wellyousaythat©

COVERS #3 PSYCHO

2012-02-12T09:00:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/MhsqXouC1Ws

Psycho 1960

Possibly the most pointless 'cover' version of a movie ever; Gus Van Sant's Psycho

http://youtu.be/J4Ff4n9GXPo

Psycho 1998

COVERS#2-ALBUMS

2012-02-11T09:00:00.000Z

Many an iconic album cover has been homaged/parodied. Here area few 'covers'

COVERS#1 Days of futures past

2012-02-10T08:30:00.000Z

Anyone with a passing interest in comic books would probably be able to tell you that the cover of X-Men #141: Days of futures past, by John Byrne, is one of the most iconic covers ever created in the medium. It is to Comic books what the Jaws poster is to movies. Subsequently it is the most homaged/copied covers in the history of comic books.
I remember buying it from the original Forbidden Planet in London's West end, and thy story contained inside (and the following issue) is one of the touchstones in the development of the mainstream comic book.

HAYWIRE: Soderbergh does Bourne

2012-02-08T08:30:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/OpffbDjWlog

Hardly a finewine but certainly thirst quenching; that’s Haywire, Steven Soderbergh’s takeon the action film genre that was reinvigorated when Die Hard was released (amovie which set the blueprint for the modern action movie)

When the mainprotagonist, Mallory Kane, hits a fellah he knows he’s been hit. Kane is playedby ex MMA fighter turned actor Gina Carano and because of this background thereis something bone crunchingly authentic when things kick off. The plot ispretty much that of a Bourne movie with covert shenanigans, globe trotting, betrayal,set pieces and revenge all in the mix.

The film has agood cast; Banderas, Fassbinder, Douglas, McGregor who all fail to bring anyspark so it is left to Carano to carry the movie, which she pretty much does.

As starring debutsgo, this is a sterling effort from Carano. She definitely has something and Iguess subsequent roles will tell us what that something is.

Fans ofSoderbergh will expect more from this movie but fans of the modern action moviewill probably enjoy the ride.

http://youtu.be/sw2vZiu7_cU

GREAT INTROS: OLDBOY 올드보이

2012-02-07T08:30:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/aFzFOwdh5QA

The intro to the superlative 올드보이 directed by Park Chan-Wook features great music bu Jo Yeong-Wook and a vertiginous opening gambit. One of the great movies of the century begins in blistering style.

QE2

2012-02-06T12:56:00.003Z

I'm no Royalist (far from it) but Elizabeth has certainly been an iconic

slice of Britain these last 60 years.

http://youtu.be/w2kJq3zDZLA

we are the Champions

http://youtu.be/02D2T3wGCYg

God save the queen

GREAT INTROS: KISS KISS BANG BANG

2012-02-06T08:30:00.001Z

http://youtu.be/YKlSrxuLUPE

A low key theme and an excercise in graphic excelence. The title sequence from kiss Kiss Bang Bang

GREAT INTROS: BULLITT

2012-02-05T08:30:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/S__L_OQe6NE

The inimitable Lalo Schifrin brings the cool with this superb theme. Peter Yates directs Steve McQueen and these opening titles are as good as you can get. Fab!

2012-02-04T08:30:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/hhU6LzZV2xg

The Clash-Capital Radio

7" record with an anti Capital Radio stance. In London Capital Radio is a local Radio station that was once fresh but has specialised in blandness for a number of years. At one time if you didn't get your record on Capital your song was doomed. The Clash released this EP in 1977 as a free gift with a token from the New Musical Express and a sticker from their debut album. The rest of the disc comprised of a Strummer/Jones interview. The song got zero airplay. It has been re-recorded and re-released on a number of compilations but there's something about the circumstances of the original that nicely sum up the attitude of those heady days of '77.

WEDNESDAY COMICS

2012-02-03T08:30:00.000Z

It's big, bold and beautiful. If you have ever wondered what all the fuss was about Comic Books, or thought they were just kids stuff this tome may help you understand why Comic Book fans love Comic books.

MY HIT LIST:DID YOU NO WRONG-SEX PISTOLS

2012-02-02T08:30:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/Miico0R8vWg

Did you no wrong

The B side of God Save the Queen and therefore little heard, I did you no wrong shows that the Sex Pistols could do rock'n' roll, in their own way without a political lyric to be heard. Rousing!

MY HIT LIST: DON’T SWEAT THE TECHNIQUE-Eric B & Rakim

2012-02-01T08:30:00.001Z

http://youtu.be/p_kStJ-uvyA

don't sweat the technique

Fromthe duo who produced some seminal early Hip Hop tracks came Don't Sweat theTechnique. Eric B & Rakim released it on June 23, 1992. Their last big hit as aduo, self recorded and produced by Eric B. & Rakim in New York it has a jazzier sound to italigned with a terse vocal delivery. It also contains a smorgasbord of samples;Give It Up- Kool and the Gang,Queen of the Nile-Young Holt Unlimited, Right on for the Darkness-CurtisMayfield and Take Me to the Mardi Gras by Bob James.

It is one of thelast Hip Hop record from an era when some of the originators produced smoother records that have a popular audience and broke into the mainstream charts this gave way to thesound that has become more synonymous with the genre; less soul and moreaggression.

http://www.whosampled.com

some info

GREAT INTROS #14 THE GODFATHER

2012-01-31T08:17:00.010Z

http://youtu.be/bB9cLr7OR-A

"I believe in America"

Setting the scene for one of the greatest movies ever made, Bonasera goes to see The Godfather Don Vitto Corleone; the rest is history.

GREAT INTROS#13 ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

2012-01-30T08:15:00.002Z

http://youtu.be/N8XNBpIkQpU

OHMSS

The only instrumental Bond title sequence. The Bond movie with perhaps the best Bond Girl in Diana Rigg, the best villain in Telly Savalas and a pretty good plot is overlooked by virtue of Lazenby's casting as 007. He's not as bad as he's painted to be and I certainly feel he would beat Moore's lounge lizard Bond in a fight. The titles recap Bond's previous adventures and there is something quite charming

about it's lo- fi swinging Britain approach.

GREAT INTROS #12 TWIN PEAKS

2012-01-29T08:40:00.015Z

http://youtu.be/eSSJTPEMmdU

Twin Peaks

The strains of Falling (Instrumental) by Angelo Badalamenti introduce us not only to the town of Twin Peaks but take us gently and serenely into it's unique, dark and mysterious world.

Lynch's vastly underrated movie Twin Peaks:Fire walk with me featured a credit sequence that was almost a counterpoint to the TV shows serenity; again featuring the music of Badalamenti it is haunting and disturbing; much like the film.

http://youtu.be/LasYely-11k
Twin Peaks: Fire walk with me

GREAT INTROS; #11 REFLECTIONS

2012-01-28T08:31:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/FMOsvoXys34

Reflections

Written by Holland, Dozier, Holland performed by Diana Ross and the Supremes this formidable record has a distinct intro, this 1967 disc was influenced by psychedelia and is one of the very first popular records to feature synthesiser.

GREAT INTROS: #10 THE WIRE

2012-01-27T08:39:00.027Z

http://youtu.be/2tLcKyOy0HQ

Omar Little v Brother Mouzone

Way down in the hole performed by a different artist each season is the song that defines the Wire.

Each version different, each set of titles compliments the theme of each season

A superlative TV show with an exceptional opening.

http://youtu.be/E1ABR4UpDSU

Season 1

http://youtu.be/ipaV4k2n__I

Season 2

http://youtu.be/J1S69staui8

Season 3

http://youtu.be/ZbhH0JmMFzo

Season 4

http://youtu.be/PnkBD37fggg

Season 5

GREAT INTROS: # 9 NORTH BY NORTHWEST

2012-01-26T08:19:00.017Z

http://youtu.be/jIlqatMQSgI

NbNW

Saul Bass king of the title sequence. There are so many great ones but the intro of North by North West is a great study in design and excecution.

