All posts by Neil Moir

The next instalment

Forget Neo in the Matrix with all his kung fu tomfoolery. Wolverine and his fancy claws? Pah! A ream of A4 and a bottle of correction fluid are all that’s needed by lowculture’s favourite movie figure of the year.

Yes – Angela Lansbury is reprising the role of crime-solving mystery writer Jessica Fletcher for a new (tv) film set in Ireland.

The Celtic Riddle, based on a novel by Canadian author Lyn Hamilton, sees the 77-year-old visit the fictional village of Ballymure to solve the murder of whoever’s been unfortunate enough to be wandering round within a mile’s radius of her this time.

Okay, so it’s not so much “Ireland” as a set created by Universal Studios in Los Angeles, but Murder, She Wrote has long since astounded us with authentic Emerald Isle influences. The convincing “Oirish” accent of Sheriff Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley), for instance.*

Angela told today how she finds the character of Jessica both entertaining and annoying – and hints she could soon be vying for a change of role.

“She’s terribly nosey, and I want to say ‘why don’t you mind you’re own business and let someone else figure this one out?’” she says.

“I’m shocked that people don’t realised that Jessica Fletcher is another figment of my imagination, and a different person than I am, and I really can play other roles.”

So, what would you like to see as Angela’s next acting challenge? We fancy her taking on the role of an evil cyborg in the next Terminator movie. Let us know what you think by clicking on the comment box below.

To find out more about her new tv film, being broadcast in America this week, visit the CBS site here.

* “Well, oi jist cahn’t oonderstahnd ett, Miss Fletcher. Er, de-diddly-i-de-deedle-de.”

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Foul please, Carol

Not since the Eastenders Pat ‘n’ Peg slapfest have we heard such vicious bitching.

When Carol Vorderman launched her scathing attack on an “anorexic transvestite” and “carthorse in a bin liner”, lowculture thought she was in negotiations with Lily Savage and Lisa Riley to host a new ITV quiz show.

But no! In an amazing pot-kettle-black situation, Carol took time out from actively reducing cholesterol to lay into the dress sense of blunt fashion gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine.

The girls had shown their usual nerve in describing Countdown’s constant consonant carrier as a librarian turned sex goddess who “feels the need to show off as much as possible”. When their evidence is backed up with reference to Carol’s revealing Bafta dress of a few years ago (shudder), who can argue?

Well, Carol can, apparently. Despite the fact the piercing pair have done for fashion what vodka does to cranberry juice, the brainy brunette turned the tables and slagged off Susannah’s generous bum and Trinny’s somewhat stingier bosoms.

Where next for Carol and her newly-sharpened claws? Telling Richard Whiteley that he looks like a twat in his colourful ties, or jibing contestants with a poor grasp of the five times table that not only are they simple, their knitted jumpers looked better on the sheep’s corpse?

Hair today, gone tomorrow… please?

Anyone who saw this year’s Brit Awards would have noticed an unwelcome addition to the proceedings.

No, not the ban of alcohol that left us seriously short of the usual arse-waving, MP-soaking antics, but the unnerving reappearance of the goatee beard.

In fairness, on George Michael it was expected, but on Tom Jones it was truly terrifying.

The Welsh crooner, who picked up the Outstanding Contribution to Music award on the night, only served to show how stealing Craig David’s cast-offs does nothing to increase your sex appeal.

Justin Timberlake, please take note.

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It’s all you have to do…

Apologies if lowculture seems a bit distracted. Following Matt Lucas’ star turn as the Shake ‘n’ Vac housewife on last night’s Shooting Stars, the sweet smell of nostalgia soon filled the air.

Those of you of a certain age will be pleased to find our search for the original advert was quickly rewarded with the discovery of the TV ARK website.

Shimmying across the carpet with a carton of salt (in the absence of the scented powder), lowculture soon worked up a thirst.

So how impressed were we to discover the site also included clips for Libby’s Moonshine and Kia-Ora. We were also brought back to the days when a finger of Fudge really was just enough.

Yet we remain thankful that many years have passed since our craving for entertainment had to be satisfied with Look-In magazine, whose 1985 run included a Cannon and Ball cartoon strip. Rock on, Tommy.

2013 UPDATE: The Shake ‘n Vac lady, Jenny Logan, was brought out of retirement and forced by Glade to redo the famous dance to celebrate the product’s 30th anniversary. She looked like she really needed that sit down at the end, bless her.

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