Arkin was also pretty good as the hardscrabble paterfamilias in The Slums Of Beverly Hills.
I also enjoyed his turn in the bizarre "Return of Captain Invincible" (drunken ex-superhero dragged out of retirement to fight Christopher Lee supervillain)...
Jane Birkin who, with Serge Gainsbourg, recorded the much-banned Je t'aime ... moi non plus, has died. Her other claim to fame was helping to design the eponymous bag for Hermès.
Not to mention her appearance as a ditzy groupie in Blow-Up back in 1996….
May she rest in peace. Not that I have a dog in the fight of Welsh nationalism:I share her ( married) surname despite being of Irish origin and think fondly of the Vale of Clywdd ( at the bottom of Victoria Pass ( Wikipedia is your friend for all you -interested-folk in the UK) which is en route to western NSW from Sinny & other places
I think the Vale's at the head of the Lithgow Valley. It's Hartley Valley at the foot of the Victoria Pass. I'll bet it's bitterly cold already this evening at both places. None too warm here.
Jane Birkin who, with Serge Gainsbourg, recorded the much-banned Je t'aime ... moi non plus, has died. Her other claim to fame was helping to design the eponymous bag for Hermès.
Not to mention her appearance as a ditzy groupie in Blow-Up back in 1996….
I think you mean 1966? We're talking about the Antonioni film about the sleazy photographer who
George Alagiah, age 67. Another one lost to cancer. Excellent broadcaster. RIP.
He was indeed.
I noticed in his obit on the BBC website that he'd been diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer nine years ago, and couldn't help reflecting that David got nine days.
Not an obituary of anyone famous (but reading it, you'll think that they *should* be famous!) but I loved this wonderful obituary in someone's local parish magazine. What a rich and extraordinary life.
Still mulling over her life and death. Well, she was a prophet, she knew about the awful treatment of women and girls in Ireland,, and elsewhere and she spoke out, and of course, shocked people. All honour and glory to you, Sinead.
Not an obituary of anyone famous (but reading it, you'll think that they *should* be famous!) but I loved this wonderful obituary in someone's local parish magazine. What a rich and extraordinary life.
Thanks for this terrific piece. Is it a sign of getting older that I find obituaries more and more interesting (though not many as interesting as this one)?
While he might not have been a household name, many of his movies are, The French Connection and The Exorcist being the most notable. I like both of those, but much of the more canonical imagery from the latter strikes me as over-the-top shock stuff. I do quite like the babylonian prologue, and the priest's dream.
When I was in high school, a friend and I went to see The Boys In The Band, which was still rated R(ie. no admittance whatsoever to minors) in our province. We were both underaged, but my friend got allowed in, whereas I got asked for ID, which I couldn't produce, and so my friend had to tell me what the film was like later(and I am actually older than my friend). I am taken to understand that it is about as milquetoast as a film can be while still portraying non-heterosexist romantic relationships, and that in fact, during its original run, the main criticism was coming from gay commentators, who found its portrayals unflattering.
But whatever controversy surrounded TBITB was dwarfed by the storm over Cruising in 1980. I watched that on YouTube a few years back and reviewed it for the Ship. Pretty good, and covered issues like police brutality against gays, but I can understand why gays themselves wouldn't want it to be peoples' only cinematic experience of their culture.
As for The French Connection, one thing that's always struck me about it is how it doesn't really create any sense of good guys vs. bad guys: some criminals are trying to bring in a shipment of heroin, some cops are trying to stop them, and they both go about their business without eliciting much sympathy or hostility from the audience. The script doesn't even portray the harmful effects of heroin, leaving the unaware in the dark as to why the police want to stop it.
I do like the scene of the hipster chemist rating a sample of the drugs(available on YouTube). And I guess if you're a big car chase fan, that movie is the undisputed ur-text.
Quite a number of years ago, I watched The Last Waltz with a friend who plays guitar and is well-versed in music. I think he already knew about The Band, but was likely forming his primary impressions of them that evening. After a few of their numbers, he chuckled a bit: "I dunno. I just don't see them as legends."
And I think I'd kinda have to concur. Funny thing, growing up in the 80s, you heard their stuff on the oldies stations all the time, but it always seemed like kinda simple warm-up tunes, suitable for pub performances. (Okay, I'm possibly leaning too hard on Cripple Creek here.)
Back to the doc, I later read that the producers had wanted the farewell concert to be JUST The Band, but were eventually convinced to include other musicians. Which, nodding along with my friend's observation, I think was probably a good idea.
BUT...
That film did begin a pretty fruitful collaboration between Robertson and Scorsese, which continued right up to this year. (Though, honestly, I can't recall any of the music, even though I've seen most of those movies.)