Here are two examples of his great work on films at opposite ends of the spectrum

http://youtu.be/vDgIGRuLdPk

Seconds

http://youtu.be/s1A7bJD3atk

it's a mad mad mad mad world

For further reading/viewing of his work go to:

http://annyas.com/screenshots/saul-bass-title-sequences-3/

GREAT INTROS: #8 THE AVENGERS

2012-01-25T08:04:00.018Z

http://youtu.be/GeK3Lkd_XL4

Peel

The Avengers; John steed and Venus Smith, John Steed and Cathy Gale, John Steed and Emma Peel, John Steed and Tara King. Stylish, quintessentially British and instantly recognisable.

The intro from the arrival of Diana Rigg, scored by Laurie Johnson, had the lot.

http://youtu.be/0KrGqai2PxI

King

XX @ XI

2012-01-24T19:21:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/JPB_EQly1jI

There’sa famous scene in the movie This is Spinal Tap where Nigel Tufnell describeshis amp as being ‘one louder’ that is to say that it goes up to eleven.

Whydo women go ‘one louder’ when it comes to molehills and minutiae?

It’salmost as if their internal bothered amp is set at 11.

Pouringthrough meaning, justification and psychological agendas may well have itsplace but not on a Tuesday after work, particularly when it centres around amundanity that is no big deal; although Heaven forefend should you describe itat such.

Let’snot analyse everything, lets not debate the deeper meaning, lets do thatsometimes, but not now, not tonight, when it doesn’t actually amount to a hillof beans in this crazy world.

Letit go women. There I said it; just, sometimes, just let it go.

GREAT INTROS: # 7 VOODOO CHILE (SLIGHT RETURN)

2012-01-24T10:56:00.011Z

http://youtu.be/gpqD7LhzCRg

Record

Jimi Hendrix unleashes hell on this seminal track

http://youtu.be/2h2ywNdG45I

Live

GREAT INTROS: # 6 GIMME SHELTER

2012-01-23T08:47:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/WJDnJ0vXUgw

Rolling Stones

Classic intro to a classic song. Haunting and memorable

http://youtu.be/XCyTqnizcvI

Merry Clayton

GREAT INTROS: #5 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

2012-01-22T08:26:00.006Z

http://youtu.be/k55NuWQCh78

MIssion Imposible

One of the most iconic TV themes of all time by Lalo Schifrin, Mission impossible gave the viewer a sneak of what was to come in each episode all coreographed to the tension of the burning fuse.

GREAT INTROS:#4 THE SOPRANOS

2012-01-21T08:17:00.009Z

http://youtu.be/RLxSUKA--Dg

'Woke up this morning got yourself a gun'

Possibly the greatest TV show of all time has the perfect intro courtesy of The Alabama 3 and Tony's journey from NYC to NJ.

http://youtu.be/jFz8TO8fWeE

How The Sopranos was sold to the UK

GREAT INTROS: #3 THE UNTOUCHABLES

2012-01-20T12:00:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/AOPBSoVPKaQ

The Untouchables

One of Ennio Morricone's under rated themes, the intro to the Untouchables is effective and lean and leads into the beautifully composed overhead shot opening sequence with Al Capone setting the tone;effective and compact

GREAT INTROS:#2 MOMENTO

2012-01-20T08:04:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/1DxPH8vG-Jo

Momento

Perfectly capturing the essence of what is to come/gone before in Christopher Nolan’s breakthrough masterpiece

1000 NOT OUT!

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000Z

TODAY'S EARLIER POST WAS NUMBER 1000.

Thank you to everyone who has read, supported, commented (good or bad) and generally put up with my opinions.
This makes writing wellyousaythat worthwhile.
A special thanks to WEAVERMAN & CERPTS who have been somewhat inspirational; if you haven't checked their sites out I highly recommend you do. Links over there on the right.

Here's to the next 1000

Click to play all audio posts

MY HIT LIST: BEN PEPPER

2012-01-19T08:30:00.000Z

So anyway, thereI was up West in one of those ‘outdoor’ shops; you know, where they sell Skiboards, Ski Jackets, hats, rucksacks, Thermals, gloves, bikes and all sundryfor the outdoor type when I saw the Wheelie bag, the Wheelie bag designed by the one and only Ben Pepper. Isay “only” as he is the only Ben pepper I know and I say “one” because he isone hell of a talent.

Ben is also alovely fellah; even if he is Northern, a fellah I first met on a Stag weekendon two barges. I won’t go into detail but let’s just say the ale did flow muchlike the Norfolkwaters we drifted along. Talent and niceness, a bit unfair really isn’t it. ButI digress.

Having met Ben atthe Stag we dined at the wedding in a beautiful Norfolk barn at which time I got to know himbetter. I promptly commissioned him to weave his magic on a pair of adidas StanSmiths (US 13 white/white/white) which I had to get in the NYC adidas originalsstore. The result of Mr Pepper’s craft where superb and those sneakers havebeen worn sparingly, and with great gloating at their uniqueness on my part.

We don’t supportour artists enough in the UK,that’s for sure but creativity thrives, Benny is one of those who deservesacclaim and further acknowledgement in my humble. Oh, and did I mention what agood bloke he is?

Ben is creatively‘bang on it’ and should you wish to explore his creations further there is alink to his Blog over there on the right.

GREAT INTROS: #1 SHALLOW GRAVE

2012-01-18T08:58:00.001Z

http://youtu.be/Hi2qKjg2TVk

Shallow Grave

"Hello I've come about the room"

The movie that kick started a revival and pre dated Trainspotting had a great intro courtesy of Leftfield's driving music, Boyle's urgent camerawork and perfect setup for what was to come.

TWO COLOUR MARVELS

2012-01-17T08:09:00.002Z

Pow! Wham! Fantastic! Terrific! These were the two colour titles that introduced us Brits to the wonders of Marvel comics in the sixties. They carried reprints of Marvel stories, segmented for a weekly readership, often alongside British adventure stories and traditional UK comic material. These comics reworked covers, splash pages and even took some liberties with costumes and such like but they bought us the spirit of sixtuies Marvel.

US v UK

Early issues carried free gifts as a form of enticement, these ranged from tattoos and iron on decals to toy Missile launchers and penants; all of which looked far better in illustrated form than when you actually took them out from the middle pages.

These comics were the catalyst for me to seek out the real full colour glossy originals from

America

and led to a lifelong love of the comic book

Lew Stringer’s excellent blog carries more details

http://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2011/02/45-year-flashback-smash-no1.html

A WHIRLWIND BLOWING THROUGH THE OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST IN THE LATE SEVENTIES

2012-01-16T08:05:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/pK7egZaT3hs

The Arctic Mokeys's homage

The old grey Whistle test. Bastion of pomp and circumstance witnessed some great performance from the new breed during the late seventies. The bands that shook things up appeared on the staid show and livened things up.

http://youtu.be/6nyeSGaBcrA

Dr Feelgood 1975-this was the first time I remember something genuinely exciting on the show, nearly two years before Punk really became seen on TV

Of course some of them were just jumping aboard the band wagon but the rawness of these bands made a refreshing change from the intricate musicianship of the average Old Grey Whistle Test performer up to that point. This was all before it became simply Whistle Test, ditched Bob Harris and started to cater to students and other self proclaimed 'right on ' types.

