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Richard

@vicdon.bsky.social
548 followers 2.7K following 2.4K posts

Not Vic (but I lived there), not Don (but I am one). Will write for money, or just for the hell of it. richardwatt.ca bairnsotherevolution.substack.com

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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 6h
Shakespeare's fault. Set design was minimal but oddly effective for all its shonkiness, and music by none other than Colin Sell rounded off a thoroughly enjoyable performance. Recommended, even if you're wary of its deserved reputation for going on a bit.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 6h
/ George Costigan as a magnificent Bastard, serving as a kind of Greek Chorus clearly impatient with his King's vacillating. Kudos too to an imperious Mary Morris, an all-too-fleetingly seen Phyllida Law and John Thaw giving Hubert all the required pathos. It is too long, but, again, that's /
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 6h
#BBCTelevisionShakespeare this week was a fascinating #KingJohn, with Leonard Rossiter perfectly cast in his final role on TV. The wordiness was mitigated by some excellent acting, particularly in the lead and by Claire Bloom as Constance, although the star was / letterboxd.com/film/the-lif...
letterboxd.com
The Life and Death of King John (1984)
The reign of England's King John is threatened by Philip of France who demands that John's nephew Arthur be placed on the throne. Pragmatic and decisive, King John moves to plactate the French, but…
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 17h
In what's becoming something of a common theme, too much football in 1976. Specifically, two of the League Cup quarter finals are going to replays after two legs. #DrFeelgood have an opinion about that, and some other stuff going on this week: bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/stupidity?...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
Stupidity
Two legs, then replays. It’s not smart.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Biggest negative of this four-game international break is that the Scotland games for those of us overseas have been allocated to Jonathan Pearce, whose knowledge of, or interest in, Scotland is minimal. He's genuinely tiring to listen to; didn't he used to be reasonably good?
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Pink runny custard for the full experience.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
This week, #Bairns features a couple of managers we'll get to know pretty well over the following decade. Plus an armed rebellion, a bankrupt economy, and a deeply uncomfortable wedding. And disco. There's always disco. bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/someone-ta...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
Someone Taught Me How To Do It Right
Turns out, it was Jim McLean.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Midweek #Bairns features a mixed night in Europe, a wild journey to Orient, a flood, a riot and a collapsing pound. You get your money's worth here: bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/heroes-and...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
Heroes and Villains
European glory, survival, and abject failure. All on the same night.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I'm nearing the end of #BBCTelevisionShakespeare, but the quality remains high with a gripping #Coriolanus, all sweaty homoerotic closeups and off-centre framing. Great performances all round, but most enjoyably from Valentine Dyall's inimitable voice letterboxd.com/film/the-tra...
letterboxd.com
The Tragedy of Coriolanus (1984)
A banished hero of Rome allies with a sworn enemy to take his revenge on the city.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Anyway, bairnsotherevolution.substack.com is much more redolent of its time period now, with the slightest of hat tips to Jamie Reid, of course:
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
Bairns o' the Revolution | Salty Don | Substack
1975/76 in Scottish football - a time of revolution and lumbering about in the mud. Click to read Bairns o' the Revolution, by Salty Don, a Substack publication. Launched a year ago.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
For some reason, I woke up with the notion that it was time for a rebrand on the Bairns site. I’m sure I could have done it in AI in about five minutes, but I used to be part of a collective who published a fanzine, so it was time to get out the virtual Letraset and go fully DIY.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Things I've missed since the World Cup ended: overexcited commentators yelling about "Yamine Lamal". Also, I remember teaching ten-year-olds never to turn into trouble. Doesn't apply at this level, apparently. #ENGESP
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This week in #Bairns - I start a campaign to bring fractions back, Scottish teams pay large sums to referees and something close to normal service is resumed. Oh, and we're still not good at being racially sensitive. In 1976, to be clear. bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/home-again...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
