The Banshees of Inisherin

Picture This: St. Patrick’s Day at the movies

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By Michael Stevenson

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Hobbledehoys! Here’s your chance to bypass that dreadful “green beer” music playing at your local bar, and instead listen to some gorgeous compositions from a dozen-or-so Irish-inspired films, such The Grey Fox, The Quiet Man, Barry Lyndon, The Secret of Roan Inish, The Guard, and Calvary. And as the late night TV commercial would boast – “But, wait, there’s more!” – you’ll hear an offering from the One True 007, Sean Connery, who warbles a classic Disney movie tune that may leave you … ‘shaken. but not stirred.’

LISTEN TO THE SHOW

Composers covered in this 2-hour broadcast include the classically-trained Irishmen Shaun Davey and Patrick Cassady, as well as more than a few pillars of Irish Trad, notably The Chieftains and Donal Lunny.

As well as the above, you’ll hear a few delightful jigs and reels that will leave even a St. Paddy’s Day cynic getting reely jiggy!

This special St. Patrick’s Day broadcast of “Picture This” is hosted by friend to The Hobbledehoy and fellow grey fox, Mr. Wayne Cresser.

Dai Bando’s Music Room: Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder?

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By Dai Bando

“It’s an Irish trick that’s true

I can lick the mick that threw

The overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s chowder”

I dislike most of what I call “green beer” St. Paddy’s Day music, but this one is an exception. My dad used to sing “Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder” on St. Paddy’s Day and also whenever my mom made her awesome white clam chowder. Coincidentally, the lady who lived across the street was named Mrs. Murphy and my dad had convinced me that the song was written about our neighbor. Why not?

Now, Mrs. Murphy was lovely, but her husband was a different cat altogether. I myself would have gladly thrown my overalls in that old geezer’s chowder. Never did I get even a ‘hello’ from Mr. Murphy, even when hand-delivering his Sunday newspaper.

The Murphy’s only child Margaret was a rare thing, “fine as a beeswing” as Richard Thompson would say. Even in grade school, she was ethereal and somewhat precocious. I remember once Margaret informed me that female kangaroos “have bosoms.” I think I was in 3rd grade and didn’t have the slightest clue what the fuck she was talking about. (I did know what a kangaroo was.)

Margaret died far too young, bless her soul.

Mr. Desautel lived across the street from the Murphys, and that old bastard was so mean, he made Mr. Murphy look like Fred Rodgers. Mr. Desautel once challenged the Ice Cream Man to a fistfight because a few popsicle wrappers had blown onto his lawn. (I did witness Dougie Neederlitz brazenly toss his popsicle wrapper, though I didn’t rat him out.) Mr. Scotti, our ice cream truck driver, would’ve volunteered to throw Mr. Desautel’s overalls into the chowder with Mr. Desautel still wearing them.

“Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder” was written by George L. Geifer way back in 1898. Bing Crosby had a hit with it in 1945. I prefer the Maxwell Sisters performing the song in this short film (above) from the late 1940s.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all !

Colin Farrell names the only “perfect” movie in cinema history

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Colin Farrell, himself part of some absolute bangers, names the one film that he views as flawless. Read more about the movie and its significance.

By Jacob Simmons

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Colin Farrell, but he’s managed to navigate a string of potential career-enders and come out the other side as a respected and sought-after actor. Long before donning a fat suit and putting on a questionable mob accent, the Irishman was delivering standout performances in critically acclaimed films. In Bruges, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The North Water, The Banshees of Inisherin—all beloved by legions of devoted fans. But has Farrell ever made a ‘perfect’ movie?

Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell

 

According to the actor himself, he hasn’t. That’s because, in his eyes, there’s only one ‘perfect’ movie, and he’s not in it. When speaking with Rotten Tomatoes about some of his favourite films, Farrell gave some great answers. Back to the Future, Some Like It Hot, and Lawrence of Arabia all came up, but he reserved his highest praise for Bruce Robinson’s definitive black comedy, Withnail and I.

