Monday 28 January 2008

No Rest

Okay, it's a very quick one this time- just headlines really.

In mysterious radio adaptation news
- none, but still not bad news. rights situation was being checked last I heard. I had some ideas about how it should be done watching Easy Rider last night.
Interesting film, and I liked the ending a lot. Some really annoyingly arty cutting that hits its peak in an LSD sequence that outstayed its welcome for me, but generally a worthwhile watch. Quite low on plot but Pete Fonda and his bike look cool, Nicholson and Hopper aren't quite their established deranged personae, a couple of soundtrack elements are just great- It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) and Born to be Wild which just feels ridiculously good and fresh here.
Most interesting aspects of the film for me- Phil Spector's cameo in the world's most publicly exposed drugs deal near the start and Toni Basil in the gap on her CV between an Elvis movie and kitsch '80s pop fame.

In radio comedy news, things may be more hopeful than I thought. Nothing concrete yet but No Tomatoes series 2 may still fly, and better still, after I've finished this book rather while I'm still writing it. More when/if I know more.

In writing this book news, lots of interviews coming up, which is great because it delays the period when I have nothing to do but type, which is the most tricky bit of any writing, and they're fabulous big names.

In not drinking in January news- I've not been drinking in January and appear to have sloughed off enough pounds to consider not drinking some more.

In unrelated but I mentioned it a few weeks ago news
, 1500ish words of mine about Hughie Green, Hancock, Howerd and the Steptoes will be getting published by my ex-employer's journal. Don't know exactly when but it's to tie in with the upcoming BBC4 dramas about them all (which I think have made a brilliant decision in casting David Walliams as Howerd).

Now the weather. Ho hum.

3 comments:

Stuart Douglas said...

Yep, that LSD scene would be the point during Easy Rider when it's safe to make a cup of tea (for a whole movie largely composed of a succession of such scenes, see Nicholson's previous film, Psych Out).

"Hancock, Howerd and the Steptoes" - surely one of the great lists in English history :)

aminah said...

enjoyed reading your blog...back to read more soon

Ann ODyne said...

OOh er!
I can hardly wait for DW as FH.
Her Majesty adored Frankie you know. bizarre.

Plonking on the weight: yes alcohol has a lotta calories.

I just read a harrowing biog of Hancock by one of his wives.
He had a bad time in Australia, as did the Steptoes.
Not easy being a genius.

Born To Be Wild seemed pretty 'fresh' to Easy Rider audiences at the time of it's release also, because it was of course contemporary and related angst. There were queues around city blocks for ER when it opened.
I can recommend reading the Easy Riders, Raging Bulls account of movie-making in the 1970's.