http://youtu.be/nxHcx7FO8nI

The Specials 1979

http://youtu.be/Hc2ZIQ-xp7o

The Jam 1978

http://youtu.be/-OobhV7tpUo

Siouxsie and the Banshees 1978

http://youtu.be/Bd1sktxonkU

Talking Heads 1978

http://youtu.be/PFkSGbd3okA

The Adverts 1978

http://youtu.be/01ZGgAuL7Qo

The Undertones 1979

http://youtu.be/06Ur4c-YGjU

Buzzcocks 1978

http://youtu.be/WEJH6clqfUI

The Police 1978

http://youtu.be/u-PKWeAMQBI

Ramones 1978

http://youtu.be/-anvnBMG01Q

Public Image Limited 1980

MY HIT LIST: BUZZCOCKS-ANOTHER MUSIC IN A DIFFERENT KITCHEN

2012-01-15T08:15:00.001Z

http://youtu.be/_UPWJwEYXIo
sixteen

When academics discuss the Punk era that began in earnest in 1976 in the UK The Sex Pistols followed by the Clash are the generally the main topic; and rightly so. The Damned always get a mention as New Rose was officially the first 'Punk' single released, beating the incredible Anarchy in the UK to the punch. However, one band that often get overlooked are The Buzzcocks. They were the masters of the punk pop song and had a number of hits with single releases punchy and ironic; many a British band since, from Blur and Pulp to the new skinny jean boys owe a debt to the Buzzcocks.

Their debut album, released in 1978, Another music in a different Kitchen, is a tremendous piece of work and stands alongside it's contemporaries majestically.
The Buzzcocks are still playing and due perhaps to their status as a pop band at heart they don't seem anachronistic. They still remain what they always were after Howard Devoto moved on; a great British band. This first album is a great mix of their pop sensibility, humour and intelligent song writing. Listen.

http://youtu.be/DW4YtX0Ylp8

Fast cars

Buzzcocks as popstars

http://youtu.be/HbQSFWAEc8k

moving away from the pulsebeat

http://youtu.be/PQMpyepxwKU
I don't mind

http://youtu.be/tf_KFRCqork
Autonomy

Malcolm Garrett's packaging for the album, available during the initial release. The band, like the Sex pistols, married their music with a graphic identity perfectly.

http://youtu.be/EzJeovAiDKs
what do i get

MY HIT LIST: MADELINE KAHN

2012-01-14T08:05:00.000Z

Young Frankenstein

http://youtu.be/Pwj0Ir3sYSI

The Divine Madeline Kahn; superb comedic actress. She was possibly the funniest movie actress ever, she was mostly known for her roles in Mel Brooks' movies, in which she was a regular scene stealer. She was funny but sexy too; a killer combination. She was a good actress as well as being funny, as her Oscar nominations for a best supporting actress in Paper Moon and Blazing Saddles proved. She died in 1999 at 57 from Cancer and remains an irreplaceable comedic presence. Just watch her and enjoy her timing and chutzpah.

Blazing Saddles

http://youtu.be/RQoNCmpDWeo

http://youtu.be/zbWSEAh-SIQ

History of The world part 1

http://youtu.be/gRgiw_YEo_U

Clue

http://youtu.be/z8d8y4BLWtI

The Cheap Detective

http://youtu.be/4pqpBEne-_0

What's up Doc?

http://youtu.be/LW8e7L3BsZo

Paper Moon

http://youtu.be/M8Pa3iBMUYg

High Anxiety

http://youtu.be/6iZAMjs5hZY

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' smarter brother

http://youtu.be/VZbsWW8yjSM

MUSIC VIDEOS LAST STAND

2012-01-13T08:02:00.000Z

Music Videos are insipid nonsense these days with little idea and formatted to the nth degree. They weren’t always though. Perhaps the last great era of music video’s is linked to the last lot of popular musicians trying to be innovative (like their music or not) Here are some examples

http://youtu.be/k-EOp8UPrZc

Warriors Dance-Prodigy

http://youtu.be/XnSuuNg0WB4

My Favourite Game-Cardigans

http://youtu.be/vozNQX6Ye1A

All Mine-Portishead

http://youtu.be/tWDAtMPoBHA

Come to daddy-Aphex Twin

http://youtu.be/qiHefsYBnnE

Where’s your head at-Basement Jaxx

MY HIT LIST: GOOD LUCK-BASEMENT JAXX

2012-01-12T08:52:00.000Z

GOOD LUCK-BASEMENT JAXX

http://youtu.be/7-30JMhvmuY

Released in 2004 this is a sensational single and far from the genre associated with the band. It's rather overlooked, it has a killer vocal and is a dynamic empowerment song. Enjoy

Tell me tell me is life just a playground
Think you're the real deal honey
And someone'll always look after you

But wake up baby
You're so totally deluded
You'll end up old and lonely
If you don't get a bullet in your head

Good luck good luck
Good luck in your new bed
Enjoy your nightmares honey
When your're resting your head

You sold me sold me
Sold me down the river now
Hope you're feeling happy now
Now you'll always have a sneer in your smile

But wake up baby
You're so totally deluded
You'll end up old and lonely
If you don't get a bullet in your head

Good luck good luck
Good luck in your new bed
Enjoy your nightmares honey
When you're resting your head

And I'm glad so glad that I'm done with you
No more crying crying leaving me so black and blue
You backed me up against the wall but I stand tall
Don't give a damn no more

Oh baby bye bye
No more lies
No more lies
No more lies
Without you

Good good luck
In your new bed
Enjoy your nightmares when your resting your head
Good good luck
In your new bed
Enjoy your nightmares

Good luck good luck
Good luck in your new bed
Enjoy your nightmares honey
When you're resting your head

Ratcliffe/Buxton

GREAT THR33S-KATE BUSH

2012-01-11T08:03:00.001Z

Three big sounds from the mighty Kate Bush.

http://youtu.be/pevv1mTu3qM

Hounds of love-Original

http://youtu.be/4gkakqHez1g

Hounds of love-Alternative version

http://youtu.be/ZqeX_Jm-LCE

Sat in your lap

http://youtu.be/Pf-gh0xNvEc

Heads were dancing

MY HIT LIST: LEE MILLER

2012-01-10T08:42:00.001Z

Lee Miller in Hitler's Bath by David Shermer

http://youtu.be/s0nsA65T73Q

“Lee Miller went through life as a serial dazzler, adopting and shedding…guises a chameleon might envy.”—Janet Maslin, New York Times

http://youtu.be/8kBA81VL7wM

Lee Miller, Model, muse to Man Ray, friend of Picasso, gifted photo journalist, war correspondent and photographer in her own right. Miller's life was like a movie and her photographs are diverse in their subject matter; stars and glamour alongside war and horror. She shot Picasso and Chaplin but also the liberation of Concentration camps and the london Blitz.

