Big Beat seemed to be a reaction to the po-faced cool that was so pervasive in most music scenes in the mid 90s: Britpop was all Camden cool and retro poseurs; Hip Hop’s more expansive focus had narrowed to ‘keeping it real’/gangsta (seeming to serve the early incel market previously dominated by metal); The Rare Groove, Techno and similar scenes were also insufferably sniffy and trainspotterish.
So, to me at least, Big Beat deliberately eschewed any sense of cool in favour of fun. It sampled cool records and converted them into a rawkus combination of block party and wedding party. Not an amazing contribution to the cultural canon, but a much needed breath of fresh air.
Big Beat Cinema, as described, seems to pull off a similar trick. It mashes up Britpop style retro-cool and ace-face capers with a turntablism like cinematic style of fast-cuts and freeze-framing, reminiscent of MTV and John Woo. As with Big Beat, the results are patchy and occasionally quite fun.
To summarise: I’ve had too much coffee and very much enjoyed the show, thanks :)
In lit studies we talk about 'chronotopes', the way different genres can be defined by the way they pull time and space together. Like you don't usually get an action movie that unfolds over decades or a film about feuding spies that takes place in one teeny tiny town. And as soon as you violate those conventions, it reads as something new and original--like when When Harry Met Sally upended the chronotope of the rom com by making it take place over decades.
Anyway, thinking about the chronotope of the BBC films, one thing that they have in common is an almost total absence of every day time and space. Nobody has to go to a regular job of the fucking grocery store. I guess you could say the same of any heist or action film, but part of what's striking about the BBC grouping is how many different ways they find to escape the everyday. I guess it's part of their superficial glossiness, the promise of some other less mundane but insubstantial reality.
One other time/space point, I think film critics talk about action sequences as like musical numbers in musicals, in that they pause the forward momentum of time and kind of let it expand. That seems extra true in the BBC film, like these sequences are a kind of euphoric escape even from the ordinary time of the film itself, fueled by the BB soundtrack.
In the broader BBC canon I think this fits, but Finn's original notion is a lot to do with a certain superficiality – style over substance – that's probably the opposite of Fight Club and its anti-yuppie, anti-consumerism message. Similarly, Trainspotting fits into the other BBC stream – we'll discuss that in the next episode!
Great feedback so far gang - we'll be covering a lot of reader responses on the next Big Beat Cinema episode, so please do keep it coming. Very happy to announce that off the back of the comments here (plus on Insta, Letterboxd et al) we've added the following to the list: Twin Town, Lucky Number Slevin, Out of Sight, Go! and The Bourne Identity - which we actually meant to have on here from the start and totally forgot about.
When you cast your net wider for future episodes, I've got to make an honourable mention for the mid 90s BBC film, Loved Up. Not really BBC, but it's got a banging sound track (Leftfield, Prodigy, Sabres) and Lena Headey getting pilled up.
I loved Swingers, and I truly, truly love 'You're so money' - it definitely has some little BBC moments, the bit where they all drive to the club is such a funny flashy yet meaningless sequence I think. Ultimately it's a bit too neurotic/self aware to be a true example of BBC though..?
Big Beat seemed to be a reaction to the po-faced cool that was so pervasive in most music scenes in the mid 90s: Britpop was all Camden cool and retro poseurs; Hip Hop’s more expansive focus had narrowed to ‘keeping it real’/gangsta (seeming to serve the early incel market previously dominated by metal); The Rare Groove, Techno and similar scenes were also insufferably sniffy and trainspotterish.
So, to me at least, Big Beat deliberately eschewed any sense of cool in favour of fun. It sampled cool records and converted them into a rawkus combination of block party and wedding party. Not an amazing contribution to the cultural canon, but a much needed breath of fresh air.
Big Beat Cinema, as described, seems to pull off a similar trick. It mashes up Britpop style retro-cool and ace-face capers with a turntablism like cinematic style of fast-cuts and freeze-framing, reminiscent of MTV and John Woo. As with Big Beat, the results are patchy and occasionally quite fun.
To summarise: I’ve had too much coffee and very much enjoyed the show, thanks :)
We knew people would get it lol. Would like to see a comprehensive study of genre preferences over time among the incel market...
In lit studies we talk about 'chronotopes', the way different genres can be defined by the way they pull time and space together. Like you don't usually get an action movie that unfolds over decades or a film about feuding spies that takes place in one teeny tiny town. And as soon as you violate those conventions, it reads as something new and original--like when When Harry Met Sally upended the chronotope of the rom com by making it take place over decades.
Anyway, thinking about the chronotope of the BBC films, one thing that they have in common is an almost total absence of every day time and space. Nobody has to go to a regular job of the fucking grocery store. I guess you could say the same of any heist or action film, but part of what's striking about the BBC grouping is how many different ways they find to escape the everyday. I guess it's part of their superficial glossiness, the promise of some other less mundane but insubstantial reality.
One other time/space point, I think film critics talk about action sequences as like musical numbers in musicals, in that they pause the forward momentum of time and kind of let it expand. That seems extra true in the BBC film, like these sequences are a kind of euphoric escape even from the ordinary time of the film itself, fueled by the BB soundtrack.
If you're looking for the bbc letterboxd list it is here! https://letterboxd.com/notagspodcast/list/big-beat-cinema/
Glad that Go and the first Bourne have been officially recognised. Looking forward to Ronin discussion.
What about Fight Club, with it's Dust Brothers soundtrack?
In the broader BBC canon I think this fits, but Finn's original notion is a lot to do with a certain superficiality – style over substance – that's probably the opposite of Fight Club and its anti-yuppie, anti-consumerism message. Similarly, Trainspotting fits into the other BBC stream – we'll discuss that in the next episode!
I'm of an age to have gone to the Big Beat Boutique and that other bastion of big beat, the Heavenly Social.
Big Beat was Loaded magazine put through Cuebase - beery, blokey and brash. It was novelty tinged dance music for the cocaine impaired 90s geezer.
If Big Beat were a drug, then it’s the amyl of dance music - short lived fun, but doesn’t bear repeated consumption.
Loaded put through Cubase, thank you
Great feedback so far gang - we'll be covering a lot of reader responses on the next Big Beat Cinema episode, so please do keep it coming. Very happy to announce that off the back of the comments here (plus on Insta, Letterboxd et al) we've added the following to the list: Twin Town, Lucky Number Slevin, Out of Sight, Go! and The Bourne Identity - which we actually meant to have on here from the start and totally forgot about.
Let's keep this canon expanding - it's a feeling.
When you cast your net wider for future episodes, I've got to make an honourable mention for the mid 90s BBC film, Loved Up. Not really BBC, but it's got a banging sound track (Leftfield, Prodigy, Sabres) and Lena Headey getting pilled up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AS4qQm_LMo
How and where does Swingers fit into this? The "you're so money"-line feels very big beat.
I loved Swingers, and I truly, truly love 'You're so money' - it definitely has some little BBC moments, the bit where they all drive to the club is such a funny flashy yet meaningless sequence I think. Ultimately it's a bit too neurotic/self aware to be a true example of BBC though..?
that makes sense, tbh. the lack of self-awareness seems much more important to BBC after listening to the episode, and one of the core elements.