Basically the Blues is about wrestling with the devil. So I think for the movie to work you need to see the devil (or vampires, whatever) always lurking, rather than summoned by the juke. The big, beautiful, very cool dance sequence, to me, ultimately makes the Blues little more than -

Beano #1244, May 21, 1966

(That Simpsons quote has never gone out of bitter circulation between me and my colleagues.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hnk...

In my opinion it's a really entertaining movie that you shouldn't think too much about, because if you do the logic falls apart - it also uses the Blues in skin-deep & contradictory ways

From my (& Olivia's) old master Matthew Maguire, the great downtown playwright, director, & actor, the sort of teacher who's so exacting it turns some people off, but if he believes in you & you speak his language it rewrites your brain, & you'd walk through walls for him

Beano #1879, July 22, 1978

I've hit Gunderson so hard because before the Epstein revelations I felt her plays actually do harm. Plays about 'heroines' (for example) are a dead end. 'I, too, am good, & my ambition matters' might be a important to someone with no self-belief, but untempered self-belief -

Remember always that the reason why Gumby’s Pizza exists is that c.1980 when Art Clokey went to speak at the University of Florida, two frat brothers were assigned to look after him. He had such a ‘good time’ that he gabe them limited rights to Gumby & Pokey for 100 years. (Gumby is still suing.)

7/3/1981 Gumby Gumba statement Det. Tom Lange, LAPD Bert Fields, counsel LANGE. Do you know Eddie Nash? FIELDS. My client invokes his Fifth Amendment rights. LANGE. Is your client mute? FIELDS. He’s bereaved. LANGE. Were you in Los Angeles on July 1? (Interview terminated by witness.)

Though the LAPD report states officers were called to the house on a 'noise complaint,' I'm told privately that Gonzo fired a shot at Gumby after he 'accosted' a chicken. Gumby allegedly replied with an unprintable epithet concerning Gonzo's nose. He left Los Angeles the next day for several months.

I don’t know Lindsey Ferrentino or her plays, but I do wonder how she feels about her play being advertised as though no one wrote it. Regardless, it violates a line that’s in every single Guild contract 🙄

I read to my nieces all the time but Jarvis Cocker reading ‘Wally, the World’s Greatest Piano Playing Wombat’ on CBeebies is uhh.. 🤔😱

A nice story on insta - I forget where - this Canadian kid met Catherine O'Hara when he was a seat-filler at the Emmys. They aren't supposed to talk to people but she's Canadian royalty, right? So he said hello - she wasn't just surprised he knew who she was, she was REALLY surprised -

I've never met McKellen but I know people who have. He's one of those people who always needs to be backstage somewhere. A new play in a little room, Shakespeare in a big one, a panto, touring.. he'll have tea with the ASMs, he'll go for a drink God knows where.. he's one of us

Gene Kelly wasn’t easy to get along with & swore he’d never do Singin’ in the Rain again. He took the Muppets job on the condition they leave it alone. By the end of the week he’d had so much fun he OFFERED to do it. This is hilarious & full of respect & beautiful & perfect.

We put on an all-Yiddish community production of fiddler on the roof in Philadelphia and cast member and local artist Sofie Rose Seymour created the most amazing show poster that ever was

Varieties Theatre, Pitfield Street Hoxton Shoreditch. View north along Pitfield Street from Old Street showing Varieties Theatre during demolition built in 1869 behind the White Horse pub.

Jim Henson & his band of mad geniuses creating a bunch of totally unreal yet more-real-than-real puppets, making them equal parts Marx Brothers/Beckett/Frank Capra - and it works - is one of the weirdest & most beautiful things ever

Holy shit. I always wanted to be around while that bunch took batting practice, now here it is -

me coded characters

The world's a dark place, but Ian McKellen (who still works all the time) & Judi Dench (less so, she's blind) are out there beating the drum for Shakespeare. If you're doing something with/for Shakespeare, especially with kids, they'll show up, perform a little, loosen everyone's wallets.

