Calvary
In the opening scenes of John Michael McDonagh’s rather violent drama (that I perversely still insist of calling a black comedy despite its tragic ending), we see a Priest taking confession from an unseen man. “I first tasted semen when I was 7 years old’ are the first words out of his mouth and then … Continue reading
Cameraman : The Life & Work of Jack Cardiff
Jack Cardiff was unquestionably one of the greatest cinematographers in the history of cinema. His extraordinary body of work started in 1935 and included such landmark masterpieces as Black Narcisus, King Vidor’s War & Peace, The African Queen, The Red Shoes, and some less notable movies such as ‘Rambo’ etc. and his remarkable output didn’t cease … Continue reading
Canal Street Madam
I guess you could call Jeannette Maier a lucky Madam, as unlike Deborah Jeanne Palfrey the so called DC Madam, for when the FBI raided her New Orleans Brothel in 2005 she just lost her livelihood but not her life. In this fascinating documentary on the life of the media-dubbed ‘Canal Street Madam’ what comes shining through is the very … Continue reading
Captivated : The Trials of Pamela Smart
In 1990 in a small New England town Pamela Smart, an attractive blond sexpot teacher who was having an affair with one of her students, was accused of plotting her husband’s murder. This rather scandalous cause celebre was the first ever trial to be televised and this new HBO documentary from filmmaker Jeremiah Zagar focuses … Continue reading
Carancho
The opening credits of acclaimed filmmaker Pablo Trapero (‘Lion’s Den’) latest movie contain the disturbing fact that some 8000 people die in car accidents in Argentina each year. It’s created a whole industry devoted to scamming victims out of insurance money which is the basis of this gripping bloody socio-drama thriller that makes for a … Continue reading