twenty-seven word reviews of 'Britain in Focus' exhibition (Science & Media Museum, Bradford; with BBC4) and of photography collections by featured artists

Peter Mitchell, Mr and Mrs Hudson in Seacroft Green. Leeds, 1974. 

update (July 2018): twitter conversation about Leeds, Peter Mitchell,
Shirley Baker, Quarry Hill, Red Riding etc here

'Britain in Focus' (Science & Media Museum, Bradford) - absorbing, manageable (!) exhibition: Victorian pioneers (landscapes; tough industrial lives); Edwardians invented fun and donkey-rides, our grandparents read Picture Post, Jane Bown photographed the Beatles. Now we’ve Instagram.

(Exhibition open until 25th June 2017)

The Rural Dean of Stepney with some of his flock (1940s).

Bert Hardy's Britain, ed. Colin Wilkinson. Originally ‘fun’, Picture Post developed a humanitarian agenda during and after WWII. Hardy was a leading talent, photographing London blitz firefighters, Gorbals slum children, etc. Passionate; engaged.

John Bulmer, 'The North'. Moving images (ha! Intentional pun) which also ‘back light’ two cultural moments – kitchen sink drama (1960s); punk (1970s). Text documents “worries North’ll keep us out of Europe.” 

Martin Parr, photograph from The Last Resort' 

Martin Parr, 'The Last Resort'. Foreword attempts rescue from charges of condescension; Parr was “humorous, fond”...? Unsure myself; this sometimes looks cold, distanced - laughter ‘at’, not ‘with’. Loved 'Boring Postcards' though.

Vanley Burke, Boys on a See-Saw. Handsworth Park, Birmingham, 1984.

'Britain in Focus: A Photographic History' (BBC4 series). Those books available to view at gallery - but associated BBC4 series also features Vanley Burke (British Afro-Carribean experience); Fay Godwin (politics of landscape), instagrammer Molly Boniface etc.

(Available online until 20th April 2017).

twenty-seven word review of Martin's Parr's 'Boring Postcards' (London: Phaidon, 1999)

Butlins, Filey; M6 motorway; Cross Gates Arndale Centre, Leeds. Boring’s a misnomer; these are 1950s/ early 1960s dreams of modernity and mass affluence. Literally hours of fun.

(See also: declinism, 'export or die').

twenty-seven word reviews of films watched during March 2017

House of Mirth (2000; dir. Terence Davies; starring Gillian Anderson)  - original novel’s probably good; film felt like a somewhat routine costume drama, though; S. dozed; I kept forgetting who, whom; starts Austen-esque but ends up about drugs.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2011, dir. Edgar Wright) – witty, hyperactive, glorious mess;  references superhero comics, martial arts gaming, garage/ grunge music. I too became tough at vegan academy; dropped out though, completed pescaterian technical college.

The Hundred Foot Journey (2014, dir. Lasse Hallstrom; starring Helen Mirren, Om Puri) –  rival restaurants; French countryside; pro-diversity message;  you’ll see this film’s denouement coming from a hundred miles away; good, heartwarming fun though. Who doesn’t enjoy watching food, TBH?

Still the Enemy Within (2014, dir. Owen Gower) – documentary: how the 1984-5 U.K. miners’ strike was fought and policed; inspiring and moving; also discusses how ‘supportive others’ were mobilised – students, musicians, LGBT activists (seen ‘Pride’?).  

The Student and Mr Henri (L’etudiante et M. Henri) (2015, dir. Ivan Calberac) –  charming, genuinely funny; the kind of intelligent, interestingly morally ambiguous, romantic comedy about grown-up people that you have to be French in order to make (it seems)

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016; dir. Ron Howard) – film about the Beatles live (Hamburg, Cavern Club, Shea Stadium), because whatever the hell happened between ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ happened on tour; essential.

'Still the Enemy Within' and 'Scott Pilgrim' were the joint winners. 'The Student and Mr Henri' came third. 'House of Mirth' came last. It was several dozen times better than the worst film I've ever seen.