Counter Culture UK
By Patrick Harrington (Editor)
Counter Culture UKJan 21, 2023
Culture Vulture 25th to 31st of May 2024
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Highlights this week include: "Saturday Night Fever" which is often remembered for its disco music and dance scenes, but beneath the surface, delivers a gritty social commentary on the struggles of identity, class, and masculinity in 1970s Brooklyn. “Kill Zone: Inside Gaza”, a powerful documentary that examines the toll of Israel’s military campaign on Gaza, seen through the eyes of children, journalists, and doctors. And, D-Day: Secrets of the Frontline Heroes, a compelling documentary that explores the stories of filmmakers who documented the D-Day Landings during World War II. Selections and writing is by Pat Harrington and music is from Tim Bragg.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (18th to the 24th of May 2024)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative viewpoint. Selections and writing is by Pat Harrington and music is from Tim Bragg. Highlights this week include:
"Doctor Who: Boom" (Season 14, Episode 3) which showcases Steven Moffatt's masterful writing and Ncuti Gatwa's compelling performance, blending high-stakes suspense and thought-provoking commentary on the military-industrial complex in a minimalist, intensely gripping narrative.
BBC Four dedicates a night to the renowned poet and writer Sir John Betjeman, featuring a rich line-up of documentaries, films, and discussions that explore his life, literary legacy, and deep affection for England’s landscapes and architecture.
And a book review, "The Mirror," in which our very own Tim Bragg delivers a compelling dystopian narrative set in 2073, exploring a society dominated by AI and technocracy, reminiscent of "Blade Runner" and "Frankenstein," while affirming the transcendent power of human creativity and art against a backdrop of controlled reproduction, genetic engineering, and surveillance, ultimately offering a gripping critique of transhumanism.
View the full transcript here
Culture Vulture 11th to 17th of May 2024
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative viewpoint. Music is by Tim Bragg and selections and writings are by Pat Harrington. Highlights this week include: the return of Doctor Who on BBC, classic Sci-Fi, with The Day The Earth Stood Still, Storyville: Praying For Armageddon, a frightening report on the effect of Evangelists on US Middle East policy, and The Guilty Innocent, a gripping new documentary series that explores some of the biggest miscarriages of justice in history.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture 4th to 10th of May 2024
Welcome to Culture Vulture for the 4th to the 10th of May 2024. Selections and writing is by Pat Harrington and music is from Tim Bragg.
Ever wondered what it's like to be a spy in the heart of Romania? To navigate a world of secrets and shadows? This week, we dive into the thrilling world of Spy Master, the Romanian espionage drama that's been setting screens alight with its delicate dance of intrigue and betrayal. From the dark alleys of Bucharest to the hushed corridors of power, Spy Master weaves a compelling tale of loyalty, honour and the blurred lines between right and wrong. It's a masterclass in suspense, a riveting journey into the heart of darkness that's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
But the world of entertainment isn't just about thrills and chills. Sometimes it's about the quiet moments of self-discovery, the journey towards understanding oneself and finding one's place in the world. And that's exactly the kind of journey we embark on with Words on Bathroom Walls, an American coming-of-age romantic drama film that explores the trials and triumphs of adolescence with unflinching honesty and poignant charm.
A story of love, hope and the courage to face one's demons, Words on Bathroom Walls is a heartfelt tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, a gentle reminder of the strength that lies within us all. And finally, we turn our attention to Spacey Unmasked, a two-part documentary that offers a candid look into the life and conduct of Kevin Spacey, once one of the most admired and respected actors in the world. From his meteoric rise to fame to the shocking allegations that rocked Hollywood, Spacey Unmasked is a stark exploration of a man and a myth, a tale of talent, triumph and tragedy.
So there you have it, just some of the highlights in an exciting week in the world of entertainment filled with suspense, emotion and unvarnished truth. But remember, these are just the highlights. The full guide with an even wider range of programs and shows follows.
So stay tuned and immerse yourself in the captivating world of culture vulture. Keep your eyes open, your hearts engaged and your minds curious.
