JUST ANOTHER MANIC FRIDAY

Today has been pretty manic for reasons I won't bore you with dear reader, which got me to thinking about manic movies. Some movies exude mania, so much so that the viewer is prone to palpitations and hyperventilation. These films take place in heightened states where the protagonist finds themselves in situations of extreme jeopardy, racing against the clock or in bizarre environments.  There is an art to conveying a heightened state of anxiety on the big screen and here are 10 of the stand-outs in the manic movie stakes 

• Uncut Gems- The Safdie brothers look at high stakes gambling and perennial underdogs having their day is a masterpiece of sustained anxiety. The performances, score and editing leave you gasping for your breath.
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit?-Have you ever wondered what it would be like living in the world of Looney Tunes? well, imagine no more, as Bob Hoskins' gumshoe experiences the high octane world of Toons.
• Race With The Devil-A road movie and a satanic cult movie rolled into one. A collision of the great American Road trip and a  literal race for your life.
• Mad Max Fury Road-From minute one this is a furious barrage of action and adrenaline.
• Crank-High concept that hardly allows the audience to blink. Statham at his boneheaded action hero best
• It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World-Greed is good; or is it? Take a whose who of American comedians and have them race across the country in search of buried treasure and you get this over the top concoction that is both funny and nerve shredding
• The Congress- A bizarre blend of live action and animation where the viewer is unsure what's going on but whatever it is that's going on is crazy
• Hard Boiled-A bullet flying, scenery splintering action bonanza from John Woo that never wanes in its relentless pace
• The Evil Dead 2 : Dead By Dawn-The sequel that ratchets things up to 11. By turns scary and hilarious
• Duck Soup-The masters of mania The Mark Brothers satirise politics magnificently

"WOT NO GRASP OF THE FUNCTION OF THE HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM?"

I often wonder if IQ's have dropped sharply or that the general public have an inability to follow simple instructions. Queues seem to be a thing of the past; the idea that you would wait behind somebody who had arrived at a bus stop before you is now passé it would see. We are bombarded with written information and instructions which, in their own way, actually make people less likely to read what is written. We are saturated with reminders to be polite, civil and well mannered, which fall upon deaf ears and limited attention spans. This relentless information overkill shouldn't be needed. Values and standards should be in place as part of growing up, not things that the government, LRT and the neutered Police Service should have to remind people of.

Which brings me to my current bette noir; those that are unable to wear a face mask correctly. Of all the numerous instructions and reminders that should be headed, the way in which to wear  face masks is a critical piece of information that could, literally, save lives. Yet there are still those that don't get it and I don't know why. This is a separate issue to those that expound conspiracy theory and choose not to wear a mask at all as some sort of act of rebellion; these people are trying to make a point, albeit a misguided and possibly lethal one.

I'm talking about the hard of thinking for whom the basic grasp of how the human respiratory system works is as alien a concept as the theory of the existence of dark matter, which is that the motion of galaxies in the Coma cluster, and of nearby stars in our own galaxy, do not follow the expected motion based on Newton's law of gravity and the observed visible masses, is to a 4 year old.

The sight of numerous proboscis peaking over the top of masks like Chad (for our American cousins 'Kilroy') is both infuriating and unfathomable. Is it that they don't understand or is it that they genuinely believe that leaving their hooters exposed isn't an issue? The thing is that there is no one prepared to tell them, no one prepared to say "Oi, mate, do us a favour and cover your nostrils will you? cheers" as the prospect of being on the receiving end of a barrage of abuse (at best) or the end of a blade (at worst) is extremely off putting.

Never has the sight of the human olfactory organ been so offensive or, potentially, deadly.

I AM NOT A ROBOT

I am not a robot. there, I've said it, what more do you want? Oh, I have to select which pictures have bicycles in them. Problem is, do you count motorbikes or not? Want me to select pictures of boats then? but is a dinghy a boat? is a hovercraft a boat? or a Yacht, or a tanker? really, make it clear. Okay, now you want me to draw a box around the biggest plane, choose which pictures have a crossing in them and decipher those wiggly barely legible set of letters and numbers. Lower case, upper case, is that an o or a 0? 

