The Lost World (1960)

 

The idea of a hitherto lost place somewhere on Earth where evolution had stopped enabling dinosaurs to stomp about was a popular one in the early twentieth century. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle got there first with The Lost World published in 1912 (sadly he never penned a crossover in which Sherlock Holmes fought dinosaurs) followed six years later by Edgar Rich Burroughs’ Land That Time Forgot. The story beats of both are remarkably similar and having recently watched the Burroughs adaptations it feels like he copied Conan Doyle’s premise not just in the scenario but the characters who undertake the journey and what happens to them after arrival down to the eccentric professor and chauvinism aplenty

 

Top of the Pops 25 October 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Jakki Brambles: “Hello, good evening, and welcome along to Top of the Pops the nation's top music TV show and you can hear us loud and proud in stereo on Radio 1FM. Our first artist this evening broke rehearsals with the reformed Go-Go's especially to join us here tonight. Please will you welcome at number fourteen Belinda Carlisle.

 [14] BELINDA CARLISLE: (We Want) The Same Thing. There's a moment when it looks like Stanley Appel has pulled off a sneaky edit into a pre-recorded performance. The Main Stage behind Jakki Brambles is in darkness and, just as the lights begin to flash, the caption appears in a way that obscures the bottom of the picture where the artists would be. This is followed by an abrupt cut to a close up of the drummer. All this made me suspect I'd just watched an extremely cunning piece of editorial slight of hand. I hadn't, as the end of performance pull-back revealed.

What's going on with the Crows Nest this week? It's empty again and the colour screen has been put behind it. It's the inconsistency I can't stand. (John- Think how the Crows feel)

Leonard and Hungry Paul review

 

Sometimes the most low key dramas can contain a lot more truth than higher profile, more spectacular ones. Leonard and Hungry Paul is a case in point. Its deceptively ordinary premise brings up universal questions and moments that make you stop and think. It might be described as an example of “gentle comedy” even if that phrase is loaded with prejudice. Perhaps its time to claim it back.

 Spoilers after this point

Top of the Pops 11th & 18th October 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

 11/10/1990

 Bruno Brookes: “Good evening. Welcome to all the hits in vision. This is Top of the Pops on a Thursday night. Hope you're well, you've had a good day. There are eleven new entries on the chart this week, and hopefully we will feature as many as we can during this show. Well to start off, with a new entry at twenty one, Sisters of Mercy and this song called More.”

 [21] THE SISTERS OF MERCY: More. Bruno Brookes is wearing a terrible pair of brown trousers. They are pleated in a way that causes a pouch to balloon outwards and down from his crotchal zone. This is matched to a nasty shirt with a brown bit designed to look like he is wearing a waistcoat. At least it does from the front, when Bruno Brookes turns round, the pattern doesn't continue down the back of the shirt which renders it pointless. The ensemble is hideous.

There's a chance to have a nice long look at two of the hand held camera operators doing their thing. It looks great and neither of the pair do the traditional oops-I've-nearly-been-spotted duck and cover move. Clearly Stanley Appel is more relaxed about the technical crew appearing on screen and quite right too. I love being able to see the behind the scenes team.

Peacemaker review

 

I came late to streaming and with one thing and another it took me till this year to watch Peacemaker. Luckily as soon as I’d watched the first season, the second one came along so I’ve been able to see it slightly differently from someone whose waited three years for a follow up. I wasn’t sure at first if I liked it as I often have an aversion to expletive heavy, overly violent, fast paced stuff that just seems not to be made for me in my quiet suburban life. Yet, guess what? This expletive heavy, overly violent, fast paced series turns out to be a multi faceted creature that can give you edge of seat thrills, gasps of laughter and then something really sweet. It’s epic in the best possible way yet also intimate when it wants to be. And it’s got the perfect cast. If you’ve not seen it and like me previously think it might not be for you then I’d give it a go.

Top of the Pops 4 October 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Simon Mayo: “Hello. Good evening. It's great to be back on Top of the Pops. Be... Before 7.30 we have the Pet Shop Boys, Mariah McKee, an outrageous piece of film from Bobby Vincent, and starting at number seven with Twenty Four Seven featuring Captain Hollywood, this is I Can't Stand It... the noise is unbelievable tonight.”

 [7] TWENTY 4 SEVEN Featuring CAPTAIN HOLLYWOOD: I Can't Stand It! What has Simon Mayo been up to? He's not been seen since 31/05/1990. In June he defected to another Thursday night programme called Life On One. “A topical magazine aimed at helping you survive the nineties.” This ran weekly from 28/06/1990 to 13/09/1990 and, along with the  Radio 1 Breakfast Show, presumably left little time for Top of the Pops. Although he did have time to record a Radio 1 series called In My Life, 10 one hour episodes about the life and music of John Lennon. Busy busy busy.

Timothee Chalamet’s weird Instagram live short reviewed

 Is this promo short better than most of this year’s films?

Usually early trailers can be wayward suggesting a film that the movie they are promoting is definitely not but yesterday’s Instagram Live teaser for Marty Supreme might be better than most of this years’ films. It’s certainly odder. You have to watch it at least twice to understand what you’re seeing shot as it was at dusk with a dull sky. All the fuss has been about the full reveal of star Timothee Chalamet’s new shorn barnet but there are a lot of interesting things happening here.

Master of the World (1961)

 

Jules Verne was a popular go-to source for action films in the Fifties and Sixties. The likes of Around the World in 80 Days, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Mysterious Island and 20,000 Leagues Under the sea did their best to interpret Verne’s vivid stories albeit with budgets that were not always large enough and cinematic effects not fully developed to be convincing. Yet you can’t beat a good idea and these movies were not always adaptations intended to necessarily match Verne’s vision but designed to make a lot of money from ground breaking special effects and heroic action. Released in 1961, Master of the World puts together two of the author’s books for a story with an interesting moral dilemma.