A Martin Parr Double Bill

Saturday 30 January 2010

I love Martin Parr's photographs. They are accessible, funny but always leave you thinking. Just before Christmas I went to the massive Parrworld exhibition at the Baltic in Gateshead which combined Parr's new portfolio Luxury with artifacts from his eccentric collection of postcards, photography books, prints and ephemera.



As well Nazi Christmas decorations and Skegness At Night postcards, Martin Parr's films Think of England and It's Nice Up North were also on show. There's never time at a gallery to sit through full-length videos so I bought both films on DVD and got round to watching them last night.

It's Nice Up North is a vehicle for Graham Fellows' alter-ego John Shuttleworth and charts the versatile Sheffield singer-songwriter's trip to the Shetland Islands to test his theory that people are nicer the further north you go in the UK. This clip is from early on and sets the tone for what follows.



None of Think of England is on YouTube but Martin Parr's website has three excellent clips. It's a state of the nation essay made in 1999 for the BBC's lamented Modern Times strand. Parr turns his camera on village fete cake contests, seaside resort boozers and people picnicking at service stations creating imagery that's often like David Lynch on a English coach trip. It's a brilliant and entertaining combination of the satirical edge that's in a lot of Parr's photos and a more sober look at attitudes about Englishness.

In It's Nice Up North Shuttleworth occasionally complains about Martin's "arty" shots. I'd say both films are works of art - but the kind that also makes perfect Friday night viewing.

Buy the DVDs
Thing of England & Martin Parr Short films - Mosaic Films
It's Nice Up North - Amazon

Related Links
Martin Parr - official site
John Shuttleworth - official site
Think of England - short essay on the BFI website

Los Angeles on Film

Saturday 23 January 2010

Last year my colleague Richard told me that every month he and some friends gather to watch a movie based on an a theme that's agreed at the start if each year. It's a great idea and in 2009 their theme was Clint Eastwood. They didn't see The Beguiled but did sit through Space Cowboys.

Inspired by Richard and his pals I thought I'd initiate my own monthly film club with a membership of two. The simple aim to is to watch movies that Jo and I either have never seen or haven't seen for a long time. Our inugaural theme is 'Los Angeles' and last night we enjoyed Chinatown, probably one of they best films set in the LA.



Now I'm after suggestions for what other Los Angeles films we should watch. I already have plenty of ideas and keep looking over this huge list of movies that feature in Thom Andersen's brilliant documentary Los Angeles Plays Itself, but if you have favourites you think we must watch please leave a comment below. Thank you!