The Swipe Volume 3 Chapter 21
Rain. Finally. Thank all the heavens. The introduction of a hosepipe ban, one focussed cruelly on a single Caversham postcode—ours—usually heralds wetter weather. But the grumbles of thunder and dramatic skyscapes didn’t seem to give out like they promised. Until Thursday, when over the course of a half hour during drinks-o’clock the lights dimmed and the atmosphere thickened to the texture of a damp sponge. The deluge, when it came, was powerful enough to bounce off the stones.
Now, everything feels fresh and green again. There’s a mackerel sky up there this morning, and the light is limpid and gold. Coming off a week when I deliberately did very little to reset my poor brain, the rain felt like a signal and a kind of blessing. Things can and will be crappy, but nothing lasts forever. Patience and fortitude will finally bring the rain to your garden.
Wherever you are, whenever you are, however you are, welcome to The Swipe.
Rob is reading…
The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick. Her novels on one of my heroes, William Marshall, are a sheer joy. Tracing the adventures of England’s Greatest Knight through his youth, gaining reputation as a fearsome opponent in the tourney circuit of medieval France, through to his huge influence on British royalty and his pivotal role in the signing of the Magna Carta, Marshall is an unsung figure who changed the course of our country’s history. Chadwick’s novels are brilliantly researched but romp along like a destrier at the canter. Hist-fic at its finest. Recommended with a glass of red while sitting in the grounds of Caversham Court Gardens, the home William built and died in.
Rob is watching…
Here We Go. A simple family sitcom written by Tom Basden with a cracking cast of UK comedy heavyweights. The concept—everything the hapless Jessop family do is filmed by their son Sam—is a neat way of doing that Office-style floating camera bit without needing to pretend it’s a documentary. It’s screamingly funny. Series three is showing now with everything on iPlayer. DOORBELL.
Rob is listening…
This was shot in one go with two cameras, live sound and a performance which therefore sounds nothing like the recorded version. Seriously boombastic. Mixmaster, cut faster.
Rob is eating…
Why Reading seems to get all the American burger restaurants but no Wahaca is a source of mystery and frustration to me. Everything the chain does is totally delicious, perfectly spiced, utterly moreish. I’m trying the legendary pork pibil this weekend, marinading then slow-roasting a lump of pork shoulder. Over tacos with a few sides it should be delightful.
Rob’s Low-Key Obsession Of The Week…
Nature can really do your head in sometimes.
A neat takedown of a common Hollywood trope. Guns with silencers don’t make that sweet little ‘pew’ sound when the assassin hits his target. In fact, they’re not even called silencers. Depending on your viewpoint, this is either fascinating or massively disappointing.
An oral history of a landmark LGBTQ movie, which cheerfully skewered the myth that homosexuality is somehow curable. The horror which comes when you realise parents would subject their own children to this sort of treatment is all the more powerful for the gentle presentation.
In yet another example of ‘comics does it best’, let’s take a look at an Argentine cartoon character who represented the hopes and fears of her readers over several turbulent decades. She would be difficult to bring back, but honestly I believe we need more comics with the nous and insight of Mafalda.
A thoroughly disturbing overview of one of the more specialised careers out there. If you think you’re having a tough day at work, imaging trying to process the recovery of kids held to ransom. Applicants with the thickest of skin only need apply, thanks.
We Don’t Pay For Damaged Goods
Content warning for the lead picture on this article from Outside magazine on the business model that sprung up in the early 20th century around the trade in shrunken heads. It’s funny, the things some people will collect. Why not just stick to Funko Pops?
Clare Pollard effortlessly mixes two of my favourite things into one delicious concoction. I could go for a couple of rounds, no problem.
The Prestige is the movie in which Christopher Nolan really set out his artistic approach. Juggling viewpoints, playing with time, keeping back the big reveal until the most effective moment. As Vishal Wagh makes clear in NoFilmSchool, the script of the movie follows the rules of stage magic beat for beat.
Fifty years of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Jeez, the Time Warp was a regular feature of college discos for C and I—at least, up until the acid house crews started to take over. I’m still very fond of this film and am tempted to troll along to a screening.
I Remember Doing The Time Warp
Sign of the times, right?
One last thing.
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I love this song by Clem Snide. The slightly trite lyrics, neatly undercut by the ‘lalala’ chorus—a brutal earworm, I’m afraid—which shows how clearly the singer is in on the joke. The parpy horn section, the push-pull dynamics—oh, this is just great. enjoy this performance on Conan O’Brien’s show in 2002, which really pulls the stops out.
See you in seven, fellow travellers.
