I really liked this piece featuring interviews with directors Doug Nichol and Florian Habicht. Loved the photo of the band on the red carpet for the Film About Life, Death, and Supermarkets premiere.
I enjoyed reading that. Pulp and cinema obviously have major areas of overlap. It was nice to read the interview with Florian as I have such fond memories of the film and the excitement of that whole period.
Florian comes across as a sweetheart. I wonder if they do plan more screenings of it, whether it could lead to a new physical edition with some of the unreleased footage he mentions.
Also, the This Is Hardcore alternative segment of video with Jarvis as described by Doug Nichol sounds great:
"We decided not to do any lip-sync except for the last part of the song. Just as a backup, in case it didn't work in the edit, I did shoot Jarvis performing the whole song in front of a rear-screen projection of a massive 1950s countdown film leader. It was such an incredible performance, but we decided not to use it in the end and just stick to the original concept."
Just me that isn't too fond of Florian's film then?
I thought the film was just ok, nothing outstanding but I just enjoyed the whole feeling around it. Had a nice day with Florian and some others on here being interviewed etc and Florian was a nice man to talk to and be around, he loves what he does and I found him happy to talk arty stuff. I found the premiere a nice experience as well with tonnes of goodwill towards the band. It's just a nice memory for me. I've only watched the film the once and that was at the premiere, I don't even own a copy.
Just me that isn't too fond of Florian's film then?
Not a fan either. Even put me off Pulp for a short while. When you look at all the films they made in the 90s (including the DYRTFT documentary) it just felt pedestrian in comparison. And I found some of the vox pops of seemingly random people in Sheffield a bit patronising.
Just me that isn't too fond of Florian's film then?
Not a fan either. Even put me off Pulp for a short while. When you look at all the films they made in the 90s (including the DYRTFT documentary) it just felt pedestrian in comparison. And I found some of the vox pops of seemingly random people in Sheffield a bit patronising.
All of this. I actually got filmed for it myself, and when I saw most of the contributors played for laughs in the eventual film I was incredibly relieved to have ended up on the cutting room floor!
It's a shame - as you say, we know from Pulp's 90s films (and Journeys to the Outside, for that matter) that they had their own very distinctive quirky style, and they really didn't need to bring someone in to provide a rather contrived bold-on quirkiness kit. Bring back Martin Wallace!
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"Yes I saw her in the chip shop / so I said get yer top off"
In fairness to Florian, he had no funding and about six weeks to prepare the film once Jarvis gave him his blessing in October 2012. So I'd much rather have the film than not at all which was much more likely. Giving Sheffield/its citizens "main character energy" as they say nowadays seemed to be the main theme/rule - Pulp said they had no interest in a back-story/VH1 Classic Albums type film which is a little bit of a shame given their story is atypical and would possibly have garnered new fans who aren't really aware of the fifteen years of struggle (the young Mark Sturdy did, of course, his own bit in restoring some balance there!).
As a related aside - I was at an Edinburgh Fringe comedy preview in Brighton last week of a one-man's retelling of Britpop. "Does anyone know when Pulp were formed?" he asked early on. "'78!" I duly shouted from the back. "Close! It was 1979!".... I didn't have the bravery to heckle so I left it at that... Point is that folk were surprised to hear of Pulp's seniority (Russell got a mention. Respect.) and this was an audience "invested" in that era...
So I think Habicht did a decent job with the resources he had and given it was a bit of a rushed job. It's a pity that Jarvis, Steve and Mark didn't get involved more over the years in coming-up with a concept over time with maybe a more proven filmmaker. I suppose there's still time for the band to stamp their own mark on cine-Pulp when the reunion/More film of live footage comes out and Mark's archives are utilised.
I know Suede are the lazy go-to comparison with Pulp but I thought their 2018 band-doc The Insatiable Ones was really well-done. Their story is less convoluted and features celebrity (then or at the time) cameos - Ricky Gervais, their early "manager" and Justine Frischmann, founding member and former partner of Brett Anderson) and in lieu of having to pay license fees for old TV clips (there are only a handful in Life, Death & Supermarkets too as far as I recall), they use home-movie footage from their drummer Simon Gilbert, extensively, to depict the drama of the 90s. Although the most affecting scene for me in that film, is when older-Brett, when the film was made, gathers his band-mates together and apologises for how his drug-addiction destroyed the band for a time. It may have been staged but the emotions and reactions seemed genuine. Male popstar with ego and his bandmates, ****e at talking about emotions, finally do it years later surrounded by camera crew. I thought - "Yeah - it wouldn't surprise me if that's what it took"!
But because he was such a consistent camcorder-chronicler ("Simon, turn that ****ing thing off!"), you barely noticed the lack of TOTP clips etc. I'm not sure how much Mark Webber detailed of Pulp's crazy days - presumably less and less as time went one and he became a member (and less interested in Pulp!), but if there is plenty of stuff from the early 90s, which the Hits DVD hints at, it would be amazing to see more of it...
