DOMANI (TOMORROW)

Italy, 2000, 105 minutes, Colour.
Marco Baliani, Valerio Mastandrea, Ornella Muti, James Purefoy, Anna Wilson-Jones?.
Directed by Francesca Archibugi.

Domani is a film set in the Umbrian countryside. It literally begins with an earth-shattering scene, an earthquake during the night. The film then shows what happens, tomorrow, when the residents of the town have to cope with the loss of their homes, repeated tremors, homelessness and lack of employment as well as trying to face a future.

The director has a very humane sensibility and all of the characters come alive. The deputy mayor and his wife with their two sons, two young girls who make a pact with each other for everlasting friendship - but then one is attracted to a young boy, the teacher at the school, the English fresco restorer with his wife who wants to conceive, the gay man with his ailing mother ... all the characters are given a humanity which involves the audience very strongly. It is a very moving film with the situation as well as the characters. The director's previous film, L'albero Delle Pere (Shooting the Moon) won the OCIC Award in Venice in 1998.

1. The Italian setting, the Umbrian countryside, the village? The impact of the earthquake and tremors? The response of the people and their plight?

2. The title, the focus on the aftermath of the earthquake? For the people - and whether their crises would have emerged without the earthquake?

3. The special effects for the quakes and the tremors, the location for the shattered village, the unstable homes and buildings, their being demolished? The temporary shelter? A feeling of authenticity? The musical score - and especially the film's theme running throughout?

4. The impact of the earthquake: the night, people hurrying out, bewilderment, loss of electricity, Italian crowds and their extroversion and fears? The aftermath and the authorities checking on the stability of the buildings? People not allowed to return to the city centre, their homes and possessions? The emergency assistance? The television interviewers - especially the Octopus - and coming into people's homes (and the Octopus being intrusive but finally, with the final tremor, telling the cameramen to shut down their machines)?

5. The deputy mayor, his strong stances, having to face losing his home, giving an example to people? His decision-making? His way with people? His wife and her support, her grief at losing the home, her later explanation of 18 years of devotion to him and the children at home? The two boys: the teenager and his rebelliousness, the young boy at school and his emotional crises? Losing their home, into the caravan, having to share the home with Giovanni and his mother? Clashes? A learning experience? The mother and her support of Giovanni - and Agostino's fears and anger with her?

6. The teacher, her ability with the children? The lessons, the protest to the government minister? Her living alone? The artist and his coming to stay with her, sharing understanding, emotional sharing? The future?

7. The artist and his restoration, the chance of a lifetime, his wife and her wanting to have a child? The ovulation method? His impotence? Their clash, the emotional outburst of the wife, wanting a child desperately, taking the pills? Her return to England? The young man and his Italian, his background, his work and skill? His moving in with the teacher? The return of his wife, her reaction to the teacher? Leaving again? His work, the collapse of the church, his being taken in the helicopter? His future?

8. Giovanni at the beginning of the film with Franco, the secrecy of his being gay? His being allotted to the deputy mayor and his family? The reaction, his mother and her cancer? Agostino stealing her purse? Coming to terms with the family? The sympathy from the wife, his explanation of his hopes, staying with his mother, her chemotherapy? His helping in the town, the interview with the Octopus about employment? His mother, her losing her mind, the effect of the surgery and chemotherapy? The 16-year-old befriending her, on the motorbike, his taking her home and giving her the shoes? The importance of the change for him? Giovanni going to Rome after her death?

9. Vale and Tina, their age, friendship, inseparable, the pact? Tina's mother and her art? Vale and her mother not taking any notice of her? The owner of the factory as Tina's father? Their running off together, spending the day, enjoying each other's company, the sequence of the French kissing, experimentation? Agostino and his friendship, Tina and her choosing to go with him? Vale and her upset, tears? The graffiti? The finale with her burning all the memories of Tina?

10. Agostino and the situation and his age, school, the girls, his disappointment with his mother and outburst, with the old lady, with the teacher? The Christmas concert and the aftermath in the church and the tremor?

11. The picture of the people in the town, coping, impatience, rallying round? The bar? The concert in the church? The further tremors?

12. A sense of humanity, in the Italian setting, more universally?

ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN

Ireland, 1989, 85 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Burt Reynolds, Vic Tayback, Judith Barsi, Dom de Luise, Loni Anderson.
Directed by Dan Kuenster, Gary Goldman.

