Continuing my ongoing observations of TV and film, here are a few things I've seen in the last week. Crossroads to Crime: not Sci-Fi but a Gerry Anderson directed film nonetheless. I only saw about a quarter of this black and white crime drama but what I saw I enjoyed. Gritty and pacey, I imagine it was a decent filler in a double bill when it came out in 1960. Gerry was hopefully pleased. Has anyone else seen this film, maybe all of it? Doctor Who: I watched a full episode last night with Missus Moonbase for the first time in years. I can see why we haven't kept up. OK, I know its a kids' programme but what on Earth has happened to this classic show? Countless uninteresting actors seem to surround the Doctor, who is thus relegated to an unmemorable bit part in a messy plot. Essentially the plot was about a holiday resort that had been built on a lethal planet full of mutant monsters, who had more than a passing resemblance to Rawhead Rex. I did like the monsters but that was all. The plasterboard resort set was terrible, the grey lethal planet surface tedious to the max and the action and dialogue simply awful. Yet the worst thing for me by far was the incessant musak which washes over the entire programme like stellar interference. Its just so much noise and since it never ends its impossible to decipher what the music means. Tension? Suspense? Light relief? Who knows, certainly not the Doctor. And what is with all the wise cracks everyone is making and calling each other mate? What ever happened to brilliant serious and frightening Who like the Sea Devils? No, despite the welcome earthy accent of the new Doctor, a fellow Yorkshire tyke, I shan't be watching it again in a hurry. How do you find it readers? Mystery and Imagination: I caught the final episode of this old TV play series on Sunday. It was the last show, the Curse of the Mummy. I've seen about four of these now on the great Talking Pictures TV channel. All from the 1960's each of the plays was a TV adaptation of a classic horror or melodrama such as Uncle Silas, Frankenstein, Dracula, the Suicide Club, Sweeney Todd and the aforementioned Mummy, which was in colour. I think I recall this series when I was kid but then again the three channels we had back then were awash with TV plays like Armchair Theater and Play for Today so I may be remembering any number of them. Having read up on Mystery and Imagination this week it appears that many of the shows have been lost in the mists of time, which is a great shame. The ones left can all be found on a Network DVD, which Talking Pictures TV have been showing since November. And they contained hardly any if no music at all! How brave is that! Did anyone else catch any of them?
I've not seen this toy rocket before, the Mercury Atlas Booster by Gladen. Its like a larger version of the similar LP rockets we know well on Moonbase. This Atlas I saw on Ebay. It has a parachute and reminds of the Quercetti/ JR21 rockets many of us had as kids.
The header card has a striking image of separating modules. It reminds me of the brilliant card art for the Triang SpaceX Nuclear Ferry.
It was with great sadness that I learnt this weekend of Neil Peart's death. Neil was Rush's drummer and always has been ever since I first heard them on Christmas morning in 1975. My Mum and Dad had got me their LP Fly By Night and I was simply blown away. Neil's drumming and his song writing were out of this world and I've loved them ever since.
Rush were my teenage youth, along with Budgie and Lynyrd Skynyrd. I rocked till I dropped to Rush's mystical tracks like By Tor and the Snow Dog and the amazing 2112 album. I formed my own band with their riffs in my ears.
I regret that I never got to see Rush play live and see Neil pounding his way through Anthem or In the End. I must have practised air drumming and air guitaring to those tracks till I knew them off by heart! Rush were a big deal for rockers in 1975 and I once had a heated argument with a mate about who was the best rock drummer around. For me it was Neil Peart. No contest. My mate said Cozy Powell. Neil ended up being officially the fourth best drummer of all time. Dunno what happened to Cozy.
Having suffered from cancer for three and a half years it's time to rest Neil. You made millions of us happy for 45 years with Rush and your music will live on forever. Hang up your sticks and rest in peace my friend.
