Here are some of my favourite film and TV events from 2018.
A Ghost Story
Released in 2017, but first bought by me this year, David Lowery’s A Ghost Story is by far my favourite film of the year.
A lot of people seem to have been put off by the pace of the film (especially THAT scene) but for me this is one of the highlights. The slow pace, and periods of everyday life add to the feeling of reality, which makes the loss and grief all the more palpable.
Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara are perfectly cast, and offer sympathetic portrayals of their characters. The soundtrack by Daniel Hart adds so much depth to the film, which is one I have returned to regularly this year.
Buy A Ghost Story on Amazon
Threads (remastered)
First broadcast in September 1984 on BBC2, Threads is the most harrowing depiction of nuclear war ever committed to film.
Written by Barry Hines and directed by Mick Jackson, Threads covers the growing tension in the weeks leading up to war, the attack itself and the bleak years of nuclear winter that follow.
The major nations nuclear weapons are even more powerful today, but I still think this film should be shown to all world leaders to give them a glimpse into what they would unleash by pressing that button.
This 2-disc set presents the original film remastered in 2k from the original BBC prints. It is available in HD on Blu-Ray for the very first time in the UK, and includes the world premiere of the director-approved widescreen edition. It’s difficult to watch, but Threads is a piece of British TV history.
Buy Threads (remastered) on Amazon
Hereditary
Hereditary is the directorial debut from Ari Aster, and there is not much I can say about the film without dishing out major plot spoilers, but the film has the feel of the classic 70s horror flicks, which is always a good thing in my eyes.
The Shape of Water
Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water features Sally Hawkins and Michael Shannon in a story that seems to reference 1950’s creature movies, particularly Creature from the Black Lagoon, and is a surprisingly moving experience. The visuals are stunning and for once, the monster is not the enemy.
Buy The Shape of Water on Amazon
Killing Eve
Killing Eve was broadcast at the same time as Bodyguard, and although it did not achieve the same attention in the press, I found it to be the more rewarding and enjoyable of the two Autumn TV dramas.
I loved the dry, emotionless portrayal of the assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) alongside the equally strong performance from Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri.
Black Mirror (Season 4)
Season 4 was a strong collection – with my favourites being the Jodie Foster directed Arkangel and Hang the DJ which is up there with San Junipero (from Season 3) as Black Mirror highlights for me.
I’m writing this with my head in a mess after watching the premiere of Bandersnatch, the first interactive (and a rare feature length) Black Mirror episode.
Hopefully we will get a new, full series of Black Mirror in 2019.
Buy Black Mirror Season 4 on Amazon
The Deuce Season 2
Season 2 of HBO’s The Deuce was set in the years 1977 -1978, so the series had a wonderful, mostly new wave and disco, soundtrack along with a new theme tune, a re-imagining of This Year’s Girl by Elvis Costello with Natalie Bergman on co-vocals.
Season 2 saw some of the characters becoming more independent and powerful, but also saw three main characters die. The third and final season of The Deuce will hopefully air in September 2019.
Season 2 is now available on bluray. Season 1 is also available here.
Here’s to a great year of film and TV in 2019. You can read my 2018 end of year music favourites here.
Wild Beasts – Smother
Niki & the Dove
Yes – Fly From Here
Some of my favourite Floyd albums were re-released this year, in remastered form, with Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall sounding better than ever.
My most played artist of 2010 (
Another new band, this time from the UK. Their Man Alive album was released in late August, and follows a string of single releases dating back to 2008. The songs are varied, with lovely layered harmony vocals, inventive guitar and nods to bands such as Talking Heads, Yes, XTC and even The Associates.
Portland, Oregon’s Gavin Castleton is a singer/songwriter I came across late in 2009, via someone’s end of year list on Facebook. See, sometimes these lists are worthwhile! Gavin’s music varies between progressive jazz-tinged pop, through to electronica and even rap, with traditional song arrangements and looping experiments.
She wanted a job so I brought her the forms
My favourite Gavin Castleton album is For the Love of Pete, which was released in 2007. It’s the most traditional (for the want of a better word) album from Gavin.
The Devil and I is the debut release from Lone Wolf aka Paul Marshall. Leeds musician Paul Marshall released an album called Vultures in 2007, but his first release under the Lone Wolf moniker is a very different beast. Losing the folk influences, and drawing from a wider instrumental palette, the Devil and I is as lyrically rich as it is musically.
Queen of Denmark was a must buy for me, because of the Midlake connection (the band back Grant on the album). Sounding very much like an album from the mid-70’s, with lush backing vocals and not sounding out-of-place in the company of Bread or Fleetwood Mac, Queen of Denmark reveals more when you dig deeper. Silver Platter Club even sounds like Carole Bayer Sager meets Gilbert O’Sullivan, but in a good way, I kid you not!
The Suburbs is summed up perfectly by its cover artwork, hinting at a time and a world long since disappeared.
2010 was the year I rediscovered Bruce Springsteen. My favourite Bruce albums were always The River, The Wild, The Innocent And The E Street Shuffle and especially Darkness on the Edge of Town. I went along to the UK premiere of the film The Promise In November, which was attended by the Boss himself. The documentary looks at the making of Darkness on the Edge of Town, and some of the songs that failed to make the final cut. It was a fascinating look at this landmark album, and I treated myself to the box-set that contained a DVD of the documntary, a remastered version of Darkness on the Edge of Town and a double disc of The Promise, songs from the Darkness sessions.
Darkness on the Edge of Town sounds amazing in this remastered version, it’s like hearing a new album. I’m still blown away by Candy’s Room, Badlands, Racing in the Street and Prove it all Night. I find it hard to believe that I first heard these songs 32 years ago.
Ok, not a new film, but one I’ve just seen. Directed by Sean Penn, and starring Emile Hirsch as Chris McCandless who leaves a life of comfort and safety to find a different way of life in the wild, open spaces of the US.
As above, one bought on blu-ray this year, and a horror classic. In my eyes, the film deserves to be talked of in the same way that The Shining, Omen or The Exorcist are described as genre-defining movies.
The Pacific
Released in 2008, but only noticed by me in 2009, so included here, the album Rook from Texan band Shearwater is a delicate collection of songs driven by rich strings and piano mixed with acoustic guitars and lots of references to birds (band member Jonathan Meiburg is a graduate student in ornithology).
Again, a 2008 release, but one I stumbled across in 2009 thanks to the wonders of Youtube. I was aware of Butch Walker’s previous band, Marvellous 3, due to the power-pop anthem from 1999, Freak of the Week (a fair-sized hit in the US that I heard when on holiday in Florida).
The part Swedish, part US band Miike Snow have released one album to date, and a clutch of classic singles. For the fact-fiends reading this blog, the Swedish contingent in the band were responsible for the Grammy winning Toxic by Britney Spears.
Mr Kinski's Music Shack 