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Reviews
This Wonderful World (1957)
This programme stimulated the imagination of a Scottish teenager.
I watched TWW usually as I had my tea (ie my evening meal) in Clydebank so I didn't have to set up special reminders. Life was pretty regular and tea was driven by when my father got home. The documentaries were usually fascinating and I remember they were much more focused on people than currently on animals. But I did not realise that the rather sober old gentlemen presenting them was the creator of the documentary along with his fellow Celt Robert Flaherty. How much greater attention would I have devoted to the items, if I had known John Grierson's background. Yet the frustration at the time was to follow up items of especial interest - no watch-again or programme website. I can still remember clearly the fascination with other countries and civilisations. How to score? Production was way behind modern presentation and the talking head probably lost viewers at the time. But the attraction at the time and my enduring memory of its stimulation would put it up to 9. Knowing JG's background and pioneering involvement, how modest of the man to contribute his wisdom in this way. Remember he also had to thole the cutting of the Empire Marketing Board in the last Great Depression.
Skagerrak (2003)
worth it
I guess this film failed to get significant, if any, distribution to cinemas. I wondered whether to bother setting the vcr. It was worth it! McBurney was tops for me plus a cameo for (the now late) Russell Hunter at the funeral. Multi-cultural mayhem. Raises disturbing questions about the good films we miss because they are not flavour of the year.