CRAP

CRAP CRAP CRAP

Day Seven is delayed until next year

What the heck do we do until then?

Oh, and just to rub salt in the wound, today we find out that co-creator Joel Surnow is leaving the show

Surnow was the right-wing wingnut who is largely seen as being most responsible for 24s controversial "ends justify the means" ethos during its early seasons.

One of my favourite examples of this particular sensibility was at the begining of Season 2, where Jack, having executed a police informant in cold blood, asks outraged CTU Director George Mason for a hacksaw so that he can decapitate the corpse in order to formulate an elaborate deception. When Mason protests Jack's drastic measures, the CTU agent rounds on him:

That's the problem with people like you, George. You want results, but you never want to get your hands dirty. I'd start rolling up your sleeves.

I can't help but think that with Surnow's departure, the show will lose a bit of its trademark ruthlessness and cruelty.

Five from Factory Records

I recently saw a really great movie about the heyday of Factory Records and the Haçienda in Manchester during the eighties called 24 Hour Party People. Before I saw the film, I had no idea what an important role the band New Order had played in supporting the iconic club.

While I'm a big fan of New Order's music, I never knew much about their history. I was only five when Ian Curtis died, so I didn't know the story of Joy Division and how it had reformed as New Order following Ian's suicide. It's really quite remarkable to listen to JD and NO songs back to back. The bands sound so different, and yet they consist of nearly all the same people. Of course, JD were post-punk, whereas New Order quickly transitioned to electronic and dance music, and Ian Curtis' vocals could not have been more different than those of Bernard Sumner, who never wanted to be a singer, and apparently only took on singing duties by necessity!

Apparently, there is a biopic about Ian Curtis out there -a 2007 film called Control, which has gotten good reviews -so I'll have to check that out next!.

Dead Souls
by Joy Division
Recorded 1979




Love Will Tear Us Apart
by Joy Division
Released 1980




Blue Monday
by New Order
Released 1983



Bizarre Love Triangle
by New Order
Released 1986




True Faith
by New Order
Released 1987