Disney Classics In Order - No. 2 Pinocchio

I bet you thought I’d forgotten about this, didn't you? I suspect I may have overreached myself a little on this. I may have to step up the frequency as, at this rate, it’ll take me a couple of years to get through ‘em!

Pinocchio (1937)
Dir. Ben Sharpsteen, Hamilton Luske (Supervising Directors), Bill Roberts, Norman Ferguson, Jack Kinney, Wilfred Jackson, T. Hee*
Based Upon:- “The Adventures of Pinocchio” by Carlo Collodi

The One Where
A lonely old bloke makes himself a wooden son who naturally gets brought to life by a blue fairy. Hijinks ensue.

General Viewing Notes
There’s a definite improvement in the quality of the animation in the three years since Snow White. While the Blue Fairy still has that slightly softer, ill-defined look seen in Snow White, Gepetto and the other human characters here are much more in keeping with the Disney style which is very much coming to the fore now. The pacing is much tighter here as well - there’s more a sense of things happening than in Snow White.

Disney Tropes
Some that we’ve seen before:- the character design for the animals and comedy characters is more appealing than that of the “regular” people; fake-out death for the main character. A couple of new ones:- creeping around in dark houses (also to be applied to Snow White); forlorn parental figure searching for lost child in poor weather; non-speaking animal comedy sidekick (both Figaro and Giddy).

Things You Notice As An Adult
- What are the rule sin this world? Honest John and Giddy are, respectively, a giant talking fox and a giant (non)talking cat. Everyone else is a regular human though and doesn’t seem to bat an eyelid at these massive freaks of nature. Have they drifted in from another Disney film? Or are Disney just testing the waters here before they go full-on anthropomorphic animals?
- The whole nose-growing-when-he-lies only happens once in the entire film and not until around fifty minutes in. Weird, feels like it was a much bigger part of the whole film.

Classic Songs - Are They?
When You Wish Upon A Star certainly feels iconic especially given as it’s subsequently become the intro heard at the start of every Disney film. Give A Little Whistle is certainly a catchy tune as is An Actor’s Life For Me but the latter starts to wear it’s welcome out by the end of the film

Continuity
At one point, Jiminy Cricket takes off his coat and jacket to go inside a lock in order to pick it. He hangs them on the lock; in the next shot, they disappear; when he comes out, Pinocchio hands them to him. Sloppy work, Disney….

Trivia
Books on the shelf next to Jiminy Cricket include Peter Pan and Alice In Wonderland. The shape of things to come….

Any Good Then?
It’s nicely animated and has some good character design work but the episodic nature of the story itself make this one fairly unsatisfying; effectively, Pinocchio drifts from one incident to the next and no villain ever gets their comeuppance for the way they treat him, he just gets away from them. It was never a favourite of mine as a nipper and I can see why. 

Next One Of These
A selection of classical music videos.

* Real name Thornton Hee but credits himself as T.Hee. Absolutely the best name for an animator ever.

TV Comedy Tie-In Books Extra - The Fictional Autobiography

Yep, I realise that this was last week’s set of themed posts but I did mention at the end of the last one that I didn’t get round to these so you’re getting a little addendum to the theme (and if you’re bored of the theme, there’ll definitely be something different along tomorrow as I’ve pretty much exhausted the collection now).

There seemed to be a bit of spate of these in the late 80s/early 90s, particularly themed around BBC sitcoms. The War Diaries Of Rene Artois (from ‘Allo ‘Allo) and Dad's Army - The Defence of a Front Line English Village both spring to mind, using the diary format to retell stories from episodes of the TV show. While I had both of these, they were less interesting as they were representing material I was already familiar with. I’m much more interested in books that give you something you didn't get on the show, like the examples below.

Confessions of a Late Night Talk Show Host : The Autobiography of Larry Sanders (actually by Garry Shandling and David Rensin)
I’m a big fan of the Larry Sanders Show and have recently enjoyed rewatching it all. This tie-in is particularly meta as Larry spends an episode writing his autobiography which is ostensibly what this is. There’s some nice background to Larry’s early life and a fleshing out of his first marriage but sadly the book kind of tails off in the second half, resorting to pages of pictures of celebs he’s interviewed with a bit of blurb about them. A nice attempt but feels a little thin and padded out.

I, Partridge: We Need To Talk About Alan & Nomad by Alan Partridge (actually by Rob Gibbons, Neil Gibbons, Armando Iannucci & Steve Coogan)
These are absolutely superb. Completely nail the character which is unsurprising given that they’re written by both his creators and the men who’ve been writing for him since Mid Morning Matters. It’s very much in Alan’s voice - even more so if you listen to the audiobook version narrated by Steve Coogan. In fact, these are two of the only audiobooks I’ve listened to in the entirety (I struggle to just listen to a single narrator for hours sometimes) and they are completely worth it. The nicest touches come in the form of Alan’s relating of events from the TV shows, shown through his own spin in order to paint himself in a better light. A nice little touch for those familiar with the source material as well as being a commentary on the self-serving nature of the celebrity autobiography. The second book, Nomad, is more of a commentary on the celebrity travelogue but is no less enjoyable for it.

Of the the ones above, I definitely recommend the Partridge ones. If you’re a fan of Alan Partridge in any way, these will definitely satisfy any cravings for more.

Actually, I Like It - 80s Bowie

I was thinking initially about titling this strand of blog posts “Guilty Pleasures” but I think I’m not actually that keen on the term. There’s a certain level of judgement implied there - that somehow there is one thing that defines a benchmark as “good” and, if the thing you like doesn’t fit into that, you should be ashamed about it. Seems a bit harsh to me - I reckon if you like something, just enjoy it. 

