Off to Star Trek on Saturday with H; hugely enjoyable, but – when I came back home and picked up my new Sexton Blake compilation (good fun and wide ranging, but not necessarily the best of Blake) to read myself to sleep – something quite interesting struck me. The Star Trek TV series is oneContinue reading “Kirk 1, Spock 0”
Category Archives: Film
The Spiders of Instruction
Watching first ‘The Fly’ and then ‘Island of Lost Souls’ – the first the original 50s shocker, the second the classic 1933 adaptation of H.G. Wells’ ‘The Island of Dr Moreau’, starring Charles Laughton as the titular doctor – was a shocking experience, because both end in scenes of the blackest nightmare. In ‘Lost Souls’,Continue reading “The Spiders of Instruction”
A gig, a story, an interview and the apocalypse…
First of all, Happy New Year all! An enjoyable and productive 2009 to all. Secondly, a gig, a story and an interview. Graan are ringing in the New Year at A Music Club this Thursday 8th January – as ever, I’ll be adding spoken word to the heavy sounds, jah? Sehr gut. Also, my shortContinue reading “A gig, a story, an interview and the apocalypse…”
Batty falls from the stars
Screens in Blade Runner; for a movie that’s always been billed as a key cyberpunk progenitor, they are – for the most part – remarkably large, and remarkably one way. A core essence of cyberpunk is the hackable system, the two way engagement with the data stream, but there’s precious little of that in thisContinue reading “Batty falls from the stars”
A short post about hauntings
Late night Bank Holiday Monday, and rather than enjoying the delights of the Notting Hill Carnival the hard working writer of Weird Fiction finds himself enjoying a glass of whisky and the Amicus portmanteau semi-classic ‘Vault of Horror’. Terry Thomas, Tom Baker (in possibly the maddest ginger false beard and wig combo in cinema), AnnaContinue reading “A short post about hauntings”
THE SENTENCE THAT MAN WAS NEVER MEANT TO READ (or, why the new X-Files movie stinks)
A quick post today, as – what with one thing and another – I’m running around at high speed. So, a high speed rant about what a total dog the new X-Files movie is…. As it is an epic of badness, a truly colossal set of plot and ethics blunders, a movie that gives dunceryContinue reading “THE SENTENCE THAT MAN WAS NEVER MEANT TO READ (or, why the new X-Files movie stinks)”
Momentous moments of mirth
A quick post today, highlighting a superb article from Tanya Gold in The Guardian about that uniquely British phenomenon – the Carry On movies, a set of (very cheesy) UK comedies made in the 50s, 60s and 70s. If you’re British, you don’t need me to tell you about them. If you’re from anywhere else,Continue reading “Momentous moments of mirth”
A Knievel Christmas
Well, I was going to type my Happy Christmas post last night, but alas I got sidetracked by Evel Knievel’s early 70s masterpiece, ‘Viva Knievel’. What to say about a film that begins with orphans casting their crutches aside and thanking EK for healing with them, moves on to showcase a berserk anti-drugs plot deliveredContinue reading “A Knievel Christmas”
Life with the Vaders
Well, a busy day at Allumination Central, so for your delectation – and following on from yesterday’s Star Wars referencing post – here’s the first of the magnificent online saga that is ‘Chad Vader – Day Shift Manager’. It’s about Darth Vader’s somewhat less adequate little brother, and his daily battles as he manages aContinue reading “Life with the Vaders”
H and I go movie
Well, a short entry today pondering ‘Carnival of Souls’ and last night’s piece of filmgoing, ‘Yella’. They are related, both being spooky and subtle tales of the possibly supernatural, but I can’t tell you why because I’d blow key plot twists So instead of anything specific, a very quick thought. Writers who are primarily realistsContinue reading “H and I go movie”