PUNK THOUGHTS

 

Was the punk scene/movement the last dance of youthful rebellion? given what came after, it may well have been the last movement that had a major influence on youth culture.

In it's wake came post punk, The Madchester scene, rave culture, Two Tone, Rock Against Racism, Girl Power, New Romantics and a "Punk" aesthetic that is used to refer to a number of things in popular culture.

Cynics say it was a manufactured performance art piece, but lets make a distinction. I'm not talking about the artistic pretentions of the Warhol influenced New York scene of Johnny Thunders, Tom Veraline, Patti Smith, Richard Hell, CBGBs and Max's Kansas. I am referring to the UK Scene.

My view is that the essential Punk band was The Sex Pistols, who in turn influenced the loosely connected likes of the Buzzcocks, The Clash, The Adverts, Generation X, Siouxsie And The Banshees, X-Ray Spex and the Damned. Yes, there were many bands that took the Ramones style as their blueprint but these acts were short lived.  If you look at some of the members of the audience present at The Pistols 1976 gigs at Manchester's Lesser Trade Hall you will see a some of the movers and shakers of what was to come.

The Sex Pistols were the light that burned twice as bright but lasted half as long. From their formation in 1975 there are many that say that it was all over by December 1976, despite the Barnstorming God Save The Queen, the Poptastically subversive Pretty Vacant and the generational touchstone of Never Mind The Bollocks being released in 1977.

Certainly with Glen Matlock's departure and the replacement of him by Sid Vicious the writing was on the wall.

What those who weren't around at the time maybe miss out on is the sheer exhilaration, excitement and power of the Sex Pistols in mid Seventies Britain. Being a teenager and hearing the Sex Pistols was inspiring and felt like something unique to us. There were those whose main criticism was that they couldn't play, or that they were yobs and enemies of the state. When you're a teenager those claims are heard with glee. Rock 'n' Roll is meant to be dangerous, teenagers love such thoughts. The look was great as well in those earlier days before the stereotypical Punk uniform and Jamie Reid's Sex Pistols artwork captured the mood perfectly.

The Clash are often given more love and it's easy to see why, but they had time to develop and expand. The Pistols were an explosion.

So many of the things that spoke to young people post '77 were based on the do it yourself idea, the ambition of youth regardless of background. This is the legacy.

The likes of PiL, The Cure, Joy Divsion and XTC have made some of the most interesting music to be produced in the UK and they owe much to Punk. The three minute thrash brigade were never going to have longevity and satellite bands that were 'Punk by association' were able to push careers forward.I won't go into the whole 'sell out' argument, after all music is a business, but there were many bands that didn't go mainstream and stayed as independent entities, Crass for example. The 'sell out' argument has always been used as a lazy way to complain about artists making a living. Most of the bands I mentioned have had pretty long careers and produced the music that they wanted to.

Like a lot of moments in time it's hard to cast an eye if you weren't there, but if you were in the right place at the right time back then it was a glorious time.

MARVELLOUS!

 

"Make Mine Marvel!" that was my comic book motto growing up. In these days of multiple comic book movie blockbusters featuring rampaging CGI and multi strand marketing opportunities I still refer back to the glory days of Marvel Comics where character development, unique art and the birth of defining characters was the motivator for my habit. I still have rose tinted spectacles when it comes to Marvel Comics.

When the films first came out it took me ages to get over the fact that I was finally seeing these characters, that I had grown up with, in the flesh as it were. The casting of these films has, by and large, been great and they have mostly managed to capture some of the original Marvel spirit but clearly a major influence is the Ultimates line that reinvented the Marvel universe for the modern era.

But back to basics. I loved the old Marvel comics, they were a fun but serious they were the Star Trek to DC's Star Wars. So many touchstones from that era that knitted this universe together. The fact that most stories happened in New York and other real cities. The Baxter Building, Yancy Street, Dr Strange's Sanctum Santorum, Avengers Mansion, Daredevil's Hell's Kitchen, The Offices of The Daily Bugle; these places felt real. 

"Avengers Assemble!" , "Flame On!", "By The Hoary Host Of Hoggoth", "It's Clobberin' Time!", "Imperious Rex!", "For Asgard!", "Hulk Smash!", these and many more were the exclamations that punctuated the action and added to each characters personality.

