A proper classic this evening. Redford and Newman. A William Goldman script. What more could you ask for in a movie? Yes its BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969, dir. George Roy Hill)...

It was a fantastic event! Pick up all their books, folks!

I'm getting around 10 marketing/fake author reachout emails a day right now. Lots of "report phishing" "report spam" buttons being hit. Some of them are objectively amusing, at least. I do worry I'm missing one or two genuine, but this is ridiculous...

Well, I think this AI spammer wasn't paying attention when sending this to me, were they? Unless... am I a professor of law and have just forgotten?

Ifs even more insane than I remembered -- and of course it's a boil, not a pimple -- but that boil wants to sell pimple cream... an absolutely insane movie about the madness of consumerism... and I still love it!

Saw HOW TO GET AHEAD IN ADVERTISING (1989, dir. Bruce Robinson) late night in channel 4 when I was in my teens and have been searching for a copy for years. Richard E Grant as an advertising executive who grows a sentient pimple? If there was a "Russel film" pitch it's this one...

Its THE DRIVER (1978, dir. Walter Hill) vs The Cop in a stripped back noir tonight -- another 4k restoration of a cool classic with style and attitude to spare...

Thinking about entering the First 500 Novel Competition? Last year’s winner Stephanie Torrance shares how entering changed everything for her from confidence boosts to free Jericho Writers membership, agent feedback, and even a finished draft. Entries are open now: zurl.co/b1k8d

every company in 2025

Great piece by Zadie Smith. When the right talks about classics or "Western" culture, these works are only important to the extent that it demonstrates their superiority, they have no interest in art in and of itself beyond that www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Who knew Oprah Winfrey had a Gmail address and was interested in promoting a tiny wee Scottish crime writer, eh?

Noir lovers, if you can, check this one out tonight on the excellent @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social!

Take one page ... SCOT'S EGGS undergoes the p.69 test today. page69test.blogspot.com/2025/11/scot...

Read. @sirbenfro.bsky.social. Now. (Especially BROKEN GHOSTS). You won't regret it.

The great fanboy fetish of "continuity" is what's sucking the joy out of so many (shudders to use the word) franchises. Yes, a certain level of consistency is needed, but we don't need constant in-universe explanations for every micro-inconsistency etc. The stories need to stand on their own merits.

I don't get all this Bond "continuity" nonsense. Continuity only seemed important (imo) when Craig took over. Before that, no one really cared as long as the essentials were there. Why not just start again? Why not just ignore the Craig Bonds? Or do something simple as this?

Re-upping for the weekend (and with my book out in two days)

The first time I saw GHOST DOG: WAY OF THE SAMURAI (1999, dir. Jim Jaramusch) I had no idea what to make of it, only that I had seen something special-- it remains one of my favourite movies with Forest Whitaker's stunning performance as a samurai influenced hitman owning every frame...

Winding down after an excellent day at Aye Write with one of my fave comfort movies ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981, dir. John Carpenter) in glorious restored edition...

Brilliant evening with Marion Todd at Aye Write! So much fun!

Back in the 90s there was a run of great Elmore Leonard adaptations -- OUT OF SIGHT (1998, dir. Steven Soserbergh), tonight's watch, was one of the best, finally showing us why George Clooney was a bona fide movie star (his charm is effortless here) and making the most of a superb supporting cast.

Worst thing about sending off a draft? I now have the urge to keep writing -- guess I should start noodling on another project?

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 86: You don't have to go far to get ideas. They're everywhere around you. What you need is to train your mind to see the familiar in a new and unfamiliar way. Change angles. Play with perspective. Take tired tropes and wake them up.

Two global search and replaces to make, and then the manuscript for what I hope will be the next book is off to agent and editor. Still unsure whether it's actually any good or not. There are moments you just have to let something out into the wider world, though...

Ten years (!) since CRY UNCLE, the fifth (& final?) J McNee novel came out! To celebrate this, the book is FREE for the next few days on Kindle! Grab it while you can, folks! amzn.eu/d/4Fuh0RW #booksky #scotland #crimefiction #kindle

New blog post! Free Books and other updates! russeldmcleanbooks.com/2025/11/05/f...

Great to answer some questions from the awesome @crimebookgirl.bsky.social ahead of appearing #ayewrite2025. Although I fully admit I cheated on one of the "quickfire" questions... but you can never ever ask me to pick just one favourite when it comes to these things...

