Comments on: Tonite Let’s All Make Movies in London

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:39:54 +0000

I was expecting more from Charlie Brooker, but it’s not bad.

The first episode was clever, but now that most of the action is taking place outside the BB house it just seems like the 28 Days Later TV series. I guess that’s not such a bad thing though!

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:07:47 +0000

Hey Dan. Love the 28 Thingy films. I think I’d opt for 28 Weeks but I kind of feel it needs to be kept aside. The whole London Zombie / Dystopian London thing is a massive genre all of it’s own… would make a great list actually… Are you watching Dead Set? I thought it would be funnier but loving it anyways.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:56:30 +0000

Oh yeah, and what about one or both of the 28 Days films? Michael from Lost. In a helicopter. In Wembley Stadium. What’s not to love?

By: Kim Eriksson

Kim Eriksson — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:33:00 +0000

indeed. the saint etienne album is really good. there’s a brief clip from the film in the bob & pete interview at: http://www.monocle.com/sections/culture/Web-Articles/Saint-Etienne/

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:29:23 +0000

Excellent selection. Wonderland is a brilliant film, especially Michael Nyman’s score.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:35:43 +0000

Thanks Martin. That reminds me, I should also add ‘Bunny Lake is Missing’ to the list as an acute observation of what it’s like to be a foreigner in London town.

Hey Kim. I never got to see it but bought the soundtrack. Really hoping they put it on DVD real soon. Maybe they could add the vids of London Cafs to make a compilation. That would be fab.

By: Kim Eriksson

Kim Eriksson — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:12:30 +0000

Great list, “What Have You Done Today, Mervyn Day?” also by Paul Kelly is pretty good as well.

http://www.onedotzero.com/programme.php?id=141&event=31057

By: Martin

Martin — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 08:29:19 +0000

oh yes, and how about Karel Reisz’s We Are The Lambeth Boys (1959). Another Morrissey sample, from Spring-Heeled Jim, it’s a wonderful documentary about a youth group for Teds in Lambeth – the plummy voiceover tries to win over the assumed middle-class viewer to the not inconsiderable charms of the young men.

By: Martin

Martin — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:54:43 +0000

How about The L-Shaped Room (dir. Bryan Forbes 1962)? London is the backdrop, rather than the star (does this count?) for the depressing story of a bungled home-abortion by an unmarried pregnant Leslie Caron in the early 60s but its the supporting characters that make it, including Pat Phoenix and the marvelous Cicely Courtneidge as Mavis the aging lesbian landlady. It rather sensationalises the ‘melting pot’ of people who might find themselves huddled together from poverty in cheap housing in the capital- an artist, an unmarried mother, a black jazz musician and the butch thespian lesbian – and everyone seems to end up punished in some way for their difference. But Morrissey did sample ‘Take me back to dear old Blighty’ from it for The Queen is Dead so there’s no argument really.