Local Hero! Hurrah!

Hey Mark

I have a suggestion for you. Can you do a general homeworkmarking vid pls? I've been looking over the blog history and there are quite a lot of questions you've asked that you've never gone back and revisited. I know that not every question would merit would merit a response but if it gets enough comments it's always good to hear your opinions on peoples answers.

As an example you once asked which actors would cause readers to be starstruck by that got over 200 responses, and this was in March! There were great stories in the responses as well.

For myself I've been waiting on tenderhooks for the End of the World response, as through your post I managed to find 'The Quiet Earth' which had been one of my favourite movies from years back.

Now that the summer's over and terms started it would be good to have the slate wiped clean before we start again!

I was surprised by this film because though it does have some humour it it is pretty grim. I'm sure that fans of Slade were probably looking for something a lot lighter in tone that fit the on-stage image of the band. Instead it looks at the dark side of the music industry: the gangster agent who really doesn't want to lose his 10%, businesses that treat music as a product to be sold and the personality clashes of the group's members.

Its a good film and the music is best Slade ever made.

Some of the responses were "tour de force" appraisals imo. For example that Ken Loach remark, it was already on my mind that I should watch more of his films after watching this film.



As for the criticisms of the description of "dark", I think that's classic and current example of the problem of language eg the original usage of "icon" or "intrigue" and now because these words are in such higher circulation (esp. important words for the media) there currency has to be distinguished from their actual meaning. So I think the description of "dark" is also widely popular in regards to movie discussion at the moment [Eg: HP movies becoming "darker", batman - a darker take on the IP etc]. Sorry for the boring linguistics class, but the usage is probably not meaning "really dark and cynically disturbing that got into everyone's brains" but more along the lines of contrasting the glamour mixed with grime. An illustration of the 'type of dark': Like a jewel neckless that got a fleck of dog poop on it by accident, while being worn. So I think the word is used whereby it's not a good descriptor but it works as in there is an attempt not to fob off another "happily ever after" tale, seems to me what people are getting at?



Reminds me of an Irish comedian who said much more amusingly than I can recall: "The Irish: We're not meant to have all this money: That's why when we got rich: We f'd it all up and spent the lot!"



Nice to see the next choice of film: One I've not seen but I see comes with glowing references already!

Luckily, I watched Local Hero in the summer, so it remains fresh in memory.

Dr K, having recently attended Frightfest 2012 and been treated to a Q&A with Dario Argento, it got me thinking... as a former winner of a Kermode award, is there a chance we could take a look at one of the great mans cinematic works as part of the Kerrmode Uncut Film Club?



I was shocked by just how few film fans have seen anything from Argento beyond the, admittedly classic, Suspiria. Perhaps it's time to introduce and re-examine something else from his back catalogue.

Well done for picking the one week it's not on iPlayer!

Am I the only one to notice a pattern, here; if it ain't a Kermode-favourite, it won't be discussed.

Wonderful, wonderful and even more, WONDERFUL! Local Hero. One of my favourite, regularly watched movies. Can't wait to watch it again and try to be more subjective about the film as a whole.

https://www.screendaily.com/awards/academy-awards/academy-awards-news/academy-switches-nominations-date-in-front-of-globes/5046731.article?blocktitle=Latest-news&contentID=1846



Thought this might please you. Hopefully the Golden Globes will now have much less of an influence on Academy Voting.

I was looking for a good excuse (if an excuse be needed) to watch Local Hero again as I watched it a month or two ago, so great pick, Dr K.



I'll be stunned if there are any people who don't like it and have really negative things to say about such a great movie with a superb score and a genuinely uplifting ending.

Good choice. I still haven't had a chance to watch Slade In Flame yet. Must do it this weekend!

Thanks for the mention,I`ll be very curious to see if anyone is so dim ,blind and deaf not to like it. I`m also rather looking forward to Bills contribution after the pure gold of your previous blog.

I can give you my verdict on Local Hero right now. It's a masterpiece.

#8 Matth Stil - You're correct. There is a pattern. It's the Kermode Film Club and this is the Kermode Blog. You do the matth.

I remember going to see "Slade In Flame" around the mid-seventies at my local cinema (the now long gone Ritz) in Edinburgh. I must admit that it did pleasantly surprise me as it was not what I was expecting. I agree with Mark that it possessed a dark, gritty tone throughout and was far removed from what many pop fans of the day expected. There were a few British pop films made during this period from the early to mid seventies, that featured many of the prominent figures of the time (does anyone recall the likes of "Remember Me This Way" with aargh - Gary Glitter??) but "Slade In Flame" was by far the best.

#15 - Sycophant.

Anyone who liked the film might want to get their hands on a copy of the book "Slade in Flame" by John Pidgeon on which the film script by Andrew Birkin is based.



Like the film, it's far far better than you think it's going to be and with more room for proper character development, expanded and uncensored dialogue and loads of background atmosphere it makes a really good read.



I suppose it's been out of print for over thirty years but it sold well at the time so there must be second hand copies around.



Published in paperback by Panther ISBN 586 04252 0

Local Hero...this movie always reminded me of the strange and unexpected poignancy of other films like Fandango directed by Kevin Reynolds and Finding Forrester from Gus Van Sant. It doesn't bludgeon you to death with stupid or sappy sentiment, it unfolds a subtle story and intertwines its characters about as artfully as any movie I've ever seen.



The closing scenes in these movies use music brilliantly. From the ethereal hypnosis of Pat Metheny at the end of Fandango, to Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow as Sean Connery rides a bicycle through New York, to Mark Knopfler's gorgeous soundtrack, the music ties the bow on three of my personal favorites.

If I were churlish enough to complain, I would have hoped for a more obscure Bill Forsyth, like Housekeeping or Comfort and Joy. But all Forsyth is good ('though I've not seen the Robin Williams one, and only saw the dubbed for the States version of ...Sinking... back in the day), so I'll keep schtum, and start rooting through a pile of DVD's that hopefully still contains Local Hero.

Just in case anyone struggles getting a copy, I found Local Hero on Youtube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh0ja-BTpbk

Great cross section and I want to say THANK YOU for pronouncing it right Dr. Kermode! The amount of times people say Car-me, not Kah-me. Extra brownie points for you. Or brownies. Whichever you prefer.



Will see about watching your next suggestion now.