Dragging it out with The Kingpins

Big Country on Top Of The Pops

If I were a superstar DJ with way too much time on my hands, I’d take this track from 80s Scottish rock icons, Big Country, and remix the damn thing, turning it into a club anthem and making vast riches along the way. But I’m not, so I’ll just sit back and sip on this lukewarm coffee instead.

Cheesy 80s film clips for fine 80s songs

What is it about 1980s videos? I mean, seriously, it’s like every director from that period swallowed a big bowl of feelgood cheese [with extra Gruyere on top] and got deeper and deeper into that saccharine sweet, naive world of day-glo kitsch. But, damn, I kinda wish the film clips of today were even half as creative. On a side note, my next haircut will be like Nik Kershaw’s, circa 1984? Oh boy! That mop needs a zip code all of its own. Read more

Black Dynamite blaxploitation movie trailer

One very angry and unstoppable man wages war against drugs and malt liquor. A take-off of the old blaxploitation films, this is parody at its best, with many knowing nods to camera and hilarious moments involving clichés taken to their extremes. There’s the Asian kung-fu master, pimps and orphans hooked on heroin. It all begins with Black Dynamite being spurned on his quest for blood after his brother’s brutal murder, and then pushed further for the love of a good woman. There are hoes and guns, along with catchphrases and great one-liners. See it.

Defamation documentary trailer

Does Israel use the Holocaust as an excuse for their continued issues with the Palestine people? According to this film, yes. Are people who criticise Israel’s foreign policy often unfairly labelled anti-Semitic? Again, yes according to this brilliant documentary made by an Israeli-Jew. Instead of passing judgment himself, filmmaker Yoav Shamir is smart enough to put himself and his camera in the right places, surrounded by the right people, and let the people damn themselves. Read more

In The Loop, a darker Yes Minister for modern times

A less clever but much blacker version of Yes Minister, this political comedy farce does excel when it comes to insults. The communication director in the British Government reels off some of the best combinations of expletives I’ve heard in quite a while, and later in the film is equalled by American foes. In terms of content, In The Loop tells of a rush to war in the Middle East and how easily a UN resolution can be manipulated on the back of manipulated information. In a blur of meetings and arguments, educated opinions or arguments are rare and only seem to happen in passing, and this movie presents a terrifying vision of politics. I much prefer The West Wing and its clever, hard-working politicians. Considering the stupidity of Bush and co, however, this piece is probably much closer to the mark.