Lately #4 : Rebus, Saltburn nudity and Jessica Rabbit
Five things to entertain you, and one piece of advice.
Who’s ready for another Lately catch-up?
On a Sunday, one of us (Yara or Gillian) – or a guest writer – shares some of our favourite recent stories and finds that have been setting our brains alight. Give yourself a few minutes to sit back and scroll, and please do share what you’re watching and listening to in comments.
Enjoy! Gillian
Something we should all be watching…
One for the crime fans today. We’ve had adaptations of Ian Rankin’s series about Scottish detective John Rebus before, but there’s a new BBC drama out that’s bringing a touch of Scandi Noir to Edinburgh.
They’ve brought in another Rankin - Richard Rankin (no relation to Ian) - to reimagine Rebus as a younger sergeant in the present day, but with all the same vices. (Richard was in Outlander too, but I’ve never seen it - anyone recognise him?). The six-part series follows Rebus into an underworld conflict after he finds out his younger brother, a former soldier, has been caught up in a violent crime.
It’s got twists, affairs, bad guys, good banter, The Oxford Bar, great reviews and Ian Rankin himself as an executive producer. If you can get access, let me know if it appeals to more than just us Scots!
"It's proper grown-up drama. It cherry picks some of the plots from the early books. We've got Rebus back as being a young man, which means he is visceral, he is macho, he can get in fights without fear of losing."
Author, Ian Rankin
A podcast you’ll want to share…
Want a better understanding of what an Intimacy Co-ordinator does on a film or TV set? Listen to this episode of Girls on Film where ‘Intimacy on Set’ founder Ita O’Brien talks about nudity and sex in Saltburn and Poor Things, and her work in developing best practice for intimate scenes on stage and screen (something that productions are now taking more seriously, by the sound of it).
The podcast is hosted by film critic Anna Smith (I found it because she was on the jury for the Palm Dog prize!) and I’ve only listened to a few episodes so far, but there are lots of big name guests and interesting themes, and a recent episode from their annual Girls on Film awards.
A memorable backstory read…
We were talking to a friend this week about Jessica Rabbit and where the character might have originated. Who Framed Roger Rabbit’s animators said she was based on a composite of Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall and Veronica Lake. But there’s another lesser-known 1950s It Girl who is widely cited as a key inspiration: Vikki Dougan.
Dougan was a model and aspiring actress, and a Hollywood publicist decided he had just the way to promote her: he would have three expensive dresses made for Vikki - with no backs. He nicknamed her ‘The Back’ and had her appear at Hollywood parties and premieres, where she dazzled in plunging (back) necklines.
The approach worked to some extent - she did land some film roles, but the gimmick seems to have overshadowed her work. Read more about Vikki’s life, her daring backless dresses, the numerous famous men she turned down, and a recent resurgence in interest in her, here.
“With her impish, winking sexuality, Ms. Dougan was a midcentury Emily Ratajkowski or Kim Kardashian: a sensational beauty who seemed to brazenly claim attention for her figure, exercising her agency as a woman to do so. In every image, she embodies both the seductive temptress and the classic beauty; equal parts Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. Yet somehow she was unable to translate her obvious charisma into a flourishing career.”
Isabel Slone, New York Times
Something that will surprise you…
Nudge your French friends for a postcard and you might get the faint waft of fresh bread through the front door.
French post office La Poste has a new scratch-and-sniff illustrated stamp that features a special bakery scent to honour the baguette.
The baguette might be getting a bit big for its paper bag after this - it was awarded Unesco heritage status in 2022, and now La Poste is calling it the “jewel” of French culture.
Love this or forguette it?!
Something for a brain break…
As it’s Father’s Day this month, we’ll be giving the dads a bit of focus over on our Instagram. We came across this video from 2020 - a re-release of Father and Son by Yusuf/Cat Stevens where he duets with his younger self, 50 years apart! Beautiful stop-motion animation, too - no, you’re crying.
One piece of advice:
We never miss a James Clear newsletter - here’s a favourite from this week:
“Passion is a feeling that follows action. It tends to be created or discovered, not predicted or planned. You don’t find your passion. It finds you as you get in the mix and try things. ”
James Clear
Loved the Cat Stevens video. Wow. So much work gone into that. I’m watching Godzilla Minus One this week, I’ve heard a lot of good things!
So many good nuggets of gold here! Can’t wait to find Rebus here 🤞