The Value of Myth #5: The Largest Theatre in the World: Tea Party (1965), Theatre 625: The Basement (1967)

Posted on by Jon Dear

Arguably the most influential post-War writer doesn't need much by way of introduction. By the mid 60s Harold Pinter was past the disaster that was the opening of  The Birthday Party (1958) and the phenomenal success that was The Caretaker (1960). Five of his plays had been broadcast on ITV and lasting fame was secured. … Continue reading The Value of Myth #5: The Largest Theatre in the World: Tea Party (1965), Theatre 625: The Basement (1967)

The Man from Another Place #5: Quatermass and the Pit (1958/9)

Posted on by Jon Dear

The BBC has decided that now is the moment to put an old TV series about negative outside influence, racism, uncomfortable truths, incompetent government, and large-scale social unrest on iPlayer. Never mind about genre, the BBC serial Quatermass and the Pit is one of the finest pieces of television ever made and you can watch … Continue reading The Man from Another Place #5: Quatermass and the Pit (1958/9)

Foreign Countries #19: The Mad Death (1983)

Posted on by Jon Dear

The great thing about trawling through old British telly is there’s always something new to discover. Some long forgotten programme you’ve been completely unware of.  The not so great thing about trawling through old British telly is there’s often a reason these programmes have been long forgotten. So when Simply Media announced the latest batch … Continue reading Foreign Countries #19: The Mad Death (1983)

Land of weather forecasts and breakfasts that set in #3: Arcadia (2017)

Posted on by Jon Dear

The ultimate found footage film? The ultimate folk horror film? The ultimate documentary? There is a loose narrative that frames Paul Wright's Arcadia, that of an inherent anxiety about what lives at the heart of rural Britain, something malevolent or at least inimical, not easily defined yet ever-present, lurking. We start with a sinister, silhouette, … Continue reading Land of weather forecasts and breakfasts that set in #3: Arcadia (2017)

Foreign Countries #18: Worlds Beyond: The Eye of Yemanja (1987)

Posted on by Jon Dear

I've been watching Evil Genius (2018) this week, a truly extraordinary story of an investigation into a pizza delivery man robbing a bank before being killed by a home-made bomb secured round his neck, and where the trail leads the FBI. Real life crime documentaries are certainly in fashion at the moment. Real life stories … Continue reading Foreign Countries #18: Worlds Beyond: The Eye of Yemanja (1987)

Foreign Countries #17: Shadows of Fear: The Death Watcher (1971)

Posted on by Jon Dear

Every time my wife watches a mid-eighties Top of the Pops repeat on BBC Four these days I feel the need to point out the portion of Bernard Lodge’s slit scan effect created for the Doctor Who titles in 1973. And I do mean every time. Those titles that ran from 1973 to 1980, accompanied … Continue reading Foreign Countries #17: Shadows of Fear: The Death Watcher (1971)

The Value of Myth #4: Doomwatch: Tomorrow, the Rat (1970), Beasts: During Barty’s Party (1976)

Posted on by Jon Dear

The revelation a few years ago that the Black Death might have been caused by marmots and gerbils has done little to rehabilitate the reputation of rats in Western society. I imagine this is because few people have had to gingerly walk around a bunch of great gerbils feasting out of bins while taking a … Continue reading The Value of Myth #4: Doomwatch: Tomorrow, the Rat (1970), Beasts: During Barty’s Party (1976)