Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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We all love a good Christmas movie.
The trouble is it's not Christmas. It's November 1987.
But I know what! In the face of that disappointment, let's cheer ourselves up by going to the pictures!
And what might we find when we get there?
We might find Cry Freedom, Made in Heaven, Russkies, Steel Dawn, The Running Man, Laguna Heat, Flowers in the Attic, The Last Emperor, Nuts, Sign o' the Times, Teen Wolf Too, Housekeeping, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Three Men and a Baby because they were all released in that month.
And I'm sure they were all fine examples of the cinematic arts.
But, of course, they all pale besides the true masterpiece which was unveiled that November.
And that was The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones. I've not even seen it and can still tell it was the high watermark of Western Civilisation.
Meanwhile, in the world of transportation, the UK's InterCity 125 broke the world speed record for a diesel-powered train by reaching 238 km/h which also happens to be 147.88 mph.
Elsewhere, the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in mainland China opened in Beijing, near Tiananmen Square.
Less thrillingly, it was the month in which London Underground's King's Cross fire killed 31 people and injured 100 others.
Mysteriously, persons unknown hijacked the signal of the United States' WGN-TV and WTTW stations to broadcast a video of an individual pretending to be Max Headroom.
But what if he actually was Max Headroom? Have the authorities ever considered that?
Have they?
When it came to the UK singles chart, November began with the Bee Gees' You Win Again at Number One before it then lost to the sounds of T'Pau's China in Your Hand.
When it came to the accompanying album chart, the month arrived with Fleetwood Mac's Tango in the Night on top before being toppled by George Michael's Faith which then gave way to T'Pau's Bridge of Spies which then subsided before the might of Rick Astley's Whenever You Need Somebody which was then dethroned by Now That's What I Call Music! 10. Somehow, there were five weeks in that month, despite it only being 30 days long.
But what of the galaxy's greatest comic?
Never saw a STEVE MARTIN or JOHN CANDY movie I grooved on.
ReplyDeleteBut for PLANES TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES, Charlie had several laugh-out-loud moments.
The scene where they are driving to Chicago and Martin looks at Candy, who is driving, and Candy’s face morphs into Satan’s.. too much!!!
Ah yes… the hijacking of two prominent TV stations in CHICAGO. The stuff of legend yet fairly well forgotten. Thiugh Charlie was listening to WGN’s radio station (not the highlacked TV ststion) station this summer (i listen a bit daily at work) and they were reminiscing about it.
ReplyDeleteIIRC the highjackers may have been in a boat in Lake Michigan?
Charlie could blabber on and on about the WGN’s and what institutions they were until the internet. But he won’t.
But charlie will blabber about WTTW being high jacked. It happened a few hours after WGN was highjacked and went on for a few minutes. It concluded with MAX HEADROOM revealing his bare buttocks. A women shows up with a fly swatter and Max says, “Spank me b***h!” And she does. Well if that didn’t get one into the festive holiday mood back in 1987, what could?
ReplyDeleteI saw RUSSKIES (thoroughly mediocre), THE RUNNING MAN (gaudy, cheesy, by the numbers) and THE LAST EMPEROR, which I remember as being a spectacular feast for the eyes — well, the first half of it anyway.
ReplyDeleteb.t.
Charlie - I never liked either of those two comedians. But yeah, PT&A is funny. The editor has some good stories to tell about that film: Hughes was shooting insane amounts of footage for pretty straightforward scenes.
ReplyDeleteCan’t say I’m keen on any of those other movies, the ones I’ve seen. The Running Man was especially poor if you’ve read the novel.
I like the Bad Company cover - that’s nice.
I’m very fond of the Bed Gees single and sneaking fond of the T’Pau one as well. And Rick Astley was unstoppable for the latter half of 1987.
I bought FOUR of the #1 albums from November '87 - Tango In The Night, Bridge Of Spies, NOW 10 and Faith. I didn't buy Rick Astley's album but I can reveal the stunning fact that he's only 11 days older than me.
ReplyDeleteT'Pau's Bridge Of Spies has a longer version of China In Your Hand with extra lyrics which, as I've mentioned previously, indicate it's a song about Mary Shelley and the creation of Frankenstein which you'd never guess by listening to the 7" single version or watching the song's video.
Phillip, I've bought a Penguin selection box which has a joke on the back...
ReplyDeleteHow does a group of penguins make a decision?
They flipper coin.
And here's a final one of my own...
Why does Cliff Richard prefer pork to turkey?
It wouldn't be Christmas without mistletoe and swine.
That Kings Cross fire was hideous.
ReplyDeleteIt seems completely inconceivable now that people were allowed to smoke in the Underground. And that escalators had wooden slatted steps! A different world.
Colin - Where does a snowman get extra cash, over Christmas? A slush fund!
ReplyDeletePhillip
Phillip, you were right about those mini Christmas cakes in Tesco getting snapped up - when I looked this morning there were none left but there was plenty of everything else including Tunis cakes.
ReplyDeleteCharlie, this morning Tesco played Andy Williams AND the Waitresses who you also mentioned recently (and the Waitresses have charted in this week's UK Top 100).
Steve, have you heard Kylie Minogue's XMAS yet? Any opinions? It definitely grows on you and in the video Kylie looks amazing for someone pushing 60.
Colin - I got a Morrisons X-mas cake slab ( a bit over priced at £3.50.) Plus mince pies, of course! Asda & Morrisons/Mr.Kipling. My Tesco's cheap mince pies are on a high shelf, this year. Maybe people are nicking them! Tesco overpriced luxury mince pies, just as you enter the door, aren't going like hot cakes.
ReplyDeletePhillip
Colin, I have heard Kylie's Christmas single. I feel it's amiable, catchy and bouncy and it's nice to have a new Christmas song at Number One, instead of Wham or Mariah.
ReplyDeleteJingle Bells,
ReplyDeleteBatman smells,
Robin laid an egg!
Batmobile lost a wheel
And The Joker got away!
UK chaps! You know that grade school jingle?
Charlie - My infant school (?) version was slightly different
ReplyDeleteJingle Bells,
Batman smells,
Robin flew away
The Batmobile
Lost a wheel
On the M1 motorway!
Phillip
I heard about Chris Rea's death only a few hours after listening to Driving Home For Christmas!
ReplyDelete