 14 Dec; Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Sat 14 Dec; Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Sat 14–Tue 17 Dec. The Muppet Christmas Carol (U) ●●●●● (Brian Henson, US, 1992) Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire. 85min. Colourful version of Dickens’ classic tale that will please the kids and keep the adults smiling with its little irreverent spices. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 20–Mon 23 Dec; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sat 21–Tue 24 Dec; Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Sat 21–Tue 24 Dec. Nordic Film Festival on Tour Featuring a diverse mix of dramas, crime thrillers and documentaries, this festival presents some of the freshest filmmaking talent from the far North. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 15 Dec; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 12 Dec, www.day-for-night.org/nordic- film-festival Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (18) (Mark Hartley, Australia/US, 2008) Phillip Adams, Christine Amor, Jamie Blanks. 102min. Lighthearted documentary looking at Aussie cinema in the 70s and early 80s. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Mon 16 Dec. NWR (Nicolas Winding Refn) (tbc) (Laurent Duroche, France, 2012) Nicolas Winding Refn. 65min. Documentary about the titular Danish filmmaker, winner in 2011 of Best Director at Cannes for Drive. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 17 Dec. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists (U) ●●●●● (Peter Lord/Jeff Newitt, UK/US, 2012) Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven. 88min. Aardman’s humour sometimes seems dated but Grant is pleasing and the visuals are enchanting. The Glad Café, Glasgow, Sun 15 Dec. Raymond Briggs Trilogy (U) (Various, UK, 1982-98) 78min. Three short animations based on Raymond Briggs’ charming stories. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 21 Dec; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Mon 23–Tue 24 Dec. LIVE SCREENING Royal Opera House: Parsifal (tbc) A live screening of Wagner’s final opera, based on Arthurian legend. General release. LIVE SCREENING Royal Opera House: The Nutcracker (E) (UK, 2013) Performance of the festive favourite, filmed live at the Royal Opera House. General release. Scotland Galore! A season of films
set in Scotland, screening as part of the 21st anniversary of celebrations of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Fesival. Including The Ilusionist, Local Hero and Whisky Galore!. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sat 28 Dec–Thu 2 Jan, edinburghshogmanay.com. Scrooged (PG) (Richard Donner, US, 1988) Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Robert Mitchum. 101min. Despite lavish effects and a motley constellation of guest stars, this is a formula comedy of contemporary cynicism whose uneasily vicious humour seems at odds with the spirit of the original. Grosvenor Cinema, Glasgow, Thu 12 Dec. The Shop Around The Corner (PG) ●●●●● (Ernst Lubitsch, US, 1940) James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan. 97min. A glorious romantic comedy by the great Ernst Lubitsch. Funny and touching, it’s an absolute classic. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 13 Dec. Spaceballs (PG) (Mel Brooks, US, 1987) Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis. 96min. Fun parody of myriad sci-fi movies, in which rival tribes of aliens fight over an air supply. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Thu 26 Dec. Sublime Frequencies in North & West Africa (tbc) The experimental and visually arresting films of Hisham Mayet exploring Voodoo and West African rituals. Summerhall, Edinburgh, Mon 16 Dec; Nice’n’Sleazy, Glasgow, Tue 17 Dec. White Christmas (U) ●●●●● (Michael Curtiz, US, 1954) Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen. 120min. Christmas staple starring Crosby and Kaye as a song-and-dance troupe who become involved with a sister act. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sun 22–Tue 24 Dec. The Wizard Of Oz (U) ●●●●● (Victor Fleming/Norman Taurog/ Richard Thorpe, US, 1939) Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger. 102min. Classic stuff, just chockful of great songs, characterisation and memorably garish design. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sun 22–Tue 24 Dec. Wonderful Life (U) (Sidney J. Furie, UK, 1964) Cliff Richard, Walter Slezak, Susan Hampshire. 113min. A group of (literally) drifting popsters find themselves involved in a grim sand-and- sandals desert movie. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, Sun 22–Tue 24 Dec. The Young Girls of Rochefort (Le Demoiselles de Rochefort) (PG) ●●●●● (Jacques Demy, France, 1967) Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac, Gene Kelly. 125min. A film about being so overcome with emotion that you burst into song in the street – a sort of musical love song to the idea of musicals. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 22 Dec.
NORDIC FILM FESTIVAL The Nordic Film Festival returns for the second time to Edinburgh and Glasgow, transporting you to the far north this winter. You & Me Forever (Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Wed 11 Dec; GFT, Glasgow, Sun 15 Dec, pictured above) is a close-up of teenage angst following the implosion of an intense girlhood friendship while Kidd Life (GFT, Glasgow, Sun 22 Dec) is a sardonic music documentary about the absurdity of achieving overnight fame through YouTube. Also playing is My Stuff (GFT, Glasgow, Sun 29 Dec), described as a ‘Finnish-weird approach to self-help’ and Belleville Baby (GFT, Glasgow, Thu 2 Jan) which delicately traces a lost love affair in a hedonistic Paris. (Evie Dunne)
88 THE LIST 12 Dec 2013–23 Jan 2014