And a few years back on the Ship, I reviewed Carny, which Robertson starred in and had a hand in writing. It was actually pretty good.
I don't think the Emu attack featured; if it did it was just in passing. There are some classic episodes on the I-player at the moment; it wouldn't be hard to avoid the Emu one.
I was never wild about Emu either (I wouldn't have chosen to watch his show), but Parky took the whole thing in such good part, it did make for rather entertaining telly.
I never want to see the Emu episode again either and my memory of it is that Parky did get a tad flustered. I've read somewhere in the past few days that he didn't want to be remembered for that.
I don't think the Emu attack featured; if it did it was just in passing.
It certainly appeared in at least one of the tributes to Parky over the last few days.
I never could stand Emu
It seems Hull was informally accused by a number of people of
using the puppet to grope women,
which puts even his supposedly non-offensive performanes in a darker light.
On a personal note, Hull was apparently a regular on the Hudson Brothers show, which I watched as a kid in the 1970s. I am now vaguely remembering the emu skits.
Quite a number of years ago, I watched The Last Waltz with a friend who plays guitar and is well-versed in music. I think he already knew about The Band, but was likely forming his primary impressions of them that evening. After a few of their numbers, he chuckled a bit: "I dunno. I just don't see them as legends."
And I think I'd kinda have to concur. Funny thing, growing up in the 80s, you heard their stuff on the oldies stations all the time, but it always seemed like kinda simple warm-up tunes, suitable for pub performances. . . .
I meant to respond to this when I read a week+ ago, but somehow never did. I wonder if there’s something of a generational thing going on. I grew up in the late 60s and the 70s, and The Band was one of the groups central to what I heard on the radio and wanted to listen to. They’re a group that, to me, captures that time in a really fundamental way.
Or maybe it’s that their legendary status resides mainly among those who are fans of a certain type of music.
I was reminded of these posts on Friday night. We went to hear the Steep Canyon Rangers (and it was one of the best concerts my wife and I could remember). For their encore, they sang “The Weight,” noting Robbie Robertson’s death. It quickly turned into a sing-along, with everyone in the audience joining in. I easily classify The Band as legends.
I wonder if there’s something of a generational thing going on. I grew up in the late 60s and the 70s, and The Band was one of the groups central to what I heard on the radio and wanted to listen to. They’re a group that, to me, captures that time in a really fundamental way.
The generational angle is interesting, because I came of age in the 1980s, and as I say, you heard them on the oldies station all the time. At the time, I didn't really have a clear image of the group, not even sure if I knew those were their songs, but I did have the impression that the only reason we were hearing Cripple Creek and(sorry to say) The Weight every day was because they qualified for the government's Canadian Content quota.
But if The Band really were that central to 1960s music, maybe that's why they were getting played so often? (I am not sure if they qualified as CanCon anyway. One member, Richard Manuel, was on Tears Are Not Enough, Canada's contribution to the Ethiopian famine relief tunes. Robertson was not.)
Or maybe it’s that their legendary status resides mainly among those who are fans of a certain type of music.
FWIW, my friend who dissed them is a fan of that general folk-rock style.
Or maybe it’s that their legendary status resides mainly among those who are fans of a certain type of music.
FWIW, my friend who dissed them is a fan of that general folk-rock style.
Fair enough. I was just trying to think of possibilities.
I should say that my friend was basically just giving what was more-or-less a first full impression. And the context, I think, was whether they merited an entire film about their final concert.
Honestly, though, I really don't care for Cripple Creek, The Weight, or You The Shape I'm In, and I think I'd say that no matter when I was born. The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down, on the other hand, is justly venerated, even if The Band didn't do the most famous version.
Comments
I also enjoyed his turn in the bizarre "Return of Captain Invincible" (drunken ex-superhero dragged out of retirement to fight Christopher Lee supervillain)...
Not to mention her appearance as a ditzy groupie in Blow-Up back in 1996….
Sad to hear that Ann Clwyd has died at the age of 86.
Happy to be off to International AIDs society conference in Brisvegas tomorrow.
I think you mean 1966? We're talking about the Antonioni film about the sleazy photographer who
First football player with a transfer fee of £1million.
I noticed in his obit on the BBC website that he'd been diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer nine years ago, and couldn't help reflecting that David got nine days.
Oh that is shocking, and no age to go.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66318626
Your wish is my command.
Piglet, AS host
Still mulling over her life and death. Well, she was a prophet, she knew about the awful treatment of women and girls in Ireland,, and elsewhere and she spoke out, and of course, shocked people. All honour and glory to you, Sinead.