Home Again, ‘Cross The Sea
Entirely funded by Scottish football clubs.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I'm as excited as ever by #ScottishFootball from 50 years ago, but a lot of fans seem to have drifted away, partly because they bought a car which was the wrong colour. Also, tactics and coaching are ruining the game. bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/giving-up?...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
Giving Up
Is there too much football? Surely not.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
#CriterionChallenge 38 involved a random letter generator, which delivered the letter X. Exactly one film was available - the extraordinary 1975 Senegalese satire, Xala. Utterly fascinating, genuinely funny in places and a cameo from Youssou N'Dour. Recommended. letterboxd.com/film/xala/
letterboxd.com
Xala (1975)
A rich businessman in Senegal is cursed with crippling erectile dysfunction upon the day of his marriage to his third wife; the only cure is brutal public humiliation.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
/ The women were universally excellent, however, even just about redeeming the awful ending by pretty much rolling their eyes and exclaiming "Men!". Set design was - interesting. All in all, not the worst of these, but down near the bottom, I'm afraid.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
/Frank Barrie's Sir Eglamour who appeared to be channelling Henry Irving or something. Sound balance was way out of whack; rustling dresses masked the voices from time to time, and the music, while period appropriate and well-played, dominated the acting to an uncomfortable degree./
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
#BBCTelevisionShakespeare 31 was a valiant attempt at #2GentlemenOfVerona. Not entirely successful, mainly because of the source material, to be fair. Made in 1983, so Proteus and Valentine are basically George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, but both are solid, unlike/ letterboxd.com/film/the-two...
letterboxd.com
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1983)
Two great friends leave Verona for Milan, Valentine with great enthusiasm and Proteus unwillingly, as he will have to leave his recently-betrothed Julia. Valentine soon falls in love with Silvia,…
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Weekend #Bairns examines the way Scotland had different rules for substitutes in 1976 than the rest of the country. Also, inflation is back out of control, and a quarter of the global population standing at attention. Oh, and #Clydebank! bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/a-manager-...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
A Manager Mister Told Me I Got What It Takes
But only off the bench for the last ten minutes
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
50 years ago, Scottish teams exploded into European action. No, not 'exploded', 'collapsed'. This week featuring dubious quality video evidence. Midweek #Bairns also discovers that I once saw #Orient play football. bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/like-a-sad...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
Like A Sad Song
That sound? It’s the air coming out of our European dreams
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
This was the list. I have to say, 'Head' was pretty much what I expected it to be, which isn't to say it was boring or uninteresting, just a bit daft in places. You could say it was trying too hard, but it was just being what it was mostly. A bit daft. letterboxd.com/benvsthemovi...
letterboxd.com
Must See Criterion Released Films As Featured on Danny Peary's "Guide for the Film Fanatic" (1986)
A list of 359 films compiled on Letterboxd, including The Kid (1921), Nanook of the North (1922), Safety Last! (1923), The Gold Rush (1925) and The Freshman (1925).
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
#CriterionChallenge 75 was another 'choose from this list' one - list to follow in thread. From a pretty comprehensive list, I did the less obvious thing, and went with 'Head', because how many of us can say they've actually sat down and watched it? Well, I have now. letterboxd.com//film/head/
letterboxd.com
Head (1968)
In this surrealistic and free-form follow-up to the Monkees' television show, the band frolic their way through a series of musical set pieces and vignettes containing humor and anti-establishment…
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
... laughing out loud in places. Skilfuly done, especially the neat solution to having both sets of twins on stage at the end. Particular delight to see David Kelly as a mildly bewildered Balthasar and the likes of Cyril Cusack, Wendy Hiller and Frank Williams. A genuine delight, perfectly paced.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Long overdue light relief to all the history and tragedy of recent weeks, today's #BBCTelevisionShakespeare was a frothy yet expertly crafted #ComedyOfErrors Both sets of twins doubled by Michael Kitchen and a startlingly effective Roger Daltrey, this had me/ letterboxd.com/film/the-com...
