Ernest Cline - Boogie Nights 1997 - The Young Ones TV - Alan Lomax - The 80s: The Decade That Made Us TV - The Office US TV - The Guardian - Ben: Diary of a Heroin Addict TV - Detox or Die TV - The Comic Strip Presents TV - Nightcrawler 2014 - Exhibit A 2019 - The Home that 2 Built TV - Mandy TV - The Guardian online -
I watched a lot of YouTube videos of cute geeky girls playing ’80s cover tunes on ukuleles. Technically, this wasn’t part of my research, but I had a serious cute-geeky-girls-playing-ukuleles fetish that I can neither explain nor defend. Ernest Cline, Ready Player One
This is the future – video-tape tells the truth. Boogie Nights 1997 starring Mark Wahlberg & Burt Reynolds & Julianne Moore & Don Cheadle & John C Reilly & William H Macy & Heather Graham & Luiz Guzman & Philip Seymour Hoffmann & Philip Baker Hall et al, director Paul Thomas Anderson, boss man
Your video is now ready for use. Insert cassette. Rewind to beginning of tape and press play. Happy viewing. The Young Ones s2e3: Nasty, Mike, BBC 1984
Michael and I are going to indulge in an all-night orgy of sex and violence. Yeah. First we’re going to have sex with the headless astronaut. It’s a video nasty! ibid. Vyvyan
When the whole world is bored with automated mass-distributed video music our descendants will despise us for having thrown away the best of our culture. Alan Lomax
Cost of a VCR in 1981 – equivalent to US $3,500 today. The 80s: The Decade That Made Us, National Geographic, National Geographic 2013
Michael has taped every Dundies award and now he’s making me look through hours of footage to find highlights. The Office US s2e1: The Dundies, NBC 2005
I’m not really used to doing videos with so many people around. The Office US s4e9: Local Ad, Meredith
Video: Name: David Brent. Occupation: Inspirer. Status: None of your business ... When do I start. The Office US s7e26: Search Committee I
When Ben Rogers first picked up a camera he didn’t know he was about to film the last two years of his life. Ben: Diary of a Heroin Addict, Sky 2008
When Ben Rogers began filming his life he’d been battling his addiction for fourteen years. ibid.
His veins were so damaged he had to inject into his groin. ibid.
A lot of Ben’s life was a lie … Just about Ben. ibid. sister
Ben was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis. ibid.
I know I’m dying … I hate it. ibid. Ben
I’ve never been a bad person. ibid.
The next day Ben Rogers checked himself into the Detox Unit at Harplands Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent. He died 24 hours later from a brain haemorrhage caused by withdrawal from drugs. ibid. caption
I’ve been addiction to heroin and methadone for twenty years. Detox or Die, BBC 2004
I was devoted to heroin like a convert to a new faith. It might sound weird but being a junkie gave me a sense of identity. ibid.
I am utterly sick of being an addict. ibid.
I made a conscious decision to become a junkie. ibid.
It really wasn’t that great. ibid.
It’s got a sort of jazz reptile feel. The Comic Strip Presents s3e4: The Yob, music video dude, Channel 4 1998
Excuse me I have video footage … I have some footage for sale. Nightcrawler 2014 starring Jake Gyllenhaal & Rene Russo & Riz Ahmed & Bill Paxton & Marco Rodriguez & Michael Papajohn & & James Huang & Kent Shocknek & Pat Harvey & Sharon Tay et al, director Dan Gilroy
I’m promoting you to executive vice president of video news. ibid. Lou to Rick
Most people think that the video speaks for itself, an image is worth a thousand words, but these videos are not what they appear to be in most cases. Exhibit A s1e1: Video Forensics, Grant, video expert, Netflix 2019
There are many frailties with digital video evidence. ibid.
The George Powell case of Texas: George is a good nine inches taller than what she [shop assistant] described. ibid. defence dude
His animation [prosecution expert] was particularly fraudulent. ibid.
It’s not him. ibid. Grant, video expert
Another device that plugged into TVs: video cassette recorder: viz. Tomorrow’s World … By 1985 more households had VCRs than cars. The Home that 2 Built s1e3: Eighties, BBC 2020
Please pay attention to this short health and safety presentation. Processing and distributing up to 20,000 bananas of day, we are proud to have the 6th highest volume of any banana processing and distribution centre in the UK and north Europe region. And all this with the 3rd best health and safety record. Let’s keep it that way. This is Mick. Mick was brought on board to replace Jill who was sadly killed in a banana processing and distribution incident. Mandy I: 2020, company health & safety video shown on small screen
These are laminates. It’s particularly important that you familiarise yourselves with this one: this is a deadly spider from north Africa. If you see it, you must spash it with your hammer. And remember the Go Bananas code: 1 to STUN, 2 to KILL, 3 to MAKE SURE! ibid.
Unemployment Officer: It’s come to my attention, Mandy, that you have actually been working. You have been working in a commercial for a pay-day loans company … ibid.
Mandy’s video: Are you desperate for cash but don’t have any adult family members willing you bail you out again? Then try Cash Maggot.
Desperate members of public: … I’m a cash maggot … I’m a cash maggot … ibid.
Report to urge crackdown on sexualised music videos. The Guardian article, editor Patrick Wintour 12th June 2011