Even if you don’t know the story of heralded photographer W. Eugene Smith or the Japanese fishing village of Minamata, you are likely familiar with the photograph Tomoko and Mother in the Bath. The 1971 black-and-white photo captures Ryoko Kamimura cradling her severely deformed daughter Tomoko, a victim of Minamata disease, in a Japanese bath. The photograph was one of many featured in a 1972 issue of Life magazine depicting the horrors of the disease, a form of Mercury poisoning that was caused by industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation’s chemical factory. Smith and his wife, Aileen Mioko Smith, lived in the town from 1971 to 1973 to document the effects of Minamata disease.
Now the story of the Smiths and Minamata has been brought to the big screen by filmmaker Andrew Levitas, starring Johnny Depp as Smith, Minami as Aileen and Bill Nighy as Smith’s editor Robert Hayes. Smith is portrayed as a challenging artist,...
Now the story of the Smiths and Minamata has been brought to the big screen by filmmaker Andrew Levitas, starring Johnny Depp as Smith, Minami as Aileen and Bill Nighy as Smith’s editor Robert Hayes. Smith is portrayed as a challenging artist,...
- 2/7/2022
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
"You would think he would be treated fairly, but it didn't work that way..." Discovery+ has debuted the first official trailer for a compelling doc film titled My Name is Bulger, about the Bulger family. The film follows former Massachusetts political figure William Bulger, younger brother of James "Whitey" Bulger, the notorious Boston crime boss. Most of us know who "Whitey" is, but not the rest of his family. Featuring intimate interviews with family and an exclusive conversation with James Bulger's girlfriend and partner, Catherine Greig, this documentary film strips away the hysteria of daily print headlines and nightly news bulletins to unfold the story of a unique American family who crave to be judged for who they are and what they’ve done, not what their infamous relative did. I don't know much about either, so this is an intriguing look at how we shouldn't be so quick to judge,...
- 5/26/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The family drama/psychological thriller “Man in Room 301” puts forward an uncommon proposition for the Nordic crime genre. Commissioned by Finnish streamer Elisa Viihde, the six-part limited series was originally developed by U.K.-based Wall to Wall Media, which brought on actor and writer Kate Ashfield to develop the narrative back when it was still supposed to be set in England.
Ashfield stuck with the project after Warner Brothers Finland took the reins, teaming with director Mikko Kuparinen to shepherd this tense portrait of a family beset by grief. Taking place over two timelines, the series tracks the family fallout when a young boy is killed in 2007 and the clan’s suspicions when, on vacation in Greece over a decade later, they come to believe the boy’s killer is staying at the same resort.
Variety spoke with Ashfield about her work on the project.
What are the roots of this show?...
Ashfield stuck with the project after Warner Brothers Finland took the reins, teaming with director Mikko Kuparinen to shepherd this tense portrait of a family beset by grief. Taking place over two timelines, the series tracks the family fallout when a young boy is killed in 2007 and the clan’s suspicions when, on vacation in Greece over a decade later, they come to believe the boy’s killer is staying at the same resort.
Variety spoke with Ashfield about her work on the project.
What are the roots of this show?...
- 10/14/2020
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: ICM Partners has signed award-winning director Vincent Lambe.
Originally from Ireland, Lambe is a graduate of the National Film School of Ireland and has worked with a wide range of companies and broadcasters, including TG4, Nemeton Television, Vico Films, Sony Music and Universal Music. He is a double winner of the Cannes Young Director Award and has won awards at several international film festivals, including the Odense International Film Festival, the Woods Hole International Film Festival, the Krakow Film Festival, and a Rising Star Award form Irish Screen America.
His live action short, Detainment, received a standing ovation at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and was nominated for an Academy Award this year. The pic follows two ten year-old boys who are detained by police under suspicion of abducting and murdering a toddler. The short is based on the true 1993 James Bulger case.
Originally from Ireland, Lambe is a graduate of the National Film School of Ireland and has worked with a wide range of companies and broadcasters, including TG4, Nemeton Television, Vico Films, Sony Music and Universal Music. He is a double winner of the Cannes Young Director Award and has won awards at several international film festivals, including the Odense International Film Festival, the Woods Hole International Film Festival, the Krakow Film Festival, and a Rising Star Award form Irish Screen America.
His live action short, Detainment, received a standing ovation at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and was nominated for an Academy Award this year. The pic follows two ten year-old boys who are detained by police under suspicion of abducting and murdering a toddler. The short is based on the true 1993 James Bulger case.
- 3/28/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
As Netflix launches a series on the case of Madeleine McCann, how can we balance viewers’ appetites for the fast-growing genre against concern for victims?
