The Family That Slays Together...

SPOILERS!!

YOU’VE BEEN WARNED

With the rash of TV shows in the last few years that have been adaptations of comic books, you would think that the release of ‘yet another’ would have everyone rolling their eyes while Netflix rolled out their long marketing campaign for the newly arrived ‘Umbrella Academy’. Not only is this a show based on the comic created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba but it is also about another somewhat exhausted genre, superheroes. Only considered a genre and not a sub over the last couple of decades, TV was slow to catch up, instead venturing down the route of original stories of the genre, I’m thinking of ‘Misfits’ here and to a lesser extent, sitcoms like ‘My Hero’ and ‘No Heroics’. That’s what the UK has to offer anyway. But now, we have the likes of Agents of SHIELD (more spy than superhero but still very sci-fi) and Legion. Comic book adaptation have proved to popular and as the original stories were all in  episodes, it makes sense to turn them into serials. Preacher, iZombie, Happy!, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Riverdale and of course, The Walking Dead. Not all can be winners, such as Outcast and the incredibly underrated Middleman. New shows joining the ranks this year; Deadly Class, Doom Patrol and The Boys are out later this year. With new adaptations out every year, is there room for more? Well, when it comes to the Umbrella Academy, there most definitely is.

Tag lined ‘Super. Dysfunctional. Family’ doesn’t actually scrape the surface of this family of super powered people. The comic stands out in more ways than one as does the TV show its based on not just because of its characters, universe or plot. With only two collected volumes of the comic released before the show went into production, it seems that the creators of the show and Netflix were banking on the notoriety of the comic to bring in the viewers. I only read the first book a couple of months ago in prep for the show and I’m glad I did but I still had multiple questions about what was happening.

There have already been first reactions to the show going round the internet as well as the usual lists about what questions have been left unanswered as well as differences from the comic, all of which I’m personally fine with. The universe the academy exists in is a very weird one and not like ‘ours’ so any changes to make things a little less complicated I’m ok with.

I’ve rambled on for a bit without talking about the show properly. Beginning with a prologue, a sign of setting up the scene, novel style, explaining how the Umbrella Academy came to be. When 43 children are born simultaneously around the world to women who weren’t pregnant at the start of the day, am eccentric millionaire adopts (or rather buys)  as many as he can find, which is 7. He trains them, disciplines them and never once fathers them like a real parent. Out the 7 children, 6 have special powers and one doesn’t, BUT she does seem to be on medication, so you can guess what you will hear. Trying to be spoiler free as possible. The children grow up (apart from Vanya, who plays violin) in the lime light as superheroes but as they get older, one by one leave the academy, except for Luther, who pays for his loyalty. All the children are numbered and this is what their ‘father’ calls them, never by their names given to them by their robot mother. As adults they are all following their own path and they haven’t seen each other in years. One brother, Number Five, disappeared when they were 13 and hadn’t been seen because he leapt too far into the future and saw the apocalypse and lived to an old age in it, until he was recruited to be a hitman for a shady secret organisation. For anyone who hasn’t read the comics or not seen the show yet, this might mean absolutely nothing to you. Sorry guys.

Seven children, seven numbers, seven weird powers. Space boy aka No.1, is strong and he also has monkey DNA so he literally looks like a mutant. No.2 The Kraken, is good with knives, he always hits his targets, plus he wears a weird leather thing to carry all his knives. No.3 The Rumour, literally says ‘I heard a rumour’ and whatever she says it comes true. Unfortunately she learnt  too late that her life is built on lies and her ‘rumours’ which is why she is divorced and not allowed to see her daughter. No.4 The Seance, can speak, hear, hang out with the dead BUT he can do so much more, like, visit the afterlife and chat with god. More on that later. Because of the whole dead thing, he’s a junkie, to drown out the voices, a real tortured soul. No.5 disappeared into the future, got stuck and then clawed his way back to his family. He can move through space and time but he’s really a great hitman. No.6, The Horror, had the ability to release monsters from another dimension through his stomach, but he died mysteriously. This hasn’t been revealed in the show or comics, yet. No. 7, The White Violin, the ‘ordinary’ one who plays the violin but really is the most powerful. Able to control everything around her, her emotions affecting the objects and people and if she plays the violin, well, that means the end of the world. All the family members are disturbed, scarred and struggling in some way, physically and emotionally, but together they are, well, really dangerous.

