“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” (2007) by Junot Díaz

“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” (2007) by Junot Díaz

Hamish explained how, whilst wandering in Waterstones, he had espied “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” (2007) by Junot Díaz and, call it instinct, call if fate, call it luck, call it kizmet, the book found him. It was love at first sight. 

Hamish enjoyed this family saga about identity, love, loss, oppression, hexes, sexuality, and fate.  He revelled in the past and future lives of Oscar's sister, mother, aunts, grandparents, and college roommate. Insights into the history of the evil, repressive regime of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic rivalled anything he'd read about 'the disappeared' in Argentina.

 Roland really really enjoyed it. 

“How much should we suffer for love?” he queried. 

With the question still hanging in the air Roland exclaimed “It’s all about sex!” 

Nick was reminded of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Brilliant!

Nigel enjoyed the wonderfully energetic and imaginative writing but his initial enthusiasm gave way to some feelings of frustration and boredom 

Keith, in many ways a modern Don Quixote who is troubled by having sexual desires as well as platonic ones, found Oscar very relatable. If Nerd was a country, Oscar would be its undisputed king. 

Tristan immediately warmed to the earnestly open-hearted protagonist.  He was absorbed, indeed held captive. Wow! Of course Tristan can readily relate to Lovecraft, Doc Savage, Asimov, Heinlein and Edgar Rice Burroughs. An epic in the truest sense and in its fat, endearing hero's chest beats a Homeric heart. A lot like Tristan, minus the fat.

Hamish 7.5/10
Robin 7/10
Nigel 6/10
Nick 7.5/10
Tristan 9/10
Roland 7.5/10
Keith 6/10

“Folkways: The Original Vision” by Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly (2005)

Woody's "This Land Is Your Land" is an anthem for Hamish. And Leadbelly's "Goodnight, Irene" is too. 

Some less enlightened group members queried the sound quality but those who were unable to embrace light hearted stories about failed goose killings, or about oppression-drenched verses detailing racism, but sung with the optimism and pain, might need to try really listening, rather than a cursory listen at low volume whilst at work, or even not at all.  

“Timbuktu” (2014) directed by Abderrahmane Sissako

Another foreign language classic from Hamish. Amazing insight into another slice of modern history about which many of us were fairly ignorant. A film about anger and violence, but also the good side of humanity, and the fact that the actual militants are also victims of this system.

Curiously not everyone was convinced, for meditative read boring. Yes, you read that right. Fast and The Furious 7 it ain’t. More’s the pity. 

ENDORSE IT

NICK

STATUE: The bust of Cristiano Ronaldo at Madeira Airport

NIGEL

PODCAST: S-Town (podcast from the makers of Serial and This American Life) - three episodes in and loving it

TELEVISION: Better Call Saul - having finished the magnificent ‘Breaking Bad’ N is nearly done with BCS season two (with S3 due in March - huzzah) and loves it

BOOK: They All Love Jack by Bruce Robinson - a 900 page monster about.. a monster - Jack The Ripper. Bruce ‘Withnail and I’ Robinson vents his spleen at Ripperology and a Masonic cover of breathtaking audacity. 260 pages in and he’s already convinced

TRISTAN

TELEVISION: Carnage by Simon Amstell on iPlayer

BLOG: The Rise of the Weaponized AI Propaganda Machine

ROBIN

TELEVISION: Turkey with Simon Reeve on iPlayer

KEITH

BOOK: Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

ROLAND: 

TELEVISION: Sing Street on Netflix

HAMISH

CAMPAIGN: Save our Schools....

A parent-led group, based in Brighton and Hove, who are appalled by the latest government move to slash funding for our schools.

This latest blow comes after year upon year of narrowing the school curriculum; raising the bar so high on primary SATs tests that 47% of 10-11 year olds were told they had ‘failed’ last summer; privatization of our schools through the back door; and a barrage of other ill-thought out political vanity projects, all of which are stressing our state schools to breaking point.

Brighton and Hove schools face a £11.5 million cut in funding by 2020.

