Cold. Damp. Miserable. At least it isn’t January any more, right? Look, we know it’s tough for all you G’s, but see it the way we do—it honestly can’t get any worse. Vaccinations are bombing along. Sunrise is starting to happen at a point after we stick our collective noses over the duvet. And it’s Friday! Come on y’all, upside down them frowns and put a little sugar on it.
This week—sex! Cheese (which is sex in dairy form)! Little Richard (the man who was sex and drugs and rock and roll)!
OY! TIME YES NOW PLACE HERE YES! COME AND GET YER CUT!
Sex scenes—the bit of the movie where you inevitably wish you’d picked something else to watch with your parents on Netflix. Done right, they can elevate a film, bringing you closer to the emotional journey of the characters. Done badly and boy howdy, someone pass the brain-bleach, daddy’s got some memory to flush out.
But how do you shoot a sex scene in the first place? The rules have shifted significantly in the last few years in this post-#MeToo world—and rightly so. There’s a lot more to it than a closed set, though. Think choreography. Consider the work needed in terms of a stunt sequence. Deploy the crash mats!
https://www.buzzfeed.com/kaylayandoli/actors-filming-sex-scenes-movies-tv-shows
We are always intrigued by a sports movie that takes a tack away from the average final-seconds-winning-score bit. Moneyball and Jerry Maguire both managed the remarkable job of making sports management entertaining. Big Fan does a similar job, nailing the extreme nerdery of football fandom, stat focus, cosplay and all. We wanna see this one now…
https://www.theringer.com/movies/2021/1/29/22254986/big-fan-new-york-giants-cult-movie-patton-oswalt
This is only going to be of interest to a very tiny subset of The Readership, but our Ninth Art Desk insisted on its inclusion. It’s a look at the state of British comics, where we are and where it would be good to be, based on a study by Comics Laureate Hannah Berry. We have some of the most acclaimed creators out there, but most of their work goes to American publishers. We can do better, surely!
https://thequietus.com/articles/29486-hannah-berry-uk-comics-creators-research-report-essay
We see a lot of effort designed to divide us across boundaries of politics, ideology, race, religion, sexuality and all those other artificial firing lines. The simple fact is we are more similar and more able to connect than certain ugly forces in the world would like us to be. Fukc them. We’re better than that. Enjoy this fine piece, simply entitled Knuckles.
As writers, we are encouraged to bang out fast and ugly first drafts. It gets the idea out of your head and onto the page. We are not, however, supposed to let that rough document go out to anyone else. Giles Turnbill explains why, illogical as it seems, you might want to show your working…
All first drafts are bad drafts (and that’s what makes them good)
If you are at all plugged in, you will have seen this…
(the female members of the Cut Crew confirm this is true).
The links between cheese and witchcraft are deep and long and rich. There’s plenty to parse in the story of yet another way in which fermented milk is so truly magical…
https://theconversation.com/the-spellbinding-history-of-cheese-and-witchcraft-153221
We love love love Binging With Babish. Millions of YouTube viewers agree with us, but this is an example of how popular doesn’t mean low quality. As cooking streams go, BWB is thoughtful, well-researched and inspiring as much as it’s entertaining and downright hilarious. The trouble is there’s a lot of content now as Andrew Rea has expanded his Culinary Universe over the past year. Where do you start if you’re interested in building a Meat Torpedo or want to cook up a stack of Steamed Hams? Luckily, Mashable has your back…
https://mashable.com/article/best-binging-with-babish-tv-and-movie-recipes/
This next link is, frankly, a bit of a downer. Tony Bennett’s camp recently revealed the beloved entertainer has Alzheimer’s. That hasn’t stopped him from recording a new album, which has presented a real set of challenges. There were a couple of points in this article from AARP where we had to step away from the screen. It’s desperately sad but strangely inspiring all at once. Pick your time to read this if you’re feeling a little fragile, but do please give it a look.
https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/celebrities/info-2021/tony-bennett-alzheimers.html
If you need some calming music after that, we’ve got ya. Get your lugs round this previously unreleased set of ambient cool from Brian Eno…
https://ubu.com/sound/eno_textures.html
And finally. We urge you to make time for this remarkable NPR groove on the one, the only, the irreplaceable Little Richard. His life was an extraordinary clash of influences—the sacred and the profane, the straight and the queer, guilt and gleeful acceptance. From Good Golly to good booty, he didn’t just embrace the contradictions. He stirred them into the glorious stew he cooked and fed to us, bite by spicy, flavoursome bite.
https://www.npr.org/2020/12/22/948963753/little-richard-black-queer-grief-he-was-an-architect
Our Exit Music comes from X&HTeam-mate Dominic Wade, who we feature regularly both here and on WROB. He’s shared a new mix of electronic textures with us. Dom insists on mixing from vinyl. That needle drop at the start? It’s for real…
See you in seven, crate-diggers.
EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS 