You Give a Little Love

‘Films like Bugsy Malone used to help make better people and a better society. Will this lost art return?’

The BBC used to generally live up to its mission to ‘inform, educate and entertain’.  Alas no more, BBC Remain as it was often referred to during the battle to achieve Brexit, has a view and you either agree with them or you’re considered beyond the pale.

It’s not just the BBC, I happened upon Jurassic World Dominion, the latest in the Jurassic Park movie franchise, whilst on a flight recently.  The movie was fine, but not very good and far from great.  Partly this represents the tiredness of the franchise but partly it’s held back by the recent Hollywood need to have one dimensional bad guys (who are always involved in the corporate world), and the constant signposting of the hero’s characteristics.  It’s good to have heroes that differ from the norm, just also make them interesting multi flavoured characters.  Make them heroes, because of what they do, not who they are.  The real crime of the movie in my opinion is the final scene, explaining how all life (across species and across time) will and must get along.  Anyone who has had a pet cat and seen how they can play with and devourer their catch before you can stop them.  Knows that it’s simply not the case that all life gets along.

“I watched it to see Velociraptors hunt down their prey.  Above all else I watched it for some escapism, to fill a dull flight.  I certainly didn’t watch it to be lectured too.”

I watched this movie to see people fighting a Tyrannosaurus rex, I watched it to see Velociraptors hunt down their prey.  Above all else I watched it for some escapism, to fill a dull flight.  I certainly didn’t watch it to be lectured too.  Those in media used to know how to do this.  They used to be able to provide an entertaining program whilst still fulfilling any moral obligation they felt.  Exhibit A for this would be the 70s classic, Bugsy Malone.

Here is a movie that managed to tell a story, provide multi-dimensional characters (Fat Sam being both a gangster and a good man, and Bugsy himself) and tell a love story with nothing even remotely inappropriate happening.  It gave us classic singalong songs, entertaining adults and children alike, and in the finale told us ‘We could be the best at being’ good guys’.  All of this acted by children.

“The Omen, Logans Run, Rocky, All The Presidents Men, and The Eagle Has Landed (all released the same year as Bugsy, 1976), are great movies, that managed to entertain and tell great strong stories”

Now perhaps this is an unfair comparison.  Bugsy, was an exceptionally good film.  But, The Omen, Logans Run, Rocky, All The Presidents Men, and The Eagle Has Landed (all released the same year as Bugsy, 1976), are great movies, that managed to entertain and tell great strong stories.  That same year Quincy, George and Mildred, The Muppet Show, Happy Days. The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Mash, Columbo, Open All Hours, and I, Claudius were on the TV.  Bugsy was not an isolated case.

What happened?  How did we go from a movie that taught a work ethic (So You Wanna Be a Boxer, Down and Out), to not give up on your dreams no matter the setbacks (Tomorrow, Ordinary Fool), and to take pride in your success (Fat Sam’s Grand Slam, Bad Guys).  To end up with Disney betting its Marvel shop on SHE-HULK?

“Top Gun: Maverick cleaned up at the box office by providing a simple narrative of good guys v bad guys, we didn’t all need, as it turns out, an extra lecture.”

In 2022 we saw, Lightyear, Moonfall, and Amsterdam fail.  At the same time Top Gun: Maverick cleaned up at the box office by providing a simple narrative of good guys v bad guys, we didn’t all need, as it turns out, an extra lecture.  Tallulah was not nearly as one dimensional as her line “Listen honey, if I didn’t look this good, you wouldn’t give me the time of day” suggests.  She just wasn’t a movie character whose lines ignored reality and gave in to the Woke mindset to the point of losing all meaning.

Let’s hope we start to see movies and programs that once again value entertainment, even with a little education, over lecturing and hectoring.  I’ve written before how The Daily Wire is trying to provide some of this, however we need more.  The simple message to Hollywood was encapsulated by the Bugsy Malone gangs words “You could have been anything that you wanted to be”, do better “And it’s not too late to change, I’d be delighted {if you were to} to give it some thought”.

Image By Amazon, Tekijänoikeuslain 25 §, https://fi.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1354172

Robert Stevens, Reform UK candidate, Hailsham South Ward of Wealden District Council.

Reform UK the successor to The Brexit Party is standing candidates in May’s local elections.  We spoke with Robert Stevens who is standing for them in the Hailsham South Ward of Wealden District Council.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your party, and where you’re standing.

“Hailsham… has a farmers market located near the town centre. It has some very beautiful scenery nearby and some wonderful walks”

Hailsham is a small Market Town located north of Eastbourne. It is vastly growing due to continuous development in the area and still has a farmers market located near the town centre. It has some very beautiful scenery nearby and some wonderful walks. The Cuckoo trail being one of them, which used to be a railway line leading from the north of Eastbourne all the way to Heathfield.

As for myself I am in a long-term relationship for near on ten years and have lived in Hailsham for six years. I am employed by Royal Mail as van technician for roughly five years, and before that had my own business in soda blasting. 

“development has taken priority over everything else in my area without thinking how this will affect the local community”

The main reason I got into politics is to see change. As mentioned earlier development has taken priority over everything else in my area without thinking how this will affect the local community in the way of Doctors, Dentists, Parking, Shopping, Roads, Schools, Sewage, Water supply and also flooding which has happened at numerous new built estates. 

All these are being dramatically affected now.  Which is why need some thought and new plans to be put in place before things get even worse.

How can people find out more or get in touch if they want to get involved? 

If anyone would like to get in contact me, they can reach me at [email protected].

Campaigns and Events

With ongoing campaigns to uphold fundamental rights for citizen, and against parties and policies that seek to remove them.  We bring news of a nearby campaign and a local event.

#Together Croydon

Join Together Croydon for Dinner & Debate on the subject of “Keeping Cash?”, on Thursday 23rd March in Beckenham.

Together Croydon’s first ‘dinner and debate,’ discussing the role of cash in Britain and how we see the need for cash in the future.  If we agree that keeping cash widely used into the future is important, how would we best go about influencing and campaigning for this? 

The debate will be moderated by a member of the group. You’re free to contribute or just listen and enjoy some good company with like-minded people.  Your starter, main and dessert at our venue, an Italian bistro, are all included in the price for what promises to be a fun evening. There will be a cash bar.

Time : start 7.30pm – ~9.30pm
Date : Thursday 23rd March 2023
Location : Goodfella Beckenham, 129 Croydon Road, Elmers End, Beckenham. BR3 3RA

More details at: https://togetherdeclaration.org/product/together-croydon-dinner-debate-keeping-cash-7-30pm-thur-23-mar/

Notliblabcon.org say Westminster scorns the taxpayer and, with Lib/Lab/Con/Green, nothing will change.  They have a leaflet available at https://www.notliblabcon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/NLLC-Leaflet-Web.pdf and are asking people to vote for an Independent, or other party than those at Westminster. 

Can you help distribute these leaflets?  Get involved and order some from https://www.notliblabcon.org/ to push back against the parties of Westminster. 

Stop ULEZ expansion.

We had another good day of campaigning in Addiscombe against ULEZ expansion.  Mike’s video from the day below.  If you want to get involved join us in Purley on the 8th April.