BIN ALIN ILL OI eon ts FF Tee EAR SES MTS

Interview with the Vampire tx
(Warner Bros.) Rated R (at the
Esplanade, Cupitol, Varsity,
Richmond Centre, Station
Square, Eagle Ridge, Guildford,
Willowbrook, Abbotsford, Harris
Road and Scott 72 Cinemas) .

READY FOR some terror-
tainment? As the vampire
Lestat, Tom Cruise reprises his

_ role asa bloodsucker (the first
time was as the lawyer in The
Firm).

‘And make no mistake, Cruise is
easily the best thing in this adapta-
tion of the first instalment of Anne
Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, With
long blond tresses and a sardonic
sense of humour, he pumps much-
needed life into a great-looking, but
lethargically paced, blood feast.

Sticking closely to the novel, the
‘tale follows brooding Louisiana
plantation owner Louis (Brad Pitt)
into the cult of the undead, his
struggle with his new predatory
nature and his 50-year love for a
child vampire, Claudia (Kirsten
Dunst).

But what made the book work, a
’* florid style and sharp details about
. What. it would really be like to be
immortal, make for a slow-moving
movie.

Ne eID eae VER,

FILM REVIEW

Brad Pitt fares well given that
his role is a humorless, soul-search-
ing nosferatu who is more likely to
bore his victims to death. Kirsten
Hunst’s role is much more interest-
ing, gaining maturity and poise
while remaining trapped in an eter-
nally angelic prepubescent shell.

Her ease with killing will fright-
en a lot of viewers although gal-
lows humor mutes the impact.
(After Claudia drains her seam-
stress, Lestat admonishes her with a
slap on the wrist and “What have !
told you? Never in the house.”)

Director Neal Jordan does an
admirable job getting most of
Rice’s novel up there —- nerhaps
too much — and adding some
humor without diluting the rich
imagery and melancholy mood.

Anne Rice’s sequel, The
Vampire Lestat, a much more plot-
driven and humorous story, will

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me H i ih,

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make a better film,

Of course, a sequel. After all,
you can’t keep a good vampire
down,

The = Professional kw 1/2
(Columbia) Rated R (at Famous
Players Cinemas)

Lue Besson's obsession with
killer females gets more and more
disturbing.

The writer/director of La Femune
Nikita now has 10-year-old
Mathilda (Natalie Portman) as the

sin-wannabe when she
befriends her next-door neighbor,
Leon (Jean Reno), a hitman, OF
course, she’s justified since an
extremely twitchy Gary Oldman
massacred her family.

Reno is terrific as the “cleaner.”
Although ruthlessly efficient, he
also takes care to mist his beloved
plant.

Besson takes a standard
American plotline and gives ita
refreshing European touch.

There’s the usual action-picture
quota of explosions and ferocious
fire power, but he packs more char-
acter into his stories than 3 dozen
Die Hards.

SHOWTIME HOTLINE:
Famous Players ... « 681-4255
Cineplex Odeon 687-1515
Caprice Park Royal ...... 926-6699

Fish & Chips - Horseshoe Bay
fy Established 1946
THE ALL INCLUSIVE
MEAL DEAL

Start with a bowl of our
delicious clam chowder

* Expires Dac. 1 ‘94

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Alter 2 pm

* Horseshoe Bay
location only

* Dine-in only

* Not valid with
other promotions

with this

2 pieces ‘of our famous
Battered Fish & Chips

& ;
A slice of cheesecake topped
with strawberries

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6408 Bay Street 92 1 -77 5 5

West Vancouver

Swirl, sip, savor wine at fest |

SWIRL, SIP and savor over 200
wines.at the 10th annual Kiwanis
International Wine Festival at the
‘Vancouver Trade and Convention
‘Centre, Exhibit Hall A, this Friday,
Nov. 18.
Sponsored by the Import
. Mintners and Spirits Association of
B.C., the festival will feature:
BS the “Burgundy Bar” hosted by
wine writers Anthony Gismondi and
_ Robin Mines;
@ a “Consuitants’ Corner” for
insight and advice from some of the
most experienced wine tasters in

Western Canada and
@ “The South African Stop.”

Listed and unlisted products will
be available for sampling, buying
and special ordering, through the

_ Liquor Distribution Branch on-site
store. Festival-goers buy tastes with
tickets, anywhere from one to 10,
depending on the retail value of the
bottle of wine sarnpled.

The $20 admission price includes
five tasting tickets and GST. Tickets
are available through TicketMaster.
Additional tasting tickets can be pur-
chased for 50 cents each. Assorted

* Unlimited local calling for che first 50 days and nights

* 50 minutes of business airtime a month

* And unlimited local weekend calling

APEX ADVANTAGE: SALES, SERVICE & RENTAL
«MOBILE SERVICE VAN-FREE SERVICE LOANERS

* Some restrictions apply. Cail us for details.

patés, cheese and smoked meats"
round out the fare.

North Shore resident Pamela
McColl, author of British Columbia
Salmon: A Celebration of Paintings
and Cookery, will be there.

Proceeds from this distinctive
wine-tasting event — open to the
public from 5 to 9:30 p.m. — benefit
Kiwanis community projects such as
volunteer youth recognition pro-
grams, Boys and Girls Ctub, and the
Kiwanis Music Festival.

For more information, call 685- .
7274,

i

VANCOUVER BURNABY ORTH VAN
689-3300 436-3300 989-2200

LANGLEr = COQUITLAM SURREY |
944-3300 583-3300

Pet [A

PG:

creer

ae
3

h 4. Sn

3.2, Th Wat (Hew)
4. Pulp Fiction

pwictt

* Ona Coup{on per customer's visit
ij * Not valid with other offers
* Not valid with Supers