Every hero needs a nemesis and many and varied were the antagonists that kept popping up to try and thwart our heroes. Dr Doom, J.Jonah Jameson, Kang The Conqueror, The Skrulls, Doctor Octopus, Kingpin, Namor, Mephisto, Magneto, Elektra, Electro, Mysterio. These are some of the names amongst the plethora of villains we were introduced to.

Great writing from the likes of Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway and Len Wein was complimented by the outstanding artwork of Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Gene Colan, John Buscema, Herb Trimpe, Marie Severin, Gil Kane, Neal Adams, Barry Smith, Jim Steranko and a host of impressive draftsmen and women.

I guess that ones formative years are defined by the interests we have and one of mine (and still is) was Comics and Marvel comics in particular. They gave me stories of Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Love, Intrigue and much more. Those comics helped me to enjoy reading and escape from my reality which at that time was something of real value.

Marvel comics will always be a major part of my growing up, and remain an interest, as important a part of popular culture as Cinema, Popular Music and Television  and those that can't see that are missing out in my view.

Thanks Marvel. Nuff Said

A 2020 CINEMA REVIEW

 

Yes, I did manage to get to the cinema in 2020 and for the most part my visits were successful. Some were spent in near empty independent cinemas amongst face mask wearing patrons and some were in new chain cinema's that had undergone face lifts. I ventured to the BFI iMax and the Prince Charles as well as my regular trips to various Everyman cinemas and Picturehouses. I am focusing on films seen at the cinema so here are my reflections on my big screen experiences last year.

• 1917 - Technically interesting but lacked personality
• The Gentlemen- Richie doing what he's best at. Witty and easily digestible
• Jojo Rabbit-A good film this, not wilfully quirky like a Wes Anderson film, more like a dark humoured Tin Drum
• Uncut Gems- Excellent, anxiety inducing tale of greed
• The Personal History Of David Copperfield- Dickens seen through a prism. A warm rendition of a classic tale
• The Holy Mountain-Seeing is believing. There is no film like Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain. Needs to be seen with an audience and an open mind. Truly unique
• Queen & Slim-I am a big fan of the 'Lovers On The Lam" genre and this entry stands up well. A promising Director at play here.
• Bombshell- Great performances from the three female leads in this timely story ripped from the headlines.
• Parasite-Having seen it in 2019 on a flight to The Turks and Caicos i was keen to see it on the big screen. As good as the hype suggests and on a personal note I am so happy that Korean cinema finally found popular acclaim with this film, seeing as I have been banging on about it for two decades.
• The Invisible Man-Very good, better than expected. The original film 1933 version of H.G Well's classic is one of my favourites so it was good to see this modern take.
• Greed- A pretty much overlooked film starring Steve Coogan as a Peter Green type. Had some very good moments but lacked something.
• Dark Waters- A story of corporate greed told well.
• Calm With Horses- My pick of the year. great performances all round but particularly outstanding is Cosmo Jarvis. Bleak and profound, darkly tragic. Recommended
• Saint Frances-Terrific film about female relationships, growing up and independence.
• Tenet-Strong contender. Visually and sonically marvellous. Seemed to have a backlash before it was even released, which is strange. For those of us who had missed the cinema during the lockdown this was a great cinematic experience. I fear that much will be lost when viewed on the small screen.
• Saint Maud-Superb modern horror with a strong lead performance. It's mixture of the mundane and the gothic is perfectly pitched.
• Pixie- An Irish caper movie with a sense of mischief. Twisty and turny with heart.
• Akira-Seeing Akira at the BFI iMax really is an experience. This film has stood the test of time and in anime terms is hard to beat. Still original, thrilling and thought provoking 
• Mank- Good but left me feeling somewhat short changed
• Falling- Family life with it's ups and downs captured marvellously with a great turn from a cantankerous  Lance Henriksen.

As I said I have seen many films on Netflix and Amazon and perhaps this year I will keep a record. But my favourite of those streamed films  was Brandon Cronenberg's Possessor a surreal body horror thriller that leaves a lasting impression

As for this year, hopefully it won't be long until I can venture back into the magic of a dark auditorium and see some more films the way  they are meant to be seen.

