Wilko Johnson, the Dr Feelgood guitarist with the eyes of a killer and the legs of a Riverdancer, died last November, which sent Aidan and Graham back to his previous obituary. Made as the pub rock pioneer fought an apparently terminal cancer, The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson is less a rock documentary and more a fable about life, death and the creative spirit – a typically modest affair, then, from Julien Temple.
Temple, perhaps the ultimate Pop Screen director, is not new to these shores, but our hosts quickly discover this might be the Julien Tempest film ever made. Along the way, we unpick the film’s myriad allusions to cinema, poetry and astronomy, as well as discussing Temple’s previous attempt at chronicling Dr Feelgood in Oil City Confidential. It’s a magical film that definitely isn’t just for Wilko fans.
Look, the film’s about cancer so I’m not going to make a joke here, I’ll cut to the chase – you get so much more on the Geek Show Patreon, from our brand new movie miscellany podcast Last Night…, to two classic Doctor Who reviews a week from Graham. There’s also Unseen Asia, in which Rob champions Asian films that lack a UK distributor, and a monthly bonus episode of this very show – the last one, a spoiler special on Glass Onion, may be our best yet. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more.
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Episode 87: The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson
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