Long live backlists

What wonderful times these are for film-lovers. There are so many old films coming out on DVD. It must be twenty years ago that Channel 4 had a season of Mae West and Rudolph Valentino, and I've been waiting years to see them again. The Mae West box set is stashed away for Xmas - Male Parent doesn't do Xmas shopping, on account of disability - at least I always get what I want. I got two Rudolph Valentino DVD's in Stirling, in one of those remaindered book shops, for £2 each, £3 the pair. Couldn't believe it. I've waited years! The Eagle and Blood and Sand. Despite all the melodrama, the old b&w films are so close to ordinary lives - the characters are people who've known hardship, weariness and cold, hunger, indignity, heart-scorching distress. But the best of them retain their humanity, decency and sense of purpose, and all but the very worst honour the bonds of family and friendship.

And talking of melodrama, I found an old video in a charity shop at the weekend: The Lady and the Highwayman of 1989, with a very young-looking Hugh Grant as the dashing hero, looking 'sad' in the Middle English meaning of the word - very serious and high-minded. Oh, he does it so well. It's so camp, and he looks so gorgeous in lace.