All Dogs Go To Heaven is the work of former Disney animator, Don Bluth. He and a group broke away from the Disney studios in the late '70s and produced a number of animated features including An American Tale, Land Before Time.

This is a popular dog story which also has a little girl as heroine. It is a piece of Americana - and the story of an American rascal dog, his awkward comic companion as well as a villainous dog. The film also shows the values of kind-heartedness and the possibility of redeeming oneself. However, it is all done lightly and entertainingly. There are also a number of songs.

The main voice talent is that of Burt Reynolds as Charlie Barkin. The dog has many of Reynolds' characteristics and style. This also gives Reynolds the opportunity to sing a number of songs. Itchy, his friend, is portrayed by Reynolds' friend Dom DeLuise?. The villainous Carface is voiced by Vic Tayback.

An enjoyable animated film - though not in the league of Disney's best.

1. Enjoyable animated film? For family audiences?

2. The style of the animation: drawing, use of colour? Design? Musical score and songs? The voice talents?

3. The American plot, dogs, echoing of the gangster movies? The humans - and romantic themes?

4. Charlie and Itchy: the initial escape, the tunnel, the water? The encounter with Carface? The break with him and his betrayal? Death, heaven? The possibilities? Charlie finding Anne Marie, taking her, her ability to pick winners, talk to horses? The sequence in the wrecked car? Not wanting to be kissed? The racetrack, the horse race and the win? Picking the pocket? The three with overcoat placing the bet? The setting up of the club, the success, the clientele? Anne Marie feeling that he had betrayed her? Going to the parents? Carface and the other dogs, the attacks, the alligator? The explosions? Charlie helping Anne Marie? His dying - the appearance of the Devil, the heavenly spirit? His saying farewell to Anne Marie? Going to Heaven? Burt Reynolds and his manner, style, humour? Songs?

5. Itchy and his incompetence, humour, sharing all the experiences with Charlie? Sad at the end, looked after by Anne Marie?

6. Anne Marie and Carface, the orphan, with Charlie, loving him, in the back of the car, talking, the need for parents? Talking to the horses, the bet, the winning? The disappoint? Taking the wallet back? Encountering the loving couple? Charlie buying her the dresses, the collage of the new clothes? The dangers? Carface? The threat to her life, Charlie saving her? His farewell? Her happiness with her parents?

7. Carface as the villain, his look, his betrayal, the dogs as the henchmen? His cruelty? Anne Marie? Attacking Charlie and Itchy? Following them, the attacks, the alligator and his death?

8. The crooked dogs, working with Carface, their cruelty, trying to kill Charlie and Itchy, their comeuppance?

9. The attractive parents, romantic, the racetrack, the encounter with Anne Marie, her going to the house, the returning of the wallet, their concern? Reunited with her?

10. The insertion of the songs, the variety of moods, revealing characters? Love, happiness? The musical alligator - and memories of Esther Williams' movies?

11. The overall appeal of the film? Plot and characters? Animation design? Songs? Attractive for children? Families? Adults?

DOG BOYS

US, 95 minutes, 1997, Colour.
Dean Cain, Bryan Brown, Tia Carrerre.
Directed by Ken Russell.

Dog Boys is a surprising choice of a director's chore for the flamboyant Ken Russell (Women in Love, The Music Lovers). This is a prison film focusing on Dean Cain as an irascible ex Marine who comes under the power of Warden Bryan Brown. Brown has a secret - revealed as having a grudge against prisoners who murdered his girlfriend and dog. He trains dogs to pursue prisoners - and has turned it into a scam whereby prisoners without relatives are hunted and killed and their money banked.

The film is fairly obvious in its treatment of Brown's character, though Bryan Brown (his Australian accent and background given rather lengthy explanation) is perhaps too laconic for the role. There are heroics as Dean Cain and Tia Carrerre as a representative of the District Attorney confront the criminal scheme.

