Film Reviews- Deadpool & Wolverine, Twisters

 

Deadpool & Wolverine  is a brutal buddy movie. It takes that age old story of two people who would never work together forced to do so for the greater good. Its just that it takes a lot of fighting- and I mean a lot- before they do! The opening sequence sets out the stall with no holds barred  - physically or narratively- hard edged yet containing some nuggets that make this more than just one massive series of punch ups. Deadpool was always the outlier of the superhero stable who was able to go to more extremes than other genre movies and I was wondering whether this would change now he’s been fully admitted to Marvel’s mainstream. The answer is hardly at all.

 

Batman Unmasked!

 In a large warehouse near Manchester Piccadilly station the Batman Unmasked exhibition has swung in and will be there till the end of August. Its celebrating 85 years of the iconic character and his enemies across all media. Original props, costumes, artwork and interactive areas combine to create an impressive display well worth visiting if you're a Batfan.  The event is due to move to London afterwards.  Here's some pictures I took there yesterday but there's lots more to experience for yourself...

Top of the Pops 29 June 1989

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Bonus master tape bit: Images from a rewinding VT. A wide shot of the studio with the Rebel MC gazing out at an indifferent crowd. A countdown clock. The Top of the Pops logo.

The picture stabilises on the title sequence countdown clock (backed by Bananarama singing Cruel Summer '89). Burned in text at the top of the screen reveals the title sequence is by The Moving Picture Company and at the bottom there's a telephone number; 01-434-3100 and another number 01 437-3885, which is identified as CAR. A carphone? How very eighties.

The countdown clock is held on screen at 10. Crowd noise begins to bleed through the Bananarama track.

Iain McLean: “Ugh. Looks like we're gonna start in a moment. Got themselves ready. All the technical hitches are out of the way. We can start our show. Sorry about that but bear with us like you have done throughout the rest of the show just get s... ooh.. ooh. It's all sticky. Ooh. What is that? Why is that? Cause there's stuff on it. [New 30 second clock appears on screen and starts counting going down] Alright. We're back again. You're lucky. You're gonna see it twice. People at home can only see it ONCE! YEAH! C'mon let's here you ch [audio cuts out]”.

 Titles.

 

Stuff: General Election, Coldplay @ Glastonbury and more

I suppose I should mention the UK General Election which reaches its conclusion on Thursday. From its soggy birth through wet campaigns its not been the most riveting event even if Ed Davey ends up flying to the Moon.  It feels as if none of the parties have an agenda to inspire which may be a sign of the times. Bold political thinking is long gone which means that manifestoes tend to seem similar overall and you sort of know that whichever side wins the same people will benefit and most won’t .

 

Top of the Pops 22 June 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby

Simon Mayo: “Hi. Good evening. Welcome to Top of the Pops, on BBC1.”
Gary Davies: “And also on Radio 1FM in stereo. An action-packed programme tonight. In the studio we have the Bangles.”
Simon Mayo: “And Clannad.”
Gary Davies: “And D Mob.”
Simon Mayo: “And Beautiful South.”
Gary Davies: “But first to get us underway. Here's Living In A Box.”
Simon Mayo: “Number thirty seven. This is Gatecrashing.”
Gary Davies: “Woo!”

 

Top of the Pops 15 June 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby
Mark Goodier: “Hello. Welcome to Europe's top TV and radio pop show. With stereo sound on Radio 1FM. And making his debut on the Pops, Simon Parkin.”
Simon Parkin: “Thank you, Mark. What a programme we've got for you tonight. REM, Jason Donovan... in the studio, as are Fuzzbox at seventeen with Pink Sunshine."

[17] FUZZBOX: pink sunshine. Lead singer Vix is still waving her giant pin around. It looks lethal and could have someone's eye out.
“The gossip is there's going to be a cartoon series based on Fuzzbox.” Oh, really Mark? I must have missed it.

 

 

Doctor Who- Empire of Death review

These reviews have been very much instant mostly positive reactions to each episode but now we’ve reached the finale after what seems like a short run its time to reflect not just on the thrills of this particular episode but on the overall impact of the season. I do feel that when these eight episodes come to be rewatched without the twists and surprises they will seem less involving. I say this because the best bits for me have been those twists and surprises. Yet now I know them what is left? Unlike some of those knotty Steven Moffat episodes which actually need to be watched more than once, 2024 Doctor Who is more about instant reactions; the gasps and the LOLs. Like a lot of material that now streams into our homes it is not necessarily robust enough to hold up under closer scrutiny. I suppose that is appropriate for a culture increasingly obsessed with what is coming rather than what might already be here

 

Spoilers after the break

 

The Golden decade of the England football song

 

In the Nineties music and football reached a moment of harmony. New Order’s 1990 song `World in Motion` managed to both encapsulate sport and music without being embarrassing to either. It set the standard met by two other similarly inclusive songs ; 1996’s `Three Lions` and 1998’s `Vindaloo`. This trio rescued football songs from the mire in which they had hitherto lurked simply because these are great songs anyway even if you ignore the sport. Back in the Seventies and Eighties football songs largely consisted of a lyric about how the team was going to win the Cup, ironic really that few teams who released such songs managed to achieve that goal.