THE BIG SCREEN/SCREEN
READ ALL ABOUT IT Tabloid includes kidnapping, fried chicken and a whole lot of sex GEORGE PRENTICE Tabloid is a delicious piece of voyeuristic trash. In it, acclaimed documentarian Errol Morris (The Fog of War, Gates of Heaven, The Thin Red Line) turns his lens toward Joyce McKinney, a femme fatale of British tabloids in the 1970s. But don’t expect a full examination of celebrity or journalism. This is junk of the highest order. Tabloid’s checkNew doc shows how Joyce McKinney used fried chicken, mashed potatoes list includes cinnamon oil backrubs, fried and sex to take crazy to a whole new level. chicken, chloroform, handcuffs, the Mormon Church and copious amounts of sex. hearing in December 1977, the world’s press, he evaporated. So I did what any American “It’s not a porno story,” said the bleach or at least the tabloids, were drooling. She girl would do.” Right. McKinney then hired blonde McKinney. “It’s a love story. I would never do anything to hurt him.” Her narration a private eye, hunted Anderson to the United ended up spending three months at Holloway Prison, London’s famous women’s lock-up Kingdom (where he was serving his LDS is regularly punctuated with creepy giggles. while she awaited her trail. mission), kidnapped him at gunpoint, held “Him” is Kirk Anderson, the most unThe headlines kept coming: “Beauty Queen him captive at a secluded cottage (he said she likely object of affection that you will see on Kidnaps Mormon,” “Chained Spread Eagle.” used chains, she said she the big screen this used ropes), and plied him McKinney became a celeb in England, and year. Anderson, with fried chicken, mashed soon she was partying with John Travolta, a devout member TABLOID (R) potatoes and sex, sex, sex. Joan Collins, the Bee Gees and the Who. of the Church of Directed by Errol Morris Her escape from Britain was even more “I was his little wife, Jesus Christ of dramatic. McKinney used an elaborate almost,” she snorted. “I Latter-day Saints, Featuring Joyce McKinney, Kirk Anderson wanted to give him lots of disguise and posed as a mute deaf to befuddle met McKinney in Opens Friday at The Flicks customs agents. To this day, she was never babies in my tummy.” Salt Lake City and extradited back to face full charges. The Fleet Street newshad a brief flirtaDon’t worry. This isn’t a spoiler. Her wacko papers of London had the tion. That was his behavior and bizarre story don’t end there. story of the year. first mistake. Tabloid is a blast. It neither qualifies “Mormon Kidnapped,” said the Times. “When I met him, it was like it was in the celebrity nor examines our obsession with it. “Manacled Mormon,” said the more ribald movies,” said McKinney. Sure, if you think Instead, it shows it for the daily freak show Daily Express. “Love in Chains,” said the Fatal Attraction was a rom-com. no-shame Mirror. By the time McKinney was that it is. What followed when Anderson disapMove over, Lindsay Lohan. You have peared has become the stuff of tabloid legend. caught by no less than Scotland Yard, her infamy was well rooted. By the time of her bail nothing on Joyce McKinney. “He vanished,” said McKinney. “I mean
EXTRA/SCREEN FULL STEAM AHEAD ON NED Any aspiring Boise-based filmmaker who thinks he or she has to move to Hollywood is simply not paying attention. Plenty of resources are available here. The Idaho Film Office recently awarded $30,000 in $5,000 grant increments to six local filmmakers, including young Zach Voss, director of the winning entry in the 2011 i48 film competition. And there are established filmmakers in Boise to emulate: locals like Will Schmeckpeper and Travis Swartz have shown that a passion for movie making and a desire to reside in Ada County do not have to be mutually exclusive. Now you can add local director Gavin Boyd to the list of filmmakers who do not ascribe to “location, location, location.” Boyd and a group of others launched multimedia company All Spirit Media in January. WWW. B OISEWEEKLY.C O M
Screening of trailer for new Ned Evett doc and performance by Ned Evett and Triple Double. Saturday, Aug., 20, 7 p.m., $10. VAC 3638 Osage St. visualartscollective.com
Although spirituality and religion are the basis of a number of All Spirit’s products, many of its releases are secular. On Saturday, Aug. 20, at Visual Arts Collective, Boyd will screen the trailer for a product that straddles both: his in-process documentary on local guitar virtuoso Ned Evett, simply titled Ned. In the completed film, viewers will get a chance to learn more about Evett and his mastery of the fretless guitar from himself and from musical luminaries such as Joe Satriani. According to Boyd, they will also see how Evett’s faith—mainly in himself—has played a role in his career. The screening is just the icing on the cake. Ned Evett and Triple Double will perform with Grandma Kelsey opening. Tickets are $10 and the show starts at 7 p.m. —Amy Atkins
BOISEweekly | AUGUST 17–23, 2011 | 35