Let me hear you say 'Hitler's got one nut'

[alexsarll]

Tomorrow, this journal will have been running for five years. Five years! Which is not to say I've been writing it for five years, of course. Still. Blimey.

Churchill: The Hollywood Years is even better than I expected. While I would say that I love the Comic Strip's earlier films on this theme, Strike and GLC, when I sit down to watch them I find myself uncomfortably reminded of their flaws. But here, perhaps because Peter Richardson had something closer to a Hollywood budget, he could manage a better facsimile of the Hollywood style - and if you're attempting parody then you should always attempt to be as close as possible to your target, all except for the one axis you alter. So, having Christian Slater instantly puts you ahead of having a Comic Strip regular playing a Hollywood star playing the lead, and so forth. The remarkable thing is that as well as mercilessly mocking Hollywood's take on British history (I especially liked the loveable Irish Cockneys of Ye Olde Dick Van Dyke Street), they also manage to skewer a few targets within the real Britain both today (the nightbus scene) and historically (if Neville Chamberlain wasn't quite Leslie Phillips carrying Hitler's bags for him, he wasn't far off). Oh, and I realise that outside this context the following would be de facto evidence of insanity, but: Princess Margaret? Superhott.
Compared to which, Black Snake Moan could hardly compete. Put it this way - if you think a film with a nymphomaniac Christina Ricci chained to a radiator in her underwear sounds awesome, you'll be disappointed. If you think it sounds atrocious, you'll be pleasantly surprised. If the whole thing had been sold more as a film about the blues with a surprisingly effective supporting turn from Justin Timberlake, maybe everyone would have had a better idea what to expect.

In one of those handy developments where my interests intersect, the new Mountain Goats album has a song about HP Lovecraft.

Listening to the sixth series of Andy Hamilton's Hell-com Old Harry's Game, I found it entertaining enough but didn't quite get why some people esteem it so highly. They seem to have been casting around for new set-ups by that series, is that the problem? I mean, yes it works as a light topical and theological satire, but I'm not sure it's something that would reward repeat listening any more than HIGNFY? is rewatchable. And if it's not the case that everyone goes to Hell, why was Gandhi there? I just assumed from mentions like his that nobody makes Hamilton's Heaven, but apparently that's not it. So at least get a gag out of consigning someone like Gandhi to the flames!

Meanwhile, all the real world can offer is a new gay plague in San Francisco, why we were right to be scared of In The Night Garden and some fairly atrocious weather. I think I'm staying in hiding 'til February.

Comments

[apiphile.livejournal.com]

In one of those handy developments where my interests intersect, the new Mountain Goats album has a song about HP Lovecraft.

Excuse me while I sit here and shriek with joy for a bit!

[shewho.livejournal.com]

SCORE! one more person to join the ranks of C-THY fans. that's you and me, barry. the rest of teh world is composed of peons.

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

I am too scared to click on the in the night garden link. :S

[guntrip.livejournal.com]

In one of those handy developments where my interests intersect, the new Mountain Goats album has a song about HP Lovecraft.

It's also really, really good!

[perfectlyvague.livejournal.com]

In The Night Garden has terrified me since I was trawling the bottom of my Freeview list and first saw its name...watching it only made things worse.

Old Harry's Game has some blinding episodes in the later series, but they had rather overstretched the gag to breaking point past series 3. Radio 7 has just started from scratch again so you can hear some of the more glorious episodes featuring Gary - Scumspawn is alright but lacked the subtlety of Satan having a minion repeating Satan's original career hiccup. I think it's series 5 where he becomes Imam or Penge and the Pope...that's brilliant, that one.

[tintintin.livejournal.com]

But the lunacy of having, say, Robbie Coltrane playing Charles Bronson playing Ken Livingstone was the best thing about those Comic Strips!

I must confess, I had no idea that that Churchill flick was Peter Richardson. I might have given it a look at the cinema if I had. Ah well...

Re: Black Snake Moan.....

[silentbob9484.livejournal.com]

...it's on my DVD rental list. Looks like I'll be disappointed.

:(

[meerium.livejournal.com]

we inadvertantly ended up watching in the night garden with the sound down, whilst listening to a pentangle record (that sounds disturbingly like 'one song to the tune of another'), and it was, peculiarly, fab.

thanks much

[(Anonymous)]

i am gonna show this to my friend, bro