Saturday Night Movie: Discovering Electronic Music
A fun little documentary from 1983, showing the potential of electronic music and what the future might hold. Read the rest of this entry »
Wait until next year
Putting off what could be done tomorrow, today
Tag: documentary
Video | April 19, 2014
Saturday Night Movie: The Battle for Britain’s Breakfast
A documentary about the early days of breakfast television might not immediately sound that promising. But this is excellent, and has quite the tale to tell. Sure, it ticks a few nostalgia boxes for those of us who were up early in the 1980s, but it also is a telling case study of how the same mistakes can be made again and again, that boardroom shenanigans can destroy the best intentions and the fine line between being considered a creative genius and creating a flop.
And if you find this enjoyable, then do check out the book “Morning Glory: A History of British Breakfast Television” by Ian Jones – a brilliant read that fills in a lot of the gaps, and also takes the story into the early 2000s…
Video | March 25, 2014
Thirty years on from the first Merseyside Wembley final…
…this documentary has been doing the rounds. Made in 1984, it is centred around that year’s League Cup Final – the first time Liverpool and Everton had met in a Wembley cup final. But it is about a lot more than the game. It is a fine document for illustrating how sport can genuinely bring meaning and joy to our lives. It is also a reminder of the rapidly fading link between football and the working classes. Thirty years on we have the same unemployment, the same feelings of isolation, the same rundown communities. But now you can’t even afford a ticket to the football.
Video | March 22, 2014
Saturday Night Movie: The Man who Fought the Planners – The Story of Ian Nairn
An excellent documentary, and an excellent entry point to Ian Nairn – after watching this you’ll probably find yourself trawling YouTube for more original footage. Here was a man who fought against the destruction of old towns, yet did not consider himself a conservationist. A man who railed against the follies of town planners, but who could appreciate decent modern architecture. This programme also harks back to a time when TV could just be a passionate, articulate and informed person speaking to camera without any gimmicks, and could still be compelling and vital.
Wait until next year 