APOCALYPSE? HOW?

 

A nice picture of humanity

In the annals of bad years this has been right up there, I’m sure many of us have had bad years for personal reasons; death, break ups, mental health crisis, tragedies and so forth, but 2020 has been a shit show for the globe, an apocalypse, now.

But how did we get here, and how do we change things?

Maybe eating Bats, Pangolins and such like, kept and sold in horrific conditions wasn’t a good idea. Anyone with a moral compass, sense of compassion or basic common sense could see that this was a ticking time bomb. How a nation treats animals its citizens and the planet is an issue of culture and responsibility and in this regard the country where Wuhan, the birthplace of the globe spanning virus is located, needs to look at it’s part in this world event.

Now before anyone starts throwing around phrases like “its not China’s fault” I am not saying blame lays at the door of the Chinese people, I’m saying that a nation emboldened by the fact that they supply the world with cheaply made products has a government that appears to not really give too much of a damn about a number of things.

The West, needing to consume products at an ever-increasing rate, turns a blind eye to human rights and other matters that should cause concern. Yes every nation (pretty much) has its issues of personal interest and the way in which the virus has been dealt with in some countries emphasises this, but the reality is that if lessons aren’t learned from the Wuhan Wet Market catastrophe we face a repetition. 

Aside from the terrible number of deaths, economic disasters and mental health issues across the globe the knock on effect of the Covid-19 pandemic is and will be far reaching. 

Things will never be the same. 

We have seen the best of us and a worst of us. We have seen kindness, self-sacrifice, love, triumph over adversity and a togetherness rarely seen, but we have also seen selfish panic buying, disregard for mask wearing and social distancing alongside an alarming ignorance of the basics of epidemic control.

Our government have shown an incompetence that is in sharp contrasts to the amazing competence of the NHS under such hard conditions; both ends of the spectrum come into focus at these times. 

Is 2020 the year that was waiting in the wings for the planet, a planet full of nations run by governments who put there own interests before their citizens, their wildlife and the very land on which they stand?

Who knows?  But what should be a top priority for governments around the world is looking at how this pandemic can be controlled, minimised and ultimately eradicated and, vitally, how something similar can be prevented from ever happening again. However, self interest may be a barrier that will never be hurdled in achieving this.

A bit of a ramble today dear reader but that reflects my confusion as to the how, what and why of the situation. Roll on 2021. It may only be a symbolic change but let's invest in the idea that the turn of the year makes us all feel that there is a hope on the horizon.

DEPALMA FOR PRESIDENT

 

I love a conspiracy theory me, and one of the enduring ones is that Stanley Kubrick filmed a faked moon landing at the behest of the sitting President. We all know about Leni Riefenstahl and her use of her considerable filmmaking skills to promote Germany's despot in the 30's so  it occurred to me that maybe Trump's presidency is being managed by Brian DePalma. 

"Yes, but what proof do you have for your theory?" I hear you say dear reader, well, what can't speak can't lie, so i give you the following compelling evidence. Behold; 

What more proof do you need? The Master of post Hitchcock suspense has been quietly beavering away behind the scenes for years building up to his greatest triumph. Who needs Carrie, Tony Montana or Al Capone when you've got Donald Trump!

IDIOTIC TIMES

 

The more idiots you have the more chance there is for an idiotic culture, an idiotic mindset and an idiotic leader. 

Case in point Donald Trump; he doesn't even appear to be an idiot savant, just an idiot. The Hollywood community don't like him. The two actors held as, probably, the best living actors have been vocal in their dislike of the man, and Trump's assertion that Streep is an average actor does little to challenge his credentials as an idiot.

The reason I mention the Hollywood Community is that in America they are pretty much the only thing they have that comes close to an elite establishment that people listen to (rightly or wrongly). The irony that Trump, the arch showman, should be vilified by those who perform for a living should not be lost. Perhaps they can see through his man of the people, certain people that is, persona for the bad actor that he is.

When popular culture recognises an idiot for being an idiot you know that there is something wrong. Most creative people in the US don't like him, be that in the arts, music TV or cinema. I cannot recall a. sitting President having shows like The Good Fight, The Comey Rule and The Trump Show actively point out their failings; its pretty much unprecedented (see what I did there?). Most vitriol for Presidents has been presented in dramatic and documentary form after that President has left the White House.