Beano #682, August 13, 1955

Beano #577, August 8, 1953

Mental health - buying myself London Transport artifacts as amusement for this dreadful job

One of my old masters is Peter Gill.. he's a sweet, shy & generous man, but he can be savage about the theatre - it really, REALLY matters to him, & he has no patience for luvvies, laziness, or hypocrisy. You should get furious in service of what you love - I show very little of it here..

Beano #339, July 10, 1948

2027: Lauren Gunderson play about a woman scientist who gets funding from a rich recluse who she never meets. When he's revealed as a rapist, her world-changing funding is imperiled.. but she prevails by force of will (and a new, unexpected relationship). Co-production of ten regional theatres

I’m old enough to remember him doing this on Wogan in June 1988, protesting against the government’s homophobia. The targets change, the speech stays relevant…

Air Force One sticks in my mind for its role in Roger Ebert's all time review of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe: www.rogerebert.com/reviews/game...

Somehow I'd never seen AIR FORCE ONE before. Amazing how two great stars (three, if you count Glenn Close - Dean Stockwell acts like he doesn't want to be there) can make a nonsensical DIE HARD ripoff with a plot hole the size of the Lincoln Tunnel a lot of fun anyway..

@rmartincole.bsky.social I seem to have unfollowed you on insta accidentally, no clue why. Sorry about that!

@priscillamaloney.bsky.social re. the Strangers Case speech - one thing that sticks with me is Scorsese saying that in doing The Age of Innocence he learned that people don't really change, the circumstances around them do. Change is a reaction to that. And circumstances often come round again..

Stubby Clapp is the first base coach for the Cardinals. He is also, perhaps, a former Detroit pawnbroker who fled to Miami to run from his partners is a nursing home scam, as written by Elmore Leonard

four gas pumps, weld county garage, rt. 85, greeley, colorado, 1980

The play is never done because it’s awful, a total mess, the work of at least 6-8 writers. This is the bit Shakespeare wrote. We know for sure because it’s in his hand. Even if we didn’t have that, though.. I saw it the only time it was on, I think - this scene leapt off the stage

Just saw this... As usual, Bowie's spot-on with his observations.

A colleague who I used to admire told me I should be 'ashamed' for repeating the 'accusation' that Lauren Gunderson knew who Epstein was & didn't care. It's far more than accusation, but no matter; colleague's position was that writing about female empowerment places her above reproach.

in general I’m severely opposed to remakes of existing masterpieces, but I’d watch the hell out of this remake of Persona

Mike Leigh says he's sacked great actors because they can't work his system, which is very much about 'becoming nothing.' He understands this. Certain actors have to cling to themselves to find a way in. Others really WANT to let go. If you have the time, inclination & skills it's impossible to lie.

I've seen Springsteen many times, including the 4hr 7min. gig in Philly. That was amazing. Best house party ever. I saw Bowie twice, both 90 min gigs. I'd love if they were 3x that, but he was so amazingly efficient, he covered so much ground, he was so present all the time, I never felt cheated.

I can confirm I am the 'fuckface' in question, yes

Completely possible to write a musical about horrifying things. Sometimes preferable, because the music does what words can't. LONDON ROAD at the National was great. But I guarantee in Gunderson's hands a Nassar musical would be a cheap redemption narrative, iron-willed women, etc. Spare me.

'Covent Garden' (1932) by Charles Ginner (Private collection)

I was published in the Post books section once. Dirda favourably reviewed a recent Shakespeare conspiracy theory book which I won't name. I wrote asking if he'd say the same about people who question the moon landing. They printed it.

Lauren Gunderson's plays are dioramas of her own ruthless ambition. Not ambition for the work, not to investigate anything. Ambition for herself.

453 movies about Mark E. Smith & all members of The Fall

Most of you know me well enough to understand I'd sooner feed myself to furious badgers than have a career like that. When I say 'we're not all on the same side,' she's the sort I'm talking about