2019-07-01_Uncut_UK

(singke) #1

JULY 2019 • UNCUT• 113


BACHMAN: SPECIAL EDITION


MVD


7/10


Tender tribute toCanada’sfirstrockstar
Painstakingly
researchedand
smartlyassembled,
JohnBarnard’s
98-minutein-depth
RandyBachmandoc
coverstheCanadian
rocklegend’searlylife
raisedina Mormon
family,histimeinTheGuessWhoand
Bachman-TurnerOverdriveandontohis
stillthrivingsolocareer.Insightful
contributionscomefromfriends,family,
bandmatesandsuper-fanNeilYoung,
whohasknownBachmanfor 55 yearsand
generouslycallshimhis“biggestinfluence”.
Extras:6/10.Additionalinterviewswith
Youngandothers.NIGELWILLIAMSON


THEBESTOFBRITISH
TRANSPORTFILMS:70TH
ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
BFI


7/10


Richandpoignantarchiveofrail
documentary
Thoughlesslionised
thanJohnGrierson’s
GPOfilmunit,British
TransportFilms,headed
byGriersonprotégé
EdgarAnstey,diligently
documentedthebirth
anddeathofnationalised
railintheUK,nowhere
betterthaninGeoffreyJones’awesomeshort
Rail, nowin4K,proceedinginwordless
rapturefromcathedral-likestationsto
steamtrainsvoyagingmagnificentlyacross
Victorianviaductsthroughtotheswinging
arrivalofelectrification.Theunitalsogave
a firstbreaktoa youngJohnSchlesinger,
whoselyricalTer minu s(1961)findsall
humanlifeina dayatWaterloostation.
Extras:6/10.Introductions by Edgar Anstey.
STEPHENTROUSSÉ


GONKS GO BEAT
NETWORK


5/10


Future rock godscameoin cultcurio
Amisfiringscience-
fictioncomedyfrom
1965 starringKenneth
Connorasa bumbling
intergalacticpeacemaker
senttoEarthtounitethe
warringpopulationsof
“Beatland”and“Ballad
Isle”.Asanattemptby
theBritfilmindustrytotapintotheyouth
market it’s woefully inadequate, although


thepassingoftimehasgivenit a modicum
ofquaintcharm.Laughsareinshortsupply,
buttherenotablemusicalinterludesfrom
theGrahamBondOrganisation(featuring
GingerBakerandJackBruce),Nashville
Teensanda 16-year-oldLulu.
Extras:7/10 .Twoaudio CDs.
TE R RYSTAU NTO N

HOW I WON THE WAR
BFI
6/10
JohnLennonstarsin awkwardly
absurdist ’60ssatire
Havingtackledsex
(inTheKnack...) and
rock’n’roll(inHelp!),
withHowI WonTheWar
(1967)RichardLester
andscreenwriterCharles
Woodlookedtoconclude
a high-concept,high-’60s
trilogy.Followinga
ramshackledelusionalBritishunitthrough
northAfrica,thefilmhaselementsofDr
StrangelovesatireandCatch-22absurd it y,
buttheuneventonefeelsmoreMichael
BentinethanBertoltBrecht.
Extras:7/10 .Plod(long-lostScaffoldshort),
1950santiwaranimations,RichardLesterin
conversationwithStevenSoderbergh audio
feature.STEPHENTROUSSÉ

THEROLLINGSTONES
BridgesTo Bremen
EAGLEVISION
8/10
Back in the lastcentury...
This150-minuteconcert
filmtransportsusback
21 yearstotheBridges
ToBabylonTour,when
Jaggerandcowerestill
50-somethingstriplings.
FilmedinGermany
towardstheendofthe
year-longjaunt,the
22-tracksetincludesallthefaves,a frankly
over-generousfivetracksfromthethen
currentalbumplusa tasty“MemoryMotel”,
selectedbyfansviatheband’swebsite,and
thefunkiest“MissYou”you’veever heard.
Extras:7/10 .Twoaudio CDs.
NIGEL WILLIAMSON

THE VIRTUES


ChANNEL 4

8/10


Damageddadtackleschildhood
demons in gritty TV drama

I


T’SfairtosaythatShaneMeadowsis notmessingaround
withTheVirtues. It’shardtorecalla moregruelling
openinghourina populartelevisiondrama,asourhero
Joseph(StephenGraham)findshimselfinanemotional
collapsethatleaveshimbruisedandsick,andbegging
SinbadfromBrooksidefora ferrytickettotakehimfrom
LiverpooltoIreland.Grahamhasbeenherebefore,ofcourse.
IntherecentLineOfDuty, hisvengefulundercovercop,John
Corbett,wasa LiverpudlianwithNorthernIrishroots,a lineage
thathelpedexplainhischaracter’ssuddendescent.Here,the
tangleofimpulsesis nolesstragic,thoughit existsata domestic
level,andfindsexpressioninself-destruction.
Thewarningsaretherefromthestart.Josephis ina van,
cominghomefromhisjobasa painter.Hestaresblankly.He
looksspent.Ashegoesintohisflat,a distantsirenwails.He
runsa bath.Thekettleboils,hecries.
Theactiondoesnotproceedwiththeusualenergyofa Shane
Meadowsproduction;it feelsclosertoa JamesKelmannovel.
WhileGrahambroughtmaligncharismatoThisIs England
astheracistCombo,hereheis punctured.It’sa boldopening,
becauseit is sohardtowatch.TheincidentthatpromptsJoseph’s
emotionalcollapseis thelossofhisyoungson,whois movingto
AustraliawithJoseph’sexandhercurrentpartner.Josephgulps
downhismilkata farewellmeal,andgivestheboypermission
tocallanothermanDaddy.Heembarksona massivebender,of
pintsandvodkaandtoiletcocaine,fightingwiththehand-dryer
andontoa waywardjourneyhome,filmedfromtheviewpoint
ofa pissedshoppingtrolley.Thenhewakesup,coveredinvomit.
Hasourherohitrockbottom?He’scertainlyreachedthepoint
wherehefeelstheneedtotravelhometorediscoverhislong-lost
sisterAnna(HelenBehan),andtograpplewiththechildhood
memoriesthatkeepblurtingintohisconsciousness.Thedrama
takesa morefamiliarshapeonceit reachesIreland,andJoseph
startstoachievesomekindofaccommodationwithhispast.
There’sa hintofromancewithAnna’spugilisticsister-in-law
Dinah(NiamhAlgar),thoughshetoohasrepressedtroubles.
Andthere’sCraigy(MarkO’Halloran),whoremembersJoseph
frombefore.
Itallproceedslikea documentary,andwhiletheensemble
addscolourandcontext,thisis Graham’sshow.Thetitle(with
a crucifixinthemiddle)givesfairwarningthatbiblicalthemes
areafoot,andMeadows(andco-writerJackThorne)justabout
remembertoofferhope.PJHarvey’ssoundtrackemits flickers of
alarm, and hints of a reckoning.ALASTAI R M c KAY

Offtherails:
Stephen
Grahamas
Josephin
The Virtues

GonksGoBeat:
tub-thumping
’60s kitsch
Free download pdf