We met on Wednesday 11 May 2022 to discuss Hamish's unthemed choices….
READ: Mayflies (2020) by Andrew O’Hagan
Hamish stumbled across this book in Waterstones and responded to its down-to-earth style. It’s a heartfelt book about youth, friendship, death, and what it is to be human.
For anyone who lived through the 1980s, and enjoyed the indie music of the era, this will resonate. The first part of the book embraces this era via a weekend trip to Manchester in 1986 for a group of Scottish friends. The passion and intensity of teenage life is stunningly evoked and this is clearly written from first hand experience.
In part two, we are in 2017 and we revisit some of the characters in middle age. Much has changed. Many of us read the second part with lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes. It's moving, vivid and memorable.
Most of us were impressed although Tristan and Keith were less effusive.
Nick 8.5 / Tristan 6.5 / Nigel 8 / Keith 7 / Roland 8.5 / Robin 7.5 / Hamish 7.5
Hamish enjoyed the chugging sounds. Nick was more damning stating there is
nothing remotely original about it, indeed it’s all highly derivative. Robin didn’t listen! Roland thought it didn’t work. Keith thought it was decent enough. Tristan and Nigel were far more positive, poopooing the naysayers and curmudgeons.
WATCH: The Tribe (2014) dir by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy
An usual film all related in Ukrainian sign language with no subtitles, so akin to watching a silent film. Or, what it’s like for a deaf person to watch a film with dialogue and no subtitles. This device means the viewer has to pay close attention, and it slows down the storytelling. The content is very downbeat and depressing. A criminal gang operates from within a deaf school in Kyiv. How or why this is happening is never explained. It’s all pretty implausible. One of their rackets is prostitution and, as one new pupil rises up through the criminal gang, he also falls for one of the prostitutes. Suffice to say it does not end happily and there’s nothing to smile about during this intensely downbeat film.
HBG endorse it: 7 April 2022 -> 11 May 2022
The Atlanta History Centre
Melrose to Lindisfarne walk
Succession party
The Riwaq (Hove venue - Brighton festival)
Hofesh Schecter (Live dance)
The Street (2019) documentary dir by Zed Nelson (Prime)
Slow Horses (Apple TV)
Severance (Apple TV)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV)
Arsène Wenger: Invincible (2021) Dir by Gabriel Clarke & Christian Jeanpierre (Film) (Prime)
Navalny documentary (BBC iPlayer)
Panorama: The Post Office Scandal (BBC iPlayer)
Who You Think I Am (2019) dir by Safy Nebbou (Film) (Netflix)
Better Call Saul (Season 6 - Netflix)
Gazza documentary (BBC iPlayer)
Lady Bee Marina (Southwick)
Ouse Valley (north of Lewes)
Foka Wolf (Artist)
Midsommar (2019) dir by Ari Aster (Film)
The Sparks Brothers (2021) dir by Edgar Wright (Film) (Netflix)
Wet Leg (live music)
Wet Leg debut LP (2022)