After @aptshadow.bsky.social noted the unexpected Grecian origins of the original 1965 novel, how could I not have THE WARRIORS (1979, dir. Walter Hill) on the watchlist? Yes, tonight The Warriors come out to play...

New blog post! Free Books and other updates! russeldmcleanbooks.com/2025/11/05/f...

Ten years (!) since CRY UNCLE, the fifth (& final?) J McNee novel came out! To celebrate this, the book is FREE for the next few days on Kindle! Grab it while you can, folks! amzn.eu/d/4Fuh0RW #booksky #scotland #crimefiction #kindle

Order now, folks -- its a superb novel and the best entry yet in an already brilliant series!

Clearly in a 70s mood with movies at the moment -- another favourite tonight with MARATHON MAN (1976, dir. John Schlesinger).. first time I saw this, I realised my childhood dentist was the spitting image of Laurence Olivier... which didn't bode well for future dental trips...

The third round done, it's time to compile to word doc. and prepare to send to agent/editor. Still not perfect. Likely many changes, but... it's feeling like a book now... fingers crossed they like it...

Tonight's film is a crime classic -- the original THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 (1972, dir. Joseph Sargent) in the @arrowvideo.bsky.social 4k edition. One of my all time favourite movies (and let's not mention the 2009 remake...).

Even though my name has mis-spelled (in every way possible!) on the website, I am hugely excited to be on a panel at Aye Write in Glasgow with the brilliant Marion Todd and Andrew Lowe on the 8th November (Next week!) at 6pm! Be there! www.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/the-...

After the horror in October, tonight a change of pace with the @arrowvideo.bsky.social restoration of WITHNAIL AND I (1987) on blu ray. The film my dad took me to see before I went to uni so I'd know what flatsharing would be like, it remains one of my all tk.e faves. & the restoration is stunning!

As is traditional on Halloween, tonight's viewing is an Evil Dead movie -- so the greatest sequel of all is on rotation... yes, EVIL DEAD 2 (1987, dir. Sam Raimi) is revving its chainsaw tonight...

Very close to handing this one to the people who need to read it. Still not perfect, but fingers crossed they like it when its ready... It's true what they say that writing is rewriting... the way this has changed shape has been an exhausting but fascinating process...

The night before Halloween is the perfect night for a GHOST STORY (1981, dir. John Irwin) based on the novel by Peter Straub and in the handsome @secondsightfilms.bsky.social blu ray edition...

Latest read: VAMPIRE OF EL NORTE by Isabel Canas - a historical horror in which a young couple must overcome the horror that seperated them years earlier as the United States attack Mexico... & a gathering of vampiric creatures stalk the night. Proper old fashioned adventure novel with added bite!

October horror watches continue with a proper classic -- Man is the warmest place to hide in John Carpenter's THE THING (1982) in the restored blu ray version from @arrowvideo.bsky.social

It's spooky season! Make sure to pick up the Dick Tracy Halloween Special today for an oversized @madcavestudios.com issue from me, @michaelmoreci.bsky.social & @craigcermak.bsky.social w/ @suspensesiren.bsky.social & @emilianapinna.bsky.social! @geraldoborges.bsky.social @sooleedraws.bsky.social

For some reason, I have great difficulty typing "twenty" -- it tends to come out as "twenety" multiple times before I get it right.. #welcometorusselsweirdbrain

Read in public. Read in private. Read e-books, genre books, comics, fanfiction. Read literature. Read nonfiction. Read books you’ve already read. Listen to audiobooks. Read what you want. There’s no such thing as “doing reading the wrong way.”

Be sure to join us in St Peter's tonight as we sit down with @lesleymcdowell.bsky.social to talk all about her new novel Love & Other Poisons - a tale bursting with scandal and intrigue that spans decades... following the mysterious figure of Madeleine Smith. Tickets available on the door!

Happy Birthday, Dave -- and folks, read his books, cos they are BRILLIANT!

Just curated a little shopfront on uk.bookshop.org/shop/RD_McLean listing a few of my own books (not all available there right now, but will keep working on it!) as well as lists of influences and books on writing. I get a wee commission from sales & all sales support independent bookstores!

We! Want! People! To! Notice! When! We! Speak! For! Fucking! Once!

Not in the best of moods today, really -- cranky at the slightest thing and working veeerrrryyyy sloooowwwwllllyyyy... But you can cheer me up if you buy my books (other bookstores & links available, this one just for illustrative purposes!): www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Russe...

BTW, the author photo there is one of my faves from the great @bobmcdevitt.bsky.social, photographer extraordinaire.