One final point is that Pulp's videos were generally so good that they do make a compelling visual timepiece of the period and maybe that's as good as it can get. None of their 1992 activity was recorded for TV and yet you wouldn't swap the four-minute wonder that is the original Babies video for hours of a theoretical early Jools Holland appearance (I think his show started in '92) or ITV Live at the Festivals - albeit Pulp were still only starting to get bookings to do festivals that year!
Do ye reckon there's any kind of cinema event brewing re the recording of the London shows this year?
I did enjoy the sense of occasion around going to the cinema for the Florian film but, like others, it wasn't my favourite. Enjoyed the Q and A.
Anyone see Bowie Is? I love hearing about the creative process behind the scenes and also the set of Five Years docs on Bowie, Pulp would be ripe for that if someone would make it or they wanted to. They've such a lengthy history, various members over the years, various sounds. 1986 Pulp looks and sounds so different to 1995 Pulp etc.
A lot of Bowie fans weren't nuts about Moonage Daydream but I actually enjoyed that and, again, the sense of occasion of going to the cinema. That was a few years after Bowie died so a filmmaker doing his own thing with existing material and thought he pulled it off very well so it can work.
Do you reckon in about 15 years time there'll be a biopic?
I haven't watched AFALD&S in many years now, but as it gave the missus and I our little fifteen seconds of fame, it stands as a rather special, personal time capsule as well as a rather random celebration of my musical heroes.
Jarvis recognising *us* is right up there with Stephen Fry namechecking me and my work on the telly once. Fun times.
Do ye reckon there's any kind of cinema event brewing re the recording of the London shows this year?
I did enjoy the sense of occasion around going to the cinema for the Florian film but, like others, it wasn't my favourite. Enjoyed the Q and A.
Gosh, I'd forgotten that. Saw it at Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle. Only thing I can remember is there was a LONG LONG wait of darkness and silence with nothing happening.
Haven't re-watched it fully in years, will put it on. Other comments about the vox pops do resonate though, it seeming patronising and reductive. But I'm northern, so what is familiar (and trite) to me, may be fascinating and fresh to an outsider. When Newcastle is featured on national TV, and footage is accompanied by 'Blaydon Races' AGAIN, I just think FFS, there's more to NE culture and folk music than that same lazy shorthand, yet cliched tropes do have instant meaning to a mass audience. There are also class issues, aren't there? I know nothing about Florian Habicht, but like the Greek sculpture student who looks at the working class world from the outside, has he come to Sheffield briefly and been drawn to 'colourful characters', and not had time to go deeper?
Would be wonderful to see a proper film about Pulp, with involvement of the band. Particularly to see more of Candida's story, if it's true she has no interest in her own book.
I think Florian just wanted to chat to locals and to elicit engaging content, might have had to feed them buzzwords/clichés but I think accusations of patronising are a bit harsh.
I think Florian just wanted to chat to locals and to elicit engaging content, might have had to feed them buzzwords/clichés but I think accusations of patronising are a bit harsh.
Yes, probably I'm over sensitive about that, and he was selecting the interesting locals, and that's fair enough. It's just that whenever 'the north' gets on TV / film, the same kind of people keep getting selected. A few years ago, there was a docusoap on BBC3 called 'Rent-a-cop', about a security firm in Darlington. It was played for laughs, just a daft reality show really, and the subject seemed in on the joke. Yet it narked me, as they kept cutting in footage of litter strewn areas, and repeated inserts of people on mobility scooters. Yes, Darlo has rough areas, but actually it is quite prosperous and wealthy compared to the average NE town, and I thought it sneering of the producers to select all the litter and decay they could find. In LD&S, which overall I enjoyed, I was just slightly discomfited by the selection of the people in screen (Pip not included).
That's an interesting discussion that. How the person making the film is going to be coming at it from their own background, how does who they are impact on the end product.
I thought I'd killed the thread dead with mentions of a biopic ,'-)
I wouldn't say no to another cinema outing. Be interesting to see what happens.
Looks like it's been taken by Altitude, who are usually good for doing a few events with talent, if talent is willing. Checked upcoming release slates for cinemas for next 12 months and it's not there but fingers crossed.
As a related aside - I was at an Edinburgh Fringe comedy preview in Brighton last week of a one-man's retelling of Britpop. "Does anyone know when Pulp were formed?" he asked early on. "'78!" I duly shouted from the back. "Close! It was 1979!".... I didn't have the bravery to heckle so I left it at that... Point is that folk were surprised to hear of Pulp's seniority (Russell got a mention. Respect.) and this was an audience "invested" in that era...
As I live in Edinburgh I might have to go to this. I'll heckle if he gets his facts wrong again ...
