Australia 3 Japan 1

Need one say more?

Happy Days: my New Yorker subscription starts again

Good Read: The New Yorker

British Tories Stay As Mad As Ever

Julia Day, Radio Correspondent of The Guardian, wrote the following in an article published today:

"Conservative leader David Cameron has claimed that BBC Radio 1 encourages knife and gun crime by playing music that glorifies violence. Mr Cameron said the music Radio 1 plays on Saturday night - believed to be a reference to Tim Westwood's hip-hop show, which runs from 9pm-11pm - has contributed to the growing problem of knife and gun crime in the UK. "I would say to Radio 1, do you realise that some of the stuff you play on Saturday nights encourages people to carry guns and knives?" he said last night in a speech to the British Society of Magazine Editors."

Tories are quite mad you know. I submitted the response below:

I cannot say how much I applaud The New Leader’s view of the pernicious broadcaster spreading its filth: Sir Tom Jones and Delilah? Ban it! Old Blue Eyes’ version of Mac The Knife? Chop it! As for that Radio Three, well excuse me but it just encourages the youth of today to duel to the death every time that damn Mascagni and his Cavalieri Rusticana take to the nation’s airwaves.

Right on DC. What’s next … Oedipus Rex and that damn fool Sophocles?



Oedipus Rex by Max Ernst

Da Vinci Code

It's silliness on a stick. Approach it as if it is the latest Carry On film and you'll find it quite entertaining. I definitely want to see all of the movie that Paul Bettany escaped from. He certainly wasn't in the same feature as the rest of the actors. Sir Ian was bonkers, Audrey Tatou was gorgeous, and Hanks's haircut was unkempt, in need of a trim and some contemporary styling, just like the whole movie really.

As posted on The Guardian Unlimited film site on 6th June, where my hair reference achieved "Quote of the week" status.

Wah Wah

We're just back from a "special" screening of Wah Wah, "introduced" by its writer and director Richard E. Grant. There was great anticipation in the hall as screening time came then went. A few bewildered late arrivals wandered around the auditorium in a futile search for a seat. It seemed we were over-booked. A dozen or so white, plastic chairs were purloined from somewhere on which disgruntled movie buffs sat themselves down with talk of complaining and it being "not good enough". Free tickets at the end of the show may have placated them.

When we were all finally seated, Mr Grant entered to a sprinkling of applause as recognition spread with each step he descended to the front of the auditorium. Standing before us, the unmistakable thespian looked somewhat bemused. When he spoke, he put that down to jet lag.

Then he "introduced" his film with words to this effect: Hello, my name's Richard Grant. I'm the director of Wah Wah. The movie is all true. Everything happened more or less as you see it, although for the purposes of the film we've condensed 10 years into 3. So here it is, my whole life laid bare before you. I hope you enjoy it.

And with that the lights dimmed, as Richard departed, leaving us to enjoy his movie, which we did (even those on the plastic seats). I guess we might all have wished for a more substantial introduction but that's a minor grumble from a fan in the cheap seats.

Good job Mr Grant. 3.5 out of 5. Worth seeing for more than just the loving way in which it's shot but that alone would make it worth the ticket price.

The Louse's view: Inside Man

Dog Day Afternoon it ain't. And certainly not The Anderson Tapes. But it was enjoyable enough watching the A-list talent working off each other. And yep, it's a bit of a simplistic metaphor about power in America with a naive/romantic piece of wishful thinking about super-smart thieves with a social conscience - but give us a break, it's a mainstream movie that looks good and holds one's attention and has some observations about race as well as New York that only Spike Lee could give us. The full house when we saw it seemed to think they were getting value for the ticket price. Let's hope he uses the profits to bring us more from his top drawer.

First posted at http://film.guardian.co.uk/

Haputale

The signpost, Kelburne tea estate (photo by Susi)