'Jaws 3-D' is far and away my favourite of the 'Jaws' sequels. Very entertaining ...
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‘Girls, Girls, Girls!’ (1961, Documentary – Michael Winner)
Photographer’s assistant Primrose Austen, catwalk model Tania Mallett and chorus girl Sandra Le Brocq live and work together in London, England.
Michael Winner’s meticulously crafted docudrama ‘Girls, Girls, Girls!’ assesses the working lives of three creative women in the English capital. It’s narrated by Jack Johnson and pieces together some fascinating raw footage of studio work and location filming.
‘Harmonic Progressions : The Experimental Hollies’ (2013, Documentary – Kelly Mald)
A look at the complex close-set harmonies, precise rhythmic ornamentions, unusual song constructions and advanced recording techniques engineered by the Hollies in the year they released their albums ‘Evolution’ (1967) and ‘Butterfly’ (1967).
1967 was the year of psychedelic wonder and the Summer Of Love, with a boatload of extraordinary albums emerging from Britain and America. The Hollies contributed two of them within the space of six months as their creativity levels soared. This mini-documentary provides a nice overview of some of the innovations being brought forward by different band members during this time.
‘Rain’ (2014, Documentary – Louise Narboni)
Brigitte Lefèvre directs the Paris Opera Ballet in a performance of ‘Music For Eighteen Musicians’ by minimalist composer Steve Reich.
A sparsely patterned dancefloor provides the simple setting for a ballet line-up bathed in grey, beige, rosé and blue hues. ‘Rain’ is pleasant enough to while away a wet afternoon but remains stuck in one gear throughout.
‘La Dolce Vita : The Music Of Italian Cinema’ (2015, Concert)
The New York Philharmonic Orchestra performs a selection of pieces composed for Italian films.
This glowing gala concert presents the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (introduced by board member Alec Baldwin) performing pieces by Stelvio Cipriani, Ennio Morricone, Nino Oliviero, Riz Ortolani, Nino Rota and Argentine composer Luis Bacalov. Guest host for the evening is film director Martin Scorsese.
‘Bass Intangibles’ (2017, Documentary – Warren D. Deal)
A bass tutorial from singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow.
Sheryl Crow is a musician from Kennett, Missouri who’s currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. She’s recently been out touring her new album ‘Be Myself’ (2017). It’s her first longplayer in four years, since the country record ‘Feels Like Home’ (2013).
‘Beside Bowie : The Mick Ronson Story’ (2017, Documentary – Jon Brewer)
The life and times of classically trained guitarist and arranger Mick Ronson.
Mick Ronson was a curt, gruff Englishman who preferred to let his fingers do the talking. His status as a guitar hero is borne out by the speakers assembled for ‘Beside Bowie : The Mick Ronson Story’ : Rick Wakeman, Cherry Vanilla, Ian Hunter, Dana Gillespie, Roger Taylor, Earl Slick, Glen Matlock, Joe Elliott, Mike Garson, Mark Nevin and Tony Visconti. David Bowie, Lou Reed and Lulu are able to contribute thoughts through the use of old recorded interviews.
‘Bill Cosby : Fall Of An American Icon’ (2017, Documentary - Ricardo Pollack)
Disgraced comedy superstar Bill Cosby is standing trial on charges of sexual assault but he also stands accused of numerous other crimes including rape.
‘Bill Cosby : Fall Of An American Icon’ tells of how one-time King Of Stand-Up Bill Cosby conquered network television to become a mega-millionaire beloved by middle-class America. He now faces serious allegations from countless women who say Cosby used his fame, wealth, power and celebrity to drug and abuse them. In the world of television, his nickname was ‘America’s Dad’, but now he’s America’s Most Wanted.
‘Parliamentary Shakedown’ (2017, Documentary – Geezer Breeze)
A look at some of the movers and shakers keen to reposition themselves in the aftermath of the 2017 UK General Election.
Britain’s parliamentary post-mortem has inevitably focused upon the ruling Conservative Party but there’s activity in the Labour Party too. With talented politicians like Angela Rayner (Ashton-under-Lyne), Lisa Nandy (Wigan) and Bad Barry Gardiner (Brent North) by his side, Jeremy Corbyn is looking towards a bright future. In fact you might just say there’s life in the old dog yet …
Rebecca Long-Bailey (Salford & Eccles)
“The sad thing is there’s not more than one big challenge there’s a whole range of big challenges. Our local authority is on the brink - it doesn’t have sufficient funding from Government to provide even the most basic of services now. Our NHS is in a state of crisis. Social care, again in crisis. There are people in Salford tonight who are incapable of putting themselves to bed and cooking their own meals but they’re having to struggle on their own because our social care system simply isn’t there. We’ve got children not receiving the education they deserve because of the terrible cuts in schools. And then housing is another major issue in Salford - there simply aren’t enough homes for the people of this city. I think Jeremy Corbyn inspires hope for a better world and a better future and that’s what people are desperate for in Salford.”
- Rebecca Long Bailey, Manchester Evening News
‘Sgt Pepper's Musical Revolution With Howard Goodall’ (2017, Documentary – Francis Hanly)
An in-depth analysis of The Beatles’ groundbreaking musical opus ‘Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band’ (1967) which celebrates the 50th Anniversary of its release this year.
This a superb piece on the Beatles’ album ‘Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band’ thanks to the input of composer Howard Goodall who breaks down tracks with the help of raw elements preserved from the original recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios. Goodall made a similar film about the record many years ago but here expands upon his ideas.