Thursday 25 February 2010


The 3rd in a series of "What about's" ...
Today's encounter is with Bobby Peru.








Based on the novel by Barry Gifford, David Lynch's tale of love, death, Elvis and The Wizard of Oz in

WILD AT HEART (1990) - Starring Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe, Harry Dean Stanton, Diane Ladd. *contains Spoilers*





Sailor and Bobby set out to rob a bank.





But, all doesn't go according to plan.



Wild At Heart is another gloriously crazy Lynch film. Though you could argue despite the usual oddball and unexplained moments this is one of his more straightforward films.
It's the story of Sailor Ripley (Nicholas Cage) and Lula Pace Fortune (Laura Dern)
A couple doomed from the outset, from Cape Fear North Carolina who run away together to get away from Lula's domineering and highly over protecting mother Marietta Fortune (Diane Ladd) who's already tried to have Sailor killed and he was jailed for smashing the head of a knife wielding killer into pulp, they're briefly separated. Reunited they decide to run away together to California. Lula's mother has arranged private detective Johnnie Farragut (Harry Dean Stanton) to track them down and bring them back. johnnie agrees as he's in love with Marietta. She's also hired a gangster/part time lover Marcelles Santos (JE Freeman) to send Mr Reindeer (William Morgan Sheppard) to track them down and kill Sailor. Whilst on the road they bump into and meet an assortment of odd characters but then witness the aftermath of a bad car crash and see a woman die in front of them. Deciding this is a bad omen they change their plans and head to Big Tuna Texa, where Sailor believes an old friend Purdita Durango (Isabella Rossellini) can help him. Here though they bump into Bobby Peru, who talks Sailor into taking part in a bank robbery to help their financial situation. Bobby Peru however has also been hired to bump Sailor off. Unbeknown at first to Sailor he's an associate of Purdita Durango who is also connected to Marcelles Santos and Mr Reindeer.
Bobby Peru played with great panache by Willem Dafoe enters the frame around the final 3rd as the final tormentor to Sailor and Lula. A former United States Marine, creepy looking with his pencil moustache outlining his small teeth and over sized gums, he bears more than a passing resemblance to film director John Waters with his 50's 'rockabilly' steez he's got going on. His sexual innuendo adding to his creepy persona. He certainly gets some of the best lines in the film. During one scene he pays a visit to Lula in the motel room where he starts to sexually abuse her and it appears it's leading up to a rape, before he quickly snaps out of it and jokes it off. The bank scene in which he plans to use Sailor to help him get the cash then bump him off goes horribly wrong, bobby shoots a bank clerk whilst Sailor tells him to cool it, Bobby tells him he's next. Sailor shoots at Bobby before discovering he has blank bullets and Bobby tries to kill him, he runs out. However the gunshots Bobby has manically fired off and haven't gone unnoticed to the passing lawman. Sailor is spared when the policeman shoots at Bobby hitting him several times which causes him to lose balance and blow his own head off. Sailor now set for a stint in jail simply remarks "that poor bastard".
On his release from jail Sailor is reunited with Lula and his new son, he however decides he can't make them happy and parts company only to be beaten up and after a conscious visit from "Glenda The Good Witch" he realises he can't turn his back on love and chases after his love and child.

A mentalist film with a few stand outs, all the lead ensemble are on fine form. Then you have Crispin Glover's notable (yet perhaps needless) small role as Lula's wacky Cousin Dell, another odd small role from Freddie Jones ( The Elephant Man's nasty tormentor and current Emmerdale star) who squarks at the couple and warns them about pigeons but the stand out role here without doubt comes from Willem Dafoe as the crazy Bobby Peru.

Bobby meets his untimely messy end at a botched bank robbery.



Willem Dafoe Selected Filmography :
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
Auto Focus (2002)
Animal Factory (2000)
Wild At Heart (1990)
The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)
Platoon (1986)
To Live And Die In LA (1985)

Wednesday 24 February 2010


Today's random pub of the day is THE MARBLE ARCH
73, Rochdale Rd, Manchester, M4 4HY [map]


























Off the beaten track in Manchester City Centre and just round the corner from the trendy 'Northern Quarter'
The Marble Arch is home to what I believe are not only Manchester's best ales, but some of the best Real Ale out there you could drink - the excellent MARBLE BEERS.
Naturally it's always busy here, with a great range of ale and good food. The choice of ales are great. Previously brewed on site at the Marble Arch and now brewed at a new location (or very soon to be due to demand and growth) Their range of PINT, Lagonda IPA, Ginger Marble, Marble Bitter, Chocolate Marble and Dobber are all super sups. Their ale is all Organic Standard and Vegan friendly and Vegetarian Society Approved. To me they are out in front when it comes to producing a great ale. Long may it continue.






















