John Avery Movies
- 2008
Director Jocelyn Cammack proves that not everyone mellows with age in this documentary profile of three elderly activists whose engagement with the world keeps them going. Rose is a former journalist, sex therapist, and counselor who, at the age of 101, doles out advice as the world's oldest newspaper columnist. Meanwhile, 102 year old Hetty is a Stop the War campaigner preparing to embark on her eighty forth peace march, and self-styled "establishment lady" Alison is an eighty eight year old novelist who makes no attempts to hide the fact that she was once a committed member of the Communist Party. Their lives are filled with passion and purpose, yet their physical and mental deterioration is slowly eroding their senses of identity and worth. In this film, Rose, Hetty, and Alison all summon the courage to report back to the public from the edge of their own mortality, addressing the issues that few dare speak of and speaking frankly about their views on life and death. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2007
A one night stand with a handsome stranger plunges a respected teacher into a dizzying plot of intrigue and espionage in this inventive paranoid thriller set in London and shot from the perspective of surveillance cameras placed throughout the city. The morning after meeting a man in a bar and taking him back home for a passionate night of lovemaking, Adam is horrified to learn that his anonymous lover has been brutally murdered. Suddenly Adam is caught in the grip of a scandal that leads all the way to the Royal Family. Upon learning that the victim was in fact the heir to a sprawling media empire, the race is on for Adam to clear his name before he is convicted of a crime he didn't commit. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dawn Steele, Tom Harper, (more)
Born to a middle-class family in suburban Australia, Leigh Bowery moved to London, England, in the early '80s with a desire to re-invent himself. Always fascinated with fashion and the expressive possibilities of clothing, Bowery quickly became a noted figure in London's image-obsessed "New Romantic" scene, where (as Marcus Bracewell put it) "getting ready [to go out] became an art form." While Bowery's elaborate creations were striking, Bowery designed clothing as an art form rather than as salable fashion items -- creating costumes for theater pieces, performance art pieces, or his own appearances at clubs, Bowery used clothing to confront, confuse and challenge those around him, rather than to simply adorn the body. Bowery later expanded on his philosophy and approach with his own nightclub, Taboo, and a musical group, Minty. Bowery died of AIDS-related illnesses in 1994, but this documentary -- which features interviews with his friends, family and colleagues, including Boy George, who has since staged a musical based in part on Bowery's life -- examines his life and times, as well as the lasting impact of his work. The Legend of Leigh Bowery received its world premiere in the spring of 2002 at the It's All True Documentary Film Festival on Sao Paulo, Brazil. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Boy George, Damien Hirst, (more)
- 1998
British poet-playwright Tony Harrison has worked on TV documentaries, but this is his feature directorial debut. The lengthy British drama, with a script written entirely in rhyming couplets, links Ancient Greek myths, European history, and present-day problems facing mankind. In Yorkshire, an old miner (Walter Sparrow) goes to his last day of work, while a youth (Jonathan Waintridge) in the same town memorizes a poem about Prometheus. Amid coal stacks and cooling towers, the two meet, and the messenger of the gods, Hermes (Michael Feast) belittles mankind in a lecture to the old man, who sits in a seedy movie theater where he sees a Prometheus statue fashioned from the bodies of unemployed Yorkshire miners. As the statue makes a journey in an open truck through the countries of the former Eastern Europe, it brings forth memories of the past and WWII horrors (Auschwitz, Dresden) with an accompanying narration by Hermes. Arriving in Greece, the old man delivers a powerful speech on the benefits of fire to mankind. Shown at the 1998 Locarno Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Feast, Walter Sparrow, (more)
Paul Oremland made his directorial debut with this low-budget UK romantic drama. Latent gay Blackpool boxer Craig (British amateur featherweight Steve Bell) collects cash from illegal bare-knuckle bouts, but his life changes after he becomes attracted to record producer Matt (Ian Rose), who's in Blackpool to promote singer Paula (Dami Behr). Matt tells Craig to look him up, and shortly, Craig arrives in London at Matt's house where Paula also lives. Paula feels it's all a distraction from her career. Matt's scheming gay boss Kelvin (Roger Daltrey) enters the picture in an effort to split up the couple, promising to make Matt manager of his new club. Shown at the 1998 London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roger Daltrey, Dani Behr, (more)
