Bites of Brogue

M:  Welcome back to Blog With a Brogue's double feature hump-day edition.

J: I have something to say.

M: By all means. Go ahead.

J: Literally, the only reason why I wanted to watch this next movie was because of David Tennant. I didn't care if his part lasted minutes. All I knew was that my beloved Dr. Who was in it, and I had to see it. That being said, I was terribly impressed.

M: As was I. 

Shut up you're beautiful.

J: I didn't know it was a remake, which may have helped honestly, having something older and original to go on. But everyone played their parts beautifully.

M: Yes, I tried not to flinch when they politely informed me at Liberty Hall that they "only had the remake."

J: The kid from Charlie Barker was funny. And TONI COLLETTE! I yelled that, both times I watched it, and I didn't know it. 

M: "Oh my god, you did!"

TONI COLLETTE!

J: I'd just like to point out that it took us two times to watch this movie. The first ended in drunken debauchery and a memorable shout-out to the pizza delivery boy. ("You night!") The second, far more successful, was hosted by B.A.S.S. member Liz Stuewe. She's really great. 

M: As was the movie itself. Why don't you give us a brief run down of the ol' plot.

J: Ye olde plot:  Charlie and Toni live in Las Vegas in a very suburban community. Colin Farrell moves in next door and it becomes apparent rather quickly that he is, in fact, a vampire. 

M: Dun dun dunnnnn....

McWho? McLovin! Vampire hunter. Look for it next fall.

J: With the help of an occult magician, aka Mr. Tennant plus eyeliner, Charlie proceeds to battle the vampires who have invaded his small community and save as many people as he can along the way. I was genuinely frightened at times. And David Tennant was brilliant. Obviously. In fact, he was the only one with a brogue, which gets this movie in on a technicality. Colin Farrell does have a brogue, but he hid it, and not very well in my opinion. 

M: And McLovin's in it. And he will apparently always be known as McLovin. 

J: He's part of an awesome subplot about nerdom versus conformity, which I appreciated wholeheartedly. 

M: Anything else you'd like to add?

J: Not kid-friendly. Rated R for a reason. But worth a watch all the same. It's available at Liberty Hall.

They totally didn't have it. Also, I'm wearing
fake hair right now. And copious eyeliner.

M:  They do not have the original. (Or at least, they did not at the time of rental.)

Pirate Radio, à la Brogue

M: Ahh... when's our anniversary again?

J: October 11!

M: Excellent.

J: That's right folks, our illustrious beginning will be marked with a wee celebration less than a month from today. We'll have many more details about possible merch and maybe even a giveaway. In the meantime, we'll continue to entertain you as only we can. With nonsensical posts about movies you'll never see.

M: And blog posts you'll never read. Comments you'll never leave... [trails off sadly]

J: Our movie tonight, Pirate Radio! To set the mood (because the wine hasn't kicked in) we're listening to the two-disc soundtrack on Spotify (sorry, Matt). Meredith...

M: Yes?

J: How do you feel about this movie?

M: If it weren't so very interesting and entertaining I would feel further saddened and cheated for having been born far too late.

J: I have to say, much of the music featured in this movie was familiar, though not well-known to me.

M: Said the girl who did not watch Full House.

J: [frowns]

M: Sorry. [laughs] No offense.

We're sorry about this. Just wanted to share the awkward. 
You're welcome.

J: No comment. Let's get back to the topic at hand. I really enjoyed listening to the music in its intended context, even if was through a movie.

M: [begins waving arms overhead in time to the music]

J: Ahem. So what seems like very popular music today actually had to fight to be heard. Can you tell us a bit about that as seen through the movie?

M: Yes I can! To be perfectly honest, I had no idea such was the case that... [pauses] [takes a sip] Let me just scratch that. I'm going to take it again from another angle [gestures wildly]. Are you typing all that?

J: [nods]

M: I'd heard talk of musicians from across the pond marveling at American radio and the music that wass so freely played over here while they toured the States. Before hearing about this movie, I had no idea that the state of popular music in England was so aggressively controlled, by people like Mr. Twat. His boss is played by Kenneth Branagh, who is fabulous. And almost unrecognizable, I thought.

The kid. That girl. Lady friend. Sort of.

J: Side note - actual name in the movie. Can't make this stuff up. Glad I don't have to. And yes, Mr. Branagh was excellent comic relief, which is not one of his usual roles. How about a brief synopsis?

M: Whew. Um. At the start of the film...

J: [sets glass down]

M: ...we meet a young man whose name I can't remember. He is sent by his mother to live with his uncle aboard the Pirate Radio ship. The ship, as we've hinted at previously, supplied the amazing pop music of the time to the people of England. The poor saps were otherwise denied the groovy tunes by the uptight powers-that-be.

J: And there were shenanigans aplenty, yes?

Shenanigans.

M: Indeed!

J: The cast of characters worked brilliantly together.

M: But the true star... I think... was the music. Is that hokey enough? But really it's true.

J: It's perfect. Would you like to comment on the brogues?

M: Oddly enough, I found myself most attached to Philip Seymour Hoffman as the only American representative on the ship. But! [points] I loved all of their various radio voices.

J: Ooh, good point! [no pun intended]

Mr. Hoffman, doin' his thang.

M: It made me long for the times when, I can only assume, radio DJs actually mattered.

J: I was also impressed by the respect they garnered in the general populace.

M: [waves arms again]

J: Seeing as how we've double-blogging tonight, I'm thinking we should wrap it up.

M: That's what she said.




J: I sure as hell hope so. Stay safe out there kids, and until next time... [looks pointedly at Meredith]

M: [stutters awkwardly] Look both ways before crossing the street. Seriously. Is that it?