The pub itself is a charming place with it's famous sloping floor, glazed brick walls and barrel-vaulted ceiling. It was extravagantly designed by the celebrated Victorian Alfred Darbyshire. built in 1888 for Manchester brewers B&J McKenna and originally known as The Wellington, though became popularly known as The Marbe Arch due to it's grand entrance. It later adopted the name. It has been listed in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide every year for the last decade and is a winner of Manchester Food and Drink Festival Pub of the Year for 2006.



































EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
























New Banksy film... Out March 5th
Premieres at The Lambeth Palace!
London's newest,darkest and dirtiest
purpose built cinema....a makeshift 150 seat auditorium in an abandoned tunnel under Waterloo tube station.




Tuesday 23 February 2010

JOHN COOPER CLARKE


...LIVE AT THE STOCKPORT PLAZA!
The Salford Bard makes an appearence at the recently refurbished Stockport Plaza next Friday (5th March)


"I'll tell you now and I'll tell you firmly
I don't never want to go to Burnley
What they do there don't concern me
Why would anybody make the journey?
I'll tell you know and I'll tell you flatly
I don't never want to go to Gatley
I don't even want to go to Batley
Where is that place exactly
Do I wanna to go to Redditch?
I wouldn't visit in a souped-up sheddish
what am I some kind of Nebbish?
No I don't want to go to Reddish
I'll tell you now and I'll tell you briefley
I don't never want to go to Keighley
I'll tell you now, just like I told Elsa Lanchester
...I don't ever want to go to... Cumbernauld "





TODAY'S RANDOM PUB OF THE DAY : THE WATERS GREEN TAVERN
96 Waters Green, Macclesfield, Cheshire. SK11 6LH [map]


A proper old skool pub this, conveniently located just a stones throw away from the train station.
First appearances may be deceptive as it looks a little rundown from the exterior.The landlord clearly knows his ales. Usually around 6-8 guest ales from microbreweries from all around the Country to choose from. And usually light and hoppy orientated which is handy if that's your preferred tipple like me.
Always top notch too. The beer is always well kept and this pub doesn't use the sprinkler system when pulling pints meaning you get a proper ale as it should be. It's definitely the best pub I've found in Macclesfield. Won numerous local awards from CAMRA and features in THE GOOD BEER GUIDE 2010.
The only downside for me personally is it also has old-skool hours meaning it's not open until 7pm on Saturday's (though online opening times suggest it is open 12pm-3pm I've never noticed this on my visits)which if in the area during the day is a bit of a pisser as the closest pubs around here are rather inadequate in comparison.


Exactly the sort of thing you'd expect to see in Macc, smashing!







This is Macc, not The Wicker Man!

Monday 22 February 2010

Wednesday 17 February 2010

HOOLIGANS AGAINST ACID



Unboxed, our latest tee is the retelling of an old tale, Hooligans Against Acid.
In the mid to late 80's football hooliganism was at it's worst, across the country bored young men were looking for a release, after the much talked about casual movement was well into full swing, violence was at it's peak. Like a runaway train out of control, trouble was at an all time high. Stabbings, slashings, beatings in subways and on London's underground were all too common.
But, this runaway train had to stop, first there was the televised sporadic outburst at Luton in 1985 - a pivotal year, which saw Millwall's hordes invaded the Bedfordshire town, out of control, politicians even called for a return of the birch as a form of punishment!
At Leeds versus Birmingham another huge riot ensued, tragically one life was lost. This was overshadowed by a terrible tragedy at Bradford in the same year where 56 people lost their lives as a blazing inferno consumed the old main stand. Whilst that was not directly associated with hooliganism, the next awful tragedy was. It was going to see that runaway train come to it's collision.

