Welcome! I’m Gareth and this is Popped, a newsletter that delves into the history and culture of cinema.
January means a fresh but fleeting enthusiasm for every aspect of life, and Popped hasn’t escaped my renewed energy. One thing I enjoy is putting these posts together and from what I can see, you seem to enjoy them too. So I’ve decided to make these a monthly thing and this is, therefore, your January edition of cinema tidbits.
Firs off, I have a question for you! What was the best film you watched last year? New or old.
Add your favourites in the comments or you can reply to the email, I would love to hear from you. This is a safe space too, if Paw Patrol: The Movie was your bag then I love that for you (that isn’t even a film, is it? I’ve made that up haven’t I?)1. Popped is all about the joy of watching, not about being fancy (unless being fancy is your thing of course). So let’s hear it!
Also, you will notice a video above. A few months ago I interviewed Tom Marshall, the founder of The Will Hay Appreciation Society. You can read the article here. As luck would have it, the BFI were showing one of Will Hay’s films at their cinema in London and so I took Tom to see it. Have a look at the video for our day trip down south.
And now for the main feature…
Glynis Johns - Send in the Clowns
One of the last remaining stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Glynis Johns passed away this month at the age of 100.
Most of us know her as Mrs Winnifred Banks from Mary Poppins but she was a hugely successful star. Nominated for an Oscar in 1960 for her role in The Sundowners, Johns was a lifelong performer. I’ve only seen her in Poppins, but I’ve spent a bit of time looking through Johns’ career. She really was a powerhouse performer, with a passion for the stage. Johns’ father was from Wales and she was an advocate for the arts in the UK. Here’s a clip of Johns campaigning for a national theatre in Wales.
I want to share you with this mesmerising version of Send in the Clowns which was written for Johns by Steven Sondheim.
There’s an attempt to hide the desperation in her eyes using the lightness in her expression which is heartbreaking to watch. Johns found a depth to the song and the character that lives underneath and beyond the song itself. It’s stunning.
One Poster to Rule Them All
Last month was the unofficial Lord of the Rings rewatch month. I hope you all enjoyed your annual celebrations. I don’t often get around to seeing them all in one go. I’m the only one in the house who enjoys it (even the cat walks off), and so I struggle to find a 12 hour slot to fit them in.
I cannot get over how great this poster is. For the life of me I can’t find its origins or who created it. If anyone knows I’ll add the credit. But here it is..keep it secret, keep it safe… (actually don’t, please share it with reckless abandon)
Something to Watch
If you’re interested in the history of film but either don’t know where to start, or have never had the mind to look, may I suggest taking a trip down silent cinema street?2
There are lots available on YouTube but it’s a bit of a minefield. These films often live or die by their musical arrangements. A lazy arrangement ruins the comedy without you really noticing. Silent cinema with fitting music is like adding lemon juice to a stew at the last minute, it brings out each joke and set piece, each flavour accounted for.
If you have 25 minutes, here is Keaton’s 1920’s comedy, One Week. If you are new to silents, the comedy in this is highly visual, family friendly (apart from one PG, fourth-wall breaking moment in the bath) and familiar without being too obvious (well maybe Keaton sawing himself off the roof is a little on those nose, but it’s still a laugh). Even if you just watch ten minutes, this is such a good film that’s 104 years old!
I would love to know in the comments if you watch this, and what you thought of it.
Some Things to Read
If you’d like more films to digest, this month’s recommendation is
’s Dinner and a Movie.Jenny has selected the fantastic, Some Like it Hot this month. The watch along includes recipe ideas, thoughts on snacks and a nice community feel around movie watching. As I covered another Marilyn Monroe classic and its origins last week, it’s great to be able share a neat follow up here.
A long read
This is a fascinating piece about on-set photographers. It focusses on The Power of the Dog, its photographer, Kirsty Griffin and the joy of capturing stills in a moving world.
“I took nine frames. I had 90 seconds,” Griffin recalls from her Coromandel Peninsula home. “We’d been shooting something out the back of the barn and the light was just right and I said ‘come on, Benedict’ and I quickly manhandled him. He goes, ‘right, here?’, I said ‘yeah, yeah, there’ and he did his Phil thing.” - Kirsty Griffin
Griffin is referring to the picture below. Click on it to read the article.
Coming Next
I will be continuing my series, Women in Early Cinema with a piece about Anna May Wong, who is considered the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood.
Until then, thanks so much for reading Popped, it means the world to me!
Gareth
Oh, I checked, it IS a real film!
Not a real street.
I would have to say Oppenheimer exceeded all expectations I had of it beforehand (given that it is a Christopher Nolan film, I can't help but have high expectations). Beautifully shot and completely immersed me in the life of such a complex man.
I have not given silent films that much attention, but I might have to start now if I truly want to appreciate the roots of cinema.
I honestly wouldn't know what to count as a favorite movie of 2023. Maybe 'The Boy and the Heron,' which is one of the few December premieres that I managed to catch in a movie theater,
though I'm not sure I'd qualify it as 'great.' Imo, it was good but still a somewhat lesser Miyazaki picture. There just simply hasn't been enough time in 2023 to see new movies. Many potentially great titles, but just no real time.
Btw, that Fellowship poster is amazing!