You can check out how much your child’s school is going to lose over the next two years by going to http://www.schoolcuts.org.uk/

After a ribald discussion about public masturbation at the Hay On Wye Literary Festival we bade each other goodnight

“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (1971) by Hunter S. Thompson

“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (1971) by Hunter S. Thompson

Robin explained how "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is a roman à clef, rooted in autobiographical incidents. The story follows its protagonist, Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, as they descend on Las Vegas to chase the American Dream through a drug-induced haze, all the while ruminating on the failure of the 1960s countercultural movement. Robin praised the lurid descriptions of illegal drug use and its early retrospective on the culture of the 1960s and the highly subjective blend of fact and fiction. Robin loves him a bit of gonzo journalism. Robin also loves the 1998 film version by Terry Gilliam, starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro who portrayed Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, respectively.

Keith was too young for frenzied drug taking and pharmaceutically enhanced road trips. He lamented the cruelty and arbitrary nature of the universe. Then again he mused, and quoting Samuel Johnson in the book's preface: "He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man" and with that he was silent.

Roland and Nick enjoy deserts

When Roland first read 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', as a teenager he perceived it as a manifesto for hedonism and excess. It served him well. As a mature adult in 2017, it seems more obviously a lament for the failed promise of the 1960s counterculture and the hippy dream. Where have all the good times gone? Won't you tell me?

Nick loves both deserts and desserts - recurrent themes in his life. "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is a classic historical document. All life is captured in its pages.

Hamish passionately asserts that other people’s drug escapades are boring.  Either take your own drugs and have your own bizarre experiences or don’t get involved. Visions of reptiles at the hotel bar and bats around the car no longer carry much interest for him. Not anymore. Not after Devils Dyke.

The Terry Gilliam film adaptation simply does not work. Or does it? Hunter S. Thompson and Terry Gilliam seems like a marriage made in heaven and yet, whilst visually pleasing, it ultimately boils down to endless scenes of drug fuelled stupidity. Or does it?

Hamish 6/10

Robin 7/10

Nigel 6/10

Nick 8/10

Tristan 7/10

Roland 4/10

Keith 5/10

Chilly discussion 

MUSIC: “L.A. Woman” (1971) by The Doors

L.A. Woman is the sixth studio album by the American rock band the Doors, released on April 19, 1971, on Elektra Records. 

The Doors divided the Hove Book Group - some fall upon Jim's discarded leather trousers, others felt their over-sexed, come-hither stomp only appeals to teenage ne’er do wells

FILM: “‘71” (2014) directed by Yann Demange

'71 is a 2014 British historical thriller film set in Northern Ireland, written by Gregory Burke and directed by Yann Demange. It stars Jack O'Connell, Sean Harris, David Wilmot, Richard Dormer, Paul Anderson and Charlie Murphy, and tells the story of a British soldier who becomes separated from his unit during a riot in Belfast at the height of the Troubles in 1971.

We've got mad love for '71

ENDORSE IT

Roland: Lion film
Robin: The Real Marigold Hotel (BBC TV series)
Nick: The Fantastic Mr Fox film
Keith: Look Who's Back film (Netflix)
Nigel: Breaking Bad seasons 3 + 4 (Netflix)
Tristan: The Skeleton Tree To The Rise of Trump blog post
Tristan: Bronies documentary (Netflix)

“First Novel” (2013) by Nicholas Royle

“First Novel” (2013) by Nicholas Royle

Paul Kinder, a novelist with one forgotten book to his name, teaches creative writing in a university in the north-west of England. Either he's researching his second, breakthrough novel, or he's killing time having sex in cars. Either eternal life exists, or it doesn't. Either you'll laugh, or you'll cry. Or maybe even both.

That's the blurb and we all felt this does not prepare the reader for this splendid, consistently well written, and very clever and provocative book.

In short, we loved it. The only thing we disagreed upon was the extent to which we loved it

Keith 7/10

Roland 8/10

Tristan 8.5/10

Nigel 9/10

Robin 8/10

Hamish 9/10

Nick 9/10

MUSIC: “Urbanity UK” playlist on Spotify

Keith curated his own selection of urban anthems to accompany his other choices..

