TIM SALE

Tim Sale, the noted Comic Book artist died last month at the  age of 66. The thing about Sale's style is that, in an age of conformity in illustrating comics his draughtsmanship was clearly identifiable as his. Sales' work on Batman is as defining of the character as anyone's and he was jointly responsible (with Jeph Loeb) for my favourite Batman story, the complex and highly original The Long Halloween.

Sale also provided the artwork for the revolutionary NBC series Heroes along with work in the Independent Comics world as well as the mainstream. I'm not going to say much more about Sale. I'm going to let his art speak for itself.

RIP Tim.

NEVER MIND, IT'S BOLLOCKS

Where to begin with director Danny Boyle's Pistol on Disney+, it's hard to know as there are so many faults with it. Nice middle class chaps with excruciating cockney accents make up the main body of actors which is not to detract from the helium ingested Kenneth Williams vocal acrobatics of Thomas Brodie-Sangster's Malcolm McLaren. One is reminded of the Black Adder The Third thespians when viewing the portrayal of the erstwhile svengali in full flow. 

I don't recall Pamela Rooke aka Jordan, being as posh as the portrayal of her seen here, nor was Siouxsie a shrinking violet as seen lurking in the background. As for the parents of Steve 'Jonesy' Jones (the main protagonist on whose biography this shambes is based), they are portrayed as a stereotypical abusive relationship couple you might see opening the door to their flat on the Jasmine Allen Estate to an investigating officer from Sun Hill nick.

The characters of Sid and Nancy are given far too much screen time in which to tell their parasitic and lamebrained story. Both actors struggle to bring any depth to the roles; which when you think about the vapidity of the toxic twosome is some achievement.

Which brings us to Anson Boon's John Lydon/Johnny Rotten. What can you say about his performance that hasn't already been said about Rik Mayall's in Drop Dead Fred?

Toby Wallace has neither the charisma or the screen presence to play the lead character and the other cast members playing  musicians and assorted famous faces are pretty bland in truth. Broadly speaking, Talulah Riley does an impression of Vivienne Westwood rather than a performance (broadly being apropos)

The only actor to come out of this with any credibility is as a young Chrissie Hynde. It probably helps that she did not have to try and conjure up an American accent, but she is very good

Danny Boyle is a talented and accomplished director but on Pistol he has seriously misfired. He's firing blanks on this one and no amount of bleary eyed nostalgia can redeem this six part series. How he managed to get this so wrong is a genuine mystery. What might have been a show on a par with Anton Corbjin's excellent Control turns out to be simply CaRRy oN pUnKiNG

HOUSE OF GUCCI-SHOWGIRLS MEETS VALLEY OF THE DOLLS

House Of Gucci is to Showgirls what Showgirls was to Valley Of The Dolls. It’s awful, hypnotically awful. It does for the fashion industry what Cats did for the feline community. That it was directed by Ridley Scott goes to show that the gods have feet of clay.  For the first ten minutes I thought I was watching a Mel Brooks' spoof.

Adam Driver’s performance is that of a somnambulist trying to avoid bumping into the furniture. Jared Leto’s character has the gravitas of an Adam West era Batman Villain, with a wardrobe to match. Jeremy Irons comes across as an ex SS General who escaped to Paraguay in 1945. As for Al Pacino, it would seem he was asked to reprise his role in Dick Tracy, only broader. Which brings me to Lady Gaga; her status as a gay icon can only be enhanced by a performance so full of kitsch that it belongs in a John Waters film from the 70s, her dialogue would not be out of place in Mommie Dearest.

Any critique has to address the accents. They are uniformly  as excruciating as Dick Van Dyke’s cockney in Mary Poppins.

The soundtrack, consisting of mostly Donna Summer, bludgeons home the era in which the film is set and the attempts to show a world of glamour and style are cack handed and as subtle as a Bernard Manning joke. 

So terrible is the whole enterprise that I wouldn’t be surprised if it were used as a method of torture on suspected members of Islamic State.

FOR FOLK'S SAKE

Folk horror, UK Folk horror in particular, is everywhere. The latest episode of Inside Number 9 gave us the straw mask/crown and cult like villagers dispatching the outsider, as first placed in our consciousness by The Wicker Man.

We've had In The Earth, Midsommar, Kill List, and a variety of other versions of  the perils of paganism, with Alex Garland's Men coming shortly. There's been The VVitch and BBC's the  Witchfinder, not to mention Radiohead's clever video for Burn The Witch and a plethora of references to the bygone age of Catweazle, Children Of The Stones and seventies village mysteries. But what's the fascination?

Maybe we have all had our fill of slashers, cannibals, zombies, werewolves, cyborgs, viruses and vampires and are looking closer to home to give our fear glands a workout.

