Bollywood

I always wanted to be a director....

A rather interesting website, create your own Bollywood movie. On the day that Chelsea got dumped out of the FA cup by the tykes of Barnsley...I had made this one earlier to send to a scouse supporting pal....

Finnish Cowboys & the Hook

The search has been on for the movie "Leningrad Cowboys go America", a simply brilliant movie from Finland. it had it all, Rockabilly, pointy shoes and quiffs to die for. The music incidentally is brilliant! I have located a dvd across the pond and it soon should be winging it's way over here fairly soon. Their concert with the Red Army Choir in St.Petersburg will also be joining the Library. Have a looksee here at "Kalinka" from that concert here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJIeBsvxh4k

The lads decide to tour America but one of the group dies on the way there so they tour America with the stiff in his coffin tied to the top of the car; I've located a clip here from the movie here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcovyF8j50g . The Cowboys hit Nashville. As they cross the states they try a variety of musical styles from Steppenwolf to Mariachi..it is just a great little movie and deserves a proper re-release and a new generation of fans discovering it.

The movie was so big in Wexford's Hook peninsula that even the trees got in on the act. Actually I just had to include this picture in this blog. I took it in '98 one winter's day on the Hook Drive just up the road from Templetown. "The wind can get hairy down here during the winter", my cousin Billy Walsh told me when I was visiting him at the Hook lighthouse. Looking at the tree above, you knew he was telling the truth.

Billy was one of the keepers at the Hook till the Commissioner of Irish Lights automated all the stations. Billy is a great fellah who gave me many opportunities to explore the tower and marvel at it's engineering. Nowadays I understand it is open to the public. If you're in the vicinity, pay it a visit.

Saving Private Ryan

Believe it or not but you have probably have seen this beach before. More or less as you see it pictured here. This is Ballyvaldon Beach just north of Curracloe, County Wexford. In 1997 A movie was made here and not just any old movie either.

"Saving Private Ryan" 's first half hour of never to be forgotten footage of the D-Day landings was shot here.

I think we all took for granted the D-Day landings and what those Liberators had to endure that day.

But seeing Spielberg's vision of the true horror that mankind has to endure in a war setting makes one appreciate the sacrifices that those men made that day & ever since.

There are so many stories about the shooting of the movie. It lasted about 6 weeks while on location in Wexford plus some other scenes were filmed in the countryside. I understand the actors got along famously with the extras who were members of the Irish Army reserve - last seen in "Braveheart".

Two friends of mine Stephen Eustace & Tom Mooney wrote a wonderful tome called "Battleground" depicting the Shooting of the movie while on Wexford's shores, I am sure editions of it are probably still available if one goes looking.

Jones the Actor, FA Cup & the Brady Bunch

VINNIE

These pictures show Vinny Jones getting friendly with England's enfant terrible Paul Gasgoine. No doubt "Gazza" was trying to be a smart-arse and Vinny was having none of it.

What can you say about Vinny that hasn't been said already. I have to say I enjoyed his contribution to the game, especially the contribution he made after 5 seconds in the 1988 FA cup final when he took the legs from under Liverpool's Steve MacMahon and received the fastest yellow card ever in a game. "Macca" was subdued after that and the "Crazy Gang" of Wimbledon FC won the cup with a shock 1-0 win.

The Wimbledon players celebrated with their fans at Plough Lane a few nights later when the players mooned their faithful and brought the "tut-tuts & their wives" out of the woodwork. The "Wombles" after this abandoned their home and began their long march in the 90's towards their near oblivion. They now are incarnated as the MK Dons while their longsuffering fans had enough, setting up a new club AFC Wimbledon in response to their team's abandonment...a sad state of affairs. The last game I saw incidentally at Stamford Bridge was a 3-1 win against them in 2000, we won 3-1 and they were relegated. I left for pastures anew a couple of weeks after that.

But back to Vinnie...

Vinny played for a while with Chelsea and it is fair to say he still is a popular figure at the"Bridge" because of his commitment to the cause even though he played for "Dirty Leeds". Still who can forget his sliding tackle on the Leeds mascot one day! Yes it really did happen! Vinny claims he slipped......

Nobody in their wildest dreams could ever have put Vinny Jones & Hollywood movie star in the same sentence and if you did, you would be asked, "what were you on?"

But he is and more power to him and has a string of appearances that would make more noted actors very envious. He is a frequent visitor to my hometown of Wexford, is a big Greyhound enthusiast and can be often found having apint in Jim Bradys bar with the proprietor & his pals from the area. My own oul fellah met him a few years ago in Capetown, South Africa and they had a laugh at how small the world is. From "Bradys to the Cape" as they remarked...

"Bradys to the Cape" is a great pub-crawl in Wexford, one to be treated with great respect and a "good fry-up" before you start. "Bradys" is in the red City of Maudlintown, technically the end of the Faythe to Eddie Macken's pub, "the Cape" in the Bull-ring.

There's a great story about "Bradys" & Brad Pitt but I'll tell that another day. There's an equally good story about Mackens but I'll digress on that one.

The FA Cup

The Competition has it's 125th incarnation this year, the 3rd round beginning this weekend when the big guns get involved.

It was in 1970 that I became a Chelsea fan, when we beat Leeds in the replay...I was 6 years old then, what a team that was! Peter Osgood scored in every round that year. Peter left us last year, he was 59 years old at the time of his passing - more on him to come in a future post.

Chelsea's win in 1997 was particularly memorable for all us Blues. It signalled an end to the long drought - all those trophyless years, Robbie Di Matteo's wonderstrike after 44 seconds, the fastest coal ever in a Cup Final, Mark Hughes' 4th medal ( & he a lifelong Chelsea fan), Matthew Harding's memory, the 4-2 win in the 3rd round v Liverpool, the contentious win against Leicester, ultimately Wisey lifting the cup and lifting a lot of monkeys off all our backs in so doing.

