Tag: Hammer

Coming soon – Red Rising: Wrath, Talking Pictures TV and more

Hello again. How are you? It’s round-up time again and whilst I’ve been recording some more reviews for the Talking Pictures TV podcast, some good friends have been much more productive.

The latest edition of the Talking Pictures TV Podcast is out now. Now being overseen by Mel Byron, Daniel Reifferscheid and Scott Phipps, it’s in a slightly shorter but hopefully more regular format. And they’ve kindly included my cheerful appreciation of Hammer Film’s loony fantasy adventure The Lost Continent, which will be appearing on the UK channel on 4th March at 12.10am. You can download the podcast from your favourite player or the home page.

Rik Hoskin has let me know that his second graphic novel set in the world of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising books is about to be unleashed on the 19th March. Set in an empire that spans the solar system, where people are born into strict castes and most are forced to live as slaves for a ruling elite called the Golds. Red Rising – Sons of Ares: Wrath continues the story of how disgraced Gold Fitchner became the leader of a ruthless resistance movement known as the Sons of Ares. I loved the first volume and I can wholeheartedly recommend this SF epic. You can get a taste of it from the trailer below:

Finally I’ve been continuing my work at Bolton Little Theatre, producing soundscapes for Things I Know to be True and Brighton Beach Memoirs. I’m grateful for the help of two fresh volunteers Steven and Sam who come on to the sound side lately. Here’s two promos I’ve put together for the productions too.

A short monologue from this acclaimed production.
On stage 30th March – 4th April 2020

Joining BERGcast – X the Unknown

I’m delighted to announce that not only is there a new episode of BERGcast, the podcast celebrating and investigating the entire Quatermass phenomena over the years, but that I am a guest on it. Jon Dear kindly invited me to join him and Howard David Ingham on Skype to discuss X – The Unknown, Hammer’s unofficial follow-up to their massively successful movie The Quatermass Xperiment. Wanting to make another Quatermass film, but denied permission by Nigel Kneale to use his character, Hammer turned to production assistant Jimmy Sangster to write a script in a similar unearthly vein, but featuring a surrogate scientist called Royston. Eventually Oscar-winning character actor Dean Jagger played the maverick scientist in his first and so far only appearance.

You can hear us discuss the film’s plot, its origins, its background of growing public unease over nuclear weapons and atomic energy, and Frazer Hines’ child acting precociousness. It was great fun to record and to rewatch this entertaining SF monster movie from early days of Hammer Studios. Find BERGcast on Apple Podcasts, Podbean, or Jon Dear’s own site bergcast.room207press.com/

Whilst on the subject of film review podcasts, the latest edition of The Talking Picture TV podcast is out now as well, featuring amongst other items, my review of Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb starring the gorgeous Valerie Leon. Again, you find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or its webpage https://www.attaboyclarence.com/the-talking-pictures-tv-podcast

Green for Frankenstein and other news

Poster art of Alistair Sim and David Prowse

Plenty of activity this month. First up, the latest episode of The Official Talking Pictures TV Podcast is out and amongst it marvellous cotirie of reviewers, you’ll hear me outlining the merits of two very different comedy thrillers – Green for Danger and The Horror of Frankenstein. Which one most alarmed the British censor? You might be surprised. Compliments to Adam Roche for another excellent installment.

Still on podcasting, BERGcast the series all about Quatermass, has now reached Hammer’s first adaptation The Quatermass Xperiment, and it’s an entertaining hour looking at the pros and cons of the 1955 movie. As usual it also has background information I have never heard before. Personally I have disagree over Brian Donlevy though. Often criticised as hopelessly miscast, for me I like his driven, almost monstrous version of the scientist. It may have come about more be accident than intention, but Donlevy’s Quatermass as tough private eye portrayal is memorable and distinctive compared to many other academics of Fifties SF. This is a movie where the hero is actually adding to danger as much as combating it, and for me that is part of its strength.

book cover

Rik Hoskin has two exciting projects to talk about. Out now is an audio drama adaptation of his bestselling White Sands graphic novel set in Brandon Sanderson’s shared Cosmere universe. You can listen to the trailer and buy it from Graphic Audio right now. I have not heard it yet but intend to obtain it soon. Coming in November is a follow-up to his excellent comic series Red Rising: Sons of Ares. A prequel to the bestselling space opera adventure series Red Rising by Pierce Brown, Wrath carries on the early career of terrorist/freedom fighter Fitchner and his fight against the tyranical caste-based empire which rules the Solar System in the future. I loved the first six issue run and I’m looking forward to more of Rik’s storytelling and Eli Powell’s intricate but fluid art. Follow the link to read an interview at Bleeding Cool.

Ultimate Finality posters

Finally Bolton Little Theatre are presenting A Bunch of Amateurs between 16th and 21st September. As well as assembling the sound effects and music, I’m helping with the marketing. Part of that is creating a quick video advert and I had the idea of coming up with some fake posters for faded US star Jefferson Steel’s recent movies, which you can see above. It should be an excellent comedy and having seen rehearsals I can recommend it.

Talking Pictures May Podcast

Vintage film poster

It’s Hammer (Films) time! The latest episode of Adam Roche’s podcast, dedicated to UK vintage film and television channel Talking Pictures is out now at your favourite podcasting source. Search for the Talking Pictures TV Podcast. I’m delighted to say I have made the cut again with a quick piece on 1961’s Terror of the Tongs, an interesting Hammer Film which is more of a period adventure than a horror film, despite the way it was advertised. Find out what Christopher Lee thought of playing Chung Ko, an Asian villain not a million miles away from Dr Fu Manchu, at least visually.

In addition there are plenty of other entertaining reviews including Bedazzled, The Camp on Blood Island and some reminiscences from Robert Powell about his late Eighties adventure series Hannay. The channel continues to unearth half-forgotten gems. At the moment I am catching up on Callan, a melancholy spy series from the Sixties and Seventies that still feels realistic, mature, and features two remarkable performances from Edward Woodward and Russell Hunter. 3rd June sees the arrival of the fondly remembered children’s supernatural anthology Shadows too. Looking forward to rediscovering that.
For more on Talking Pictures, read my earlier article. Stay tuned!

Talking Pictures TV podcast

Talking Pictures logo

In the last few years, Talking Pictures has gradually built up a reputation as the go to TV channel for classic and cult films. In fact it has recently been confirmed as the most successful independent television channel in the UK. This confidence is reflected in its latest production – an official podcast which launches today.

For a long time, I and many others have wondered why with so many movie channels available, the opportunity to see old films has become increasingly difficult. It seems the mainstream UK broadcasters have decided to practically ignore black and white movies, and indeed anything made pre-Eighties. Not just that, but it feels as if the same handful of films are on constant rotation. How many times have Die Hard and the Back to the Future trilogy appeared in the listings recently? So it has been a joy to find a free-to-air place run by enthusiasts and their sympathetically curated schedules, a mix of classics and rarely seen curios, mostly from Britain but also the United States.

When the podcast was announced, its producer and presenter Adam Roche put out a request for contributors and I could not resist taking part. I have recorded a couple of previews of Hammer films being shown this February – The Pirates of Blood River and These are the Dammed. Although they do not feature in this episode, I intend to record a few more over the next months.

You can listen to the podcast via iTunes, Acast and other podcast providers. It’s an excellent magazine show about the channel, its films, and I recommend it even if I am not in it yet 🙂 You can find out more about the channel at: https://talkingpicturestv.co.uk/