CINEMA - especially Asian Cinema, French Cinema, Ealing Comedies, Australian Cinema, American Independent cinema, dodgy horror movies and 80's trash. VHS - The superior stock. It shits all over DVD. It is the vinyl of home entertainment. I have over 1000 videos, most of which are the original release versions (Big Box/Ex-rental). My favourite videos are the old Warner bros ones in Black and White with the cast list on the backs - If you have the original Mad Max films you will know what I mean. I am a huge fan of Orion, Medusa, 20-20 and Vestavision as a label and think that Palace Pictures is great. I also like to know that there are 'further coming attractions after the feature' because two lots of trailers on a video is heaven!!! COMEDY - not only am I an exceptional compare and host at my own comedy nights but I am also an award winning comedian (wow!) I am a huge fan of the live comedy circuit and am very impressed by most of the talent working in England today. I would say that Wil Hodgson, Stewart Lee, Daniel Kitson, Robin Ince, Pappy's Fun Club, We are Klang, Brian Gittins, Joe Wilkinson, Brian Damage & Krysstal, Henning Wehn, Keith Carter and Nick Helm are easily amongst my favourites at the moment. COOKING - I love to cook and try out world cuisine. CURRY is the greatest food ever invented but I am no good at cooking it - just eating it. I am, however, highly impressive at Chinese and Mediterranean cuisine. YUM!! ALAN MOORE - someone to truly inspire a creative mind. V for VENDAETTA is GREAT! As is everything of his I have read. I am a huge HELLBLAZER fan (Created but not really written by Moore)...okay...so it's more of an ALAN MOORE/DC VERTIGO thing. Don't get me started on the film adaptations.... SHERLOCK HOLMES - the greatest series of books and short stories. DIRK GENTLY - DNA's finest hour in my opinion. DEAN MARTIN - now THAT was a dude! BASQUE CULTURE - The beautiful and wonderful part of France/Spain not the risque underwear. Although I do like lingerie....KUNG FU - I am a slack pupil of a great martial artist called Sifu David Brown and I delude myself that I am a student of Shaolin Preying Mantis Kung Fu. Preying Mantis is great, especially because it incorporates long range fighting (in which my size gives me an advantage) and also because it has really cool weapons. Really Cool. I should take my training more seriously and not just turn up for the buffets, the holidays and the award winning karaoke sessions...GIANT SQUID - I am a very keen Cephalod enthusiast. Giant squid are fascinating...
Music
BEN FOLDS, DAVID BOWIE, THE POGUES, THE CLASH, DEAN MARTIN, THE HOUSEMARTINS, THE BONZO DOG DOO DAH BAND, CARTER USM, BAUHAUS, JOY DIVISION, SMITHS/MORRISSEY, THE CURE (esp. early 77-83), THE K.L.F.,SERGE GAINSBOURG, THE EXPLOITED, OI, FOLK, NEW WAVE (particularly Stiff records), 60's BEAT GUITAR/SURF, NORTHERN SOUL, OLD SCHOOL SWING/BIG BAND, 70'S/80'S ELECTROSYNTH SCORES FOR MOVIES/TV - WARRIORS, HALLOWEEN, DR WHO, SHOGUN ASSASSIN etc...
Movies
FOR GENRES SEE ABOVE.
Favourite films -
MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK by Preston Sturges, SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS by Robert Hamer, SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON by Bryan Forbes, SWORD OF DOOM by Kihachi Okamoto and CURSE OF THE DEMON by Jacques Tourneur. There are hundreds of other movies which I have an exceptional soft spot for which are simply too numerous to mention but THE CASTLE by Rob Sitch is one of the most noteworth…MY FAVOURITE DIRECTORS - Preston Sturges, Alex Cox, Bryan Forbes, Shane Meadows, Alan Clarke, Mike Leigh, Sam Raimi, Kenji Fukasaku, John Carpenter, Takeshi Miike, Takeshi Kitano, Kihachi Okamoto and Robert Hamer. MY FAVORUITE ACTORS - Christopher Walken, Alec Guiness, Terry Thomas, Richard Attenborough, Kiefer Sutherland, Kurt Russell, Eric Bana, Beat Takeshi, Tadanobu Asano and Bruce Campbell. MY FAVOURITE ACTRESSES - Virginia Madsen, Laura Fraser, Ludivine Sagnier, Audrey Tautou, Mary Elisabeth Winstead and Maggie Gyllanhal. Oh yes, and my FAVOURITE SCREEN MARTIAL ARTIST is Leung Kar Yan aka BEARDY.
