Christopher Fowler's Blog, page 502

Off The Rails & On The Page

Okay, anyone who's already read 'Bryant & May Off The Rails' will know it contains a rickroll, and here's the real thing, courtesy of graphic designer Roman Cortes here.

Who Watches Chat Shows?

The departure of chat show host Jonathan Ross from a flagship slot on the BBC to the lower-rent commercial channel ITV has been treated – not least on the BBC website – as a national tragedy. How did chat shows come to be so key to the schedules? There's not much audience pleasure to be [...:]

Keeping Out The Russians

I sold my house to Russians. They were a charming, erudite, stylish couple who overturned the received stereotype of shouty gold-laden gangsters and tarts. But, having visited Cyprus, an island decimated by the bad kind, where every other shop sells fur coats or is a lap-dancing club, I have a little sympathy with the town [...:]

It's The Writing, Stupid

Jason And The Argonauts has just appeared on a Blu-Ray disc, and I've noticed that some comment boards are complaining that the enhanced sharpness of digital transposition has shown up the film's stop-frame effects and mattes. Although, as one Amazon reviewer points out; 'The character of Talos moved exactly how you would expect a giant [...:]

75 Years Of The Portable Pocketbook

Why the supersized novel is doomed in the long run

They've been around for three quarters of a century, and are beloved by readers not just for the choice of writers they offer but because of their distinctive design and supreme portability. Penguin books feature heavily on my shelves because whenever you go into a second [...:]

Directors 2: David Lean

The Future At 88mph

There's a rumour flying around the interweb today that Doc Brown types today's date (5 July, 2010) into the DeLorean's register in 'Back To The Future'. The movie is 25 years old, and when Marty and the doc prepared to head into the unknown, Doc apparently mentioned today's date -but I'm pretty sure we never [...:]

Another Reason To Love Viz

Sign above newsagent's in Holborn, London

This Is London, We Don't Do Service

Go to New York, buy an expensive present and ask to get it gift-wrapped. It will be returned moments later in immaculate folds of paper and bows with a card attached.

Ask for gift-wrapping in a London department store and the shop assistant will look at you as if you have delivered a cheque to [...:]

New Buildings In London

It seems as if London's architects are becoming more individualistic of late. After the identikit offices of the eighties and nineties, the challenge is who can stand out more – or perhaps fit in more. Two good examples here; offices in Soho's Bateman's Buildings that have opted to return to Soho's original 18th century alleyway [...:]