“Other people tend to value you the way you value yourself”-Lee Miller

Miller in Normandy 1944

Lee Miller by Man Ray

April 23, 1907 – July 21, 1977

CURIOSITY CORNER: QUEEN KONG

2012-01-09T08:03:00.000Z

SCHLOCK AND AWE

http://youtu.be/hdZvlzMLsmI

A British comedy starring Robin Asquith, Rula Lenska and the great Valerie Leon Queen Kong is unbelievably bad yet incredibly good in it's awfulness. Seeing is believing; from dodgy effects, inane dialogue and cringing innuendo, this movie ticks every Schlock box. Denied a major release due to De Lauerentis taking umbrage, it became something of a cult in Europe and Japan (where is was dubbed with new dialogue a la What's up Tiger Lilly). The European releases gave birth to some superbly hilarious posters. The script is undeniably awful with sexism, racism and stupidity evenly spread. The theme song sees nothing wrong with rhyming 'Rape' with 'ape' and some of the in jokes are excruciating...yet it's a thoroughly enjoyable piece of chaotic movie making; once seen, never forgotten.

http://youtu.be/AlHxg2UzCag

Movie stills Courtesy:

http://monstermoviemusic.blogspot.com/2009/10/queen-kong-cine-art-produzione-uk-1976.html

MY HIT LIST: VALERIE LEON

2012-01-08T08:16:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/6d8vReyujlc

This Amazonian beauty was a star of Carry on and Hammer, Bond girl, Hai Karate femme fatale, Pink Panther dominatrix appearances in The Saint, The Avengers, The Persuaders, The Goodies and many other roles,

Valerie Leon; a great British bird.

http://youtu.be/JPYzKnOox5w

Selected Films

Smashing Time

Carry on…Up the Khyber

Carry on Camping

The Italian Job

Carry on again Doctor

http://youtu.be/J4MvLtIPjTE

Carry on up the Jungle

The man who had power over women

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer

http://youtu.be/7RWKzo9Cce0

Blood from the Mummy’s tomb

http://youtu.be/3CSPQzc9kkc

Carry on Matron

No sex please we’re British

Carry on Girls

Queen Kong

http://youtu.be/AlHxg2UzCag

The Spy who loved me

The Wild Geese

Revenge of The pink Panther

http://youtu.be/Zb1HBLMMIzk

Never say never again

JEANS

2012-01-07T08:21:00.000Z

Once upon a time there was a whole host of Jeans available to the discerning public and the adverts that were used to promote these wares made a product that lookes samey even more so, as most of the adverts looked the same.

There were Pegs, stone washed, acid washed, boot cut, slim fit and all manner of variations on the same thing, there were also brands like Ball, Pepe, Gloria Vanderbilt and Tesco bombers.

And the place where one could purchase cheap and not so cheerful jeans was...

MORE UNUSUAL COUPLES

2012-01-06T08:05:00.000Z

It's funny the people that get together through fame. It's often connected of course but sometimes random pairings occur and it makes one think of what would happen if a collaboration took place. For example...

Dali & Disney

Fantasia

Chaplin & Einstein

Clever & Cleverer

Bowie & Taylor

Dogs Diamonds

Salvador & Raquel

Big clocks

Warhol & Hitchcock

The 39 tins of soup

Jackson & Hill

Ben the fastest Milkman in the West

Colonel Sanders & Alice Cooper

Blood Lickin' Good

Bardot & Piccasso

The Bue Kitten

Kitt & Dean

Catwoman without a Cause

Brando & Chaplin

On The Goldrush

Hefner & Day

Playmaid of the month

Maradonna & Castro

The cigar of god

Woody & Michael

Billie Danny Rose

Robot & Addams

Tall dark and rusty

...and more recently

Brooker & Aisleyne

Charlie's no Angel

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

2012-01-05T08:59:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/ljbBayiWglg

thunderous titles

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo cements David Fincher's place as one of the best modern mainstream directors. Following on from

Se7en

The Game

Fight Club

Panic Room

Zodiac

The curious case of Benjamin Button

and The Social Network

(Alien3 was not his own end product so we'll take it in that context)

It's just very good. Don't worry about analogies with the book or Swedish language movie just watch it as is. Rooney Mara is spot on as the girl and Craig brings a dishevelled charm to proceedings. All the cast are excellent and create an atmosphere that reels you into the world in which it is set.

It's bleak, thrilling,intense, interesting and as good a mainstream piece of cinema you are going to see; from a director at the top of his game.

http://youtu.be/WVLvMg62RPA

original trailer

“There is no Garbo, There is no Dietrich there is only Louise Brooks”

2012-01-04T07:58:00.006Z

“Most beautiful dumb girls think they are smart and get away with it, because other people, on the whole, aren`t much smarter”- Louise Brooks

“The great art of films does not consist in descriptive movement of face and body, but in the movements of thought and soul transmitted in a kind of intense isolation.”- Louise Brooks

“I have a gift for enraging people, but if I ever bore you, it`ll be with a knife.”-Louise Brooks

http://youtu.be/AfW6uSydFYU

Louise Brooks, Model, Dancer, Nude Model, Icon, Enigma, Writer and Actress Born November 14, 1906 Died August 8, 1985 she was the most modern looking of all the female silent stars, and perhaps the most under appreciated.

She hated the whole Hollywood scene and eschewing a lucrative contract from Paramount moved to the artistic freedom of Europe. It was here that she made her greatest movies.

Her European work; while critically acclaimed in later years, was considered controversial and as a result was censored in America.

She made Pandora’s Box and Diary of a lost Girl with GW Pabst and Prix da Beaute directed by Gennina.

She was unofficially blacklisted when she returned to The USA and, partly due to disillusionment, turned down a part in The Public Enemy; the part of Cagney’s girlfriend went to a young Jean Harlow.

She had been a serious drinker who used ‘salty’ language and was an extravagant spender of money; being generous to a fault.

She stopped making films in 1938 and turned her attention to a number of enterprises; running a dance studio, radio acting, Gossip columnist and a ‘courtesan’ she eventually found a talent for writing about films.

She kept the public guessing as to her sexuality, this along with her iconic image added to her reputation as the most sophisticated and glamorous actresses of the silent era.

http://youtu.be/bk7hLN44-uM

"(In preparation for Cabaret) I went to my father, and asked him, what can you tell me about thirties glamour? Should I be emulating Marlene Dietrich or something? And he said no, I should study everything I can about Louise Brooks."-Liza Minnelli

TEAM SPIRIT QUIZ: THE ANSWERS

2012-01-03T08:12:00.010Z

Here are the answers to the

TEAM SPIRIT QUIZ from Boxing Day

THE SEVEN DWARVES

Sneezy

Sleepy

Dopey

Doc

Happy

Bashful

Grumpy

CREW OF THE NOSTROMO (Alien)

Ash

Kane

Ripley

Dallas

Brett

Lambert

Parker

RESERVOIR DOGS

Mr White

Mr Orange

Mr Blonde

Mr Pink

Mr Blue

Mr Brown

Nice Guy Eddie

BERNARD RYDER’S GANG (The taking of Pelham 123)

Mr Blue

Mr Green

Mr Grey

Mr Brown

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

Chris Adams

Vin

Chico

Bernardo O’Reilly

Lee

Harry Luck

Britt

THE WARRIORS

Swan

Ajax

Cleon

Snow

Cochise

Cowboy

Fox

Rembrandt

Vermin

THE GOONIES

Michael Walsh

Clark Deverauex

Richard Wang

Lawrence Cohen

Brandon Walsh

Andrea Carmichael

Stephanie Steinbrenner

THE UNTOUCHABLES

Jim

George

Elliot

Oscar

OCEAN’S ELEVEN

Sam

Josh

Jimmy

Tony

Mushy

Roger

Vince

Danny

Curly

Peter

Louis

DIRTY DOZEN

Franko

Vladek

Jefferson

Pinkley

Gilpin

Posey

Maggott

Wladislaw

Sawyer

Lever

Bravos

Jiminez

COLONIAL MARINES (Aliens)

Jenette

Dwayne

William

Mark

Cynthia

Tip

Trevor

Collette

Daniel

Ricco

DARK STAR (Crew)

Dolittle

Pinback

Boiler

Talby

Powell

OUTPOST 31 TEAM (The Thing)

MacReady

Blair

Childs

Garry

Clark

Palmer

Norris

Fuchs

Nauls

Copper

Windows

Bennings

THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Roger

Dean

Michael

Todd

Fred

NEO NOIR FEMME FATALES

2012-01-02T08:05:00.002Z

http://youtu.be/hUwODsSlMc0

The Ultimate Neo Noir Femme Fatale- Bridget

From the Silent era's damsell in distress through to the Hitchcock blonde, Movie lovers have found appealing symbols of female pulcritude. Perhaps the genre where the sex symbol has been most prevelant in terms of real sexuality has been in film Noir; Barbra Stanwyck,Veronica Lake, Lizbeth Scott and perhaps the ultimate Noir Femme fatale Gloria Graham. So it's fitting that this film archetype was rejuvenated in what has come to be known as Neo-Noir. These women once again used their sexuality to manipulate and to avoid being victimised. Most of all in reinventing all the appealing aspects of the Noir woman the movies have ensured that new sex symbols have followed the likes of Hayworth Monroe and Welch.