letterboxd.com
The Comedy of Errors (1983)
Aegeon of Syracuse has come to Ephesus to seek his son, who went in search of his missing twin and mother months ago. Too bad that Ephesus has just declared war on Syracuse, and will instantly put to…
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The list of restorations to choose from: www.criterion.com/shop/collect...
criterion.com
Glorious Restorations
The stories of how these editions came to be restored are as gripping as the films themselves.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
As I was still running a little behind on the #CriterionChallenge, I added in one from the next topic: Glorious Restorations (full list in next post). Quite unlike anything I've ever seen before, this is a mesmerising Kazakh historical drama: letterboxd.com/film/the-fal...
letterboxd.com
The Fall of Otrar (1991)
A staggering historical epic about the intrigue and turmoil of the East Asian civilization of Otrar, before its systematic destruction at the hands of Genghis Khan.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The news headlines from 1976 are horrific, but three of this weekend's fixtures are happening for the third time in five weeks, so that's a nice distraction. Also, someone took a Super 8 camera to #SomersetPark, so this weekend's #Bairns has video! bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/cant-get-b...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
Can’t Get By Without You
Well, hello again; you look familiar.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Sorcerer is on the list, although I know I've heard the Tangerine Dream album at some point.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The list of great, classic or otherwise notable films I haven't seen is surprisingly long; I'm spending my retirement working my way through it alongside all the other stuff I saved up to watch 'later' over the last 40 years. I only saw Mean Streets for the first time a couple of weeks ago...
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Williamson's speeches were fascinating; when seized by doubt and madness he ran at them in a way which veered perilously close to gabbling; once he accepted his doom, "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" emerged as if it had to be dragged from him; Lapotaire's "unsex me here" was disturbingly sexy.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This week's #BBCTelevisionShakespeare was the long-awaited #Macbeth, which did not disappoint; Nicol Williamson and Jane Lapotaire giving intense and idiosyncratic interpretations which shone new light on a well-known text. The set was cold and dark, as it should be. letterboxd.com/film/macbeth...
letterboxd.com
Macbeth (1983)
Macbeth and his wife murder Duncan in order to gain his crown, but the bloodbath doesn't stop there, and things supernatural combine to bring the Macbeths down.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Midweek #Bairns is all about the fun #Scotland had thrashing their amateur opponents - featuring a couple of familiar names. Not everyone was thrilled, sadly, but when were the Scottish papers ever happy? In other news, strikes and dangerous sport bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/fun-fun-fu...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
Fun, Fun, Fun
Until the PM calls the navy in
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
#CriterionChallenge 35 was 1950s. Following a conversation about it a few weeks ago, I chose the magnificent 4K restoration of The Wages of Fear. Everything you've heard about it is true - never has there been a more tense 2.5 hours. Magnifique. letterboxd.com/film/the-wag...
letterboxd.com
The Wages of Fear (1953)
In a run-down South American town, four men are paid to drive trucks loaded with nitroglycerin into the jungle through to the oil field. Friendships are tested and rivalries develop as they embark…
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The #BeeGees usher in the 1976-77 season in inimitable style; there's video evidence of hilariously bad defending, Joe Harper has a new nickname, and we still appear to objectify women. Sigh. It's 1976 in full colour, with Muppets: bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/you-should...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
You Should Be Dancing
The new season is finally here!
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Just been cleaning my great-grandfather’s WW1 medals:
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
/Indeed, Imogen's unveiling/reuniting with her family was quite moving. Whatever the merits of the production, it did not overcome the two main issues - the time period makes no sense, so setting it in Jacobean costume was nuts. Also, the Queen is a rubbish villain, but that's Shakespeare's fault.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
#BBCTelevisionShakespeare 28 was #Cymbeline. Allowing for the fact that it's essentially bonkers, and the production (unusually for these) hacked about with the script, I thought it more or less stuck the various endings. / letterboxd.com/film/cymbeli...
