Anyway, I had forgotten about this Glasgow themed joke. For those not familiar with the episode, Jim Broadbent is playing Prince Albert, who is trying to disguise the fact that he is German...
Images copyright 2005 BBC Worldwide Ltd.
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
A Christmas Special For Easter...
Watched Blackadder's Christmas Carol on DVD over the weekend (I don't know why, I just saw the boxset sitting there and decided I'd like to give it - as well as the Back And Forth Millennium special - a viewing).
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Doomsday Has Come
Doomsday, the latest film from British director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Dog Soldiers) premiered in the USA on Friday. The significance to this blog? Much of the action takes place in Glasgow.
The story in a nutshell is that a lethal virus breaks out in present day Glasgow, wiping out nearly everyone in Scotland - to protect the rest of the UK and the world, the government builds a wall closing off Scotland. Fast forward to 2033 and the "Reaper" virus appears to have reared its ugly head again in London - satellite images show survivors still living in Scotland and a crack military team are sent over the wall to try and find a cure. Of course nothing is simple and they are faced with a rather insane bunch of people inhabiting the post apocalyptic Caledonia.
While most of the film was shot in South Africa, with Cape Town doubling for Glasgow (ironic given that Glasgow has in the past doubled for other cities), some scenes were filmed in the tenement lined streets of Haghill. Various trailers show recognisable images of Glasgow, including a pre-disaster Buchanan Street and a dark and deserted Ingram Street, including the Gallery of Modern Art, in 2033. The tower blocks in the French poster on the right are distinctly un-Glaswegian, however there is one Glasgow landmark - the University of Glasgow's tower. This poster features on a blog devoted to Doomsday - Doomsday Trailer (http://doomsday-trailer.blogspot.com) - you can find the film's official site at http://www.doomsdayiscoming.com
The story in a nutshell is that a lethal virus breaks out in present day Glasgow, wiping out nearly everyone in Scotland - to protect the rest of the UK and the world, the government builds a wall closing off Scotland. Fast forward to 2033 and the "Reaper" virus appears to have reared its ugly head again in London - satellite images show survivors still living in Scotland and a crack military team are sent over the wall to try and find a cure. Of course nothing is simple and they are faced with a rather insane bunch of people inhabiting the post apocalyptic Caledonia.
While most of the film was shot in South Africa, with Cape Town doubling for Glasgow (ironic given that Glasgow has in the past doubled for other cities), some scenes were filmed in the tenement lined streets of Haghill. Various trailers show recognisable images of Glasgow, including a pre-disaster Buchanan Street and a dark and deserted Ingram Street, including the Gallery of Modern Art, in 2033. The tower blocks in the French poster on the right are distinctly un-Glaswegian, however there is one Glasgow landmark - the University of Glasgow's tower. This poster features on a blog devoted to Doomsday - Doomsday Trailer (http://doomsday-trailer.blogspot.com) - you can find the film's official site at http://www.doomsdayiscoming.com
Monday, 10 March 2008
Famous Visitor no.2
Hollywood actresses who were at the peak of their careers in the 1980s are like buses - you wait ages for one and two turn up at the same time...
Just a day after Goldie Hawn arrived in Glasgow, Kathleen Turner will be at the city's Mitchell Library this evening to talk about her autobiography. Ms Turner's visit is part of the Aye Write! book festival currently taking place in Glasgow.
Aye Write! - one of Glasgow's growing number of festivals is in its third year and has also featured appearances by writers including Tony Parsons, Iain Banks, Denise Mina, Will Self, Tony Benn, Martin Bell and Gerry Anderson. http://www.ayewrite.com/
Images copyright Aye Write! Bank of Scotland Book Festival 2008 and WireImage.com
Just a day after Goldie Hawn arrived in Glasgow, Kathleen Turner will be at the city's Mitchell Library this evening to talk about her autobiography. Ms Turner's visit is part of the Aye Write! book festival currently taking place in Glasgow.
Aye Write! - one of Glasgow's growing number of festivals is in its third year and has also featured appearances by writers including Tony Parsons, Iain Banks, Denise Mina, Will Self, Tony Benn, Martin Bell and Gerry Anderson. http://www.ayewrite.com/
Images copyright Aye Write! Bank of Scotland Book Festival 2008 and WireImage.com
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Famous Visitor no.1
I'll be documenting famous faces to visit Glasgow, from world leaders and sport stars to Hollywood A-listers and music legends. Don't think she's been in anything for a while, but actress Goldie Hawn gets the honour of being the first such posting - she's apparently attending a fundraising banquet in the Glasgow Hilton tonight.Photo copyright Wireimage.com
Glasgow pops up in the funniest of places
I didn't know what to make my first post about, so decided I'd combine my passion for Glasgow with one of my other great passions - film. Future posts will look in more detail at movies made and set in Glasgow, but this introductory post takes a look at five blockbusters with unexpected mentions of the city in them. (I did say there would be trivial stuff on here)...
The Bourne Identity (2002)
When Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) surfaces in Zurich, CIA man Alexander Conklin (Chris Cooper) wants him "in a body bag by sun down". Conklin's team set about locating their trained assassins in Europe and the below shot of one of their computer screens would suggest that there's a Treadstone agent somewhere in Glasgow...
Copyright 2002 Universal Studios
Edinburgh folk may have been surprised to find their most famous son playing a Weegie in this San Francisco-set action movie. John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery) is the only man ever to have broken out of Alcatraz, and his background is revealed when the FBI's Dr Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) asks colleague Marvin Isherwood (Todd Louiso) to check him out on the computer system.
The Bourne Identity (2002)
When Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) surfaces in Zurich, CIA man Alexander Conklin (Chris Cooper) wants him "in a body bag by sun down". Conklin's team set about locating their trained assassins in Europe and the below shot of one of their computer screens would suggest that there's a Treadstone agent somewhere in Glasgow...
Copyright 2002 Universal Studios
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Just before Scotland froze it was business as usual in the environmental disaster flick. As we are introduced to the team at the Scotland based "Hedland Climate Research Center", we hear a commentator say "Welcome back to Glasgow, Scotland (just as any Scottish commentator would!), where Manchester United leads 3-1 over hometown Celtic in this pivotal Champions League match".
Just before Scotland froze it was business as usual in the environmental disaster flick. As we are introduced to the team at the Scotland based "Hedland Climate Research Center", we hear a commentator say "Welcome back to Glasgow, Scotland (just as any Scottish commentator would!), where Manchester United leads 3-1 over hometown Celtic in this pivotal Champions League match".
Copyright 2004 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Lifeforce (1985)
In this bizarre British sci-fi horror film, a race of space vampires bring carnage to London. Spot the familiar advertising slogan on the side of the bus...
Copyright 1985 Easedram Limited
Edinburgh folk may have been surprised to find their most famous son playing a Weegie in this San Francisco-set action movie. John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery) is the only man ever to have broken out of Alcatraz, and his background is revealed when the FBI's Dr Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) asks colleague Marvin Isherwood (Todd Louiso) to check him out on the computer system.
Both images copyright Hollywood Pictures Company
The Sum Of All Fears (2002)
In the Jack Ryan adventure, arms dealer and bad apple Olson (Colm Feore) contemplates his latest business transaction while watching BBCs Antiques Roadshow. I wonder if the lady discussing the prized possession she found in an old Glasgow mansion knows she's a film star...
Copyright 2002 Paramount Pictures
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