Feel so sure about our love I'll write a song about us breaking up

[alexsarll]

Today is my first Friday at work since October 15th. Absence has emphatically not made the heart grow fonder.

Habits form quickly, don't they? If I'd been out every night this week I'd probably have headed for the pub last night too. Instead I spent another night in watching other people's DVDs.


The Servant is cappuccino_kid's favourite film. At the risk of defamation, I can see why. James Fox plays the wastrel young master, while Dirk Bogarde is uncharacteristically working class as the deceitful yet apparently loyal gentleman's gentleman. The key adjectives to describe their relationship are probably 'twisted', 'psychosexual' and 'dependent'. I spend such parts of the film as don't keep me totally spellbound mentally re-casting it with various synthpop duos in the lead roles.



I first heard about Sapphire and Steel back when I was a proper geek, and then spent about a decade waiting to watch the bloody thing until gregjames kindly loaned me the DVDs. Even after that build-up, it does not disappoint. Though the special effects are as ropey as one expects from the golden age of British TVSF, much of its genius lies in how seldom they use special effects. The eeriness is mainly in what's said, in juxtaposing everyday objects such that the whole world seems to be crumbling away beneath you. What rubber-suited monster could be as chilling as David McCallum striding around with a clock held out like a talisman?
There are definite echoes of Doctor Who - but where the Doctor often tended towards soppiness, trying to save *everyone*, Steel in particular can be a right b@st@rd. The idea that our world is a fragile structure menaced by the abyss of Time and the things therein is clearly influenced by the Cthulhu Mythos - but there's none of the easy Mythos signifiers, just the atmosphere. These are reference points rather than defining influences, though; I've not seen anything so unique in a while. And I've still got three Assignments to watch! My only real quibble is that while the mysterious agency for which Sapphire and Steel operate is clearly intended to represent the periodic table, neither Sapphire nor Steel is an element...

Oh, and one of the hauntings features the doctor from Jam.

Of course, it was while I was watching their second Assignment that two clocks in our office stopped at the exact same time. And after finishing the third last night, I was sure I kept on waking up during timeslips. The latter was fine by me, though; I certainly feel I got more sleep than the seven hours I should have managed between half midnight and half seven.


Mark Gatiss' new radio comedy Nebulous was fairly amusing, but trying to follow programmes on the radio is such a faff that I'll probably just wait for the TV version like I usually do.

If anyone's at a loose end on Sunday, my third favourite magazine is having a launch party at the Strongroom in Sh*r*d*tch. Free in, Simon Bookish live, various livejournalistas and Anthony from Jack on the decks.

Comments

[johnnyvertigen.livejournal.com]

Been meaning to watch Sapphire and Steel for ages, must get around to it sooner or later. Also must get a hold of that Blake's 7 DVD set, need an Avon fix.

[gregjames.livejournal.com]

You have the DVDs after Alex has finished with 'em if you want Mr.V

[gregjames.livejournal.com]

meant to say you can have there *balls!*

[johnnyvertigen.livejournal.com]

Think I may just take you up on that offer Mr J. Ta!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

You going to the Strongroom on Sunday? Will you be coherent? If so, I can bring the first DVD set then, and you can bring JLA.

[johnnyvertigen.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid not, but we can sort out a swap sooner rather than later I would imagine.

[gregjames.livejournal.com]

No probullbum.

[rentaghost31.livejournal.com]

mmm David McCallum.
Now do you believe me that it was daytime programming?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Where does it say that?

[666inmyheart.livejournal.com]

I want to come to this but MARIANNE is coming back from Russia on Sunday night and I have the honour of being the first person she wants to see in the UK. Plus I get to get her drunk and into bed.

xx

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Dude, if I had that option I'd take it too. Good luck!

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

The Strongroom thing sounds really good, but is on a c0cking Sunday evening, and in Shoreditch, which is the other side of town, and then some, for me...like New Zealand, or something.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

You mean there'll be elves and wizards all over the shop? Cool!

[femme-letale.livejournal.com]

Oh, please come! I am sure you have less to travel than me from Colliers Wood! It will be worth it and, besides, Sundays parties are the next big thing, I tell you...

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

I have no idea where Colliers Wood is, but for me it would mean travelling from the North Westerly depths of Zone 5 on the Metropolitan line. Anyway, isn't Shoreditch, like, totally innaccessible, seeing as they only open Shoreditch tube during "peak hours and Sunday mornings"?

I will still consider it, though. Are you involved in some capacity too?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Shoreditch Tube? Never used it in my life. You want nice, Northern Line-accessible Old Street.

And she might be...

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know Old Street. I used to frequent it lots due for writers meetings for my music magazine when we met round there in an incredibly un-Hoxton pub.

I wouldn't ever call Old Street tube 'nice' though. It's rather grotty. Which exit do I want then, eh?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Oh aye, as a station it's vile - I meant 'nice' only in so far as it's on a decent line.

Exit 4, iirc - Old Street East (South Side)

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

Can't say I've ever been a huge fan of the Northern Line, actually. It undoubtedly has its uses - Camden, Archway etc - but I've always thought it rather unkempt and, with so many stops, it always seems to take ages to get anywhere (well, when I was young and lived in North West London and could either travel to Stanmore or Edgware tube to get into town, it was always a no-brainer, as Stanmore allows interchange to the Metropolitan line at Wembley and thus fast direct travel to town). So I'm biased, but do prefer the likes of the Jubilee line (cos of the architecture on the extension) and the Metropolitan line (partly cos of its unique history...the innovative indie that got swallowed by a major...and also because Harrow-on-the-Hill to Baker Street in just two stops seems like real efficiency.

Maybe I should consider writing something for Smoke...

[femme-letale.livejournal.com]

I am Mr Scott's worse half and author of pages 26 and 27 of the magazine.

I wouldn't recomend Shoreditch tube to come to the StrongRoom for the very reason you mentioned. Go to out of Old Street's Exit 4 and you'll be there in no time!

[femme-letale.livejournal.com]

Ooops! Late as always!

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

Oh, and The Servant sounds rather good. Is it Jamie's DVD? I might ask to borrow it. The IMDB descriuption made me think of both Trading Places and The Remains of The Day, both of which I love, although I'm sure the film is nothing remotely like either.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

It is indeed Jamie's disc. The Remains of the Day could be considered The Servant remade for the easily unnerved.

[perfectlyvague.livejournal.com]

Sapphire and Steel was my favouritest thing on telly before the invention of The Adventure Game...I also need to do Blakes 7 in its entirety (a lot of it was fillmed in the network of sky corridors that link the lecture theatres at Leeds university so we spent a lot of time running around it's red and black sheer 80sness pretending to be Avon.

I'm currently working my way through The Prisoner which is as spectacular as it ever was and Quantum Leap year 1 which is weak as they didn't really know what the plot was or get the format right until the end of the second season.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I've only ever seen the first episode of Blake's 7, which didn't grab me, and I'm told it went downhill from there. As for Quantum Leap...ugh!

But I am sure that in the fourth millennium AD The Prisoner will still be renowned, and rightly so.

[femme-letale.livejournal.com]

Tell me about your first and second favorite magazines.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

www.smokelondon.co.uk
www.idler.co.uk

[femme-letale.livejournal.com]

Good choices and some coherence in the format, you stylish chap!