My Son My Son What Have Ye Done

Directed by Werner Herzog and produced by David Lynch this film is an uncompromising and disturbing study of one man's descent into a madness which results in him killing his mother. Willem Dafoe and Michael Pena are the cops who arrive at the murder scene but the situation becomes more immediate when the killer, played brilliantly by Brad Dourif, barracades himself in his house and claims to have two hostages. As the two cops interview his fiance and close friend the narrative of the killers increasingly unstable mental state unfolds in flashbacks. The fact that what unhinges the killer is never really crystal clear is probably a deliberate choice, as the madness of the subject is usually incomprehensible to the outsider. Although there is no explicit sex or violence the flashbacks are very strange, offbeat and disturbing in their content and tone. It's hard to explain, but the way his insanity is portrayed really gets under your skin. Much of what he does and says throughout the film makes no sense, or maybe I just did not understand the reasons for his behavour. I guess this is the whole point about the nature of madness, there are no clear cut questions and answers, but a strange muddled mixture of experiences and conversations that are very dark and unattainable. The music and unconventional cinematography play a large role and are very effective in creating atmosphere and mood. The cast is very strong but it is Brad Dourif as the insane killer who steals the show. He is utterly convincing. The ending is a bit obvious and anti-climatic but it's not the sort of film that would go down the route of an exciting, Hollywood climax, so in a sense the film is true to itself. 7/10

Pope's visit

Unfortunately I was unwell and could not attend the papal mass. I was very disappointed personally but I was glad that everything, the mass, the crowd turnout and atmosphere, etc, seemed to be great. The media coverage was actually very positive the following day. The Pope seemed to enjoy it very much and I think he was touched by the warm and welcoming response of the Scottish people, both in Edinburgh and Glasgow. There was a few pathetic bampots who held up a 'No surrender' flag and Union Jack at a bridge overlooking the M8. Ian Paisley and a few other anti-Catholic nutters held a small protest, although not all those critical of the Pope and the Catholic Church are nutters. Ultimately Ian Paisley and his mob were far outnumbered by those glad to see the Holy Father. So I think the country will definitely be blessed in some way. How, I'm not sure, maybe in many ways that we will never know if this life. Maybe it will bring some lapsed Catholics back to their faith or renew the faith of lukewarm Catholics. The Pope was gracious and warm but he was not afraid the preach the gospel and encourage religious belief and practise. I think he got a very good balance. He praised Britain as a 'force for good', trying to recognise the democracy we enjoy and have fought for, but he also warned the young people against the evils of drink, drugs and sex (ie, promiscuity). Today, in London, he meet with representitives from the Church of England in a show of Christian unity, so I was glad to see them all pulling together in an ecumenical spirit. We have a common enemy, in the form of relativism and secularism. I think he'll have to pace himself physically over the next two days. He's 83 and does not have the same energy of John Paul 2 when he visited about 30 years ago. He does not have the same charisma and confidence of JP2 but I think he has his own gifts and qualities that have come through very strongly so far. Maybe some Catholics were hoping for a more reforming and charismatic pope but I think we should be grateful for Joe, he's a really good man and a very worthy pope.

These are just a few thoughts of an ordinary Catholic guy.

Mark Nelson and Rhod Gilbert at the Edinburgh Festival

This was my fourth and final visit to this years Edinburgh Festival. On Thursday I had gone through myself to see the legendary singer-songwriter Bert Jansch in concert. He was great. It was just a privilege to see him play live, he is such an amazing guitarist. I hope he plays again next year. It was also good just to see something other than comedy at the Festival. On Saturday myself, Tony and Alan arrived in Edinburgh about 5PM, leaving us enough time to find the Underbelly in Cowgate and have a quick pint before the Mark Nelson gig. We had seen Mark Nelson before not so long ago, so some of his material we had already heard. He's a decent comedian, with good obversational skills and comic delivery. He is much in the same mould as Kevin Bridges but not quite in his class. Still I quite enjoyed the set and I would probably be happy to see him again in the future. Some strong language and a bit crude at times but nothing too bad. Our next destination was the EICC, with a quick chippy dinner along the way. It was me who suggested that we see the likable Welsh comedian Rhod Gibert so I felt the burden of responsibility rest on my shoulders as we took our seats in one of the EICC's main auditoriums. His set was basically one long very amusing rant. He delivered it with great energy and enthusiasm, and at times it almost took on the feeling of a theatrical piece. Maybe he should try his hand at acting because even though it was supposed to be comedy I was strangely moved at times and got emotionally caught up in his dramatic monologues. He was funny as well, in a kind of crazy way. We managed another pint at the Waverly before taking the bus back to Glasgow. It has been another successful Festival experience. Some acts were better than others, but on the whole I've enjoyed it and I look forward to next year. Bert Jansch 10/10 Mark Nelson 6/10 Rhod Gilbert 7/10