Last night I re-watched a couple of my favorite films.
First off was Tampopo (1985) which I try to watch at least once a decade.
It's essentially a Japanese light romantic comedy on the theme of food.
We had a large breakfast yesterday and had just eaten lunch but after watching this film I felt hungry again despite some of the scenes being not suitable for vegetarians (I found the scene of the killing of a small Chelonil difficult to watch but so did the title character).
The main story centers on a widowed mother who is inspired to improve her run down noodle bar by a Shane-like truck driver who wanders into her life. Her Rocky like training and the troupe of characters she meets in her quest are a genuine mood lift. Branching from that in an almost Pythoneque fashion are tangential vignettes, each one brilliantly observed.
If you can get a copy I highly recommend seeing this (or seeing this again if you have been fortunate to see it before).
17 bowls.
Then we re-watched Hidden City (1987).
I love Stephen Poliakoff.
I haven't seen or listened to anything he has written that I haven't enjoyed or found rewarding and this was my first exposure to him.It was also Richard E Grant's first film performance and the first time I noticed I fancied Charles Dance. It's also another great film for explaining gnosticism.
It was made around the same time as Edge Of Darkness (1985) which I also love and like it and much of Tom Baker era Doctor Who it has a tall rational investigative professional (in this case a bored writer) being pulled through a labyrinth, hidden in plain site, by an energetic young maiden. Here played by Cassie Stuart looking like a cross between Rose Tyler and Jo Grant and played with a bossy intensity which reminded me of Lalla Ward's Romana.
Dance's character is approached by Stuart's when she thinks she has discovered clues to a mystery spliced into old newsreel PIFs from the 1940's.
Babylon 5 fans should keep an eye out for a cameo by Jason Carter.
At the time the film I purchased this the film was not available on VHS or DVD a DVD release came later but not many were made and they are difficult to get hold of, if you can track down a copy you will be rewarded with what plays like a pilot for the greatest television show never made (any television executives out there reading this should consider turning this premise into a show). What I have is a VHS preview tape distributed by Channel 4 films which just adds to the video archaeological themes of the piece.
Best of luck tracking down this film and Hop Pickers in Kent.
