It's War!

Having been out in town this evening for a very enjoyable time with Work Buddy and The Governess, the journeys there and back again once again highlighted the need for a set of Rules of Engagement that should be issued to all tourists to this fair city from these shores and beyond.

For one thing, our public transportation system is not great at the best of times. It doesn’t need an influx of yahoos shuffling around like lobotomized penguins. Unless of course they’re eager to receive a cock punch so hard it’ll make their eyes bleed.

This Saturday British Film Forever turns its attention to War films. I don’t hold out for the best. In the Radio Times Matron Graham writes:

...only British Film Forever would come up with the following throwaway remark about Reach for the Sky, the biopic of legless Second World War hero Douglas Bader: “Viewers of this film might’ve thought they were having their legs pulled.” I wonder exactly who this witless commentary is aimed at?

I’m beginning to think the narration is concocted by someone who really wants the job of writing photo captions for Empire of Total Film. Trite as their compositions can sometimes be, I don’t think either editors would be dumb enough to give this person the time of day.

As well as Reach for the Sky, this week’s episode also covers that other great British war film United 93. ...Nope, I don’t get it either. While the content of the documentary may be maddening, the selection of films is particularly choice.


They begin Saturday afternoon with The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp at 1.00pm on BBC2. On Wednesday night, starting at 11.50pm is A Canterbury Tale. Both were written, produced and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Both celebrate the wonderful inventiveness and eccentricity inherent in British film at its very best.

If you haven’t seen either, you have no excuse.