#david punter

[gothicseverance]

Gothic castles from Udolpho to Gormenghast exist in a world where there are no maps, where halls, corridors and stairways go on forever, where rooms that were there in the night have vanished by morning.

—Spectral Readings

[elektramouthed]

 Monsters, as the displaced embodiment of tendencies that are repressed or, in Julia Kristeva’s sense of the term, ‘abjected’ within a specific culture not only establish the boundaries of the human, but may also challenge them. Hybrid forms that exceed and disrupt those systems of classification through which cultures organize experience, monsters problematize binary thinking and demand a rethinking of the boundaries and concepts of normality. Gothic texts repeatedly draw attention to the monster’s constructed nature, to the mechanisms of monster production, and reveal precisely how the other is constructed and positioned as both alien and inferior. In turn, this denaturalizes the human, showing the supposedly superior human to be, like the monster’s otherness, simply the product of an ongoing struggle in the discursive construction and reconstruction of power.

David Punter, Glennis Byron, from The Gothic

[dipnotski]

David Punter – Metafor (2024)

David Punter’ın ‘Metafor’ kitabı, metafor kavramının edebiyat, dil, kültür ve düşünce üzerindeki etkisini derinlemesine inceliyor. Kitap, metaforun tarihsel kökenlerini ve farklı kültürlerdeki rolünü ele alırken; edebî teori, felsefe, psikanaliz ve postkolonyal çalışmalarla olan ilişkisini inceliyor ve bu incelemelerini hem Batı hem de Doğu edebiyatından örneklerle zenginleştiriyor. Eserde,…

[mychameleondays]

Bryan Ferry: These Foolish Things

Island 87266 IT

Released: 5 October 1973

[persephonethewanderer]

give us gothic literature recs!!!!

here you go anon!

FICTION:

wuthering heights, emily brontë

jane eyre, charlotte brontë

the bloody chamber, angela carter

mathilda, mary shelley

we have always lived in the castle, shirley jackson

the yellow wallpaper, charlotte perkins gilman

rebecca, daphne du maurier

carmilla, sheridan le fanu

dracula, bram stoker

frankenstein, mary shelley

the mill on the floss, george eliot

the orphan's tale, catherynne m. valente

the haunting of hill house, shirley jackson

my cousin rachel, daphne du maurier

the double, fyodor dostoyevsky

the grey woman, elizabeth gaskell

beloved, toni morrison

the fall of the house of usher, edgar allan poe

wise blood, flannery o'connor

white is for witching, helen oyeyemi

wide sargasso sea, jean rhys

our wives under the sea, julia armfield

valerie and her week of wonders, vítězslav nezval

salome, oscar wilde

deathless, catherynne m. valente

piranesi, susanne clarke

picnic at hanging rock, joan lindsay

NON FICTION:

decadent daughters and monstrous mothers: angela carter and european gothic, rebecca munford

the contested castle: gothic novels and the subversion of domestic ideology, kate ferguson ellis

gothic incest: gender, sexuality and transgression, jenny diplacidi

our vampires, ourselves, nina auerbach

the madwoman in the attic, sandra gilbert and susan gubar

a new companion to the gothic, david punter

daughters of the house: modes of the gothic in victorian fiction, alison milbank

women and the gothic, avril horner and sue zlosnik

fairy tale & gothic horror, laura hubner

female gothic histories, diana wallace

women and domestic space in contemporary gothic narratives, andrew hock soon ng

gothic and gender, donna heiland

perils of the night: a feminist study of 19th century gothic, eugenia c. delamotte

the female gothic: new directions, diana wallace and andrew smith

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

Rhys Darby returns to New Zealand for two huge milestones - Spy

Rhys Darby is back in New Zealand.

Why is Kiwi comedy star Rhys Darby back in New Zealand?

Rhys Darby is returning from his base in Los Angeles for a double celebration over the next few weeks - his 50th birthday and a special event to mark his 25 years working as a stand-up comic.