The irony is that I'm being asked to prove that I am a sentient being by a computer, or, basically a robot.

We have gone from service industries where the key tenets where "how can I help you?' to systems which require us to prove who, and what we are. The customer used to always be right, now the customer is the consumer, and the robots would have you believe that they are doing you a favour when you try to interact.

The pitfalls of trying to get anything done online are beset by the iniquities of required fields and the tyranny of robotic jobsworths telling you when and if you can move onto the next page of your online odyssey. It seems that man's mechanical helper has become the Orwellian figure that some predicted.

אַנאָרטאַדאַקס

I recently wrote about The Queen's Gambit in glowing terms. A show that has been rightly acknowledged and credited. There is, however another show on Netflix that has a strong, compelling female protagonist, a show that has received faint praise, a show that is, to put it simply, a masterpiece. it's called Unorthodox

This German-American co production is notable for being The first Netflix series to be primarily in Yiddish, it is inspired by Deborah Feldman's autobiography, Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots. 

The four-part miniseries was created and written by the all female team of Anna Winger, Alexa Karolinski and director  Maria Schrader.

The revelation is in  the lead role where Shia Haas is superb and runs Anya Taylor-Joy close as the standout TV actress of recent years.

Haas plays Esty, a 19-year-old Jewish woman, who is struggling to find joy in her arranged marriage and her life in general as part of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in New York’s Williamsburg area of Brooklyn

She seeks an escape from her conformity by travelling to Berlin; home to her estranged mother. It is here that she discovers life outside of the confines of her community, which leads to a rejection of the beliefs forced upon her previously.

Her husband and his sinister cousin travel to Germany to, in effect, bring her back. The story unfolds quietly but with the inner fury of Etsy's frustration. 

When religion is involved controversy is not far away and there has been some discourse as to the accuracy of the portrayal of the Hasidic lifestyle in Unorthodox, but it's not a documentary and the underlying theme could easily apply to a number of situations and circumstances. Besides which, discussion is not a bad thing.

What Unorthodox is is a story of discovery, rebirth and  courage. As an insight into a world that few of us will have fully experienced it raises some interesting issues about faith and the place of the women within. Above all it is a totally compelling tale extremely well told.

 

BRILLIANT IN BLACK AND WHITE

Every once in a while there is a TV programme that makes a remarkable impact on the viewer and, it has to be said, in a world where everyone has seen everything it's proving harder to create original content than ever.

The streaming platforms are bountiful and TV stations available are numerous so in many cases it's quantity over quality, but the show that has proved that an original concept handled the right way can deliver the goods is The Queen's Gambit on Netflix.

Based on Walter Tevis' 1983 novel of the same name about a Chess prodigy and her development in the 50s and 60's, It broaches subjects like drug and alcohol addiction, identity, politics and sexism.

The undoubted star of the show is Anya Taylor-Joy as the protagonist Beth Harmon and it does for Chess what Mad Men did for cigarettes and what the Sopranos did for Psychotherapy. The time and place are captured with real accuracy and the fact that it stands up to Mad Men in that respect is high praise.

Pitching the show as being about Chess would seem a hard sell but its more complicated than that. The way in which the actual Chess games are delivered is full of drama and tension. The relentless logic of the competitions portrayed makes for intense viewing. There are insights into Cold war politics, bullying and the cult of personality that are subtly included in the narrative at no cost to the development of the main characters. The way in which the processes of Beth's strategies are formed is shown in a highly imaginative and gasp inducing manner.

Taylor-Joy and the actresses who plays the young Beth (Isla Johnston and Annabeth Kelly) are all excellent as we see Beth's journey from orphanage to the world stage. As a study of the pursuit of excellence it's strength is Beth's underlying need to achieve, a need to excel that springs initially from insecurity and later from self realisation. 

The Queen's gambit has the highest Netflix rating for any Mini-Series and rightly so as it is really quite brilliant. it's a programme that is both intoxicating and, like Chess itself, is a work out for the mind.