The fact that the show is a combination of both comics, might mean the show could go its own way, diverted from the comics. Including making more of time travelling hitmen, Cha-Cha and Hazel which was a fun and sometimes funny diversion from the main gang. But who knows what could happen next. I just want there to be a season 2. Plus with all these Marvel cancellations Netflix has room in their schedule.

A family that tries to prevent the apocalypse together you would think stay together. I’m hoping Netflix sees sense and renews the show. Fingers crossed umbrella fans.

Meet The New Yarn

Pixar’s newly minted Spark Short’s first film is here and it’s delightfully aimed at adults.

Taking on the modern work place, commenting on the toxic boys’ club of the office, a new recruit arrives and it’s a pink ball of yarn named Purl. She’s happy, bright and friendly, not what her co-workers were expecting. She’s tries to join in with jokes and pitch in ideas at the office meeting but she’s left on the outside and excluded from fun after work drinks. So, she decides to act like them and is eventually excepted but when new recruit Lacy, a yellow ball of yarn, arrives Purl at first makes jokes but sees that she can make a change and invites Lacy to drinks. Flash forward and Purl is showing around the latest recruit to the office which is now full of different coloured yarn balls and happy co-workers.

From reading various pieces on ‘Purl’ it’s making an impression, being shared around the internet. Pixar isn’t one to shy away from the tougher topics in their film but the fact that this new short, written and directed by Kristen Lester, is purposely for adults is a barrier worth breaking. With adult jokes and swearing (apparently there is swearing, but I might be desensitised to these things) and very obviously taking on what it feels like to be the odd yarn ball out. Reading around the internet, the short has hit a cord with lots of women (of course, we’re the yarn) and myself included as we’ve all felt like Purl at some point in our working lives and even non-working lives. 

Although there are all kinds of yarns at the end, the other part of the short that was very obvious is that the office is in no way diverse, all the ‘bros workers’ are Caucasian, which doesn’t exactly mirror the work place. This is, I’m sure, been noted by others. Others who have been annoyed by the more ‘adult’ dialogue and themes.

At just under 9 minutes long, the story cover ground and in my opinion, not subtle. It delicately encapsulates what the ‘toxic masculine environment’ is like and shows that it just takes one person, or one ball of yarn, to make a positive difference, as well as showing that we should help each other up. Life isn’t as simple as a Pixar short but the message is clear and the animation brilliant.

You can see Purl on the Disney/Pixar YouTube channel HERE.

Closing the Door

With the BAFTAs on Sunday, you'd think this was about the closing of the door on that subject but luckily it isn't. I won't be flogging that dead horse (expression not real actions). Instead I wanted to share my thoughts on the recent turmoil surrounding HMV. 

It feels not too long ago I was writing a similar post about HMV possibly closing its' doors when it went into administration. A drastic measure where they shut down their online store, dramatically scaled their rewards and points system, Pure HMV and closed many of their stores. This was back in 2013 which feels not too long ago in retail years for this to happen again to the historical store. With 27 more stores closing around the UK, this means more jobs lost and less opportunities for film and music fans to find what they're looking for. They say its connected to people buyng more things online and streaming services but it seems that its always the internet that is to blame.

I've found over the years shuffling through shelves of chain shops, mega and tiny as well as the odd indie shops, that prices are very similar to those online, unless its preowned or on sale. Exchange shops such as CEX have been useful but not so generous when you sell your goods to them. Of course I know they're there to make a profit BUT I swear 90% of their exchange rates only offer 5% of what they'll sell the goods on for. CEX operates in stores and online and there seems to one from every corner, online only places like Music Magpie offer similar terrible exchange rates and rely on people getting rid of a bulk of films, CDs, electronics and books because they just want to get rid of them. I've done this a few times and been disappointed with the money returned, but as the alternative for much of the stuff is donating to charity shops, its always been worth getting that little bit of extra cash, hard times.