The Members - Sound of the Suburbs

The Smiths - Panic

The Specials - Ghost Town

The Exploited - Dead Cities

The Clash - The Guns of Brixton

Soft Cell - Bedsitter

Squeeze - Up The Junction

Elvis Costello - Hoover Factory

Pet Shop Boys - Suburbia

The Clash - Bankrobber

Carter USM - The Only Living Boy in New Cross

The Human League - The Sound of the Crowd

Pet Shop Boys - Where The Streets Have No Name

Pulp - Mile End

Anti-Nowhere League - Streets of London

The Jam - In The City

A fine selection eh what?  

FILM:

“Remainder” (2016) directed by Omer Fast 

Most of the group roundly dismissed "Remainder" (shit, dreadful, dull, irritating etc) with only Keith and Nigel enjoying it. Curiously Keith and Nigel really liked it a lot, considering it well executed, complex, thought provoking and accomplished film. 

ENDORSE IT

Currently we are endorsing...

TRISTAN: The Martian (both the book and the film)

TRISTAN: The Loyal Opposition newsletter

NICK: T2 Trainspotting (film)

ROBIN: T2 Trainspotting (film)

NIGEL: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (film)

NIGEL: Brian Blessed 'Absolute Pandemonium (audiobook)

NIGEL: Backlisted podcast

ROLAND: Hanif Kureishi ‘Buddha of Suburbia' (book)

HAMISH: Lampchop 'Flotus' (LP)

KEITH: Eddie the Eagle (film)

"Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution" (2014) by Laurie Penny

BOOK: "Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution" (2014) by Laurie Penny

Quite divisive this one. Being equality loving cats, everybody was down with Laurie’s politics however the structure and coherence of the book troubled some of us. Roland even questioned his masculinity - more unironic dancing to Taylor Swift for that man. A call for action? Nah, Nick lambasted the lack of desire to engage with anyone beyond Laurie’s core audience HOWEVER Tristan, Robin and Roland were inspired to take the fight to the haters. So it appears that one man’s frustrating, rambling and incoherent is another’s passionate manifesto for urgent change. 

Roland - questioned his masculinity

Tristan 7/10

Hamish 2/10

Robin 7.5/10

Keith 6/10

Nick 1.5/10

Nigel 4/10

MUSIC: “Christ” (1982) by Crass 

Crass? Not those po-faced, joyless, dressed-all-in-black anarcho fans. It’s a bleeding racket isn’t it. Yes, was the resounded response. Although, for those who read the lyrics there is some good stuff.

FILM: “The Mask You Live In” (2015) (Documentary) directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom

The central point about the unhelpfulness of America’s narrow definition of masculinity and hyper-masculinity was powerfully, if repeatedly made. Interesting that the traditional stereotypes are only at the margins (of the normal distribution curve) - and males and females have far more in common than differences (shades of Caitlin Moran). More relevant in the US than here? Gun culture, abuse, and the guys in prison, incredible stats about rape, murder, etc and how much is linked to gender. Phew. America is one messed up place. The section with the young men writing what’s on the front of their masks and what’s on the back, was really powerful and moving. That teacher was inspirational.

ENDORSE IT

NICK: Charlie Brooker's 2016 Wipe (BBC4)

NIGEL:

FILM: ‘Sicario’ (on Netflix) Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro both excellent in hard hitting drug drama

DOCUMENTARY: ‘13th’ (on Netflix) - how and why the US has such an enormous prison population (of which a high percentage are from ethnic minorities).

BOOK: 'The Power of the Dog' by Don Winslow - epic and compelling and reminds Nigel more than somewhat of James Ellroy a comparison he doesn’t make lightly. Not saying it’s quite as good as Ellroy but it has the same scope and, like Ellroy, shines a light deep into the morally ambiguous, dark heart of the American dream. Now currently reading the follow up ‘The Cartel’ 

ROLAND: ‘Nocturnal Animals” (2016) film

KEITH: The Harry Potter films

TRISTAN: Black Mirror TV series on Netflix

ROBIN: Captain Phillips + Saving Mr Banks (films)

2016: End of year review

Hove Book Group at their end of year seasonal celebration on 1st Dec 2016

Our favourite book that we discussed in 2016

1. “The Lost Europeans” (1959) by Emanuel Litvinoff 

2. “London and the South-East” (2009) by David Szalay 

3. “Remains of the Day” (1989) by Kazuo Ishiguro 

* * * * * * * * * * 

4. “The Trigger: The Hunt for Gavrilo Princip” (2015) by Tim Butcher 

5. “The Bottle Factory Outing” 

6. “My Revolutions” 

9= “I Partridge” (2011) by Alan Partridge 

9= “Seven Terrors” (2012) by Selvedin Avdić

9= “Djibouti” (2010) by Elmore Leonard

Our favourite music we discussed in 2016

1.= “Neu! ’75” (1975) by Neu! 