“Oh man, is there a funnier and more poignant film that captures the anarchic irreverence of that period?” he posited. “It’s just perfect, from start to finish, in my book. Ridiculously quotable with mad, perfect performances across the board. Richard E Grant is pure genius, but everyone in the film gives amazing and hilarious and heartbreaking performances. Again, I think loneliness and isolation, and a desire to belong play big parts in this one. The story is as much a love story between the two leads as anything, with a very sad break-up of sorts taking place at the very end, with Withnail left out in the rain.”

Released in 1987, the film tells the story of Withnail (Grant), a spiteful, hard-drinking, out-of-work actor who blames all his problems on anyone but himself. He and his friend Marwood (Paul McGann), who is credited by some as the eponymous ‘I’, end up at the country estate of his eccentric uncle (Richard Griffiths), where the limits of their friendship are tested.

Much has been written about the movie, which has its fair share of famous fans, particularly about the relationship between the two central characters. Much has been over whether or not Withnail and Marwood are secretly in love with each other or if the former’s affection is unrequited by the latter. The ending scene that Farrell mentioned, in which Marwood leaves his old roommate after finding work, is often cited as confirmation of this. However, it has to be said that Grant prefers the theory that Withnail is too self-obsessed to be in love with anyone but himself.

 

Even after decades in the limelight and countless other excellent roles, Withnail continues to be Grant’s most enduring and celebrated character. The film is one of the most popular cult movies around (if that’s not too much of an oxymoron), with fans going out of their way to find new ways to celebrate. There’s even an accompanying drinking game; drink every time Withnail does. For the love of God, do not attempt this yourself. You will not survive.

Somewhat surprisingly, Farrell has never co-starred with Grant in anything. The two actors would be a perfect fit for each other, and Farrell would most certainly be up for collaborating with a hero of his. If any casting directors are reading this, you know what needs to be done.

Source: Colin Farrell names the only “perfect” movie in cinema history

Donkey Power: The History Of Cinema’s Favourite Sidekick

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There’s a trend for donkeys in 2023 Oscars favourites, but cinema’s relationship with the animal traces much further back, finds Thomas H. Sheriff

By Thomas H. Sheriff

The day before the 2023 Academy Award nominees were announced, Horse and Hound magazine ran a story about neither horses nor hounds, but donkeys. “Donkeys are ‘capturing hearts worldwide’ as two films starring them are tipped for Oscar nominations,” ran the top line, nodding to the successes of Martin McDonaugh’s The Banshees of Inisherin and Jerzy Skolimowski’s EO.

Indeed, both films celebrate the humble equine in all its greyish glory. Jenny the donkey steals scenes from Colin Farrell and Kerry Condon in Banshees, while the titular EO makes a compelling hero in Skolimowski’s Cannes Jury Prize winner. Triangle of Sadness, another Best Picture contender, also features a donkey (although the less said about that one’s fate, the better).

The films’ award nominations were heralded by the Donkey Sanctuary, a British charity dedicated to the welfare of donkeys across the world. The organisation was “delighted” that donkeys were “finally getting their moment in the spotlight”, a spokesperson said. It’s been a big year for donkeys, but the Donkey Sanctuary is patently too modest: in fact, for a species with just 27,000 members in the UK, donkeys have had more than their share of the spotlight for millennia.

The biggest donkey celebrity this millennium is, well, Donkey. I am, of course, referring to Eddie Murphy’s character in Shrek – one of the most culturally pervasive films of the 2000s. Perhaps yet more famous is Eeyore, the morose friend of Winnie the Pooh, a ubiquitous presence in children’s literature, film and television since 1926.

Donkeys aren’t just for kids, though. EO was heavily inspired by Robert Bresson’s Au Hasard Balthazar, which also features a donkey as its protagonist, and was voted the 25th greatest film of all time in last year’s <i>Sight and Sound</i> poll. In Don Quixote, Sancho Panza’s most beloved friend – notably more so than his wife and daughter – is his loyal donkey Dapple, which he rides throughout the novel.

Going back even further, the list keeps growing. The only Ancient Roman novel to survive in Latin, Apuleius’s The Golden Ass, tells of a man turned into a donkey. And then there’s the Bible, which is full of important donkeys. Mary rode a donkey to Bethlehem, and Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, fulfilling the Old Testament’s prophecy that “thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9)

The donkey’s illustrious cultural history notwithstanding, it is not an obvious choice for a character. The natural animal heroes are dogs and cats; our pets are the animals we understand and humanise the most. But even lesser-spotted creatures like lions, monkeys, or elephants are, in a way, culturally familiar.

