My review of Casino Royale (1967), which I watched so you don’t have to (but really, I think you should), is now up at Galactic Journey! Read it here.
Category: Time Travelling Tourism
Carry On Guest Blogging
I’ve got a guest blog post this month at Galactic Journey– the site where everything is 55 years in the past– reviewing the recently-released (in 1967) movie Carry On Screaming. Read what I think here!
The Least of the Mohicans?
With some trepidation I’ve been watching Hawkeye And The Last of the Mohicans (ETA: Available at Talking Pictures TV, and also streaming on-demand on PlutoTV). Trepidation, because it was made in 1957 and clearly is going to warrant Talking Pictures TV’s Contains Racist Language And Depictions title card; however, it’s one of the oldest, if not THE oldest, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television programme still viewable, so I felt I should give it a try for historical reasons.
My takeaways:
- While the brownface is indeed shocking to a modern audience (Cec Linder in makeup and a war bonnet as an “Indian Chief”, no kidding), and the depiction of Native culture ridiculous (e.g. Hurons living in tipis), one point in its favour is that the Native characters are all given fully rounded characterisation and interesting motivations; their resistance to colonisation is presented as fully legitimate, and they have as complicated internal power politics as you can depict in a 30-minute episodic series. So not to apologise for, or forgive, the other parts, but at least it didn’t go the route of having the Natives as the unreasonable faceless horde of cowboy movies or Laura Ingalls Wilder.
- Clever old CBC, making a “settlers and Indians” series which is set before the American revolution, and in a vaguely defined “Huron territory” that could be anywhere from New York to Eastern Ontario. That way you can sell it on both sides of the border without having to deal with the sticky political wicket of rebellion against/loyalty to the Crown.
My Eastercon schedule
I’m at Eastercon this weekend! It’s online (albeit on British Summer Time) so please come join me at https://confusion2021.uk for the events below!
Time Travelling Tourism: London! 1965!
While at Worldcon this year, I had the pleasure of meeting fellow time travellers Galactic Journey, who report on current events in the year 1965. This has inspired me to create a day trip to Swinging London in 1965, through the magic of the Internet and archive film.
Arriving in the city, via time machine of course:
Or possibly by more conventional means:
We’ll start at the Palace of Westminster:
Then follow the Thames past South Bank:
Taking in Docklands as we move East….
Passing Tower Bridge:
Join some American friends at the Tower of London:
Going West again, let’s visit Buckingham Palace:
St Paul’s Cathedral is getting a facelift, but still open to visitors:
If you come in on the right day, you can enjoy local traditions like the Lord Mayor’s Show:
Or the Festival of London Stores:
Afterwards, maybe a little shopping in Soho and Carnaby Street:
Feed the pigeons in Trafalgar Square:
Take in London’s newest attraction, the Post Office Tower:
Wander round Piccadilly Circus at dusk as the illuminations come on:
And, finally, why not put your hair up, don a frock, and attend a premiere in the West End?
That’s all from London. More time-travelling tourism later! Or maybe, sooner?
Time Travelling to Disneyworld
I’ve been on leave from work this week, which has meant I’ve been looking for fun travel-substitutes to do while in lockdown. And my main activity has been a time-travelling visit to Disneyworld.
What does that mean? It means, I’m watching ride-through videos from Disneyland Florida and the EPCOT Center. But the catch is, I’m only watching vintage videos from rides which are either no longer in operation, or have changed substantially from their original conception.
If this is something you’d like to do too, I’ve compiled a little tour of the best ride-throughs I’ve been able to find (will update if I can find better), plus some useful documentaries and sites on the history of Disney theme parks that I’ve picked up along the way.
Disneyworld
Mr Toad’s Wild Ride (this one’s USP was that you get a slightly different ride on each track, unlike other dual-track rides; the linked video goes through each multiple times).
Original Space Mountain post-show, The Home of Future Living (straight ride-through here) (compilation here)
EPCOT Center
Horizons (straight ride-through, with a little bit of documentary footage; ride-through without the documentary, but lower quality, here)
Horizons (extended ride-through complied from multiple sources)
Universe of Energy (straight ride-through; poor visibility warning but this is literally the only copy of the original version of the pre-show and ride I could find)
Universe of Energy (extended ride-through complied from multiple sources)
And to conclude your day, the IllumiNations fireworks show from 1991….
Background Stuff
Martin’s Tributes to Universe of Energy and Horizons (with background and history as well as ride-throughs)
The Mesa Verde Times (behind the scenes on Horizons)
Now, go stand in a shower with the heat on full blast, eating an overpriced hot dog and drinking a Pepsi, and buy a T-shirt with mouse ears or the CommuniCore on it or a stuffed toy of Figment, and your visit to Florida in the 1980s will be complete.
A Doctor Of Many Things 