Jim Cartwright Movies

This digital-video biopic uses the life of journalist, record mogul and club owner Tony Wilson to frame the story of the Manchester, England, music scene from the heyday of punk through the late-'80s "Madchester" era. As the founder of staunchly independent Factory Records, Wilson (Steve Coogan) shepherded the careers of doomed post-punk combo Joy Division, synth-pop superstars New Order and hedonistic louts the Happy Mondays. Along the way, he helped bring rave culture to Britain under the aegis of the legendary Hacienda nightclub. 24 Hour Party People follows Wilson from his conversion to punk at a seminal Sex Pistols concert through the suicide of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, the overwhelming success of New Order and the eventual dissolution of the Factory empire thanks to bad business decisions, underworld ties and the hedonistic excess of the Happy Mondays. Directed by Michael Winterbottom and written by frequent collaborator Frank Cottrell Boyce, 24 Hour Party People features cameos from a large number of Manchester music luminaries. The supporting cast includes Shirley Henderson and John Simm, both of whom appeared in Winterbottom's Wonderland, while the film's title comes from a Happy Mondays song. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

British filmmaker Danny Boyle offers a darkly comic glimpse of life in Britain in this short feature (shot on digital video equipment) produced for the BBC. In Strumpet, Jenna Gee plays the title character, a young woman who plays guitar in a punk rock band. One day, Strumpet is sexually assaulted by a lunatic truck driver, but she's rescued at the last minute by Strayman (Christopher Eccleston), an eccentric street poet. Strayman takes the shaken Strumpet back to his apartment (where his verse is scrawled all over the walls), and the two get to know each other. Before long, a relationship has developed between them, and Strumpet begins adding guitar accompaniment to Strayman's ranting verse. Knockoff (Stephen Walters), one of Strayman's neighbors, overhears them improvising and thinks they may have commercial potential; he offers to become their manager, and sets out to score them a record deal, though polishing their rough edges into a saleable product turns out to be a challenge. While produced for British television, this and another short feature by Boyle, Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise, also made the rounds of the international film festival circuit in 2001. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi