K.A. Laity's Blog, page 27

Got Gothic? Turney’s The Other One (1952)

The Dell paper back edition: ‘Black magic — and a modern sorceress!’ That ghastly green: I love it. Last week’s film Back from the Dead was based on this mid-century Gothic thriller and scripted by the author, who certainly streamlined the narrative — perhaps a little too much. By coincidence (or due to us both... Read More

Saturday Matinee: Back from the Dead (1957)

BACK FROM THE DEAD (1957) You know I can’t help but wonder whether Hitchcock saw this before he made Vertigo the next year, but of course I am too lazy at present to do any research on either film. In any case, if he did yer man also decided ‘But why don’t we focus on... Read More

PCA/ACA in April

The Easter Bunny usually brings a good egg: the PCAACA conference. Virtual again this year for safety’s sake, many of the usual crowd are gathering to bring you great discussions about the popular culture you love. Here’s my schedule including the much-anticipated round table with pals: I’m still digesting Archive 81 and need to check... Read More

Surreal Noir: 22 Mar 22

Tonight, it’s SURREAL NOIR at NoBounds Radio. Episode Eight: It’s Women’s History Month, so a variety of things including adaptations of Patricia Highsmith’s Deep Water (no, I haven’t seen the brand new one yet but I did hear someone refer to it as Gone Girl 2.0 which is encouraging. All texts mentioned: Leave Her to... Read More

Cannibal Comfort

Is it weird that one of my comfort watches is a series about cannibalism? Considering how sad most of my other televisions choices are (Bleak House, Sense & Sensibility [2008], Jane Eyre [2006]) I suppose it’s not. Also it’s stunningly beautiful, a masterpiece of hapticity that makes you want to caress the screen. While Mads... Read More

The Teacher Learns

We all have our ways of coping with despair: one of mine is learning something new. You may not be too surprised to learnt that my lovely theremins have led me to the ‘rabbit hole’ that is synths in general and perhaps most dauntingly, modular synths in particular. I have become a knob twiddler. It’s... Read More

Surreal Noir: 22 Feb 22

Returning for 2022, it’s SURREAL NOIR at NoBounds Radio. Episode Seven: In the States it’s Black History Month so this episode shares a variety of Black women and centres on Paris, of course the city at the centre of Surrealism, but also with a long history drawing people of colour for art, music and more.... Read More

Out Now: All Due Respect 2021

Out Now: the 2021 collection of stories from All Due Respect, which includes my tale ‘Squid Lord’ which — wait for it — was inspired by a song from The Fall. Of course. Links when it is available for sale. What’s the story about? A fellah who’s out of work, annoyed by his wife’s worship... Read More

Failure

I have been thinking a lot about failure recently because life seems full of it. I have had a disastrous start to the calendar year, bowing out of a couple things I quite wanted to do and losing all the work from three projects I was hoping to finish for February 1st. I didn’t realise... Read More

Coming Soon: All Due Respect 2021

Out February 18th: the 2021 collection of stories from All Due Respect, which includes my tale ‘Squid Lord’ which — wait for it — was inspired by a song from The Fall. Of course. Links when it is available for sale. What’s the story about? A fellah who’s out of work, annoyed by his wife’s... Read More