“I’m home for my 50th birthday celebrations,” he reveals to Spy.

Darby hits the big milestone on March 21 and says he, his wife and manager Rosie are planning on a shared party with their family and friends.

A week later, Darby will be in proud parent mode as his eldest son Finn’s band, Great Big Cow, will be performing at The Whammy Bar on Karangahape Rd on March 27.

“So, as a cool dad, I’ll be there of course, with my band manager suit on,” he says.

There will be fun and laughter to have on Waiheke Island the following week too. Popular island spot Wild Estate Vineyard in Onetangi has secured Darby for an exclusive one-off New Zealand show with an intimate audience of only 200 tickets.

Punters can be sure Darby’s will be giving the native birds on the island a squawk for their money with his famous bird calls from his 2021 TV stand-up show Mystic Time Bird.

“The show is called ‘25 Years’ - it is a celebration of my stand-up career,” say Darby.

“I’ve hand-picked the best material from my five comedy specials, and I’ve also added some new stuff,” he divulges. “It’s all killer, so the audience can expect me having a blast, and so I’m sure they will too.”

Wild Estate has become the go-to live venue on Waiheke for comedy and live gigs; last month, the Jordan Luck Band rocked the vineyard, and comedians Nick Rado, Tony Lyall, Paul Douglas and Ruby Esther have all had successful stand-up nights there too.

Darby has been home several times over the last few years, whether to film with his mate Taika Waititi in West Auckland for the second season of their hit HBO Max show Our Flag Means Death in late 2022, or his Kiwi road trip with David Hasselhoff called Hoff the Beaten Track last spring.

Darby finished the year with aplomb, hosting the 51st International Emmy Awards in New York in November.

The production company for his road trip show, Stripe Studios, made headlines last month with the New Zealand Herald’s Media Insider column, penned by Shayne Currie, reporting Stripe for unpaid bills. The production company also filmed a travel-style show with US comedian Iliza Shlesinger. Currie reported the Netflix comedy star is applying to have Stripe Studios (Comedy) Ltd liquidated. Stuff followed up this story, reporting Hasselhoff was also owed money from the production company.

Darby politely had no comment on the state of his and The Hoff’s road trip show, but sources say Darby played a big part in getting as many of its Kiwi crew as he could paid by Stripe.

However, Darby did share that Hollywood has been rather wet and dull so far this year. “I have a few top-secret TV and film projects in development, which I am really looking forward to.”

“What I can reveal is: I’ve been involved in Mukpuddy’s awesome adaptation of Badjelly the Witch,” he says.

“I think it’s going to be so so good!”

Source: NZ Herald

[stonergirlfilmcanon]

on the decolonial/postcolonial gothic

'introduction: decolonising gothic' by rebecca duncan in gothic studies vol 24 no 3 (2022, pp. 219-227)

'the gothic origins of anti-blackness: genre tropes in nineteenth-century moral panics and (abject) folk devils' by maisha wester in gothic studies vol 24 no 3 (2022, pp. 228-245)

'decolonial gothic' by sheri-marie harrison in the edinburgh companion to globalgothic (2023, pp. 23-37)

'jean rhys's wide sargasso sea (1966) - postcolonial gothic' by tabish khair in the gothic: a reader edited by simon bacon (2018, pp. 25-30)

'gothic tales of postcolonial england' by sarah ilott in new postcolonial british genres: shifting the boundaries (2015, pp. 54-94)

'arundhati roy and the house of history' by david punter in empire and the gothic: the politics of genre edited by a. smith and w. hughes (2002, pp. 192-207)

[todays-just-a-daydream]

manchester evening news on an unlikely first public appearance of noel gallagher post-reunion: at a book launch speaking about hacienda days