With that in mind, anything that falls under the banner of “Actually, I Like It” will be looking at stuff that perceived wisdom says is generally considered to be rubbish but I happen to have a soft spot for. You may well agree with the consensus on these things (as is your right) but I’m going to tell you why I disagree. Let’s kick off with the following oft-heard statement:-

“David Bowie wasn’t very good in the 80s”

He had his missteps in the 80s, sure. I’m not a fan of his Tin Machine work really and there are a few other clunkers but Bowie was someone who constantly wanted out to try out new things and, if you try out new stuff, sometimes it’s not going to hit. There are, however, some stone cold classics from that decade and here are the ones that I think prove that Bowie was still producing the goods in the 80s.

Let’s Dance
It’s a solid 80s pop tune and it does exactly what it says on the tin - it makes you want to put on your red shoes and dance the blues.

China Girl
Alright, maybe technically you could classify this as a 70s song given that Bowie wrote it with Iggy Pop and Iggy released his version of it in 1977. I’m talking about the David Bowie re-recording of it from 1983, though, which is, let’s face it, the one the everyone really knows.

Blue Jean
I always liked this as it had a more traditional Bowie feel to it and liked the video which features a nerdy version of Bowie trying to impress a girl by taking to see a painted, 70s-style version of himself perform, feeling a little like he was poking fun at himself.

Magic Dance
Look, when three things that you’re a big fan of collide - Jim Henson, Monty Python (Terry Jones wrote the script) and David Bowie - how can you not love everything to do with Labyrinth? It’s a bona fide classic and, if you say “You remind of the babe” to anyone of a certain age, they will be almost physically incapable of not giving you the next line. True fact.

Also, for cheesy reasons, I do enjoy Bowie and Jagger’s “two embarrassing dads dancing at a family reunion” video for Dancing In The Street. I do, however, see how this could support the argument that Bowie was crap in the 80s so fair play.

There you have it - reasons why Bowie in the 80s was still a good thing. Feel free to disagree, mind. I won't hear you, though, as I’m listening to my Bowie playlist...

WatchSeeLookView With Words - Playing With Form Again

So I’m doing alright with one of the not-a-resolutions so far (well, two I suppose if you count trying to write more given that I’ve managed so far to stick to my weekday postings) in that I’ve definitely been reading more. Sure, I read plenty in terms of website articles, magazines and comics but actual, honest-to-goodness books were definitely slipping down the list last year. I started off on a “reading slightly unusual books” theme and have carried on with it so here are the next selection of novels that take a slightly different approach to the form.

253 by Geoff Ryman
In A Nutshell:- Book-based representation of a seven and a half minute Tube journey.

Certainly unusual in both format and origins, this book started life as an online novel in the mid-90s (when the internet was barely even a thing) and has transitioned to book form. It follows 252 passengers and one driver on a seven and a half minute journey from Embankment to Elephant & Castle. Each chapter details the inner life and thoughts of one person in 253 words (plus footnotes), some of which interweave in surprising ways. It’s an impressive achievement and Ryman manages to deftly conjure up a convincing picture of each passenger in a very brief description. Given that it’s the same format for every entry, it’s a testament to his ability as a writer that I didn’t get bored.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
In A Nutshell:- On the island of Nollop, as the letters disappear from the phrase “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog” on the town statue so too do they disappear from the novel

It definitely feels like a writing challenge - can you write a whole novel with fewer and fewer letters available to you? - but no less enjoyable for that, this is a book that feels very appropriate in the current climate. Written in 2001 as a commentary on both small-minded insular thinking leading to totalitarianism and unquestioning religious fanaticism, it feels disturbing relevant in the current Brexit/Trump climate. In format terms, It’s one of the oldest formats - an epistolary novel* - but that it the best way to convey the increasingly desperate situation that the islanders are lead to due to the censorship of language. While it does deal with heavy themes, the ways in which the letter writers attempt to cope with and get around the banned letters brings a sense of joy and humour to the novel.

The Call by Yannick Murphy
In a nutshell:- A vet’s life unfolds in a series of reports based around call outs he receives

In terms of format, I enjoyed this one as it’s a very similar structure to most of my blog posts(!), i.e. sub-headings followed by details fleshing it out. It’s a leisurely paced novel and, while there are major events that impact the family within, it unfolds fairly slowly. Where it works best is in portraying a relatively realistic relationship between a husband and wife and a father and his children. Stylistically, this is probably the one that is trickiest to get into but I enjoyed it overall.

If you're looking for a read then that's a little different to the norm, any of the books above would be worth a go.

* Yes, I am being overly wordy today - if you’re not sure what that is, it’s a novel composed entirely of letters sent between characters.

TV Comedy Tie-In Books - The Script Book

Let’s round off this selection of posts with the books that, for a time, I was drawn to the most. Back in the day, there was a drive in me to make films and, to make a film, you need a script. I devoured every film script that I could but, being that I was also a big, old comedy nerd, I was drawn to the comedy script book as well. As mentioned, while I did enjoy having the complete scripts for Monty Python (largely because at ten time they came out I didn't have copies of the third or fourth series so this was new material to me), the books themselves paled in comparison to others that I was to collect over the years. Let’s pick out some of the top ones here.

The Hitch Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have spotted that I am cheating slightly in including this is a discussion of TV tie-in books but I’m going to allow it because a) the scripts are pretty close to the TV version too; b) it’s a splendid example of what a script book should be like; and c) it’s my blog, my rules, I can do what I bloody well like so yah boo sucks to you.
Why’s It Good:- Other than the fact that it’s Hitch Hiker’s and you get to see not only the dialogue that Douglas Adams but some of the amusing stage directions which aren’t replicated on air, this book scores highly for two important reasons - it contains a number of lines that were cut from the finished programme and each episode ends with a selection of footnotes about the writing and making of the episode by Douglas Adams and Geoffrey Perkins (the producer). Highly recommended for anyone who’s a fan of Douglas Adams.

The League Of Gentlemen: Scripts And That
Why’s It Good:- Containing the scripts of all three original series (and the Christmas special), this 600 page effort also has facsimiles of handwritten notes, behind the scenes photos and deleted scenes making it good value for money (and extremely heavy in the hardback version).

Father Ted: The Complete Scripts
Why It’s Good:- A masterclass in TV script books. A late but final version of the script is published here so there are differences to what was on screen. Each episode has an introductory note by each writer and then footnotes are scattered throughout each script, explaining, clarifying or highlighting differences between script and screen (including the reveal of Mrs Doyle’s first name early on in the first series which would have robbed them of a running gag later on in the show). If you love Father Ted, this is well worth a read.

So over the last few days, you’ve had a  brief overview to some of my personal highlights when it comes to TV comedy books. I didn't even get onto any of the mock autobiographies. Ah, there’s always another time...

TV Comedy Tie-In Books - The Heyday

While you did have some in the 70s such as Monty Python and The Goodies (whose three books, The Goodies File, The Goodies Book Of Criminal Records and The Making Of The Goodies Disaster Movie, are slightly unusual in that they have a running thread that continues on throughout the three books), it was really when you got into the 80s and 90s that the comedy book became pretty omnipresent. It wa sa standard expectation that a comedy show or comedian would produce a coffee-table book (as such things used to be referred to before becoming more likely to be be referred to as a toilet book) in time for the lucrative Christmas market. There are many that I have (and still do) enjoy so here’s whistle stop tour to some of the ones I enjoy the most.

Bachelor Boys: The Young Ones Book
Type:- “In-Universe”
Written as if it’s by Rik, Neil, Mike and Vyvian, this was another early one and one that was frequently thumbed through (alongside How To Be A Complete Bastard by Adrian Edmondson - not strictly a TV tie-in as such but presented by a version of Ade Edmondson that fits into the Vyvian/Eddie Hitler mode).

The Mary Whitehouse Experience Encyclopedia
Type:- “In The Style Of”
Presented as an encyclopedia but really probably the best way to represent a combination sketch and stand up show that was written by comedians with different styles. The format allows them all to be able to write in their own style and subjects of their own choosing. A big favourite amongst me and my mates at secondary school.

Shooting Stars With Reeves And Mortimer
Type:- Other
Basically, an attempt to allow you to play Shooting Stars in the comfort of your own home. The book itself was quite funny but the one thing that made it an essential purchase was the CD that came long it containing 50 songs sung by Vic Reeves “in the club style”. To this day, his rendition of Earth Song by Michael Jackson still cracks me up.

The League Of Gentlemen’s Local Book For Local People
Type:- “In-Universe”
Presented as a document on Royston Vasey, it’s a triumph of design, from the slipcover which is designed to look like stitched together human skin through the various pieces of Vasey paraphernalia ladi out as if it’s within a scrapbook belonging to Local Shop co-owner Tubbs Tattsyrup.

Honourable Mentions:-
Father Ted: The Craggy Island Parish Magazines (lovely design but the material’s not quite strong enough); The Not The Nine O’Clock News Book; The B’Stard File (from The New Statesman)’ Vic Reeves Big Night In; Head To Head With Smith And Jones

TV Comedy Tie-In Books - Monty Python

These were the books for me that kick-started my dedicated fascination with the comedy tie-in book. In particular, it was two books packaged together for sale:- Monty Python’s Big Red Book (which is blue, ha ha) and The Brand New Monty Python Papperbok (sic). Of the two, I prefer the Papperbok and there’s more new material in it but both have a pleasing design sense and play slightly with the form of the book itself, featuring differently sized insert pages to simulate brochures, etc.

This lead me to the script books for the films - Life Of Brian, Holy Grail and Meaning Of Life. Of those, The Meaning Of Life is perhaps least interesting as it merely reproduces the shooting script. The Life Of Brian is a massive A3 flipbook with the script (including some deleted material) on one side and a scrapbook with additional scenes, stories and articles on the other. The Holy Grail includes a very early draft of the film (which, although interesting to see their initial direction, would have been slightly disappointing seeing as it largely recycles the longest sketch from the shortened fourth series of the TV show) and also the budget sheet for the film as well as a large number of deleted/alternate scenes with crossings out and scribblings all over it.

In addition to the main Python books, you also had ones such as The Rutland Dirty Weekend Book, written by Eric Idle and based upon his follow-up show, Rutland Weekend Television as well as general comedy spin off books like Dr Fegg's Encyclopedia Of All World Knowledge (originally released as Bert Fegg's Nasty Book For Boys And Girls) , an educational textbook which appears to have been written by a psychopath (but was in reality written Michael Palin and Terry Jones)

(In the 90s, they did ultimately release two hardback script books for all four series of the TV shows but these really are just a transcript of what you see on screen with nothing in the way of any insight into the processes, discarded sketches, etc. of making an iconic TV comedy show. Very disappointing really.)

