Michael Flatley: lord of film?
If you feel as though you haven't had enough of the Riverdance creator in your life lately (and to be honest none of us have), then you're about to be in for a treat.
That's because Flatley's long talked about directorial debut is about to see the light of day.
Labelled by many as a vanity project, the 62-year wrote, financed, directed, and cast himself in the lead role for Blackbird.
We're not sure where people could have possibly gotten the idea that this was to inflate his ego.
Originally filmed a few years ago, the movie has been much discussed but has rarely been seen. We could only find two screenings mentioned, one at the Stella Cinema in Rathmines and the other as part of the Raindance Film Festival where it was broadcast in the May Fair Hotel in London, both in 2018.
However, it is now set to be brought to a wider audience. Blackbird is going to be shown at The Monaco Streaming Film Festival, meaning you can finally get a glimpse of Flatley on the big screen. The festival runs from July 3-6.
If you're thinking that you will probably give it a skip, wait until you hear the plot.
It is of course a spy movie, starring Flatley as an agent known as "Blackbird". This is how IMDB summed it up:
Troubled secret agent ‘Blackbird’ abruptly retires from service and opens a luxurious nightclub in the Caribbean to escape the dark shadows of his past.
An old flame arrives and reignites love in his life but she brings danger with her.
It also stars Eric Roberts (The Expendables) and Patrick Bergin (Sleeping with the Enemy). It was shot in Cork, London, and Barbados.
That's about as much as we know about it. No trailers have ever been released, while journalists have also failed in their attempts to receive a copy in order to review it.
However, Flatley himself reckons it is class:
I wanted to make a modern movie reminiscent of old Hollywood.
The classics were always entertaining without being excessively violent or complicated. We shot the movie in Barbados, Ireland and London, capturing some of the most cinematically picturesque locations on film, all of which have a special place in my heart.
I’m honoured to be showing ‘Blackbird’ at the inaugural Monaco Streaming Film Festival. It’s an innovative venture and opens the doors globally to a rapidly evolving digital marketplace.
We can only imagine what it will be like.
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