the singing detective (bbc series) - 1986

It's funny how the old memory can play tricks with you, as l was sure that l had originally watched 'The Singing Detective' with my parents (or at least one of them), as l seemed to recall squirming with embarrassment at having to watch the saucy bits in their presence. This however, cannot have been the case, as  it was released in 1986, and l already had my own place by then, and l was certainly not going round to the family homestead to watch TV.
Maybe l had just been traumatised by it and not realised, as it is a pretty strange, scary, sexy and puzzling piece of work, even after all of these years.
Philip Marlow (an outstanding Michael Gambon) has Psoriatic arthritis, and has been admitted to a NHS hospital to recover. Because of his refusal to take drugs, plus his high temperature, Marlow hallucinates episodes from his past, a new book he is composing in his head, and his real life and surroundings.   All are intertwined and confusing, with plenty of old songs thrown into the mix, but as his condition improves, the memories and fantasies are worked out and understood.
A superb series, written by Dennis Potter, and based on his own (but worse) condition.
I would happily pay my licence fee for more miniseries such as this. One of the greatest things ever to have been shown on TV, and l'll argue to the death with anyone who says otherwise (because they will be wrong).
The film version, starring Robert Downey, Jr is being shown on TV later on in the week, and l will approach that with trepidation, but it would be amiss of me not to give it a go, even if l'll do so with a heavy (and faulty) heart.
Wish me luck, as l suspect that l will need it.

toodle pip

a baby boob hat

Just what a breastfeeding mother needs for a baby. A hat that looks like a boob.
Excellent!

toodle pip

fallout shelters

With all the trouble in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus concerns about Iran, Syria, nuclear capabilities and the Middle East in general, l wonder how long it will be before these type of adverts for fallout shelters and their fittings start making a reappearance?

toodle pip

sarah silverman - the bedwetter

I enjoyed Sarah Silverman's 'The Bedwetter', even though there were no hilarious bits, or anything that made me (as the kids say nowadays) 'laugh out loud'. She basically wet the bed until she was 16, (unintentionally - not as a protest), she is a Jew who is agnostic, she suffers from depression (and got addicted to drugs through the treatment for it), and she has a fondness for risky jokes, dirty jokes, sex and drugs. All OK as far as l am concerned. Although the book was enjoyable, l can't believe she apparently got paid a $2.5 million advance for it. I still think the funniest thing she has done is the 'I'm fucking Matt Damon' video, but then again, l haven't seen 'The Sarah Silverman Program', so l'll have to give that a bash at some stage, as it sounds pretty interesting in the book. As with many other autobiographies, l'm glad l have read it, but even happier l didn't have to pay for it.

toodle pip

johnny cash in pictures

I grew up listening to my fathers collection of Johnny Cash albums, and have always liked him (Cash, not my father).
Cash certainly had a presence about him, and plenty of charisma, some of which  is captured in these shots from Time magazine.
I'm certainly glad l got to see him in concert before he died, and some of his albums (especially the San Quentin / Folsom Prison ones) are amongst my favourites..
A legend (albeit with some crap records before his re-invention with Rick Rubin)

toodle pip 

one hour photo (2002) - mark romanek

Robin Williams plays it straight and menacing as Seymour (Sy) Parrish, the photo shop assistant who prints the eponymous photos, but deludes himself he could be part of a family who bring in their snaps, only to snap himself (literally) when he discovers the husband is having an affair, thus spoiling the idealised image he had of them. One Hour Photo seems to speed along and keep the suspense levels up, even though, in reality, not a lot actually happens in the film, it is more about developing the tension and waiting for Williams to completely snap.
Although a lot of the Robin Willliams output leaves me cold, l prefer his serious films to his comedy ones, and he was certainly believable in this.
Better than l expected.