BUT I do still buy physical films, less DVDs and more Blu-rays. I have stopped buying as CDs as I'm not intuned with the music scene. I go by songs and artists I've loved for year and will download or dare I say it listen to on Amazon Music. I have always championed the physical copies of films, whether its an obscure film that never came out in the UK or a very special edition of that film I loved when I was a kid. But now I collect for the practical reason; you don't own digital copies. People who have tried converting their film collection to digital have been surprised to see some films they bought disappear from the digital stratosphere. As an avid collector, I'd rather horde of films than risk them being deleted at any time.

There was/is one place I used to visit every week, sometimes even twice, to get my film buying fix, Fopp in Covent Garden. Just after Christmas I was devastated to see that the shop hadn't had any new stock since before Christmas. Throughout January there was only old films, old sales to stare at. I was overjoyed, as were many loyal customers, to find out that Fopp Covent Garden had made the cut. So even though the historical site of HMV on Oxford Street will close its doors, at least my favourite shop lives on. I feel for the loyal Fopp fans that have lost their local store. To find out that Bristol and Edinburgh  had stores when I visited was amazing but alas they will both be closing.

Even HMV has been mostly 'saved', I know the new owners are trying to save more shops from being closed. I hope they do but I can't help but think, will we be here again in another 6 years?

If you're a Londoner and love films, please do go to the Fopp in Covent Garden, lets keep this one going so we can avoid the bloated Amazon zeppelin.

Blind Spot Series: Grand Hotel

Determinded to start this year well and in style, at least when it comes to the Blind Spot series, I've gone through my film collection and looked for the films I own and STILL not seen and that happen (in my opinion) to be classics that I need to watch and long over due. A bargain I found in 2017 while in Bristol finally had its day, Grand Hotel.

Originally placed on a previous list as one of the films that inspired Wes Anderson's Grand Hotel, this gem from 1932 directed by Edmund Goulding has a rather star studded cast playing an aray of characters that pass through the hotel in Berlin. A despressed famous dancer can't bring herself to go on stage, a Baron and gentleman thief is trying to steal pearls from the dancer and makes friends with an over worked book keeper who has found out he is dying and wants to live a good life before he goes, his employer, also staying at the hotel is trying to put together a merger that will save his business calls for a stenographer who in turn catches the eye of the baron, with a few other characters who appear through out such as the stressed porter who's wife is in labor at the hospital and the disfigured veteran doctor who comments at the start and the close of the film that nothing ever happens at the hotel. The famous line 'I want to be alone' originated in this film, said by Greta Garbo's dancer as she languishes in her hotel room about to take her own life, she is stopped by John Barrymore's thieving Baron who changes his mind about the pearls.

The intricate details of the hotel, with the guest rooms, dance and bar room and the fantastically designed lobby, that is in the center of the spiral of floors. It is grand in every sense of the word. The 360 degrees desk was designed so that the audience could view the action at any angle. A hotel is always a fascinating place to set a story as there is a story behind every door and quite the opposite to what the doctor says, so many things can happen in just a few days. Love, peace and murder are just a few things that take place in the Grand Hotel with vibrant characters to keep us entertained. There is beauty to found in 30s decor, costume and location, especially watching the film now.

The film inspired a remake in the 40s, this time transporting the hotel to New York. A second remake was in the work in 70s but never came to fruition. A story like this has a universal appeal but the setting in 30s Berlin captures the energy of the time and film itself. A film worth waiting to see.

To find out how it all started, head over to The Matinee and to see what's happening now, check out Returning Videotapes who is the new host of the Blind Spot Series.

I Got You Babe

 Great love stories are hard to come by. Especially those that have the power to cause an audience to emote to the point of tears. Even when there is awful drunk old man swearing very loudly and flashing his phone light all over the room.

I've always been a Chaplin fan so never really watched Buster Keaton and only a few bits and pieces of Laurel and Hardy, but with word on the grape vine or through emails at one of my previous jobs, I found out there was going to be a biopic of sorts about famous comedy duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

The film focuses on their 1953 tour of the UK and Ireland, which doesn't quite go as planned. Staying in dingy hotels and playing to barely an audience. The understanding is that they are doing the tour until they start shooting their next film, a spoof of Robin Hood, which Laurel has been in talks about with a producer in London, who's name Hardy continuously gets wrong. Dealing with the decline in popularity, decline in health, past arguments which they both still hold on to and their lifelong partnership, take a toll on the two comedians but not their unbreakable friendship.