In popular culture terms Trump is an Andy Warhol of a political leader; he seems like a piece of performance art. He is a Mr Magoo of a President, stumbling from one bad situation to the next, he's a less trustworthy Chauncey Gardiner without the charm, a Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho.

Trump has proved that Pop will, and does eat itself and I can only conclude that Trump got in to power in the first place because he was just the right idiot in the right idiotic place at the right idiotic time

T E N E T I N V E R S I O N T H E R A P Y

                  

A Backlash is a backlash and generally when that involves cinema then the backlash starts before a film is even released. This was the case with Christopher Nolan and Tenet. The blockbuster with brains that was supposed to repopulate cinemas.

"is Nolan all that?', "yeah but Nolan films lack emotion don't they?", "can anyone understand the plot?". These were some common mitigations for the backlashers and the answer to all those questions is an emphatic "don't be ridiculous!"

Tenet is a fantastic movie, its so unabashedly brilliant that any flaws in it can be accepted like a tiny bit of sediment in a delicious pint of ale. Its therapy for those that have missed the big screen experience; its food for the starved.

Tenet is Nolan dialling up many elements to 11. It's touchstones  are Craig era James Bond, Mission Impossible, Heat and even Starship Troopers, but they are assimilated into Nolan's unique world view: one that is obsessed with time and space as his previous work shows. Hitchcock was known for exploring suspense and human nature and he is rightly lauded as being one of the very best film directors. Nolan has shared themes in his work too but let us not forget that his work covers many genres: Action, War,Period, Science Fiction, Superhero, Neo-Noir, Serial Killer and Mind Bending Thriller.

What makes Tenet so good? It's the fact that all the elements work perfectly together, The performances are very good and yes there's lots of exposition but, hey, this isn't a small arthouse movie after all. The Score by Ludwig Goransson is electrifying and adds tension (really high tension at times) and grandeur. Nolan's direction is seamless and the multiple plot twists and exemplary action sequences are extraordinarily well handled.

Where's the heart? the protagonists all have there own issues that they are dealing with and John David Washington is the 'Cary Grant North By NorthWest via Jason Bourne' of the piece. Washington to is both a lead with humanity and a bloody good action hero.Yes I like Tenet and I think Nolan is a very talented young British director. He's yet to make a bad film and Tenet is right up there with his best

Tenet was worth the trip back to the cinema. It was worth the anxiety and trepidation though some may not be ready to return to the Pictures (which is understandable) this is  a film that needs to be seen on the big screen. If there really was inversion  we would all be able to see it at the Cinema in an alternative time line but maybe it will find its biggest audience when its streams. That 52" TV may just be worth investing in after all.

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT 2020

 

The brisk walk of a clucking junkie

Shouty gesticulation of a woman on hands free

Roads strewn with discarded canisters, from the thrill of nitrous oxide

That's entertainment, that's entertainment

Beggars at traffic lights and sitting on pavements 

Beside the cashpoint and under a bus stop

Two men on a bench sipping K Cider

Low hung trousers, walking like penguins

That's entertainment, that's entertainment

Blaring music; the sound of a wasp's nest, from the cars of low slung cliches

Riding the bus uncaring and mask-less

Immunity with the threat of knife wounds

That's entertainment, that's entertainment

The smell and the sight of a yellow chicken box 

Tossed aside with careless abandon

A sign defaced with a merit-less scrawl 

Another ambulance on a 999 call 

That's entertainment, that's entertainment

Two dealers texting in the midst of a crisis

Two dealers texting with the cynicism of commerce

Trading on misery and an increase in crime

Nobody cares 'cos "it don't affect us"

I said, that's entertainment, that's entertainment

Lies lies lies lies lies lies

Lies lies lies lies lies lies

Lies lies lies lies lies lies

Lies lies lies lies lies lies

Lies lies lies lies lies lies

                                           

                                                 (Washington/Weller)