1. Prison film? Variations on themes? The corrupt warden and his scheme?

2. The prison setting, the forests, the special effects and action with the dogs? Musical score?

3. The title, the focus on Captain Brown, his training of the dogs, the pursuit of the criminals let loose?

4. The focus on Julian Taylor: clean-cut ex-Marine, the warnings as he entered the prison, his trying to help the prisoner who fell, the confrontation with the black prisoner and his skill in fighting and defeating him? Captain Brown and his warnings? His setting him to work with the dogs under Pappy's direction? The group with the dogs, the confrontations? The training of the dogs, the running? The friendship with Willie? Willie wanting to trust him, Willie's death in the kennel? The visit from the DA's office? His refusal to collaborate? His fears about being killed? His run, the discovery of the truth about Brown? His being let loose? His meeting Ms Dern? The confrontation with Brown, setting the dog on him? His freedom?

5. Brown, his Australian background, the video and the explanation of his story? His scheme, training the dogs, his skill with them, choosing the dog boys? The training runs? His book and the names? His scheme with the money? The collusion with the governor of the prison? The confrontation with Ms Dern? The final flight, the tables turned on him, the dogs pursuing him? His shooting of Pappy?

6. The governor, managing the prison, Ms Dern, the collusion with Brown, his death? The wealthy businessman, entering the scheme, pursuing the criminals in the hunt, confrontation of Brown, Brown shooting him?

7. Willie, as a dog boy, the investigations, undercover agent, his death? Ms Dern, the visit to the prison, her disguise? Her return, the confrontation with the governor? Her assistants and their investigating the schemes? Her return, witnessing the smoking out of Taylor? The pursuit, the governor turning on her, her using the mace, the mace to ward off the dogs? The final vindication?

8. The usual characters in prison films, their contribution?

9. Prison themes, the corruption of government, treatment of prisoners, ruthlessness?

THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVILS

UK, 1985, 93 minutes, Colour.
Timothy Dalton, Jonathan Pryce, Twiggy, Julian Sands, Lewis Fiander, Stephen Rea, Beryl Reid, T.P.McKenna.
Directed by Freddie Francis.

The Doctor and the Devils is about doctors, the study of anatomy, grave robbers in 19th century Britain. The famous grave robbers, Burke and Hare, were the subject of Robert Wise's 1944 The Body Snatchers, as well as a British horror film of 1970 titled Burke and Hare.

This film has the overtones of the traditional British horror film, especially those developed by the Hammer Studios. In fact, the director is Freddie Francis, cinematographer and director of a number of these films. However, the screenplay is based on an original screenplay by poet Dylan Thomas. It has been worked on and adapted by playwright Ronald Harwood, best known for such plays and films as The Dresser.

Britain's 19th century atmosphere is re-created meticulously, the world of the universities, the world of aristocrats, the low life of the cities. The film also has a very strong cast with Timothy Dalton articulate as Dr Rock, the supremely self-confident scientist for whom the ends of science justify any means. His assistant is played by Julian Sands. Twiggy is a prostitute, Beryl Reid a derelict old woman, and character actors like Lewis Fiander and T.P. McKenna? appear in supporting roles. However, the focus is on the two grave robbers. They are played with mad relish by Jonathan Price and Stephen Rea.

The film has an ugly theme with the murders, the robbing of graves and the use of corpses for anatomical studies. However, the serious theme underlying it is the role and supremacy of science, the need for a balancing humanity, the need for appropriate legislation (which was lacking in Britain) for developments of anatomy and physiology so that surgery might be improved. Indications of more fundamentalist understandings of religion, like the resurrection of the body as a theological reason for not dissecting corpses, are also present. The film links in with the themes developed in the Frankenstein stories as well as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

1. The tradition of the horror film, stories of grave robbers and science? British horror films? Re-creations of the 19th century, explorations of the theme of science?

2. The re-creation of the period, the hospitals, the university lecture rooms? High society? British low life, the streets and the taverns? The musical score?

3. The screenplay and Dylan Thomas's contribution, the reworking by Ronald Harewood?

4. The title and its focus? The doctor as an enigmatic saviour figure yet diabolical? The gravediggers and robbers as diabolical?

5. The themes of science, anatomy and physiology, surgery? The traditions of surgeons being butchers and the need to improve quality of surgery? The need for bodies for anatomical study? The role of the law - allowing only hanged corpses to be available? The religious motif and the resurrection of the dead and the restoration of the body, arguing against such dissection? Dr Rock and his speeches about science, the end justifying the means?