He spoke on a panel that included Manchester music star Peter Hook who co-owned the Hacienda with New Order and Factory Records, former Hac manager Ang Matthews, Flesh club night promoter Paul Cons, DJs Graeme Park and Greg Wilson and Noel's fellow club "punters" fashion designers Ian Griffiths and Angela Murray and performer David Hoyle. Stone Roses legend Mani had also been due to attend, but had to withdraw due to sickness…

The event on Wednesday night marked the official launch of the Hacienda Threads book which has been compiled by Rebecca Hook. It features previously unseen images of ravers at the Whitworth Street West club as well as memories by a host of punters and famous faces who partied there…

Noel also said of Oasis' performance at the Hacienda (in 1994): "I guess when the band formed it felt like a rite of passage, we played there on the way up like The Smiths. I saw Happy Mondays, New Order and the great Primal Scream there."

Talking about his earlier experiences as a clubber at the Hacienda, he said: "I was the right age, I was 21 in '89 at the time I lived in Whitworth Street so it was the nearest place to my flat. Even at the time we knew it was special."

He added: "'88 and '89 were the two best years of my life, living on Whitworth Street, no one knew who I was."

He paid tribute to Factory Records and the people who helped to build the Hacienda. He said: "The thing about Manchester is it’s just small enough and just big enough. The reason why it [Hacienda] happened is Factory Records.”

"Not many [record companies] have built something for the people of their city. Thank god there were all those people to do it."

Noel added: "People don’t know what they want until you give it to them. It takes a few visionaries to make it happen. There’s visionary people in this town and thank God they had the balls to do it."

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: David Gilmour and the Roots - “Dark and Velvet Nights” (Fallon)

While it may be no surprise “Dark and Velvet Nights” finds David Gilmour rebuilding the Wall’s sound into a new sonic structure, Gilmour himself was shocking on “the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Gilmour dropped by the late-night program while playing U.S. dates in support of Luck and Strange. And at 78, he remains a smooth, intricate guitar player who has somehow managed to retain the essential elements of his singing voice.

Performing with the Roots and members of his touring ensemble, Gilmour proudly waved the Pink Floyd banner while forgoing a Pink Floyd song. With its tempo, female backgrounds and slide and lead guitar parts, “Dark and Velvet Nights” is clearly the result of Gilmour composing in Pink light, though his lyricist/wife Polly Samson writes much differently than one Roger Waters.

And this dark and velvet night that surrounds us/this dark and velvet night, I will wrap around us/it’s softer than words that are spoken/or painted as slogans and flung to the lions/written on slips as the punters wait smoking/a leap of faith, the odds sky-high/said goodbye to your place or mine, Gilmore and a cadre of female backing vocalists sing.

The performance is powerful - more so considering Gilmour was playing alongside unfamiliar musicians inside a television studio - and bests the album version with its authoritative presentation.

Grade card: David Gilmour and the Roots - “Dark and Velvet Nights” (Fallon) - B

11/8/23

[gothicseverance]

It is precisely in Gothic that the whole issue of catharsis becomes focused to its most intense point, where the possibility of being ‘healed’ by surviving atrocious experience is perpetually challenged by the alternative possibility of being overwhelmed by that experience and swept off, like so many Gothic heroes, into the abyss, far away from any available map or compass.

—Spectral Readings

[elektramouthed]

 One of the most notable changes in more recent representations of Gothic monstrosity involves a shift in sympathies and perspectives. While Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein (qq.v.) was probably the first to invite sympathy for the monster, to allow him to speak and explain the origins of his monstrous behaviour, there is usually little attempt to do this in most eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Gothic. Modern criticism may rewrite such figures as the vampire (q.v.) as heroic rebels against conformity and repressive moral systems, but Stoker’s Dracula (qq.v.) actually offers little encouragement for readers to align themselves with this monstrous force. In recent Gothic, Fred Botting observes, however, monstrous figures are now much ‘less often terrifying objects of animosity expelled in the return to social and symbolic equilibrium’. Instead, they are ‘sites of identification, sympathy, and self-recognition. Excluded figures once represented as malevolent, disturbed, or deviant monsters are rendered more humane while the systems that exclude them assume terrifying, persecutory, and inhuman shapes’ (Botting 2002: 286).

