vivdunstan: Photo of some of my books (books)
Squeezing in another of these before my end of year final post.

Got through another 8 books since the last update.

    earlier books )
  1. Katabasis by RF Kuang
  2. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
  3. Mr Villain's Day Off volume 1 (manga) by Yuu Morikawa
  4. Born With Teeth (play script) by Liz Duffy Adams
  5. A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
  6. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
  7. Doctor Who Tales of Terror (short story anthology)
  8. Crossroads of Twilight (Wheel of Time book 10) by Robert Jordan


Of the newly finished books, Katabasis was a lot of fun, with a dark journey into the Underworld, but not as good as RF Kuang's superb Babel or even Yellowface for me. Carmilla was a book club read, and frankly disappointing, and a struggle to read. Though Hammer made a good stab at filming a better version in the early 1970s. Mr Villain's Day Off was a chance find in Angus libraries catalogue, so borrowed that way. Fun manga, but I wasn't inspired to read other volumes. Born With Teeth, the Marlowe/Shakespeare play performed recently on stage by Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel, was a brilliant read, though it would be better to see it performed in person. Yes, I did my usual Roger Zelazny pre-Halloween reread of A Night in the Lonesome October. Still love it. T. Kingfisher's A Wizard's Guide to Contemporary Baking was fun, but a bit unevenly paced, and younger than I'd usually read. It also took too long to get to dangerous fighting gingerbread men. Doctor Who Tales of Terror is a fun spooky anthology collection, with short stories by multiple authors for each of Doctors 1-12. A bit uneven, but overall fun. Wheel of Time book 10 was the slog that I expected, though still fun in many parts. But I needed a very specific approach to reading to get through it successfully. But things should be better again in the remaining books. Book 10 is generally regarded by readers of the whole series as the worst by a long way.
vivdunstan: A picture of a cinema projector (films)
Planning our Halloween viewing, possibly spread over a couple of nights. First up Hammer's movie The Vampire Lovers, based on Sheridan Le Fanu's novella Carmilla, which I recently read for my book club. Then bonkers supernatural comedy movie Hundreds of Beavers.
vivdunstan: Photo of some of my books (books)
Just finished reading this for my book club. Struggled hugely with the writing style - so many extremely convoluted sentences. I liked the core plot, but think Hammer's movie version The Vampire Lovers (1970) rearranges the core parts better. I need to rewatch that soon!
vivdunstan: Scene from The Greatest Enemy episode of Robin of Sherwood (robin of sherwood)
I am continuing to watch these on ITVX. Though generally in spread out spurts, rather than more steadily.

Tonight I was watching the latter half of "Lord of the Trees", all of "The Enchantment", and starting on the first half of "The Swords of Wayland". All episodes from season 2.

One thing that's striking me a lot is how sanitised it is, both in violence, but also in sexual relations. The fight scenes - heavily signposted by the start of the "fight music" each time - are pantomime like a lot. Older me fast forwards through many of them. They also often go on for a very long time. But they're also rarely too gory (*). Nor is there anything like as much sexual violence or menace as you would expect for the time, and would be shown in a more adult aiming programme. Even Lilith's seduction (of a sort) of Robin is remarkably asexual, especially from Robin. And as for Robin and Marion, well that's minimal too.

Against that mythology is heavily used throughout. And it's often very dark. As are the frequently threatening visuals. I've just got to the start of "The Swords of Wayland" two-parter. The images at the start of riders on horseback and menacing people is very visceral and scary. Not in a light Hammer way. Watching "Lord of the Trees" tonight I wondered what Mary Whitehouse would have made of it all! Checking on Wikipedia it seems that she did have views, and "objected to the [show's] relentless slaughter and blasphemous religious elements". No big surprises there!

Women frequently have very strong roles in the series, which is nice to see. Though not so much Marion, even if her agency improves in season 2 over season 1. But I'm thinking especially of villainesses, such as Lilith and Morgwyn. Though quite what that says, that it's generally the evil women who get the strong female roles, I'm not so sure. To be fair, this is set in medieval times, when things were even more limited than today.

It is a bit exasperating how certain storylines are left unfinished though. I'm thinking in particular of what happened to Gisburne at the end of season 1, the story of Baron de Belleme, and of course, and most sadly, the unfinished storylines after the series was cancelled after season 3.

The guest cast is often astonishing though. I've been marvelling at that throughout. I am looking forward to next season, and Richard O'Brien's repeated appearances. Though I'm less excited about an upcoming major cast change. On plus we will have other great guest stars to enjoy. I am especially looking forward to seeing William Russell.

Anyway yes, very happy rewatching these. A marvellous series, that first aired 40 years ago this year. And still well worth making time for.

* I know that ITVX has cut some of the violence. But I've seen enough of the series on DVD before to remember that even in the original uncut form it's not as violent as you might expect for the time. Very impressive, albeit a bit overlong for me now. But remarkably non "eek!" inducing.
vivdunstan: Art work for the IF Archive including traditional text adventure tropes like a map, lamp, compass, key, rope, books a skull, and a sigh referring to grues (interactive fiction)
Delighted that my favourite game in this year’s very strong IFComp was the final winner. Dr Ludwig and the Devil is like a comic Hammer horror film in parser game form. The results were just announced in a Twitch livestream and the full final ranking will be on the competition website soon https://ifcomp.org It was an incredibly strong year for the competition, and all the entrants should be very proud of themselves.

Misty

Sep. 28th, 2023 05:36 pm
vivdunstan: Photo of some of my books (books)
Just arrived, newly published today, the “45 years of fear” essential collection of British cult horror comic for girls, Misty. I never read this as a youngster, despite around that time watching Hammer and Amicus horror films from a young age! Oh and many Roger Corman Vincent Price ones with my dad. I really missed out re Misty!



vivdunstan: Photo of some of my books (books)
Slightly Foxed issue Winter 2020 (yes I have a bit of a backlog) and Kim Newman’s short book about Hammer’s Quatermass and the Pit movie.

vivdunstan: A picture of a cinema projector (films)
Tonight’s movie watching - and we managed all 80 minutes or so in one sitting - was the 1950 thriller So Long At The Fair starring Jean Simmons and Dirk Bogarde. I’d last seen this movie in the 1980s, catching it by chance one afternoon while flicking through television channels. It made a big impression on me, but I haven’t seen it again until tonight.

It’s set in Paris at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, the story of a disappearance, and the increasing mystery surrounding it. It’s a very well constructed thriller, directed by later frequent Hammer director Terence Fisher. The entire cast impresses. I found it as enjoyable the second time around. Martin enjoyed it too.

Rating 5/5. A really nicely done historical thriller with a superb central mystery and great cast and direction.

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vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
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