6. Timothy Dalton as Dr Rock, his suave style, causes and popularity, skills in dissection and surgery? His attitude towards outmoded laws? His use of the bodies - and his irony in referring to the illicit body as a sheep's corpse? His servant buying the bodies, his wanting fresh bodies? His elevated speeches, his skill in surgery and saving Billy Bedlam's leg? The admiration of his assistants? The gratitude of Billy Bedlam's sister? At home, Annabella and her puritanical attitudes and clashes, snobbishness? The meals and guests not wanting to come and dine? His love for Elizabeth, her anatomical sketches - and the disapproval of society? His medical rival and the speeches, the kidneys, being brought before the board? The crisis with Fallon and Broome, the murders for the bodies? The decision of the medical board to protect him? His final walk up the hill - and the voice-over and his wondering whether he should have been so absolutely sure of himself?

7. Dr Murray, admiration for Dr Rock, his work as an assistant? His meeting with Jenny, going to visit her, the relationship, the money? His suspicions of Fallon and Broome? Talking with Elizabeth? His confronting Dr Rock? His rushing to the rescue of Jenny?

8. His staff and their admiration, the surgery? His rival using old lectures and having few listeners? The spy? The board and their decisions of reprimanding Dr Rock, yet protecting him? Dinners at home and ethical discussions?

9. Fallon and Broome, low-life, drinking, scrounging for money? Their discovering the body snatchers and seeing them at work, taking the bodies? Selling them to Dr Rock? The vagrants, Fallon murdering the first one and selling the body? The growing greed? The various bodies? The prostitutes - Broome taking a stand, Fallon reckless? The attempt to murder Mrs Flynn after caring for her? Getting rid of her body? Fallon and his murdering of Billy Bedlam's sister, Dr Murray recognising her and Dr Rock recognising her? His madness, the attempt to kill Jenny? His enjoying killing? Arrest, condemnation - and the fellow prisoners sneering at him and his own body going to Dr Rock? Being hanged? Broome and his admission of guilt - his greed?

10. Jenny and the prostitutes, English low-life, the taverns, the clients, relationships? Her slinging off at Dr Murray, attracted to him? With Fallon - and her being rescued by Murray?

11. The world of the poor, the landlords, the families crammed in one room, Billy Bedlam, the drunks, Mrs Flynn as a vagrant? The old woman who fenced for stolen jewellery? The gallery of the slums of the British city?

12. Themes of 19th century society and values, belief in progress, changing laws? The ghoulish aspects of anatomy, the need for bodies, experimentation? Scientists and their `playing God'?

MRS DELAFIELD WANTS TO MARRY

US, 1986, 95 minutes, Colour.
Katharine Hepburn, Denholm Elliot, Bibi Besch, Harold Gould, David Ogden Stiers.
Directed by George Schaeffer.

Mrs Delafield Wants To Marry is a Katharine Hepburn film. In a tour de force in her mid-70s, she portrays a widow who almost dies but then falls in love with her doctor. The outline of the plot might seem trite, however Katharine Hepburn gives great force to the emotional life of a 70-year-old.

There is a very interesting supporting cast including Denholm Elliott as a concerned but prejudiced neighbour, Harold Gould sympathetic as the doctor, David Ogden Stiers as the selfish son and Kathryn Walker as the alcoholic daughter.

1. An interesting and entertaining telemovie? The audience for such films? World-wide? Focusing on characters and social and emotional questions?

2. The American background, class distinctions and wealth, the life of the city, hospital? The luxurious Ashmore homes? The pleasing score?

3. Katharine Hepburn and the stars and their contribution? Making the film credible?

4. The comic style, its satiric tones, sometimes spoofing of the characters and their behaviour? The serious side of the film? Romantic?

5. Katharine Hepburn and her speeches about human nature, tolerance, truth, love, commitment, prejudice, reconciliation? Her final question: Isn't life delicious?

6. The voice-over by George and his perspective, love for Margaret, critical of her behaviour? George being mocked by the action, by the perspective of the director? His wife? Being won over in the end?

7. The opening and Margaret and her dying, George and Gladys watching, the hospital sequence, the variety of family reactions and their selfishness, Dr Elias and his sympathy, forcing Margaret to be alive?

8. Margaret's coming home, the family to meet her, the reactions? George and Gladys? Suspicions about the presence of Dr Elias?

