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Jack Graham

Jack Graham writes and podcasts about culture and politics from a Gothic Marxist-Humanist perspective. He co-hosts the I Don't Speak German podcast with Daniel Harper. Support Jack on Patreon.

5 Comments

  1. Tom Marshall
    September 8, 2016 @ 10:29 am

    Really enjoying your take on High-Rise, guys. I think I agree that in some ways the film is more successful than the book – that “falling/jumping” sequence at the centre-point of the film is gobsmackingly good, however well done the opera-box-spectators chunk in the book is. And I certainly agree that it makes far more of the female characters (reminding me of Harness’ take on the women in Strange & Norrell in that regard): Elizabeth Moss is particularly great as Helen.

    Favourite things are the aristocrat party (“who did you come as? a dilettante?”), both covers of ABBA’s SOS, the falling sequence, the opening monologue, and, yes, I bloody love the Thatcher bit at the end.

    Reply

    • The Flan in the High Castle
      September 11, 2016 @ 7:43 pm

      No strong feelings on the Portishead cover, but I was quite disappointed that Mansell’s instrumental take on SOS wasn’t included in the soundtrack – it’s been stuck in my head for the last year. The use of an inappropriately joyous and upbeat accompaniment for the entropic violence of the party/elevator scene was straight out of Russell T Davies’s playbook – it’s a lot like one of the Simm Master’s songs, or the Kylie scene in Cucumber, but with the resonance added by the proximity of the film’s setting to the song’s release. (I guess the Royal Philharmonic version will just have to do!)

      Reply

      • Tom Marshall
        September 11, 2016 @ 8:25 pm

        I quite agree! the strings version was absolutely gorgeous (though it is nice that the Portishead one is finally up on YouTube).

        Reply

  2. Tom Marshall
    September 8, 2016 @ 11:14 am

    Also I always thought it was a shame you didn’t have an essay in OI: 2, Jack ! Would have been good to read you doing “Planet of the Ood”, say.

    I was in OIs 1 and 2 but missed the Star Trek boat.

    Reply

  3. Anton B
    September 9, 2016 @ 6:45 am

    I have to agree regarding Moorcock probably being the author into situationism who would have clued Ballard into the Paris ’68 vibes. My understanding is that Ballard rarely left Shepperton. There’s an interesting take on their relationship in Moorcock’s most recent (and rather odd) quasi-autobiographical novel The Whispering Swarm where, strangely since he freely names other authors, he renames him Jack Allard.

    Thanks for the tip regarding the John Higgs book. Loved his KLF book so I instantly bought it on Kindle.

    Reply

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