What are you watching tonight?

[LeverEnd]

The Walking Dead, Season 4. Can't be arsed with Euro group football, it bores me. So does Bolton football, but at least I care about it!

[Bruce Rioja]

Last night I watched Clio Barnard's 'The Arbor', a sort of dramatised documentary account of the life and death of Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar. She famously wrote the play 'Rita, Sue and Bob Too', upon which the film was based and died of a brain haemmorhage aged 29.
It's brilliantly made, tragically sad and explores her life, death, work and the fate of her children.
She has a new film out called 'The Selfish Giant', which is what alerted me to this.

Opportunity to trot out "I thought it were bloody great" missed there, LE.

It was! I started to, but was interrupted and cut short what I was writing. It was fascinating, gripping and stylistically very interesting. She uses actors lip-synching to real recorded interviews with the members of her family and circle of friends, which gives it a sort of haunted quality that is hard to explain but fits right in with the general mood.

The new film has more than a hint of Kes about it apparently, another reason to want to watch it.

I read a fantastic article which, I think, was in the Telegraph around the time of the release of The Arbor. Despite being huge fan of Rita, Sue and Bob Too, until reading the article I knew absolutely nothing of Andrea Dunbar or her life. What an absolutely fascinating woman. The article interwove bits of the last interview that she gave, given in her local boozer on the estate. It gave details of the estate where it was filmed so, naturally, the very next time that I was in Bradford I went for a drive around it. About ahalf of it has been knocked down and replaced by modern housing. However, there are still more than enough recognizable parts - each of which had me grinning like a big kid.

[William the White]

Lever End is absolutely right - there is a hint of Kes about The Selfish Giant. I went to see it today - and it is like a Kes for these despairing, poverty soaked times.

It is a stunning film that really should be seen. I don't know if it will get a good general release, but the reviews I've seen have all been 4 or 5 star. At the end of today's screening (at The Cornerhouse, Manchester) people just stood up and left the cinema slowly, without saying a word, as though were in shock. I've only seen that reaction to one other film - Au Revoir, Les Enfants.

[LeverEnd]

Not been to the Cornerhouse for a while WtW, that sounds like a plan. Definitely have to see it. Have you seen The Arbor'? I mean the Barnard film, but also have you seen the play?

[Bruce Rioja]

I've only seen that reaction to one other film - Au Revoir, Les Enfants.

Memo to self - You need to put an entry in the General's 'Guy Cry Film' thread.

[William the White]

Not been to the Cornerhouse for a while WtW, that sounds like a plan. Definitely have to see it. Have you seen The Arbor'? I mean the Barnard film, but also have you seen the play?

I missed it, and Rita, Sue and Bob Too - I think both started life at the Royal Court - in the 1990s? I've seen the film or RS&BT but not the Arbor.

[LeverEnd]

Not been to the Cornerhouse for a while WtW, that sounds like a plan. Definitely have to see it. Have you seen The Arbor'? I mean the Barnard film, but also have you seen the play?

I missed it, and Rita, Sue and Bob Too - I think both started life at the Royal Court - in the 1990s? I've seen the film or RS&BT but not the Arbor.

I would recommend it unless you are feeling a bit fed up! In which case save it for another day.

[General Mannerheim]

The Selfish Giant looks right up my street, I've had it on my to see list for a while. Unfortunately not gonna get chance to see it on the big screen now. I think it's available to stream tho actually, at a price.

[Prufrock]

Blood diamond last night. Enjoyed it, and reenforced the man crush on di caprio, when if he can't do a South African accent for shit.

[TANGODANCER]

Right now the Lord Mayor's Show. Nobody does parades like the Brits despite it absolutely pxssing down.

[General Mannerheim]

Les Mis again. If its on, I'm watching it. Can't help it. J'adore.

[Bruce Rioja]

Bet Enfield's watching this Hello Quo thing on BBC2. I am. Never been a massive fan but some of their stuff is seriously good.

[Gooner Girl]

Bet Enfield's watching this Hello Quo thing on BBC2. I am. Never been a massive fan but some of their stuff is seriously good.

That was after your regular X Factor viewing was it?

Still not a clue who a likely winner could be on that.

[bobo the clown]

24hrs too late but did anyone else see June Brown on the Graham Norton Show last night. Pissed as a fart. She didn't come on initially as, I'm assuming, they were trying to sober her up.

[mrkint]

Manish!

[mrkint]

24hrs too late but did anyone else see June Brown on the Graham Norton Show last night. Pissed as a fart. She didn't come on initially as, I'm assuming, they were trying to sober her up.

At 86 an all. good on her.

[Bruce Rioja]

Bet Enfield's watching this Hello Quo thing on BBC2. I am. Never been a massive fan but some of their stuff is seriously good.

That was after your regular X Factor viewing was it?

Still not a clue who a likely winner could be on that.

Pooh off, you.

Been watching Norwich v West Ham then Status Quo stuff, so neeerrrrr.

EDIT: They're now running through all the stuff that they 'played' on TotP. My word, they didn't half turn out some utter shite post 1978.

[Gooner Girl]

Bet Enfield's watching this Hello Quo thing on BBC2. I am. Never been a massive fan but some of their stuff is seriously good.

That was after your regular X Factor viewing was it?

Still not a clue who a likely winner could be on that.

Pooh off, you.

Been watching Norwich v West Ham then Status Quo stuff, so neeerrrrr.

Of course you did... Gotta keep up your manly image (you can tell me who you want to win privately later...)

[thebish]

(you can tell me who you want to win privately later...)

[Gooner Girl]

(you can tell me who you want to win privately later...)