A full transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (27th of April to 3rd of May, 2024)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the weeks entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Selections and writing are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. Highlights this week include: the eight part Dopesick, about the US Opioid crisis, the 2001 film A.I. Artificial Intelligence and the three parter Miriam: Death Of A Reality Star which proves that reality is really stranger than fiction.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (13th to 19th April 2024)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Music is by Tim Bragg and selections and writing are by Pat Harrington. Highlights this week include: 1973 film “Papillon" which chronicles the gripping tale of Henri Charrière (played by Steve McQueen), a safecracker unjustly imprisoned for life in French Guiana; “Dark Waters”, the 2019 American legal thriller dramatizing Robert Bilott’s case against the chemical manufacturing corporation DuPont after they contaminated a town with unregulated chemicals; and, Kurt Cobain: Moments That Shook Music, a documentary on BBC2 examining his tragic death.
A transcript is available here: https://wp.me/pIv9X-s5t
Culture Vulture (6th to the 12th of April 2024)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Music is by Tim Bragg and selections and writing is by Pat Harrington. Highlights this week include “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment”, a Netflix documentary series that takes viewers inside the walls of an Arkansas detention facility to witness a radical social experiment granting incarcerated men more agency, eight episodes of Fallout on Amazon Prime based on the post-apocalyptic video game, and Defiance: Fighting The Far Right, a three part series from Channel 4.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture 30th of March to the 5th of April 2024
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Selections and writing are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. Highlights this week include: eight episodes of Ripley on Netflix, a captivating limited series that unravels the treacherous world of deceit, murder, and secrets, with Andrew Scott’s menacing charm at its core, and the 1954 classic film, On The Waterfront. A transcript is available here: https://wp.me/pIv9X-s4x
Culture Vulture 23-29 March 2024
Welcome to Culture Vulture your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative viewpoint. Highlights this week include the films The Girl With A Bracelet (2019) and Gagarine (2020), and the six-part documentary Lincoln: Divided We Stand. Selections and writing are by Pat Harrington and music is from Tim Bragg.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture 23-29 March 2024
Welcome to Culture Vulture your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative viewpoint. Highlights this week include the films The Girl With A Bracelet (2019) and Gagarine (2020), and the six-part documentary Lincoln: Divided We Stand. Selections and writing are by Pat Harrington and music is from Tim Bragg.
Culture Vulture (9-15 March 2024)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative viewpoint. Writing and selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. Highlights this week include: Royal Kill List, a landmark Sky HISTORY original series that chronicles King Charles II’s relentless pursuit to avenge his father’s killers, Chopper (2000) the Australian crime drama film based on the autobiographical books by criminal-turned-author Mark “Chopper” Read and Turning Point: The Bomb And The Cold War on Netflix.
A transcript is available here:
Culture Vulture 2-8 March 2024
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Writing and selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by TIm Bragg. Highlights this week include: The Third Man (1949) – Directed by Carol Reed, this cinematic gem weaves intrigue, betrayal, and post-war shadows in the hauntingly atmospheric city of Vienna. Down The Tracks: The Music That Influenced Bob Dylan and, Our Dirty War: The British State & The IRA.