UP ALL NIGHT TO GET LUCKY

The Excellent Mark Kermode's Secrets Of Cinema recently covered cult movies. With the restrictions of an hour he managed to cover a lot from the obvious to the more unexpected choices, and a mention was made of the Scala cinema. Most would know the Scala as the large venue in Kings Cross but my experiences of the wonderful world of cult cinema took place at the original Scala Cinema Tottenham Street. This was an intimate venue that hosted film festivals, all nighters and live bands.

Two of the most memorable occasions at the Scala were the Golden Turkey Awards Festival and the 3D Movie All-Nighter.

The treats that awaited us were a list of cult oddities and all sorts, many of which were exposed to the public for the first time. some of he titles shown were;

• Santa Claus Conquers The Martians, in which Kris kringle thwarts an alien invasion
• The advertised Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes was unavailable so we were treated to The Attack Of The Mushroom People
• Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter replaced the absent Billy The Kid V Dracula
• Robot Monster, a film so low budget that the antogonist is wearing a gorilla suit with a divers helmet
• Queen Of Outer Space (Pink Tinted Version) staring Zsar Zsar Gabor
• Monster On Campus, a chilling tale of a teen in a hairy rubber mask running amok
• Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space-the Citizen Kane of bad movies
• Glen Or Glenda, Ed Wood's autobiographical film about transvestism and Angora sweaters

The Perils of attending a 3D all-nighter are manifested in a blinding headache at around 5.00am as the 3D experience involved wearing 3D glasses and the toll it takes on ones eyes after 8 hours is rather fearsome when paired with sleep deprivation.

One of my favourite All-Nighters was the Gene Wilder/Mel Brooks experience. A blend now legendary and lesser known films from two of the funniest men in movie history.

Silver Streak, Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, Blazing Saddles, The World's Greatest Lover and The Adventure Of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother. This was a bill of films that is unsurpassed in terms of comedy and shows a great deal of diversity in terms of Gene Wilder in particular. It's also worth noting the standout performances from Cloris Leachman (who died this week aged 94) in three of the titles. The Adventure  Of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother showed Wilder's love of  absurdist British Comedy and sits well with the work of Cook & More and Python. When we emerged blinking into the early morning sunlight our jaws and ribs were aching to add to the 100 yard stares a night without sleep evokes.

Of course there were other All-Nighters at the Scala, notably the Jamaican All-Nighter which featured the excellent The Harder They Come and the National Lampoonesque Smile Orange, and you could generally find All-Nighters at various Odeons, notably the raucous Kung Fu All-Nighters.

In those days these Cinematic outings were a lot of fun, a great shared experience and more importantly an opportunity to experience the breadth of movie genres that were out there. You might get lucky and find a real gem to recommend, or be there at the start of a cult,  it was, after all, an era where the words streaming and Youtube were unknown, you had to go out there and find it!

THE COVID KIDS

It's the Covid Kids I feel sorry for. They are unable to be out and about causing trouble, getting up to mischief and generally enjoying themselves, which should always be the case for young people. Being a kid during World War II wasn't easy but there was some respite in the form of evacuation to the country. And of course poverty levels are not what they once were (they are far from ideal, but not what they once were), but hardship is relative and there have been ways to circumnavigate difficulties in the past but not being able to leave the house has it's limitations.

It feels like modern children have been surrounded by 'things' for many years now; most of those things technology based, yet they cannot currently have that fundamental experience of playing with other children, getting out and about and generally building their socialising skills.

What will be the legacy for the Covid Kids? Certainly broader mental health levels will rise as will social anxiety levels.We may also see a decline in emotional intelligence as children spend more time engaging with technology than others.

Not being at school is harming in a number of ways, both academically and in terms of socialisation, and the latter could be the biggest issue post lockdown going into the future for our youth.

What can be done? tough question, but a good start would be to fund youth and play provision during the summer (If we are appropriately placed to do so health wise) and beyond, in order to give children a chance to catch up mentally and physically with being a child. Unfortunately I don't see that happening as the years of systematic cuts to these services has become an institution. 

I wonder what life for an energetic child in a small flat with no outdoor space is like for all concerned. I also wonder how many parents take the technology route to keep their children entertained; after all Screens make excellent child minders.