The Heysel stadium tragedy again in 1985 during the European Cup final saw 39 people lose their lives in a stampede which saw a wall collapse, with hundreds injured aswell, the press, media and Thatcher had a field day denouncing their own as murderous thugs.
But there's two sides to every story, and a shambolic stadium unfit to host such a tie, poor policing and security were equally to blame for something that should never had happened. With an even worse disaster to follow also connected to Liverpool FC and English football but once again the authorities and not hooliganism, were the cause.
That runaway train had gone too far, the so called English disease was coming to a head, it had to.
The police, authorities and biased media couldn't contain hooliganism, try as they might there was always going to be activity across the land, but football violence was about to suffer an unlikely blow, a blow from a very unlikely source. Ecstasy.
Drugs had up until this point been largely off the radar of the match goers, this relatively new found high with Ecstasy [MDMA Methylenedioxymethamphetamine] was to many a welcome relief.
Police intelligence will even acknowledge that for a couple of seasons football violence had dropped off considerably due to the drug and rave scene. As lads were looking for something else, many ventured into all night raves, coach trips and all-nighters, acid house and this new found buzz replaced the buzz of sporadic football violence, significantly this was a peaceful buzz too, raves up and down the country even saw rival football fans meeting up and enjoying themselves together, this was known as the casual-rave crossover.
Friendships were formed, old foes were now new pals, hooliganism was at a low point. People were seeing each other at the few games they bothered with and not steaming into one another, more shaking hands and enjoying new found friendships.
There was always the hardcore, a hardcore who swerved the drug and rave scene and still yearned for the football days. This was evident on the England international scene, [and is evident still] in the more organised and unified mobs we'd seen and read so much about throughout the 90s.


Whilst musically and culturally, the rave scene was hugely important to Britain, it spawned many clubs, bands, albums and styles. People still wanted to see hooliganism return to what is was prior to house music.
It was alleged that a group of Chelsea supporters released a t-shirt bearing the slogan 'Hooligans Against Acid' in order to make a statement.
Twenty years later, most hooligans would ironically say they can enjoy both, they're not against acid. Whether you are or you aren't, it's tongue in cheek. The Casual Connoisseur pay homage to that era, and both 'scenes' with the release of this new tee.


Also available : ABBEY ROAD now finally available to buy.
in total contrast, we now have two colourways of this quirky hand sketched and translated to print effort from our comrade artists' Artyom Chernov and Mila Mijanovich of Moscow. Featuring a zany adaptation of the famous Beatles album cover, with Lennon, Borg, Hillary and Clockwork Orange and the casual scene all referenced.

Monday 15 February 2010

6876 VCMP CAPANDULA







The new 6876 Capandula jacket, eagerly awaited Visual Countermeasures Project (VCMP), involving Hanon, 6876, Call of the Wild, Reebok, Henry Porter and Nino Leitner.
There is more to this project than you may realise:
A “BIG BROTHER” CULTURE, FUELLED BY TECHNOLOGY AND FEAR, IS AN EXPANDING ELEMENT OF TODAY’S WORLD. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN BRITAIN: THE PROLIFERATION OF CCTV CAMERAS TO MONITOR CITIZENS’ MOVEMENTS, NEW STATE-IMPOSED LIMITS ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH, AND A SERIOUS EROSION OF INDIVIDUAL PRIVACY RIGHTS ARE ALL NOW COMMONPLACE. ORWELL’S “1984” IS NOW LESS FICTION AND MORE AN ALARMING REALITY IN PRESENT DAY BRITAIN. THE UK HAS APPROXIMATELY ONE CAMERA FOR EVERY FOURTEEN PEOPLE AND THE AVERAGE CITIZEN OF LONDON IS ON CAMERA 300 TIMES A DAY. THE UK IS RAPIDLY MOVING TOWARDS A TOTAL SURVEILLANCE SOCIETY THROUGH BIOMETRICS, DNA DATABANKS, NATIONAL ID CARDS, RF TAGS, AND CCTV SYSTEMS. THE DANGERS POSED BY THESE SWEEPING CHANGES ARE RARELY DISCUSSED OR DEBATED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THE VISUAL COUNTERMEASURES PROJECT (VCMP) IS A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY 2.0-COLLABORATION WHICH AIMS TO SHED LIGHT ON THESE CRUCIAL ISSUES AND ENCOURAGE DEBATE. VCMP SPEAKS TO INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM FOR ALL, FOR PRIVACY, AND FOR FREE SPEECH.
I'm a big fan of the 6876 label and the whole ethos behind it. Notably the VCMP's social commentary back story, which I like.This model of jacket has been released several times by Kenneth MacKenzie, but each one is different. The Capandula silhouette really suits me, just the right shape and size, a very versatile hooded anorak I've had about 7 of these over the years, to me it's the perfect jacket. With it's trademark deep pouch pockets, and zip pockets, hood and 2 way zipper. This lightweight version is the base for the VCMP design featuring woven Tessitura Molteni Palmira Italian water resistant fabric and a scotchlite hood trim detail designed to mask the users face from photographic flashes at night.
Released 25 Feb.
Every Step You Take DVD Trailer :