In large part, I think it’s the design that appeals for the more successful of their efforts. A chance to break out of the more traditional structures of a book and play around with the form a bit more. Like the comedy albums that were prevalent in the 70s and into the 80s, Python really embraced this as another way of getting material out there.

Of course, they weren’t the only ones doing it...

TV Comedy Tie-In Books - An Overview

Yes, it is an unwieldy title but I’ve gone with it now so let’s all just accept it and move on. They’re less of a staple these days but I would say that, from the 70s through to the early 00s, the TV comedy tie-in book was something of a staple. Definitely in the pre- and early VHS days, it was (much like the comedy album) a way for you to get another fix of comedy goodness in between your televisual doses. The very best ones (also like the comedy album) provided you with something new and fresh and probably experimented with the form a little bit. The laziest simply gave you a printed version stuff you’d already seen.

Being a big old comedy geek, I’ve always had a fondness for them. If I love a comedy show, I always want more and this was a good way to get another little fix. It was also one that, depending on the size of the book, could be taken with you. Yes, that’s right, youngsters, once upon time, you didn't have magic tiny telly screens in your pocket that could access everything ever broadcast. In the 1980s and 90s, we had VHS collections and, if they were substantial enough, you could build a small bunker out of them.

Comedy books over the years have tended to fall into a few main types. Let’s break those down:-

The Script Book
The most obvious option to plump for when considering your comedy tie-in book. At the most basic level, the least satisfying ones are simply a text-based reproduction fo what you get on screen. Interesting for those who are truly dedicated but not really rewarding you for shelling out your cash. The next level up will offer maybe a draft of the script that had some scenes deleted or altered for the broadcast section (and maybe a few pictures or illustrations too). You’re getting into territory that the real comedy fan can get into. The real top notch ones will give you some commentary and behind the scenes details too - these are the ones that will end be read more than once.

The "In-Universe" Book
This is your “book as written by the characters”. It could come in a few different forms. The most common tends to be the book equivalent of a sketch-based format with one or two pages at a time being “written: by one of the characters of the show. Again, these can be hit and miss - it all depends on how much original material you're getting thrown into the mix. The other format is an autobiography, again written by one or more of the characters. As before, freshness of material tends to play a factor in how successful it is.

The “In The Style Of” Book
These are a bit more nebulous and not so frequent but are books written in the style of another type of book, be it an encyclopedia, how to manual, etc. You’re more likely to get newer material.

Other
Not everyone goes with the same thing - some are trickier to categorise.

So, if those are the types, do I have any examples to highlight what I’m talking about? I reckon you can probably guess that I’m going to tell you to come back next time, can't you? Good, ‘cause I am.

WatchSeeLookView - Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Seeing as you haven’t had a film-related blog for at least a couple of days, let’s kick off the week with a review of an animated feature that’s currently still just about doing the rounds in the cinema.

Spider-Man:Into The Spider-Verse
Dir. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman / Dur. 117 min.

In a nutshell:- It’s the Spider-Man origin story that you didn’t realise you needed.

The Good:- Funny, bright, exciting, fast-paced, moving - this is the best Spider-Man film in...well, possibly ever. In an opening sequence (sort of) positions this as a follow up to the last Sam Raimi / Tobey Maguire Spider-Man film (and pokes a nice amount of fun at one of the worst moments in Spider-Man 3), we meet a blonde-haired Peter Parker who’s been web-slinging for 10 years. This isn’t his story, however - this is the story of Miles Morales, a teenager introduced as Ultimate Spider-Man in the comics world some time ago. Miles is convincingly a teenager of the modern age and straddles the line between cool and dorky. The film shows him becoming the Spider-Man that this world needs when tragedy befalls Peter Parker and shows his impact on not just this world but the multiverse as a whole.

Things That Are Fun:- As you would expect from the co-writer of The Lego Movie, it’s pretty much a comedy for much of its running time. The repetition of the origin montage for each subsequent Spider-Person is a good running gag. The sequence involving a newly-powered Miles Morales dragging an unconscious Peter Parker across New York is well-executed slapstick. The on-screen graphics for sound effects and inner thoughts that mimic the look and feel of a comic book. Nicolas Cage Cage-ing it up as the black-and-white, ‘30s-style Spider-Man Noir. The Warner Bros-style antics of Spider-Ham. The satisfyingly massive design of the Kingpin. The surprisingly emotional cameo from the late, great Stan Lee (the choice of wording feels very much like they knew this would be one of his last appearances). The post-credits gag scene. And much more besides.

The Bad:- The only real downside is that, as part of the visual stylistic choice, a few sequences have the doubled-up effect of looking at old school red-and-green 3D without the glasses which just make things look a little blurry but it’s really a very minor niggle.

The Verdict:- If you only bother with one Spider-Man film, make it this one. If you’re not really that into superhero films but like funny animated films then give this one a go. I thought this was a 90 min film until I looked up the running time and discovered it was nearly 2 hours! It flew past and I have to say that I’m already looking forward to watching it again. For once, here’s hoping there’s a Spider-Verse 2...

WatchSeeLookView With Words - Playing With Form

I definitely enjoy a simple tale well-told without resorting to bells and whistles. That being said, I also enjoy something that plays with form. I read a lot and, from time to time, I like to read something that doesn’t fit into your traditional form and format for a novel. Given their experimental nature, they may not always be one hundred percent successful but, if the concept is strong enough, that can carry through any of the limitations. Here are some examples of recent ones that I’ve read (along with an old classic that’s always worth a mention).