What Folk horror gives us is a taste of that innate fear of being an outsider, of not belonging. It speaks of the unspeakable hiding behind the mundane. In American life there is the 'behind the picket fence' syndrome, but in the UK there is a feeling that there are more sinister goings on out there in the forests and woods of little England than dogging and dog fighting. 

Our scandinavian friends have their fair share of pagan rites and rituals and share an appreciation of the changing of the season, dancing round a totem and tales of sacrifice and witchery. But, perhaps the puritans of early America are our nearest counterparts and their dark doings in the forests and woods of New England have real resonance. Great examples are The VVitch and American Horror Story: Roanoak.

This Century, that's getting on a bit now, may be for Folk Horror what the 40s were for Film Noir. There are many strange and ambiguous tales being told on the small and big screen and if you've not dipped a toe into these waters I would recommend the following as a glimpse into the past, present and future of Pagan Horror, this is a chronological list to set you on your way into the underbelly of the beast.

1. Häxan (1922)
2. Night Of The Demon (1957)
3. Black Sunday (1960)
4. The Witches (1966)
5. Witchfinder General (1968)
6. The Blood On Satan's Claw (1971)
7. The Wicker Man (1973) 
8. The Shout (1978)
9. Eyes Of Fire (1983)
10. Tilbury (1987)
11. Lair Of The White Worm (1988)
12. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
13. Wendigo (2001)
14. The Reaping (2007)
15. Wake Wood (2009)
16. Kill List (2011)
17. A Field In England (2013)
18. The VVitch (2013)
19. The Ritual (2017)
20. Border (2018)
21. Apostle (2018)
22. American Horror Story : Roanoak (2019)
23. In The Earth (2021)
24. Lamb (2021)
25. Men (2022)

*There are also a plethora of Asian Folk Horror Movies. More about them on a future post

CRASH! BANG! WALLOP! WHAT A MOVIE!

 

A plate of haute cuisine served with a fine wine in opulent surroundings is never really a bad thing. Nor is a classic novel, a life affirming piece of music or an example of art at it's finest, but sometimes one wants a big fat burger. That, in cinematic terms is what Michael Bay's Ambulance is.

Bay, for many years now has been the king of bombast over content, the go to guy for big bangs and fast frills. With Ambulance he has managed to blend high concept 90's action with Tarantinoesque pop culture references. The star of the movie Jake Gyllenhaal is in the top three Hollywood actors this century and has shown his ability in films like Zodiac, Nightcrawler and Prisoners and in this role he plays it perfectly as an anti-hero turned, out and out bad guy. His presence and energy literally drive the film as does his co-star Yahya Abdil-Mateen II. They make a great yin and yang partnership.

The pace of the film is exhilarating, the action given great velocity due to absurdly audacious drone camera work. Is it a guilty pleasure? In a way yes, but that detracts from it's quality. As a heist movie it works well as there is real jeopardy for the leading characters, as a buddy movie it also works as the inter dynamics of the two leads works well. 

The concept is executed perfectly and with great pizzazz. It's cousins are The Rock, Speed and Con Air, in fact The Rock is referenced by one of the characters.

I have seen several movies of real quality this year, Licorice Pizza, Titane, Belfast, Red Rocket, Boiling Point, The Worst Person In The World, all of which I would have to say were 'better' films than Ambulance, but I can honestly say that (so far) Ambulance is my favourite of 2022.

Why not take a ride while it's still on the big screen? After all who doesn't occasionally fancy a nice big juicy burger?

BANDS OF FUTURES PAST

Manicured Noise, Blurt, Delta Five, Section 25, Quando Quango,Spizz, Monochrome Set, 23 Skidoo, Rema Rema, Rubella Ballet, Television Personalities, Lydia Lunch, Snatch, Marine Girls, Josef K, Dolly Mixture, Mod-ettes, Mass, The Soft Boys, Richard Strange, Fad Gadget, LiLiPUT, Au Pairs, In Camera, Young Marble Giants, Clock DVA, DAF, Modern English, The Raincoats, Kleenex these are just some of the support bands that flourished in that glorious era at the start of the 80's when concert going was almost a nightly event. The venues were large. small, obscure, well known and downright bizarre. The main acts were very much a part of what people called Post-Punk and there was a general feeling of experimentation and possibilities.A visit to see Joy Division, Gang Of Four, Magazine, The Fall, Killing Joke, Wire, The Pop Group and the like inevitably meant there was an opportunity to see different support acts all over London and beyond.

The music created sounded like the sound of the future, it had complexity, light and shade and a Funk influence soon wound its way in. 

Looking back on those glory days, it's remarkable how affordable it all was. Getting there was cheap as chips, ticket prices were very very reasonable and refreshments at the venues took into account that none of us had a lot of money.

What it felt like was not so much as a movement but a load of bands emerging with a bit of musical aspiration, a load of bands that had their own little niche. And on top of that we also had the wonderful Two Tone bands who gave us something extraordinary and unifying.

