As the usher brings forth the Ice cream and snacks, we wait for the main feature to resume
The Nostalgia Donkey
Nostalgia is a powerful weapon, it’s where politicians trade in the idea that the past was some golden age of perfection. Nostalgia like anything when misused can be dangerous as it can stop you focusing on the here and now. The beginning of a New Year is when we all trade in nostalgia, looking back at the previous year. This past year more than any we can be under no illusion that it was not a golden age, however in time we will look back on 2020 very differently. Here at BAFTD I peddle a lot of nostalgia, it’s not that I believe that all was better in 1977 what I believe is things were different and there is great and exciting things we shouldn’t forget. There are so many great films, books and TV shows that were overlooked at the time but are well worth looking at now. A lot of these things influence what we see now, I like to shine a spotlight on the popular and unpopular and I hope that I help others discover something they have never seen or listened to before.
I can’t remember who first said this but there is a quote that flies around saying (I paraphrase) something about there being no new ideas, just different takes on the same ones. I’m not sure I 100% agree with that and I like many people sometimes despair about the amount of remakes/reboots and sequels that seem to appear. We need to remember for every Halloween 64 Freddy vs Godzilla we get the delight that is Blade Runner 2049 or the Jordan Peele Twilight Zone reboot. There is also plenty of new content out there, in fact we are overrun with quality new television shows just look at “The Expanse” or “The Umbrella Academy” to pluck two fantastic series off the top of my head.
Now I want you to stick with me a second I’m just about to do one of those ‘when I was a lad we used to walk 200 miles to school in barefeet on broken glass with an anvil on my back ….’ comments. I may not have walked 200 miles but I do remember when good Science Fiction or Fantasy TV was so thin on the ground that to watch the original Battlestar Galactica I had to go to a friends house to watch it on a Black and White portable TV, perched on a window sill (the TV not me), as that was the only way we could get a signal from a neighbouring Television region that broadcast Battlestar Galactica. That is why my hands firmly hit my head when Disney made announcements of new shows and people were complaining they were releasing too much. It is so easy to forget how blessed we are to have all these opportunities to see stories we love brought to the screen, The Mandalorian is a great example of this.
Let me get back to my original point, we can all look back at the past year and comment on what we failed on, the healthy thing to do is look at what we achieved no matter how small. I can say I didn’t write everything I wanted to or Draw/paint as much as I had planned. In reality though I achieved quite a lot so going into 2021 I focus on that. I also try not to make or announce unachievable goals for the year. I do have in my mind things I want to achieve, I know however that I may or may not achieve them, all I can say is I will try my best and have fun doing them.
Moving forward there will be some interesting things to write about from finishing up some content from 2020 to celebrating Raiders of the lost Ark at 40.
To quote Bill and Ted whatever your plans for 2021
“Be Excellent to one another”
The lights dim, we now resume the main feature