9. Katharine Hepburn as Margaret: her age, experience? her memories of her happy marriage to Spud? Widow for ten years and the effect on her? Her children and her realistic attitude towards them? Gratitude towards the doctor, attracted to him, sympathetic, falling in love? The initial kiss and the effect on her? Inviting George and getting his advice, his attack? The further visits, in the car - and the ambiguous scene for George's binoculars? Her visit to his children and their reaction? Her mocking herself and worried about it? The reaction of her children and her being flattened? The force of their attacks? Asking advice of George and Gladys? Her resolution, the final support from Chipper? The build-up to the wedding, the plans and the church, the visit to the minister, and his rejection? Her hesitation and cold feet? Talking things over with Marvin, the question about the ring? The eccentricity and delight of the ceremony? The reconciliation with her family? The party and the friends? The honeymoon and the postcard sent to George?

10. Marvin as a successful doctor, helping Margaret, attracted towards her, the background of his marriage and divorce, his wife's career and publishing? His going to the party, the kissing of Margaret, the continued visits? The criticism of his children? Jewish and anti-Jewish prejudice? The discussion about the marriage, his being flattened, cold feet? Talking things over with Margaret, the wedding?

11. George and his exclusivism, 'our kind', the questions about being anti-Semitic? His relationship with Gladys, her prejudice but live and let live the binoculars at all hours of the day and night, the visit to Margaret and the long talk? The greater bigotry? His presence at the family discussions? His going to the wedding, his declared love for Gladys? Change of heart? Gladys more tolerant than he? The final postcard - 'Glad you're not here'?

12. Hotton and Doreen, their marriage, their fat son always eating and whistling, their hopes for the money, their reaction to their mother's illness, Doreen's hardness? Their warnings to their mother, her reassurance about her will, their comeuppance?

13. Sarah and Harrison: Sarah’s various marriages, her disapproval of her mother's marriage and her mother's answers? Her drinking? At the parties, Harrison as a bore? The twins? Her protest about the money? How persuasive was her change of heart and wanting to give up drinking?

14. Chipper and his sympathy towards his mother, wariness about the wedding? Her talking to him about Orville and the living arrangement? His mother's tolerance towards his gay lifestyle? His giving his mother away at the wedding?

15. David and Shirley and their reaction to Margaret, the dinner, David's rudeness, the other members of the family?

16. The socialites and Margaret's place in society, charities and appeals? Their being at the wedding?

17. Both the minister and the rabbi refusing to have the wedding?

18. The wedding itself, Margaret's dress, the music, 'When the Saints Go Marching In'? The speech for reconciliation? The sign of peace and reconciliation amongst all the guests? Margaret and her statement about belief in God and its transcending churches?

19. A humane film? Portrait of characters? Credible behaviour? Optimism?

MR BELVEDERE GOES TO COLLEGE

US, 1949, 88 minutes, Black and white.
Clifton Webb, Shirley Temple, Alan Young, Tom Drake, Jessie Royce Landis.
Directed by Elliott Nugent.

Mr. Belvedere Goes to College is a sequel to the excellent and very successful Sitting Pretty in which Clifton Webb played Lyn Belvedere. He was the supreme egoist, self-confident and excellent in everything he put his hand to. In this sequel, he finds that he has run short of funds because of the libel suits after the publication of his novel at the end of the first film. He needs a degree and goes to college. The film is a variation on the American college film - a picture of America in the late '40s.

Clifton Webb is superb at showing self-confidence and complete superiority and disdain. Shirley Temple gives a grown-up version of her earlier performances. Alan Young is seen in an early film. The hero is Tom Drake -and his mother the enjoyable Jessie Royce Landis. Jeff Chandler appears at the end as one of the policemen.

1. An enjoyable comedy of the '40s?

2. 1940s film production: black and white photography, jaunty musical score, the American campus?

3. Clifton Webb's screen presence, his creation of the character of Mr. Belvedere? Audiences enjoying Mr. Belvedere?

4. American colleges, students, houses, rules, sport, initiation rituals, graduation, the ethos of the American college in the '40s? Men's colleges, girls' colleges, post-war students?

5. The universities, the authorities, degrees and prestige?

6. Mr. Belvedere and his reputation? Presence? Confidence, disdain? Need for a degree, interview with the officials? His plan for the degree in a year? Avery and the rules about freshmen? His fat offsider? The rules and regulations and Mr Belvedere's attitudes? perfectionism, exact? Excellent at everything including playing classical piano, composing, jazz? His applying for the job? The encounter with Bill? His refusal to be interviewed by Helen? His being discreet about her and the baby? The house, Mrs. Chase, the cook, threatening to leave, controlling the house? The meals, the cooking, serving, their-good manners, teaching then dancing? His shaving and having to wear the false beard? His pole-vaulting success?