NB These are all books that I’ve read in their original paper, non-Kindle version and I think they benefit from being read in such a way (with maybe the exception of the last one which you could read either way).

The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall
In A Nutshell:- Eric Sanderson wakes up with no memory of who he is, only a cryptic trail to follow left apparently by himself
I have to admit, when it comes to television, the whole “amnesiac character has to piece together their life” thing is usually a big turn off for me but here, the mystery of who Eric Sanderson is and why his memory is missing is the cornerstone of the whole plot. It’s a fun novel with a fairly frantic pacing that lead to me to plough through it a few days. It’s got some sections that play nicely with the structure of the printed page as well as the first time I’ve ever seen a cinematic moment accurately rendered in printed form over a period of fifty pages (which takes seconds to “read”). My only minor criticism is that the riffing on a certain film goes on a little too long but how could I not enjoy a book that prominently features a grumpy cat called Ian?

Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris: Including Books, Street Fashion and Jewelry by Leanne Shapton
In A Nutshell:- The story of a relationship as told through items at an auction
Definitely one that’s heavy on the style element here (and quite possibly the longest title for a book that I've read) - the book is presented as an auction catalogue which traces the items owned by a couple from their first meeting onwards. The story of their relationship unfolds in the texts of postcards, letters, on the back of photos, in books and makes for a completely unique read. I definitely enjoyed the style of this (even if the life of the couple does seem utterly pretentious - not a trashy book in their entire collection!). It maybe has a few sections of items that a bit superfluous but overall I enjoyed it.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
In A Nutshell:- Wove. Twue wove.
“Hmm,” I hear you say, “does this one really count?” yes, I would say it does as the narrative device of the grandfather reading the book to his grandson is slightly replicated here in that Goldman claims to not be the author but is just the translator and abridger for the original Florinese text, prefacing some chapters with notes about the parts he’s excised, largely relating to Florinese history and customs and of little interest to the outside world. It’s a great technique and is a fun way to expand upon the authenticity of the world without pages and pages of background info dumping. Also, it’s The Princess Bride which is, in my opinion, even better in the original book version so actually, stop reading this and go off and read this right now instead. Go on, I can see you’re here. Alright, I’m stopping….now.

The Blog That Never Was

Writing’s a funny old business, really. Take this here bloggy thing. Sometimes a little spark of an idea or a sentence can kick off a whole post. The fingers clack away at the keyboard and it flows from beginning to end (relatively) easily.* At other times, though, I’ll start off and meander some way along before realising that what I’m trying to articulate is formless, aimless and not really going anywhere. At other other times, I’ll get distracted and move on to something else and the thread is either lost or just no longer seems as compelling as it was when the writing started. In a way, this is true for everything I try and write, not just this here blog thing.

There’s no real rhyme or reason to it, either. It’s not as if any one premise is particularly stronger then the other. Let’s face it, this whole blog is largely composed of the flimsiest of premises at the best of times (and definitely at the worst of times) so it’s not as if there’s a level of depth and nuance needed for the post to flourish. I guess that sometimes, my mind just doesn’t want to fully cooperate.

I’ll give you an example (which is basically my way of turning an abortive half-assed blog entry into a “fascinating insight into the mind of the writer” - yes, a statement that is by turns presumptive, arrogant and pretentious) . Here’s what today’s blog was starting out as:-

“Grumpy Middle-Aged Man

I can feel it happening. Like a very slow motion version of bookish Bill Bixby turning into green, muscle-bound Lou Ferrigno (only without the muscles)**, a transformation is underway. I’ve always been a relatively mild-mannered type with a fair-sized curmudgeonly/grumpy streak. Someone who, for the most part, doesn’t get too worked up about things and is willing to let things lie. That’s been shifting over the last few years though. My tolerance levels are lowering. 

I have bugbears now. Things that actively wind me up. Yeah, I could start to give you a list here but that’s really just stoking a fire of irritability that needs no stoking. It’s the beginning of a worrying trend, one that began with the middle-of-the-road-ing of my music tastes (as The Brother pointed out to me a while back, we used to laugh mockingly at Alan Partridge’s music tastes and now have playlists that aren’t entirely dissimilar) and one that is continuing with the early onset of old-man-shaking-the-fists-at-the-kids-in-the-time-honoured-get-off-my-lawn-gesture sort of thing. Sure, I get that it’s something that everyone goes through - a step past the realisation that you’re turning into the generation above you and a step further to accepting it and embracing it wholeheartedly with a comfy cardigan and a nice pair of slippers.”

And that’s it. It grinds to a halt there. I started it, went to do something else and, despite efforts to kickstart it, the thread was lost. I just don’t know where I was going to go with that or if it was going anywhere that wasn’t cliched or trite. Instead, you've got it as it is - a half-formed thought that doesn’t really say much of anything. Still, managed to wring something out of it, eh? Let me know if you want more half-baked musings, there’s the skeletons of a few old posts lurking around...

* Or as close as I get to an ending, anyway. The phrase “fizzle out” is truly well suited to describing most of the things I write on here.

** There’s a really old-school Hulk reference for you. None of your Mark Ruffalos, Edward Nortons or even Eric Banas here. 

UnResolutions

Traditionally, I’ve never really been one for the New Year’s resolution. For me, there’s something about making a prescriptive “thou shalt” or “thou shalt not” that is more likely to make my brain go “well, screw you, I bloody will/won’t”. I’m definitely not doing Dry January, I can tell you that for starters. I’d like to say that it’s for the altruistic reason of ensuring that our already struggling scene is maintained and not damaged by unnecessary abstinence but we all know that’s not the reason.

