Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageThe Fruit Machine (1988)
Director: Philip Saville
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Eddie (Charles) is a chubby 17-year old dreamer who loves scoffing chocs and watching old movies with his blowsy mum. Dad thinks he's a nancy boy, so when his mate Michael (Forsyth) calls for help the two scousers take off in search of adventure, and find it in a nightclub called 'The Fruit Machine', presided over by Annabelle (Coltrane, marvellous), an outsize drag queen whom they witness receiving too close a shave from a sicko called Echo (Payne). Running for their lives, the pair fall in with an opera singer (Stevens) and his agent (Higgins), who takes them to Brighton. Michael pays for their fares by horizontally dancing with both of them. Eddie remains oblivious to all this - he's too involved with a dripping dolphin man (Norgaard) who keeps appearing in front of him...Saville films Frank Clarke's script in a mishmash of styles, and the pace sometimes flags. But what the hell, it's as camp as Christmas, and if it rarely hits the jackpot, playing along with it is wildly enjoyable.Author: MS
Cast & crew
Director: Philip Saville
Producer: Steve Morrison
Cast: Emile Charles, Tony Forsyth, Robert Stephens, Clare Higgins, Bruce Payne, Robbie Coltrane, Carsten Norgaard full cast
Genre(s): Thrillers
Duration: 108 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has Michael Mann lost it?
Adam Lee Davies mourns the passing of a major Hollywood talent as Michael Mann's 'Public Enemies' sees the great director running on empty
Why 'Ice Age 3' is really for adults
Tom Huddleston takes a look at a selection of films which bring adult problems to a pre-teen audience
Is this Summer 2009's best film?
The French filmmaker Claire Denis speaks to Dave Calhoun about her new film, '35 Shots of Rum', a tender portrait of a father-daughter relationship in Paris
The Informant: trailer preview
Steven Soderbergh is at it again, this time with a screwball corporate caper starring Matt Damon called 'The Informant'. View the trailer here...
Rudo y Cursi: interview
Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna talk to Time Out about their highly entertaining new comedy, 'Rudo y Cursi'
An open letter to Peter Morgan
Tom Huddleston penned an open letter to Peter Morgan offering some friendly dos and don'ts for the new Bond movie
Outdoor film screenings in London 2009
Derek Adams offers a guide to the best places to see films outside in London this summer
50 essential sci-fi films
With 'Star Trek' making serious waves, we thought it would be a perfect time to select 50 must-see sci-fi films
What do you think?
Post your review now