Christopher Fowler's Blog, page 240

The Reichenbach Falls Moment

At the peak of his popularity, Sean Connery walked away from James Bond, and failed to make the best film in the series to date, ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’. Instead, the producers opted for ‘Big Fry Man’ George Lazenby, whose personality proved so unpleasant that Diana Rigg ate garlic before having to kiss him. […]

It’s Time We Let Americans Teach Us Politeness

Over the last few years it’s been hard not to notice a distinct cooling of Britain’s perceived ‘special relationship’ with America. With different parties in power and discomfort over war policies, the gentle ribbing that always existed between the two birth-cousins has taken a sharper new edge; in the press and popular culture Britain and […]

What Is It About John Barry?

Why can you hear a John Barry track across a crowded room and tell it’s him within three notes? There’s a sense of melancholy in even his most cheerful compositions. Barry began as a jazz musician, but went on to becomethe most evocative film composer ever to work in England. Notable for his use of […]

The Link Between Bram Stoker, Henry James & Enid Blyton

It’s time to rediscover more parts of London I’ve forgotten; Some north London towns have changed very little because they’re awkward to reach by public transport, like Crouch End, Stoke Newington and Muswell Hill, where the land was too hilly for underground trains. But there’s a good change that if you live there, or in […]

No Longer A Nation Of Shopkeepers?

In an act of good will that spectacularly backfired, my well-meaning brother took my mother back to her home town of Brighton to relive happy memories of her childhood. Instead, she spent the day in tears, horrified by the destruction that successive town councils had wrought. The dirty, rundown, poorly rebuilt chaos that greeted her […]

My Secret London Isn’t Secret At All

In my rediscovery of London, I’m learning something new every day. A visit to the beautiful new Foyles bookshop yesterday revealed a vast new raft of London books on their way for Christmas, with looks at the river, new buildings, gardens, parks, art galleries, different areas, culture, fashion, a couple of books on underground photography […]

First Look: ‘Made In Dagenham’

Last night saw the first performance of this musical version about the Ford women who went on strike for equal pay; I’d been keen to see it after director Rupert Goold complained about the poor history of British musicals, all jazz-hands, weak writing and glitter finales (I’d argue that there have been some real gems […]

Writing A Novel In One Draft

Some books are written like butter melting in a frying pan – smooth, fast and easy. Others are stubborn and keep you awake at night for months. The book I’m just finishing this month (probably for 2016) has been through seven drafts, to the point where I can no longer read it objectively. Does that […]

Re:View – ‘Painless’

NO SPOILERS When everyone else is busy producing sequels and reboots, you can rely on Spain to create genuinely original new genre films. The latest to appear as a subtitled DVD is this, which could be described as a Catalan ‘Devil’s Backbone’ – although it’s not quite in the same league.But if it falls short […]

Tricks & Treats @ Forbidden Planet

Just a reminder that this Saturday (Oct 11th) at 3pm in Forbidden Planet I’ll be signing copies of ‘Nyctophobia’, and on Sat Oct 25th there’ll be a mass/mess signing of horror and genre literature at the same venue with the following authors confirmed. It’ll be a nightmare but we’ll probably all go to the pub […]