I do get the whole concept of using the New Year as a chance to kickstart yourself again after the indulgences and excesses of the festive period so, with that in mind, here are some things I’m going to attempt more of for 2019.

Read More
Because reading is great. I already read quite a bit but I’ve noticed over the last few months that I've spent more time on my commute watching stuff on my tablet than reading. There’s nothing wrong with that but I do love reading and need to remind myself of that. I’m also going to qualify it slightly - specifically, I’m going to try and read more books. I’m also going to read solely for pleasure, meaning that if I’m not enjoying a book, I’m not going to persevere with it. There are so many books out there that I want to get through that it really is a waste of my time to carry on with something I don’t like. 

I’m also going to try and branch out a bit. My preference is for sci fi, fantasy, humour or weird (something that doesn’t neatly fit into any one genre) but it’s good to try out new things. I recently read What A Carve Up by Jonathan Coe on the recommendation of The Brother and thoroughly enjoyed it - not something I necessarily would have picked up off my own bat.

Write More
I’d like to try and blog every weekday at least this year (no bugger reads blogs at the weekend). Will I have enough to say? Well, that’s always the eternal struggle, isn’t it? Outside of that, I’d like to spend more time writing for myself. I’m currently working my way through Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer and it’s a “how to” writing book that really speaks to me. 

Exercise
Yes, yes, I know this is the traditional one that everyone goes for in January but I’m in my forties and lead a sedentary office-based life much of the time (with occasional visits to pub-style establishments outside of that). I’ve got to make more of an effort. I’ve started by getting off the train at a stop further away from the office and walking for half an hour and will build up from there. Don't worry, I’m not going to turn into one of those people who suddenly discovers exercise late in life then won't stop banging on about it as if no one else has ever done it before. No one wants that.

So not resolutions then but desires, suggestions, aims for 2019. Let’s see if I just repost this next January with the dates changed, shall we?

Disney Classics In Order - No. 1 Snow White And The Seven Dwarves

Everyone likes a themed set of blog posts…. alright, alright, I like a themed set of blog posts as it gives me something to keep coming back to (until I get bored of it and decide to do something else, as is my wont). I love animation and, love them or loathe them, Disney have kept the animated feature film in the mainstream for over 80 years. They’ve had their highs and their lows but there is a certain level of quality associated with Disney animation. But is that badge of quality justified or is it simply the rose-tinted goggles of childhood nostalgia that bestows it upon them? It occurred that the vast majority of Disney films were watched by me as a child so let’s take a look at them through the lenses of a (supposedly) fully grown adult (so grown, in fact, that he has burst through his hair).

There’s a format to these (as always) but you’ll get the hang as we go along. Let’s begin at the beginning.

One Note Before Beginning:- It should go without saying that, as I’m going to discuss these in depth, there may well be spoilers. It also says something about the current state of social media that I feel I have to add this as a preface when talking about an 82 year old film.

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Dir. David Hand (Supervising Director), Perce Pearce, William Cottrell, Larry Morey, Wilfred Jackson and Ben Sharpsteen
Based Upon:- “Snow White” by the Brothers Grimm

The One Where
A young homeless girls claims squatters rights in the home of seven diminutive gentlemen.

General Viewing Notes
The animation is still impressive over 80 years down the line but it does it show its age. There’s a softness and lack of definition to the human characters that isn’t there in later films and a noticeable difference between the way in which they’re animated (clearly based off a model’s movements) than the rest of the characters.
There are some surprisingly strong and creepy moments in there - the flight through the woods; the phrasing “her blood congeals”; the vultures circling the unseen corpse of the queen.

Disney Tropes
Quite a few kicked off here as you’d expect:- the character design for the animals and comedy characters is more appealing than that of the “regular” people; scene of absolute terror followed by animals emerging into the sunlight; a cleaning montage to music; a villain plunging to their death from a great height; fake-out death for the main character

Things You Notice As An Adult
- What do the dwarves do with their fortune? They spend all day every day mining precious gems and then just chuck them in a vault. They clearly don’t spend it on their house which is run down and dirty.
- Snow White offers to stay with them in exchange for doing the cooking and cleaning (very 1930s). What princess a) knows how to cook and clean and b) would ever dream of offering to do it?
- Snow White spends a whole song cleaning the downstairs of the house and yet hasn’t even thought to look upstairs yet. Who would do that?
- The Prince - Who on Earth looks at a corpse in a glass coffin and thinks, “Yeah, I’ll have a quick go on that”?

Classic Songs - Are They?
"Heigh-Ho"* and "Whistle While You Work" are definitely deserving of classic status. "I’m Wishing" and "Someday My Prince Will Come" are a bit drippy and unfortunately set the template for Disney ballads to come (as you may have noticed there, I’m not a huge fan of the Disney ballad).

Any Good Then?
It does still hold up although it never was one of my favourites and that view hasn’t been changed by a rewatch. It’s a little too much like a bog-standard 1930s studio musical (which, naturally, would have been the only template at the time that they could follow) to reach the heights of some of their later films but it is important for being the first and interesting to see how it all began.

Next One Of These
A wooden boy and his cricket pal

* Yep, that's how it's spelt, even though they pronounce it "Hi-Ho"

2018 In Review Appendix - Other TV

Alright, so it occurred to me that I only talked about Doctor Who as if that was the only programme of 2018 (it’s the only that counts at any given time anyway, we all know that). There was some other stuff that I very much enjoyed and I am going to tell you about that as well. Given that Is pent a lot of time watching films (and also rewatching some series I hadn’t watched for a long while), I didn't get through as much TV as I planned to - Killing Eve, The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 and many others are all on the list - but here are some of the things I did watch.

