𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙
Annotations and author notes to 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.
Can be read alongside the novel as a companion work, but not recommended for those who simply want to read in peace. For complet...
Quote This is from the 1987 cult black comedy film Withnail and I, written and directed by Bruce Robinson. An adaptation of Robinson's novel of the same name, loosely based on his experiences in the late 1960s. The film is a favourite of Julian's and a touchstone for this story.
Milk and Honey Bubble Bath A clever reader asked if Julian's milk and honey bubble bath was a reference to the milk and honey of the Promised Land in the Bible. Unfortunately, I am not as clever as my readers, and I only picked that because I'd just had a nice soak in the tub using milk and honey scented bath and shower gel and thought it smelled lovely!
Julian's evening of a bubble bath followed by lying on his bed in a bathrobe reading a book is my idea of a great night in. That's what I'd be doing in the Afterlife.
The Television Channels As part of the in-house entertainment offered by The Wayfarers Arms, all the channels offer each person's favourite films and TV from when they were alive. This is a piece of wish fulfilment for anyone who's ever flipped through all the channels on TV and checked their streaming service, and found nothing to watch.
Miles Davis Acclaimed American trumpeter and composer, one of the most revered figures in jazz and 20th century music. Julian is a fan of his, and rates his album In a Silent Way as one of his favourites. He was taken to see Davis perform by his father in Manchester, April 1989, and was a bit underwhelmed. He preferred his work from the 1970s. I'm not sure, but the documentary may be the 1991 television movie Miles Davis and Friends, by French director Renaud Le Van Kim.
The Goodies British comedy series broadcast in the 1970s and early '80s, starring the comedy trio The Goodies (Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden, and Bill Oddie). It featured slapstick comedy, absurd situations, and lots of parodies of contemporary pop songs. Consistently popular, it never gained the critical acclaim of Monty Python, being seen as a "kid's show". This is despite having plots involving sex, death, drugs, black magic, philosophy, and politics, and The Goodies being friends with the Pythons.
Julian says The Mighty Boosh started when he asked Noel if he would like to become "the new Goodies". Its influence upon The Mighty Boosh is obvious, although the shows are actually quite different in style and tone. The Mighty Boosh did get to use a few of The Goodies' props, as Julian's girlfriend, comedy writer Julia Davis, was friends with Bill Oddie's daughter. Bill generously shared some of his stuff with them, as a nice link between these two comedy troupes.
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Withnail and I In the story, I say that Julian first discovered his same-sex attraction watching Paul McGann with Richard E. Grant in Withnail and I (when Julian was 19). I have no way of knowing if this is true, and Julian has never even hinted at it. In contrast, the 1990 film Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze, seems to have awakened or confirmed something for him. I just put it in because it seemed plausible, and because Withnail and I is a pretty homoerotic film – somehow, it manages to be homoerotic and homophobic at the same time.