David Punter, Glennis Byron, from The Gothic

[notwiselybuttoowell]

In Europe, Pringles has 34 active flavours in seven can sizes (one of which is called “David” for reasons no one can explain). Not all of these flavours are available in every European country – prawn cocktail only really sells in the UK and Ireland, while bacon is found in most places except Belgium, the Netherlands and strongholds of vegetarianism Austria, Denmark and Sweden. Salt and vinegar has spread everywhere except Norway and Italy. “They don’t have the habit of doing vinegar on their crisps; they just eat them plain with salt,” says Julie Merzougui, lead food designer at Kellanova. If an employee in Italy wanted to explore bringing salt and vinegar to the market, they could – they’d simply have to ask. As of yet, they haven’t.

Multiple times a year, Pringles releases limited-edition flavours known internally as “insanely accurate analogues” – Merzougui and Peremans come up with these for Europe. “People think we have the dream job,” Merzougui says (she has dark hair, round glasses and an easy laugh, a personality akin to an experimental flavour – perhaps a chorizo Pringle). Peremans, who has worked at the company for 26 years, has a salt and pepper beard and a Salt & Shake personality. He speaks quietly and pragmatically, but has a subtle playful streak: “My young son, he wants to become my successor.”

Like Lay’s, Pringles starts with data – in Asia, the company uses a Tinder-like tool with 200 consumers at a time, asking them to swipe left or right on potential flavours. Lucia Sudjalim, a senior Pringles developer in Asia, says she does a lot of “social media listening”, observing trends among influencers and bloggers. Kellanova also uses AI, which Merzougui says can predict trends up to 10 years in advance. Things aren’t always this sophisticated though – both Lay’s and Pringles also look at what’s on the shelves in countries they want to break into, copying flavours and identifying gaps to fill.

Yet just because the world wants a flavour doesn’t mean it’s made. In December 2020, scotch egg sales soared in the UK after Conservative ministers ruled the snack a “substantial meal” (providing punters with an excuse to be in the pub under Covid-19 lockdown rules). Peremans was challenged to make scotch egg Pringles and pulled it off; Merzougui says they tasted “really authentic”. Ultimately, however, the potential order volume was not high enough to justify a production run. (This, incidentally, is why it’s hard to get Salt & Pepper Pringles in the UK, even though they’re delicious.)

Another unreleased flavour was part of a collaboration with Nando’s that petered out for reasons Peremans is unsure about. Sometimes, logistics get in the way: the perfectly blended seasoning might clog the machines or create too much dust, causing sneezing fits in the factory. Belgian legislation mandates that every seasoning has to be put through a dust explosion test – it is set alight in controlled conditions to ensure it won’t blow up.

Inside the plant, manager Van Batenburg shows me giant cube-shaped bags of seasonings that arrive ready to be cascaded on to the crisps. At the end of his video presentation, he made a passing comment that rocked my world. We were talking about other crisp companies, big name competitors. “In essence,” he said, “they’re using the same seasoning houses we do.”

I leave Belgium with the names of three seasoning houses Pringles work with. At home, I discover that their websites are obscure – they speak of flavours and trends, but don’t even mention Pringles. I haven’t so much stumbled upon a conspiracy as been invited into it, but I am still shocked. After two months’ cajoling by the Pringles team, two representatives from a seasoning house agree to speak – but only on the condition of total anonymity, in line with their contractual obligations.

“It’s quite secretive,” food scientist Reuben admits via Zoom, wearing a pink shirt and a thoughtful expression (the only crisp I can compare him to is a Quaver). “Everyone has their own crown jewels that they protect.”

As a marketer, Peggy has always found the company’s secrecy “strange”. She speaks clearly, in a way that is reminiscent of a teacher or a steadfast multigrain snack. “It’s always been a bit of a puzzle to me … I was like, ‘Why aren’t we shouting about this?’ But I was told, ‘Oh, no, we have to keep it very quiet.’”

