Author Archives: graemelawrence

January: Bulgaria and Romania join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eurozone Oil supplies to Poland, Germany and Ukraine are cut as the Russia-Belarus energy dispute escalates Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the iPhone at a Macworld keynote in San Francisco The England cricket team lose the fifth Ashes test in Sydney by 10Continue reading “The News of 2007.”

The Last King of Scotland. Edinburgh, 1970. With the frustrating prospect of living in his father’s shadow, newly graduated doctor, Nicholas Garrigan, travels to Uganda to work at a missionary clinic. Soldiers and tanks roam the streets of the African nation as a military coup is in progress; the Ugandan people celebrate the impending victoryContinue reading “The Cinema of 2007.”

Songs in the Key of Life. After flirting with the idea of quitting the music industry, in 1975 Stevie Wonder, in a BoJo-esque u-turn, signed (sealed, delivered) a seven-album deal worth $37 million in which he was to be given full artistic control of the music produced. Stevie wasn’t messing around either. A double LPContinue reading “The Sound of 1976.”

January: Full diplomatic relations are restored between Bangladesh and Pakistan, five years after the Bangladesh Liberation War The Scottish Labour Party is formed The first commercial Concorde flight takes off, from Heathrow to Bahrain The United States vetoes a UN resolution calling for an independent Palestinian state Ten Protestant men are killed in the KingsmillContinue reading “The News of 1976.”

The Lives of Others. Inland Empire. The Fountain. Apocalypto. The Last King of Scotland. Volta – Björk. Boxer – The National. In Rainbows – Radiohead. Untrue – Burial. Fear of a Blank Planet – Porcupine Tree.

All the Presidents’ Men. On the evening of the 17th June 1972, police are called to investigate a possible burglary at the national Democratic National Committee headquarters within the Watergate complex in Washington, DC. New Washington Post journalist, Bob Woodward, is assigned to this seemingly minor story but, after discovering that the five men arrestedContinue reading “The Cinema of 1976.”

All the President’s Men. The Outlaw Josey Wales. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Dersu Uzala. The Scar. Station to Station – David Bowie. 2112 – Rush. Spirit – Earth, Wind & Fire. Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder. Oxygène – Jean Michel Jarre.

January: Poland becomes the first country in Eastern Europe to begin abolishing its state socialist economy, also withdrawing from the Warsaw Pact Glasgow begins its year as European Capital of Culture, the first of the British Isles The first internet companies catering to commercial users, PSINet and EUNet, begin selling internet access to commercial customersContinue reading “The News of 1990.”

Bossanova. Following a short hiatus after the release of 1989’s Doolittle, Pixies return with their third album in as many years, Bossanova. As the old mantra goes, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, and Pixies combine elements of what made their first two records successful to produce what is, unsurprisingly, yet another masterpiece. MyContinue reading “The Sound of 1990.”

Bad Taste. Kaihoro, New Zealand. Barry, Frank, Ozzy and Derek are investigating the disappearance of the town’s population, the former getting chased by an axe-wielding loony for his troubles; though a number of gunshots to the head takes care of that. While Frank and Ozzy drive to the rendezvous, Derek tortures a captured alien psychopathContinue reading “The Cinema of 1990.”