MEDIA
And now. live lrom Glasgow. it's. . Pick olthe Vids.
I MDBHISEY: ‘HULMEBIST‘ Unsurprisingly narcissistic collection oi images lrom the depressed Mancunian. It all looks ratherloolish now that his stock oi artistic credibility is running low, though‘Suedehead'and ‘Everyday is Like Sunday' retain their appeal. (PMi, 29.99)
I PABEHTHODD (15) Gootball iather Steve Martin makes the discovery that no matter how good a lather he tries to be, much oi his oilsprings‘ development is beyond his control. Martin is in good lorm, though the sugary celebration at the lamiiy spirit may have you retching. (CIC. rental) ~
‘~' I our j \ ‘
I HDMEBO (15) An examination oi the lite oi Archbishop DscarArnulio Bomero lilmed by Australian John Duigan who was responsible last year lor the much acclaimed; The Year My Voice Broke. It ioiiows the recent political histroy oi El Salvador through the lite oi Romero. He was initially seen as a reliable, studious and conservative priest. one who would not make waves when elected to the post ol Archbishop. However, the imprisonment and deaths oi lriends and colleagues lorced him to reappraise his position and gradually he was translorrned into a brave and passionate leader at the Salvadorean people. Eventually, on 24 March 1980, he was shot dead while celebrating Mass. (Warner Home Video. rental)
I ALWAYS (PG) Richard Dreyiuss. an airborne lire-lighter. is getting on very nicely thank you with his tempestuous colleague Holly Hunter. However, the aliair sullers a set-back when he kicks the bucket whilst attempting to save his triend's lile (John Goodman). All is not lost it seems though and his guardian angel, Audrey Hepburn. allows his soul to return to earth onlyto witness and comment upon his ex-lover talling lor Brad Johnson. Essentially an updated version oi the 1943 Spencer Tracy tilm A Guy Named Joe complete with state oi the art special eiiects although he remains uncomtortably adolescent when trying to portray an adult love ailalr. (ClC. rental)
V RADIO
Nostalgia is always great. but there is something particularly endearing about music nostalgia. probably because trends change so quickly. so you can happily be nostalgic about things only a few years after their . demise. From the affectionate lilt in the voices of Edwin Collins. Roddy Frame and Lloyd Cole in Radio Scotland’s Glasgow A GD 60. you might have guessed that they were talking about rationing in World War Two. not the music scene in Glasgow over the last ten years. Presenter 'l‘om Ferrie added to the emotion of the occasion with his insistence on Glasgow's new~found optimism — apparently heralded by Simple Minds” LP New Gold [)ream — and Lloyd Cole warmly agreed that ‘good groups come out of Scotland because the Scottish mentality is not quite so trend-orientated as the London mentality.‘
The prize for the best anecdote goes to The Bluebells who were taken to court by The Bluebell Girls. a somewhat desl'tablllé dancing troupe from Paris. Apparently they felt that the Scottish group was scruffy and should change their name. so as to avoid any undesirable associations. The case was dismissed on the grounds that. The Bluebells might wear scruffy clothes. but at least they had some clothes on. Don‘t miss part two in which Tom Ferric takes a nostalgic look at the 905 so far and Wet Wet Wet manager explains how‘The Wets and myself actually decided that we were going
to do something about the goddamn l music scene in Scotland.‘ (Glasgow A ' Go Go: A Decade oi Glasgow Rock. Part 2 Radio Scotland— 10.25pm. 1 Aug. Radio 1 2pm. 28 Jul — repeated 7.30pm. 31 Jul).
Garrison Keillor wowed visitors to last year's Book Festival with his very big. very firm jaw and his hilarious readings of the then-to-be-published WeAre Still Married. However good reading his books is. hearing them is better. I like the one about Dusty Pages. the Western-adventure writer worried
about the fact that he often gets recognised but never congratulated on his book ('k-ck (iiddup Beauty! ("man Big (iirl. A wrmaaavy.’ (We Are Still Married Radio 4 starts
8.43am. 30 Jul).
Garrison Keillor
Anthony Clare is back in August with a new series of In The Psychiatrist’s Chair. the interview programme which probes much deeper than any trendy Channel 4 show. The last series featured candid revelations from Anthony Burgess and a surprising near-collapse from agony aunt Clare Rayner.
In the first programme. theatre director Sir Peter Hall. talks about his artistic obsessions. his attitudes to women and his family life. Later in the series Dr Clare will be talking to Clare Short. Derek Jarman. Anna Massey. Paul Johnson and 0M .'l'homas. (In The Psychiatrist’s Chair Radio4starts9.(l5am. 1 Aug— repeated Saturday) (Miranda France).
Flicking through the channels on a night at bad TV is like Dante's descent into Hell. Lingering in the outer circles are Blue Peter, Terry and June and Come Dancing, then down through the inner circles wherein lie The Price is Right, Richmond Hill and Take the High
to cleanse itseli ol sin. in terms ol a
Boad until linally you come lace to lace with Old Nick himsell; who greets you with his catchphrase ‘Alright my love? Super, just keep looking and thinking all the way.’ Not content with this passing similarity to the great work oi the Florentine poet, Channel 4 have ‘ commissioned director Peter
Although this massive undertaking is the lirst attempt to bring it to the small
Philiips’ highly-acclaimed illustrated .
O
Greenaway and artist Tom Phillips to concoct a comprehensive treatment at the lnierno in moving images.
Written at the beginning oi the 14th Century, Dante's Divine Comedy
relates the voyage that a soul must take
physical journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. The richness at its imagery, in particular in the lnierno, has been a constant drawing point lor artists over the years.
screen. The initial inspiration came irom
book at the lnierno, lirst published in l
1983. From that, he and Greenaway produced a pilot version at the lilth Canto oi A TV Dante. This initial attempt had the artist reading lrom his own text and was hailed by The Times as ‘A thinking person's pop video,’ mixing news iooiage, talking heads and lictional drama ‘in a mind-blowing torrent ot images and sound.‘ Taking this as their starting point, they have lleshed out the narration with a star studded cast, John Geilgud, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, Susan Woolridge, David Attenborough, Laurie Booth and Bob Peck. Besides these ‘named’ parts there will be a variety oi loot note contributions irom experts, lrom stockbrokers to master butchers, who supply a commentary on the ‘text'. The individual cantos each at eleven minutes duration are illuminated ratherthan dramatised. Phillips explains, ‘As Dante built up his text with layers at meaning, we have tried to use the screen in the same way with images veiled and juxtaposed. At one point in Canto VII there are 16 images on the screen simultaneously, though these rapidly give way to the single and most simple oi television pictures the lull-screen talking head.’ Well lithe richness oi the imagery gets too much, you can always llick over to one ol Hell’s outer circles, available onthe other side. (Ross Parsons) A TV Dante: Cantos l a ll, Sun 29 (Channel 4) 9.55—10.20pm; Cantos lll & IV, Mon 30 (Channel 4) 9.30—10pm; Cantos V & VI, Tues 31 (Channel 4) 9.30—10pm; Cantos Vll & Vlll, Weds 1 (Channel 4) 9.30-10pm.
'l'hc l.l\l 27 July -— ‘) August l‘)l)tl59