toodle pip

boobs text

toodle pip

marc bolan - it was 35 years ago today

On this day 35 years ago, Marc Bolan played Newcastle City Hall with The Damned, on the 1977 tour. I was going to go to that gig, but because my girlfriend at the time couldn't go, l gave it a miss, and thought l would catch him on the next tour.
Sadly, that never happened, as he died later in the year, which meant l never got to see him play live.
DDDDDDDAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!
Bloody women.

toodle pip

einstein pictures

The top picture of Albert Einstein sticking his tongue out to photographers on his 72nd birthday (at Princeton in 1951) is pretty well known, and has been reproduced on lots of posters and t. shirts.
On the other hand, how many photographs have you ever seen of Einstein rowing?
I thought not - so now's your lucky day!

toodle pip

bloody spiders in wagga wagga

After the recent floods in Wagga Wagga, the spiders moved up a bit and span their webs on higher ground. Yet another reason for not going to Australia, as there is no way l could walk across those fields.  Bloody spiders.

toodle pip

mitsuhiro kushida - angura (posters of the japanese avant-garde)

 The little match girl

Oedipus at Hiroshima

From the book 'Angura - posters of the Japanese Avant-Garte', these two are by Mitsuhiro Kushida, and are both pretty striking, especially the top one (see what l did there?).
I love a bit of the old Avante-Garde (Phnaar), l love good artwork on posters, and l love Japan.
Quids in.

toodle pip                                    

lionel messi does it again

After the post below about George Best and football, l had the privilege of watching Lionel Messi destroy Bayer Leverkusen in the European Cup (in old money), nabbing 5 goals for himself in a 7-1 win.
I've posted many times about Messi, as he is easily the best player in the world, and possibly of all time. The trouble is, it's hard to compare, because if you could put Maradona, Best, Cruyff or Pele at their peak into the Barcelona team of nowadays (possibly the greatest side of all time), they might also produce the goods on a large scale.
Saying that, it's pretty hard to imagine how they could improve on what Messi is doing at the moment.
Last night was his seventh hat-trick of the season, and he will undoubtedly get more (unless someone breaks his legs).
He is also someone who plays as though he is still in love with the game and obviously gets a huge amount of enjoyment from it. It might be an illusion, but you get the impression that money is not the driving force behind him, it's the sheer pleasure of playing and the glory and plaudits that come with his uniqueness.
You half expect his mother to come onto the pitch and drag him off for his tea, telling him he's been out too long and the other kids have had enough (and his fish fingers, chips and peas are getting cold).
Sheer brilliance.

toodle pip

tyrannosaur (2011) - paddy considine

Not exactly a feel good movie, but Tyrannosaur is one of the best films l have seen for a long time. It's gritty, believable, and really drags you into it, so you can empathise and care about the characters.
Peter Mullan is always excellent, but l was surprised at how good Olivia Colman was, playing the victimised, religious, do gooder of a wife.
It's a story that involves violence, redemption, belief, companionship, a funeral, and lots of alcohol, which certainly gets my boat a floatin'.
Joseph (Mullan), is a violent self destructive character who meets and falls for Hannah (Colman), who works in a local charity shop. Joseph helps her leave her violent marriage, but discovers she has a secret back at her house.
Written by first time director Paddy Considine, and filmed in Leeds (probably on my brothers estate), everything about it is great, apparently based on Considine's childhood (but not autobiographical).
If you can get past the early killing of a dog, and you enjoyed 'Nil by Mouth', this film is for you.
Stick around for the end credits, as there's this. Magic.



toodle pip

t.rex - electric warrior

My love for Marc Bolan and T.Rex  has not waned over the years, and l was listening to Electric Warrior for the trillionth time earlier on. Still one of my favourite albums (only 39 minutes long!), and the sleeve still looks fantastic and iconic, but a it's a bit disconcerting that it was released over 40 years ago. Where the Hell does the time go?

