It’s the Cinematic Sausage’s Festive podcast, and as is the tradition broadcaster and artist *Martin Holmes joins me to look up some festive cheer.

So, to really cheer everyone up, we’ve cast an eye over the world of espionage and found possibly the bleakest and darkest representation of a 1960s spy drama, John Le Carre’s ‘The Spy That Came In From The Cold’ (1965)

Bottles of whisky at the ready as we join Alec Leamas a burnt-out handler from West Germany as he returns to London to face his fate. A right Mundt (honestly that’s his name) has been executing British spies in the East and London is slightly miffed at the fact. Returning home Leamas is offered a desk job, refusing this ‘Control’ asks him to stay out in the cold a little longer.

After assaulting Bernard Lee (‘M’ from the Bond Films) Leamas played by Richard Burton (on top of his game doesn’t even begin to describe his performance) falls in love whilst working in a library. He gets picked up by a very dubious Michael Horden and so begins the descent into the darker under belly of espionage.

Double agents, defections and moral philosophy culminates in fateful appointment with the Berlin wall (wrong side)

This film has everything a 1960s ‘Bond’ film doesn’t have, realism.

Set in the backdrop of the 1960s, there’s free love (pajamas supplied), Rain!!, (God, does it rain),squalid bedsits, and a magnetic story line.

So, for an antidote to the falseness of the bright lights and festive fake good cheer, this film is dark, brutal and honest.

Thank you for all your support dear listener

Merry Christmas everyone!

*Martin Holmes hosts the Vision on Sound Radio Show- Sundays 7pm (GMT)- FAB radio international