The Good Place - Season 3
A tricky one this, hard to talk about it without spoiling it and it is definitely a show that rewards going in with zero knowledge and expectations. Suffice it to say that the third season continues to be enjoyable, largely in part to the cast who seem to be all genuinely enjoying being part of the show. Kudos in particular to Ted Danson who is in excellent form here.

Westworld - Season 2
I thoroughly enjoyed the first season with the sense of an unfolding mystery alongside the ruminations on what it means to be a sentient being. Given the revelations at the end of the last season, this season feels a little like it has had to go out of its way to be able to create a similar of surprise and it has been a little bit less successful in that regard. I’m also concerned that it’s going to go down the rabbit hole that Lost disappeared into. At the moment, though, I‘m still enjoying it and looking forward to season 3.

Legion - Season 2
Ostensibly a comic book series set within the X-Men universe, it’s a weird, stylised trippy show that is nothing like any other superhero film or TV series and all the better for it. Any show that features a psychic dance off battle with Jermaine Clement and Aubrey Plaza has got to be worth a watch.

Disenchantment
After The Simpsons and Futurama, Matt Groening is at it again with this new animated sitcom set in a medieval fantasy world. It’s a grower, this one. A bit shaky in the early eps but turning into compelling viewing by the final few eps, I’m intrigued to see where this one is going when it comes back this year (plus it’s got Matt Berry whose plummy voice improves most things).

Mortimer And Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
This was the surprise hit of the year for me. Two old friends going on various fishing trips and chatting rubbish/winding each other along the way. On paper, it feels like it shouldn't work but I loved every minute of it. It’s been commissioned for a second series and I can't wait.

So there you go - some other stuff what was nice in 2018. OK, that definitely is it for looking back at next year. Hey, don’t knock it, it’s got me nearly halfway through this month in terms of posts. Box ticked.

2018 In Review - Other Stuff

It was a largely film-based year but there was some other stuff mixed in there too to vary it very, very slightly.

Comedy
Definitely a comedy-based year. Highlights included:-

- Seeing Flight Of The Conchords at the Hammersmith Apollo
- Seeing The League Of Gentlemen Live at the Hammersmith Apollo
- Seeing Stephen Fry at the Hammersmith Apollo (I’m not sponsored by them, honest, that’s just where the comedy seems to be)
- Going to the Ealing Comedy Festival for the first time in about 10 years (Ninia Benjamin was the highlight for me on that one)
- Going to the Greenwich Comedy Festival for the first time in about ten years and seeing David O’Doherty (who weirdly was one of the acts I saw the last time I went), Aisling Bea, replacement compere Daniel Kitson (which I was very pleased about) and Adam Buxton’s Bug (big fan of Mr Buxton so this was a treat).
- A work in progress set from Romesh Ranganathan which was pretty slick and very funny (and was not derailed by some weird responses from the audience)
- Vic and Bob doing a Q&A at the BFI after a screening of the first two episodes of the new series of Vic And Bob’s Big Night Out (Bob was on fine form trying to crowbar in as many cheesy gags as possible)
- Paul McGann doing an intro to a screening of Withnail & I at the BFI - first time I’d seen it on the big screen too.

Theatre
Alright so this happened on the 2nd Jan but I’m going to include it as it gives a bit of variety and makes me seem like I do more things than just go to comedy and films.

Wicked
Always been a big fan of the Wizard Of Oz (both the film and the series of books) as well as the slightly more terrifying Return To Oz so was keen to see this. I can see why it’s been popular for so long - it’s a good solid stage musical with some catchy tunes and an engaging take on the Oz story. My only criticism was that it went a bit too far in trying to turn characters into those from the film/original story but it’s a minor criticism. If you’re a fan of musical theatre, this will probably float your sing-y boat.

Dressing Up
What? I like a good excuse for fancy dress.

So there you have it. That was 2018. What does 2019 hold? Probably a bit more of the same but with slightly different stuff, I reckon. 

2018 In Review - Who?

It’s been an odd time for geekiness. Traditionally at the forefront of pushing the boundary, of stories about tolerance and understanding, of inclusivity and embracing the outsider, there has been a somewhat toxic element grabbing the limelight recently. How prevalent that element is can be genuinely hard to judge as media reporting is not always necessarily reflective of the actual state of affairs in this social media-dominated time but it has impacted the conversation and not in a positive way.

This is the atmosphere in which Doctor Who has launched its first female incarnation of the Doctor (something that has felt like its been closer for a little while now ever since the introduction of the female incarnation of the Master, Missy). Where do I stand on this “debate”? There isn’t one. The Doctor, as a fictional character, can be a man, woman, fish or robot dog - that’s not the important question.* For me, as always, the important question with any regeneration is:- is the new person any good?**

The answer to the question is:- yes...with caveats.

When Jodie Whittaker was announced, I wasn’t particularly excited by the choice. I’d only seen her in two things which I discovered by looking her up on Wikipedia, of course and the fact that I’d completely forgotten that she was in both those things and had to look her up didn't bode well. Mind you, I was completely underwhelmed by Matt Smith’s announcement, having seen him in nothing, and he went on to give one of my favourite depictions of the Doctor so I was happy to wait and see.

