Author Archives: graemelawrence

The earliest year so far this week, 1958. Expect plenty of black and white films as we travel to a simpler time: Wild Strawberries. The Seventh Seal. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Touch of Evil. Vertigo. And a fair share from the genre that defined the 50s, jazz: Blue Train – John Coltrane. MilestonesContinue reading “Week 8: 1958.”

January: UK assumes presidency of G8 February: American scientists use a 3D printer to create a living lab-grown ear from collagen and animal ear cell cultures, it is hoped that in the future a similar technique can be used for transplantation on human patients Benedict XVI resigns as pope, the first to do so sinceContinue reading “The News of 2013.”

Philomena. Martin Sixsmith is an Oxford educated former Labour Party spin doctor who is slightly depressed having been sacked in typical political scapegoat fashion. Seeking a new job and having, wisely, decided against writing a book on Russian history, Martin returns to journalism when he is told of a potential human interest story in Philomena,Continue reading “The Cinema of 2013.”

Tomorrow’s Harvest. Fifteen years and two albums after their debut, Music Has the Right to Children, Boards of Canada return with their fourth record, Tomorrow’s Harvest. The difference between these two albums is stark; while MHTRTC is nostalgic and feel good, Tomorrow’s Harvest is the soundtrack to a dark dystopian future where the British proletariatContinue reading “The Sound of 2013.”

Welcome to the 21st century. Finally. An opportunity for some recent artistic culture. This was also the year that I started university, so I was only partially conscious to what was happening in the world. The films this week are: A Field in England. Snowpiercer. Blue is the Warmest Colour. Philomena. Frances Ha. The albums:Continue reading “Week 7: 2013.”

January: Terry Venables announces he will resign as England manager after UEFA Euro 96 France undertakes it’s last nuclear weapons test February: An IRA ceasefire ends with the Docklands bombing in London’s Canary Wharf District, killing two and causing £85 million worth of damage First two train operating companies, South West Trains and Great WesternContinue reading “The News of 1996.”

Endtroducing… DJ Shadow’s debut album is a piece of music from someone who is a quite clearly a fan of music. The albums composition is made almost entirely from samples, with DJ Shadow fusing different, even some may consider opposing, genres together to create something unique; on “Stem/Long Stem” the combination of violin samples, amongContinue reading “The Sound of 1996.”

Leaving Las Vegas. Ben is a Hollywood screenwriter. His wife has left and taken his son with her: “I don’t know if I started drinking cause my wife left me or my wife left me cause I started drinking”, an ambiguity that is maintained throughout. As the quote alludes, Ben is an alcoholic, waking upContinue reading “The Cinema of 1996.”

Yes, another week for the 90s, this time it’s 1996. The chosen films are: Leaving Las Vegas. Secrets & Lies. Thesis. Porco Rosso. Underground. And the albums: Endtroducing… – DJ Shadow. Odelay – Beck. The Score – Fugees. LONG SEASON – Fishmans. Coming Up – Suede.

Dirty Harry. The first experience of 70’s cinema in this blog involves one of the iconic characters of the decade, Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callaghan, and his .44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world. Clint Eastwood embodies the role of Harry, a tough, straight-talking San Francisco detective, tasked with apprehending “Scorpio”, a serial killerContinue reading “The Cinema of 1972.”