A transcript is available here: https://countercultureuk.com/2024/02/29/culture-vulture-2-8-march-2024/
Culture Vulture (7th - 13th October 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Highlights this week include First Ladies Of Hip-Hop, Nelson In His Own Words and Don't Look Now. Selections and writing is by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (30th September to 6th of October)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Highlights this week include the 2019 film Boiling Point, a tense and gripping drama that follows a dedicated sushi chef as he navigates the pressures and challenges of a busy London restaurant on a fateful night; "Ophelia" a film reimagining of Shakespeare's classic "Hamlet" from the perspective of the tragic character Ophelia; and "The Guard", a darkly comedic crime thriller that pairs an unorthodox Irish policeman with an uptight FBI agent to unravel a drug smuggling operation in a small coastal town. Selections and writing are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture: 23rd to the 29th of September 2023
Welcome to Culture Vulture your guide to the week's from an alternative standpoint. Highlights this week include: Storyville: Tanja: Terrorist Or Freedom Fighter; Unsung Heroines: Danielle De Niese On The Lost World of Female Composers; and Raging Bull, a gritty and emotionally charged biographical drama that explores the turbulent life of Jake LaMotta. Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (2nd to 8th of September 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture your weekly entertainment guide from an alternative standpoint. Highlights this week include:The Company You Keep: a thought-provoking drama that delves into political activism, choices, and their consequences; Children of Men, a dystopian masterpiece dealing with societal decay, political oppression, and the consequences of infertility; and, Dark Marvels: Killing Machines, a documentary series exploring the history of diabolical inventions, from torture devices to weapons of war. Writing and selections is by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript is available here: https://wp.me/pIv9X-rQq
Culture Vulture: your guide to the week's entertainment (19th to the 25th August 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Highlights this week include: the 2020 film Gagarine, the documentary David Bowie: Love You Till Tuesday and the 1959 film Room At The Top. Selections and writing is by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript is available here: https://wp.me/pIv9X-rN8
Culture Vulture (12-18 August 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Highlights this week include: The Chosen One, a thought-provoking narrative around Jodie, a 12-year-old boy with Jesus-like powers; "The Godfather" trilogy on Film4; and, The Real Spies Among Friends, a documentary on the Cambridge traitors. Selections and reviews are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. If you like this podcast please like, share and subscribe.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (12-18 August 2023)
Culture Vulture (12-18 August 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Highlights this week include: The Chosen One, a thought-provoking narrative around Jodie, a 12-year-old boy with Jesus-like powers; "The Godfather" trilogy on Film4; and, The Real Spies Among Friends, a documentary on the Cambridge traitors. Selections and reviews are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. If you like this podcast please like, share and subscribe.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (5th to 11th of August 2023)
Culture Vulture (5th to 11th of August 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture. Highlights this week include: the 2011 film Contagion, George Alagiah: Mixed Britannia and Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History. Selections and writing are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (29th Of July to the 4th of August 2023)
We start this guide with a documentary that pays tribute to Sinead O'Connor which is a fitting tribute to an amazing, powerful woman who was misunderstood and sometimes vilified in her lifetime. As the song says: "You don't know what you've got till its gone". Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (22nd to 28th of July 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative viewpoint. Highlights this week include Baal with David Bowie, the film Detroit and Superpowered: The DC Story. Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg.
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Culture Vulture (15-21 July 2023)
Highlights this week include the documentary To End All War: Oppenheimer And The Atomic Bomb, three programmes in a row on the Kinks and The Onion Field a film from 1979. Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (8th to the 14th of July 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative viewpoint. Highlights this week include: the documentary "Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda" which offers a glimpse into his life and creative journey, George Carlin's American Dream, a compelling documentary that explores the comedic genius and unfiltered social commentary of the legendary comedian and A Spy Among Friends, a captivating and intense thriller TV series that unravels the intriguing world of espionage, friendship, and betrayal, based on a true story and book by Ben Macintyre. Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (1st to 7th of July 2023)
-Welcome to Culture Vulture your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Highlights include Summer of Sam" (1999 film) exploring the hot and tense summer of 1977 in New York City amidst the Son of Sam murders, offering a captivating portrayal of personal relationships and societal upheaval: "Parkinson: Kenneth Williams Interviews" showcases the witty and introspective side of British actor and comedian Kenneth Williams through engaging conversations with host Michael Parkinson, and "Evacuation" is a ground-breaking three-part documentary series that provides an intimate and gripping account of the British military's mission to evacuate Kabul airport in 2021, featuring personal testimonies and previously unseen footage. Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture: your guide to the week's entertainment (24th-30th of June 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative viewpoint. Highlights this week include the 2017 film God's Own Country, Ben Elton: The Great Railway Disaster on Channel 4 and NHS At 75 Live: Fit For The Future? . Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (7-23 June 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture your guide to the weeks entertainment from an alternative standpoint. Highlights this week include: Inside High Noon on PBS, the 2018 film Kursk: The Last Mission, and Panorama: The Antidepressant Story. Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture (10th to 16th of June 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide the the week's entertainment from an alternative viewpoint. Highlights this week include crime thriller "Law of Tehran", Van Gogh And Japan on Sky Arts and noir classic "Laura". Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript and attributions is available here
Culture Vulture (3rd to 9th June, 2023)
Welcome to Cuture Vulture your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative viewpoint. Highlights this week include "Rebellion" - A gripping drama chronicling the birth of modern Ireland through the perspectives of fictional characters living through the 1916 Easter Rising; "Pawn Sacrifice" (2014 film) - Directed by Edward Zwick, this captivating movie provides a unique perspective on the world of chess, delving into the fascinating life of chess prodigy Bobby Fischer during the intense Cold War era; and "Eye in the Sky" (a 2015 film) - Directed by Gavin Hood, this morally-charged drama forces viewers to confront the difficult decisions made in modern warfare as international military personnel and politicians grapple with the complexities of a high-stakes operation targeting terrorists. Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg.
