Family (1994)

Family (1994)

Dir. Michael Winterbottom | 4 episodes, approx 45 minutes each.

A miniseries set in Dublin, Ireland, written by author Roddy Doyle and directed by filmmaker Michael Winterbottom. I've read a couple of Roddy's novels and watched the films based on The Barrytown Trilogy. I enjoyed them all.

None of the films were big budget ventures, so I had no reason to suspect that a TV production would be any less engaging or personal.

Sure enough, it wasn't, the working class Spencer family were just as well-written and presented as Roddy's movie characters have been. In fact, it was an exceptional TV drama, the like of which the '90s had too little of, although it seems like there was still a lot more than we have now.

Four of the six Spencers have an episode named after them, within which they're the main focus even though, with the exception of the two youngest, all members play an important role each time. Interestingly, in each case the music used fits the age group, helping characterisation. Episodes in the order presented:

Pom Poko (1994)

Pom Poko (1994)

Dir. Isao Takahata

When their peaceful but playful way of life comes under threat by mankind's push for "urban development," a tanuki community is forced to abandon the rundown farmhouse in which they live, a building that was previously abandoned by its human occupants.

To combat the destructive 'modernisation', the critters call upon the past, rekindling the ancient tanuki art of shape-shifting.

There are references to the role of religion and superstition in the modern world, but foremost is the themes of ethics and nature and how both are often trodden on by an encroaching and money-hungry industry.

It's a Ghibli film directed by Takahata, whose work is often more hard-hitting and arguably more daring than a lot of Miyazaki's, so if you're planning to let the kids watch it, be aware that there are some unpleasant deaths.

The Sandman Presents: Taller Tales (2003)

The Sandman Presents: Taller Tales (2003)

Author: Bill Willingham | Illustrators: Mark Buckingham / Peter Gross / Paul Pope / Michael Kaluta / Phil Jimenez / Adam Hughes / Linda Medley / Marc Laming / Zander Cannon / Albert Monteys / Daniel Torres / Shawn McManus / Duncan Fegredo / Kevin Nowlan / Jason Little / Niko Henrichon | Page Count: 224

'A bestial song of Darwinian law in six-part harmony. A celebration of the never-ending, inescapable gospel of tooth and claw.'

Taller Tales gathers into one book a small collection of the many post-Sandman stories. There's some one-shots, a complete mini-series, and a single issue of the long-running but now defunct monthly The Dreaming.

Each of the individual publications may still lurk in specialist comic shops, but why spend more than the cover price when you can have them in an advert-free TPB? In the order presented:

01. Merv Pumpkinhead, Agent of D.R.E.A.M. (2000) is a one-shot in which Merv recounts an unlikely story of derring-do in which he's the one daring and doing. I like Merv, but a James Bond parody isn't something that stays in my memory long. Most of the actual Bond movies are like parodies of themselves, so besides the hero having a pumpkin for a head, there really isn't much difference.

Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020)

Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020)

Dir. Dean Parisot

I've not featured Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) on the 7th and Last because, simply put, I hated it. I mention it now only because it's somewhat necessary to have seen it to understand the relationship between Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) and the Grim Reaper (William Sadler), all of whom returned for Face the Music (2020).

The titular duo's destiny, as foretold in Excellent Adventure (1989) — which is to write a song so emotionally stirring that it'll unite all of humanity in glorious, peaceful harmony — hasn't happened. The world is largely unchanged, as are Bill and Ted, except that they're older and each has a daughter - that's them on the cover art: Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Thea (Samara Weaving).

The initial promotions had me worried that it would be another example of Hollywood trying to force some element of gender-swapping, but happily the story avoids that. And while I didn't warm to the new duo much at all, they didn't feel like they were in the way, and they'd a genuinely vital, complementary role to play in the story.