Camera Obscura

This Holland v Japan game is so boring that bits of my brain are dribbling out of my ears. At first I thought it was bits of wax but no, it’s my melting brain. There’s always the Shinty: MacTavish Cup Final (Kingussie v Kilmallie) or TJ Hooker, a favourite of mine as a wee guy. A big lardy middle aged William Shatner slithering over a cop car like a broken egg yolk does not look as cool to me as a 33 year old man, it has to be said.

I suspect that my slight hangover is also playing its part in my current state of muddled distraction. Was worth it all the same. Watched the marvelous England game at a friend’s flat (I’m definitely going to be following that bird, I think it’s got a bright future ahead of it no matter what goal post it chooses to perch on next season) and had a few scoops. The chat veered into the world of film after my “friend” made me listen to Tommy Live by the Who. Ok, let’s get one thing straight, I really, really, really do not like musicals. I loathe them, lots of people waving fingers in each others faces and shout-singing “NO NO NO!” over and over again, awful! The most palatable I can think of is Mel Stuart’s 1971 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. What’s not to love? A brilliantly crazed and mischievous Gene Wilder, annoying children being dispatched off in the most inventive ways, creepy painted midgets and an acid trip scene set on a chocolate river! I do often think that kids films (and movies in general) in the late 60s and 70s were a little bolder than they are now. If anyone thinks I should open my mind on the musical front then post your suggestions below.

After hearing the ‘See Me Feel Me’ motif for the 5th time I pleaded with my beer accomplice to ditch Tommy, he obliged and treated me to some Pentangle. We recommended a couple of Australian films that we’d both seen recently to each other. Mine was Ted Kotcheff’s 1971 (OH what a year!) Wake In Fright which I notice is filed under “Foreign/Negative portrayal of Australia” in Wikipedia’s ‘Not Quite Hollywood’ film reference section. Not without good reason. This film is a cracker! I saw it at the Glasgow Film Festival, noticing a Nick Cave comment on the programme about it being “the scariest film ever made in Australia” or something like that. It is pure sun bleached grainy small town horror, absolutely depraved and reeking of alcohol. It’s got possibly the best homo-erotic, drunken kangaroo culling, bar fighting, foul mouthed insult slinging scene I have ever witnessed. A true lost classic. Also, Donald Pleasence tears it up, he is fantastic! You simply need to see this film although it seems to only exist on the film festival circuit right now, but hopefully that will change. For you literal-minded Americans this film is titled “Outback”, imaginative. In addition to the musical plea above, I’m also taking recommendations for Australian films. Can you tell I’ve got some time on my hands?

Final Score – MacTavish Final – Kingussie 5 (Ryan Borthwick 2, R Ross 3) Kilmallie 4 (L MacDonald 2, J Stewart, M Rodgers)