prussianblue

One of the dwindling cast members of Death on the Nile (1978), which was shown yet again at Christmas. Just her, Jane Birkin, Lois Chiles, Mia Farrow and Maggie Smith left.

Haven't done a full vote for a couple of days because of dealing with a family emergency and the list formatting going all weird on my phone, but glad to see John Lennon going down. I really don't understand the lack of Human League love though.

42 The Specials – Ghost Town 37 Blondie – Atomic 37 ABBA – The winner takes it all 32 Olivia Newton-John & ELO - Xanadu 32 David Bowie – Ashes to Ashes 31 Soft Cell – Tainted Love 27 David Bowie & Queen – Under Pressure 27 The Jam – Going underground / Dreams of children 25 The Specials – Too much, too young 25 Adam & the Ants – Prince Charming 25 Police – Don´t stand so close to me 24 Kenny Rogers – Coward of the county 23 Adam & the Ants – Stand and deliver 22 Barbra Streisand – Woman in love 21 Blondie – Call me 21 Detroit Spinners – Working my way back to you 21 The Pretenders – Brass in pocket 21 The Jam – Start 21 Odyssey – Use it up and wear it out 21 Roxy Music – Jealous Guy 20 Police – Every little thing she does is magic 20 Johnny Logan – What´s another year 20 Bucks Fizz – Making your mind up 18 Human League – Don’t you want me +4 18 John Lennon – Woman -3 17 Dexy´s Midnight Runners – Geno 17 Fern Kinney – Together we are beautiful 16 Smokey Robinson – Being with you 16 Julio Iglesias – Begin the beguine (Volver a empezar) 15 M.A.S.H. – Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide is painless) 14 Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin – It´s my party 13 John Lennon – (Just like) Starting over -3 11 Aneka – Japanese Boy 09 ABBA – Super Trouper  02 Don McLean – Crying

Adam does however have a pulse.

Give them to John Lennon, or help euthanise The Tide Is High.

My view of Mr May is somewhat tainted. I have a fwb who has previously shagged current Freddie Mercury stand-in Adam Lambert. According to Adam, Brian is a nasty piece of work. Homophobic, despite the workplace issues that would presumably cause, and a user of prostitutes.

28 Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra – Xanadu 27 Soft Cell – Tainted Love 27 The Specials – Ghost Town 25 Blondie – Atomic 25 The Specials – Too much, too young 26 ABBA – The winner takes it all +1 24 Kenny Rogers – Coward of the county 24 Adam & the Ants – Prince Charming 24 David Bowie – Ashes to Ashes +1 23 Police – Every little thing she does is magic 22 The Jam – Going underground / Dreams of children 22 ABBA – Super Trouper 22 Adam & the Ants – Stand and deliver +1 22 Human League – Don´t you want me +1 21 John Lennon – Woman -1 21 Barbra Streisand – Woman in love 21 Blondie – Call me 21 David Bowie & Queen – Under Pressure 20 The Pretenders – Brass in pocket 20 Fern Kinney – Together we are beautiful 20 Detroit Spinners – Working my way back to you 20 Johnny Logan – What´s another year 20 M.A.S.H. – Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide is painless) 20 Odyssey – Use it up and wear it out 20 The Jam – Start 20 Police – Don´t stand so close to me 20 Roxy Music – Jealous Guy 20 Shakin´ Stevens – This ole house 20 Bucks Fizz – Making your mind up 20 Smokey Robinson – Being with you 20 Aneka – Japanese Boy 20 Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin – It´s my party 18 John Lennon – (Just like) Starting over -2 18 Julio Iglesias – Begin the beguine (Volver a empezar) 17 Dexy´s Midnight Runners – Geno -1 14 Shakin´ Stevens – Green Door 13 Don McLean – Crying -1 12 Kelly Marie – Feels like I´m in love 10 Blondie – The tide is high -1 09 Michael Jackson – One day in your life 08 John Lennon - Imagine The reasons are obvious, but so much awful John Lennon content in 80/81!

Latest Popbitch newsletter mentions that he's just sold his very nice house in the East Sussex countryside. Moving somewhere less remote with better support/medical services perhaps? https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/126537803#/?channel=RES_BUY

Just saw a brief clip on the BFI Instagram of an appearance by Glenda. Walks across the stage to her chair with a stick but appears otherwise fine.

Hardly a surprise, but a shame nonetheless. The Conformist is one of my favourite films.