Many, viewed that era as a bit po-faced but anyone who saw the likes of Spizz Oil/Energi/etc,  Blurt or Television Personalities will tell you that there was a lot of good old fashioned fun at these gigs.

The recorded evidence of this period has given us some amazing albums and singles but they don't capture the vibrancy of that era, the buzz of seeing so many new bands and of course the performances. These bands could play, and those that were still learning their craft would give the audience something to think about. That, for want of a better word, Post-Punk period was fantastic. It felt like the future, now!

THE NEXT CHAPTER

You can't write about popular culture without being effected by what is going on in the world, popular culture does not exist in a vacuum therefore the ongoing pandemic looms large in any thoughts and ideas based on experience of popular culture.

The year just gone; Covid II, was as unrelentingly challenging as it's predecessor, Covid: The Awakening, albeit in slightly differing ways.

How can I write about the movies I saw, exhibitions I went to, TV I watched, Music I heard, things that I read and other "stuff" without that writing being through the Covid prism? That's the challenge I suppose. Despite my best efforts; travelling outside of rush hour, masking up, getting vaccinated etc, I tested positive on Christmas morning, with full symptoms for good luck. Ho Ho Oh No! Therefore I saw out the last of 2021 and the start of 2022 in bed.

I believe that everyone is entitled to an opinion, even the hard of thinking, but to those who say that Covid is not real, let me tell you, it is and it's bloody awful having it! feeling unwell at any time of the year is not good but having worked extremely hard, keeping my business afloat, all year, I was looking forward to this period. Time to take it easy, a trip to the coast booked and the opportunity to relax, see friends and generally enjoy some down time then Whack! Covid intervened like the unwelcome gatecrasher it is.

One thing being isolated and confined to bed does for you is give you time to reflect, time to take stock, time to remember.

Amidst life during war time we all need to be entertained, pleased, thrilled, made happy, made sad and generally experience the light and shade of popular culture and 2021 gave us these variances.

Being at home meant opportunities to experience some great TV; The Serpent, True Story, Help, I Am Victoria, Squid Game, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Vigil, Behind Her Eyes, Marcella, Clickbait, Brand New Cherry Flavour, Black Summer, American Horror Stories, American Horror Story, What If..., Ted Lasso, Wandavision, Love, Death & Robots are all examples of the diversity on offer.

Trips to the cinema, for me, where great experiences. Just to be able to visit a half empty cinema and immerse myself in another world felt like a luxury. My movie going highlights would have to be In The Earth, Dune, Lamb, Another Round, Surge, The Little Things, Old, Censor, No Time To Die, Invincible, The Lost Daughter. I also saw Blade Runner in 70mm with my nephew (His first time seeing it) which was a great experience. 

Streaming services gave me the opportunity to see a variety of films.  Black Bear (My film of he year) Promising Young Woman, The Green Knight, The Last Duel, Army Of The Dead, Coda, Spiral and many more too numerous to mention.  I think it's fair to say that there were gems if you dug deep enough.

An exhibition here, a gig there and the odd trip to the football was a reminder of what London has to offer, and it is with this spirit I plan to face up to 2022. I can't have another year waiting for the bombs to fall. I can't have another year listening to Lord Haw Haw and his ilk. What I can have, is the belief that when you're going through hell its imperative to keep going and you know what? Popular culture helps. 

A SANDAL STAMPING ON A HUMAN FACE-FOREVER

 

Terrorism and politics are a bit like two tribute Elvis acts, one covers his Rock n Roll Black Leather look and one does the Vegas years, both badly. once the costume and the makeup is taken off the real person stands alone.

They both seem to be about imposing an ideology, religious or political that not everyone will agree with but once in power you're stuck with it and if you raise a voice in protest you face the consequences.

Of course I'm not equating a democratically elected party with a philosophy that involves blowing people up, but there are other more subtle means with which to impose group will. and when power is taken by force dissent is not an option

Which brings me to events in Afghanistan, which, while complex and undoubtably very serious, have bought out some of the very best humorous responses I have seen in a long while.

As Mel Brooks famously said: ""Rhetoric does not get you anywhere, because Hitler and Mussolini are just as good at rhetoric. But if you can bring these people down with comedy, they stand no chance."

The Alan Partridge and The Office Quote sites have made entertaining reading as the bubble of Taliban pomposity has been pricked to hilarious effect. This may mean threats of fatwas but if freedom of speech is something that any group are against, ripping the piss out of them is a valid, nay compulsory response.

I am not making light of events that have a real detrimental effect on a population but rather drawing breath as the issues are complex and far reaching in terms of global responsibilities.