CORKY

RITA

BLANCHE

PEARL

CHARLENE

NATALIE

KAY

LYNN

MYRA

RENEE

ALICE

GOLDIE

WENDY

JOYCE

GRACE

SUZANNE

LAURA

Films: The Last Seduction. Bound. Mulholland Drive. Drive. Payback. Heat. Memento. The Black Dahlia. LA Confidential. The Grifters. Lost Highway. Lost Highway. Sin city. Sin city. Killer Inside me. U Turn. Red Rock West. The curse of the Jade Scorpion. Bound.

VIOLET

http://youtu.be/gzAtuprN3tg

Bound

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

2011-12-31T23:59:00.022Z

http://youtu.be/f720MNvOeVc

Looks like we are in for a dramatic year!

http://youtu.be/o7CC0kbGj6s

http://youtu.be/fdwH5kMDtMY

http://youtu.be/DvMtP8Tu1zM

http://youtu.be/cyCCd8MCcZY

http://youtu.be/qrSfAz8aljw

2011: WELLILIKEDTHAT

2011-12-31T07:42:00.037Z

THE GOOD

THE BAD

OK, List time; In a year when we will remember the terrible stuff that went on in the Summer, I'm looking at the good stuff. I’m not giving a critique on what’s best I’m simply giving you, dear reader, my favourites in each category.

FAVOURITE FILM

The Skin I live in

http://youtu.be/wtwd2k5WWmc

Runner up: I saw the Devil

FAVOURITE TV SHOW

Mad Men-Season 4

http://youtu.be/HTHtI76bIAw

Runner up: Top Boy

FAVOURITE ALBUM

Foo Fighters -Wasting Light

http://youtu.be/kbpqZT_56Ns

Runnner up: Norman Jay MBE presents -Good Times30^th Anniversary Edition

FAVOURITE SINGLE

Ian Brown-Stellify

http://youtu.be/Wxd4N06es2A

Adele-He won’t go

MAN OF THE YEAR

Tariq Jahan

http://youtu.be/UZ1VjUSKevc

Runner up: Richard Whitman-Mad Men

WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Beyonce Knowles

http://youtu.be/Y5ON515_fLQ

Runner up: Lady Sybil-Downton Abbey

BOOK OF THE YEAR

I Partridge: We need to talk about Alan-Alan Partridge
http://youtu.be/tbqi67G77Hg

Runner up:The Good The Bad & The Multiplex-Mark Kermode

COMIC BOOK OF THE YEAR

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Cenrury1969-Alan Moore /Kevin O'Neill
http://youtu.be/qh2FQPcNQ8I

Runner up: Nemesis-Mark Millar/Steve McNiven

SPORTING HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Arsenal 2-Barcelona 1
http://youtu.be/Dx-vO84DoAI

Runner up: Chelsea 3 Arsenal 5

PUB OF THE YEAR

The Junction Tavern Fortess Road NW5

Runner up: The Angelic Angel N1

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

500 Cinquecento Holloway Road N19

Runner up: Chelsea Arts Club Restaurant Old Church street SW3

BLOGGER/S OF THE YEAR

Weaverman
http://www.fleapit-movieexpress.blogspot.com/
&
Cerpts
http://landofcerptsandhoney.blogspot.com/

Runner Up: Gilligan @ Retrospace

TEAM SPIRIT QUIZ

2011-12-26T08:42:00.015Z

Let's have a bit of team spirit. In the movies gangs, teams. groups of kindred spirits and those flung together make for great drama. With this in mind my annual quiz focuses on those 'teams' of characters that get you rooting for them, have you infuriated by them and generally entertain . It's just a bit of fun at this festive time and i will print the answers at a later date. You can take part either by commenting or by emailing arsenalism@hotmail.co.uk Okay, first some easy ones;

Can you name these characters…

THE SEVEN DWARVES

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

THE CREW OF THE NOSTROMO

RESERVOIR DOGS

AND WHO ARE…

Mr Blue
Mr Green
Mr Grey
Mr Brown

Swan
Ajax
Cleon
Snow
Cochise
Cowboy
Fox
Rembrandt
Vermin

Michael Walsh
Clark Deverauex
Richard Wang
Lawrence Cohen
Brandon Walsh
Andrea Carmichael
Stephanie Steinbrenner

Jim
George
Elliot
Oscar

Sam
Josh
Jimmy
Tony
Mushy
Roger
Vince
Danny
Curly
Peter
Louis

Franko
Vladek
Jefferson
Pinkley
Gilpin
Posey
Maggott
Wladislaw
Sawyer
Lever
Bravos
Jiminez

Jenette
Dwayne
Al
William
Mark
Cynthia
Tip
Trevor
Collette
Daniel
Ricco

Dolittle
Pinback
Boiler
Talby
Powel

MacReady
Blair
Childs
Garry
Clark
Palmer
Norris
Fuchs
Nauls
Copper
Windows
Bennings

Roger
Dean
Michael
Todd
Fred

CRAZY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-25T09:38:00.000Z

TEN CRAZY CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

Ho Ho Ho

1. Santa Claus conquers the Martians

http://youtu.be/HnEJrwYXXsI

2. Star Wars Holiday Special

http://youtu.be/35m33Bml8us

3.Santa Claus & Merlin V The Devil

http://youtu.be/4ofCCLA6S14

4. Santa's Slay

http://youtu.be/camndOJGmSM

5. Rare Exports

http://youtu.be/2pH9IyqTk1E

6. Silent night Zombie Night

http://youtu.be/V3o30FcuXbs

7. Santa Claus v The Zombies

http://youtu.be/1BqV0t0dv1A

8. Santa Claus and The Ice cream Bunny

http://youtu.be/A9EC11RpOQA

9. Santa Baby 2

http://youtu.be/_5o5TJsAigs

10. Santa with Muscles

http://youtu.be/4XiAYebVwQw

Merry X Mas

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

2011-12-24T21:34:00.000Z

TITTY SHAKER SOUNDS

2011-12-23T08:59:00.000Z

Don't know what to call this music; Jazz sleaze, Rockabilly soul, titty shaker, punk Blues?

What I do know is that it is invigorating, raw and vibrant. It smells of tattoos, sleazy bars, Bikes, Burlesque, Vegas,cheap cigarettes, Bettie Page movies and hard liqueur.

Here's some fine examples

http://youtu.be/N2w1pIMlyl4

Andre Wiliams-Stroke

http://youtu.be/EXJ07w3i6L0

Andre Williams-The Monkey Speaks his mind

http://youtu.be/5gUcE75KrcY

The Instrumentals –are you nervous

http://youtu.be/kUkMXSxHN8c

Bearcat-Cecil Garnett & The Fascinations

http://youtu.be/jDqtmAexTb8

Beaver Shot-The Periscopes

http://youtu.be/yYYuMoAW4Tg

Wolf Call- Earl Washington

http://youtu.be/Jp9SRCpz8AA

Comanche-The Revels

http://youtu.be/pQLxWoKdtRkThe

Gee Cees-Buzzsaw Twist

ROXY MUSIC ALBUM COVERS

2011-12-22T08:10:00.001Z

ROXY MUSIC, That most stylish of bands had the

Vogue ethic with their album covers.