Who is interested in true crime? “One imagines a furtive audience of sad saps and sadists, trench-coated lurkers and wan shut-ins.” So wrote Lorna Scott Fox a decade ago in an article for The Nation, which is quoted in Covering Darkness, Neil Root’s just-published exploration of the genre. They were both writing about authors of true crime books but the same could be asked of audiences for a new wave of television and film documentaries dealing with some of our grimmest cases.
The question is prompted by the launch of Netflix’s eight-part series, The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann. It was preceded in the public eye by the Oscar-nominated short documentary, Detainment, about the two boys convicted of the murder of James Bulger, and...
Who is interested in true crime? “One imagines a furtive audience of sad saps and sadists, trench-coated lurkers and wan shut-ins.” So wrote Lorna Scott Fox a decade ago in an article for The Nation, which is quoted in Covering Darkness, Neil Root’s just-published exploration of the genre. They were both writing about authors of true crime books but the same could be asked of audiences for a new wave of television and film documentaries dealing with some of our grimmest cases.
The question is prompted by the launch of Netflix’s eight-part series, The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann. It was preceded in the public eye by the Oscar-nominated short documentary, Detainment, about the two boys convicted of the murder of James Bulger, and...
- 3/17/2019
- by Duncan Campbell
- The Guardian - Film News
New Netflix documentary series “The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann,” about a missing girl whose case has sparked fevered speculation in Britain for more than a decade, is set to drop on the streaming platform Friday. The eight-part series is controversial and anticipated in equal measure, with the girl’s family suggesting it could hinder the long-running police investigation and a tabloid saying there could be explosive new revelations.
Three-year-old British toddler Madeleine McCann went missing from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz while on vacation with her parents in 2007. Her disappearance sparked a huge investigation involving Portuguese police and Scotland Yard, which is still pursuing leads. It remains one of the highest-profile cases in modern U.K. crime history and the subject of intense media scrutiny, especially from Britain’s sensationalist tabloids.
The Netflix series promises new interviews with people connected to the case, with input from more than 40 contributors in all.
Three-year-old British toddler Madeleine McCann went missing from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz while on vacation with her parents in 2007. Her disappearance sparked a huge investigation involving Portuguese police and Scotland Yard, which is still pursuing leads. It remains one of the highest-profile cases in modern U.K. crime history and the subject of intense media scrutiny, especially from Britain’s sensationalist tabloids.
The Netflix series promises new interviews with people connected to the case, with input from more than 40 contributors in all.
- 3/14/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Detainment, about one of the most notorious murders of all time, caused outrage when it was nominated for an Oscar. So why did its director make it?
‘It certainly wasn’t a career move,” says Vincent Lambe. “ I was told by everyone that this subject wouldn’t make my career – it would break it.”
The 38-year-old Irish director is responding to me asking if he made Detainment – his Oscar-nominated short film based on transcripts of the police interrogation of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, the 10-year-old boys who murdered two-year-old James Bulger in 1993 – to establish himself as a director.
‘It certainly wasn’t a career move,” says Vincent Lambe. “ I was told by everyone that this subject wouldn’t make my career – it would break it.”
The 38-year-old Irish director is responding to me asking if he made Detainment – his Oscar-nominated short film based on transcripts of the police interrogation of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, the 10-year-old boys who murdered two-year-old James Bulger in 1993 – to establish himself as a director.
- 2/22/2019
- by Stuart Jeffries
- The Guardian - Film News
If our official racetrack odds are to be believed, then “Marguerite” would appear to be very much out front to win this year’s Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film. These odds are derived from the forecasts that are made by our Expert film journalists, Gold Derby Editors, Top 24 Users (our top Oscar predictors from last year) and the thousands of Gold Derby readers who participate in our predictions center.
But is “Marguerite” really the one to beat at Sunday’s ceremony? Could one of the other nominees be in a position to pull off an upset? Let’s examine all five of this year’s nominees, in order by their current Gold Derby odds.
SEEOscars 2019 slugfest: Our genius tips for predicting all 3 short film categories [Watch]
“Marguerite” (odds of winning: 17/5)
Marguerite is an old woman who receives in home visits from a nurse, Rachel, who helps to provide her with care.
But is “Marguerite” really the one to beat at Sunday’s ceremony? Could one of the other nominees be in a position to pull off an upset? Let’s examine all five of this year’s nominees, in order by their current Gold Derby odds.
SEEOscars 2019 slugfest: Our genius tips for predicting all 3 short film categories [Watch]
“Marguerite” (odds of winning: 17/5)
Marguerite is an old woman who receives in home visits from a nurse, Rachel, who helps to provide her with care.