toodle pip

george best vs northampton

I was talking to old Joe about football earlier on today, and how it has changed so much since the time when l started watching (and loving) it.
It's an old story to be banging on about how the players earn too much, the ticket prices are too high, and the fan base is being eroded as more middle classes have taken up going to the games, but that is because it is true.
Youngsters are being priced out, so they will have to find their enjoyment elsewhere, such as in Play Station games (the new rock n roll) or the Internet (which l certainly wish l had when l was a nipper - l would never have left the house).
Although they will probably watch football on the TV, and support a (usually already successful) team, going to a game will be an occasional treat, and not have the chance to become an addiction. Also, because it costs so much nowadays, it is treated more (especially by the middle classes) as entertainment, so they are more likely to complain and desert a team if they start doing badly, like the fly by night characters they are (hello Arsenal fans).
Players, although well paid in the past, used to have a lot of contact with ordinary fans. Living in the community with them, frequenting normal shops and drinking in local pubs (and buying them when they retired). Even a superstar like George Best used to get hounded by the fans, whereas today he would be hermetically sealed off in a mansion somewhere with extra large gates (and probably a built in bar). The protection they have from the fans and everyday life nowadays is unbelievable.
Remember Kevin Keegan falling off his bike on Superstars?  Imagine Fergie  allowing Wayne Rooney to participate in something like that.
The picture above is from 1970 when Best was already in the last stages of being a God, and he still managed to score six goals (in a 8-2 victory) for Manchester United away at Northampton Town in the FA Cup (his first game back after a suspension).
Check out the fans by the pitch, the lack of advertising and branding, and the tiny ground.
A magical day for everybody, as even the Northampton fans admitted they were privileged to see a genius at work.
Happy memories of when the game wasn't full of arrogant,  gangsta lovin', big earphone wearing,  multi millionaire tossers who couldn't care less about their clubs if they can get a heftier pay packet and flashier cars elsewhere.
And yet l still love it.

toodle pip

white men can't jump (1992) - ron shelton

This film brings back soooooo many unhappy memories, which for me must be pretty damn bad. The reason?  I saw it while on honeymoon, so it brings back the hideous and long lasting memory of that.
Only joking (of course).
The honeymoon was great, and  'White Men Can't Jump' is a pretty funny film, with some great performances, especially by Wesley Snipes as the wise cracking basketball hustler, who treats Woody Harrelson's character as a chump he can exploit, until they pair up to hustle money together.
It deals with the racial preconceptions each of them have, and the issues they have with their gambling, their environment, and their women.
It's just a shame that they had to show so much basketball, which would have gone down well in the USA market, but it is a game that leaves me cold (although it looks as though both of the stars can play a bit).
If only it had been about football  (and l mean football - not American football)

toodle pip

kathy burke / helena bonham carter and class

As people who know me might say, l do sometimes mention (in passing) the class system, and have been known (on the odd occasion) to utter the odd profanity.
I therefore agree wholeheartedly with this piece that l tore out of The Observer newspaper.
As is obvious, Helena Bonham Carter had been moaning about her hard deal in life, and the great Kathy Burke (the only funny woman) answered back in her own distinct (and thoroughly working class) way.
Top marks to her and Viva la Revolucion brothers and sisters!

toodle pip

the waddle remover

One of the ongoing jokes in our household, is when l try to grab under the FPO's chin, like Richard used to do in Ally McBeal many years ago, looking for 'waddle' (as you can tell, the hours fly by in our house).
What l need to buy her is one of these. I can just picture the look of infinite delight and uncontrollable joy as she rips open her birthday present to reveal one of these magical little contraptions smiling back at her, just begging and a pleading to be used.

The only trouble is, she'd probably throw it back in my face and tell me to use it myself.
Women! Pah! They don't appreciate the thought, time and effort that goes into hunting down this sort of stuff.

toodle pip

the daily mail corrections

If only this apology was true....

toodle pip

the genius that was jack kirby

After the post with the Jack Kirby / Inglorious Basterds covers, here's the follow up.
I said l would post some of his real covers, so feast your eyes on these little beauties.
You can't go wrong with a bit of Jack Kirby (or Steve Ditko), and comics, no matter what anybody says, are not just for kids.

toodle pip