6th March 1979

Tuesday 6
Boring day at college
Came home at 3.30
Had a bath
Tried to do a Sociology essay but didn't have the right books (oh that old chestnut!!)
Sam phoned at 11.00


In one of my teen albums I came across this article which is a great reminder of the time .... it is called 'Saturday Night at the Movies'

Have you noticed how many disaster flims are around lately - 'The Poseidon Adventure' started it a couple of years ago with the riveting spectacle of an ocean liner swept upside down by a gigantic wave. Everyone was on the edge of there seats as the handful of survivors fought their way through fire and water to the top of the boat, (70s Ed .. technically it was the bottom of the boat as it was upside down!) where they were rescued by a timely helicopter! (70s Ed who can forget dear Shelley Winters plunging in to the water, swimming like fury and holding her breath for hours)

Since then we have had 'The Towering Inferno'. In which an enormous skyscraper catches fire and Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Fred Astaire struggle to survive (70s Ed Fred was also in The Poseidon Adventure wasn't he??)

Followed by 'Airport 75' in which, you all remember, a plane plunges through the cockpit of a Jumbo Jet killing the pilot (70s Ed ... really who'd have thought that!!!) and leaving only the stewardess and Charlton Heston to bring the Jumbo down (70s Ed no problem for Charlton as he parted the Red Sea but this film could explain why I don't do the 'silverbird' as Charlton is not guaranteed to be on every flight!)
Not forgetting 'Earthquake' where we were transported to San Francisco and yes. an earthquake was recreated so realistically that the sheer force and volume actually had cinema foundations trembling!

Why you may ask in these days when the n ews is full of death and destruction (70s Ed no change then 30 years on!!) do people want to go and see more death and destruction? We don't know (70s what do you mean 'you don't know' I thought 70s teen mags had the answer to everything?) but it is interesting to note that disaster films were in fashion before the Great Depression of the Thirties. And of course, going back a bit, death defying spectacles were very popular just before the fall of the Roman Empire!
(70s Ed imagine reading this as a fraught teenager... what is this saying .... yes a disaster is about to happen, how reassuring. I guess, however, it would take your mind of that spot you had just found on your chin!)

Talking about films, after an absolute dearth of pop films for years, we've suddenly had a rush of them.
There's been Slade's 'Flame', David Essex in 'Stardust', (70s Ed great film with Keith Moon and Adam faith too but a reminder what fame and fortune could bring you) Roger Daltery in the Who's Rock Opera 'Tommy'.

And now we are looking forward to (70s Ed are we??) 'Never too Young to Rock' (Mud, Rubettes, Glitterband) to be released in June. Also making a film in June are Ron and Russell Mael, with distinguished French film director Jacques Tati.
Sadly there'll be no music, it's a dramatic comedy and the boys will just be acting.
Wonder when we'll be seeing the Osmonds film we have all heard so much about??? (70s Ed Osmonds film? What Osmond film? What have I missed? )