Sumptuous,stylish, glamorous and quirky; like their music

TOP OF THE XMAS POPS

2011-12-21T08:37:00.000Z

The great era’s of Christmas songs roughly breaks down to three periods; The Golden age of the Hollywood Musical which produced White Christmas and have yourself a merry little Christmas to name but two. The Motown Phil Spector era which gave us songs such as Frosty The Snowman and Santa Claus is coming to town.

For me the third great era was the era of the seventies when some rather serious pop stars of the day gave us some Xmas Tunes.

Elton John Step into Christmas

http://youtu.be/tSJMSnj6UUM

Wizzard I wish it could be Christmas everyday

http://youtu.be/dgELkMHdfJw

John Lennon/Yoko Ono Happy Christmas war is over

Slade Here it is Merry Christmas

Greg lake I believe in Father Christmas

Paul McCartney wonderful Christmas time

http://youtu.be/j1k4nhz1Nys

Renta Santa-Excrutiating

But it was also the age of the novelty record which reaped hits for Rolf Harris, Clive Dunn and Benny Hill; who topped the Christmas charts in consecutive years and we also had Christmas efforts from The Goodies, The Wombles, Mud, Showaddywaddy, The Smurfs, Boney M, Judge Dread and Chris Hill all of varying degrees of awfulness yet charming in their own ways.

http://youtu.be/V1BEwTDT8Pg

One of the very worst

In a way those days of the seventies, when Christmas Top of The Pops was very much a Christmas day family occasion, gave us songs that really capture the Christmas feeling; all of the songs, the good the bad and the ugly.

http://youtu.be/fP1QEBsCi3o

oh dear

CRINGE CORNER: SITCOM MOVIES

2011-12-21T08:07:00.002Z

http://youtu.be/xGS-Wvs6gb0

http://youtu.be/FUTUARfmOj8

The 1970s were the golden age of British Sitcoms, but they were also the golden age of terrible British Sitcoms. Bog standard sitcoms such as Please sir, George & Mildred and on The Buses in their movie form are exercises in excruciatingly bad broad humour. Even the quality programmes such as Porridge, Dad’s Army, Steptoe & Son and Rising Damp were similarly awful in feature length form. Here's some of the Movie posters used to lure TV fans into Cinemas in the 1970s.

http://youtu.be/xxzZhKIly1g

FUNNY HOW?

2011-12-20T08:49:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/2OhdD5n405I

Humour is probably the hardest thing to define, in as much as what makes one person laugh and not another The American Film Institute polled it's members and this was the top twenty funniest films as voted for by the great and the good of the Institute

THE AFI TOP TWENTY FUNNY MOVIES

Some Like it Hot

Tootsie

Dr Strangelove: or how I learnt to stop worrying and love the bomb

Annie Hall

Duck Soup

Blazing Saddles

M*A*S*H

It happened one night

The Graduate

Airplane!

The Producers

A Night at The Opera

Young Frankenstein

Bringing up baby

The Philadelphia story

Singin’ in the rain

The Odd Couple

The General

His Girl Friday

The Apartment

Pretty good. With this in mind I tried to formulate my own list and see how it would compare. There will never be any two lisats of funny movies that will match. Thrillers westerns and other genres are easier to quantuify, but funny, well that's all down to what tickles your funny bone.

These tickle mine. For today anyway; i find humour in the strangest of times (I found Blue Velvet and American Psycho very funny)

http://youtu.be/qWS2NVX6VP0

MY TOP TWENTY FUNNY MOVIES

Some Like it Hot

Young Frankenstein http://youtu.be/gBx8JNarOlg

The Nutty Professor (1963)

Love & Death

The Producers http://youtu.be/UYyc1Ib9LuI

Airplane!

There’s something about Mary

The Life of Brian

This is Spinal Tap http://youtu.be/XuzpsO4ErOQ
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Animal House

Bananas http://youtu.be/I4zP7247W7o

Sons of The Desert

Borat: Cultural learnings of America for make benefit glorious nation of Kazakhstan

The Heartbreak kid (1972) http://youtu.be/9BULK45xWgk

Ferris Bueller’s day off

The Apartment

The Odd Couple

Tootsie http://youtu.be/xLCUknHBvC0

Four Lions

http://youtu.be/ZAGO_l_YTbk

PETE V LIFE

2011-12-19T08:25:00.002Z

http://youtu.be/8sojIABAEiQ

Pete V Life stars Rafe Spall and is a cut above the new comedy vehicles that proliferate on Channel 4 and BBC 3 at the moment. It has a gimmick, much in the way that Peep Show did with its POV style. Pete V Life is filmed in such a way as to give it the feel of a SKY TV sports broadcast; this gimmick is okay but not really needed as the show stands on it’s own merits; the writing and in particular Rafe Spall’s performance as Pete which is excellent.

http://youtu.be/VkvsR1nfnEQ

Spall plays a sports journalist who has trials and tribulations cantered around getting work and getting girls (and trying to keep them). It’s a funny show and is well written with a good supporting cast; his mother and father are particularly well played. Pete is the stereotypical slacker whose best efforts at achievement are compromised by his unwillingness to be either honest or conscientious. Spall has appeared in a number of dramatic roles and is shown here to be equally adept at comedy.

It's a good comedy show and unlike a lot of the other comedic uotput doing the TV rounds, you don't need to be a teenager with skinny jeans and Hi tops to appreciate or enjoy it.

http://youtu.be/T1wu8sAKtPs

HOMAGE TIME-High Anxiety

2011-12-18T08:32:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/mT8XumoYomE

High Anxiety is a love letter to Hitchcock and references many of the Master of suspense’s classics including Spellbound, Vertigo, Psycho, North by North West, The Ring, The Birds, the man who knew too much, Torn curtain, The thirty nine steps, the Lodger and others.

Psycho

Vertigo

Spellbound

The Lodger

The Birds

The Ring

The 39 Steps

Ultimate homage

HOMAGE TIME-The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

2011-12-17T08:57:00.001Z

Woody and Charlize do Bogart and Bacall in Allen's 2001 movie The Curse of the Jade Scorpion. Their interplay and smart dialogue are lovingly rendered in homage to the great exchanges between Bogie and Miss Bacall in their heyday and is one of his most enjoyable films of the last decade.

http://youtu.be/J8vMgXHKn-k

Curse of the Jade Scorpion

http://youtu.be/yB4ftbIPRqM

To Have and Have not

HOMAGE TIME- ALLEN DOES ANTONIONI

2011-12-16T08:19:00.002Z

http://youtu.be/U2p_3G_WuoY

In Everything you always wanted to know about sex but were afraid to ask Woody Allen directs a segmant that beautifully homages Antonioni. It stars Allen and Louise Lasser as lovers with issues and their efforts to solve them, this is done alongside some great pieces of Italian new wave imagery. It's spoken in Italian, filmed exactly how an Antonioni movie would be and is a perfectly realised piece of cinema; funny too.

There is a similar piece in Play it again Sam where Allen also references Italian Cinema

http://youtu.be/XCSvfn0OEzc

EVERYONES A CRITIC

2011-12-15T08:19:00.003Z

http://youtu.be/qwicLgOGJOI

Patrick Bateman’s review of Huey Lewis & The News’ album Fore!

Bateman: You like Huey Lewis and the news?

Paul Allen: They're OK.

Bateman: Their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes, but when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to elvis Costello but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humour.

Paul Allen: Hey Halberstram.

Bateman: Yes, Allen?

Paul Allen: Why are there copies of the Style section all over the place, d-do you have a dog? A little chow or something?

Bateman: No, Allen.

Paul Allen: Is that a rain coat?

Bateman: Yes it is! In '87, Huey released this, Fore! their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is ‘Hip to be square’, a song so catchy, most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it's also a personal statement about the band itself. Hey Paul!

