David Kennedy Movies
Brothers of the Head was adapted from Brian Aldiss' novel by screenwriter Tony Grisoni, and marks the narrative feature debut of Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe (Lost in La Mancha), who have structured Aldiss' story as a mock documentary. Twins Luke and Harry Treadaway star, respectively, as conjoined twins Barry and Tom Howe, joined at the torso. They were essentially purchased from their family as teens in the 1970s by a sleazy showbiz impresario, Zak Bedderwick (Howard Attfield), who planned to turn them into rock stars. Manager Nick (Sean Harris) kept the volatile Barry in line, sometimes violently, while musician Paul (Bryan Dick) taught the introspective Tom how to play the guitar, and helped the brothers write their songs. A documentary filmmaker, Eddie (Tom Bower), was hired to record the process. Their first live performance was a near disaster, as the rowdy pub crowd didn't welcome the sight of the two young men coming on-stage with their arms around each other, but Barry, the charismatically angry frontman, shocked the crowd by exposing the joint between them as he ripped into a snarling performance of their first single, "Two-Way Romeo," and the legend of their group, the Bang Bang, was born. As the proto-punk group's fame grew, Laura (Tania Emery), a young journalist, came to write an article about them, and quickly developed a romantic relationship with Tom, causing friction between the brothers. The film features interviews with some of the characters in the present day, and clips from an imagined unfinished Ken Russell film about the twins, starring Jonathan Pryce and Jane Horrocks. The music of the Bang Bang, performed by cast members and the band Crackout, was written and produced by Clive Langer. Brothers of the Head was shown at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Treadaway, Luke Treadaway, (more)
- 2005
Caesar (Ciarán Hinds) goes to Egypt, and goes to the court of the boy king, Ptolemy XIII (Shaka Bunsie), to demand that he turn over Pompey. Instead, Pompey's head is produced, and Caesar is not grateful, but enraged. He in turn demands that Ptolemy turn over the man who killed Pompey. The Egyptians have their own political strife, with Ptolemy's sister, Cleopatra (Lyndsey Marshal), having claimed the throne. Caesar decides to stay in Egypt and mediate the dispute in order to insure Egypt's grain supply to Rome isn't affected. But he sends Mark Antony (James Purefoy) and most of his men back to Rome. Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Pullo (Ray Stevenson) are sent to find Cleopatra, before Ptolemy's advisors have her killed. They rescue her, and she immediately plans to seduce Caesar, but on the road back to Alexandria, Cleopatra decides that since she is "between the tides" she must conceive a child immediately, before she reaches Caesar, and pass the child off as Caesar's own. She makes a surprising choice for the father. Upon returning to Alexandria, Cleopatra and Caesar have Ptolemy's advisors executed, which causes a massive public uproar, and Caesar ends up under siege in Alexandria for many months. Back in Rome, Brutus (Tobias Menzies) receives a cold welcome from Servilia (Lindsay Duncan) due to his capitulation. Antony keeps a sharp eye on Brutus and Cicero (David Bamber) while Caesar is away. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Kennedy
Medieval fantasy meets futuristic science fiction in this effects-heavy action epic from former X-Files director Rob Bowman. In present-day London, 12-year-old Quinn Abercromby witnesses the awakening of a hibernating dragon from a centuries-long slumber, the result of a construction dig supervised by his mother and an incident for which Quinn feels partially responsible. Twenty years later, the adult Quinn (Christian Bale) is the fire chief of a refortified castle community, responsible for dousing the blazes lit by the dragon's prodigious number of flame-spewing offspring, airborne juggernauts that have wreaked havoc across the globe, torching civilization and turning humans into an endangered species. Hope arrives in the form of Denton "Dragon Slayer" Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey), an American known to be the only man to ever kill one of the dragons, and Alex (Izabella Scorupco), a scientist/pilot who's a member of Van Zan's army, a zealous fighting force that includes a secret weapon: the Archangels, paratroopers using themselves as bait to attract and then dispatch the deadly beasts. Reign of Fire (2002) co-stars Gerard Butler, Alice Krige, and Alexander Siddig. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, (more)
- 2000
