The most miserable time of the year.

[David]

Here's a Christmas song. It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. In a good way, you understand.



Minuit, chrétiens, c'est l'heure solennelle,
Où l'Homme-Dieu descendit jusqu'à nous
Pour effacer la tache originelle

Midnight, Christians, it's the solemn hour,
When God-man descended to us
To erase the stain of original sin

Et de Son Père arrêter le courroux.
Le monde entier tressaille d'espérance
En cette nuit qui lui donne un Sauveur.

And to end the wrath of His Father.
The entire world thrills with hope
On this night that gives it a Savior.

Peuple à genoux, attends ta délivrance.
Noël, Noël, voici le Rédempteur,
Noël, Noël, voici le Rédempteur !

People kneel down, wait for your deliverance.
Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer,
Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer!

Le Rédempteur a brisé toute entrave :
La terre est libre, et le ciel est ouvert.
Il voit un frère où n'était qu'un esclave,

The Redeemer has overcome every obstacle:
The Earth is free, and Heaven is open.
He sees a brother where there was only a slave,

L'amour unit ceux qu'enchaînait le fer.
Qui Lui dira notre reconnaissance,
C'est pour nous tous qu'Il naît,
Qu'Il souffre et meurt.

Love unites those that iron had chained.
Who will tell Him of our gratitude,
It's for all of us that He is born,
That He suffers and dies.

Peuple debout ! Chante ta délivrance,
Noël, Noël, chantons le Rédempteur,
Noël, Noël, chantons le Rédempteur !

People stand up! Sing of your deliverance,
Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer,
Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer!

Annoyingly enough, the sentiments expressed in the words are exactly those I took issue with Owen about on a different thread. So does that make me a hypocrite? Or do I just like Caruso? Or both?

[Antcliff]

I am sending this as punishment for Nash....(it was a good joke!).

p.s. Caruso, Louis Prima, Dean Martino..Italians doing well.

[twoleftfeet]

I love Kate's voice and the the sound of the cittern(?).

[Antcliff]

Nic Jones..you've been at my CD collection Two-Left.
And this number lifts me with it's sheer nonsense verve..I can only only bow at the passing Scotland the Brave as guitar solo begins.


[quote="twoleftfeet"]I love Kate's voice and the the sound of the cittern(?).

[Oskar]

[twoleftfeet]

Not too keen on Wimoweh , tbh..

The Hancock clip has 12 likes and 19 dislikes!

Comedy Gold

[Nash]

Nash, you and Osk have played C W Stoneking before, haven't you? He sounds stunningly authentic.

Yes, good isn't he? Oskar introduced us to him first, so he can take the credit.


Now....I found this one recently. Don't know whether any of you have seen it before, Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour and Veronica Lake doing a tongue-in-cheek number about their sex symbol trademarks, a sweater, a sarong and a peekaboo bang. It may seem appallingly bad at the start but keep watching and it gets weird towards the end and completely bizarre at the very end.

[twoleftfeet]

Those guys are seriously fugly

[Antcliff]

Okay, I did not see that end coming...

[David]

I love Kate's voice and the the sound of the cittern(?).

Yes. Lovely.

Now....I found this one recently. Don't know whether any of you have seen it before, Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour and Veronica Lake doing a tongue-in-cheek number about their sex symbol trademarks, a sweater, a sarong and a peekaboo bang. It may seem appallingly bad at the start but keep watching and it gets weird towards the end and completely bizarre at the very end.

That's terrific. I'd love to find something equally weird. I'll do my best.

But this is not it. It's something from You, the Living, an excellent Swedish film I saw for the first time recently. As soon as I saw this bit, I made a mental note to share it if Nash revived this thread (which he has, hallelujah). I won't try to prejudice your responses one way or the other before you see it, but I found it very moving, both when it occurs in the film and in retrospect at the end. It's 7 minutes and 52 seconds, but go with it. (Great guitar! And tuba.)

[Nash]

That's beautiful David, makes me want to see the rest of the film. I love the use of muted colours which brings the focus directly onto the central character in each scene. Some lovely attention to detail too, the figure in the fourth window along in the moving apartment block (I wonder what he thinks to it all?) and the way the tuba turns to watch the apartment block leave (which of course it would, being attached to the player). Lovely, just lovely.

[David]

That's beautiful David, makes me want to see the rest of the film. I love the use of muted colours which brings the focus directly onto the central character in each scene. Some lovely attention to detail too, the figure in the fourth window along in the moving apartment block (I wonder what he thinks to it all?) and the way the tuba turns to watch the apartment block leave (which of course it would, being attached to the player). Lovely, just lovely.

