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Things I enjoyed watching in 2017 (part I)

This is a list, in no particular order, of the series, documentaries and movies that stood out for me in the televisual viewing arena of 2017.

 

The Roosevelts - An Intimate History and Ken Burns. 

Image from here

It's no secret that I am a keen documentary aficionado. There is nothing quite like the pleasure of stumbling across a super fine doco. My last big "Wow" moment regarding documentaries was discovering the marvellous work of Adam Cutis (who I've written about before). This year, I discovered another great documentary film maker in Ken Burns. I watched "The Roosevelts - an Intimate History" first and was so completely absorbed by it that I am now keen to watch all his work. Ken Burns manages to make his beautifully constructed documentaries both very entertaining and very informative. Each episode in any of his documentaries is packed with insights and revelations about the subject matter he tackles in addition to social and historical back drop details that really give you a feeling that you are being presented with the complete picture. So far, the other Ken Burns documentaries that I would highly recommend are "Cancer - the Emperor of all Maladies" and "Vietnam". 

Comrade Detective

Image from here.

Maybe like a lot of people, I started watching this 1970s Romanian Soviet era detective series thinking it was for real! I thought it was hilarious with its deliberately clunky anti-capitalist plot lines and narrative! Then after some investigation, I found out it was a spoof that takes off propaganda Soviet era tv. But it is beautifully done (really shot in Romania with Romanian actors and dubbed over by well known American actors) and still amusing once you get the gag. And actually, by episode two I started watching it as a straight detective story and I found the pointed comments about capitalism actually pretty thoughtful. It's well made, smart and fun.  

Mindhorn

Image from here.

Like "Comrade Detective" this comedy/ detective movie is based on a fictional 1970s era detective series, however this film is set in the present and involves the "has-been" lead actor of the 1970s detective show, "Mindhorn" being roped in as part of a present day crime investigation. It was co-written and stars one of my favourite British comedians Julian Barnett (Of "The Mighty Boosh" etc) who is engagingly silly as actor Richard Thorncroft. This trailer gives you a good idea of "Mindhorn".

The Revenant

Image from here.

I know this was a 2016 academy award winning masterpiece, but I only just watched it last week! I wouldn't normally persevere with such a sad and brutal tale, but the cinematography, acting and story telling film craft are out of this world terrific. No wonder it was so well thought of at the time.  

Mindhunter

Image from here.

"Mindhunter" is the David Fincher FBI drama that (maybe partly true?) explores the beginnings of FBI profiling for serial killers in the United States. It was a very different sort of police series in that it was not really a procedural, but then again it wasn't really straight drama either. Being a David Fincher production, it looked great and the acting was solidly well done. The music also, both overt and atmospheric, was particularly noteworthy. I think there's another series in production which should be interesting as I'd like to see where the plot line takes the characters.

 

Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot - Jacques Tati

Image from here.

Maybe you have already seen this 1953 gem, but I only just managed to see it this year. It is enchanting! I now understand why Jacques Tati is held in such high regard. 

Honourable mentions:

1) The Crown series 2 - just as good as the first. 

2) Ozark - I liked it despite the grim story line, largely due to the fabulous location and the fine acting put in by Jason Bateman and Laura Linney.  

3) Becoming Bond - the George Lazenby story. What an incredible ripping yarn!!

4) Bosch series 3 - Still good for me in series 3.

5) Carol - Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are wonderful in this 1950s period piece romance by Todd Haynes. 

6) Friday on my Mind - The story of the Easy Beats. Some real finds here acting wise. The young actors who played George Young and Stevie Wright have a big future ahead of them I think! It was also fun watching the second part and playing spot the Kings Cross, Rocks and Potts Point locations standing in for London!

Grandmaster Kitten

This is Grandmaster Kitten. He has the tunes and the rhymes to start any party. Here's his favourite rhyme:

 

I'm Grandmaster Kitten here on the tables

selecting wicked beats whenever I am able

I am the kitten that will get the whole place jumpin'

the people really think that I'm a special somethin'

Joseph Saddler - the man he is my scratching king

he's the pioneer who began the hip hop thing

with him and the Furious rhyming up a storm

the breaks and the hip hop revolution was born

it is my aim to pay tribute to their skills

that I may do my job and give the people thrills

 

So, just so you know, the Joseph Saddler mentioned in the rhyme above is the legendary Grandmaster Flash who along with his Furious Five were one of the first 'groups' to perform hip hop way back in the mid seventies. Incidentally, there is an interesting documentary on Netflix at the moment called "Hip Hop Evolution" which talks about the beginnings and overall history of hip hop over the past four decades.

Vale David Bowie

Images from here, here, here, here and here. And more DB photos here.

Bande À Part

This is my latest Nouvelle Vague poster: Jean-Luc Godard's Bande À Part. Apparently, Godard described the film as "Alice in Wonderland meets Franz Kafka". If you haven't seen it, you are in for a treat! It is a must see for film aficionados and is famous for its "minute of silence" scene, the run through the Louvre scene and the famous "Madison dance" café scene. Other bits of trivia about the film are:

1) it is narrated by Jean-Luc Godard himself.

