the apartment (1960) - billy wilder

The Apartment is one of the great Billy Wilder screwball comedies starring Jack Lemmon, and was the follow up to Wilder's  'Some Like It Hot'.  Lemmon plays C.C Baxter, a company drone who falls for Fran Kubelik, the girl operating the lift in his workplace, played by Shirley MacClaine.  Baxter is also being put upon and used by his superiors, as his apartment is conveniently located for affairs to take place.  They pressure him to vacate it in the evenings so they can use it behind their wives backs, and although Baxter is diligent and hard working, he gains promotion due to his apartment's availability.  However, unbeknown to him, his boss, Mr Sheldrake,  is using it to see Miss Kubelik, who is his mistress.  Baxter discovers the truth and Kubelik realises that Sheldrake is just stringing her along, resulting in her taking an overdose in Baxter's apartment.  Luckily for all concerned, she is found by Baxter, bought round by the neighbouring Doctor, and then has to recuperate in the apartment with Baxter looking after her (it's based around Christmas time).  From then on it's a guessing game so see if they will fall for each other and find true love (of course they will).  Both MacLaine and Lemmon are excellent in their roles, and it must have been tough for MacLaine to follow Marilyn Monroe (the love interest in 'Some Like It Hot'), but she manages to achieve it while also being completely different from her in every way.  A classic.

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the rolling stones - grr

Sad, but true

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mckayla maroney looking less than impressed

The USA gymnast McKayla Maroney was snapped looking less than impressed when she only won the silver medal at the last Olympic games in London.  Since then, people have been adding her image to iconic photographs (see the middle one), but even better than that, she met the newly re elected President Barack Obama last Thursday, and showed him how to do the face, and of course, being the good sport that he is (and understanding how the press work), he copied it.  If you are sad enough to want to add her to photographs, the cut out picture is at the top.  Fill your boots.

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the rolling stones bonanza on tv, plus the jingles and wayne gibson

The Jingles - She's a Rainbow

Wayne Gibson - Under my Thumb

There's load of Rolling Stones stuff on TV at the moment (which is bliss for me), and amongst the songs featured on BBC 2's 'Sings the Stones' on Saturday night were these two little beauties.
First off, The Jingles (from Space Pirates) performing 'She's a Rainbow' in the style of Oasis.  The singer/puppet even has the stance (hands behind back, leaning back) of Liam Gallagher.  Excellent stuff.
The other was Wayne Gibson performing 'Under My Thumb' (a Northern Soul classic) on Crackerjack in front of a load of bemused children.  Not sure about the lyrics to the song being appropriate to the TV studio audience, who's average age must have been about 7, but it's a great tune.  Unfortunately l couldn't find the clip from Crackerjack on You Tube, so there's just the song above.  I'll keep searching and update the video when it appears (as it surely will).
Charlie is my Darling is amongst the stuff to be shown this weekend, probably in a lot better quality than the briefly (and probably unofficially) released DVD l bought years ago - Bring it on!

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a drunk man rides a crocodile

From BBC news Asia-Pacific

A drunk man who climbed into a crocodile enclosure in Australia and attempted to ride a 5m (16ft) long crocodile has survived his encounter. The crocodile, called Fatso, bit the 36-year-old man's leg, tearing chunks of flesh from him as he straddled the reptile. He received surgery to serious wounds to his leg and is recovering in hospital, police say. He had been chucked out of a pub in the town of Broome for being too drunk. The man, Michael Newman, climbed over a fence and tried to sit on the 800kg (1,800lb) saltwater crocodile. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote If it had been warmer and Fatso was more alert, we would have been dealing with a fatality” Malcolm Douglas "Fatso has taken offence to this and has spun around and bit this man on the right leg," Sgt Roger Haynes of Broome police told journalists. "The crocodile has let him go and he's been able to scale the fence again and leave the wildlife park." 'Right mind' Malcolm Douglas, the park's owner, said that the crocodile was capable of crushing a man to death with a single bite. "The man who climbed the fence was fortunate because Fatso was a bit more sluggish than normal, due to the cooler nights we have been experiencing in Broome," said Mr Douglas. "If it had been warmer and Fatso was more alert, we would have been dealing with a fatality." "No person in their right mind would try to sit on a 5m crocodile, Saltwater crocodiles, once they get hold of you, are not renowned for letting you go." The man staggered back to the pub bleeding heavily. Pub manager Mark Phillips said staff told him that the man reappeared at about 11pm with bits of bark hanging off him and flesh gouged out of his limbs. "They said he had chunks out of his legs and things like that," Mr Phillips told The West Australian news website. An average of two people are killed each year in Australia by aggressive saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to 7m (23 ft) long and weigh more than a tonne.