In 1988, little Wimbledon took on the might of Liverpool and as I described earlier with some outrageous fortune and tremendous heart took the spoils in an upset of enormous dimensions. Some Liverpool players never were the better for it after that day. Ronny Whelan, John Aldridge & Ray Houghton in particular took great heart from it and helped Ireland stage their own shock win over England in the European Championships a month later, see http://deadlydeshravenspoint.blogspot.com/2005/02/1988-and-all-that.html .

Ten years before, the Wombles of Wimbledon were playing non league football in their little nondescript ground at Plough Lane in that famous borough. Their rise was mercurial culminating in that win in 1988 in the World's oldest Cup competition.

That is the romance of "the Cup", pitting David v Goliath, amateur v professional, Non-league v Premier whatever cliche you can muster. I am sure every schoolkid that kicked a ball in the Islands of Britain & Ireland dreamt of walking out on Wembley's hallowed green turf, scoring the winning goal for their team. I know I did, rounding three Man United / Liverpool defenders in the blue of Chelsea as ITV's Brian Moore did the commentary, slipping the winning goal through the keepers legs in the dying seconds...oh happy days!

Disney, Football & Pirates

Trying to lighten up and then I see that the boffins say Pluto is no longer a planet, always figured it was "Mickey Mouse" myself!

All the Sh*te that is going on in the world today and people get hot & bothered over this! The world that we live in is heading down the chute in a hurry!

Speaking of Mickey Mouse, I see Chelsea have Barcelona yet again in the Champion's league. Year 3 and they still can't get away from each other. Barca have their own Disney Character Goofy who is sometimes called Ronaldinho, others think his resemblance to bugs Bunny is uncanny...









More than a striking resemblance (no pun intended) wouldn't you say!

He is a remarkable footballer all the same even if he has a face like a slapped arse!

Without intending it to be, this piece has become almost a homage to Disney...

Disney of course are responsible for "Pirates of the Caribbean", the breakout movie for that unknown actor from Louisville, Mr. J. Depp esq... (Irony folks!). The thing is my youngster simply loves Pirates, whether it's the colour, the accents or the sheer mischief of Bucanneering that appeals to him, I do not know but he adores the genre. I have to admit it is fun watching him act out a sword fight or when he gets into his" Luke Skywalker" mode...amazing to see imagination developing before your eyes.

I have some pics on the old pc that I will post soon. Pictures of interest especially to those folk interested in piratry and the lore of.

Till then!

"Danzan solas" (They dance alone)"

I was about 18 when I saw “Missing”. A movie starring Jack Lemmon as an American looking for his son who had gone missing in the Chilean coup in 1973. I remember being struck by the powerful message of the film, the crawling desperation of the father as the sheer hopelessness/helplessness of the situation develops. All that he found certainty in, being stripped away before his eyes. A tragic yet brilliant movie….

When Pinochet & his junta grabbed power on September 11, they wasted little time in silencing effective opposition to their power-grab using the main soccer stadium in Santiago as a Concentration camp for one.

Pinochet lost power in 1988, the matter of his indictment in the torture & murder of his citizens has not been effected..yet!

Ten years later as I watched the Chilean national team sing their anthem at the World Cup in France, I will never forget the passion those lads poured into the lyrics, pride in their country and the long journey out of a dark & brutal night.

I’m a fan of Sting, who wrote this beautiful ballad (below) in honour of the women of the missing of Chile. The mothers, wives, sisters who danced alone in a park in Santiago..a silent protest, a protest of immense dignity….Dancing a Chilean dance, “La Cueca”. Their dance was a symbol of the silent courage of the oppressed masses, a testament to the will of the common people will overcome tyranny in the end.


"They Dance Alone"
Why are there women here dancing on their own?
Why is there this sadness in their eyes?
Why are the soldiers here
Their faces fixed like stone?I
can't see what it is that they despise
They're dancing with the missing
They're dancing with the dead
They dance with the invisible ones
Their anguish is unsaid
They're dancing with their fathers
They're dancing with their sons
They're dancing with their husbands
They dance alone
They dance alone

It's the only form of protest they're allowed
I've seen their silent faces scream so loud
If they were to speak these words
they'd go missing too
Another woman on a torture table
what else can they do

They're dancing with the missing
They're dancing with the dead
They dance with the invisible ones
Their anguish is unsaid
They're dancing with their fathers
They're dancing with their sons
They're dancing with their husbands
They dance alone
They dance alone

One day we'll dance on their graves
One day we'll sing our freedom
One day we'll laugh in our joy
And we'll dance
One day we'll dance on their graves
One day we'll sing our freedom
One day we'll laugh in our joy
And we'll dance

Ellas danzan con los desaparecidos
Ellas danzan con los muertos
Ellas danzan con amores invisibles
Ellas danzan con silenciosa angustia
Danzan con sus padres
Danzan con sus hijos
Danzan con sus esposos
Ellas danzan solas
Danzan solas

Hey Mr. Pinochet
You've sown a bitter crop
It's foreign money that supports you
One day the money's going to stop
No wages for your torturers
No budget for your guns
Can you think of your own mother
Dancing with her invisible son
They're dancing with the missing
They're dancing with the dead
They dance with the invisible ones
They're anguish is unsaid
They're dancing with their fathers
They're dancing with their sons
They're dancing with their husbands
They dance alone
They dance alone


More on Chile and her recent travails found here http://www.chipsites.com/derechos/dictadura_victimas_eng.html