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a weekend of speculation
My weekend was spent in the company of funny, intelligent people who like to discuss speculative fiction. Best of all my Clarion West classmate, Julie McGalliard, and her husband Paul Carpentier turned up for two evenings. I’d met them in Galway on Thursday and guided them on a brief tour of the more interesting parts of the medieval city. They managed to squeeze in loads more sightseeing in their remaining days in Ireland, and make time to hang out with friends at Octocon. The lacklustre organisation of the convention didn’t impinge upon me very much because I wasn’t involved in the running of the event, and from my past experiences…
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going away
The preparations for the London/Japan jaunt have sapped my ability to post anything meaningful on this journal. I hate posting something just for the sake of it, and I’m not a “what I had for breakfast” type of blogger (muesli, strawberries, and yoghurt). Since I’ll be away for just over three weeks there’s a lot to do, including learning a little bit of Japanese. I’m accruing a phrase or two every day, which is pretty good since I find it difficult to master another language. The Worldcon programme is online now, and I’m scheduled on a few panels. I’m very much looking forward to reuniting with old friends and meeting…
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djs and bounty hunters
Ray Rahmey has a useful discourse on the difference between showing and telling. It’s aimed at prose writing, but it’s easy to translate the advice to screenwriting. I saw two films recently that had great moments in them, but failed overall (in my opinion) to deliver a coherent story. First up: It’s all gone Pete Tong. For the American readers “Pete Tong” is slang for “wrong”, and there is a double meaning because of the subject of the film. The film is half-mockumentary and half-drama about a fictional DJ called Frankie Wilde (Paul Kaye) and his adventures in Ibiza–the centre of the dance Empire. It’s booze, coke, girls, music videos…
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magnifique
I finished the re-writes on the story I wrote earlier in the month and I’ve sent it out to a market. I have to keep rolling the dice. I watched the terrific low-budget French horror film, Maléfique (2002), today. I saw the film originally at the London horror film festival, FrightFest a number of years ago, where the director, Eric Valette, gave a Q&A afterwards. The film made a lasting impression on me, so I was delighted it got a DVD release. The lads behind FrightFest have shown considerable foresight and have established their own DVD label, FrightFest Presents. Maléfique is the second title in their catalogue of horror flicks.…
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’tis the season to watch movies, tra la la la la la la la la
Last night a friend of mine asked me what was my favourite Christmas movie. Before I continue, however, I have to explain something about my taste preferences. I’m not a Christmas person. I know plenty of people who adore the holidays, and get a real kick out of decking their house in lights and decorations, dressing a Christmas tree, wrapping presents and writing cards. I’m not going to splutter “Bah, humbug,” at that attitude, but I don’t share the same level of enthusiasm. When I was asked about my favourite Christmas movie I did have an answer because it was a question I had contemplated that very day. My response…
