Notebook Letters 12.

This really is it

This Is It is great. I wish I could have seen the performance on stage but the cinema is better than not seeing it. I recommend it. Peter, Middles*x

I'm so pleased that Film4 is showing Tyrone Power movies. Jaz, Glasgow

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 2nd of November, 2009; 1/6.

Little gems

Jules Dassin's Naked City, Brute Force, Thieves' Highway, Night And The City and Rififi are all favourite gems of mine. All evocatively photographed with quirky, but likeable characters engaged in moral struggles within the milieu of crime and order, worth seeking out for fans of noir cinema. T. Rivers, Suss*x

Try Charlie Chaplin's A King In New York. A perfect satire on the American way of life at the time. Gavin, Norfolk

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 2nd of November, 2009; 2/6.

It was destiny

As I remember, the first two films I ever rented were The Thing (the John Carpenter version) and A Nightmare On Elm Street, to watch on a Friday night with friends. Great entertainment, and two films destined to become clsssics in their own right. Stuart, Hardy

Barrie, Wales- The film about a military plane crashing with the survivors disappearing is Sole Survivor and I think it starred William Shatner. John, Moray

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 2nd of November, 2009; 3/6.

Best movie deaths

I'd say that the best movie death is Ripley's at the end of Alien 3- her cruciform cradling of a newborn alien queen whilst descending into fire is really rather good. Matth, Wakefield

Best movie death- the evil Russian from No Retreat, No Surrender 2. A picture of Stalin, wrapped in a Russian flag, then dragged to his own crocodile pit. 1980s cold war American jingoism at its most unsubtle. John, Darlington

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 2nd of November, 2009; 4/6.

A scary story

A British film, Ghost Story (1974), scared the heck out of me at the time! It's a little known classic, anyone seen it? Not sure if it's out on DVD. Michael, Manchester

The best films I've seen recently are all foreign ones. Let The Right One In, [Rec], Tell No One, Amelie, Downfall- how come they do it so much better? Can anyone recommend any others of this quality, please? Richard, Hornchurch

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 2nd of November, 2009; 5/6.

Extra time

One of the joys of updating videos to DVD is discovering the extras. On Run Lola Run there's an extra which is a video of Frankie Potente performing the song that runs through the movie soundtrack. Great stuff. This week I've ordered The Wonder Boys and Pleasantville. Mondo, Cornwall

A long mistreated '80s VHS classic- Buckaroo Banzai's Adventures Across The 8th Dimension. A great cast and best theme tune ever. Ken, Hyton

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 2nd of November, 2009; 6/6.

The no-hit wonders

By John Earls

For every Muse there's a Maybes?, for evey Coldplay there's a Captain Black. Some bands just fall down the cracks, too small even for cult status.

Probably the biggest frustration for PS has been championing amazing singles that have failed to give their makers enough of an audience to live on.

Here, then, are the singles that somehow failed to be stellar during the time PS has been on air.

10) PARIS MOTEL 071

Decadent cabaret, too sophisticated to be vampish, too sensual to go anywhere near empty Rat Pack revivalism. Amy May has one of the mose seductive voices around, and knows how to write a luxurious song worthy of it.

9) LUXEMBOURG Sick of DIY

Fabulous gutter glam merchants in the Suede vein, with elegant hedonistic songs aplenty. Now sadly split, their offshoot bands are worth a look.

Eight) TREVA WHATEVA Singalong

A mate of Mr Scruff, he may hopefully pop up again one day. Whateva, this incredible floorfiller was based on a fiendishly addictive doo-wop sample. Just when it threatened to drive you insane, a stunning horn break kicked in, ripe for a hip hop makeover.

7) SURREAL MADRID

One from Stephen Eastwood's time as PS boss, like Singalong this was daft, simple dance at its most celebratory.

6) THE BLOOD ARM Suspicious Character

They're still going but, as none of their songs carry this much funk, it's unlikely they'll repeat this gem. As sleazily s*xy as exile-era Stones, and carrying a groove worthy of the Chems.

5) CAPTAIN BLACK Come On Up To Our House

We don't know anyone who's heard this one who hasn't gibbered afterwards: a whirlwind of chaos The Pogues used to knock up every 10 minutes, and with a similarly erudite lyric to back it up.

4) JONNY LIVES Tabloid Nation

New York singer Jonny Dubowsky is a well-connected friend of Sean Lennon, yet even that failed to make his EP's two lead songs thrive. Simple, strutting hollers that pre-date Kings of Leon and are even better to boot.

3) GENELAB Anorak Lou

Ten years on, its creators are so obscure even we're not sure they exist. Their whereabouts aren't as mysterious as this whispered, eerie menace.

2) THE MAYBES? Olympia

Raved about by any Liverpool musician you can name, they're still going so hopefully their time will yet come. 50% rock, 50% roll, 100% enthusiastic, giddy mayhem.

1) JOHNNY BOY You Are The Generation

OK, it hides sardonic lyrics. But this Spector-esque explosion is so romantic, it'd be a steal to end any type of movie. Produced by James Dean Bradfield- he should produce others more often.

Teletext page 824; 3rd of November, 2009.