122: Top Supermarkets, Prepping and Touch of Evil
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In this episode of The Alexei Sayle Podcast, the conversation begins with a satirical take on global supply chain chaos, centered on a fictional 'Gulf of Hummus' blockade by Iran that disrupts hummus supplies and sparks 'Waitrose riots'—a darkly comic metaphor for how geopolitical tensions ripple into everyday life. The hosts then dive into a candid, humorous ranking of UK supermarkets, with Alexei favoring Booth’s, Waitrose, and Aldi, while poking fun at his own bourgeois shopping habits and the absurdity of prepping for Armageddon. The episode shifts to a heartfelt and intense discussion of Orson Welles’ 1958 noir masterpiece *Touch of Evil*, where Alexei and guest Talal dissect its groundbreaking three-minute tracking shot, morally ambiguous characters, and the film’s controversial racial casting—particularly Charlton Heston’s 'brownface' portrayal of a Mexican detective. They reflect on Welles’ tragic career, studio interference, and the film’s enduring legacy, culminating in a shocking revelation: the film’s villain is revealed to be the very man seen planting the bomb in the opening shot. The episode closes with a self-aware, ironic nod to Alexei’s own past use of blackface in a continuity gag, raising uncomfortable questions about legacy and historical context in comedy.
The opening tracking shot in *Touch of Evil* is a 3-minute, single-take masterpiece that tells an entire story through camera movement, filmed at dawn after a night of failed takes.
Charlton Heston’s 'brownface' portrayal of a Mexican detective is a glaring racial issue, but the film’s deeper flaw is its framing of the real villain as the man seen planting the bomb in the opening shot.
Orson Welles’ career is a cautionary tale of artistic genius undermined by studio interference, with *Touch of Evil* being butchered by Universal after Welles lost editing control in 1957.
The film’s final scene reveals that the corrupt detective Hank Quinlan framed innocent men for years—not from instinct, but from a calculated, systemic abuse of power.
Alexei admits to having performed blackface in a continuity gag on *Stuff*, acknowledging the discomfort and potential fallout of such material in today’s cultural climate.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Gulf of Hummus Crisis & Waitrose Riots
“People in Waitrose are... Freaking out. ...rioting because they can't get the supplies of what they're going to do for their weekend dips, for their book groups and for their parties because the Straits of Hormuz are completely blocked by the Iranians.”
Supermarket Showdown: Booth’s, Waitrose, Aldi & the Bourgeois List
The hosts rank their favorite UK supermarkets, with Alexei favoring Booth’s (the 'Waitrose of the North'), Waitrose, Asda, and Aldi—while joking about his own bourgeois shopping habits and the absurdity of Sainsbury’s being his least favorite despite nostalgia.
Prepping for Armageddon: From Flour to Hydrogen Peroxide
“I'd be living on, you know, stuff like hampers you get sent at Christmas and stuff. Well, I get sent anyway. You probably don't. So I'll be living on like Fortnum and Mason's date and ginger chutney.”
The Ghosts of Tesco: Dead Bodies, Hospitals, and Memory
A surreal and emotional tangent about seeing dead bodies—Alexei recalls his mother’s death, a man dying on a bus, and a body pulled from the harbor—while reflecting on how places like Tesco now occupy the spiritual space of former hospitals.
Peter Crouch, Gambling Ads, and Labour’s Donor Problem
The hosts critique the saturation of Peter Crouch in ads, linking it to gambling industry influence and the revelation that gambling interests were the largest donors to Keir Starmer’s Labour campaign.
“The longest tracking shot in the history of film up until that point. And obviously you couldn't fake it. It had to be done.”
“People in waiters are... Freaking out. ...rioting because they can't get the supplies of what they're going to do for their weekend dips, for their book groups and for their parties because the Straits of Hormuz are completely blocked by the Iranians.”
“When you run for Premier Inn of the country. All right. Fuck me. Arena, The Orson Welles Story episodes one and two are on BBC iPlayer as well. I look forward to watching that.”
Host
Guest
orson welles
person
charlton heston
person
waitrose
brand
janet leigh
person
gulf of hummus
place
dennis weaver
person
sainsbury's
brand
alder
brand
morrison's
brand
victor and bob
person
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