letterboxd.com
Cymbeline (1983)
Cymbeline, the King of Britain, is angry that his daughter Imogen has chosen a poor (but worthy) man for her husband. So he banishes Posthumus, who goes to fight for Rome. Imogen (dressed as a boy)…
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
We’re way ahead of you - in fact, I’m just waiting for my decaf Canadiano as I type cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/18...
cdn.shopify.com
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
This week's midweek #Bairns celebrates the end of the phony war and anticipates some actual football breaking out. There's a SHOCK TRANSFER, a mysterious quarter-final draw, and the world's going to hell in a handbasket, but what else is new? bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/the-boys-a...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
The Boys Are Back
Well, almost - roll on Saturday.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
/it entertained me and was not nearly as annoying as I worried it might be. Smart direction and endearingly natural performances helped enormously. My children are Frances' age - I wonder what they would make of it.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
#CriterionChallenge 34 was "2010s", which turned out not to be a huge list, given I want them to be first watch and available on the Criterion Channel. I went with Noah Baumbach, because of course I did. I think I'll like it more in retrospect, but/ letterboxd.com/film/frances...
letterboxd.com
Frances Ha (2012)
An aspiring dancer moves to New York City and becomes caught up in a whirlwind of flighty fair-weather friends, diminishing fortunes and career setbacks.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Now here’s a blast from my past. Not sure how #Hanuta makes its way to our little island pharmacy, but I had to buy one for old times sake. No #Tronky, though. #Ferrero
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Oooh, any excuse... www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpnJ...
youtube.com
Tiger Moth Tales A Visit To Chigwick
YouTube video by Chris Jones
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
This week, the shame of Scottish Football 1976 style. And I don't mean St. Johnstone. Well, not entirely. Read about the Battle of Brechin alongside all the usual nonsense in this week's #Bairns bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/shame-sham...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
Shame, Shame, Shame
H-O-T or not? You decide.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Having the whole thing laid out gave much needed nuance to Richard, who can seem a raving lunatic untethered from his history, and the subtle dissolution of the sets from the bright playground with Joan of Arc giving everyone the runaround to the bleak pile of bodies at the end was superbly done
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Completing the Wars of the Roses quadralogy, this week's #BBCTelevisionShakespeare was Richard III. As with the three Henry VI plays, this was highly stylised, but the four parts work as a magnificent whole, with barely a line cut in these huge difficult plays letterboxd.com/film/the-tra...
letterboxd.com
The Tragedy of Richard III (1983)
Richard Duke of Gloucester, youngest brother of King Edward IV, will stop at nothing to get the crown. He first convinces the ailing King that the Duke of Clarence, his elder brother, is a threat to…
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Midweek #Bairns answers the question on everyone's lips - what does the top-flight Scottish football manager drive to work every day? Also, St. Johnstone fans may be in for another long season. Meanwhile, a Minister for Drought: bairnsotherevolution.substack.com/p/tonights-t...
bairnsotherevolution.substack.com
Tonight’s The Night
... when we crash out of the League Cup. Probably.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
There's still time to join in, although you'll be up to more than two a week to get it all in by the end of the year. you know you want to, though: letterboxd.com/benvsthemovi...
letterboxd.com
The Criterion Challenge 2026
Welcome to the sixth annual Criterion Challenge where we celebrate The Criterion Collection! Hundreds of you have participated in these challenges year after year, so thanks to all of you for making…
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I'm still a couple of weeks behind, thanks to the World Cup, so I'll be doubling up as the evenings get darker, but I've had a peek ahead at upcoming topics, and it will be no hardship.
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Richard @vicdon.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I've missed several weeks, but #CriterionChallenge no. 33 was simply 'War'. Avoiding the more obvious conflicts, I went for Bruce Beresford's unflinching "'Breaker' Morant". Tremendous performances all round, especially Edward Woodward and Bryan Brown. letterboxd.com/film/breaker...
letterboxd.com
Breaker Morant (1980)
During the Boer War, three Australian lieutenants are on trial for shooting Boer prisoners. Though they acted under orders, they are being used as scapegoats by the General Staff, who hopes to…
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