A few years ago, I wrote a radio drama about Dashiell Hammett. I’ve posted a scene from that play over at Silkworms Ink. You can read it here.
Monthly Archives: March 2011
Inside the TARDIS: Doctor Who Experience
For my birthday, Roisin took me to the Doctor Who Experience!
We encountered Daleks, Cybermen, Zygons, Sontarans, Ice Warriors, a Giant Robot and, of course, Davros!
The walk-through element takes you through a crack in time onto the bridge of Starship UK. From there, a specially filmed segment with Matt Smith’s Doctor sends you on an exciting (and sometimes scary) adventure. Smith’s excitable, charming performance had me grinning from ear to ear.
Stepping through the doors into the TARDIS console room is a magical moment. It really is bigger on the inside, and the floor shakes beneath your feet as you take off. At this point, I’d completely forgotten about the city outside!
If you’ve ever wanted to hurry down a darkened corridor past Weeping Angels or to stand on the bridge of a Dalek spaceship, this is the place for you! I’ll post some more photos tomorrow…
Taste the Blood of Silkworms Ink
I’ve written another post for the chaps at Silkworms Ink. It’s entitled “Kensington Gore” and you can read it here.
Teaching Sherlock Holmes #1
As some of you may know, over the past few years I’ve been researching and writing my PhD in Film at the University of Warwick. One of the real benefits of this long and arduous process has been the opportunity to teach undergraduates, and to try to convey some of my enthusiasm for the subject.
I’m really excited about next week, when I’m assisting Michael Lightborne on his Adaptation course. He’s asked me to teach a two-week module on transmedia Sherlock Holmes. Planning this work has been very pleasant indeed: I’ve been trawling through all my DVDs, books and comics finding examples of Conan Doyle’s immense influence on culture.
Next week, I’m going to be showing my students Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon alongside Brett’s The Dancing Men, two very different riffs on the same source material. We’re also going to be running a workshop which will project three different reels of Sherlockian material, allowing the students to explore the space, making their own connections between different adaptations.
Putting together these reels has been tremendous fun. We’re using clips from the Rathbone films, the Brett series, the Wilmer and Cushing BBC episodes, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, Murder by Decree, Without a Clue and the recent Cumberbatch and Downey Jr. versions. We’ll also have a slideshow running displaying illustrations, advertising material and pages from comic books.
In the second week, I’m going to be lecturing on a more focused case study, comparing the approaches of the Cumberbatch and Downey Jr. Sherlocks, and asking what prompted their creative decisions.
I think it should be a stimulating couple of sessions and I can’t wait to see what the students make of it all! Needless to say, I shall report back on our findings here at Squeezegut Alley…
Superman vs. the Silkworms
Last month’s big news was that the lovely fellows over at Silkworms Ink asked me to be their film editor. There are some really exciting things planned for the site in 2011 (not least the bumper size 50th Chapbook) so be sure to keep checking back! In the meantime, you can read my first post for Silkworms: Whatever Happened to the Man from Tomorrow? Oh, and don’t forget to leave me a comment to let me know if I did good…
They Had Faces Then #6
C. Aubrey Smith, who, with Nigel Bruce and Cedric Hardwicke, once perpetrated this piece of “music” upon the American public.
Jane Russell: a swell broad
Jane Russell has died, aged 89. Famous for her curves, Russell was hugely under-rated both as a dramatic and comic actress. Tough, smart and funny, Russell was a rare kind of movie star – always happy to puncture her glamourous image with a self-deprecating quip. Little wonder, then, that she was such good friends with Robert Mitchum!
And no-one faced up to Mitchum onscreen in the way that Russell did. She was able to smile at his toughness, match him for wisecracks and she was tall enough to look him square in the eye. She often played a showgirl, wise enough in the ways of the world to be careful, but wistful enough to be tender. And, of course, these roles always gave her a chance to sing. Here are three of my favourite Russell moments, two from movies with Mitchum and one with Bob Hope:
Russell sings “Five Little Miles from San Berdo” in His Kind of Woman (1951)
A perfect example of the way the two stars worked together. He’d look her up and down wolfishly; she’d meet his gaze and challenge him to do better. While wearing a great dress.
Russell sings “One for the Road” in Macao (1952)
A great interpretation of the song, delivered in another excellent frock. I especially like her interaction with the pianist. Amidst vice and avarice, these musicians play for themselves.
Russell sings “Wing Ding” in Son of Paleface (1952)
Another costuming triumph, as Russell raucously entertains a Western saloon. Believe it or not, she’s playing Calamity Jane! Russell had great comic timing and she’s so much fun in the Paleface movies, walking all over cowardly Bob Hope. The presence of Roy Rogers (ever faithful to Trigger!) only adds to the pleasure of this clip.
Self-Styled Siren has written a great tribute to Jane Russell: read it here!