1.= Hazy Cosmic Jive presents “Something in the Air” (2016) (Nigel’s Revolution mix) 

3. “Christmas” (1999) by Low

* * * * * * * * * * 

4. “The Who Sell Out” (1967) by The Who 

5. “Carrie & Lowell” (2015) by Sufjan Stevens 

6. “Give” (2011) by Balkan Beat Box (all except Robin) 

7. “Born in the Echoes” (2015) by The Chemical Brothers 

8. Hank Williams “Come September” 

9. Keith Hayward presents “A Criminal Playlist” 

Our favourite film we discussed in 2016

1 “No Man's Land (Bosnian: Ničija zemlja)” (2001) directed by Danis Tanović 

2 “One Day In September” (1999) directed by Kevin Macdonald 

3 “Tin Men” (1987) written and directed by Barry Levinson 

* * * * * * * * * * 

4 “Brian Clough: I Believe In Miracles” (2015) directed by Jonny Owen

5 “Punch-Drunk Love” (2002) directed by Paul Thomas Anderson 

6 “Couscous (La Graine et le Mulet)” (2008) directed by Abdellatif Kechiche 

7 “Sunshine” (2007) directed by Danny Boyle 

9= “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (2005) directed by Shane Black

9= “Smoke Signals” (1998) directed by Chris Eyre 

Our favourite unifying theme of 2016

1 Post Brexit Blues (The Lost Europeans/Neu!/Couscous)

2 Revolution (My Revolutions/“Something in the Air” comp/One day in Sept doc) 

3 Sales and Selling (London and the South-East/The Who Sell Out/Tin Men) 

* * * * * * * * * * 

4 Europe/C&W/Sci Fi (?!) (The Trigger/Hank Williams/Sunshine) 

6= Communication (Remains of the day/Carrie & Lowell/Punch-Drunk Love) 

6= Criminal capers (Djibouti/“A Criminal Playlist” on Spotify/Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)

7 Balkan beauties (Seven Terrors/Give by Balkan Beat Box/No Man's Land) 

8 Englishness Revisted (I Partridge/Chemical Brothers/Brian Clough) 

9 Comedic Christmas (Bottle Factory/Low Xmas album/Smoke Signals) 

The best book you read this year

Keith - Guitar theory for Dummies

Nigel: Jumpin' Jack Flash: David Litvinoff and the Rock’n’Roll Underworld by Keiron Pim

Robin: Remains of the Day

Tristan: This Changes Everything - Naomi Klein

What defined 2016...

Nigel: The death of Bowie and how it presaged a year of complete and utter shittyness

Keith: Brexit

Robin: The misery of world affairs (Trump and all the fascists in the US, Brexit, climate and environment, bombing of hospitals and use of chlorine gas in Syria, the 'post truth' world)  and the prospect of Trump cancelling US involvement in Paris Agreement on Climate Change - truly miserable! On the plus side i have an inflatable canoe which we paddle on Lake Como!  

Nick: just miserable

Tristan: Work changes: getting used to a smaller company; moving to New England House

The best thing about Book Group in 2016...

Nigel: The trademark humour and the camaraderie. I love you guys.

Keith: Devil’s Dyke photo

Robin: Its enduring beauty

Nick: the sex

Tristan: The (fairly) consistent high standard of the choices: I actively enjoyed almost all of them, which hasn't happened every year.

How we make Book Group even better...

Keith: It’s A Knockout style joker card for end of year voting

Nigel: It’s pretty damn perfect but…I believe I can now generally identify a great book (that we'll all say is great but use slightly different words), versus a book that is good but flawed but however is more likely to inspire a great discussion. Perhaps something to consider before finalising your selections?

Robin: How do you improve on perfection .... although perhaps a new pub as not convinced the Westy is our spiritual home and it doesn't sell Harveys!

Nick: more sex

Tristan: Impossible.

What else...