The protagonist of this six-part British drama series was Detective Chief Jack Mowbray, played by Ross Kemp. When his district was invaded by an elusive serial killer, Mowbray was browbeaten by his boss, DCS Henderson (Kenneth Cranham), to catch the murderer yesterday, if not sooner. As the unknown villain continued to cut a bloody swath through the moors, the overworked Mowbray's personal life suffered mightily. Without Motive was originally broadcast from October 2 to November 5, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ross Kemp, Kenneth Cranham, (more)
A portrait of a cold-blooded young gangster living and loathing in 1960s London, this drama features Malcolm McDowell in a major role in his first British picture in years. McDowell opens the film as the present day Gangster 55, who learns that an old associate, gangster Freddie Mays (David Thewlis), has just been released from prison after serving a 30-year sentence. The story then flashes back to 1968, when the young Gangster 55 (Paul Bettany) makes Mays' acquaintance and subsequently wins his trust by dealing with his enemies from a rival gang. The relationship between the two men is threatened when Mays falls for Karen (Saffron Burrows), a no-nonsense dancer. When 55 learns that Lennie (Jamie Foreman), a rival gang leader, plans to ambush Mays and Karen one night, he pits the two gangs against one another so that he can emerge as Gangster No. 1. The film was directed by Paul McGuigan, who previously examined the crusty underbelly of British society with his screen adaptation of Irvine Welsh's The Acid House (1998). ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis, (more)
Director Kenneth Branagh's interpretation of Mary Shelley's classic horror novel stars Robert DeNiro as a terrifying monster created in an obsessive attempt to defeat death and stretch the limits of medicine in the early 19th century. With the use of flashback, a dying Dr. Viktor Frankenstein (Kenneth Branagh) divulges a tale of gruesome terror to a sea captain (Aidan Quinn): As a medical student, the rebellious Frankenstein elaborates on the work of a brilliant scientist (John Cleese), successfully bringing to life a "man" assembled from the body parts of corpses. Upon realizing the destructive consequences of his experiment, Dr. Frankenstein abandons the creature and attempts to return to a normal life with his medical partner, Henry (Tom Hulce), and his fiancée (and adopted sister), Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter). In the meantime, the nameless creature struggles with loneliness and rejection from society until he sets out to track down his creator in search of one of two things: a bride to keep him company or revenge. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) was produced by Francis Ford Coppola, who previously directed and produced monster-drama Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). ~ Lisa Kropiewnicki, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh, (more)
- 1992
It is a simple thing that police officer Tony Bourke has to do to regain his detective status. All he has to do is go to a remote outback town and clear the local police of any wrongdoing in the shooting of an Aboriginal suspect. After all, he himself recently suffered from being demoted because of an accidental shooting he committed while on the job. Nothing could be easier, except for one irritating little fact, which his superiors have ignored: Tony actually believes in the laws of the land. He is not prepared to whitewash the white cop's misdeeds (if that's what they are) just because they have been committed against a person of color. In this painful social drama, the tensions caused by discrimination in Australia are skillfully highlighted. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerome Ehlers, Frank Gallacher, (more)
- 1986
Australian aborigine David Kennedy marries white woman Susan Leith and settles down in Sydney. Susan's father, a wealthy businessman, ends up in prison over a botched deal. Without his father-in-law's influence to help him, Kennedy has trouble looking after his family and dealing with big-city life. He returns to his own people, leaving his wife to raise their son by himself. Seven years later Kennedy returns to Sydney, hoping for a reunion with his 12-year-old son. But first he must run the gauntlet of legal obstacles set up by the justifiably embittered Leith. Short Changed was scripted by Robert J. Merritt, himself an aborigine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Kennedy, Susan Leith, (more)
- 1981
Scott B and Beth B, successful makers of short, experimental films made The Vortex an attempt at a "camp" film with a pessimistic "noirish" atmosphere. The detective Lunch (Lydia Lunch, a popular underground musician and poet) investigates a band of corporate businessman who seek government defense contracts through real "corporate wars" and the manipulation of politicians. Though a bit confusing, this film does have an excellent performance by Lunch, as the detective. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Russo, Lydia Lunch, (more)