- 2/19/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
While most movies in the Oscar race generate attention for months, the short film contenders generally don’t receive much notice until they’re nominated. However, the live-action shorts often deserve as much attention as the higher-profile contenders, in part because they’re so different from the rest of the pack.
The 2019 nominees are a perfect example: The five contenders hail from four countries, and tackle a range of heavy subject matters, from racism to repressed sexuality. Collectively, they speak to the clash of innocence with troubled times, as the majority of the shorts deal with children in dark situations. And while the Best Director category is loaded with veterans ranging from Spike Lee to Alfonso Cuarón, the filmmakers nominated in the Short Film (Live Action) category are largely newcomers from around the world.
Many of the winners in this category often go on to craft memorable features, from Andrea Arnold to Martin McDonagh.
The 2019 nominees are a perfect example: The five contenders hail from four countries, and tackle a range of heavy subject matters, from racism to repressed sexuality. Collectively, they speak to the clash of innocence with troubled times, as the majority of the shorts deal with children in dark situations. And while the Best Director category is loaded with veterans ranging from Spike Lee to Alfonso Cuarón, the filmmakers nominated in the Short Film (Live Action) category are largely newcomers from around the world.
Many of the winners in this category often go on to craft memorable features, from Andrea Arnold to Martin McDonagh.
- 2/7/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Ahead of the Academy Awards, we’re reviewing each short category. See the Live Action section below and the other shorts sections here.
Detainment – Ireland – 30 minutes
Two ten-year-old boys were placed into police custody in 1993 on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering the not-yet three-year-old James Bulger in Merseyside, England. They were interrogated separately with parents present about their whereabouts on that fateful day and whether or not they were guilty of the crime. It’s unfathomable to believe children so young could have done what they did, but it’s even harder to comprehend them lying about it when the truth starts to spill out. These interviews were recorded and eventually released as a matter of public record with certain tapes remaining sealed due to the graphic nature of what was described. The pair served eight years with appeals of fair trial violations reducing their sentences before receiving new identities in the aftermath.
Detainment – Ireland – 30 minutes
Two ten-year-old boys were placed into police custody in 1993 on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering the not-yet three-year-old James Bulger in Merseyside, England. They were interrogated separately with parents present about their whereabouts on that fateful day and whether or not they were guilty of the crime. It’s unfathomable to believe children so young could have done what they did, but it’s even harder to comprehend them lying about it when the truth starts to spill out. These interviews were recorded and eventually released as a matter of public record with certain tapes remaining sealed due to the graphic nature of what was described. The pair served eight years with appeals of fair trial violations reducing their sentences before receiving new identities in the aftermath.
- 2/5/2019
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
The 2019 Academy Awards are set for February 24, and controversy is abounding concerning “Detainment,” the narrative drama up for Best Live Action Short Film, and its director Vincent Lambe. The shirt started making headlines once it was chosen as an Oscar nominee, with people demanding it is pulled from the running.
“Detainment” centers around the 1993 murder of toddler James Bulger by two 10-year-old boys in Liverpool.
Continue reading ‘Detainment’ Director Defends His Oscar-Nominated Short Film About Child Murder at The Playlist.
“Detainment” centers around the 1993 murder of toddler James Bulger by two 10-year-old boys in Liverpool.
Continue reading ‘Detainment’ Director Defends His Oscar-Nominated Short Film About Child Murder at The Playlist.
- 1/25/2019
- by Margaret Kennedy
- The Playlist
The director of Oscar-nominated short film “Detainment,” about the notorious murder of a British toddler, has defended his film and said he will not withdraw it from the Oscars race, despite the demands of the boy’s family and tens of thousands of petitioners.
Instead of unalloyed elation over the Academy’s recognition of his film, Irish director Vincent Lambe has found himself at the center of a media firestorm in the U.K. The family of the murdered 2-year-old, James Bulger, has expressed its anguish over “Detainment,” and a petition demanding that it be pulled from Oscar contention has now been signed by 130,000 people.
“I understand the film at the moment is causing upset to the family and that’s probably the hardest thing for me to deal with now because I have so much sympathy for [them],” Lambe told Variety in an interview. “But I think it’s an important film,...
Instead of unalloyed elation over the Academy’s recognition of his film, Irish director Vincent Lambe has found himself at the center of a media firestorm in the U.K. The family of the murdered 2-year-old, James Bulger, has expressed its anguish over “Detainment,” and a petition demanding that it be pulled from Oscar contention has now been signed by 130,000 people.
“I understand the film at the moment is causing upset to the family and that’s probably the hardest thing for me to deal with now because I have so much sympathy for [them],” Lambe told Variety in an interview. “But I think it’s an important film,...
- 1/24/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Alibaba Pictures Group, the film division of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, has agreed a deal with film studio Huayi Bros, which includes a loan of $103M (RMB700M). Alibaba said the agreement was part of a plan to be more closely involved in major movies released during China’s four key holidays: Chinese New Year (around January-February), the summer, National Day celebrations in October, and the end of the year. The new deal runs for five years and includes a commitment from Huayi to deliver ten films in which Asian Union, a subsidiary of Alibaba, can be a co-investor and co-distributor. The two companies also agreed to work together on talent development, marketing and merchandising through Alibaba’s Tao Piaopiao and Beacon labels.
The mother of murdered UK toddler James Bulger has said she is “disgusted” the short film about the boys who killed her son in 1993 has been Oscar-nominated.
The mother of murdered UK toddler James Bulger has said she is “disgusted” the short film about the boys who killed her son in 1993 has been Oscar-nominated.
- 1/24/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar-nominated short film “Detainment,” about a notorious real-life child abduction and murder, has sparked outrage in Britain from the victim’s mother and from thousands of petitioners demanding that the Academy Award nod be rescinded.
The 30-minute film centers on the 1993 killing of 2-year-old James Bulger, one of the most shocking criminal cases in modern British history. Two 10-year-old boys lured the toddler from a shopping center near Liverpool, then tortured and killed him. The film relies on transcripts of interviews with the killers to re-enact the events.
Denise Fergus, James’ mother, and others protest what they see as a gratuitous depiction of a horrific incident and a too-sympathetic portrait of the killers. They also note that the director, Vincent Lambe, made no effort to speak to Fergus or James’ father while making “Detainment.”
“I cannot express how disgusted and upset I am that this so-called film has been made...
The 30-minute film centers on the 1993 killing of 2-year-old James Bulger, one of the most shocking criminal cases in modern British history. Two 10-year-old boys lured the toddler from a shopping center near Liverpool, then tortured and killed him. The film relies on transcripts of interviews with the killers to re-enact the events.
Denise Fergus, James’ mother, and others protest what they see as a gratuitous depiction of a horrific incident and a too-sympathetic portrait of the killers. They also note that the director, Vincent Lambe, made no effort to speak to Fergus or James’ father while making “Detainment.”
“I cannot express how disgusted and upset I am that this so-called film has been made...
- 1/23/2019
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Denise Fergus, mother of the late James Bulger, is speaking out against the short film “Detainment,” after it received an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. Directed by Vincent Lambe, “Detainment” is a 30-minute short film about the police interrogations of Bulger’s killers, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. The narrative film uses real transcripts and interview tapes from the interrogations. Venables and Thompson were 10 years old when they murdered two-year-old Bulger.
“I cannot express how disgusted and upset I am at this so-called film that has been made and now nominated for an Oscar,” Fergus said on Twitter. “It’s one thing making a film like this without contacting or getting permission from James’s family but another to have a child reenact the final hours of James’s life before he was brutally murdered and making myself and my family have to relive this all over again!
“I cannot express how disgusted and upset I am at this so-called film that has been made and now nominated for an Oscar,” Fergus said on Twitter. “It’s one thing making a film like this without contacting or getting permission from James’s family but another to have a child reenact the final hours of James’s life before he was brutally murdered and making myself and my family have to relive this all over again!
- 1/23/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Denise Fergus and Ralph Bulger attack shortlisting of Detainment, a drama based on the police interrogation of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables
James Bulger’s parents have expressed their disgust after the film about their two-year-old son’s killers was nominated for the best live-action short film Oscar.
Detainment, written and directed by Irish film-maker Vincent Lambe, is a reconstruction of the police interrogation of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, the 10-year-olds convicted of Bulger’s murder in 1993.
James Bulger’s parents have expressed their disgust after the film about their two-year-old son’s killers was nominated for the best live-action short film Oscar.
Detainment, written and directed by Irish film-maker Vincent Lambe, is a reconstruction of the police interrogation of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, the 10-year-olds convicted of Bulger’s murder in 1993.
- 1/23/2019
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Bulger’s parents argue Detainment, a short film about the 1993 case, is sympathetic to the toddler’s murderers and shouldn’t have been made
The parents of James Bulger, the two-year-old boy murdered in Liverpool in 1993, have criticised the makers of a short film about the case, which has been shortlisted for an Oscar nomination.
Detainment, written and directed by Irish film-maker Vincent Lambe, is based on transcripts of the police interrogation of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, who were 10 years old at the time and were subsequently convicted of the murder. It won best short film and special jury award in 2018 at the Young Director Award, a fringe event that takes place during the Cannes Lions festival (which in turn is separate from the high profile Cannes international film festival), and went on to win the grand prix at the Odense film festival in Denmark, which qualified it to...