A transcript (which also contains attributions) is available here
Culture Vulture: your guide to the week's entertainment (20th to 26th May 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from an alternative viewpoint. Highlights this week include: Once Upon A Time In Northern Ireland, Inside Kabul and Do The Right Thing. Music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript and picture attributions is available here
Culture Vulture: your guide to the week's entertainment (13th to the 19th of May 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture, your guide to the week's entertainment from and alternative perspective. Highlights this week include a BBC Radio 4 programme on the artists Gilbert & George, 2021 film, The Mauritanian and the 2016 film, Moonlight. Music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture: your guide to the week's entertainment (29th April to 5th of May 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture your guide to the week's entertainment. Selections are by Patrick Harrington. Music is by Tim Bragg. Please consider subscribing via you favourite podcast app or on YouTube.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture your guide to the week's entertainment (22nd-28th of April 2023)
Highlights this week include: The Alehouse Sessions on BBC4, 2019 film, The Whistlers on Film4, and Unreported World: Inside Little North Korea on Channel 4. Selections this week are by Henry Falconer and Pat Harrington. Music is by Tim Bragg. You can find a transcript here
Culture Vulture: your guide to the week's entertainment (15-21 April 2023)
Highlights this week include the 1985 political thriller, Defence of the Realm, the 2019 alternative road movie, Queen & Slim and Can Psychedelics Cure from PBS America. Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture: your guide to the week's entertainment (8-14 April 2023)
Highlights this week include the film The Girl With A Bracelet, a five part Radio 4 series, Red Memory by Tania Branigan, on China's Cultural Revolution, and Deadly Standoff. Selections are by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. You can find a transcript here
Culture Vulture: your guide to the week's entertainment (1st to the 7th of April 2023)
Highlights this week include: the 1995 film La Haine, Untold: Trapped In A Gang on Channel 4 and Untold: Trapped In A Gang on Channel 4. Selections this week are from Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. A transcript is available here: https://wp.me/pIv9X-rGV
Culture Vulture: Your guide to the week's entertainment (25th to 31st of March 2023)
Highlights this week include the classic 1947 film Brighton Rock, Hendrix and the Spook and the 2010 film The Whistleblower. Selections by Pat Harrington, music is by Tim Bragg.
A transcript is available here
Culture Vulture: your guide to the week's entertainment (18-24 March 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture which gives an alternative view on the week's entertainment. Highlights this week include: Breaking Mississippi on BBC Radio 4 about the struggle for civil rights in that State, the politically charged film Official Secrets and the BBC documentary Inside Taiwan Selections are from Henry Falconer and Pat Harrington. Music is by Tim Bragg.
You can find a transcript here
Book Review: Special by Anthony C Green
The novel follows Annie as she is moved from the family home to the large, prison like institution of Mandelstones, a place that becomes her world for much of the next quarter of a century. As she grows from a child to a woman, we see Annie experience adventure, abuse, friendship, love, rejection and finally, in her final years, acceptance and belonging back within the by now much changed working class community of Liverpool.