This is because – just as Van Batenburg hinted in Belgium – the seasoning house Reuben and Peggy work for provides flavours for Pringles and Lay’s, as well as other brands. When asked whether their clients know, Reuben says, “They do and they don’t.” “It’s just not really talked about,” Peggy adds. However, this doesn’t mean that a Salt & Vinegar Pringle is flavoured with the same seasoning as a Salt & Vinegar Lay’s. In fact, the seasoning house is strictly siloed to guarantee exclusivity. Reuben’s team work on the Pringles account; the team making flavours for PepsiCo is in an entirely different country. “So the recipe, if you will, of the Pringles salt and vinegar can’t be seen by the other team,” Reuben says.

[justforbooks]

Juror #2: the curious case of the missing Clint Eastwood film

The 40th film directed by the 94-year-old is only being shown in 50 cinemas in the US. Why is Warners burying a movie by one of its most decorated stars?

There is a mystery at the heart of Juror #2, the 40th film directed by Clint Eastwood and – given that he is now 94 – quite possibly the final one.

The riddle lies not in the plot, a courtroom thriller which sees family man Nicholas Hoult serving on the jury for a hit-and-run case in which he is uniquely placed to acquit the defendant, because, as the trailer indicates, he actually did it.

Rather, it is the fate of the film itself. Eastwood fans in the UK will have no problem seeing Juror#2, where it’s enjoying a wide release in more than 300 cinemas nationwide. Across the whole of the US, however, it’s screening in fewer than 50 cinemas.

Starting small then rolling out nationwide is a common strategy for movies being positioned as awards contenders. Yet this is not the case for Juror#2, which will not expand its screen number – and does not even feature on Warner Bros’s For Your Consideration website, its portal for Oscar hopefuls.

Stranger still, Warners has said it will not report box office takings for the film – an almost unprecedented move for a theatrical release – and that the film is likely to move to streaming before the month is out.

At the film’s premiere at the AFI festival last week, Eastwood was nowhere to be seen, leaving it to Hoult and co-star Toni Collette to trot up the red carpet and spearhead an audience shout-out to the director: “We love you, Clint!”

His absence led many to the conclusion the nonagenarian was ailing, his health worsened by the sudden death in July of his partner, 61-year-old Christina Sandera, and the arrest in October of his daughter, Francesca, on a domestic assault charge.

Yet a post on his official X account from 15 October shows the film-maker grinning in a leather jacket and, according to the caption, “returning to work, reviewing scripts in his Malpaso [o]ffices”.

As well as being consistently prolific, Eastwood’s career has, by-and-large, been profitable both commercially and critically for Warner Bros, with whom he’s worked for six decades. Less than 20 years ago, Million Dollar Baby won best picture, director, actress and supporting actor at the Oscars, as well as taking $216m worldwide.

In 2014, Warners released Eastwood’s highest-grossing film to date: American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper, which made $547m from its $59m budget, and scored six Oscar nominations.

His films since have performed more modestly, but some have been genuine hits – air crash drama Sully made $240m – and none were catastrophic flops. Insiders including film writer Sarah Marrs and Variety’s J Kim Murphy suggest that incoming Warners CEO David Zaslav was dismayed by tepid numbers of Cry Macho, Eastwood’s 2021 neo-western, which made back just half of its $33m budget.

Yet the film was released at a time when many cinemas in the US remained closed and audiences – especially among an older demographic – were hesitant about venturing out to them. A simultaneous streaming release on HBO Max made the decision for wavering punters yet easier.

A Wall Street Journal interview with Zaslav published the following spring, a month into his tenure, reports that the CEO was scathing to Warners executives over their rationale for greenlighting Cry Macho: they felt “indebted” to Eastwood because of his long relationship with the studio.

