Category: TV and Film
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I have a memory of a 80’s or 90’s British TV comedy sketch character visiting a Poundshop with his friend Alan. Alan would always ask, “How much is it?” To which the reply was always an exasperated “It’s a pound, Alan!”
Poundland sold for £1 with shops set to close: bbc.com
Person of Interest 101
The voicemail asked me to call 101 and quote my call reference number.
It took three attempts to get through to a human being. I guess they really are all busy dealing with emergencies.
“‘Ello, ’ello, ’ello. What is the nature of your call today?” (Why do police officers always talk like this?)
“I reported a crime online yesterday. I got a text and voicemail asking me to quote my call reference number…”
“Is that Mr Marsden?”
“Why, yes it is!” (Impressive detective work!)
“I’m afraid the online reporting form isn’t very helpful. It sends the information to us in a way that makes it difficult to understand what actually happened. Just give me a minute while I go through it.”
[A full five minutes on hold later…]
“Hello sir. You want to report the theft of your son’s scooter?”
“Yes, that’s correct.” (By now I wanted to report the theft of what little hope I’d had left when I started dialling the call.)
“Does the school have any cctv footage?”
“Yes, they do, but they haven’t reviewed it yet, as far as I know.”
[Another five-minute intermission.]
“We’ll need to take a statement from you and your son. The earliest I can visit you is next Friday between 8 and 9 a.m., or 12 and 1 p.m.?”
“My son will be either going to school or already at school during those times.”
“What about next Saturday?”
“Yes, that would be better. My only concern is that, by then, we will have lost not only his scooter, but what little chance there was of ever getting it back or finding out what happened to it. When I was growing up, the police would have just visited the school…”
“Yes, same here. Unfortunately, we can’t just go into schools these days. But don’t worry - this case won’t just be sitting on my desk.”
Somewhere out there, Finch and Reese are watching every camera feed in New York, saving lives in real time with the help of an all-seeing AI.
Meanwhile, in my corner of the UK, a ten-year-old’s scooter vanishes in broad daylight, and the only Machine involved is caller id at the local police station.
“OK. Thank you, officer.”
Rewatched Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story. Two episodes brilliantly produced. Halfway through I was still thinking he couldn’t possibly have done it. By the end I was watching clips of (among others) Huw Edwards and Philip Schofield telling me what we all already knew.
📺 Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story (2022) - ★★★★☆
🍿 A Complete Unknown (2024) - ★★★★☆
I really enjoyed this take on Bob Dylan’s electrifying personal highway to rock ’n’ roll superstardom hell amidst the increasingly furious shaking heads and would-be axe-wielding cable choppers of the folk establishment and elder guitar heroes.
Probably helps if you’re a Dylan fan. If you’re not, or you’re easily bothered by historical/factual inaccuracies in a “it’s the truth even if it didn’t happen” style movie then you should probably give it a miss.
Superb cast with highlights being Timothée Chalamet’s perfect portrayal of the obsessively creative introverted asshole Dylan and Monica Barbaro’s sensitive counterpoint as the already-a-superstar, slightly uptight but all-too-forgiving and exploited Joan Baez.
📺 Secret State (2012) - ★★★★☆
Inspired by the book, this is a very different take on A Very British Coup. I enjoyed the gritty reality of 80s’ Harry Perkins, but the New Labour version with “Tom Dawkins” was so well done it made me want to throw up (in the scene-setting first episode, at any rate). Second and third episodes were much better and looking forward to the finale tonight. Featuring Gina McKee from Our Friends Up North in a strong cast.
🍿 Ex Machina (2015) - ★★★★☆
I’m guessing this enjoyable sci-fi thriller was intended as a warning against the perils of AI becoming evil and turning against humanity. The humanity in this case, is a narcissistic, megalomaniac, alcoholic social media billionaire recluse and modern day Dr Frankenstein, so I was rooting for the beautiful female robot long before the end. That “she” could plot her escape by out-manipulating and out-murdering “her” creator means “she” passed the Turing Test for being indistinguishable from a human. “She” also left for dead the amiable and sympathetic protagonist she played for a love fool and stole his helicopter ride out of the insane asylum/laboratory/abattoir back to normality and observing humans at traffic intersections (where the poor lovesick fool had agreed to go on a date with “her”).
I couldn’t help feeling that if “she” had really achieved humanness “she” would, at least, have saved her wannabe boyfriend, and they could have lived happily ever after, but maybe that was the whole point?
A Very British Coup.
Watched the first two (of three) episodes of A Very British Coup (also available on YouTube) last night.
First broadcast in the summer of 1988, when socialist Tony Benn came close to being elected as deputy leader of the Labour party, then in opposition to Margaret Thatcher’s Tory government.
Radical socialist and Sheffield Wednesday fan Harry Perkins becomes the UK prime minister, with financial backing for his government’s economic policies from the state bank of Russia after the US, CIA, Labour “moderates” and the British establishment conspire to subvert the democratic will of the people.
Plenty of echoes in today’s political environment, and great acting from Ray McAnally, Keith Allen and others. Doesn’t seem dated at all.
Some things never change.
Wolves match report
We watched Wallace and Gromit this afternoon, which everyone enjoyed, little kid was particularly excited.
After that, despite protests from the kids, I watched United at lowly Wolves. I’d been convinced beforehand that this was a game the new Portuguese manager must surely win. At half-time it was 0-0 and I thought it was hard to see either team scoring (or not conceding).
Within a couple of minutes of the restart Bruno stupidly got himself sent off for fouling the Wolves right back in the Wolves’ half. Needless, and it left the ten men looking bereft without their leader, talisman, only creative outlet and most likely goal threat.
Wolves soon capitalised and deservedly went ahead. I thought United looked a little better when Casemiro and Eriksen replaced the ineffectual Mainoo and Ugarte in central midfield late on, but even then United looked like they did under Ten Hag - lost.
Yes, we can see what the new manager is trying to do. 3-4-2-1. But it doesn’t work, for whatever reasons. And like Ten Hag, he has no Plan B. Can he have lost the dressing room already? He seems to have alienated Rashford and Casemiro, and while both have their faults, both could be important players, too. Their replacements are worse.
Wolves scored a second with virtually the last kick of the game, and their new Portuguese manager recorded his second win in two games playing 3-4-2-1.
In my opinion, United should be playing a counter-attacking 4-3-3 and playing to our strengths (fast wingers), which would secure our perennial weakness (central midfield), and protect our defence. Instead we’re playing a new system, which no one seems to understand and that seems to play to no one’s strengths.
Of course, maybe we just need more patience and in another ten games it will all look different. Or we could be looking over our shoulders at the bottom three.