Bateman: TRY GETTING A RESERVATION AT DORSIA NOW YOU FUCKING STUPID BASTARD! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!

WEIRD KIDS

2011-12-14T08:01:00.001Z

1.The Magic Roundabout

http://youtu.be/2zCGjSoZzkY

And they wonder about weird kids. What could possibly have made them that way?

When I think about growing up I was surrounded by strangeness.

Most of the TV shows that I watched were downright strange; some intentionally and some quite innocently, but the weirdness seemed to be all around. Children's TV was a minefield of drug reference, horror, surrealism, child abduction, alien invasion, scarey dwarves and mad proffessors. Here's ten that kept me scratching my head.

2. H R Pufnstuf

http://youtu.be/cshdzAtBW4M

3.The Clangers

4. The singing ringing Tree

http://youtu.be/N-CIovBE9iE

5. Doomwatch

6. the Tomorrow people

http://youtu.be/xez4o1ujOPI

7.The Invaders

http://youtu.be/Oqs_0SBbPD0

8.Captain Scarlet

http://youtu.be/bV8YbLvGrb0

9. Pipkins

http://youtu.be/hMdBh09zP8U

10. Vision on

http://youtu.be/F2jnkQ-NL80

MY HIT LIST: A SONG FOR YOU -CHER

2011-12-13T08:55:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/HIY0SyyLJ_U

Cher - a song for you

Having previously written a post about Donny Hathaway's superlative A Song for you, I stumbled upon Cher's version, which I have to say is really rather good, so here it is.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PM

2011-12-12T09:12:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/M_blOQEu9ws

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
WW

XXX

TOUCH OF EVIL FROM NYTIMES

2011-12-11T18:03:00.000Z

A superb collection of Hollywood stars giving their take on Movie Villainy. as featured in The New York Times these short videos and the photos relating to them are splendid interpretations

of bad doings in Cinema; Please enjoy responsibly

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/12/06/magazine/13villains.html

“Likability may be the currency of movie stardom, but most actors agree that the juiciest, most memorable roles often belong to the villains. The 13 performers featured in this year’s portfolio have distinguished themselves in 2011 by playing nice, noble, tragic and heroically patient characters — as well as many who defy easy description — but as a rule they have not impersonated monsters, killers, thugs or other figures of malevolence. So the magazine offered them the chance to try on the black hat.

Some of these villains are inspired by specific icons of unpleasantness. Others tap more generally into the primal fears that remain a potent source of pleasure and discomfort at the movies. Cruelty. Seduction. Rage. The ability of these actors to disturb us with a gesture, a change of expression or a simple stare only serves to make us like them more.”

MY HIT LIST -YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

2011-12-11T08:38:00.024Z

Possibly the funniest movie ever, great acting great production & direction and great lines

http://youtu.be/sA1XRLEKmlg

stay close to the candles

http://youtu.be/2FPdNpslw-w

Sed-a-give?!

http://youtu.be/dQ_pKqiB5Rg

Abi Normal

http://youtu.be/AZybFl_pfMk

Give me a hand with the bags

http://youtu.be/AS1HIThPcz8

the things he'd say to me

http://youtu.be/9AFf0ysgNiM

could be worse

http://youtu.be/mC-mO-WtVJo

quiet dignity and grace

http://youtu.be/khmL3lgb_KQ

get me out of here

http://youtu.be/sO3qJGKs9gw

put the candle back

http://youtu.be/fhz6i6JGzIU

I was gonna make esspresso

Just some of the superb lines from the movie, a movie where the outtakes are funnier than most other comedies.

http://youtu.be/Qn3mIu7-GZs

out takes

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

2011-12-10T08:57:00.010Z

http://youtu.be/QAR8cq5Bl94

Marshall Jefferson-Move your body 1986

This song was a landmark in the sense that it was the beginning of the end of the club scene as I knew it. It signalled the change in taste and the increase in BPM (beats per minute) that led to the new club scene. The style and tempo was to change to a scene where uptempo was king; with the attendant drug culture that came with it. The idea of the club scene as my friends and I had known it was to change and change forever. It led to the rave scene and the bang bang bang of modern 'dance' music.

Marshall Jefferson's record on Trax was not the first House record but was the first hit of the new genre.

Where it all began

When house music started in Chicago in the mid eighties it was an underground scene that was to expand and influence makers of black music. British DJ's took to house music straight away and it fed into the hedonistic lifestyle that was building.

We played it when it first came out as it was new and different and we were able to combine it with our usual repertoire. Then House music was everywhere with this song as the house anthem.

Every thing that followed on the Club circuit was about relentless beat and repitition.

When we first heard House music we naively thought it would never take off; but it not only took off, it took over.

CURIOSITY CORNER-TELEPHONE HEADPHONES

2011-12-09T08:22:00.007Z

Used in DJ booths many years ago these headphones were terrible; you couldn't hear the record you were trying to cue up. But they were supposedly stylish.

Very poor

FIGHT!

2011-12-08T07:54:00.026Z

Most comic books feature fighting; punch ups, blistering set to's, square offs and the like, but what about fighting with rules? You know; Boxing

MY HIT LIST-F*CKIN IN THE BUSHES: OASIS

2011-12-07T08:12:00.000Z

I was never a fan of Oasis, I basically missed that particular boat so have little knowledge of their output. This song, however is a superb slice of Rock 'n' Roll. It features samples from Murray Lerner's Documentary Message To Love, which is about The Isle of Wight Festival of 1970 and has contrasting views expressed by organisers and residents. The festival itself features stars such as Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Free, The Doors, Miles Davis, Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell. F*ckin' in the bushes is a worthy tribute to that event.

http://youtu.be/Ky3XrPTkl94

Snatch Version

We put this festival on you bastards
With a lotta love
We worked for one year for you pigs
And you wanna break our walls down
And you wanna destroy us
Well you go to hell

http://youtu.be/Zx0tN8igVfg

Original material

http://youtu.be/aOUqRZkR8dE

From The Festival-The Who

http://youtu.be/w_zlTNcmjWc

From The Festival-The Doors

http://youtu.be/dVxmOobc1m8

From The Festival-Jimi Hendrix

MY HIT LIST: WASTELAND-THE JAM

2011-12-06T08:17:00.000Z

http://youtu.be/qTDMbqTot6g
Wasteland

Great Band Great Song.

WASTELAND
Meet me on the wastelands - later this day,
We'll sit and talk and hold hands maybe,
For there's not much else to do in this drab and colourless place.
We'll sit amongst the rubber tyres,
Amongst the discarded bric-a-brac - people have no use for,
Amongst the smouldering embers of yesterday.
And when or if the sun shines,
Lighting our once beautiful features,
We'll smile, but only for seconds,
For to be caught smiling's to acknowledge life,
A brave but useless show of compassion,
And that is forbidden in this drab and colourless world.
Meet me on the wastelands - the ones behind,
The old houses - the ones left standing pre-war -
The ones overshadowed by those monolith monstrosities -
councils call homes
And there amongst the shit - the dirty linen,
The holy Coca-Cola tins - the punctured footballs,
the ragged dolls - the rusting bicycles,
We'll sit and probably hold hands.
And watch the rain fall - watch it, watch it -
Tumble and fall - tumble and falling -
Like our lives - like our lives -
Just like our lives.
We'll talk about the old days,
When the wasteland was release, when we could play,
And think - without feeling guilty -
Meet me later but we'll have to hold hands.
Tumble and fall - tumble and falling -
Like our lives - like our lives -
Exactly like our lives.

