Repeat Blog - The Beatles, Sex Pistols and Alan Cross

Posted on: 26 September 2009 by Thom Ernst

osted on: 20 February 2009 by Thom Ernst

I have photo of Alan Cross and me after an interview I did with him this past summer, but I'm not about to include it here...not until after we air our show on Saturday. If you want to see him, you will have to tune in on Saturday night.

Oh, I suppose you could go onto the 102.1 The Edge website and see him for yourself - I suspect The Edge would have some kind of publicity shot of one of their most recognizable radio voices, but it's not going to be a picture of Alan Cross with me or any of the Saturday Night at the Movies team. And for my money, that's the photo to see. Because of all the celebrities, talents and Hollywood types we've talked to over the years, the one person the SNAM team seemed to anticipate the most was Alan Cross.

It was the first time our show producer's husband, a celebrity in his own right, actually seemed impressed. In part this has something to do with our universal love of music - and really, are music lovers and film lovers so different? Not terribly, I don't suspect.

We bring Alan in to talk about movies - albeit, music movies. Specifically, to talk about The Beatles and their completely unexpected groundbreaking film by director Richard Lester, A HARD DAY'S NIGHT followed by Michael Winterbottom's exceptionally funny look at Britain's Manchester music scene, 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE. Given these two film choices, the show could be solely about Britain's music scene from two different generations. Same place/different time. But the films aren't that limited, and neither are the people we've invited to talk about them, so why should we.

But there is little need to dissect The Interviews here, you can watch them for yourself. Not only is Alan Cross on hand, but so is Toronto Star critic, and ex-rock critic Peter Howell, as well as Kevin Courrier, a film critic and pop culture analyst whose recent book, Artificial Paradise is about The Beatles. I have photos of both of them too, but since I'm holding off on Cross, I will hold off on them as well.

So, what is our experience like with Alan Cross? Redundant to say that the man knows his stuff. His show The Ongoing History of New Music is one of most listened to broadcasts and is one of the reasons people still listen to the radio. No doubt that Cross would do well on television if anyone thought to take him along that course - but there is something to be said about the mystery of a voice without a face.

Meeting Alan hasn't taken away any of the mystique. It's not that now that we know what he looks like the magic's gone. His show still ranks as one of the best aired radio documentaries about music. I'm not even particularly disillusioned by the fact that that he's been lending his name to a laser eye surgery clinic (Hey Alan, I like my glasses!) or that he drives a Porsche (or at least he has access to borrow a Porsche). The Beatles have likely gone through several Porsches and their beginnings were more meager than Cross' ever were (I assume).

Rock and Roll, I've always thought, was for the young rebels. If it works for us when we're 40 it's not doing it job. Not sure how old Cross is and I'm not about to venture a guess...but he's old enough to know the music and young enough to keep it relevant.

I guess if I can say the same thing about The Beatles (I watched them when they first appeared on Ed Sullivan), I guess I can say the same thing about me.

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A Hard Day's Night

Always delightful to see 'AHDN.' When I was a teenager, I must have watched this movie 20 times. Amazingly, I still have much of the film's dialogue memorized, so watching 'AHDN' with me is like watching a Monty Python movie with one of those Python nerds who won't shut-up and quit quoting the film. It must be annoying to others, but one's enthusiasm takes over: "Pardon me for asking, but who's that little old man?" and so it begins.

I can't call myself a huge Beatles fan, but I would say I am an ardent cinephile (who also happens to really love music.) To put it simply, 'A Hard Day's Night' is one of my top ten films; it's also one of the best rock films ever made. There's so much to recommend: it's brimming with kinetic energy; great music and leads; clever and funny writing; innovative direction; seemingly endless visual gags and innuendos. I could go on. And it's so delightfully British, isn't it?

On a side note, I took the opportunity about 15 years ago to see American director Hal Hartley present 'AHDN' at TIFF, as part of its 'Dialogue with Directors' series. Sitting in front of me was Adrienne Clarkson, before she became "Honourable." After the movie had screened, the audience was invited to 'dialogue' with Hal Hartley. A young man who also was sitting in front of me expressed his disappointment in the film as a cinematic specimen. I suspect he was just down on the Beatles, but he rather haughtily dismissed the whole film as some kind of trifle. I was surprised at his contrary opinion, but what I found annoying was the remarks I overheard Ms. Clarkson make to the young man: in essence, decreeing his opinion to be "correct," because she agreed with him. The movie was a bit too low-brow for her tastes. Sad, really.

In closing: was I correct in noticing that the volume levels were decreased specifically during the musical sequences?

ps/ Do you know what John Lennon writes on the pad of paper when the journalist asks him if he has any hobbies? "Tits"

posted by WM Tutt on 27 September 2009 at 12:01 AM

Good stuff

Howdy,

All the films this Saturday were great! Different musical styles but lots of fun... Good stuff... Looking forward to new season starting soon...

Ciao,

Rainbow Randolph

posted by Zardoz on 27 September 2009 at 6:54 PM

Brings Back Memories!

I was so happy to see this episode playing on Saturday night because I had the pleasure of sitting in with Rein while he edited it. I even got to suggest a couple ideas (the cheese sandwich, haha). I made sure to sit everyone down and watch the episode with me and everyone loved it.

It made me miss working with the SNAM crew everyday.

posted by JoshM on 30 September 2009 at 1:11 AM