IRELAND'S MOST NOTORIOUS FILM DIRECTOR!

Not many people have heard of David Malocco. Even fewer have heard of his feature called Virgin cowboys. But he's also known as Elio Malocco the scandalous solicitor way ahead of his time in terms of fraud! After getting barred by the Law Society he turned to filmmaking but according to the €4 book(!) I've read he was shunned by our 'prestigious' film industry and gave up. People who lead interesting lives make interesting films. That's why most Irish movies are so dull. We need more filmmakers like Malocco!

IRISH FILM GENRES PART 31: GANGSTERS

One of the great Hollywood genres from the 1930s and several Irish titles are based on these films: Ordinary decent criminal and General. Other titles include Headrush, Actors, and Gobshite.

FAREWELL TO THE QUEEN!

The most memorable event of 2011 and she's headed back to England now. So, well done for her visiting and it's great to see the WW1 memorial and other sights in the media. Hope we can put all the history behind us now. After all, the real enemy is EU bureaucracy not the Brits!

IRISH FILM GENRES PART 30: IRISH LANGUAGE

Not too many here: Kings is the main one, and a few scenes in Hush-a-bye- baby. There was also an early Film Board feature called Goban Saor.

IRISH FILM GENRES PART 29:GAA

With the Queen visiting Croke Park today it's strange that our film industry has only produced Clash of the ash. No handball or Gaelic football movies? Strange.

WELCOME TO THE QUEEN!

Today is a historic(al) day as Queen Elizabeth 2 of Britain arrives. Fair play to the woman for coming here at her age. Hope she likes the former second city of her Empire. Maybe if we remained part of Britain we could have produced our own Hitchcock, Lean, or Chaplin? Or maybe not?

IRISH FILM GENRES PART 28: VIDEO

Many titles have been shot on digital (and analogue) video: Fatal deviation, November afternoon, Honeymooners, Anton, Goldfish memory, Snap, and Pavee lackeen.

IRISH FILM GENRES PART 27: BLACK AND WHITE

Lots of pre-1970's Irish films were in black and white. But several recent low-budget features were too: Sugar, November afternoon, Last days in Dublin, and How to cheat in the Leaving Certificate.

IRISH FILM GENRES PART 26: GAY

There was the dire lesbian pic Goldfish memory, the prison kiss in Borstal boy, the toilet scene in Reefer and the model, and the closeted Man of no importance.

IRISH FILM GENRES PART 25: KIDS

Loads of Irish films starring kids: Flight of the doves, Kisses, Mickeybo and me, Boy from Mercury, Pete's meteor, and Into the West. A few more aimed directly at kids (mainly the animation features).

CHEERS UKRAINE!

Been visitors here for a while now so cheers Ukraine!