Silence is golden for "The Artist"

I never doubted it for a minute, you know.  The Golden Globes hinted at it, the BAFTAs all but confirmed it and last night The Artist rose to the top of the pile and deservedly won five Oscars™ including Best Picture and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin, becoming the first silent film to win the top prize since Wings at the very first Oscars™ ceremony back in 1929.  Eighty-three years is a long time to wait (as long as 82-year-old Canadian actor Christopher Plummer, who should also be congratulated for his Best Supporting Actor award, which makes him the oldest recipient of one of those little statuettes)!

"The Artist" paints golden picture at Oscars

I don't mean to sound like a cracked record but I make no apologies for singing the praises of The Artist loud and long.  This may well be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence and it should be made the most of, particularly by those of us interested in vintage and classic films.  Hopefully it will introduce a whole new audience to the wonders of the old black-and-white silents.

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Oscars 2012: The Artist's win reminds us to protect our film heritage

I went and saw it at the cinema again last week, the first time I've seen the same film twice since 1995, and it was as wonderful as the initial viewing.  I may yet see it a third time, although showings at my local picture house are down to two an evening now.  At the risk of repeating myself, it absolutely warrants viewing on a big screen.  I was surprised but pleased to see the auditoria packed on both occasions I attended although it has to be said that my presence undoubtedly lowered the average age of the audience by a good few years(!).  Still it was great to see such popularity and enjoyment, especially in my neck of the woods - be it curiosity or out-and-out appreciation this is one silent film that has the public talking!

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As an aside, I just bought [via download] the wonderful (and award-winning) soundtrack today, so I can now go about my business with a little bit of black-and-white movie magic music as accompaniment.  Although it's dashed difficult to live out a silent film, with all the noise things make!

The release date for the DVD has also just been announced.  Mark the 7th of May in your diaries, as that's when this little gem makes it on to a distinctly un-vintage format!

A New Year's Eve

A time to look back, and a time to look forward.  Memories both happy and sad of the year gone by, and hope for an even better tomorrow.

 May I wish you all a very Happy New Year, and see you in 2012.

"New Routemaster" Bus for London driven

Image courtesy of Autocar

"New Routemaster" Bus for London driven

One of the ten most popular posts ever on Eclectic Ephemera was when I blogged back in November 2010 about the new "Routemaster" double-decker bus.  Obviously it must have been a popular search item, and rightly so!

Now I'm pleased to say that my favourite motoring periodical, Autocar, has tested one for its special bumber Christmas issue, giving you some idea of what the thing is like to drive.  With the New Bus for London, or NBfL (come on chaps & ladies, we can think of a better name than that, surely?!) due to start passenger service on the 20th February 2012 this is the first full test of the vehicle by an independent party (albeit with tongue slightly in cheek) and it seems Autocar like it.  That makes two of us!

Image courtesy of Autocar

And it just gets better on the inside.  As the 21st Century successor to the iconic Routemaster the poor old NBfL has a lot to live up to and while the outside is quite reminiscent of the old AECs, especially from the rear, the interior was always going be a challenge.  But the designers have come up trumps in my opinion with the wonderfully russet London Transport red setting off the cork resin on the stairs splendidly.  Plus, as the article says, real thought and aestheticism has been put in to the cabin lights, the windows and the roof-lining.  After all, this isn't any old double-decker, y'know - this is a London bus!  (For now, although makers Wrightbus may be able to sell the design elsewhere both at home and abroad - wouldn't that be something?).  OK, perhaps the seat fabric is a little bit kaleidoscopic but overall it's delightful to see such care and appreciation going into a public service vehicle for a change.  Perhaps it bodes well for the future of public transport design.

Image courtesy of Autocar

So come the New Year those bendy whatsits will be on the way out, to be replaced by this topping new omnibus for a new generation (albeit with some lovely old-fashioned touches).  Yet another example of modern technologies working in harmony with traditional design.  All aboard, tickets please!

Hello there - a modern day telegraph ticker!

Hello Little Printer, available 2012 from Berg on Vimeo.

Not exactly vintage per se, but to my mind a lovely retro addition to modern technology and the 21st Century equivalent of ticker-tape machines.  I'm sure you'll all agree that it's good to have something tangible to hold and to look at when it comes to information, messages, lists and what-have-you; far better than goggling at a screen for ages at a time.  I believe that things can be easily forgotton that way, far more so than if you have a physical copy - you can refer to it even if you do forget, or just want to be reminded of the content, or the sender, or some other aspect of the message.

With this modern world of the Internet, mobile telephones and whatnot it's all too easy to make communication impersonal, instantly forgettable and almost meaningless.  Hello Little Printer is a wonderfully quaint idea that deserves to do well (and no, this post is not sponsored by them!) and has more than a hint of vintage in its make-up, regardless of its modern-day pretensions.  I can just imagine one sitting next to my computer, spewing out little titbits of data, messages and so forth that I can pore over, just as people did 80-odd years ago with telegraph tickers.