©Paul Weller

MOVIE MONSTERS TOP TEN

2011-12-05T08:57:00.002Z

THE CLASSIC MOVIE MONSTER

http://youtu.be/IXvj0WH-FIA

Director John Landis has written a book about Movie Monsters, and let’s face it who doesn’t love a good monster. He puts forward his view on the best of those monsters. Mark Kermode's excellent BBC Blog delves into the theme and with that I mind I had a think about my own top ten. The rules I've set are simple. Must be non human; leaving no place for Leather Face or Norman Bates. Must not be an actual animal; Ruling out Cujo or The Shark in Jaws, can be an alien or mythical or otherwise otherworldly and must be in the movies. So here’s my personal top ten of movie monsters, some frightening, some silly and some just plain fun. Some from great movies, some from awfully great movie. The Bad The mad and the ugly.I have a particular love of the rubber costume, stop frame and non CGI and these choices reflect that. there are also specific films that have a memory for me. Some are obscure and some are well known.

Mad science gone awry, puny humans meddling with things they don’t understand. Radioactive nightmares awoken by nuclear tomfoolery. Ancient artefacts in the wrong hands, Aliens disturbed from slumber, catacomb dwellers and assorted twisted manifestations of a twisted mind make up the world of the movie monster.

Kong is king amongst these monsters; an icon and a victim of unreasoning fear. Gojira; bought to destructive life by the whims of a voracious mankind. The Thing, sent to conquer and the Alien a killing machine in three incarnations.

Then there’s The Judas Bug, created by man and hunter of its very creator as is The Host, bursting to life in an ecological fable.

The Children of Hydra and Q, sorcery and ancient malice their birthright

Ro-Man the robot Monster possibly the most ludicrous of monstrous creations and Pinhead one of the most terrifying.

These are ten of the monsters that have graced our screens and poked at our imaginations.

http://youtu.be/2e7U3hu4A0I

Who are these guys?

TOP TEN

KING KONG(1933)
http://youtu.be/Jz77RxYhtoQ

THE THING (1982)

GODZILLA (1954)
http://youtu.be/9Z40Msk2jys

CHILDREN OF THE HYDRA
http://youtu.be/3NQ2GPoZ_j4

RO-MAN
http://youtu.be/cq9IKsH9BXg

THE ALIEN (1979)

PINHEAD

THE HOST
http://youtu.be/FCsBMwK40hw

THE JUDAS BREED

Q THE WINGED SERPENT

http://youtu.be/9bjsag2vYlQ

MY HIT LIST: SMASHING TIME

2011-12-04T08:27:00.001Z

http://youtu.be/3UrC8mfjI4k

TV SPOT-Switched on Birds!
Smashing Time is a 1967 movie about the pitfalls of swinging London as experienced by two northern girls. Written by George Melly it is far from a hard hitting expose of the London showbiz world; it's a jolly romp.
You have to think that Mike Myers must have watched this umpteen times when formulating his Austin Powers character.
It's a snapshot of the times and I for one find it a great deal of fun.

http://youtu.be/_G47fy7D7zw

Carnaby Street, baby

http://youtu.be/J4dqzk0ruWE

The Swinging and groovy twosome

MY HIT LIST: BLACK HAWK DOWN

2011-12-03T08:15:00.038Z

http://youtu.be/tnV6wM-vd9s

A Blistering War movie from Ridley Scott with a rock solid cast delivering the action in Somalia. Based on true events Scott handles the subtext and action with aplomb. It's almost a western in it's unfolding.

It stars Tom Sizemore, Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, Sam Shephard, Ewen Bremner, Hugh Dancy, Ron Eldred, Ioan Gruffudd, Jason Isaacs, Jeremy Piven, Orlando Bloom and Tom Hardy, also Matthew Marsden late of Coronation Street. In this casting Scott creates an ensemble piece that is stirring and compelling in the way that an old fashioned war movie used to be.

Scott is a director of great talent and this is an overlooked movie from him.

It's undoubtedly a man's movie and it contains not only an underlying theme of courage but of the western powers getting involved in foreign affairs.

It's as gritty as Saving Private Ryan, with a dash of the wild bunch and She wore a Yellow Ribbon, but with the political questioning of Platoon. It has moments of dark humour alongside pointless death and destruction. Perfectly scored and edited with great precision.

Most of all it's a great, men on a mission, action movie.

http://youtu.be/JO_ttMJwmUY

http://youtu.be/Cr4SU0PJN50

KILLER Bs Double Bill

2011-12-02T08:59:00.000Z

THE RELIC (1996)
http://youtu.be/mI4adLmGj1c

Evolutionary Biologist Dr Margo Green

MIMIC (1997)

http://youtu.be/LL-GB11uyTI

Entomologist Susan Tyler

Two great old fashioned style monster B movies released within a year of each other make a perfect double bill. Ancient Monsters and Mad Science, glamorous scientists and tough cops, creatures roaming the streets of iconic American cities all come together to deliver a double bill of dark thrills and spills.

Curiosity Corner-Strange Aftershave

2011-12-01T08:58:00.000Z

Nuts & Bolts Colton Company

Yes these are all bottles of Aftershave from yester year when novelty was all the rage one can only imagine the fragrances contained within!

http://youtu.be/-0sbCauLP9Q

007 aftershave

Avon appears to be the main culprit.

AVON Leather

AVON Owl

AVON Fuse

AVON Volkswagen

American Eagle Wild Country

AVON Traffic Signal

AVON 'CALLING'

AVON Alsation

DUNE BUGGY

AVON HUD

Special mention to MACHO by Faberge taking the art of subtlety to new lows

CURIOSITY CORNER: MANHATTAN TRANSFER-BODIES AND SOULS

2011-11-30T08:48:00.002Z

http://youtu.be/_35cftDuKKk

Spice of life

With songs written by such notables as Rod Temperton, Derek Bramble and Serge Gainsbourg and collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Frankie Vali Bodies and Souls took the nostalgia of Manhattan Transfer and gave it an eighties pop/soul flavour.

it featured the track Spice of life penned by Temperton which is a dead ringer for Michael Jackson's Baby be mine also written by Temperton.

The album takes the vocal stylings of Man Tran and blends them up to un appetising effect. It's a case of an idea turning into a concept turning into a product.

The vocal harmonising trademark of Manhattan Transfer was briefly extinguished by this change in direction, but they soon returned to what they did best; jazzy, doo wop tinged performances.

http://youtu.be/MrWp81bVjlQ

this independance

ZERMMATTITIS: A musician's guide to going downhill fast-Tony Ashton

2011-11-29T17:07:00.000Z

Zermattitis: A musician’s guide to going downhill fast by Tony Ashton

It is available at selected bookshops, on 'amazon.co.uk', and the
publisher's website 'wymerpublishing.co.uk' -

the reference is ISBN:
978-0-9557542-9-6.

http://youtu.be/JiAyQdvNcSc

Tony with Gardener & Dyke

http://youtu.be/GWBpzcHII3E

Tony & Eric

http://youtu.be/mquhA6Sh75Q

Tony with Paice & Lord

http://youtu.be/hB62GJjS-5k

Tony

An unashamed plug for a new book by the musician, artist, raconteur and all round diamond geezer Tony Ashton. He passed on ten years ago but all who met him, and were lucky enough to know him (as i was), have warm memories of him. This book is humerous, interesting and wonderful company; like the man himself. Thouroughly recommended

MY HIT LIST: THAT'S IT MAN-THE VALENTINES

2011-11-29T08:21:00.001Z

http://youtu.be/3Dm57XPUxSk

That’s it man-The Valentines

Remember the sound of music that isn't over produced garbage? Remember when music was raw and fun? Over Fifty years old this B side from the Doo Wop group The Valentines is a sensational and rousing example of vibrant and energetic music. From Sugar Hill in Harlem the quintets output is much sought after by collectors.

This tune is raw raucous and lovely