Thanks for this terrific piece. Is it a sign of getting older that I find obituaries more and more interesting (though not many as interesting as this one)?
Joining him in the celestial choir is Clive Rowlands, Welsh rugby legend.
While he might not have been a household name, many of his movies are, The French Connection and The Exorcist being the most notable. I like both of those, but much of the more canonical imagery from the latter strikes me as over-the-top shock stuff. I do quite like the babylonian prologue, and the priest's dream.
When I was in high school, a friend and I went to see The Boys In The Band, which was still rated R(ie. no admittance whatsoever to minors) in our province. We were both underaged, but my friend got allowed in, whereas I got asked for ID, which I couldn't produce, and so my friend had to tell me what the film was like later(and I am actually older than my friend). I am taken to understand that it is about as milquetoast as a film can be while still portraying non-heterosexist romantic relationships, and that in fact, during its original run, the main criticism was coming from gay commentators, who found its portrayals unflattering.
But whatever controversy surrounded TBITB was dwarfed by the storm over Cruising in 1980. I watched that on YouTube a few years back and reviewed it for the Ship. Pretty good, and covered issues like police brutality against gays, but I can understand why gays themselves wouldn't want it to be peoples' only cinematic experience of their culture.
As for The French Connection, one thing that's always struck me about it is how it doesn't really create any sense of good guys vs. bad guys: some criminals are trying to bring in a shipment of heroin, some cops are trying to stop them, and they both go about their business without eliciting much sympathy or hostility from the audience. The script doesn't even portray the harmful effects of heroin, leaving the unaware in the dark as to why the police want to stop it.
I do like the scene of the hipster chemist rating a sample of the drugs(available on YouTube). And I guess if you're a big car chase fan, that movie is the undisputed ur-text.
Quite a number of years ago, I watched The Last Waltz with a friend who plays guitar and is well-versed in music. I think he already knew about The Band, but was likely forming his primary impressions of them that evening. After a few of their numbers, he chuckled a bit: "I dunno. I just don't see them as legends."
And I think I'd kinda have to concur. Funny thing, growing up in the 80s, you heard their stuff on the oldies stations all the time, but it always seemed like kinda simple warm-up tunes, suitable for pub performances. (Okay, I'm possibly leaning too hard on Cripple Creek here.)
Back to the doc, I later read that the producers had wanted the farewell concert to be JUST The Band, but were eventually convinced to include other musicians. Which, nodding along with my friend's observation, I think was probably a good idea.
BUT...
That film did begin a pretty fruitful collaboration between Robertson and Scorsese, which continued right up to this year. (Though, honestly, I can't recall any of the music, even though I've seen most of those movies.)
And a few years back on the Ship, I reviewed Carny, which Robertson starred in and had a hand in writing. It was actually pretty good.
Very sad to hear about that one. He was one of the classic greats.
I have never seen anyone better than him in the job he did.
I'll second that: several tried, but I really don't think any succeeded.
RIP Parky.
I would love to see many of his older shows again but I do not want to see him attacked by an Emu ever again.
I never could stand Emu
It seems Hull was informally accused by a number of people of
On a personal note, Hull was apparently a regular on the Hudson Brothers show, which I watched as a kid in the 1970s. I am now vaguely remembering the emu skits.
Or maybe it’s that their legendary status resides mainly among those who are fans of a certain type of music.
I was reminded of these posts on Friday night. We went to hear the Steep Canyon Rangers (and it was one of the best concerts my wife and I could remember). For their encore, they sang “The Weight,” noting Robbie Robertson’s death. It quickly turned into a sing-along, with everyone in the audience joining in. I easily classify The Band as legends.
The generational angle is interesting, because I came of age in the 1980s, and as I say, you heard them on the oldies station all the time. At the time, I didn't really have a clear image of the group, not even sure if I knew those were their songs, but I did have the impression that the only reason we were hearing Cripple Creek and(sorry to say) The Weight every day was because they qualified for the government's Canadian Content quota.
But if The Band really were that central to 1960s music, maybe that's why they were getting played so often? (I am not sure if they qualified as CanCon anyway. One member, Richard Manuel, was on Tears Are Not Enough, Canada's contribution to the Ethiopian famine relief tunes. Robertson was not.)
FWIW, my friend who dissed them is a fan of that general folk-rock style.
I should say that my friend was basically just giving what was more-or-less a first full impression. And the context, I think, was whether they merited an entire film about their final concert.
Honestly, though, I really don't care for Cripple Creek, The Weight, or You The Shape I'm In, and I think I'd say that no matter when I was born. The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down, on the other hand, is justly venerated, even if The Band didn't do the most famous version.