7. Bill as the pleasant hero, his mother and the house, Helen and being a widow, her son, concealing his presence, writing the articles, wanting a career? Dating Bill? Telling the-.,truth? Dinner with his mother? The clash?

8. Avery and his telling Mrs Chase? Mr Belvedere being blamed? His intrusion into the house? The police? Prison, phoning J. Edgar Hoover?

9. The happy resolution - and the themes of a 140s comedy?

MOTHER LODE

US, 1982, 101 minutes, Colour.
Charlton Heston, Nick Mancuso, Kim Basinger, John Marley.
Directed by Charlton Heston, Fraser Clarke Heston.

One of Charlton Heston's last major starring roles. After thirty years in the cinema, he moved in the early 1980s to the stage and to television.

This film was written by his son Fraser Clark Heston. It is set in British Columbia and has magnificent Canadian scenery. It is a story about lust for gold - but also turns into a variation on the Baby Jane, Sweet Charlotte genre with Heston as a madman. An entertaining, but in no way memorable, film.

1. Action entertainment? The remote scenery and locations for a lust for gold story? Obsession? Violence?

2. The use of the Canadian locations, rugged and majestic beauty, aerial photography? An atmosphere for prospecting, gold fever? Interior life, the obsessions, madness? Musical score?

3. The title and the focus on the gold - reality and illusion, vision? quest for the Mother lode? His madness, his death? Jean and his obsession, the false discovery The ironic truth at the end?

4. Charlton Heston as the Mc Gee brothers? His stature, ruggedness and patriarchal style. Scots accent? Silas - the initial encounter? Jean and his stories, the work in the mine, his deception, the growing menace and violence, his plans, his lies, the ultimate confrontation with Jean, the desperate fight and his death? Ian Magee as Silas? victims, hidden, frightening Andrea, killed by Jean? A sad picture of gold prospectors and their destruction?

5. Jean and Andrea, the search for their friend, Jean selling his house, the old plane, the flight, the dangers, the exhilaration, the crash landing, the plane's sinking? The encounter with Elijah and discussing mining with him, his wisdom, prospects? His helping fix the plane? The landing, the search, the encounter with Silas Mc Gee, looking through the shafts, the exhilaration, the danger, Jean's growing obsession, the time in the shafts, his discovery of the fake shaft, the explosion, his thinking he had killed Silas and Andrea, his discovering them both, the killing of Ian, his obsessiveness, the endurance that he went through to get the mother lode, the final explosion, the flood and the revelation of the gold, the reconciliation with Andrea and their return? Andrea and her support, her being frightened, her strength, Silas kidnapping her, the ultimate fight? A portrait of ordinary people being caught up in the gold rush mentality?

6. Elijah as the wise old man, the man of the river, Indian wife, his helping with the plane, the gift of the salmon, his coming up-river, his understanding the Mc Gees, his observations on Jean?

7. The film's detail of the mines, the false gold, the floods, the true mother Lode? The myth of easy riches in gold
rushes?

8. Themes of madness and cruelty, Silas and his brother and the obsession, long, mutual destruction? The possibility for Jean to become like them?

9. Entertaining action, psychological drama, a vehicle for Charlton Heston?

MOSCOW DOES NOT BELIEVE IN TEARS (MOSKVA SLEZAM NE VERIT)

USSR, 1979, 140 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Vladmir Menshov.

Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1981. While it portrays Russian life in the '50s and in '70s, it is very accessible to western audiences. In fact, the Russian writers and directors seem to have their eye on the Hollywood soap operas and to be giving their version of the trials and tribulations of three young working girls venturing out into the city and their lives twenty years later.

There is nothing particularly new in the film but it is made with some affection and with some irony. It is quite enjoyable in its way - and a different picture from popular images of Russian society both in the 1950s and in later decades.

1. A popular and entertaining film? For Russian audiences? international audiences? Its winning the Oscar?

2. The structure of the film: the first half in 1958, the atmosphere of the time, the post-Stalinist era, the young girls in the workers' dormitory, their work and Study, falling in love? The contrast with the late 1970s, greater 'affluence', greater `sophistication'? The next generation?