I love the fact that the man (who just had to be Australian) was so drunk he was kicked out of a pub (is that even allowed in Australia?).  He then decided to have a ride on the crocodile  and then strolled back to a pub afterwards, with flesh hanging off his leg.  Talk about your stereotypical Australian bloke - this is priceless!  He sounds just like the sort of bloke l should be drinking with, rather than the namby pamby Brits that l put up with.

                                                          The croc - looking for lunch

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japanese batman poster

What a superb poster from Japan for the old Batman film in the 1960's.  That's the way to market a movie!

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pam ayres takes on horses

I'm not a huge fan of Pam Ayres by any stretch of the imagination, but this piss take of the Patti Smith 'Horses' cover is was a superb idea, and looks so good.  I like the added touch of calling it 'Orses as well.  It nearly makes me want to go out and buy it, but not enough.
UPDATE!!!
Damn!   Just realised after a bit more research, that this is a spoof/mock up, apparently by Half Man Half Biscuit.  Still a great idea though.

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david bowie in a curious dress

Who's that young gentleman on the right of the picture, wearing a rather fetching dress?  Non other than the dame himself, Mr David Bowie.  The dress is the same one that he wore on the cover of 'The Man Who Sold The World' in 1970 and in interviews to promote the album.  It was designed by Michael Fish, who was also the man responsible for the kipper tie (cup of tea in Birmingham).    Nice.

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sound it out (2011) - jeanie finlay

An affectionate look at the only independent record shop in Teeside, Sound it Out (also the name of the shop) featured some oddball characters who all had an addiction for music, some worse than others.  The back stories of some of them were moving, and the documentary also showcased how a shop like this is also a social meeting point, in a town (Stockton on Tees) that has a lot of unemployment and crime, with not a lot to occupy the populace.  There's also appearances by local rappers and bands, plus a return home to Stockton (to play in the shop) by Saint Saviour.  Apart from the bruising on my side from where the FPO was hitting me saying " That's you that is", l enjoyed it a lot, and l could certainly identify (rather too closely) with most of the characters.

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a baby kangaroo

A baby kangaroo wearing shorts and looking cute.  What's not to like?  He looks as sad eyed as our idiot rabbit (but cuter).

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bobby neel adams aging photographs

These are photographs that show the effects of aging, taken by Bobby Neel Adams, incorporating old photographs, torn and linked with new ones.  The top four photos all feature one person in each, the young and old version.  The others are direct descendants (mother/daughter etc), highlighting how similar they are (plus the effects of aging).  You can't turn back the old hands of time, that's for sure.  There are more pictures on his site.

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steve best weasel cartoon

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a bank gives out extra money

The Bank Of Scotland cash machine in Rutherglen, Scotland, started to give out extra money, until some spoilsport went and alerted the staff inside.  Cues had formed of people wanting to cash in, but l am surprised there wasn't a riot. The bank say they will be in touch with customers who 'Have been affected'.  I bet they will.

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the tardis fridge

Now that is what l call a TARDIS fridge!  Good job young man (it is bound to have been a bloke that did it).  I'm not even a fan of Doctor Who, but l'm impressed, and wouldn't mind one of these in our kitchen.

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the x factor drinking game

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the high tressle bridge in des moines

This high trestle trail bridge in Des Moines, Iowa looks kind of normal during the day, but at night time, it lights up so that you feel as though you are in the middle of an arcade game or something.  I've never seen Tron, but l have a feeling it might be based on that (but what the hell do l know?).  Anyway, it looks fantastic.

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bryan lewis saunders on drugs

1 Glass of Pruno

 20mg Valium

 4mg Dilaudid

 Bath Salts

Crystal meth

Morphine IV

PCP

Bryan Lewis Saunders is an artist who has been taking all of the different drugs he can get his hands on (so you and me don't have to) and then producing artwork while on them.  The results are above, and there are more artworks and some information about him on his site.  The crystal meth looks to be a bit moreish.

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kurt cobain's favourite albums

A list compiled by Kurt Cobain of his favourite albums.  Some l can wholeheartedly agree are great, but some l have never heard (The Frogs?).  Nirvana's Nevermind album would be on my list, that's for sure.

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