Zaslav allegedly responded by saying they didn’t “owe anyone favours” before quoting Jerry Maguire: “It’s not show friends, it’s show business.”

Certainly the circumstances of the release of Juror #2 indicate a frostiness between Warners’ head and one of their prize ponies, who may be being put out to pasture prematurely.

Zaslav is also under pressure from the unexpected flop last month of Joker: Folie á Deux, which cost $200m (plus substantial marketing spend), opened splashily at the Venice film festival, but failed to connect with either critics or audiences – unlike its multi-Oscar-winning billion-dollar predecessor.

The contrasting success of Oppenheimer will also still be stinging: Christopher Nolan called time on his long relationship with the studio in 2021 over their new day-in-date simultaneous streaming strategy, meaning his new film was released instead by Universal Pictures – for whom it made $975m.

Meanwhile, Eastwood is back at work considering his next project as director while also working as producer on a new version of his 1977 film The Gauntlet, starring Tom Cruise and Scarlett Johansson.

The 94-year-old has been denied the opportunity for further Oscars glory with Juror #2. Yet few would bet against him one day making a return to the podium.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[bearterritory]

Cal To Face Texas Tech In Independence Bowl

Game Scheduled For Dec. 16 At Independence Stadium

BERKELEY - Following a three-game-win streak to close the regular season, the California football team has accepted an invitation to play in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 16 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

The Golden Bears (6-6) will meet Texas Tech (6-6) from the Big 12 Conference. The game will air on ESPN and begins at 6:15 p.m. PST.

"We would like to thank the Independence Bowl for selecting us," Head Coach Justin Wilcox said. "Our team finished the regular season strong to earn this selection and is excited to have the opportunity to play one more football game together."

It will mark the third time Wilcox has led Cal to a bowl game, and it's the 25th bowl appearance in program history. Cal is 12-11-1 all-time in bowl games. The Bears last played in a bowl right before the pandemic in December 2019 when they defeated Illinois in the Redbox Bowl.

Cal is led by star running back Jaydn Ott, who won the regular season Pac-12 rushing title with 1,260 yards on the ground to go along with 11 touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Fernando Mendoza has been a revelation at quarterback since earning the starting job halfway through the season. He's completed 62.4% of his passes for 1,447 yards and 13 touchdowns over eight games played, including starts in the last seven contests. He was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after leading the Bears to a 27-15 win over Stanford in the 126th Big Game.

The Golden Bears have had a knack for big plays on defense, tying for the nation's lead in fumbles recovered (14) and ranking tied for second in turnovers gained (25). Cal also has three defensive touchdowns to rank tied for 13th nationally. The Bears' defense is anchored by freshman inside linebacker Cade Uluave, who was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week two of the final three weeks of the regular season. Edge rusher David Reese has surged lately, recording 5.5 sacks over the final three games and earning Bednarik National Defensive Player of the Week honors after Cal's regular-season finale at UCLA.

Cal rebounded from a challenging stretch of the season in which it faced a school-record four nationally ranked teams in a row. After sitting at 3-6 following a loss at No. 6 Oregon, the Bears reeled off victories over Washington State, Stanford and UCLA to finish the regular season.

Texas Tech, which also won three November games to become bowl-eligible, is led by All-Big 12 First Team running back Tahj Brooks, who ranks third nationally in rushing yards (1,443) and rushing yards per game (120.3). Linebacker Ben Roberts was named the Big 12 Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year and punter Austin McNamara was picked as the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year.

The Bears' first bowl game was the 1921 Rose Bowl, where they beat Ohio State 28-0.