The Artist pays homage to Hollywood's silent era

The Artist pays homage to Hollywood's silent era

There is a lot of anticipation surrounding this film in vintage blogdom, and rightly so.  A silent black & white film, set between 1927 and 1932 and filmed in the style of period?  Yes please with knobs on!

This could have been a big risk for French director Michel Hazanavicius but it looks to have paid off handsomely and then some.  Highly acclaimed at its premiere in Cannes, with lead star Jean Dujardin winning the best actor award, it now seems that the Oscars themselves are in this film's sights.  Could this be the first silent film in eighty-three years to win Best Picture?  It would certainly do wonders for it (not to mention the entire genre) if it did.

I've scarcely been able to contain my excitement about The Artist ever since I first heard of it a couple of months ago, but my enthusiasm has always been tempered by how these types of films (which some might call arthouse) have been treated by the large cinema chains and received by moviegoers in general.  When I tried to see film noir homage The Good German back in 2006 I was disheartened to discover that my local cinema was showing it for only one week, once, at midnight.  And that was it.  Then there was the time I had to travel 20 miles to see Flyboys and found myself the only person at the screening!  (OK, perhaps it was fun to have the whole auditorium to myself, but it was also disappointing to see such a low turnout even for the weekday matinée that it was).

So it is with some trepidation that I continue to wonder about the reception this film will receive from wider audiences both here and in the United States.  How will modern filmgoers used to 3D, not to mention colour and dialogue, take to monochrome and inter-titles?  Will it even get a full and proper nationwide release?  With luck and thanks to its success at Cannes, its overwhelmingly positive reviews and possible Oscar presence it may well break into the "mainstream".  We can only hope!

And if it does, it may mark something of a resurgence in popularity for silent movies.  If it can introduce at least one modern viewer to the delights of early cinema, it will have been a success if you ask me.  Plus with the release of Silent Life, a similar film about Rudolph Valentino, also planned for next year, 2012 could well be the year of the silent movie!

Restored locomotive unveiled at station for 2012

Image courtesy of the B.B.C.

Restored locomotive unveiled at station for 2012

Back in July 2010 I did a blog post about Robert the little steam engine, who was discovered in a sorry state by the contractors who were rebuilding Stratford station outside London for the 2012 Olympics, and who thankfully rather than being sent to the scrapheap was instead sent to my local heritage railway museum for restoration.

Now the work has been completed and Robert has been moved back to Stratford station where he will form part of a wonderful display for all those who will come to the Olympics by train, not to mention the commuters and general visitors who pass through the station on a daily basis.

I said it before but I am delighted that the Olympic Committee saw it fit to not only to keep Robert at Stratford but to restore him to his former glory and make him a centrepiece of the new station.  It shows a rare appreciation of the heritage of not just this country's transportation system but the local area's too and creates a splendid contrast to the modernity of the new station and surrounding Olympic Park.  I look forward to seeing him in the metal whenever I'm next in Stratford (which may well be for the Olympics!).

Downton Abbey creator Fellowes to write Titanic TV epic

Downton Abbey creator Fellowes to write Titanic TV epic

Julian Fellowes is rapidly turning into a one-man period drama powerhouse.  Not content with giving us the really rather good Downton Abbey (not to mention Gosford Park, Vanity Fair and The Young Victoria) it seems that he is now turning his attention to one of the greatest dramas of the Edwardian period - the sinking of the Titanic.

I think it can go without saying that we are in for a treat, one of fantastic costumes and fashion ideas - not to mention intrigue and action spread over 6 episodes.  Some big names look to be involved and it will be a timely reminder and commemoration of the centenary of the disaster.

Mr Fellowes seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to this sort of programme so I'm sure I will not be alone in anticipating this quite highly.  The story of the Titanic is an enduring one and in 2012 it will have been fifteen years (!) since the James Cameron film, so what with that, the 100th anniversary and Mr Fellowes' recent successes this series could indeed well be "the must-see original drama", as ITV put it.

Loco is restored for the Olympics

Loco is restored for the Olympics

A charming little [local] story here that could easily have been overlooked amongst all the myriad big articles and discussions that surround the London 2012 Olympic Games.

It's splendid to see that this little steam engine is to be given a new lease of life and will retain its place outside Stratford railway station as a welcome attraction for the millions who will be flocking to the area in 2 years time to see the Games. It could have been all too easy, as is mentioned in the video, for 'Robert' to have been put into storage (or even worse, scrapped altogether) but I am delighted to see the Olympic organisers appreciate such a wonderful machine to such an extent that they will have it restored and kept a part of the station and the great event that will be the 2012 Olympics.