It is beautiful. It's love's young dream, isn't it? Poor Anna. I love the bit at 4:17 where the crowd goes oooooooh, like those little amusement arcade munchkins in Toy Story 2.

Special sepia-infused film, apparently. It looks great.

Do watch it, Nasher. It's wonderful.

[Antcliff]

Great clip David.

Okay, and at risk of ridicule, I will expose some soul. This clip very much reminded me of my favourite near ending/ending scene in all of film history. It is not something that can be simply moved to without seeing more of it through, but it is...and there is tuba and singing..the closing scene of the 1958 original Ivor the Engine, when he finally gets to sing with all the valley. It may be that you need Welsh grandparents, but if I could express even a fragment of the emotions that it fills me with....

There, you see, I always start choking up at mention of it.

[David]

Okay, and at risk of ridicule, I will expose some soul.

I'd hate to think there'd be a chance of ridicule. Anyway, that's very nice, and - from the point where the choir starts up - quite lovely.

[David]

Balls to three French hens.

[twoleftfeet]

I'm more of a Noggin the Nog man, rather than Ivor the Engine.

What a beautiful song Skylark is!

[Antcliff]

Ah yes..."where the black rocks stand guard against cold sea"..
Ah Noggin the Nog, sublime.
No top tenors mind.
Ant

I'm more of a Noggin the Nog man, rather than Ivor the Engine.

What a beautiful song Skylark is!

[twoleftfeet]

Any suggestions for films to watch over the "festive" period to avoid all the schmaltz?

This Martial Arts Documentary from the 80's is surprisingly good - I used to have it on VHS .
Contains lots of jackie Chan comedy, BUT there are some gruesome bits involving knives and groins that young kids might balk at.
Note - if you click on "360p" you will see that you can watch it in a better resolution (480p).

[Nash]

Good for you Ant. Lovely clip and, don't worry, there'll be no ridicule here, not on this thread!

I didn't know you were into martial arts films Geoff! I used to like some of the seventies Japanese films, Shogun Assassin, Lady Snowblood, that sort of thing.

Have you tried any of the more recent offerings? You could go Korean with Old Boy (which is definitely not schmaltzy! BRUTAL it is!)



Or if you fancy a bit of OTT cartoon style kung fu then there's always Kung Fu Hustle:

[twoleftfeet]

I didn't know you were into martial arts films Geoff! I used to like some of the seventies Japanese films, Shogun Assassin, Lady Snowblood, that sort of thing.

Have you tried any of the more recent offerings? You could go Korean with Old Boy (which is definitely not schmaltzy! BRUTAL it is!)

Or if you fancy a bit of OTT cartoon style kung fu then there's always Kung Fu Hustle:

Thanks, Nash.

I've seen Kung Fu Hustle and enjoyed it a lot.

I keep meaning to get a copy of Lady Snowblood - is it true that Kill Bill was "inspired" by it?
I am fascinated by the sword films because it is such a lethal weapon, but otherwise I prefer the comedy stuff to the
mass punch-up films, Jackie Chan rather than Bruce Li, and I will watch ANY film with Michele Yeoh in it.

Old Boy looks great, but I don't know whether to trust the site that you can stream it from.

There are dozens of films of foreign language films on YOUTUBE but it's a P.I.A. checking whether they are dubbed or have English subtitles.

[Nash]

I keep meaning to get a copy of Lady Snowblood - is it true that Kill Bill was "inspired" by it?

Tarantino definitely based the character of O-Ren Ishii on it. And he used the excellent theme tune in Kill Bill:

Old Boy looks great, but I don't know whether to trust the site that you can stream it from.

I wouldn't know about that sort of thing, I'm still on dvds.

[Oskar]

The Hancock clip has 12 likes and 19 dislikes!

The fools!

[David]

Old Boy looks great

It is, but by golly it's violent.

The lad and I enjoyed this.

[Antcliff]

And this clip is enduring source of delight to me. Sweet Emma, rockin.

[Nash]

Well that's weird. I had that exact same Pete and Dud sketch and that exact same Sweet Emma track lined up to add to the thread at some point. Good that we all have such similar taste isn't it?

Haven't heard of that kung fu vampire film before though David. It brought to mind the classic Hammer/Shaw Brothers collaboration, The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires. I think that this one should really be in Oskar's excellent OTT trailers thread: