I’m a curious sort of fellow. By that I mean that whenever something grabs my interest, I want to find out more about it. If I become interested in a TV show, I want to find out more about its … Continue reading A Know-Nothing Westerner’s Guide to SCANDAL
It’s hard to think of The Thin Man without picturing William Powell and Myrna Loy in the famous 1934 movie version that spun off into numerous sequels, batting weaponised one-liners back and forth like a game of atomic ping-pong. Before I started reading the book from which it was adapted, written a mere 5 years previously, I’d always assumed that the famous badinage between husband and wife team Nick and Nora Charles in the movie was a product of its frequently-paired stars Powell and Loy, but it turns out I was wrong. That’s what you get for making assumptions. Dashiell … Continue reading ‘The Thin Man’ by Dashiell Hammett
Silver for the songbird, As she’s standing in the dark, Singing songs of sunrise colour, Like the trilling of the lark. Silver for the songbird, Behind a curtain golden brown, Opens up to meet the morning, Rises up to meet the town. Silver for the songbird, As the people pass her by, Heads all bowed in cold disinterest, Never look her in the eye. Silver for the songbird, Returns day after day, And with grim determination, Gathers silver penny pay. Continue reading Silver for the Songbird
Walking through town the other day, I saw three teenage girls, arm-in-arm, cheerfully singing away in the unselfconscious manner borne of youth. For a moment, I couldn’t tell what they were singing, but as they passed by, I realised that … Continue reading Teenage Queen: How Bohemian Rhapsody Turned the Kids on to Freddie
Many years ago, Ben Hudson and myself developed an idea for a cyberpunk TV series called Johnny Clockwork. Taking its cues from Max Headroom and William Gibson, Johnny Clockwork told the story of a disabled teenage detective who solves crimes without ever leaving his room, utilising an amazing array of computer technology and the occasional help of his ‘leg-woman’ Leyland. Although we kicked around a million ideas, no script was ever written. But looking through some old files, I came across an opening narration for Johnny Clockwork, which I’m publishing here for the very first time. I think you’ll find … Continue reading Johnny Clockwork: The Future is NOW!
Originally published in Strange Skins Digital #1 This isn’t the first time I’ve discussed the work of Geoff Love in the pages of Strange Skins; way back in issue four of the original run, I wrote an overview of his … Continue reading Variations on a Space Theme: Geoff Love and his Orchestra
From heavy fog march blinkered pawns, With backward pointing faces, Who, on command, step deep in sand, With boots that leave no traces. Towards a dog whose newest tricks, Are centuries in hiding, And futures told in days of old, They’re confidently striding. A jewelled knight is throwing wide, The curtain of his master, While this old town is beaten down, With memories of disaster. Though distant poles shine black and white, The median in greying, Whilst in the woods, obscured by trees, The wicked wolf is baying. People flock from miles around, To watch the dancing piper, Though harvest … Continue reading The Cinnamon Road
Lost in a maze, your fickle fame, Just sitting there in a chair, With a face on. Number one smash, Top of the Pops, Churn ‘em out now, Holy Cow, There’s a race on. Don’t be blue, don’t be blue, Look alive, Cherry Red, we need you, Don’t be blue, don’t be blue, Cheer up Cherry Red, we need you. Shooting you up, shooting you down, Camden has crashed and you’re smashed, What a caper. Those guys are hot, these girls are cool, What do they know? So you don’t, Read the paper. Don’t be blue, don’t be blue, Look … Continue reading Cherry Red
Little green devil, O’ wormwood imp, You made my mind crippled, You made my brain limp. You gnawed at my synapses, dulled every sense, And stole all my memory, Without recompense. You made my legs rooted; you made my arms weak, And my lips turned to lime wax, Unable to speak. So, back in the bottle, thou green spawn of hell, ‘Til I next tumble under, Thy bohemian spell. (C) Paul Ferry 2005 Continue reading Absinthe
I can’t honestly say where I first heard the name Star Wars. It was probably from my brother; he was (and still is) 5 years older than me and more in touch with what was going on in the wild, … Continue reading That Space Film: Star Wars in the UK ’77
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