New FM Drama Doc on UK TV

vin221 wrote:

I noted two new points in this programme that I wasn't aware of before:

1) Freddie cutting himself shaving and shouting at Valentin to "get out" of the bathroom in Munich (implying he may have been aware he was infected in 85' (or was it 84?)). Anyone else have a comment/other source on this?

2) Prenter giving Freddie poppers before his cake came out at his 39th birthday at Hendersen's, rendering him temporarily blind/starry eyed. I always wondered why, in the footage, Prenter is holding onto Freddie's arm as if he couldn't stand up. Seemed a bit odd, but now we know why.

I believe (1) came directly from Barbara Valentin herself, when she was interviewed by Lesley Ann Jones for Jones' book 'Freddie Mercury: The Definitive Biography'. I have the 2012 edition of Jones' book, and I'm pretty sure it was in there. Jones is interviewed a lot in this documentary.

Regarding when he knew he was infected, as we have discussed a number of times, there's no way of knowing for sure, but we know that the first commercial HIV tests became available in 1985, so this is the earliest he could have known "for sure" - i.e. not through inferring it because his lovers were getting sick. Mary Austin has stated that he knew he was sick during the Magic Tour, so he very likely had been tested for HIV by 1986.

Re (2), this was news to me, but as you said, the Living On My Own music video does show Prenter holding Freddie by the arm, so in a way this corroborates the story. Prenter was one of the worst things which ever happened to Freddie.

Incidentally, Jones wrote this article last week in the Express, on the occasion of Freddie's 25th death anniversary: http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/734272/Freddie-Mercury-death-25-years-HIV-AIDS-Queen-band.

For anyone who would like to download it (I dunno why, it's horrible) here you go!

https://mega.nz/#!J0VThZBb!Owqpm6jGVnwWufQdTClmdmIxZAGO6q_bAfxM2sTbv9I

-Chin

Thanks for the info Costa86

Costa86 wrote:
Incidentally, Jones wrote this article last week in the Express, on the occasion of Freddie's 25th death anniversary: http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/734272/Freddie-Mercury-death-25-years-HIV-AIDS-Queen-band.

Thanks

"Brian May on Strictly and Queen hits deployed on TV ads for budget sofas and nappies would have made him squirm.

As would the sight of endless ageing bands slogging their guts out on comeback tours. As would juke box musicals. Freddie loved life yet managed to depart with dignity and grace. There’s much to be said for it."

Couldn't agree more

Ken8 wrote:

Costa86 wrote:
Incidentally, Jones wrote this article last week in the Express, on the occasion of Freddie's 25th death anniversary: http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/734272/Freddie-Mercury-death-25-years-HIV-AIDS-Queen-band.

Thanks

"Brian May on Strictly and Queen hits deployed on TV ads for budget sofas and nappies would have made him squirm.

As would the sight of endless ageing bands slogging their guts out on comeback tours. As would juke box musicals. Freddie loved life yet managed to depart with dignity and grace. There’s much to be said for it."

Couldn't agree more

Freddie also loved wealth. ... if not wealth, let's call it "financial comfort". I doubt she's qualified to make that judgement for a dead man. It DOES make for showing her disgust, and perspective.

If Freddie earned cash by sitting on his ass, who's to say he wouldn't have volunteered songs for the more risque products?

don't stop me now would feature in viagra, that's "for sure" ;-)


it's opinionated holier than thou-ism-ing. (*as if that's a word)

I don't mind the commercials, but I DO think he would've preferred to make his own musical instead of the rehashed plot and moronic play that is WWRY.

about the money ... we're talking about the man who dodgingly referred to his music as "disposable pop"... truth or humility, I think he would've cashed in.

Jones makes me sick:

She says: "Never admitted, until the final moment, that he was infected with HIV and dying of Aids." ADMITTED?? There's nothing to "admit".....never disclosed maybe, or stated, or mentioned, or announced...but NOT "admitted", as if it were something to be ashamed or guilty of.

