WEEK 41 - THE TALL T

Thirsty Thursdays have not been as thirsty as I'd like recently. Not from a beer perspective anyway. First we had two weeks of the bank asking me to cover for 'Testing Calypso' (isn't that a Bernard Cribbins song?) exacerbated by staff shortages due to holidays.

And now we have train strikes to add insult to injury. They don't strike Wednesday and Friday oh no, just the two days I like to 'pub', Thursday and Saturday. Thanks train workers - Si is crying.

Luckily, #WWWSI provides the perfect tonic when you really have no choice but to stay in (SI), 2020/21 styleee.

There was even a Virgin Money hot air balloon flying above Wotsit Towers just to mock me as I prepared this evening's food. That you, Branson?

We had a revelation on the snack front. Wotsits are back, and in some style. Giant prawn cocktail. I didn't know they existed, did you? They packed a nice crunch, and despite being a cheesy traditionalist, I could get used to these beauties, pouring the equivalent of 3 bags into a bowl.

I pour myself a glass of McGuigan's Reserve Shiraz from one of those tiny bottles. Okay, so I admitted last week that a full sized bottle was too much to take down in one sitting post-lockdown, but these tiny bottles are just one glass to short for me! Does anyone do two thirds of a normal bottle?

I might even get back into my Red Wine Encyclopaedia, where I ticked off wines by the grape ..... next up is this little cracker from Georgia. The Shota Arveladze of grapes ..... I can see it promising much and delivering errrm ....well, the jury is out!

Let's say it together now .... "Sah-pehr-AH-vee". I'm popping into town tomorrow so I might see if I can pick up a bottle for Week 42, though it is probably too rare for York.

Isn't Wix superior to Blogger as a blogging platform? I wish BRAPA was on Wix. Oh well, too late now.

I made a gravity defying buffet - sorry Tom, still no plates. Gouda made its debut, was the Stilton off yet (impossible to say), and the Keto crackers which my Mum described as 'too dense' continued their recent form.

Music-wise, we still hadn't finished listened to Side B of Uncle Matt's Novelty Mix. So I got to enjoy delights like this for the first time .......

Got me in the mood anyway. Oh, and I've lost so much weight recently, I can do up the button on this jacket I've never been able to do up before .... though I did loosen it pre-Wotists, I must admit!

This film had been a bit of a pain to get hold of. Netflix binned it off the moment I re-subscribed to their overrated service (you realise I'm going to have to binge watch Stranger Things to make it worthwhile?), Amazon Video didn't have it, I couldn't buy it off Amazon, but luckily a man from rural Leicestershire with a boring name I can't remember sent me a second hand £3 DVD courtesy of eBay.

Only 81st on my list, but with some seriously good ratings from both the critics and the fans, I was cautiously optimistic for a good film ahead as I tottered through to Wotsit Lounge , not forgetting the homemade lemon and apple cider vinegar drink, as I had work at 8am.

I drew the blinds for added atmosphere (too light on these long June evenings) and we were ready to go!

The Tall T was a film I LOVED. Best since Liberty Valance. For a 1957er, it stood the test of time remarkably better than many 60's and 70's flicks I've watched. The picture and the sound very sharp. It didn't meander. We got straight into the action. I was actually able to follow the plot quite easily for once. And it finished well inside the 2 hour mark, how films should be!

Our old mate (and I mean 'old') Randolph Scott, was the hero. A risky move, born in 1898, he was already an old bugger when this film was made. But if anyone could pull it off, it was good ole' Randy (to his mates), and he did.

He promises this shit kid he'll bring him some cherry candy back from town. You're thinking this point is going to be more significant than it is.

In town, he bumps into another old WWWSI mate, Arthur Hunnicutt, my fave character, mainly cos he keeps trying to persuade Randolph to go for a pint with him. But he keeps declining. Shame, it looks to have potential. Sure there is a Prairie Moon in North Dorset.

Randolph then rides a bull for no apparent reason, makes a tit of himself, loses his horse, and has to hitch a ride on Hunnicutt's stagecoach.

I realise I'm warming to Hunnicutt cos he's got the same neckerchief as me .....

But seconds after I prove it with this excellent screengrab, the three baddies who've just hi-jacked the Stage shoot the poor old bugger dead!

The baddies are led by perennial baddie Richard Boone, but he's sort of the nice baddie who bonds with Randolph, whilst the other two called Billy Jack and Chink (he might have to be renamed if they do a 2022 remake) are just evil. Chink is still alive in real life, get him on your deathlists!

They even admit they've chucked Shit Kid and his simpleton Uncle down the well, and then they eat that Cherry Candy with no remorse. Evil! Film is quite brutal at times, and bloody, I like the lack of sentimentality.

This whining Irish woman called Maureen O'Sullivan is taken hostage (think a 50's Sinead O'Connor) , alongside her dickhead husband who sells her out to the baddies cos her Dad is wealthy, but even the baddies appreciate this was a nasty thing to do so shoot him dead. Maureen wails, but admits she doesn't really care when Rand does one of those classic "pull yerself together luv" routines.

Then, without too much effort, Randolph devises a plan to split up the baddies and kills Billy Jack Armstrong and Chink.

Boone returns from somewhere dusty and craggy, finds them dead, sort of surrenders, and you are thinking "I hope Randolph let's him ride off, cos he's not a bad man really", but just as he does, Boonie doubles back on himself and tries to shoot Randolph and get the money. What an idiot! There was only gonna be one outcome from there. Boonie down.

And then the film ends and I'm thinking 'wow, that was really quick and didn't drag at all' (which can be a problem with certain self indulgent slow moving Westerns).

I even lend it to Dad, who blows my mind by watching it IN THE MORNING with a CUP OF COFFEE, no wine, no wotsits in sight, he says he enjoyed it muchly, but I just can't get my head round such behaviour.

Join me next week for Meek's Cutoff (was supposed to be The New Land but my DVD is delayed), which I'll watch either tomorrow or after my BRAPA holiday in a fortnight, not decided yet.

See you soon, Si