[c-40]

A-T-3 255 Gwen Guthrie - Seventh Heaven

Gwen Guthrie's second album Portrait is released in 1983. It was recorded at Compass Point in Nassau with the same all-stars as her debut, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Wally Badarou, Darryl Thompson, and Steven Stanley. As you'd expect from such a prolific songwriter and backing singer with a great supporting cast It's a terrific album

Larry Levan had remixed It Should Have Been You which was released as a single from her debut album. Levan was given the master tapes for Portrait and to Island Records horror spent too much expensive studio time to their liking remixing it, and this was when record companies had budgets to spend on lesser known artists. I remember watching the Brian Duffy documentary The Man Who Shot the 60s, Duffy produced the now iconic sleeve artwork for David Bowie's album Aladdin Sane, his advice to Bowie was spend as much of the record company's money as you can and then to recoup there investment they have to promote you. Promotion budgets are a big deal, you could have made they greatest album of all time but if nobody knows about it it's going to get buried. It helped that by Aladdin Sane had had his breakthrough and was already being seen as a major star, Gwen Guthrie wasn't that fortunate

Perhaps Larry Levan didn't spend enough of Island's money because his remixes sat on a shelf for two years and other than his remixes for Peanut Butter and Hopscotch the only place you could here Larry Levan's other remixes from these sessions was at the Paradise Garage played off reel-to-reel tapes. Paradise Garage was one of the most famous clubs on the planet and it was Larry Levan that made that happen. Gwen Guthrie became known as 'The First Lady Of The Paradise Garage' because of her live performances there and Levan playing his remixes of her records in his sets.

In 1985 Island release some of Levan's remixes as the mini-album Padlock (Special Mixes). The mini-album is credited to Levan with Gwen Guthrie demoted to featured performer alongside Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Wally Badarou, and Darryl Thompson. We can extract from this decision that it was decided by the record company that Larry Levan was creating demand for these records to be put out and it was Levan' name that would get punters handing over their cash. Padlock sold much better than Portrait once it was released, Peanut Butter was reissued, Padlock was released as a single, as was Seventh Heaven (in the UK this came out around the time of Gwen's biggest success Aint Nothing Going On But The Rent in 1986, with Levan's remixes of Getting Hot and It Should Have Been You off Gwen's self-titled debut)

Going back to the issue of samples like I mentioned the other day Seventh Heaven, the Larry Levan remix, has been sampled in hip hop, rnb, and dance music over and over for tracks by the likes of Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Busta Rhymes, Leaders Of The New School, Redman, Dilated Peoples, El-P, Public Enemy, Amil feat Beyoncé, Eric Sermon, Kenny Dope, Spinna, Tek 9, Dj Krust...

On a decent system with those synths and drums flying past you is my idea of heaven

[forensicated]

Smiffina Episodes - Episode 239

Not technically a Smiffina episode as there is no Gina, however given Gina's history with Irene and her relationship with Smithy it provides background info.

We open where we left off, Kerry punching one of the girls. As Irene and David buy it and leave the room, she apologises and says she had to do it. Later she snarks at Irene saying that they probably get worse from the punters and that it could be worse, she could be cremated in the back of a van somewhere. David asks Irene to take it easier on Kerry. Irene has to concentrate on getting rid of the girls so heads upstairs, followed by David. Kerry places a drink order at the bar - followed by Smithy adding his pint and appearing next to a shocked Kerry.

Ken is angry at Rob, knowing Smithy is onto them and knows what's going on. Rob agrees that he'll go with Ken if it's been blown but otherwise he's to keep his mouth closed. Rob rings Smithy to try settle it - only for him to answer his phone and tell him, loudly so Kerry can hear who it is, that he's at the club. Rob tries to fudge it with Smithy but he doesn't buy it. "You're a dead man. I mean it. I'm getting her out of here."

Literally covering his mouth so they can't be spotted chatting, Smithy orders her to walk out with him there and then. She refuses and tells him she's on to something far too big. She walks away, knowing he can't follow her or shout to her.

Smithy takes a seat back where he was in the shadows, watching the proceedings. Kerry excuses herself to the toilets and gestures discreetly for Smithy to follow her. He tells her they have to leave now or he's calling for backup. She refuses and tells him upstairs there is a roomful of illegals being used for sex trafficking and that the body in the van was one of them - so it's murder as well. She explains Irene is watching her like a hawk and if she's pulled out suddenly, alarm bells will ring before they can get a team in place. Smithy tries to call for back up and Kerry tells him to wait because at 6pm they'll be moving the girls and they'll be vulnerable. She doesn't think they're armed.

