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THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION SHOW
A 150 minute rock-doc may seem indulgent, but Shaun Pettigrews riotous study of punk seer/egomaniac Jaz Coleman warrants long haul treatment. Covering 35 years of Colemans punk-metallers Killing Joke, Pettigrew focuses mainly on the many lives of Jaz, a shape-shifting dreamer with occult tendencies whose triumphs leave critics stupefied. The result plays like a rock-doc reimagined by Dennis Wheatley. Clearly a fan, Pettigrew assembles his deluge of archive material and interviews (Jimmy Page, Dave Grohl...) diligently: even Colemans mum weighs in. Director: Shaun Pettigrew Starring: Jaz Coleman, Big Paul, Dave Grohl, Jimmy Page Theatrical release: 2 October 2015 Kevin Harley.
ROGER WATERS: THE WALL
With its ooh-symbolic giant wall erected between band and audience, Pink Floyds The Wall has always seemed the most forbidding of stadium-rock concepts. Drawn from ex-Floyd auteur Roger Waters huge 2010-13 revival tour, his and Sean Evans heartfelt concert film humanises its excesses. Waters anti-war symbolism and alienated-rockers gripes know no subtlety, but as spectacle the show is awesome. Better still, footage of Waters mourning his fathers death in WW2 pinpoints The Walls grief-lashed core: as Comfortably Numb reaches full bloom, the sense of shared catharsis overwhelms all resistance. Director: Anthony Peters, Paul O'Connor Starring: Sam Arthur, Anthony Burrill, Sophie Dauvois, Fred Deakin, Ed Cheverton, Pete Fowler, Fred Higginson, Kate Higginson, Will Hudson Theatrical release: 29 September 2015 Kevin Harley
MADE YOU LOOK
Subtitled A Film About Creativity In The Digital Age, this pretty niche but still interesting documentary sees contemporary illustrators and graphic designers voice mixed feelings about a rapidly changing era in which ownership of a Mac has opened the market up to people who cant draw. However, theres an upside: the permanence of printed books is still treasured in a transitory world. And as noted Lemon Jelly DJ and designer Fred Deakin points out, for a generation weaned on modern tech, nothing beats the excitement of old-fashioned screen printing. For them, thats new media! Director: Anthony Peters, Paul O'Connor Starring: Sam Arthur, Anthony Burrill, Sophie Dauvois, Fred Deakin, Ed Cheverton, Pete Fowler, Fred Higginson, Kate Higginson, Will Hudson Theatrical release: 2 October 2015 Ali Catterall
SEVEN SONGS FOR A LONG LIFE
How can a documentary about terminally ill patients waiting out an uncertain timeframe for their impending demise ever be joyous and positive? In this case, director Amy Hardie emphasises the sense of community among six patients, a nurse and a fundraiser as they meet the harrowing prospect of death with good humour and a shared love of music. Filmed over three years at the Strathcarron Hospice, the documentary presents everyday people made larger-than life through quirky wit and sheer strength of character, and in the process teaches us that facing our own mortality head-on can ultimately be the most life-affirming of decisions. Director: Amy Hardie Theatrical release: 2 October 2015 Matt Looker
DRESSED AS A GIRL
As you might expect from a documentary about the drag scene in East London, the appeal of this doc rests on the colourful individuals it follows among them ageing drag acts, transgender women undergoing surgery and various others wrestling with personal demons. Familiar themes such as parental acceptance and the threat of HIV crop up, but director Colin Rothbart handles the material sensitively and keeps the tone light, while the lack of a narrator ensures a sense of intimacy and authenticity, allowing the subjects to speak for themselves. Director: Colin Rothbart Starring: Jonny Woo, Amber Waze, Pia, Arber Theatrical release: 2 October 2015 Stephen Puddicombe
NARCOPOLIS
What would happen if drugs were legalised? According to this sci-fi from director Justin Trefgarne, society would collapse into a dystopian nightmare of a drug-addled narcopolis where all-powerful corporations run riot hooking the population on its licensed gear. Though the film looks the part with grim interiors and grey exteriors, it fails to make a convincing case for its reactionary premise, relying on stock characters like the tough lone-wolf policeman protagonist with a dark past (Elliot Cowan). A second half leap into yet more outlandish territory doesnt help. Director: Justin Trefgarne Starring: Elliot Cowan, Elodie Yung, Jonathan Pryce Theatrical release: 2 October 2015 Stephen Puddicombe
DRAGONBALL Z: RESURRECTION F
Dragonball Z: Resurrection F, The 19th big screen outing for the popular Japanese anime, is not amateur hour. Youll have no idea why these big muscle men can fly and turn their hair blue, or the significance of the revived Frieza, a god-like alien that once again wants to destroy earth. For fans, though, its business as usual: stupidly over-the-top battles where mountains crumble and no one is ever fighting at their full power. Its fun, with some crisp animation, but lacks the punch to make it stand out. Still, against the 2009 live-action attempt, its a masterpiece. Director: Tadayoshi Yamamuro Starring: Masako Nozawa, Ry Horikawa, Hiromi Tsuru Theatrical release: 2 October 2015 Stephen Kelly