THE SAINT OF EVERYMAN

A return to the cinema after a four month absence was, to be fair, a strange experience. I always rely on The Everyman Cinema to have lots of space in which to lounge and immerse oneself, and on this occasion that was still the case but it felt strange.There was a tension within the auditorium and a feeling of uncertainty, but a good movie can negate these external factors, so it's a good job I went to see Saint Frances 

Directed by Alex Thompson, written by Kelly O'Sullivan and starring O'Sullivan, this film is a breath of fresh air and is an unfussy tale well told. Now I would be the first to say that films with precocious small children in major roles can be an acquired taste but Ramona Edith Williams (age 5) as the titular Frances is clearly a natural and she manages to balance the brattishness of the character with an insight and innocence  that makes her slowly become more and more likeable. In this respect this is exactly what happens with O'Sullivan's Bridget as she searches for some kind of meaning within her underachieving life she creates a bond with Frances.

The main characters are well defined and  tell of the complexities of relationships, parenthood and guilt but in a non-preachy way.

It's funny, not laugh aloud funny, but finding the humour in tricky situations and the uncertainties of relationship building.

Yes, I soon forgot about the strange circumstances of the viewing as I became absorbed with the story.

Saint Frances is a great example of the relevance of independent cinema, handling big themes with an intimate approach. I await more from Thompson, O'Sullivan and of course Williams.

FINAL GIRLS

The final girl is a tradition seen more and more in horror movies and as the number of horror movies increases (we seem to like them) so do the number of final girls. For those wondering what a final girl is may I refer you to Sally Hardesty (1) Laurie Strode (2)  Ellen Ripley (3) Sarah Connor (4) and Sidney Prescott (5). There were final girls before the Seventies, notably Susy Hendrix (6). 
The final girl is the female last man standing, the one survivor the merciless killer cannot defeat. The fact that this trope is a woman surviving is interesting and two recent examples show the variety of final girls that can be called upon to have the last word in the genre of fear.

Hush and Gerald's Game both feature women in jeopardy both of whom survive using their wits and an inner strength that they didn't know they had: victims one minute warriors the next. 

  

Hush doesn't give us any glimpses into the killers motivation, he is just there killing people and the deaf mute woman is there summoning up courage and ingenuity to thwart him.\In Gerald's Games, as you would expect from a Stephen King adaptation, the horror is multi layered, the predicament extreme. The final girl digs deep (extremely deep to extricate herself and survive.

You could be forgiven for thinking that we have seen every permutation of the final girl but that's not the case, the final girl is the defining character in most horror now. Empathy, maybe that's what it's about, seeing a faceless killer, an unknown monster or a set of peril laden circumstances allows us to invest in the final girls efforts at outlasting their nemesis.
The list of final girls is a long one and they feature in some excellent movies as well as some mundane entries in horror franchises.Two notable final girls are Wendy Torrance (7) and Ellen Ripley both of whom use their maternal instincts to spur them on to survive a relentless enemy

The final girl is here to stay in what is generally considered a male dominated genre, and long may she outlast the others, and you know what? I think we should call them 'Final Women'



(1) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
(2) Halloween
(3) Alien
(4) The Terminator
(5) Scream
(6)Wait Until Dark
(7) The Shinning

A PINT DOWN THE COVID ARMS

The big news is not that the number of deaths in the UK from Covid have reduced, its not that there is a cure that's been discovered, it's not even that we are in for a heatwave or an economic boom. The big news is that the pubs are open!

Yes that's right, Wetherspoons pubs up and down the country from Dover to Hull have served that first pint of refreshing Carling to Terry off the Estate.

The length and breadth of this Sceptred Isle has seen men in fisherman's waistcoats and glasses on strings round their necks bolt their breakfasts in order to get to the pub 'early doors'

We've seen young men slipping into their pristine Reebok classics and heading to the boozer with no more than a slice of toast clutched in their hand and a sip of milk (just to line the stomach)

But not to worry, for those that have had a lie in, the other pubs have opened their doors to the thirsty populace a couple of hours later.

To make things even better Sky and BT are showing Five Premier League games throughout the day and into the evening; perfect to give those that have conked out at midday after having thoroughly imbibed from 8:04am, a second wind.

What a day this promises to be and don't worry folks, Boris Johnson is sure of one thing: That the British Public will show Common Sense!

Cheers!