troublemaker
[truhb-uh l-mey-ker]
a person who habitually causes difficulty or problems, especially by inciting others to defy those in authority. 

Very few films have been made about the United Nations with good reason, but tonight’s THE TROUBLEMAKER is one of the exceptions – and well worth a watch for that reason alone.

Obtaining permission to film inside the U.N. is virtually impossible, but young director Roberto Salinas managed to gain unprecedented access to areas inside the U.N. where cameras had never made it before. How? It was access made possible with the assistance of Father Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, presidential chair of the General Assembly from September 2008-September 2009 and most definitely a troublemaker of the highest order (and in the best possible way).

When filmmaker David Holbrooke was a wee boy over forty years, his dad, Richard Holbrooke, was somewhat of an absent father, but given his role as the dominant American diplomat of his generation that was almost understandable. Even in the early years of his career the senior Holbrooke’s ambition burned hot, as did his confidence - Vice President Joseph R. Biden once called him “the most egotistical bastard I’ve ever met”.

A fantastic documentary by the younger Holbrooke, THE DIPLOMAT tells the remarkable story of the life and legacy of the Ambassador, whose impressive career spans fifty years of American foreign policy – as in, from Vietnam to Afghanistan. Told through the perspective of those that worked with him and his eldest son David, the film takes you behind the scenes of high stakes diplomacy where peace is waged and wars are ended. Utter compelling, to put it mildly.

Tonight’s film TRANSCEND is the amazing story of 2012 Boston Marathon Champion and former University of Louisville runner Wesley Korir, who not only won Boston, but then ran for parliament in Kenya as an independent candidate and won. That having been said, for fans of the sport the film also is about why they run, why they race, what motivates them, and shows the Kenyan running phenomena up close and personal like never before.



With a backstory that echoes many of his running countrymen, Korir grew up in Kitale, in Western Kenya. Like many people in the area, Korir’s family was very poor and lived far from the nearest town. It took a long time to walk anywhere near a town or city proper, so Korir would run to get there faster. Legend has it that every day, he ran five miles to school in the morning, and five miles back in the afternoon. And he also ran home for lunch and back to school again!

It wasn’t long befo

As a kid in the seventies (showing my age or what?) I fell in love with re-runs of the ‘Thunderbirds’ TV series, which was puppetry sure, but pretty damn impressive puppetry at that – along with rather clever storylines. This was a step beyond the likes of ‘Rainbow’ and into almost adult territory, with goodies and baddies and spies galore, as well as the smart, sassy Lady Penelope.

This was down to the animation technique – actually a form of puppetry - devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson in the 1960s. It was a world where the “dolls” were lifelike – they even edited in actual body parts for some shots, such as actions done by hands. Not only did the characters seem more human but they took us on all sorts of futuristic adventures in all sorts of amazing places. In other words, awesome.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of the founding of Studio Ghibli, possibly the world’s most revered animation house and one I had hitherto not known by name. After doing a little research I realized that I had actually seen a ton of their films, but not being too much of an anime devotee had no idea of the sheer impact the amazing creative powerhouse had actually had on popular culture at large.

Marking the anniversary has been called a bittersweet occasion, given that the company’s activities have been on a hiatus since last year – mainly due to the retirement of founder Hayao Miyazaki and the disappointing box office performance of several of its recent films.

Published in June 1957 and an instant best seller, Nevil Shute’s On the Beach was one of the first “serious” novels my parents gave me to read. They were both obsessed by the possibility of nuclear explosion and even had a section earmarked for a ‘bunker’ in the long run, which at the time I thought was stark, raving bonkers. Once I read Shute’s book however, I started to understand why for people of a certain age at that time, the threat of atomic warfare was a very real thing.

On the Beach is the story that gave voice to Shute’s  - and many others - concerns about the possible destruction of humanity. Set in the city of Melbourne in the then near future, Shute’s novel occurs in the aftermath of a devastating nuclear war in the northern hemisphere and is terrifying at best. It was a huge hit at the time of its release, and before long director Stanley Kramer bought the film rights from Shute, and it became a film classic starring the legendary Gregory Peck, Ava Gardnerand Anthony Perkins.

Bizarrely, 2014 saw not one but two full-length feature documentaries released detailing the meteoric rise and ignominious demise of 1980s schlock juggernaut Cannon Films.

The first, which was directed by Israeli filmmaker Hila Medalia, was called THE GO-GO BOYS, and was apparently a taster of sorts for those who had previously known little about the subject matter. Next came tonight’s documentary ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS, a far darker and more eccentric beast that makes for a damn fine watch.

According to Leo Rosten, the Yiddish maven and author of the splendidly named The Joys of Yiddish, a "mensch" is someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character. The key to being “a real mensch” is nothing less than “character, rectitude, dignity, and a sense of what is right, responsible, decorous”. No mean feat then, huh?

"This is why I look so good, after 41 years in the game..."
Snoop Dogg

Tonight’s documentary THE CULTURE HIGH is bought to you from the makers of the critically acclaimed 'The Union: The Business Behind Getting High', who clearly have found a subject they know well and decided to run with it for a second time. This time they bring you the profound exploration of one of the most prolific wars of our time, tearing into the very fibre of modern day marijuana prohibition to reveal the truth behind the arguments and motives governing both those who support and oppose the existing marijuana laws in the US in particular. 

The debate over the legalization of marijuana rages all over the world, but there is no disputing the fact that billions of dollars are spent on our so-called "drug wars" and that arrests for mere possession of the drug number almost a million annually in the US alone.

Using hard facts, documentary footage and interviews, director Brett Harvey gives voice to both sides on this issue, and includes such vital concerns as the power of media to devastatingly shape the war on drugs and the unending greed of pharmaceutical companies who push far more dangerous prescription drugs at the public every day. It comes as no surprise that presidents dating back to Nixon and Reagan and both Bushes have demonised the use of pot, but Barack Obama - under whose administration drug-war expenditures and medical-marijuana raids have exceeded those of any other president, surprisingly – comes under heavy fire for his indecision and contrary attitudes when it comes to a drug that could in medical terms alone, offer very real comfort for millions.

Those who appear on camera include Sir Richard Branson, rapper Wiz Khalifa, Al Jazeera's Cara Santa Maria, and comedian Joe Rogan, who broke my heart when talking about the special needs of his challenged little boy.

So in celebration of sativa, I’ve decided to rank my top stoner flicks, in no particular order…

Mark Pilkington’s 2010 book MIRAGE MEN has been lauded as one of the more credible takes on the topic of unidentified flying objects, and tonight’s documentary of the same name expands on exactly that.

Conversation about UFOs has been around as long as most of us can remember, peaking alongside interest in the space race and questions about whether there was really life beyond our own planet. Classic films like Invasion of The Body Snatchers and It Came From Outer Spaceexploited the average Joe’s fear of the unknown from the 1950’s onwards, then the likes of ET came along in the early 1980’s to spread the word to the kids that the stranger from another world might just be what we need to save us.