The parents of James Bulger, the two-year-old boy murdered in Liverpool in 1993, have criticised the makers of a short film about the case, which has been shortlisted for an Oscar nomination.
Detainment, written and directed by Irish film-maker Vincent Lambe, is based on transcripts of the police interrogation of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, who were 10 years old at the time and were subsequently convicted of the murder. It won best short film and special jury award in 2018 at the Young Director Award, a fringe event that takes place during the Cannes Lions festival (which in turn is separate from the high profile Cannes international film festival), and went on to win the grand prix at the Odense film festival in Denmark, which qualified it to...
- 1/8/2019
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Picking the winners of the short film categories at the Oscars is tough, but trying to predict the five films that get nominated in each of those categories can be even more stressful and frustrating. Well, now that we have seen which films made the Oscar shortlist for those categories and you can make your predictions about them in our predictions center, we want to give you all the details about the 10 finalists for Best Live Action Short Film. These cheat sheet summaries can be your guide as you try to pinpoint which shorts will have the edge to get nominated at the 2019 Oscars.
See 2019 Oscar nominations: 10 Academy Awards with special rules – Original Song, Score, Documentary Feature, Foreign Language Film …
Caroline – A six-year-old girl is faced with an immense responsibility when her plans fall through on a sweltering Texas day.
Chuchotage – Two interpreters attending a conference in Prague vie for...
See 2019 Oscar nominations: 10 Academy Awards with special rules – Original Song, Score, Documentary Feature, Foreign Language Film …
Caroline – A six-year-old girl is faced with an immense responsibility when her plans fall through on a sweltering Texas day.
Chuchotage – Two interpreters attending a conference in Prague vie for...
- 12/28/2018
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
The case of a British Army sergeant who was found guilty of attempting to murder his wife by tampering with her parachute was one of the most salacious of the summer. Emile Cilliers tampered with the equipment that he knew his wife, Victoria Cilliers, a highly experienced parachute instructor was going to use, days after trying to kill her via a gas leak at home.
This parachute murder plot is the focus of ITV’s latest true crime documentary.
The broadcaster has commissioned the doc, which has the working title of Parachute Murder Plot, from Optomen, the All3Media-owned indie best known for producing shows such as Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word and Great British Menu. It is the latest crime doc by the company for ITV following James Bulger: A Mother’s Story. Optomen is run by joint CEOs Tina Flintoff and Nick Hornby (no relation to...
This parachute murder plot is the focus of ITV’s latest true crime documentary.
The broadcaster has commissioned the doc, which has the working title of Parachute Murder Plot, from Optomen, the All3Media-owned indie best known for producing shows such as Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word and Great British Menu. It is the latest crime doc by the company for ITV following James Bulger: A Mother’s Story. Optomen is run by joint CEOs Tina Flintoff and Nick Hornby (no relation to...
- 9/21/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Features: Mike Diana, Peter Bagge, Stephen Bissette, Neil Gaiman, Evan Bacon, Stuart Baggish, Luke Ilrot, Christopher Marone | Written and Directd by Frank Henenlotter
Filmmaker Frank Henenlotter, himself no stranger to controversy, steps behind the camera for this documentary about Mike Diana, a comic creator whose career was not ultimately marked by his creativity but because he was the first American artist convicted of obscenity… and all at the age of 24.
The handmade comics that teenager Mike Diana created out in the 1980s were retina-ravaging exercises in depravity, seemingly precision engineered to antagonize the uptight right-wingers in the churches, media and legal system of his suburban Florida surroundings. And that they certainly did. Though Diana’s lurid, art brut tales of sexual violence and bodily desecration were only ever sold to a small following of a few hundred, paranoid policemen and opportunistic attorneys saw his work as a threat to society.
Filmmaker Frank Henenlotter, himself no stranger to controversy, steps behind the camera for this documentary about Mike Diana, a comic creator whose career was not ultimately marked by his creativity but because he was the first American artist convicted of obscenity… and all at the age of 24.
The handmade comics that teenager Mike Diana created out in the 1980s were retina-ravaging exercises in depravity, seemingly precision engineered to antagonize the uptight right-wingers in the churches, media and legal system of his suburban Florida surroundings. And that they certainly did. Though Diana’s lurid, art brut tales of sexual violence and bodily desecration were only ever sold to a small following of a few hundred, paranoid policemen and opportunistic attorneys saw his work as a threat to society.
- 7/15/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
BBC One's new series The Driver topped Tuesday's ratings outside soaps, according to overnight data.
