My Father and The Man In Black
"Jonathan Holiff’s new documentary is more than just another addition to the bottomless pit of archival footage dedicated to legend, man, myth and flawed mortal that is Johnny Cash. This film is a universal and troubling tale of the very real walls that parents can build around themselves (Jonathan's father, Saul Holiff, was Cash's manager in the 1960s and 70s). There is much great music, oodles of exclusive visuals (stills and film clips) and - think panelled dens, tiki bars and vintage 60s and 70s décor - seamless re-creations of the past. With more plot points and twists than a Syd Field screenwriting seminar, the narrative is strong, exposing more faces of the multifaceted Man In Black himself than ever before. And it seems that drugs and drink weren't the real cause of Cash's professional self-destruction. Refreshingly, My Father and the Man In Black does not slip into the realm of tabloid. It's an intense personal adventure with universal themes and appeal that just happens to feature one of 20th-century music's great icons." Ambrose Roche, NXNE Programmer