Reviewed by Henry Falconer.
To purchase the book, click here.Culture Vulture: our guide to the week's entertainment (11th to 17th March 2023)
Selections are by Henry Falconer and Pat Harrington. Music is by Tim Bragg. Highlights this week include: the 2019 film, Mr Jones, the BBC radio programme Breaking Mississippi about James Meredith and The Holy Land and Us: Our Untold Stories.
You can find a full transcript here
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder (till the 1st of May 2023)
Review of an exhibition at the National Museum, Edinburgh by Pat Harrington.
Culture Vulture: our guide to the week's entertainment (4th-10th March 2023)
Selections by Henry Falconer and Pat Harrington. Music is by Tim Bragg. Highlights this week include:
Trying It On: David Edgar by the award winning playwright and political activist on BBC Radio 4, Parasite on Film4 and Becoming Frida Kahlo on BBC2. A full transcript is available here
Culture Vulture: our guide to the week's entertainment (25 February - 3 March 2023)
Selections by Henry Falconer and Pat Harrington. Music by Tim Bragg. Click here to read "Culture Vulture: Our Guide to the Week's Entertainment (25 February - 3 March 2023)" on countercultureuk.com.
Film Review: Hillbilly Elegy (2020)
"Finding Fame" is a 2019 documentary film that chronicles the early years of English singer-songwriter David Bowie, from his birth in 1947 to the release of his breakthrough album "Space Oddity" in 1969. Directed by Francis Whately, the film features rare archival footage, interviews with Bowie's friends, family, and collaborators, and explores the evolution of Bowie's artistic vision and musical style.
You can also read reviews here
Virtually There - Thoughts on Virtual Reality
This Podcast discusses the concept of virtual reality and its social implications. Virtual reality is defined as a computer-generated world that can be explored in real time, where the computer responds to the user's actions. The article explores concerns about the impact of virtual reality on society, including increased isolation and the commodification of thoughts and desires.
Culture Vulture (18-24 February 2023): our guide to the week's entertainment
Selections by Henry Falconer and Pat Harrington. Music by Tim Bragg. Highlights this week include The Dangerous Rise of Andrew Tate, the Irish crime-comedy film Pixie and Red Elvis: The Cold War Cowboy. A full transcript is available here
Culture Vulture: our guide to the week's entertainment (11th to 17th February, 2023)
Welcome to Culture Vulture. Highlights this week include Dispatches: Strippers, Spies and Russian Money, Mussolini: The First Fascist and Better, the new ITV crime series.
Brief Reflections on the politics of Dune
Pat Harrington looks at claims from both left and right about the politics of Dune. A full transcript is available here
References IMDB On the Scene
Herbert liner notes quoted in Touponce, William F. (1988). “Herbert’s Reputation”, p. 24. https://counter-currents.com/2021/10/...
https://thetempest.co/2021/07/24/book...
https://tribunemag.co.uk/2021/10/dune...
https://www.counterpunch.org/2021/08/...
Image attribution: By Dune Dune Movie Poster (#16 of 23) - IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...
Film Review: Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
"Judas and the Black Messiah" is a historical drama film directed by Shaka King, released in 2021. The movie is based on the true story of Fred Hampton, the charismatic and revolutionary chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s. The film explores the events leading up to Hampton's assassination by the FBI and the Chicago Police Department. Reviewed by Pat Harrington. The full transcript of this podcast is available here
Film credits 2021 15 2h 6m Director Shaka King Writers Will Berson (story by )Shaka King(story by) Kenneth Lucas(story by) Stars LaKeith Stanfield Daniel Kaluuya Jesse Plemons Image attribution: By IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...
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Culture Vulture (4th to 10th of February 2023): Our Guide to the Week's Entertainment
Culture Vulture is a weekly podcast produced by Counter Culture magazine, aimed at politically and socially conscious individuals with independent thinking. The show focuses on highlighting entertainment that aligns with the values of its target audience. Culture Vulture provides a platform for discussion and analysis of cultural trends and events. You can find a transcript of this podcast here