Six songs doesn’t sound like much, but the runtime is a healthy 38 minutes.
Bowie was in a bit of a tormented state around this time, partly because of all the coke, and partly because he’d just finished playing the lead role in The Man Who Fell To Earth, a role which affected him somewhat. Continue reading
Reporter: What if Mrs. Castle says “no deal”? How will you cope then?
Rita: Cope? How will we cope? We’re women. Now, don’t ask such stupid questions.
I expect adjectives such as “gritty” are used to describe this sort of film, where families live in tower blocks and fridges get repossessed. It had a sort of Full Monty feel about it, the Working Classes making the best of a bad deal and everyone lives happily ever after because the benchmark was so low in the first place. I enjoyed watching it and rooting for the women, but I didn’t think it was a happy ending, when, as Rita told her husband when he was expecting to be thanked for helping out with his own kids, “That’s as it should be.”
Sally Hawkins is well cast as Rita, the accidental heroine of the strike; while Miranda Richardson has a couple of unavoidable “Who’s queen?” moments as fiery MP Barbara Castle, and Pete spotted Toby from the West Wing as the Evil Capitalist from America.
Made In Dagenham takes material that is potentially as dreary as the faux-leather upholstery of the Ford seats the women are stitching, and makes it sexy and funny to watch, but left me with a slightly bitter aftertaste. At one point, Castle offers the women a pay rise bringing them up to 75% of the men’s salary, and the fact that it was less than this to start with shocked me. But isn’t it still the case that nearly half a century later, there is a real gender pay gap? And isn’t it still the case that there are men in management who do treat women as decorative tea makers? And didn’t the manufacturers’ threats to move their operations out of the UK come true anyway?
This may have been a feelgood film, but its effects are rather short-lived.
Bernard and I have just finished reading Danny the Champion of the World, which is my favourite Roald Dahl book. I was struck by the part where Danny and his dad walk a mile to school, down country lanes, and his dad always has something interesting to tell him about the things they see and hear on the way. Our walk to school takes five minutes, from the end of the cul de sac, across the road and round the corner. We spot such gems as other people’s recycling boxes, cars parked on the double yellow lines, and kids on scooters.
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As I write this I am on a train, returning from our monthly pilgrimage to the Science Museum. Once a month (last Wednesday of the month, except in December) the museum opens late for an adults only night. A museum with lots if interactive exhibits, no children, and booze! What’s not to love? Continue reading
Darlings, picture if you will a West End cinema, crowds of paparazzi gathering like a pack of twinkling, snapping wolves, and the personally invited stars of Uborka all dolled up in our finest, shimmering shimmying along that red carpet.
This is a new sort of multiplex with all the screens in one room, and handy headphones so we can all watch our chosen films, or dip into others as we prefer. The bot is wheeling up and down the aisles with drinks and popcorn (three kinds) on a tray. In 1977 it cost less than 50p to go to the cinema, and we all had a box of poppets.
Uborka’s own Lord Pete actually wore a tie to work this week, and looks super hot in it too, though it’s always a good idea to wear other clothes as well. His part of the cinema has a recliner chair on his own oriental rug, and he is well supplied with white russians to go with his film. That white powder you see? That’s milk.
Over in the book-lined corner, Dr Pockless is sitting at a desk with his pint, taking notes as he watches terribly serious Japanese films. Please stay awake for the lecture later. Confused by the Japanese theme, Lyle keeps trying to offer Dr P a swig of his kamikaze, and encourage him to watch the Blues Brothers with him. It will come as no surprise to regular viewers to hear that Lyle has a full tank of gas.
I’m not familiar with Asta‘s choice of film, but it sounds lovely, and just the thing for a rainy January afternoon, along with that optimistic Tequila Sunrise.
Bekki will no doubt be happy about the service from ubotka to go with her film, and who could say no to stolen Dom Perignon? You can use some of that to mix up Krissa‘s French 75, and here’s a stick to stop ubotka from mooning over her in an annoying fashion. He’s smitten. Oh, and a lateincoming Pix with tears in her whisky and a clever-sounding film.
I heard mention (via Kirsty on twitter this morning) of a cocktail called a Large Hadron Colada, and I want one of them. Hm, I’ve a hankering to watch Gravity again…
For film club next week, we’re posting and commenting about Cloud Atlas and Made In Dagenham. We’ve also got Pete’s next Bowie review, and it’s time to think of your February Where Are You Now posts. We’re going to spend a portion of the weekend getting stocious with the Gammidgys; wish us luck.
Come and get your drink, and take this opportunity to choose a film for everyone to watch.
We’ve been here before.
We’re going round in circles.
I don’t think Gandalf meant us to come this way.
Gandalf didn’t mean for a lot of things to happen
Who wants to watch a film with us? What shall we watch? Whatever we watch, do it over the weekend, and next week (Monday to Thursday ish) everyone can post and discuss their reviews. Or shall we have one post and discussion in the comments? We used to be a lot more organised than this, didn’t we?
It’s a lovely month to go running, isn’t it? RunKeeper keeps telling me I’ve broken new personal records for the most activities in a month. I think that’s because I only started using it part of the way through December, but still, how lovely!
Last week I ran 10k for the first time, and on Monday I did a nice 5 miles. I am constantly confused by the changing units, and also by the fact that sometimes RK announces that I have just run a mile in 7 minutes, which simply isn’t true.
I’ve signed up for a 10k on 1st March, and I’ve got a tentative plan for another on 12th June and perhaps this London one (women only!) at the end of September. Does anyone fancy joining me? Or indeed have you got plans of your own that we should celebrate here on the ‘borka?