I’ve enjoyed her performance - she’s makes for a fun, excitable Doctor - but I don’t think she’s been fully served by the scripts yet. She hasn’t really been given anything to show us the range of her Doctor yet so she’s not leapt up in the ranks yet. This isn’t unusual - I didn't really enjoy Peter Capaldi’s portrayal until his last series with Bill. There’s still time there.

Story-wise, it’s been a tricky series. They’ll all hit a median level of good quality but there have been no real highs and lows throughout the series for me. As such, most of the stories have started to blur into one. I definitely think that it was time for a change and the new look and feel, new composer and new/old theme music (first version I’ve liked since Tennant) are all positive steps as are the attempts to mix up the type of story they’re telling. It’s just not become a compelling must-see yet - I’ve often forgotten that it was on…

The standout of the series for me ( and I never thought I’d say it) - Bradley Walsh. I never would have thought that the bloke who presents The Chase would have the real dramatic chops to deliver some of the main emotional moments of the series but he’s absolutely smashed it.

For me, it’s a good start overall - nothing spectacular but solid. Here’s hoping that it can bring it a bit more of a must-see feel for the next series...

* I of course appreciate why it has been an important question and I realise that we live in a society where unfortunately this has been something that needed to be addressed. For me personally, though, the Doctor’s gender is not an issue.

** I also wanted to wait until the series as a whole was finished before delivering any verdicts. For me, I find it much easier to review something once I've actually seen it...

2018 In Review - Fulla Game-y Goodness (The Family Gathering Edition)

Given that it was very recently that certain festive time of year, the playing of board games is the other element alongside copious food and drink consumption that always features strongly amongst this Baldy Fella’s family (usually at the end of the day when the drink intake increases and the second round of eating begins). I picked out a few games that seemed like they would be suitable for playing at a point when ability to take in complex rule systems is at its lowest and here’s what we got.

Weird Things Humans Search For
In A Nutshell:- Complete the internet search
Each card has the beginnings of a question asked to popular internet search engines (Ask Jeeves, AOL Online, etc - not really, we all know it’s Google) and then ten possible answers. Points are scored for guessing the possibilities on the card. Caution - depending on the filthiness of players minds, the answers given may start to degenerate...

Mr Lister’s Quiz Shootout
In A Nutshell:- Back-and-forth quickfire quizzing
Each card has a category and a list (e.g. name Winnie The Pooh’s 7 friends) and the two teams go back and forth answering. First to three wins the cards, first to get the full set of bottles on the backs of the cards wins. Good fun - need to make sure you alternate which team goes first as it could get a little unfair.

Colour Brain
In A Nutshell:- The answer’s the colour
Each player has eleven colour cards which you play as the answer or answers to the question e.g. the four colours of the Teletubbies. Good fun - think this one was the most popular. The only thing missing was some sort of card dispenser - we had to put something on top of the pile so you couldn’t see the top answer.

Now That’s What I Call Music: The Board Game
In A Nutshell:- Traditional trivia board game with a music theme
A mixture of traditional trivia questions along with shum it, whistle it, mime it-type questions to mix it up. The only oddity with this one is, if you’re lucky with rolls, you can move quite a way around the board without having to answer a question.

Alright, that’s games sorted. Come back next time for a bit more stuff about things.

2018 In Review - Films (Part 2)

Carrying on from where we left off last time, here are the films that make my top of the year list. It was a strong year this year and it was a tough list to narrow down so you’ll get a few of the “bubbling under” contenders at the end. Also, some of these I have written about already (naturally) so I won't give you much on those, just a link to the longer review.

Top Films Of 2018
Black Panther
In terms of big bang spectacle, Infinity War was the one that delivered from this year’s Marvel films but I went in expecting that and got what I thought I would. Black Panther was the surprise this year as my expectations were low (as with Doctor Strange and Ant-Man) but I got a compelling, James Bond-style action film with a compelling villain for once. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Death Of Stalin
I’ve always been a big fan of Armando Iannucci and this continued the trend for me. Extremely funny (and worryingly timely in the current climate) while not glossing over the more horrific aspects of the period with a superb cast all bringing their best to the table (none more so than Jason Isaacs who seems to be having the time of his life).

Isle Of Dogs
Another top notch stop-motion animation from Wes Anderson. More detail here.

You Were Never Really Here
Joaquin Phoenix is compelling as the enforcer who rescues young girls forced into slavery. It’s a grim film but a fascinating portrayal of a complicated character. 

Leave No Trace
There were a number of films this year with strong teenage female protagonists but this was the standout for me (although Eighth Grade is a very close second), telling the story of a young girl and her former military father suffering from PTSD as they attempt to live off the grid in the forests of America.

Phantom Thread
Daniel Day-Lewis’ final film and a compelling study of an odd character. More detail here.

The Breaker-Upperers
Definitely my comedy of the year, this one. More detail here.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
A film that avoids narratively cliched decisions at every turn and deserves the accolades it received. More detail here.

Mandy
Peak mental Nicolas Cage. More detail here.

An Evening With Beverley Luff Linn
Not for everyone but definitely ticked my boxes. More detail here.

The Favourite
I enjoy Yorgos Lanthimos’ films but they’re definitely an acquired taste. This is definitely his most mainstream film but still keeps enough of the odd and absurd touches from films like The Lobster to make it something different from your standard period drama. Plus Olivia Colman is brilliant in it (of course).

Bubbling Under
Avengers: Infinity War; A Quiet Place; Sorry To Bother You; Eighth Grade; Deadpool 2; Annihilation; Three Identical Strangers; Happy New Year, Colin Burstead

Alright, that’s films, what’s next? Only one way to find out...