Could have gone in a few threads, but this seemed a decent catch-all. The Television Academy YouTube channel regularly posts interviews with industry figures talking about their lives and careers. Their most recent participant is The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and NCIS star David McCallum. It's a Zoom interview conducted from his home, and he's looking pretty decent for someone turning 89 in a few months. Posture not great and he seems a little tired/bored/grumpy at times, but he's mentally all there and dresses smartly. Looks like the handle of an exercise bike on the left of frame too, so possibly still keeping himself physically active. Here's David reminiscing about his childhood, including getting bombed by V1 and V2 rockets: https://youtu.be/lqrN2i1E7o4

Clip of him introducing the BFI's re-release of Get Carter. Sounds out of breath at times, seems to be reading off an autocue, and is propped up in his chair with a cushion, but I guess he could be in worse shape at 89. https://fb.watch/dqkApiPOaG/ (Apologies for the Facebook link, I've looked and it isn't on the BFI YouTube account at time of writing)

Well that's good timing! I've just watched one of Tom Felleghy's 100+ films, the 1974 poliziottesco Milano odia: la polizia non-può sparare, aka Almost Human. I was intrigued to see a supposed centenarian in the cast, so came here to see if he had been mentioned at all.

Prunella and Timothy are due to make a public appearance at a Northamptonshire canal boat rally in late June. They must be reasonably confident she'll be able to manage it. https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/business/tv-favourites-prunella-scales-and-timothy-west-to-open-historic-braunston-narrowboat-rally-3683259 P.S. Pete Waterman is going too!

In addition to these explosions, nearby the Russians have bombed the main bridge across the Dniester estuary, greatly hampering communications between Odesa and Budjak, the western part of Odesa Oblast that borders Moldova and Romania and is almost severed from the rest of Ukraine by the estuary. Could this be the prelude to an amphibious landing of Budjak by the Russians? It could be a useful distraction for any attack on Odesa itself. It's a flat, thinly-populated area, and probably not that well defended. Its strategic value is debatable, but it would deprive Ukraine of more coastline, colour more of the map in red, and would perhaps be useful as a means of getting to Moldova from the south to aid Transnistrian forces. Of course, given the state of the Black Sea Fleet at this point, an amphibious landing may well be sheer fantasy.

All that training for Ali (2001) has clearly not been forgotten.

Surprised this hasn't gotten more publicity. I knew it was on the cards but only just heard it had actually happened. Does a pre-nup not exist in Italian law? I find it surprising that he would let the inheritance-based fears of his children stand in his way of an actual marriage.

Saw John Simpson comparing it to the Winter War between the USSR and Finland. Much larger and more powerful state thinks it'll easily conquer a neighbour, but faces fierce resistance and gets bogged down with weather, terrain and logistical problems. He was suggesting that the outcome of this war may well be similar, a face-saving peace treaty, the invaded country swallowing some territorial losses to maintain independence for the vast majority of the country. As with the Finns post-WWII, Ukraine could pledge to become a neutral state (so no NATO, EU aspirations less clear-cut). This all seems logical, but it really all depends how logical Putin is feeling!

Roman general and statesman Gaius Julius Caesar died on this day 2066 years ago, aged 55.

Kadyrov seemingly is or was north of Kyiv with the Chechan contingent. Is it too much to hope for that the Ukrainians get lucky or the indiscriminate Russian bombardment generates a friendly fire incident?

In a more worrying Belarusian development, seemingly the Russians have been putting heavy pressure on Lukashenko to properly join the war and invade too, and there's some suggestion that he may do so tonight. All speaks to the Russians struggling for manpower, when you add it to the rules for conscription being toughened up, Putin's appeal for foreign fighters (e.g. Syrians sent by an indebted Assad), and the sizeable cohort of Chechens that are already involved. On the BBC last night a reporter was casually walking past a couple of bodies lying in the snow that apparently had Chechen ID on them.

Which makes sense, as while the Chernobyl plant is (just) within Ukraine, it was Belarus that got the worst of the fallout thanks to the prevailing winds.

The history of Vikings in the Slavic lands (Varangians) is fascinating. The two are deeply linked, the original Rus were of Norse origin. There was territorial expansion and trade along the great rivers of Russia. With the cross-Black Sea cultural exchanges they also go heavily involved in Byzantine affairs, and some emperors had elite Varangian guard units. You also get the Christianisation of Russia through this connection, hence why they are Orthodox and were so intent on ultimately gaining Constantinople through Balkan expansion.

You really have to wonder about Russian long-term strategy when they continue to reduce Mariupol and other settlements to ruins and brutalise their residents (the ones this war is meant to be about liberating). Bombing civilian targets to smithereens in Syria is one thing, frankly what does the average Russian care about some far away Arabs living in bombed-out buildings? However, presumably Russia wants to annexe and integrate these Ukrainian lands into Russia proper, and ultimately derive some benefit from them. Given the circumstances, the population aren't going to be loyal citizens generating healthy tax revenues any time soon.

I'm picturing TV schedules full of Come Outside and Norman Wisdom films.