Chris Rodley

A Paul Joyce documentary on the American independent film scene.

A 1992 documentary about the making of Naked Lunch.

What makes European cinema so special? Find out in Paul Joyce’s feature-length documentary, Pictures of Europe, which examines the differences between American independent and Hollywood movies and films from European directors. Featuring luminary iconoclasts from European cinema such as Agnes Varda, Bernardo Bertolucci and Pedro Almodovar, as well as American counterpoints from Paul Schrader, and those who have crossed back and forth, such as Paul Verhoeven

Jools Holland takes a personal look at the historical influences that have helped to create the sound of London. His journey takes him back to Roman times, and then forward through history until the present day, taking in well-known landmarks, pubs, music halls and more recent venues such as the 100 Club. Archive film footage is interspersed with contributions from performers such as Roy Hudd (comedian and music hall expert), Lucy Skeaping (of The City Waites ensemble), Eliza Carthy (folk musician), Sterling Betancourt (steelpan pioneer), Danny Baker (DJ and presenter), Ray Davies (of The Kinks rock band), Paul Jones (of the Manfred Mann pop group), Joe Brown (rock and roll singer), Suggs (of the Madness ska band), and Lisa Hannigan (Irish indie folk singer).

Though very polite and British, this feature-length documentary about German filmmaker Wim Wenders offers the most penetrating insights and the best overall critique of his work that I have encountered anywhere. Paul Joyce, who directed it, has also made documentaries about Nicolas Roeg, David Cronenberg, Nagisa Oshima, and Dennis Hopper, and he knows the conventional format well enough to get the most out of it. There are good clips and interesting commentaries from the interviewed subjects, who include Wenders himself, cinematographer Robby Muller, filmmaker Sam Fuller, novelist Patricia Highsmith, musician Ry Cooder, actors Harry Dean Stanton, Peter Falk, and Hanns Zischler, and critic Kraft Wetzel, who is especially provocative. A must-see for Wenders fans, highly recommended for everyone else. –Jonathan Rosenbaum, 1989

This straight-talking program seeks to understand the enigmatic and controversial Sam Peckinpah, whose violent films such as The Wild Bunch and Straw Dogs had a telling effect on the cinema of the 1970s and 80s. Those who knew and worked with him, including actor James Coburn, actress Ali MacGraw, his associate Katherine Haber, his cousin Bob Peckinpah, and several screenwriters and producers, examine his life in an attempt to separate the man from the persona. Clips from key films reinforce this detailed discussion of Peckinpah's art and a fixation on violence that still permeates Hollywood today.

A documentary film examining Michael Powell's 1960 film "Peeping Tom," the controversy surrounding its release, and the life of its screenwriter, Leo Marks.

The film recounts one of Chris' early filmmaking experiences: an attempt to interview Patrick McGoohan - something McGoohan had resisted previously - about his enigmatic series for a Channel 4 commissioned documentary. A documentary that didn't quite go to plan. In a series of frank interviews conducted by Chris, most of which ultimately remained unused in the 1983 documentary 'Six Into One-The Prisoner File', McGoohan slowly reveals his innermost thoughts about his concept.