Nigel: Thanks for another great year of cultural discourse. Roll on 2017. Our 12 year anniversary is in Jan 2017.

Robin: The Book Group is invited to Italy and our flat on Lake Como for a special book group outing!!  Thank you Nigel for organising everything for book group in 2016.  As always seamlessly done!!!

“I Partridge” (2011) by Alan Partridge

BOOK: “I Partridge” (2011) by Alan Partridge

Nick chose, and loved, "I Partridge", however everyone else was slightly less enthusiastic though most found something to enjoy in Alan's autobiography.

There are some very funny sections and Alan’s self-aggrandisement, self-delusion, absurdity, pettiness and point-scoring are invariably amusing however, with 33 chapters, there is a lot to get through and it sometimes got quite monotonous. 

Ut stays true to Alan’s story and so is a nice trip down memory lane for the character’s fans

NIck 9/10

Robin 6/10

Keith 7/10

Tristan 6.5/10

Roland 5/10

Nigel 6/10

Hamish 3/10

Nick's exploration into the very essence of Englishness (revisited) continued with..

MUSIC: “Born in the Echoes” (2015) by The Chemical Brothers

Nick loved Born in the Echoes, the eighth album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 17 July 2015 by Astralwerks. It was their first studio album since 2010's Further. The album debuted at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, marking the duo's sixth chart topper and making them the dance act with the most number-one albums ever in the UK.

Others were less enthusiastic "Two great tracks (Go feat Q Tip + Wide Open feat Beck) and a lot of monotonous and frankly annoying interchangeable dance tracks with little in the way of tunes or memorable hooks" opined one HBGer

FILM: “Brian Clough: I Believe In Miracles” (2015) directed by Jonny Owen

To varying degrees we all bloody loved it.  Genius soundtrack - brilliant tunes and quite a few obscuro, but still great, tunes, culiminating in an unexpected VU Rock n Roll for the open top bus parade. Brian Clough and Peter Taylor came across brilliantly. The ex-players still seemed to be disbelieving about what they achieved and still seemed genuinely humble and v likeable people

We cannot praise it highly enough…1970s, Football, Music, Old clips

ENDORSE IT

Here's what we're endorsing at the moment...

Keith: Slaves (punk duo)

Roland: Jon Hopkins Lost In Thought (Music)

Nigel: Lazarus OST (Music

Nigel: Bye Bye Baby: My Tragic Love Affair with The Bay City Rollers by Caroline Sullivan (Book)
Tristan: Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre (book)

Robin: Lifepaint - fluorescent spray for cyclists etc

“London and the South-East” (2009) by David Szalay

Hove's finest book group were reunited (and it felt so good) on Thursday 6th October 2016 to discuss Nigel's Sales and Selling themed selections.  Here's another highly unreliable and blinkered view of what went down.

“London and the South-East” (2009) by David Szalay

‘London and the South-East’ is a melancholic, downbeat novel but one that completely gripped most of us.  Hamish was the one dissenting voice who described it as "a stinker".  

Unlike most novels, work is at the core of this book, and - in this instance - initially at least, it’s the dispiriting world of magazine advertising sales. This is a painfully forensic examination of the horror of the modern workplace and the work "relationships of convenience" that flow from it. Middle-aged Paul Rainey, the borderline-alcoholic protagonist, works for one of those free business magazines that arrive in the post and which no one reads. David Szalay has really nailed the minutiae of the workplace and, in particular, the world of selling. However sales is just the springboard for an unpredictable and original plot that was both realistic and credible, but also frequently very surprising. 

‘London and the South-East’ is one of the most relatable books we’ve ever read. This sense of realism was further enhanced by our familiarity with many of the Brighton and Hove streets and venues that appear in the book. Most impressively, these places were described with complete accuracy, and this attention to detail informs the entire book. 

‘London and the South-East’ is a painful exploration of how both work and home form the basis of our identity and our happiness, such as it is, and it’s an unflinching look at commuting, selling, family, identity and compromise. It is bleak, dark, and quite brilliant.

Nigel 9/10 / Tristan 9/10 / Robin 8.5/10 / Hamish 3/10 / Nick 7/10 

MUSIC: “The Who Sell Out” (1967) by The Who 

Nigel expressed joy at the selling theme and especially a link between the film and the music. The film highlights a world that the Beatles and the "British Invasion" of the mid 60s, including The Who, would help to smash with a sledgehammer - but more of that in the film section.

