'The Only Man Stalin Ever Feared'

July 30, 2005 2:31 PM

Alexei Sayle's writing for the Independent in the Motoring section. Occasionally it's about motoring, too! Also found was his "Imitating Katherine Walker" [html/pdf] and an excerpt from his book of short stories 'Barcelona Plates'. more inside
posted by Zack_Replica (10 comments total)

I've always liked Alexei Sayle in The Young Ones and 'Alexei Sayle's Stuff' (page of RealPlayer links to series intros - best thing I could find), so I had a look at what else he was doing. I picked up his novel "Overtaken" and liked it, as it has a similar outlook to people and life as his comedy does, and found more of his writings. The BBC link to the 'End of Story' contest (the 'Imitating K Walker' link previous) is here, with links to other info on that fat bastard. Also, this site has a bio, interviews and things. Enjoy! You know it's surprising how fast a hippy can run if you've annoyed him by driving over his sitar.
posted by Zack_Replica at 2:32 PM on July 30, 2005

Oh yes on The Young Ones!!! What was that one Neil quote... "I keep trying to crucify myself, but I never can get the last nail in".
posted by buzzman at 3:05 PM on July 30, 2005

As for those in the VIP enclosures such as myself - well, possessing money and status doesn't automatically make you a bastard, though Bryan Ferry was there.

He hasn't lost his touch. Unlike Bryan Ferry.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 3:23 PM on July 30, 2005

Like Patrick Moore (see earlier Sky at Night thread), Alexi Sayle is also a god amongst men. One of the great British comedians and as mad as a bag of badgers to boot. Thank God he didn't go down the same path as Ben Elton...
posted by i_cola at 4:11 PM on July 30, 2005

The excerpt from Barcelona Plates wasn't bad. I remember him from several TV appearances during the early 80's. But when he was doing standup I didn't know what he was going on about half the time. Didn't he play mildly sinister Eastern Bloc appartchik types in a few films?

They use different words for things in America.
For instance they say elevator and we say lift.
They say drapes and we say curtains.
They say president and we say brain damaged git.

-- Alexei Sayle

Ha!
posted by Devils Slide at 6:56 PM on July 30, 2005

Yah, he was in Gorky Park, and I *think* he played a taxi driver in Siesta.
His stand-up was very different and as he put it, "Stream of conciousness? No - stream of tastlessness!" He had the whole punk ethic of "let's see what we can get away with" that worked wonders on the Young Ones.

BALOWSKI: (...) Bloody hell, skateboards? Thing of the past, yeah, absolutely, do me Bob, knock it on the 'ead. I don't know who I am. Laugh? Laugh, I nearly went to Ethiopia. Second class of course. Know what I mean?

MIKE: Not really, no Reg.

BALOWSKI: You're a right little five speed gearbox aren't you.
-Young Ones 'BOMB'
posted by Zack_Replica at 7:41 PM on July 30, 2005

And that exchange pretty much sums up how funny I found his stuff on the Young Ones.
posted by jonson at 8:15 PM on July 30, 2005

Alexei Sayle! How the hell did I forget about this amazingly funny man?

Thanks for the post.
posted by Kloryne at 8:43 PM on July 30, 2005

Give us a pound or I'll kick your teeth in!
posted by emf at 2:55 AM on July 31, 2005

He was also in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as the middle-eastern ruler who wanted a classic german car rather than jewels.
posted by leibniz at 7:27 AM on July 31, 2005