She's so close to a massive collar and she doesn't want to throw away the past few days work and risk saving the girls. Behind them appears David and some muscle - Kerry and Smithy explain it away as him thinking she was one of the working girls and that he'd misread the signals. After some threatening staring, David lets Smithy leave.

Smithy returns to the station and orders Ken and Rob outside. He's fuming, he can't believe that Rob and Ken have let it happen and get that far. Rob takes the blame and admits he set up the undercover ID for her. Smithy shouts at him that she's a mess and doing it only to prove she's still up to the job and is willingly putting herself in danger to do so. He explains the plan that Kerry had told him and that they're going to do a raid. Rob points out that if they do and Kerry gets found she'll lose her job. Smithy knows this and says it sounds like Rob is trying to cover his own back there still. He says he couldn't care less what happens to Rob, he deserves it all - but he will not let Kerry pay the price for it. He organises for Rob and Ken to set up the raid and keep it right with just some Sun Hill uniform. He's going to return to the club and, if they can time it right, get Kerry out before she's seen.

Smithy returns to the club and keeps to the shadows out of David and Irene's way. Once they disappear he heads up into the private areas to search for Kerry. Smithy hears the girls crying in a room and thinks it's Kerry and tries to get in - caught by David. Smithy is taken into another room and beaten as they try to get who he is out of them. He tells them he's called Dale, they go through his pockets and find his warrant card. He tells them it's nothing official, he's not on duty and David goes to find his mother to update her.

Irene questions Kerry over what she told Smithy in the toilets. She insists it was nothing and follows them upstairs. Smithy tries to front it out as having been looking for 'business' as word on the street is that a few girls like to work out of the club. "Come on, even the old bills got needs." Irene doesn't buy it and orders David to get him tied and gagged - they're moving the girls now. Before the door is closed, Smithy and Kerry exchanged worried looks.

At the station, June can't spare the officers for an operation for Reg. It doesn't look good for the operation at the club. Especially when Okaro gives him the green light - and then Rob and Ken come with half an hours notice. She'll do her best but she can't promise...

David tasks Kerry with taking the girls passports. Whilst he's not looking she hides a couple. Irene checks on Smithy who is tied up amd rips his gag off. She asks what a copper is doing snooping around her club with no radio or back up.

Smithy tries to stick to his 'looking for business' excuse. She says they don't have working girls on the premises as she knows it's illegal. ... all whilst having Smithy bound and held prisoner. Definitely not illegal. He asks if they can come to an arrangement, Irene says it's difficult to see how as she thinks he's been given information about 'something going down'. She thinks it's either a plant or an informant - she asks which. Smithy plays dumb.

The girls are out of the way and Irene just has 'one more bit of business to deal with and we're done.' She wants Smithy 'gotten rid of'. Kerry is furious and tries to talk to David about doing something different. David assures Kerry he couldn't have gotten through the last few days without her and he kisses her - only for Irene to interupt.

With the warrant, June agrees to allow Rob and Ken a few officers and then realises it hasn't been signed off by a senior officer. She refuses to let it go ahead. The boys apply pressure, it's now or never.

At the club, Irene tells Kerry she's suspicious of how she got to know David, especially as she got in so quickly. She wants her to prove her loyalty to the Radfords... as David hands Kerry a gun, Irene orders her to kill Smithy. Kerry points the gun at Smithy, before turning and pointing it at Irene and David. She tries to untie Smithy and keep Irene and David back - only when she tries to shoot Irene as she won't keep away from them - the gun isn't loaded.

"Sorry love, I was right about her wasn't I. I wish I was wrong... looks like we've got two coppers to get rid of now."