39 posts tagged “england”

In the new movie Harry Brown, Michael Caine (you may remember him from Return to the Poseidon Adventure, The Swarm, Jaws 3-D, The Hand and a couple of other movies) is a retired Marine who gives a bunch of yobs on a housing estate what they deserve after a mate of his is killed. The smart-arse at The Times thinks they should have killed him off, probably because Times readers would have preferred he prevailed if he talked like he did in Zulu. Me: I like a bit of escapism and this sounds like a modern-day Death Wish. (Pity that by the time Sir Maurice got to work with Michael Winner, the director had lost his marbles and they made Bullesye.) Go Michael! Blow them bloody doors off!

The stories are different enough that one could not accuse the Hong Kong film-makers of outright copying, but there is clear inspiration between the English Ooh, You Are Awful (or Get Charlie Tully), starring Dick Emery, and the first of the successful franchise 最佳拍檔 (Aces Go Places). The films are 10 years apart.
   The plot lines are similar: in the original, Emery has to find a Swiss bank account number, separately tattooed on four different girls’ behinds. In the later film, Sam Hui (the father of Canto-pop) and Karl Maka’s characters have to find a map reference, tattooed on two different girls’ behinds. The following is of two very similar scenes, one set at Waterloo Station in London, the other at a taxi company’s radio department, and subsequent scenes involving photographic booths, where one might be able to claim there was a fair amount of direct copying. Emery is more blue, while the later film is more slapstick with better pacing.
   And yes, that is the lovely Cheryl Kennedy in the first clip.
   In the 1970s and 1980s, it was highly unlikely for Hong Kong cinemagoers to have seen the Emery film.
   Head to 2.45 for the above scene in the first video; 0.43 in the second clip.

This was an interesting, but hardly scientific, test by the Autocar team. Most British motoring television seems heavily influenced by Top Gear (I mean the one that was originally cancelled, rather than the revised show) and the lack of a true process here is due to that. However, I enjoyed watching it and certainly did not dislike it to the extent of some of the viewers on YouTube.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how well do you sing?

If 1 is an American Idol reject and 10 is Matt Monro, then I would give myself a 6.
   Meanwhile, here’s some real singing from Matt.

Since Triangle TV closed in Wellington, I have not been able to watch al-Jazeera as often as I used to. As I was asked to be on the July 31 edition of Listening Post, commenting on Kim Jong-Il and the media, I thought it would be worth sharing with more of you, especially if you are equally hampered by access to the news network. (Apologies to my Vox neighbourhood who will see two entries to the same video.) I think this marks my fifth or sixth appearance—I seem to have lost count.

Some impersonators are only so-so: if you heard them independently, they sound like the person, but put them alongside the real thing and they don’t sound that alike. (For all her acclaim, Tina Fey falls into this category with her Sarah Palin impressions.) But I have listened to the real Prince Charles once and mistook his speech for impersonator Rory Bremner, showing how close he is. Meanwhile, Dead Ringers’ Jon Culshaw does a killer Tom Baker, and if you listen to this without the picture, you might not be able to tell whom is saying which line:

‘I Could Be So Good for You’ has been covered by other artists. For starters, a Mr Tom Jones impersonator singing the Minder theme tune with his Welsh accent:

During a quiet moment at work, I put these on. A small tribute to Dennis Waterman, his starring roles, and his singing the ‘feem toon’.

Law & Order UK (from ITV) has started in New Zealand, and just like most remakes, it’s not as good as the original. It’s not bad, but proves again that sometimes, things should just remain in their original form.
   And before someone pounces on me by saying that Law & Order UK is not a remake, but a spin-off (as has happened on YouTube), then perhaps they could tell me why the script for tonight’s episode here is directly based on an American one (and even credits it)? Sorry, old chap, that makes it a remake, just like all those wonderful American shows and movies such as Three’s Company, Sanford & Son, Life on Mars, Coupling, Cosby, Ugly Betty, Three’s a Crowd, Eleventh Hour, Too Close for Comfort, The Office, Viva Laughlin, Kath & Kim, Payne, Amanda’s, The Prisoner, In Treatment, Worst Week, All in the Family, Good Behavior, State of Play …
   The credits are OK, and at least here there has been some departure from the original, though the trade mark noise that starts each scene is still present.

I don’t know why but I got interested in putting in a few English cars into Autocade. How about these for oddities that few, except for their fans, remember?

Austin 3-Litre (ADO61). 1967–71 (prod. 9,992). 4-door saloon. F/R, 2,912 cm³ (6 cyl. OHV). Ill thought-out big Austin, using centre section from smaller 1800 and out of step with new executive saloons from Rover and Triumph. Excellent ride and sumptuous interior, but thirsty and underpowered. Shown at London Motor Show 1967 and enjoyed a “soft” launch; full launch in 1968 with four round headlamps and, after the first 1,000 units or so, front quarterlights in the windows. Buyers stayed away and the model was cancelled in 1971, having sold far worse than its predecessor.

MG MGC/MG MGC GT (ADO52). 1967–9 (prod. 9,002, incl. 4,458 GT). 2-door convertible, 3-door coupé. F/R, 2912 cm³ (6 cyl. OHV). Replacement for Austin–Healey 3000 with MGB bodies and three-litre C-series engine from Austin 3-Litre. Poorly sorted, with fronts too heavy (engine 209 lb heavier than the B’s unit), spoiling the handling. Identified by the bonnet bulge; at the time, a market failure.

Jensen GT. 1975–6 (prod. 509). 3-door coupé. F/R, 1973 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC). Fastback 2+2 version of Jensen–Healey, hurriedly put into production as Jensen sales collapsed due to the oil crisis. Jensen went into receivership in 1976, killing this model. No Healey tag, as Donald Healey had left the Jensen board and refused to grant permission to use his name. Mechanically identical to Jensen–Healey, but due to extra weight, slower.

Lotus Élite (Type 83). 1980–3 (prod. 133). 3-door coupé. F/R, 2174 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC). Élite for the 1980s, with larger Type 912 engine. Better torque, and Getrag five-speed gearbox. Some minor changes, including new spoiler and rear lights. However, the shape was more dated than Éclat and Esprit by now, and sold relatively poorly in this decade.