David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton back in the day
Jean
Jean and David
Jean
David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton, yesterday.
After the last post - here's the real deal.
toodle pip
Tuesday 14 February 2012
we'll take manhattan - bbc 2012
It's David and Jean! (not really)
It's Jean! (not really)
It's a pretty young Bailey! (not really)
It's an iconic shot (really)
Gor blimey guvn'r, this was a right old carry on, and no mistake.
We'll Take Manhattan follows the young David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton, as they travel to Manhattan in 1962 for a Vogue photographic assignment, with the Vogue old guard in tow to keep an eye on them.
Of course Bailey ignores instructions, demands Shrimpton is used, shoots the pictures his own way (Whaat! No tripod!) and is applauded as a genius on his return.
It's a love story between Bailey and Shrimpton, and a clash of the old and new, but it was like watching Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, just totally unbelievable.
The cockerneee was either over the top, hardly there at all, or the rhyming slang just weren't right (Surely it should have been 'Eartha's', not 'Eartha Kitt's').
Although Karen Gillian is attractive, she is not in the same class as 'The Shrimp', as there is just some magical element missing that is (admittedly) hard to define. They should have put a wig on Aneurin Barnard (who played Bailey) and used him as the model instead, the handsome young self confident tyke.
A right old cockernee knees up laugh out loud and slap your thighs program, but not in the way the makers would have wanted it to be.
Bailey even gets to slag of the Beatles who he hears singing 'Love Me Do' on the flight home (he doesn't like skiffle). That was ironically shoehorned in to represent the new world coming.
Slapped wrists all round (and cancel the pearl necklace's).
Alright guv' (Now jog on).
toodle pip
you will meet a tall dark stranger (2010) - woody allen
One of the recent Woody Allen films set in London, albeit an upmarket, clean and interesting version of The Smoke that has avoided me most of the times l have visited it.
You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger deals with faith bringing consolation and hope, even if it is false faith, and may also prove to be wrong. There are various break ups, and the difficulties of trying to find new relationships, which can be problematic if a partner is still in love with his dead wife (as one example).
It's not too taxing, and certainly not too intellectual, even for a Woody Allen film, but it is outrageously middle class, and exists in a world where just about everyone is an artist, writer, gallery owner, talented musician, book store owner, or work for the foreign office.
Jealous?
Me?
Of course I am - l'm a bitter working class Scouser, who's had it hard (phnaar).
Still enjoyed it though.
toodle pip
the stupid cat in the morning
She is about 21 years old, pretty death, blind and cronky nowadays. She also sleeps right outside of the bedroom door, and because she is used to the FPO getting up early every morning, she just meows constantly for her food to be put out at that time. It's no good shouting at her to shut up, as she can't hear us, so it's a matter of wearing earplugs or having to get up, trying to resist the temptation to boot her down the stairs for some peace and quiet (the cat, not the FPO). If there was any kind of God, she would have lost her voice, rather than her hearing. Bloody thing.
toodle pip
more wounded knee pictures
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After the earlier post about The Wounded Knee Massacre, here are some more photographs from then.
I've said it before, and l'll say it again - they had it hard in them days.
toodle pip
Monday 13 February 2012
outlaw blues (1977) - richard hefflon
The type of film that gives hippies a bad name. Outlaw Blues stars Peter Fonda as Bobby Ogden, a prisoner who has a song stolen by Garland Dupree, a visiting country star, who Ogden confronts when he gets bailed (from one of the softest looking prisons l have ever seen).
That is when the film starts getting even more stupid. An argument and scuffle ensure, whereupon Ogden accidentally shoots Dupree in the leg. All of this is captured by a video crew who just happen to be making a documentary at the time, and Ogden goes on the run. He ends up at the home of Tina, one of Dupree's backing singers (who had already taken a shine to him), and they persuade Dupree's manager to release Ogden's version of the song (to great acclaim and success), while Dupree is still in hospital (because Tina also turns out to be some kind of mastermind when it comes to publicity, promotion, and management).
Ogden bmanages to make plenty of public appearances at radio stations and record shops, and even sings before the start of an American football game, though the police are constantly trying to find and arrest him, becoming an anti-establishment hero in the process. There are plenty of chases, in cars, speedboats, and on motorbikes, but trust me on this, the film is crap. It's like a bad version of 'The Dukes OF Hazard', so try to imagine that if you can.
The 'Outlaw Blues' song itself is OK, but that's it.
I blame the drugs.
toodle pip
still off work with a sprained ankle
The good news for me is that l am still off work, as the doctor has now signed me off for another week or so due to my ankle still being bad (I'm now due back to work on the 25th Feb). Not so good news for the FPO, as she is now cursing everytime she leaves the house in the morning, leaving me asleep in the nice warm bed after being up till silly o'clock (no change there then). I can't even say she is cheerful when she comes in later, as l am usually sitting with my feet up watching a film or reading.
Also, regarding the technology problems, on the good news front, the washing machine and hoover are both fixed (although the washing machine cost £60), the kindle and web counter been sorted, and l have also repaired one of my ipods.
Results all round!!
Right - back to reading, music, TV and the internet.
Life is hard (for some).
toodle pip
another wild night out with jack, dennis and michelle
This looks like it would have been a good night out, and I would bet anything that there had been a lot of alcohol and drugs taken.They certainly don't look sober, that's for sure.
There is also a good chance that this is Dennis Hopper and Michelle Philips wedding do, as their wedding only lasted for eight days, and l can't imagine Jack Nicholson was hanging about with them all the time.
Then again, maybe that was the reason they split up. I would normally think maybe the wedded couple would want some peace, quiet, and a relaxing time on their honeymoon, but l wouldn't think that was the case with these two lovebirds from the party planet.
toodle pip
Sunday 12 February 2012
a matter of life and death (stairway to heaven) 1946 - michael powell and emeric pressburger
Although an oldie, this is one of my favourite films, with a decent story, superb effects (especially for when it was made), and a Frenchman (Marius Goring as conductor 71) who dresses wildly, is pretty camp and funny, and could easily have been my role model.
A Matter Of Life And Death was renamed Stairway To Heaven in the USA, even though it specificity does not state in the film that the celestial type place is Heaven, and in fact, was probably all just in the imagination of Peter Carter (David Niven) who is a pilot who jumped out of his damaged plane, but somehow miraculously survived, even though he bailed out minus a parachute.
Carter meets the female radio operator he had been talking to when he jumped, falls in love with her, and refuses to join the afterlife when he is visited by apparitions encouraging him to do so (as his time on Earth should have been up). He then has to argue his case to stay for longer before a celestial court, while he is simultaneously under a life threatening operation.
A mixture of black and white for the imagination/afterlife parts and technicolor for the earthly bits is used, which is the opposite of 'The Wizard of Oz' (but l prefer this film).
There is plenty of upper class 'What Ho!' type language, arguments whether 'the rules' or love should be followed, and disagreements regarding the merits of England and The USA.
A spiffing tale
toodle pip
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