3. The colour photography, the echoes of American soap opera films of the period? The atmosphere of Russia? Musical score?

4. The portrait of Caterina - her working in the factory, her doing her study, her looking after her uncle's flat, the friendship with Ludmilla and Tonya? Their party? Posing as professors' daughters? Rudi and Caterina's attraction? Her affair with Rudi? Her becoming pregnant, not telling him? Her growing importance in the factory, representing the workers, the television programme (and Rudi in the crew)? His hearing of the pregnancy, his refusal to have anything to do with it? The birth of the baby? The room by themselves? The portrait of a young girl in the city? The transition to twenty years later? Katya as factory director? The encounter with Gosch? Her falling in love with him? The meeting of Rudi again? His demands? His following her home? Encounter with Cosch, his reaction against her? Her being upset? Her love for her daughter, their life together, Sascha getting Cosch to return? The happy ending?

5. Ludmila and Caterina to help with the party? Posing as professors' daughters? Gurin and his reputation, Ludmilla and her affair? The confession of the truth to Gurin? His proposal? Their marriage? Twenty years later and Gurin's alcoholism? Ludmilla divorced? The lack of basis for their marriage, its collapse?

6. Tonya and her work in the bakery? Ordinary young woman? Less in the foreground than the others? The irony of her marrying Nicolai? Their move to the country, their house? The house as a refuge for the others? The happy life? Her sons?

7. The next generation? Sascha and her being alone? The listening to pop records? Her being more poised than her mother? Her helping her mother with Gosch? The contrast with Tonya's three sons and their prospects, lifestyle? Bringing the girl home? The differences in standards between the '50s and the 1970s? (Echoes of changes throughout the world?)

8. The film's reliance on mood, vivacity of the characters, the expectations of their interrelationships? Sentiment?

9. The different translations of the title - for England 'Moscow Distrusts Tears'? For the United States and elsewhere, 'Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears'?

MORTUARY

US, 1983, 91 minutes, Colour.
Mary Beth McDonough?, David Wallace, Bill Paxton, Lynda Day George, Christopher George.
Directed by Howard Avedis.

Mortuary is one of the many horror films made in the early '80s often by exploiters, often by student film-makers. They capitalised on audience interest and box office success of such multiple-murder thrillers as Halloween and Friday the 13th.

This film is a piece of Americana - a small town setting, teenagers and their parents - and the mortuary. Needless to say, there is an insane person dispatching various people with access to the mortuary. There are some rather well-known horror sequences which make this film rather better of its kind. Christopher George and his wife Linda Day George offer their acting experience to make the film a bit classier than it might have been. Not untypical of its kind.

MORONS FROM OUTER SPACE

UK, 1985, 90 minutes, Colour.
Mel Smith, Griff Rhys Jones, James B. Sikking, Jimmy Naill, Andre Maranne.
Directed by Mike Hodges.

Morons From Outer Space lives up to its title. It was written by two stars of the British TV series Not the Nine O'Clock News, Griff Rhys-Jones? and Mel Smith. They also star. While the material might be good for revue or for television, it seems over-inflated for the big screen - and often tends to fall rather flat or seem plain silly.

The film is a satire on all those 'aliens from outer space' films. Bernard (Mel Smith) and three companions, Desmond, Julian and Sandra, crash from a spacecraft (which is a holiday home for the four inhabitants). They crash on the M1 Motorway in England. As with other films, the media are after them, the police are after them, the military are after them - and also the Americans (in the forms of James B. Sikking). The film also focuses on Griff Rhys-Jones' novice reporter Graeme Sweetly. He is able to make a pop group out of the aliens who have become media personalities. Needless to say, there is satire on the pop world and concerts.

Bernard, however, is taken to California, is imprisoned (like Cuckoo's Nest) but escapes and moves to New York for a final confrontation with the other three who are starring in a rock concert. They spurn him. There is a 'Close Encounters' finale with the three aliens returning and Bernard left with Graeme back on Earth.

The film reverses expectations by having the aliens as 'pinheads' or morons from outer space. Bernard is a blend of the stupid and the lovable. The other three succumb to all the temptations of Earth.

In the background is a lot of satire about the British, the Americans, the military, the police, politicians and the press.

On paper this seemed quite a good idea. On the big screen it falls flat - but might amuse on the small screen.