She really gets paid to write professionally yet she has no grasp of language?

Freddie started Smoking in the 70's, or is it the authors try to convince us in it?
Who played young Mercury?

cmsdrums wrote:

Jones makes me sick:

She says: "Never admitted, until the final moment, that he was infected with HIV and dying of Aids." ADMITTED?? There's nothing to "admit".....never disclosed maybe, or stated, or mentioned, or announced...but NOT "admitted", as if it were something to be ashamed or guilty of.

She really gets paid to write professionally yet she has no grasp of language?

ah. didn't recognize the slip of the language and it's implications. If in tandem with "denial" then it's acceptable, but I'm not an English major.

But I'm with you, it was a private matter. Admitting" smacks of guilt. Pretty unprofessional. just like the "articles" that ran last week suggesting that Roger 's PLANET ROCK interview said he'd be recording new music with Adam Lambert.

it was implied he'd like to work on new music with Brian, but there was no direct Lambert correlation. Credible writing is harder to find, it's more like speculation, sensationalism and outright fabrications, or just including a dead celebrity name in your story to generate clicks.

The whole "article" does read like one long convoluted run-on sentence.

From Lesley-Ann Jones' Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley-Ann_Jones): "She hosts writing workshops for those stupid enough, such as the Open University, hotels in Cornwall, England, Margarita Retreat in the Algarve, Portugal and Micklethwaite".

This is the same person who was charging £40 a pop I believe, a year or so ago, for people to take a ride on the London Eye with her while she told stories about Freddie... http://www.queenzone.com/forums/1431956/selling-tickets-to-lesley-ann-jones-talk-on-freddie.aspx. I did enjoy her book though. It was respectful and it showed she thought very highly of Freddie.

As an aside, did anyone notice that Peter Freestone was selling tickets for almost AUD 400 (that's more than £230 / almost $300) in September 2016 in Australia for people to have dinner with him while they talked about Freddie (and a t-shirts and a book or something thrown in)?

I have seen it and I think it was a brave attempt. The visual detailing was at times very correct and precise. The way Freddie was drinking tea in bed for example and Freddie's clothing, style and looks were very accurate. Also the voice of the actor is very Freddie-like.
It seems the budget was fully used on Freddie because the attempts to dress up the other members was laughable. Roger with an obvious wig. Very sad.

The acting is sadly not on a great level. It's embarrassing to watch at times.

Costa86 wrote:

From Lesley-Ann Jones' Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley-Ann_Jones): "She hosts writing workshops for those stupid enough, such as the Open University, hotels in Cornwall, England, Margarita Retreat in the Algarve, Portugal and Micklethwaite".

This is the same person who was charging £40 a pop I believe, a year or so ago, for people to take a ride on the London Eye with her while she told stories about Freddie... http://www.queenzone.com/forums/1431956/selling-tickets-to-lesley-ann-jones-talk-on-freddie.aspx. I did enjoy her book though. It was respectful and it showed she thought very highly of Freddie.

As an aside, did anyone notice that Peter Freestone was selling tickets for almost AUD 400 (that's more than £230 / almost $300) in September 2016 in Australia for people to have dinner with him while they talked about Freddie (and a t-shirts and a book or something thrown in)?

Who the hell would want to pay for that?

Peter was his friend, now is making money because of that friendship. It is not chic.
Freddie would cringe.

Chinwonder2 wrote:

For anyone who would like to download it (I dunno why, it's horrible) here you go!

https://mega.nz/#!J0VThZBb!Owqpm6jGVnwWufQdTClmdmIxZAGO6q_bAfxM2sTbv9I

-Chin

Thanks mate, much appreciated.

The Fonz

Check out Brian's reaction on that drama: http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbnov16.html#11

Chopin1995 wrote:

Check out Brian's reaction on that drama: http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbnov16.html#11

A pretty restrained reaction on this . Wondering relatives will be sue the channel.

There is a nice article about Freddie's cats in today's Daily Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/delilah-irresistible-freddie-mercurys-love-cats/