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A group of friends and I saw the new Errol Morris documentary Tabloid on Saturday night and it was hands-down one of the most entertaining movies I've seen all year.
The movie tells the story of former beauty queen Joyce McKinney who, in 1977, flew to England and with an accomplice, kidnapped a Mormon missionary with whom she was obsessed, drove him to a little country cottage, chained him to the bed and had sex with him for three days.
When the missionary returned and McKinney was arrested, the case became a huge media sensation in the UK (when I served my mission in Scotland, seemingly everyone who had been alive in the 70s was familiar with it.) McKinney was on the front page for weeks as two of the big rival papers battled with each other for scoops on the case. When McKinney and her accomplice skipped bail and fled back to America, it only fueled the fires more.
I don't know if anyone's seen any of Errol Morris's other docs like Gates of Heaven or The Thin Blue Line but he is fascinated with the slippery nature of truth and he loves getting interesting characters on camera to tell their stories. He lets McKinney dominate the proceedings as she describes what, to her, is a story of true love and religious oppression. Of course, to everyone else she comes across as a bit nutty. But that's part of what makes it a fascinating story.
I only wish I could have attended the Friday night screening as Joyce McKinney was actually in attendance and held a Q & A with the audience afterward. That would have been something to see.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in weird Mormon stories (I haven't even begun to describe the more bizarre details,) great documentaries or animal cloning.
The movie tells the story of former beauty queen Joyce McKinney who, in 1977, flew to England and with an accomplice, kidnapped a Mormon missionary with whom she was obsessed, drove him to a little country cottage, chained him to the bed and had sex with him for three days.
When the missionary returned and McKinney was arrested, the case became a huge media sensation in the UK (when I served my mission in Scotland, seemingly everyone who had been alive in the 70s was familiar with it.) McKinney was on the front page for weeks as two of the big rival papers battled with each other for scoops on the case. When McKinney and her accomplice skipped bail and fled back to America, it only fueled the fires more.
I don't know if anyone's seen any of Errol Morris's other docs like Gates of Heaven or The Thin Blue Line but he is fascinated with the slippery nature of truth and he loves getting interesting characters on camera to tell their stories. He lets McKinney dominate the proceedings as she describes what, to her, is a story of true love and religious oppression. Of course, to everyone else she comes across as a bit nutty. But that's part of what makes it a fascinating story.
I only wish I could have attended the Friday night screening as Joyce McKinney was actually in attendance and held a Q & A with the audience afterward. That would have been something to see.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in weird Mormon stories (I haven't even begun to describe the more bizarre details,) great documentaries or animal cloning.
:condom:
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