Christopher Fowler's Blog, page 438

Nightmare Movies This Weekend

Writer and critic Kim Newman not only does the best Victorian Gentleman impersonation in the country, he's also one of the world's leading experts on horror movies.

To celebrate the launch of Kim's essential horror volume 'Nightmare Movies' (published 18 April), Newman and fellow horror expert Mark Kermode take to the stage of the National Film [...]

Where In London?

Pushing it a bit to call it London, but it's near the Thames. Clue under cursor…

What's That In Your Ear?

I've been listening to WNYC's terrific Radiolab podcasts for a while, and was pleased to see it in the British press recently, with full-page articles praising the show. While I don't agree that it's quite the audio revelation that the Guardian suggests (they rather condescendingly said that audiences below forty would have trouble following the [...]

'You Have To Care'

I posted about this book before, but I hadn't read it then. I have now.

I'd put off reading it for a variety of reasons; too demanding to be picked up for a short time, too precious to be wasted in casual skimming, literally and figuratively too heavy. 'Finishing The Hat' is an explication by Stephen [...]

Where In London?

Look into the basement of this former London townhouse and you'll find a waterfall with a lifesized crocodile chained in it next to a sign that says 'No Swimming' – but where? As usual, clue under the cursor.

Where In London?

….is this, and why? (Run the cursor over the picture for a clue)

Festival Of Britain Turns 60

I've been researching the subject, and this weekend there's a four-day party on the site of the original Festival Of Britain to celebrate the 60th anniversary, but sadly there's no Skylon. But I went down there this afternoon (where it was 26 degrees, hotter than Ibiza) and found beach huts, bunting, a beach and other [...]

Arthur's Unacceptable Racism

Steve Gordon's 1981 comedy 'Arthur' knew exactly what it was doing; a dryly witty comedy about a man infantilised by his own wealth, it's fondly remembered for Dudley Moore and his relationship with his butler, Sir John Gielgud, who won an Oscar for the role.

One of the many things it got right was spelling out [...]

New Lungs, Please

Apparently I live in the worst 10 percent air quality area in Britain, due to the huge arterial road nearby. A new scheme is piloting a 'dust supressant' trial to do something about the fine black dust that sifts down around us.

The dust is in all cities – it's caused by tyre and brake abrasion, [...]

Not The Royal Wedding!

I thought that being stranded in London over the next few days was going to be Hell. I have no interest in the Royal Wedding, and had already displayed my ignorance on the subject after being interviewed by Reuters, who asked me what I thought of Kate Middleton. I said I didn't watch the X [...]