Category: Films

In other news

On By Laura MorganIn Films, Music, Reasons to be cheerful

Apologies for the long silence. I have been getting to grips with my new job; which doesn’t give me much time for thinking, let alone writing. I’ve got a nerdy-obsessive Michael Jackson post fermenting, but in the meantime here are a couple of my highlights of the last few weeks, presented in the style of a tabloid newspaper.

SPOOK

Last night I went to a Ghostbusters-themed comedy night, to celebrate 25 years since the original film’s release. I know what you’re thinking – and, well OK, you’re right; but it was still lots of fun. The highlight was a passionate, witty and informative set from Paul Gannon, who is a bigger fan than I have ever been, and from whom I learned the following new facts:

  • The follow-up cartoon was called “The Real Ghostbusters” because a company called Filmation (makers of Masters of the Universe, among other things) had sometime in the 1970s produced eight episodes of a truly awful live action TV show with the name “Ghostbusters”. When the film was being made they threatened to sue, but they agreed in the end to allow the film-makers to use the name so long as they (Filmation) retained the rights to use the title for any future animated series. So when the film was turned into a cartoon, they had to give it a new name.
  • The scenes between Pete Venkman and Dana Barrett in Dana’s apartment were all improvised by Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver.
  • There is Ghostbusters porn. It isn’t very sexy, but it’s fabulously funny (he had a selection of clips for our viewing pleasure).

UKE

I am now a world record-holder (along with 850 others).

DUKE (grant me literal poetic license on that one, please)

We went to see Bobby McFerrin at the Royal Festival Hall as part of Ornette Coleman’s Meltdown. I am devoutly atheist, but the closest I’ve come to believing in something higher than humankind is when I watch him perform. It’s just insanely brilliant:

PUKE

I have seen Jeremy Clarkson twice in the last fortnight.

Advent song for December 18

On By Laura MorganIn Christmas, Films, Music

Watching this again sent shivers up my spine.  I think we always used to watch The Snowman on Christmas Eve, so for me it’s inextricably tied up with the tingling excitement of waiting for Christmas Day.  I’ve chosen the original version from the cartoon rather than Aled Jones’s slightly more famous version, because the cartoon is still great and I think everyone should watch it again.  The little touches – the whale, the northern lights – really make it.  Although I still don’t understand why they fly over Brighton, since they end up at the North Pole and you can’t possibly start south of Brighton if you live in England, which judging by his nightwear this little boy definitely does.

Advent song for December 14

On By Laura MorganIn Christmas, Films, Music, Reasons to be cheerful

I knew this was the song I wanted for today, but I didn’t know which version I wanted, so this morning I engaged in a bit of research.  Things I didn’t know before include that this song is from a film, that it was written in 1949 and that it won the best song Oscar the following year.  There’s a very charming version from 1951 featuring Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan, and there will always be a place in my heart for the Miss Piggy/Rudolf Nuryev cover, but because it’s the original and best, here are Ricardo Montalban and Esther Williams in Neptune’s Daughter (I’d never heard of it either) with Baby It’s Cold Outside.

Eban & Charley

On By Laura MorganIn Films, Music1 Comment

I’m listening to this soundtrack album, because the Magnetic Fields played a song from it when we saw them last week and it made me want to hear more.  I didn’t know anything about the film, but its IMDb plot keywords are

Gay Romance | Deaf Mute | Gay Interest | Harmonica | Homosexual Teenager

Kind of sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?  Sadly, the only review on the IMDb begins:

This film is offensive and admirable at the same time. A kind of message movie about the loveliness of adult-adolescent gay romances, the film actually does have some guts because it allows everyone a fair chance to make their case. But the film itself is so bad!

I’d still quite like to see it based on that, but it doesn’t appear to be available anywhere, despite only having come out in 2000.

Anyway, the music is very good.  I do like story songs.  I think this is the first CD album I’ve bought in…um, longer than I can remember.  I get all my music off the internet now.  But it’s not as much fun – the CD case even comes with the lyrics printed inside!  If I weren’t at work I’d be singing along.

Beard badness

On By Laura MorganIn Films

Never mind the funereal procession of black gowns (you have to say “gowns”; “frocks” at a push – never “dresses”) on display at last night’s Oscars ceremony: I am more distressed by the profusion of poorly-thought-through beards. Witness the otherwise-attractive Seth Rogen, James McAvoy, Viggo Mortensen (although in his defence, he’s never looked good, apart from in comparison with the rest of the cast of LOTR, all of whom were playing monsters) and the master of the ill-advised facial hair arrangement, Johnny Depp. Sigh. Such a shame.

Cartier Affair

On By Laura MorganIn Films2 Comments

Yesterday, in the post-Sunday-lunch haze, I was introduced to this film, which I was amazed not to have heard of before. It’s a jewel-heist caper! With Joan Collins and David Hasselhoff! And it’s rubbish!

But I sort of loved the tagline: “His only hope is to escape with her jewels…before she steals his heart!”. Exclamation mark theirs.