1967 was a year of some remarkable album releases… The Doors debut, Jimi Hendrix debut, Pink Floyd debut, The Velvet Underground and Nico, Love ‘Forever Changes’, Scott by Scott Walker, ‘Something Else’ by The Kinks, and - of course - “The Who Sell Out” (1967) by The Who 

The mid sixties was an era of massive change which this album ably captures.  Consider…

Beatles for Sale (1964)

Help! (1965)

Rubber Soul (1965)

Revolver (1966)

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

Or

My Generation (1965)

A Quick One (1966)

The Who Sell Out (1967)

Could you imagine such seismic cultural and musical changes in such a short space of time in the modern era?

Despite 1967 seeing the birth of BBC Radio 1, in response to the pirates, commercial radio would still have seemed very new and modern back in 1967 and The Who’s radio ads are a brilliant idea.  Indeed there were no official commercial radio stations in the UK until the early 70s.  Apparently The Who tried to charge the relevant organisations - to no avail.

Any album that contains ‘I Can See For Miles’ is automatically a contender for classic status but, as we discovered it’s also full of other wall-to-wall psych-pop classics.  

The Who Sell Out was the third studio album by The Who and purports to be a broadcast by pirate radio station Radio London. Part of the intended irony of the title was that The Who were making commercials during that period of their career, some of which are included as bonus tracks on the remastered CD.

“Tin Men” (1987) written and directed by Barry Levinson

Tin Men is a 1987 American comedy film written and directed by Barry Levinson.  Tin Men is the second of Levinson's four "Baltimore Films" set in his hometown during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s: Diner (1982), Tin Men (1987), Avalon (1990), and Liberty Heights (1999).  It is 1963. Ernest Tilley (Danny DeVito) and Bill "BB" Babowsky (Richard Dreyfuss) are door-to-door aluminum siding salesmen in Baltimore, Maryland. Working for different companies, the "tin men" are prepared to do almost anything—legal or illegal—to close a sale.

An old favourite - man, what a great film - Nigel was a bit worried it wouldn’t be quite so good after a good 15 years since his last viewing.  He needn’t have worried…

Levinson also responsible for Homicide Life On The Streets (by David “The Wire” Simon) - a precursor to so much else - so you can imagine we were somewhat in awe.  

What's good about it?...

Fine Young Cannibals

The Diner

The dynamic between the men

The selling - the scams (life magazine, mental breakdown) - the humour - the period details.  

The highly defined roles of men and women

Men (suits, selling, fighting…) Women (cold calling, typing pool, housewives being sold to..)

The leads - Devito, Dreyfus and Hersh.  What a trio.  All brilliant.

The fight in the parking lock

The commission - is that supposed to echo the Macarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee?

“Tin Men” is one of those movies that has sympathy for all of its characters

Tilley is cantankerous to the point of self-destruction, while BB is a flamboyant ladies’ man who has neglected his inner life. They behave dreadfully during their feud: Bill pretends to be a widower and lies about his occupation to seduce Nora, while Ernest hits Bill over the head and pelts him with mouldy tomatoes and eggs, prompting a hilarious police report.

The Baltimore alleys that would come to feel like very scary places in David Simon’s “The Wire” are already shabby in “Tin Men”

BB to Tilley “You know what our big crime is?  We’re nickle- and-dime guys. Just small-time hustlers that got caught because we were hustling nickles and dimes.” 

It made us feel very nostalgic for a time and a place that we have absolutely no personal experience for and THAT is the sign of a brilliant film.

Endorse it

Here's what we're endorsing at the moment...

Tristan: Stranger Things (Netfilx TV series)

Tristan: Fleabag (BBC TV series on iPlayer)

Nick: Brian Wilson

Robin: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (Book)

Hamish: The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain (Book)

NIGEL: The Get Down (Baz Luhrman 2016) (TV - Netflix)

NIGEL: The Get Down (OST 2016) (Music)

NIGEL: All That Man Is by David Szalay (2016) - Book

NIGEL: The Age of Bowie by Paul Morley (2016) - Book