Starting with a fantastic opening scene, where Stan and Ollie, at the height of their fame in 1937 walk across the studio to their set, with their backs to the camera for most of the scene, we hear them casually talking, we know exactly who they are and instantly understand what the two men are like. The film then picks up in 1953 in dreery North England where the duo are about to start a tour. The empty theatres, a sign of the times and a question of whether they should keep going. Their age, health and status are always in question, even they start to do a bit of publicity bringing success and sold out audiences. The most charming a brilliant scenes are when the two friends are alone, going over new material Stan has written or simply just comforting each other after Ollie, or as he is more affectionatly called, Babe, makes a shattering decision.

Heart aches and breaks that these two friends have shared aren't really about their many marriages, but with each other. Notably, when Hardy made a film without Laurel while the latter was in a contract dispute with the studio owner, Hal Roach. This felt like a betrayal to Laurel which comes out after a successful performance when the duo argue. But this is not a spectacle of an argument, this is quiet heated angry words followed by the throwing of bread roll. The heightened emotions of the film are gloriously understated, no dramatics, just real heartbreaking moments. With a brilliantly cast John C. Reilly as Hardy and Steve Coogan (who deserves more praise than I've seen/read) who really does morph into Laurel. Their wives Lucille and Ida, played by Shirley Henderson (always a delight) and Nina Arianda are also an amusing pair, as said in the film, two double acts for the price of one.

A great love story doesn't have to be about romantic love, the friendship of Stan and Ollie is a great love story and we get to see just a glimpse into it through this film.

Novelist, Mime, Actress and Journalist

What a way to start the new year with not one, not two, but THREE British films and all period costume dramas AND all based on real people. What are the chances of that? Having been lucky to see both The Favourite and Colette at LFF last year, I will hopefully be catching Stan & Ollie later this week.

There are far too many stories about women who have propped up men's careers at the expense of their own, fictional or otherwise and say this not as someone who is fed up about hearing about them, but as someone who is appauled that there are just so many. 'Colette' is no different on the surface, as it tells the story about Gabrielle Colette who married Henry Gauthier-Villars, 14 years her senior, famous writer known as 'Willy'. With ideas at his 'factory' drying up, Willy persuaded his wife to write, thus creating the 'Claudine' series. But as Willy was the famous writer, all the novels were published under his name. As 'Claudine' rose to such famous heights, books sold out in bookshops everywhere, the novels adapted into a stage play, her picture on products aimed at young women, Colette wished for her named to be credited alongside her husband's, which he refused.

'Colette' explores her early married life with Willy, her twenties where she created Claudine, the success of her work and her wish to be acknowleged as the writer as well as her strained marriage with Willy, who, a know libertine, had affairs and even encouraged Colette's own affairs with othe women. It would seem that this story doesn't aim to shock but to witness Colette's flurry of creative and sexual desires. She experiences a sort of freedom when she writes about a ménage à trois between herself, Willy and a married woman, even though it seems as if her creative alliances come crashing down for a moment at the thought of her books being burnt. The film is occupied with three main things, Colette's beginnings as a novelist, her marriage to Willy and her burgeoning sexuality. With the author blurring the lines of her fictional character, Claudine's exploits, as the books were inspired by truth, Colette is in danger of being swept up with the Claundine hype. Her choice to take to the stage seems an odd career choice and more of a creative release.

Needing and wanting a release feels like the real theme of the story, rather than Colette just wanting recognition for her work and her husband taking all the credit. It would have been interesting to see what happened to Colette, post marriage breakdown and post Claudine, as she continued to write, most famously, 'Gigi', which was adapted and made into that 50s musical about a young girl who is being groomed to become a courtesan. But do not think that this film falls short of his dramatic and biopic service, it has a great cast, actually welcoming to see Keira Knightly back in a role that suits her perfectly and Dominic West bringing the house down with his awful obnoxious Willy. A story with more to tell and true heroine that has far more to her that what we see on screen.

#LFF