Mind you, its not easy to dim the flame of youth. Young people are resilient and despite their resilience being tested like no other generation of children in the last 75 years they may very well come out of this inspired to appreciate what the world has to offer and collectively grasp it.

VICE AND VIRTUE IN FARMINGTON

 

The Shield often gets overlooked in the discussion of the last two decades or so's rise in quality TV series.

The Shield ran for seven seasons between 2002 and 2008 and told the story of the officers of the Farmington district of LA. It's main focus was on Detective Vic Mackey and his Strike Team  team. Mackey and his team are a corrupt, no holds barred set of characters who although they get results, they bend the rules to the point where those rules almost snap.

Much like it's spiritual predecessor Hill Street Blues it featured multiple overlapping strands with a variety of characters, all with issues and struggles outside of the force from family issues and Autism to sexuality and religion

The main protagonist Mackey sets the tone in episode one when he executes a fellow officer who has infiltrated the Strike Team as part of an undercover plan to bring them to account.

Mackey and his team use brutality as a means to an end and it's this moral dilemma that is at the heart of the show. Mackey is one of the great anti-heroes who you root for despite their relentless corrupt nature.

The performances across the board are uniformly excellent. Even the smaller parts are delivered in a both believable and relatable way. 

Later series featured Laura Haring, Franke Potente, Glen Close and Forest Whitaker the latter two both tasked with difficult jobs; running the station and bringing down the corrupt Mackey. this is a tall order as Mackey and his team have a fierce loyalty. However that loyalty eventually implodes with catastrophic results

The quality of he writing and the character development are first rate and it doesn't lack in the action stakes either.

As the series developed the plot grew more complex and the levels of jeopardy rose, resulting in one of the very best finales in TV.

The Shield is currently available on Amazon prime and I would encourage those of you who have not seen it to give it a go as a visit to Farmington is a rewarding experience 

LIGHTS! CANNIBALS! ACTION!

Cannibalism, a bit of a taboo isn't it? Certainly in cinematic terms the controversial subject matter peaked in the era of the so called Video Nasty, with such titles as Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal Ferox, the Man From Deep River, Slave Of The Cannibal Gods and Cannibal Apocalypse. These films were low on budget but actually quite high on ideas.

Then there were the films made about the Uruguayan Rugby Club plane crash in the Andes of 1972 that viewed the survivors resorting to cannibalism in a sympathetic light. 

There have also been interesting subversions of the form with Ravenous, Eating Raoul, Parents and Delicatessen as interesting entries, but generally outrage prevailed in regards to cannibal cinema but in the last few years there has been an absorption of cannibalism into other genres. Some fine examples are;

Cannibal Dystopia-The Bad Batch a bold look at a barbaric future

Cannibal Western-Bone Tomahawk a ferocious tale of the old west

Cannibal Coming Of Age- Raw a superb slow burn descent 

Cannibal Pygmalion-The Woman a study of what our true natures are

Cannibal Neo Noir-The Neon Demon a vivid view of the dark side of LA

Cannibal Transgressive-Trouble Every Day obsession viewed through a violent prism

Cannibal Musical-Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Ye Olde flesh eating sing along

What is worth noting is that a great deal of these modern Cannibal films are directed by women with female protagonists  which is interesting as it gives a new voice to a genre previously dominated by male directors and female victims. In the right hands metaphors abound with  Cannibals, they can be seen as modern day consumers, addicts  or typifying the cult of selfishness or simply as the ultimate in the 'Me' generation. There are also nods to the old school with The Green Inferno being the best known of the updated video nasty Cannibal oeuvre that can be found in abundance on streaming services. 

I guess you could say that Cannibals, much like Zombies who are now mainstream, are here to stay.

THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE (FICTION)

 

A question was asked; what is the best Science Fiction film that isn't Star Wars or Star Trek related?

Where to begin with this. The question itself shows a leaning toward franchise cinema, which isn't to say that's a bad thing. I think that The original Star Trek TV series and The Next Generation were hugely enjoyable and tackled some really deep and interesting themes. As for Star Wars, Episodes IV,V and VI are great fun entertainment (as is the underrated Rogue One).

