SILVER SCREEN: FILM/A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION

This is the 300th title in Oxford University Press’s excellent ‘Very Short Introduction’ series of pocket books. [Have previously reviewed MEMORY and am planning to tackle ISLAM next]I have been fidgeting with this book for several weeks. Initially I found it strange and bewildering, pretentious and exasperating. I have ended up full of admiration for what is one of the most unusual books I have ever read on film.

Its author Michael Wood is Charles Barnwell Straut Professor of English and Professor of Comparative Literature at Princeton University. He has form in this field having previously authored ‘America in the Movies’ and a book on Luis Bunuel.

SILVER SCREEN: PALERMO SHOOTING

Occasionally a movie comes along that switches on a light in your brain. ‘Palermo Shooting’ is, for my money, Wim Wenders greatest movie to date – or is his other greatest movie along with ‘Wings of Desire’, to which it forms a companion piece. Its dedicated to the memory of Bergman and Antonioni. Its about photography and death amongst other things.

What makes it good? A strongly constructed original story, gripping, deep, profound and unexpected. Fantastic cinematography and extraordinary visual treats, wonderful colours, powerful imaginary sequences interspersed with lovingly constructed views of the city of Palermo. Powerful characters, great performances. Fantastic technology. Amazing soundtrack. Its a summary of all Wenders’ key fascinations – a maestro stroke.

Released in 2008, it is for some reason not out on DVD (in the UK at least) until later this year. I saw it as free streaminga video on LoveFilm.

NME ARCHIVE: MIDNIGHT EXPRESS1

Back in 1978, ‘Midnight Express’ caused a sensation and a great deal of criticism over its negative portrayal of the Turkish people who, in the film, are all ugly and sadistic. This set of posts reprints articles I wrote at the time for the NME and tells you what has happened since. There’s also some interesting history stuff about what was going on in the background.

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS 2: INTERVIEWS

This is the first reprint of a piece that ran in the NME on August 19th 1978 under the headline ‘The Long Road From Turkey to Hollywood’ for which I interviewed Billy Hayes and the actor Brad Davis who played him in the film. Present on that day were the director Alan Parker, the co-producer David Puttnam, the film critic Dilys Powell and other luminaries.

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS 3: DRUG PRISONERS

In the following August 26th issue of NME I wrote this piece which looked at the plight of British drug prisoners in foreign jails.  For this reprint I have added photos and other material to make it more understandable to modern day readers:
 

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS 4: ALAN PARKER

This interview with Alan Parker was conducted in July 1978 by my friend and colleague David Brittain, who has given his permission for its publication. It was recorded at a time when the film was already causing considerable controversy. Aspects of this are reflected throughout the conversation in which Parker contradicts himself on the issue of the film’s anti-Turkish sentiments. The interview has been edited to improve clarity and readability.

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS 5: UPDATES

Billy Hayes is now 65  and has made a career as an actor/writer/director. See IMDB for details.
During the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, Alinur Velidedeoğlu, a Turkish advertiser, met Billy Hayes by chance and interviewed him on the film Midnight Express.

• Interview on YouTube  
• Interview on YouTube Part 2 

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS 6: DRUG GEOPOLITICS

This remarkable document by Jorrit Kamminga gives a detailed view of what was going on behind the scenes of ‘Midnight Express’ between the US and Turkey during the 1970s concerning the struggle to control the opium trade. What follows is a broad brushstroke summary with some material from other sources. You can download a pdf of the full report here.

BIT TRAVEL GUIDE: OVERLAND TO INDIA – AND BEYOND….

ON THE HIPPIE TRAIL is an excellent site by Hans Roodenberg

Regular readers of THE GENERALIST will know we have been drawing together information on the BIT Travel Guides produced in the 1970s. [See PREVIOUS POSTS below]
We are happy to report that we now have the April 1972 edition of ‘Overland to India – and beyond…’ thanks to Generalist reader Gian Paolo Chiari. Its a 20pp mimeographed and stapled document dated April 1972 which was available at the ‘RIP-OFF PRICE’ of 50p.

70s CULTURE: BITMAN1

THE GENERALIST ARCHIVE has also received from Gian Paolo Chiari a rare copy of BITMAN 1, dated May 1970 – a 40pp mimeographed and stapled publication. The intro explains all:
BITMAN is the degenerate offspring of BIT which disclaims all parental responsibility.
BITMAN is sure that words are confusion but will not fight off words that go to make up necessary bits of INFORMATION such as those which help make contacts & build circuits & blow minds & get projects off the ground.

THE GENERALIST IS 7

 

THE

GENERALIST IS

SEVEN YEARS

OLD THIS

MONTH!

Thanks to all my readers worldwide for your continued support. Heading for 100,000 hits this year.

INSIDE DOPE: MIKE JAY - DRUG HISTORY AND THE AIR LOOM

There is a huge literature on the history of drugs yet little of this knowledge has permeated into the mainstream drug debate, which remains locked into emotional polarised discussions between prohibitionists and libertarians, between those who believe in criminalising drug users and those who believe that addictions should be treated as a medical issue. All parties would benefit greatly from reading these two books by Mike Jay.
Mike Jay is an author and historian who has written widely on the history of science and medicine, and is a specialist in the study of drugs in all cultures through time.

EARTHED: STREET LIGHTING

Back in 2008, I briefly became a 'virtual expert' on the subject of energy-efficient lighting when I was hired by the Professional Lighting Designers Association (PLDA) to work on a campaign to question plans by the EU to ban incandescent light bulbs. [See Previous Post: ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING: THE INCANDESCENT STRIKES BACK]
My interest in the subject has been revived following conversations with independent lighting designer Graham Festenstein who has introduced me to the work of another UK trade body  The Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP) whose members are principally concerned with street lighting. Graham also lent me copies of their official quarterly publication Lighting Journal which makes interesting reading. Here are some of the things I learnt from it.