Highlights
I hate this
But does it matter? I don’t usually say that sort of thing here. I try to be more measured, less personal. I’m talking about the police face recognition vans obviously. This might not surprise you: I mean that I don’t like them. I’m an old git after all, a man who’s written here before about […]
Nearly half a bicycle
The atomic theory in Kilburn This place (on Kilburn High Road) has been morphing steadily from dry cleaner’s to bike shop over the last few years. I remember being surprised one morning to see a few kids’ bikes lined up for sale outside but I’d say the shop is now approaching 50% bike shop. You […]
Where is my patriotism?
Come, love of country, fill my heart… I do love Britain. I guess I love England more. London most of all. I hope that in my life I’ve honoured the place I live and not disgraced it or undermined it (I support England and GB in sporting events – I fly a little flag on […]
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On the spectrum
Two novels, one small and mean, one vast and generous, both magnificent This year I started a bookclub in our house – with mixed results if I’m honest. It’s called…
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Skycaps on a break
From the archives. At JFK, 24 April 2005. They’re telling me about the previous Friday night’s $205M Michigan lottery win.
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Three films that are not one hundred years old
My Substack newsletter is called GROSS. I’m writing about all the top-grossing films since 1913 – but I’ve made an exception for the new year and reviewed three films from…
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Final act for the streamers
Netflix introduced ads and now Amazon Prime too. It’s your fault. It’s a three-act drama In act one it’s about growth—extravagent, out-of-control, venture-funded growth—you remember that. Piling on millions—hundreds of…
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‘Working class golf’ – the posh media will never understand it
Broadcasters and journalists – please stop trying to explain darts. I know you were privately educated and find darts to be kind of exotic – like chicken shops or pigeon…
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No not that one, the other one
NAPOLEON, ABEL GANCE, GAUMONT, 1927, 330 MINUTES. I’m publishing the occasional post from my newsletter about the history of film here on the blog. This one concerns the biggest international…
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Hollywood Babylon – a two-part aside
Crime, sex, addiction, murder and suicide – the golden age of the movies Cinema is a mature form. Cinema is also, of course, the least mature form there’s ever been.…
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Dudes in the woods
Robin Hood is a Mediaeval superhero. He doesn’t care much about emancipation, but he loves to skip through the trees. Gross is every year’s top-grossing movie, since 1913, reviewed. DOUGLAS…
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Learning from old movies
GROSS is my first Substack thing. It’s film reviews, which I hope are funny and interesting and unpretentious. It’s also my personal low-effort way to learn about the whole span…
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Chaps in trouble
We’ve got to 1919. The officer class over-reaches itself and gets stuck on the ice. It’s a disaster but it all works out in the end. Every year’s top-grossing movie,…