Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Guy Garvey recommended Catalpa by Jolie Holland in Music (curated)

 
Catalpa by Jolie Holland
Catalpa by Jolie Holland
2003 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"My friend Tony recommended Jolie Holland. I'd never heard it. He heard it through his girlfriend, and he said, ""This has been made in a bedroom and it's beautiful."" She even coughs in the middle of a song, she does: ""All the morning birds"", she hits a beautiful, fluty high note and then clears her throat and she just left that recording the way it was. I was so into it, much like the Chet Baker record. It's just a singular mood. You put the whole album on and drift off into her world for a bit with her. And it is literally a bedroom musing. And then I found out it was one of Tom Waits's favourite records. That was validation to my opinion, and I just loved it. Then when I came to making my solo record, very nervous but on a whim, I contacted Jolie and said: ""There is no one on earth I'd rather do a duet with, and I know you don't know me from Adam, but any chance?"" And she got back and she said, ""I'd love too"", and we recorded 'Electricity' together, which was great. We were both conducting transatlantic love affairs at the time, and I'm obsessed with the transatlantic phone cable, what it took to lay it. It's 3,000 miles, it's 10-feet thick cable, and every time it snapped they had to start again. The way they did it, it was steamships in those days, so paddle steamers in effect. Two steamers met mid-Atlantic and circled each other, while attaching their halves of the cable together. And then took off in different directions, that's how it happened. And there was a huge fuss when it was connected. Everybody celebrating. Imagine the money involved in the endeavour, because every time it snapped that it, you've lost the cable, you've got to start again. When it arrived in New York and in England, of course both sides celebrating wildly; in actual fact, it stopped working after a couple of days. These endeavours were fresh in my head at the time, so Jolie and I wrote a song called 'Electricity', which is about precisely that, conducting a love affair transatlantically. My favourite bit being I said to her at one point: ""What haven't we said that you always say on a long-distance phone call?"" And she said, ""'What are you wearing?'"" And I said, it's got to go in, but you're singing it [laughs]."

Source
  
Free Fire (2017)
Free Fire (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy, Drama
At a rundown warehouse in 1970’s Boston, Justine (Brie Larson) and Ord (Armie Hammer) are brokering a deal between a South African arms dealer (Sharlto Copley) and members of the IRA (Cillian Murphy & Michael Smiley). Tensions flare almost immediately between the two sides and an inevitable battle of wills and gunplay ensues when two members of their entourage take decisive action on a fresh grudge from the night before.

 

It may say Scorsese’s producing, but Free Fire definitely smacks more of a Tarantino-influenced affair and I can think of no better example, in recent years anyway, that proves the lasting legacy of his still awe-inspiring debut, Reservoir Dogs. After years of making deliberately obtuse films (High Rise, A Field in England), Ben Wheatley has finally made something accessible, but unfortunately, Free Fire can’t pack the same visceral punch and narrative competence as the films that it takes influence from. I’m having flashbacks to about this time last year when I reviewed another film from A24, Green Room. I walked out of Free Fire in much the same manner; on a high, feeling satisfied from what appeared to be something unique and notable. As the hours have passed and I’m preparing my summation, the sentiment has all but vanished and I’m wanting of something with a little more substance. Granted, an 90 minute runtime can only accommodate so much, but I have to ask: could all that time spent crawling around in the dust and the rubble, as realistic a light that it may or may not shine on the authenticity of an actual shootout, have been used instead to get inside our characters motivations, driving us to really care about their fates? There’s no doubt that from its style and attitude, there was the potential for this to be the Reservoir Dogs for a new generation, but ultimately it’s just not a very memorable experience.

 

What will save Free Fire from obscurity is a cast that, despite having little plot to work with, is firing on all cylinders. An exemplary job is done from Oscar winners on down to character actors whose faces you know, but names you don’t. There isn’t one weak link in the chain and their performances have an excellent balance of toughness and levity that grounds them just enough to allow for suspension of disbelief. I might chastise Ben Wheatley as a storyteller, but there’s no doubt that he has an ear for great dialogue and fine judgement on the performers to deliver it.
  
    Coalitions

    Coalitions

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    Tabletop Game

    Coalitions is based on the series of conflicts known as the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....

    IRB Rugby Sevens Series

    IRB Rugby Sevens Series

    Sports and Travel

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    'IRB RUGBY SEVENS SERIES' Mobile App targets Rugby fans all over World who love the gentlemen game,...

    Power Cricket T20 - 2016

    Power Cricket T20 - 2016

    Games and Sports

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Its time to warm up for the T20 World Series! Play against the best cricket teams from across the...

Last Night in Soho (2021)
Last Night in Soho (2021)
2021 | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Straight off the bat, there is a whole lot to love about Last Night in Soho. It's a modern-London thriller with a dashing of supernatural horror. It's a modern horror with lashings of giallo. It's a giallo that is also a murder mystery. It bursting with colour, and has two exceptionally talented actors at it's helm.
I enjoy Anya Taylor-Joy in pretty much anything she's in, and the same applies here, stealing most of the scenes that she's in. Thomasin McKenzie is an infectiously likable protagonist, whether she's battling seedy-men ghosts, or the struggles of going to University in England (the scene near the beginning where she's stuck at a dorm party is a literal nightmare put straight onto the screen if you ask me). She's fantastic here as she was in Jojo Rabbit.
It boasts a strong supporting cast as well. Matt Smith plays a convincing shit-bag, and is quite clearly having a ball shouting in a cockney accent. It's always a pleasure to see Terence Stamp, and of course, Diana Rigg was one of the best in the game, and her performance here in her final role is testament to that.
LNIS is dripping with style, which is to be expected from Edgar Wright, but it's more subtle than a lot of his other works, substituting clever edits, cuts, and comedy for a film that's visual crack with a more serious tone. The vibrancy of its colour pallettes, both in the modern and 60s settings are as important as any character. Every frame feels like it's been lovingly poured over and is cinematic in every sense of the word. It also boasts a stellar soundtrack. I didn't realise how much I fucking love a bit of Cilla Black but here we are.
The only minor gripes I have is that it does drag ever so slightly during the final third. At one point it feels like a natural resolve is near, but then the narrative continues for a while longer before the twists and turns land. It also goes a little slasher-y at one point, which isn't necessarily an issue, but it feels a bit alien to the rest of the vibe (still manages to be a visually striking moment though!)

Overall though, Last Night in Soho is an incredibly engaging and enjoyable thriller, and is a proud addition to both Wright's filmography, and the modern resurgence of top quality horror.