David Morrissey's crime drama attracted 4.35 million viewers on average at 9pm, with an audience share of 20.9%.
On BBC Two, Celebrity Antiques Road Trip appealed to 1.48m (7.4%) at 7pm, followed by 100k House: Tricks of the Trade with 1.91m (9.4%) at 8pm and Motorway: Life in the Fast Lane with 1.88m (9.0%) at 9pm.
ITV's Long Lost Family interested 2.81m (13.7%) at 8pm (206,000/1.0% on +1), while I Married the Waiter: Love in the Sun fascinated 1.72m (8.2%) at 9pm (230k/1.6%).
On Channel 4, Dogs: Their Secret Lives brought in 1.05m (5.1%) at 8pm (104k/0.5%), followed by Gordon Ramsay's new series Costa Del Nightmares with 1.11m (5.3%) at 9pm (301k/2.0%).
Channel 5's documentary James Bulger: Britain's Worst Crimes was seen by 1.04m (5.1%) at 8pm. CSI's latest episode thrilled 939k (4.5%) at 9pm (127k/0.9%), while new series Secrets & Lies attracted 527k (3.5%) at 10pm.
David Morrissey's crime drama attracted 4.35 million viewers on average at 9pm, with an audience share of 20.9%.
On BBC Two, Celebrity Antiques Road Trip appealed to 1.48m (7.4%) at 7pm, followed by 100k House: Tricks of the Trade with 1.91m (9.4%) at 8pm and Motorway: Life in the Fast Lane with 1.88m (9.0%) at 9pm.
ITV's Long Lost Family interested 2.81m (13.7%) at 8pm (206,000/1.0% on +1), while I Married the Waiter: Love in the Sun fascinated 1.72m (8.2%) at 9pm (230k/1.6%).
On Channel 4, Dogs: Their Secret Lives brought in 1.05m (5.1%) at 8pm (104k/0.5%), followed by Gordon Ramsay's new series Costa Del Nightmares with 1.11m (5.3%) at 9pm (301k/2.0%).
Channel 5's documentary James Bulger: Britain's Worst Crimes was seen by 1.04m (5.1%) at 8pm. CSI's latest episode thrilled 939k (4.5%) at 9pm (127k/0.9%), while new series Secrets & Lies attracted 527k (3.5%) at 10pm.
- 9/24/2014
- Digital Spy
Always with one eye on the past and the other on the present, FrightFest ensure an enduring celebration of genre cinema. After supporting director Jake West and producer Marc Morris’ Moral Panic, Video Nasties and Videotape, FrightFest have once again leant their support to the follow-up documentary Video Nasties: Draconian Days, which picks up where Moral Panic left off to look at the fallout of the 1984 Video Recordings Act.
To celebrate the home entertainment release of Draconian Days that continues a comprehensive discussion of a compelling chapter in British film spectatorship and censorship, HeyUGuys turned the tables on West and Morris as they shared their thoughts on censorship past, present and future, the advantages of notoriety and the positive side to the Draconian Days amongst other points of discussion.
What was the genesis of Video Nasties: Draconian Days? Was it your original intention to do a follow-up?
Jake West:...
To celebrate the home entertainment release of Draconian Days that continues a comprehensive discussion of a compelling chapter in British film spectatorship and censorship, HeyUGuys turned the tables on West and Morris as they shared their thoughts on censorship past, present and future, the advantages of notoriety and the positive side to the Draconian Days amongst other points of discussion.
What was the genesis of Video Nasties: Draconian Days? Was it your original intention to do a follow-up?
Jake West:...
- 8/18/2014
- by Paul Risker
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Dorota Kedzierzawska's strange film, in which a love-starved girl snatches another child, eschews the horror of the situation
Before watching Mark Cousins's cine-essay A Story of Children and Film, I was unaware of one of the weirdest movies he references: Wrony, or Crows, made in 1994 by Polish director Dorota Kedzierzawska. In Crows, it is not clear if what we are watching is fundamentally innocent or fundamentally tainted. A young girl nicknamed Crow (Karolina Ostrozna) is neglected by her single mum, who is always leaving her alone in the flat, or locking her out of the flat while she is having sex. Angry, lonely and confused, the girl wanders the city she is at one stage chased and menaced by a creepy male figure on the seashore. Then she kidnaps a toddler from someone's front garden and takes her away, insisting that the infant must call her "mummy", and...