2) the lovely lead actress Anna Karina was Jean-Luc's muse and wife and appeared in several of his films. 

3) the three lead characters practiced their dance scene in bars and nightclubs in and around the Latin District.

4) Quentin Tarantino named his production company "A Band Apart" and paid homage to the "Madison dance" sequence when he had John Travolta and Uma Thurman dance together in Pulp Fiction.

5) it was Godard's seventh film.

If you'd like to read more about this iconic film, there is a good essay here you can sink your teeth into.

Images form here.

Juliette Gréco - French icon.

 

I only found out about the French actress and chanteuse Juliette Gréco the other day. Are you familiar with her at all? Well, if not here is a neat summary of the who, what and where of Juliette Gréco:

1) She was born 7th, February 1927 in Monpellier, France.

2) During World War II, she became involved in the Résistance for which she was arrested, and then released a few months later.

3) During the 50s and 60s she became a bohemian and hung out with people like Jean-Paul Sartre who famously said she had "millions of poems in her voice".

4) She was married three times and went out with Miles Davis for a while whom she describes as  "one of the most elegant men I have known".

5) She declined a seven year Hollywood contract because it felt "inappropriate".

6) At 86, she is still very much in demand as a singer, having had a performance in the Paris Olympia in May last year, and as a model - she is YSL's brand ambassador. 

 

There is an interview and article about her here at The Gaurdian. Images from here.

Royal Philips

Did you know that the Dutch technology company Philips is actually properly called Royal Philips? No, I didn't know that either.  Based in Amsterdam, Royal Philips was established in 1891 by father and son Gerard and Einfhoven Philips. The first thing the company produced were carbon-filament lamps. If you would like to know more, the Philips museum website has some interesting tidbits and history about the company. I also found a nice back catalogue of past advertising campaigns dating back to the late 1800s. I've selected a few of my favourites here.

All images from here.

Princess Margaret

Glamorous Princess Margaret was a great beauty in her youth and was famously fond of hanging out with artists, musicians, actors and other cultural types. However, did you know that in 1953 she directed a West End play called The Frog? You can read more about this incident here in an article published in The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Thursday, the 3rd of June 1954. I particularly liked this quote from the article: "... the mink and diamond audience applauded tumultuously". 

Images from The Apartment, Motilo and The Daily Mail.

Four things I've learnt so far this weekend...

1. Pantone have decided emerald green is 2013 personified. Yes, Pantone have an "it" colour for 2013 and it's green number 17-5641.

Image from here.

2. When author Gabriel García Márquez was writing One Hundred Years of Solitude he listened to The Beatles for inspiration. In fact he says he played some of their records so much he wore them out.

Image from here.

3. Mad Men season six is really wonderful. I watched the first two eps. and they were super fine!

Image from here.

4. Steven Soderbergh’s Liberace bio pic Behind The Candelabra: The Secret Life of Liberace looks like it could be a lot of fun. See the just released trailer here. 

Images from here.

Alison Goldfrapp

I occasionally listen to Alison Goldfrapp's 2005 album Supernature. It's sort of glam era revival meets noughties electronic dance music. This song reminds me of something Marc Bolan would most definitely like to tap his toe to. She has a nice soprano voice and the production which she does herself with her partner Will Gregory is pretty lush. Apparently, when Kylie Minogue heard this song, Lovely 2 C U, she ran to her producer and demanded he make her sound just like Alison Goldfrapp! I have my upper limits for this sound, but it's nice to listen to from time to time. Anyway, I googled her and discovered people are mad about her. I can see why, she's quite a beauty.

Images from here and here.

Oz Day.

Happy Australia Day world! I am a little late as Australia Day is almost over, but my excuse is that I have been busy. Busy as in escorting enormous huntsmen spiders out the front door, eating fantastic sugary watermelon, climbing the biggest hill in Sydney (Bellevue Hill), doodling siamese pussy cats (see blog post later this week or possibly tomorrow depending on how I feel), watching cracking British retro drama and generally enjoying myself.

However, in celebration of Oz Day I have compiled a list of 10 of my favourite Australian Rock and pop songs for your listening pleasure:

1. Tantalized - The Church (Hey Day)

2. Amnesia - The Vines (Winning Days)

3. It's a Long Way to the Top if You Wanna Rock'n Roll - AC/DC (High Voltage)

4. Stay Young - Inxs (Underneath the Colours)

5. Streets of Your Town - The Go Betweens (16 Lovers Lane)

6. According to my Heart - The Reels (Five Great Gift Ideas From The Reels)

7. I want you Back - The Hoodoo Gurus (Stoneage Romeos)

8. I Hope I Never - Split Enz (True Colours)

9. Can't Say No - Beasts of Burden (Low Road)

10. Red Right Hand - Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (Let Love In)  

P.S. If you can't manage to watch or listen to all of these beauties at least watch the clip for Acca Dacca's It's a Long way to the Top - it's a pearler!!!

 

Martin Sharp Oz Magazine cover from here.