Venue: Tyneside Cinema
Dates: Thursday 25th March
Time: 8.00pm
Director Chris Atkins / UK 2009 / 103 mins
Certificate 12 A / In English
A furiously entertaining documentary in which Chris Atkins toys with tabloid newspapers by creating fake celebrity news stories and watching them spread like wild fire amongst rival publications. Made in secret over 2 years, the film journeys through the dark underbelly of the modern media, using a combination of undercover reporting and stunts to reveal the toxic effect the media is having on all of us. It’s thought-provoking, chaotic and absolutely hilarious and after the screening you can get the inside gossip from the man himself.
Tickets: £7 / £6, call 0845 217 9909
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Star Suckers (2009) Dir Chris Atkins
Chris Atkins latest film crams everything that’s wrong with the increasingly corroded value system of the modern media into 103 minutes of fascinating interviews, stunts, archive footage and animation. Atkins no-holds barred approach tackles the truly disturbing phenomenon of celebrity culture diagnosing western society’s obsession with fame.
The most scathing yet satisfying attack is on the British Press. Secret filming documents how easily his ludicrous lies appear in actual newspaper print, showcasing the immoral and illegal tricks of the trade and teaching the industry a much overdue lesson. But his lesson is an ironic one, promotion is key to getting his message heard and the potential for celebrity gossip has not hurt the films distribution.
Guerilla style, truth seeking film-making has opened Atkins up to legal action from some very powerful and very unhappy people. He has bravely created a film which can finally put its finger on the sense of bewilderment and unease felt by all in the face of a mediated world driven by consumption. When a catchphrase loving action hero can become a powerful political figure and X Factor gets more votes than the general elections we know we’re in trouble.