Before watching Mark Cousins's cine-essay A Story of Children and Film, I was unaware of one of the weirdest movies he references: Wrony, or Crows, made in 1994 by Polish director Dorota Kedzierzawska. In Crows, it is not clear if what we are watching is fundamentally innocent or fundamentally tainted. A young girl nicknamed Crow (Karolina Ostrozna) is neglected by her single mum, who is always leaving her alone in the flat, or locking her out of the flat while she is having sex. Angry, lonely and confused, the girl wanders the city she is at one stage chased and menaced by a creepy male figure on the seashore. Then she kidnaps a toddler from someone's front garden and takes her away, insisting that the infant must call her "mummy", and...
- 4/10/2014
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Documentary lovers, get ready! North America's biggest documentary film festival, Hot Docs, is set to gear up for 2014 in Toronto. The 21st Hot Docs runs from April 24 - May 4, and this year's slate presents 197 titles from 43 countries in 12 screening programs.
"We are so proud to be showing these incredible films and combining them with amazing live events and experiences." says Hot Docs director of programming Charlotte Cook. "We truly hope it will be a festival of ideas, discussion and amazement and we're looking forward to bringing the best filmmaking in the world to the world's greatest audience."
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In addition to the opening night international premiere of Brian Knappenberger's "The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz," an inspiring and emotional portrait of a young Internet visionary, other notable films in the Special Presentations program include: Pavel Loparev and Askold Kurov's "Children 404," a...
"We are so proud to be showing these incredible films and combining them with amazing live events and experiences." says Hot Docs director of programming Charlotte Cook. "We truly hope it will be a festival of ideas, discussion and amazement and we're looking forward to bringing the best filmmaking in the world to the world's greatest audience."
Article Continues Below Slideshow!
In addition to the opening night international premiere of Brian Knappenberger's "The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz," an inspiring and emotional portrait of a young Internet visionary, other notable films in the Special Presentations program include: Pavel Loparev and Askold Kurov's "Children 404," a...
- 3/18/2014
- by Chris Jancelewicz
- Moviefone
Digging into the dark underbelly of the human psyche can be an ugly business. Just ask any of those involved in the making of some of horror’s most notorious movies. As filmmaking and storytelling methods evolve, it allows more freedom to those who choose to explore areas that many would prefer remain hidden. But this often prompts us to ask rabidly debated questions like, ‘Just how far is too far?’
Way before the days when watching a film banned in your country was simply a matter of a quick illegal download to side step the censors, the MPAA and BBFC were much more of a force to be reckoned with. Now it seems that films are usually old news way before the censors can even touch them.
We have highlighted seven films that were particularly contentious for audiences and censors alike. Most are from those dark days before the internet,...
Way before the days when watching a film banned in your country was simply a matter of a quick illegal download to side step the censors, the MPAA and BBFC were much more of a force to be reckoned with. Now it seems that films are usually old news way before the censors can even touch them.
We have highlighted seven films that were particularly contentious for audiences and censors alike. Most are from those dark days before the internet,...
- 12/12/2013
- by Aaron Williams
- FEARnet
On this week's Media Talk, we hear from BBC4 boss Richard Klein about the Review Show's move from BBC2; and ask if there's finally light at the end of the tunnel for the music industry after a surprise upturn in global sales.
Plus, we look at the latest music piracy crackdown, the row over online photos of James Bulger's killer, and Seth McFarlane's controversial Oscar performance.
We also review the first episode of ITV crime drama Broadchurch, Us country music drama Nashville, and new Channel 4 sketch show Anna and Katy.
Joining John Plunkett are former Radio 1 and Channel 4 radio exec Sam Steele, and the Guardian's Lisa O'Carroll, Josh Halliday and Rebecca Nicholson.
John PlunkettRebecca NicholsonJosh HallidayLisa O'Carroll...
Plus, we look at the latest music piracy crackdown, the row over online photos of James Bulger's killer, and Seth McFarlane's controversial Oscar performance.
We also review the first episode of ITV crime drama Broadchurch, Us country music drama Nashville, and new Channel 4 sketch show Anna and Katy.
Joining John Plunkett are former Radio 1 and Channel 4 radio exec Sam Steele, and the Guardian's Lisa O'Carroll, Josh Halliday and Rebecca Nicholson.
John PlunkettRebecca NicholsonJosh HallidayLisa O'Carroll...
- 3/1/2013
- by John Plunkett, Rebecca Nicholson, Josh Halliday, Lisa O'Carroll
- The Guardian - Film News
Paul van Carter's crime drama shows that youth custody is still failing because we can't decide what we want from it
Many applauded the firm response to last summer's riots that saw an unprecedented influx into England's youth custody system. Fewer may have wondered how the new arrivals fared. In fact, according to the chief inspector of prisons, some were subjected to attacks by fellow inmates and some embraced gang culture themselves for the first time; at one youth jail, the number of new prisoners on suicide watch trebled.
