SINGLE: Scars - All About You (1981)

 UK: PRE 014 (1981)

Modern musical history is littered with great singles which have underperformed commercially, somehow failing to become the megahits they should have been, and finding a place bubbling outside the top 20, 30, even 40. Greatness is often not rewarded, at least not in the short term.

Then, there are those fantastic records which inexplicably fail to chart altogether, despite sounding in retrospect like solid gold smashes. This is one such record.

Hailing from Edinburgh, Scars formed originally in 1977 and had already released three singles before All About You appeared on Charisma's PRE imprint in 1981. A scorching guitar intro, repeated throughout the track, plus a hypnotic pace and ghostly harmonies interrupting the verses... all of this should have been a surefire hit.

Alas, despite an appearance on BBC2's The Old Grey Whistle Test to promote the single, it was not to be, and the record buying public unfathomably failed to buy it.

A longer version appeared on their sole long player Author! Author! the same year before line-up changes signaled the beginning of the end. A support slot in Australia with The Church, as well as a double-page spread in Smash Hits magazine couldn't save the day, and Scars finally split in 1982. Well, let's face it - if you released a single as good as All About You, only to see it sink without trace, wouldn't you wonder if it was all worth the bother?

Thankfully, a reissue of their only album prompted a brief Scars reunion, and the track's inclusion on Cherry Red's seminal Scared To Get Happy collection has given it some long overdue attention. Somewhere in a parallel universe, this was a number one.

COMMERCIAL BREAK: Maxell Tapes - Break The Sound Barrier (1981)

Maxell just might be responsible for the most memorable TV ads for the blank audio cassette ever made. There was, of course the classic late 80's ad featuring a mishearing of reggae favourite Israelites. However, this particular one is arguably the best known, and was used internationally. Produced as a new decade dawned, it would provide one of the most iconic images of the 1980's

In this UK version, none other than Peter Murphy of Bauhaus slips one of Maxell's tapes into his deck, and enjoys a rendition of Mussorgsky's A Night On The Bald Mountain. Such is the superior sound reproduction, that... oh, play the ad and see for yourself...

This wasn't the first version of the ad, however. The original US version featured a different model and Wagner's Ride Of The Valkyries. Here, for non UK readers or curious Brits, is that first variant...

A silhouette of the guy in the chair, being blown away in stereo still occasionally adorns the packaging on Maxell products to this day. Also, unlike many of their rivals, the company never entirely gave up on the cassette format. As the humble blank tape enjoys a revival in popularity, this might prove a canny move... More at Maxell Europe's site.

MOVIE: Southern Comfort (1981)

A National Guard squad on a weekend exercise in Louisiana finds themselves under attack from local Cajuns in the swampland after stealing their canoes...

It's a simple enough premise, but this is a pretty stunning, edge-of-the-seat film. It's always a relief when a movie you haven't seen in maybe 25 years and have good memories of, turns out to not only be as good as you remember it, but actually even better. If Southern Comfort does partly follow a path already trodden by 1972's Deliverance, I would argue that this is a superior film, and has probably aged a lot better that its predecessor.

By turns a tense tail of pursuit and survival, and a cutting allegory for the Vietnam war, it keeps you glued to the screen in anticipation of who the next calamity will befall, or what trick the Cajun hunters will unleash next to banjax the soldiers.

This squad of weekenders are a mixed bunch, with a large portion of the group being pretty unlikeable, but they're not two dimensional by any means. With limited time to introduce them individually, we still know a fair bit about what makes them tick and their weaknesses as the action unfolds, and the tensions in the group start to cause divisions.

Walter Hill turns in a career-best as director: realising that less is more he doesn't dwell exploitatively on any acts of violence, but still packs enough of a punch to hit the viewer hard. Surprisingly, the BBFC have seen fit to downgrade the film from certificate 18 to 15 since its last DVD release, a move I personally disagree with.

A decision I do concur with, however is the decision of the film's makers to commission Ry Cooder to create the soundtrack. The result is a truly perfect marriage of music and images.

Only caveat - there is some graphic animal slaughter at one point. The footage is admittedly brief, and not dwelt upon exploitatively, and any objection to it is purely a personal feeling on my own part, but I do feel it only fair to warn anybody who is like minded.

Blu-Ray notes: The transfer is great, really showing off Andrew Laszlo's cinematography. There is also an extended interview with Walter Hill about the making of the film which is most illuminating.




USA 1981 - Cinema Group Ventures/20th Century Fox

105 Minutes

Certificate - 15 (UK, originally X then 18)

Blu-Ray/DVD: Second Sight (UK)

Original Theatrical Trailer:

MOVIE: Knightriders (1981)

A medieval reenactment troupe, favouring motorbikes over horses, present a travelling show. Their group starts to fall apart under pressure from the police and financial restraints, not to mention mounting tensions within the group.

On the surface, this seemed a surprising follow-up to Dawn Of The Dead for George A. Romero. However, it does share something intrinsic to his zombie films - just as they deal with the breakdown of society, so does Knightriders in its own way. In microcosm, Romero examines the various relationships throughout this group and how they untimately lead to divisions.

In his first lead role, Ed Harris is the troupe leader "King" Billy, fighting off competition for his role as leader as well as resisting all attempts to commercialise the venture. The rival for his crown is the show's "Black Knight", Morgan, as played by Tom Savini who, as well as being an effects maestro was already an experienced actor. Morgan is all too ready to take the corporate dollar, and a split of some kind seems inevitable. Various underlying plot lines dig deeper into the relationships and loyalties between the troupe members.

Ultimately, whilst Knightriders is quite heavy going in places (probably best enjoyed in two halves), it also has plenty going for it. Its main issue is that, even in this 146 minute cut, it feels like so much is going on and so much has been crammed in character wise, that it jostles for space with the action taking place in the jousting arena. However, it's never less than interesting to watch. Occasionally brilliant, occasionally frustrating, I get the feeling that this was a very personal film for Romero, and anyone fascinated with the world view of his other work will find much to enjoy.

Blu-Ray Notes: Arrow Films' BD release adds an insightful commentary from Romero, Savini, John Amplas, Christine Romero and Chris Stavrakis, along with interviews with Savini, Ed Harris and Patricia Tallman. It's a nice transfer, which occasionally shows up some extra grain from optical frame zooming but is otherwise consistently impressive (one of Arrow's best so far). The soundtrack reproduces dialogue and Donald Rubenstein's pleasing score crisply.



USA 1981 - United Film Distribution/United Artists

146 Minutes

Certificate - 15 (UK), R (USA)

Blu-Ray/DVD: Arrow Films (UK), Shout! Factory (USA - due November 26, 2013)

Original Theatrical Trailer: