In Agadoo did Kubla Khan Push pineapples, shake the tree

If you’re interested here’s my top ten horror films for 2025. Still far too many ‘grief is the monster’ movies but they seem to be thankfully declining. Happy New Year.

Wishing all my fellow Blue Sky friends a merry and peaceful Christmas.

Christmas past comes alive as Sheffield pubs, halls and theatre celebrate hyper-local carols

Day 17. Time for a route one selection. This is genuinely one of the best ever. Wombling Merry Christmas youtu.be/_JhVkWNHaU4?...

Wallace and Gromit are on the front cover of the Christmas Radio Times for the second year in a row. I do like them, but the lack of imagination from the RT symbolises in a very small, insignificant way where we are these days.

To those commissioning DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K booklet essays: I write mainly about British and American films - 60s, 70s, 80s cinema. Worked for Arrow (How to Get Ahead in Advertising, September, Count Yorga, Lifeforce, Incubus) and Indicator (Birdy, Fatherland, Captain Clegg, Robin Hood at Hammer).1/2

It's Doctor Who Day. To celebrate, I've edited and designed a new digital bookazine for @radiotimes.bsky.social, collecting the best of the magazine's articles and rare photography from the show's early years. Download it FREE from www.radiotimes.com/doctor-who-t...

***ANNOUNCEMENT*** Coming on December 15th on #4K in the UK from @hammerfilms.bsky.social: #WhisperingSmithHitsLondon (1952)! In this rediscovered classic, restored for a new generation, Private detective Steve "Whispering" Smith is intent on holidaying in England but soon becomes

I should mention that the Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films (which I’m Involved with) takes place in two Friday’s time. Guests include James Swanton, Dominic Brunt and Virginia Wetherall. We’ve talks, book launches, performances and much more. fantastic-films.uk

I should mention that the Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films (which I’m Involved with) takes place in two Friday’s time. Guests include James Swanton, Dominic Brunt and Virginia Wetherall. We’ve talks, book launches, performances and much more. fantastic-films.uk

Time to write to your MP and make your feelings known. If Labour push the ban through it will be a huge vote loser for them. actionnetwork.org/letters/scra...

A reminder that tickets are now available for all my Halloween and Christmas shows at London's Dickens Museum! Choose from THE SIGNAL-MAN & THE TRIAL FOR MURDER, THE HAUNTED MAN and the immortal CHRISTMAS CAROL before they sell out: dickensmuseum.com/blogs/all-ev...

Fans of archive TV may be interested in this tonight. See you there? wegottickets.com/event/673651 @xsmalarkey.com

This will be good.

Calling historians and researchers. The BBC Written Archives Centre has changed its access rules without consultation. This means an end to proper independent research into the BBC's rich history. 178 have already signed the open letter. Please join the campaign here: tinyurl.com/bbcwaccampaign

Don’t look now has just started on BBC4, the opening sequence is among the most dazzling in cinema history. I never tire of watching it. Christie’s scream at the climax of the scene is utterly chilling.

I am up to page 112 of HORROR MOVIE by @paultremblay.bsky.social . I am unnerved and disturbed in equal measure. ‘I can’t go on. I’ll go on.’

Excellent deep dive by Frank as usual. Here is my own piece on the film: cinephiliabeyond.org/silent-runni...

Pat Troughton and Sylvia Sims as Winston and Julia in this recovered radio production of Nineteen Eighty Four www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

I fancied a bit of cheering up.

6: "You might as well just blow your brains out on the first day."

So, a double bill of Hawk’s SCARFACE and Eggars’s NOSFERATU in 35mm. A lovely old theatre.

Boxing Day breakfast in Bolingbrook

Lovely to catch up with @cathode-ray-tube.bsky.social for lunch and gossip. Always an excellent afternoon spent in his company.

Treated myself to the QUATERMASS and the Pit Blu-ray. Still an impressive effort all these years later. The first three episodes just flew by. It has some great cliffhanger endings as the story slowly tightens the screws.

It has arrived!

Apropos of nothing… It's the same the whole world over It's the poor what gets the blame It's the rich what gets the pleasure Isn't it a blooming shame?

Which judge resigned because the books were "mere pornography"? Which author, according to another judge, "puts one off sex"? Which book did Saul Bellow dismiss as a "tinkling teacup thing"? Who refused to give the prize to a book about cannibalism? I wrote about the Booker Prize in the 1970s:

Spent a very enjoyable evening watching Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger. Martin Scorsese narrates this deep dive into the Archers filmography, skating lightly over P&P’s biographies. Pressburger is the more shadowy of the two but he does get the last word.

@headpress.bsky.social Hello, nice to see you!

Quite enjoyed watching this modern feral children movie. The performances and cinematography are excellent but any savvy viewer will always be slightly ahead of our protagonist. Title gives a lot away.

I've always had a soft spot for Pete Walker's FRIGHTMARE. Seeing it on blu-ray as part of the Walker box set from 88 films, has only confirmed how great this grotty, scuzzy film is. Sheila Keith and Rupert Davies are both astonishingly good. The violence is eye-opening for 1974. Highly recommended.

4/4 OK, #TheFilmCrowd folks; now you know what's on offer, please do one of the following to register your vote for the film to watch on the 2nd of March: LIKE this post to vote for DARK STAR REPOST this post to vote for THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR And don't do both; that'd be silly ;)

John Clute's obit for Christopher Priest is now online

Buy Interzone 295 for a dollar just because I'm in it!!! 😀 (also lots of terrific other writers)

Happy new year, chums!

Having decorators in my bedroom on Monday to erase the last vestiges of my two roof leaks over the summer. Got rid of many old clothes today. Very satisfying but I’m knackered now. Still stuff to move tomorrow. Shall be glad when it’s all over.

A spooky season creature. THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE (1959). What big teeth you have.

I see Great Christmas Movies has returned to Freeview channel 52. Meanwhile I have my feet in a bowl of cold water to combat the heat.

I’m looking forward to Lanthimos's adaptation of POOR THINGS. It does irk me when some of the reviews (I'm looking at you, Sight & Sound) omit the name of the source novel's author, Alasdair Gray. The film didn’t spring fully formed from the directors head. I

I saw BARBIE! It’s good fun but, of course, isn’t going to bite the hand that feeds it. The end is mawkish as in the way of such blockbusters. Will Ferrell is awkward and out of place.

I’ll try and keep a record of films watched here. THE LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES. This late Hammer has the great Mr Cushing, lots of martial arts action and a Dracula who wears too much lipstick. Great James Bernard score.

I’m having my bedroom totally redecorated after a huge leak from the ceiling damaged my walls, bed and books. I need to downsize my reading material and finding it very hard to let go of some volumes. I’m never going to read DUNE again am I?

Happy birthday Mary Shelley! Fondly remembering when @zdarsky.bsky.social uncovered the first edition of Frankenstein.

Hello, hello, testing. Is this thing on? Welcome to my little page. Let’s carry on eh?