But for me the real meat of Science Fiction Cinema is it's ability to ask questions about what it is to be human, how we subvert science to our own ends and how we are prone, as a species to a God complex that can go awry. With that in mind here are my Top Twenty favourite Science Fiction films within that criteria. there are many films that I could have included, but I've tried to keep it a lean list that reflects what I think Science Fiction is, and of course that will be different for everyone. Let me know your choices in the comments

1. Blade Runner (1982) The human condition, identity and the effects of science on man as the creator all combined in a Neo Noir thriller. the Future (now the past) had never looked so perfectly realised.
2. Planet Of The Apes (1968) Iconic. there is something about this story that captures he essence of Science fiction as society changing. The Apes world is a masterpiece of design and it has possibly the greatest twist ending in all of cinema.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) This really is a film that tackles all the big themes. It's a masterpiece of abstraction and the design ethic is phenomenal
4. Alien (1979) A peerless dark house horror set in space. All these years later it still has the ability to amaze and repel. 
5. Stalker (1979) A film of creative excellence. Very few films of any genre can match it's depth of purpose
6. The Thing (1982) Paranoia, fear and loathing in an intense isolated setting. The tension is palpable
7. The Fly (1986) Body Horror at it's finest and most accessible. There is genuine empathy for the transmutating scientist who meddles with nature
8. Frankenstein (1934) The Mad Scientist and the Monster. Still a benchmark for pathos, invention and the big questions on screen
9. The Terminator (1984) Stripped back time travel thriller that is as inventive as it is action packed. Schwarzenegger's killing machine is an iconic presence
10. Under The Skin (2013) An other-wordly creature stalking an other-wordly Glasgow in this mesmerising tale of  the ultimate outsider. Stunning
11. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) Christ like Michael Rennie visits us to tell us to get our act together. A paranoid morality play featuring one of the best movie robots.
12. Alphaville (1965) Dystopian detection delivered with panache
13. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956) At the time a metaphor for the perceived threat of communism but ever since, a timely reminder of societies vulnerability
14. Forbidden Planet (1956) Quintessential fifties Sci Fi in vivid colour with an early electronic score. Marvellous
15. Starship Troopers (1997) Space satire on fascism with blistering set pieces and a nod and a wink
16. Metropolis (1927) The Original Science fiction film. Full of ideas and images that would last the test of time.Truly original
17. Primer (2004) A big idea on a low budget. This is a exemplary example of cut price intelligent film making
18. Akira (1998) The future never looked so mesmerising. Cyber punk started here
19. The War Of The Worlds (1953) Taking liberties with the source material this George Pal directed film is a perfectly balanced warning about our fragility
20. They Live (1988) This prescient film gives us a glimpse at what would be the biggest of all conspiracies, which you could say is actually happening

JAMBOREE BAG

Jamboree- 1a : a large festive gathering. b : a national or international camping assembly of Boy Scouts. 2 : a long mixed program of entertainment. 3 : a noisy or unrestrained carouse.

The good old Jamboree Bag. Buying one, or more than likely, having one bought for you, was a magical experience. Akin to Indiana Jones about to enter the anteroom of the Peruvian temple, there was a feeling of anticipation and anxiety. What wonders awaited in the interior of the flimsy paper bag illustrated in the most basic child friendly style?

Sweets? yes of course, but what sort and how many? Would there be the type of stickers and transfers you would be happy to adorn your belongings with? Would there be temporary tattoos with which to adorn your forearms and nascent bicep?

There had to be a puzzle of some sort that you could impress your friends by solving, and maybe some other item not to your liking that you could trade for something more suited to you.

Maybe their alternative name 'Lucky Bag' was more suited as you had to be lucky to get the perfect bag of your dreams, as I dare say the manufacturers were obliged to pad out the contents with lesser items to make them financially viable.

If they reintroduced the Jamboree Bag today I wonder what the contents would be

Harry Potter face mask

Jesse Lingard Panini sticker

Haribo Little Mix Starmix

Ariana Grande lower back temporary tattoo

Chicken Shop Colouring booklet

Syco branded Nitrous Oxide capsule

Little book of 'How To Have Beef'

Harry Styles Plastic Comb 

Packet of JD Sport Roaches