Wednesday Morning 3 a.m. – Simon and Garfunkel. 1964. The Reviled series at AROUND AND AROUND. Their first album wasn’t so much reviled as ignored. It wasn’t even released as an LP in the UK until four years later, though there had been an EP with just the four best tracks. The critics then and later were fond of calling their harmonies ‘syrupy’ and ‘sugary.’ I think the critics got it wrong. Much better than the critics said.
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The act you’ve known for all these years, by which I mean The Bootleg Beatles, now in their 41st year … the review added of THE BOOTLEG BEATLES at Bournemouth (linked). With comments on The Beatles in general. They’re more than a tribute band.They are a band you need to see.
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Review added of HOUSE OF GUCCI (linked). Now on DVD and streaming. It’s a long film about the machinations in the Italian fashion house which ended in murder. Lady Gaga stars as Patrizia Reggiani (a real person) and it is a stunning and compelling performance. Add Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Jared Leto. Much more entrancing than I expected it to be.
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Review of SAME TIME NEXT YEAR by Bernard Slade, in the London Classic Theatre touring production. The tour approaches its end … just Eastbourne and Newcastle-Under-Lyme to go, but the play is intrinsically interesting enough to be worth reading about. I also think it flies the flag high for the quality of touring theatre in the provinces (in spite of the company’s London name). Kieran Buckeridge and Sarah Kempton play the couple who after a passionate secret one-night stand, decide to meet in the same hotel on the same day every year.
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The latest streamed film review is THE KING’S MAN, (linked) the prequel to the comedy spy films. Though it’s somewhat daft, you do get Ralph Fiennes, Rhys Ifans, Gemma Arbuthnot, Tom Hollander and several famous actors in cameos. The review is laden with plot spoilers, hopefully amusing, and maybe we’ve watched it so you won’t have to. Though it is free. It’s about World War One, but not one for serious historians.
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A major addition to AROUND AND AROUND. Topic Records are Britain’s oldest independent label, now in its 83rd year. It’s also higher profile with folk revival records than it’s ever been. It’s a long and fascinating tale through political songs, archival folk of the British Isles, then the major British folk singers. Plus Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Now the premier folk label of all. A great label with also some iconic artwork.
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I usually only review recently released films or 60s classics. However, MISBEHAVIOUR (LINKED TO REVIEW) is so entertaining, that it gets a review. It’s 2020 / 2021. It’s based around the events surrounding the Miss World Contest in 1970 which was disrupted by the Women’s Liberation Movement. It has a great cast … Keira Knightley, Jessie Buckley, Keely Hawes, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lesley Manville, Rhys Ifans, Greg Kinnear. They’re all playing real people too. Bob Hope will never be the same again.
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A major section has been added to AROUND and AROUND on demos and promo discs. There is a MAIN PAGE HERE and six sub-pages too. Take a look into the arcane world.
There’s much more … SEE SUB PAGES: (each is a link)
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Review added of AFTER LOVE (linked) which we streamed after Joanna Scanlan got best actress for the lead role at the BAFTA awards. She gives a good performance, but we found it underwhelming. Take away the interest of the ethnic dimension of a British woman who has become a Moslem then finds her husband had an alternative life in France, and there’s not much else to get excited about.
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Review of WEST SIDE STORY in its new version directed by Stephen Speilberg. Follow the link. It started streaming on Disney Plus on 2 March 2022. Settle down for two and a half hours, which is long, but the music and filming will hold you. I’ve made comparisons with the original film, in the weird realisation that SIXTY years have passed since it was made.
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