keithmp

Long-since retired, I present commercial screenings of films at the unique former mobile theatre, Century Theatre, in Coalville, Leicestershire.

I chose to show Vindication Swim to mark my 20th anniversary and this proved to be a very popular choice!

This very high standard, low budget UK production features good performances from both sides of the camera.

Leading lady, newcomer Kirsten Callaghan delivers a delicately fine performance as Mercedes Gleitze, the first British woman to swim the English Channel in 1927, doing all her own swimming - in the Channel! A truly versatile young actress!

I was also very impressed by John Locke's performance as the sad and troubled swimming coach whose life is rejuvenated after he takes Ms Gleitze under his wing.

The pace and interest of the film never flags and, as we used to say, "you could hear a pin drop", as my audience were totally engrossed in the film, which also features some great location shooting and cinematography.

A very accomplished piece of work by the young writer/director Elliott Hasler - an excellent feature film debut.

I understand the film has already proved very successful and I now consider it to be perfect viewing for village halls and other small venues on the non-theatrical circuit. I heartily recommend it and I'm sure my own audience would fully agree with me.

As a youngster, I fondly remember seeing a Warner Bros B film in my home town of Coalville, Leicestershire, UK. This was Law Vs Gangster; although i'm going back 50 years when i was a regular at the Saturday afternoon matinées, I believe the star was Frank Gifford. I'd tried tracing this film previously without success but I've now discovered it was actually an episode from this Warner Bros TV series, - which I'd not heard of before. Looking at the cast lists, I would be delighted if Warners were to release a sampler DVD in their Television Favourites series. Not much hope of that I'm sure. I also recall seeing the Natalie Wood episode, Girl On The Subway on BBC Television as a youngster.

I saw this film, presumably in 1980, at the British seaside resort of Great Yarmouth, whilst on an idyllic camping holiday based at Lowestoft. What attracted me (and my lady friend at the time) to the cinema was not this magical little short but the fact that it was showing with the current screwball hit comedy, Airplane. I had no knowledge of Cry Wolf at all. The cinema was just about full to capacity, and on came the short B film. The cast is made up of lots of familiar names to British film and TV fans, but nothing could have prepared me for this little treat. The script is deliberately (I assume) as corny as possible with lots of obvious and overplayed comical nods to the old Universal horror classics, - and it's in traditional black and white. This is one weird short, great fun, and I'd love to see it again. One more thing, when the film finished, the audience burst out in spontaneous, loud applause!