Chris Morris' 2010 film Four Lions managed the balancing act of satire, laughs and a view of Islamic fundamentalism that entertained and provoked though and some of the pictures of the victorious Taliban enjoying their victory could be out takes from that film 

Thank God, Allah or whoever, for humour

I DON'T WANT TO GO TO CHELSEA

For reasons I wont go into, I had cause to visit a bar/restaurant in Chelsea on Sunday. Iv'e never been much of a fan of this area, even back in the seventies and eighties it had lost much of its swinging sixties sheen and had started to become a tourist trap. The influx of new money and cliche had further eroded the area. 

What I saw on Sunday pretty much cemented the reasons I have not been down that way for a very long time. It felt like another planet; a planet of the preening narcissist.

They were all there, the tight trousered sock-less loafers brigade, resplendent in snug t-shirts emblazoned with huge Dolce & Gabbana logos, their bodies doused to the point of consumption in Eau Sauvage by Dior (a fragrance that when applied subtly is rather nice).

The ripped (tight of course) jeans and baseball caps on backwards entourage were there too, faces moisturised to infant like smoothness. Silver foxes? yes they were strutting their stuff; shirts open to the naval, deck shoes and linen shorts draped over tanned skin.

As for the women, fake nails, fake eye lashes, fake breasts, precision eyebrows, pouts, designer clutches, and tantastic tannage; yes the stereotype was in full effect.

Naturally one shouldn't judge on appearance only but its very easy to judge when you add the content of conversation, being as how they were all talking so loudly.

Clearly, being seen in what are considered to be the right places is nothing new but this felt like a competitive arena, a gladiatorial setting where money talks and conspicuous consumption walks. "I've got loads of money" that's the mantra.

Chelsea was once known as a place of young rebellion, a place where the individual would strut their stuff, it's now a platform for conformity, a conformity of very thin cultural merit,  

What I gleaned from my Sunday excursion is that Chelsea feels a bit like a time warp, a vortex that takes you back to the era of Spend, Spend , Spend but with different clobber.

NO IDEA

They can dry up can't they? Ideas and that. Probably why I'm not a full time, slash, professional writer. 

I was going to write something about Santander bikes as they seem to have been appropriated by Ne'er Do Wells and other assorted undesirables. I wanted to articulate how the mode of transport for Boris' masses is now the go to vehicle for the criminal minded; they are obviously now easy to steal and what's a bit of theft in the pursuit of money for drugs?

I was thinking of writing about the reawakening of Pubs. Now that (almost) normal service has been resumed Pubs seem to be pretty busy, however Pub staff are struggling to get their groove back, which makes the quenching of thirsts somewhat tricky. I'm sure that customer service will adapt to this return to full pubs; after all our culture is a Pub culture.

I might have written about the good stuff that is available on our small and not so small screens. Circumstances have led me to having acquired Disney + and AppleTV+ for a substantial trial period, which, added to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky, iPlayer and terrestrial output provides an overkill of content. Within this mass choice scenario I am really enjoying Trying on AppleTV+, which is a charming tale of a youngish couple in Camden looking to adopt; its got a lot of heart. I would also recommend Easy on Netflix which is a set of self contained stories about relationships; interesting and varied content. Its also great to see Inside No. 9 back and back to its best, it really is a superb series. Amazon has The Boys if you didn't see it on it's initial release. its a great reinvention of superheroes that is loyally adapted from original source material and, in response, Netflix has Jupiter's Legacy which also reinterprets the superhero genre.

I guess I might have some ideas soon, which will be good, as it will mean I can put together a post that might be of interest. Being back at work and focused on that doesn't leave a lot of head space with which to conjure the next piece of scintilating prose but you never know, I might see something that gives me inspiration. i'm sure you are waiting with bated breath dear reader.

"Discover the best versions of yourself through the power of sweat"

"You Got This!

PELOTON

pel-o-ton |\, pe-le-tan , ‘pe-la-tan\

Definition of peloton

:the main body of riders in a bicycle race

The word 'peloton' has been hijacked. Hijacked by (to quote Alan Partridge) narcissistic sports pimps bellowing motivational sound bites from HD TV screens into the loft apartments and converted basements of overachievers throughout the western world. 

The Peloton experience promises to "empower you to be the best version of yourself" and it will help you to "sweat with the best" or "move to the music". The Peloton family, that's what they call themselves, tell the world that they "Operate with bias for action" and did you know that millions of members use their platform to connect, bond, inspire and grow stronger together? Sounds a bit like a cult if you ask me. 

I can almost see Peloton family members loitering at the online version of train station entrances handing out virtual leaflets and going door to electronic door on a Sunday, with the mantra "have you heard about the Peloton family?"

Don't get me wrong, getting fit and healthy is a good thing (of course it is) but is there really a need to worship at the alter of the Jonestownesque bike/screen cathedral? If you are a member of the Peloton family, fair play to you, but I would be cautious if a Peloton sports drink is developed; think before you drink.