This may come as little surprise to those who've seen Offender. Violence, suicide, bullying, drug-taking, bent screws and rioting are rife in the establishment in which it's set. Understandably, incarceration therein does nothing to divert Tommy, the film's once worthy young hero, from the wayward course on which he's embarked.
Filmgoers may wonder whether things are really this bad in such places,...
Many applauded the firm response to last summer's riots that saw an unprecedented influx into England's youth custody system. Fewer may have wondered how the new arrivals fared. In fact, according to the chief inspector of prisons, some were subjected to attacks by fellow inmates and some embraced gang culture themselves for the first time; at one youth jail, the number of new prisoners on suicide watch trebled.
This may come as little surprise to those who've seen Offender. Violence, suicide, bullying, drug-taking, bent screws and rioting are rife in the establishment in which it's set. Understandably, incarceration therein does nothing to divert Tommy, the film's once worthy young hero, from the wayward course on which he's embarked.
Filmgoers may wonder whether things are really this bad in such places,...
- 8/13/2012
- by David Cox
- The Guardian - Film News
An acerbic teddy bear comes to life in Seth MacFarlane's hilarious first film about our refusal to abandon adolescence
To some, comedy is a funny business; to others it's no laughing matter, and critics from Aristotle to Eric Bentley have attempted to explain and define it. Pauline Kael's review of The Sting set out to explain why it was neither funny nor entertaining; the leftwing theorist and cultural historian Raymond Williams once told the readers of the Listener that Rowan & Martin's TV show Laugh-In was unfunny. They were as unpersuasive as the British Council lecturer who tried to convince an audience in Tirana that Norman Wisdom isn't funny.
Woody Allen offers two definitions of comedy in Crimes and Misdemeanors, both ways of mocking the dislikable TV star played by Alan Alda and through him the celebrated writer Larry Gelbart, on whom the character is based. The fact is...
To some, comedy is a funny business; to others it's no laughing matter, and critics from Aristotle to Eric Bentley have attempted to explain and define it. Pauline Kael's review of The Sting set out to explain why it was neither funny nor entertaining; the leftwing theorist and cultural historian Raymond Williams once told the readers of the Listener that Rowan & Martin's TV show Laugh-In was unfunny. They were as unpersuasive as the British Council lecturer who tried to convince an audience in Tirana that Norman Wisdom isn't funny.
Woody Allen offers two definitions of comedy in Crimes and Misdemeanors, both ways of mocking the dislikable TV star played by Alan Alda and through him the celebrated writer Larry Gelbart, on whom the character is based. The fact is...
- 8/4/2012
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Following the tragic events last week in Aurora, Colorado there has been a wave of horror and disbelief felt across the globe. The effects are being experienced amongst every possible demographic of the social spectrum, and sat in the middle of it all are 71 victims, one very sick individual and a few thousand feet of film reel entitled The Dark Knight Rises. The press have begun doing what they do best, speculating and pointing the finger. In a frenzy to ‘create’ a story, lots of attention has been drawn to the ‘Second Amendment Issue’ (the right to bare arms) and blame is being placed on Christopher Nolan’s film in an ever so unsubtle way. Despite this whirlpool of conjecture and opinion, the Dark Knight seems to have taken on a different meaning to some, and is beginning to rise out of the darkness as a beacon of inspiration.
No...
No...
- 7/24/2012
- by Brad Williams
- Obsessed with Film
If the gunman's mask was inspired by Bane, we will likely hear some depressingly familiar arguments about films inspiring violence – but pinning blame is a hazardous exercise
The Us reels from another horrific killing spree: 14 people shot dead and many more injured at a showing of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. Sickeningly, some in the audience reportedly failed to make their escape because they assumed at first that the disturbance was simply a special effect. The gunman was apparently wearing a mask, perhaps a gas-mask, though details are still unclear. Was the mask inspired by the film's villain, Bane? And if so, are we to see a revival of the debate about copycat crimes and the cinema?
The traditional course of the debate is for the denunciation of violent movies to be countered with a denunciation of America's gun laws. And yet the gun laws are much stricter in Norway,...
The Us reels from another horrific killing spree: 14 people shot dead and many more injured at a showing of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. Sickeningly, some in the audience reportedly failed to make their escape because they assumed at first that the disturbance was simply a special effect. The gunman was apparently wearing a mask, perhaps a gas-mask, though details are still unclear. Was the mask inspired by the film's villain, Bane? And if so, are we to see a revival of the debate about copycat crimes and the cinema?
The traditional course of the debate is for the denunciation of violent movies to be countered with a denunciation of America's gun laws. And yet the gun laws are much stricter in Norway,...
- 7/21/2012
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
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