Most fictional animals are human caricatures. One aspect of humanity, be it avarice, wiliness, sloth, or anything else, is accentuated in the representation of a creature. It’s one of the oldest ways humans have related to the world and to each other. Lions are brave, monkeys are cheeky, elephants never forget. These are bold, easily defined animals. Aesop’s fables use such creatures to their advantage by removing the need for exposition. A hare, famously quick, is clearly faster than a tortoise.

The donkey, however, has no obvious dominating characteristics; it isn’t synonymous with any one human trait. Its role, then, is more subtle and multifaceted.

On the one hand, donkeys are clearly a target for comedy. Visually, it’s hard to deny that they’re a little pathetic; the diminutive, rather less graceful cousin of the horse. It’s what allows some of the best slapstick in Shrek, the character’s exaggerated front teeth accentuating Murphy’s goofiness. Even the word itself may be primed for humour: comedic tradition, as well as some scientific research, suggests that words with a k sound in them are inherently funny.

There’s also often a perceived lack of intelligence or a general uselessness, an image created by the Greeks and encouraged by Shakespeare, who popularised the use of “ass” as an insult. The trope extends to everyday life, too: anyone who’s ever watched football has surely heard someone cry “he’s a right donkey!” at a hapless centre back.

But donkeys are more than just laughable fools: they span the spectrum of human emotions. Eeyore isn’t funny, he’s sad; his melancholy is his defining trait. Bresson’s Balthazar is forgotten and mistreated, the ever-silent witness to human cruelty and folly. Christ’s journey into Jerusalem signifies his humility: the son of God arrives not on a magnificent stallion or borne aloft by angels, but atop a simple donkey. And when video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto wanted to convey the idea of a stubborn gorilla, he chose the name Donkey Kong.

Comedy, pathos, strength, wisdom, meekness… The donkey is not a one-trick pony. Unlike the sly fox or the silly monkey, the donkey contains too many multitudes to only signify one part of a human; the donkey in fiction is human. The donkey is more than human.

As long-suffering beasts of burden, donkeys are one of the few animals to truly experience labour like a human – distinct from livestock whose bodies produce goods, donkeys must toil to be useful. And their mournful eyes seem to suggest that they’re somehow aware of this injustice; both Bresson and Skolimowski use closeups of donkeys’ eyes to devastating effect. Roger Ebert wrote that “Balthazar simply walks or waits, regarding everything with the clarity of a donkey who knows it is a beast of burden, and that its life consists of either bearing or not bearing.”

More than most humans, donkeys are stoical, diligently performing tasks, not with any extreme strength or speed (Mary arrives in Bethlehem only after all the inns are full) but with a quiet steadiness. When they do refuse work, their so-called stubbornness can seem like a commitment to values (the only time EO uses violence is to kick an exploitative fur trapper). Their gently comical appearance means that they never seem haughty or aloof (Donkey is often the moral core of the Shrek films, but is physically incapable of talking down to anyone). In Bresson’s film, Balthazar’s final custodian states it plainly: “He’s a saint.”

Bresson himself described Balthazar as “a living creature who’s completely humble, completely holy, and happens to be a donkey.” But Balthazar’s donkey-ness isn’t incidental, it’s essential. According to Skolimowski, donkeys “are gentle, caring, respectful, polite, and loyal. They live to the fullest in the present moment. They never show narcissism.” While humans are necessarily flawed characters, and most animals lend themselves to simple cartoons, donkeys can show us spiritual perfection.

Skolimowski also said that his donkey performers “do not skimp on the supposed intentions of their character; and never discuss their director’s vision. They are excellent actors.” Despite this, none of the donkeys featured in this year’s raft of nominee films will be returning to the stable yard with a glittering award. This is probably for the best: a donkey winning an Oscar would be like Saint Anthony winning at bingo.

But amongst the inevitable glamour and pomp of the awards season, let the final nod go to the humble donkey. Its simple, transcendent beauty makes an example for us all.

Source: The Quietus | Film | Film Features | Donkey Power: The History Of Cinema’s Favourite Sidekick