Television
I don't watch television. Apart from QI and Harry Hill's TV Burp. I don't have Freeview or cable as I don't see the point when they can't even fill five channels with anything worth watching. Most of my favourite TV is Old stuff or American. I am a HUGE Blake's 7 and Sapphire and Steel Fan and love proper Dr Who but not really a fan of the new ones. Incidentally, my favourite Dr Who is Patrick Troughton. Am a huge fan of the late 70's early 80's TV drama. Like the look of them B7, S&S as I mentioned, but also Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, boys from the Black Stuff, Chocky, day of the triffids etc. Love the look of them. Stuff like Cracker, Alan Clarke dramas, Murphy's Law just got better and better. Other than that, The Shield, 24, X Files, Star Trek etc. Nigel Kneale, Terry Nation...
Books
DC VERTIGO GRAPHIC NOVELS mostly. As far as authours go DOUGLAS ADAMS, CONAN DOYLE (though, Sherlock Holmes only), JOHN WYNDHAM, JOHN LE CARRE. I also like BIOGRAPHIES and 'factual' books regarding paranormal phenomena and the strange.
Heroes
JOHN CONSTANTINE - I'm not even gonna dignify this bit by saying that I obviously mean the comic book CONSTANTINE - I mean, as if you could have respect and reverence for keanu fucking reeves with his one and only emotion of constipation. I like a lot of creative people who have inspired me a lot. The biggest influence on my personal and professional life has honestly been Rik Mayall.
About me: I am the Official Film Reviewer for Myspace Comedy!
Local man about town trying hard to progress in earning a living from all things creative.
I am digital media professional and love the whole guerrilla filmmaker thing - why not check out some of my stuff that I have uploaded on the videos page or youtube?
I am a stand up comedian who mostly talks about my love of films and videos, every year in Edinburgh I do a show about videos called VHS and I am one half of the sketch show double act Kiosk of Champions. I run a monthly film based stand up gig in London called "Perfect Movie"
I am also a folk rock singer/songwriter for Pot Pourri (the sweetest smelling band in History) and a sometime performance poet - but don't let that put you off...it's not wanky at all. Honest. I also used to be the great bass player with the excellent FiCTiON. We were great...
Who I'd like to meet: Preston Sturges but he's dead. Peter Cook, but he's dead. Douglas Adams, but he's dead. Euripedes, but he's dead and I don't speak ancient Greek. Joe Orton, but he's dead too and if he hadn't had his head staved in he might very well be too old to have a proper chat anyway by now. In fact, most people I want to meet are dead or foreign (or both). Honestly though, apart from Christopher Walken, Rik Mayall, Ben Folds and David Bowie I have been fortunate enough to meet my heroes so far. Oh Yeah - hot sexy females who think I’m great - I'd obviously like to meet some of them too...Real women, though, who actually exist and do normal and exciting things with their life. NOT any of the Jasmines and Leelas from California who have explicit pictures on other sites because mean ol' Tom won't let them post on myspace cos they're too rude. If I'm ever that fussed - I'll find you, believe me. Google images is a wonderful thing...So leave me alone please. And bands, If you're not from southend/Essex or people I know then I probably won't add you. Also, If you want to add me, then don't have your profile set to PRIVATE so I can't see who you are or what you are about because if I can't see if I wanna add you, I just won't add you. Sorry, It's just the way I am...
Dust and Shadow: an Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson, available everywhere April 28th....
"At long last, an author of rare talent combines a thorough, enthusiastic knowledge of the Sherlock Holmes canon with truly rigorous research into, and respect for, the Jack the Ripper killings. Where others have failed, Lyndsay Faye's extremely impressive debut novel succeeds, on every level, providing thrilling entertainment without blatant exploitation. It will instantly take a place of distinction among the best attempts of contemporary authors to continue the work of Arthur Conan Doyle, and is, quite simply, a must for Holmes fans and Ripperologists alike. "
Ah ze Big Rich! Velcome to ze furry forest, pretty new friend. Lottie and all ze furry creatures of ze forest 'ave saved ze woodland nuts for you. xxLottie
in VHS3, you talked about a series about spies that mostly consisted of people sitting at dinner. what was the name of it? your shows could almost use a reading list, or a study guide/ companion of some sort.
hey man, added you years ago on a recommendation from Mike (guitarist in that covers band that i think a teacher called mr cook plays in? he was my media technician at southend girls) hardcover i think they're called. Anyways, i was in the library in southend, picked up a random magazine while my mate was fuckin about with something and i recognised the name squat betty, so i read your article about VHS. brilliant, made me laugh and agree ridiculously. it was the january issue of level4 or something? anyways, Im into making a lot of comedy myself, im at bournemouth uni doing tv production and i can forward you onto a bunch of my videos. dialogue comedy shit, you might like it. anyways, im going to go look at yours... confusing message over.
Thanks for letting me in. I came to your page via Ade Lane who I think might be starting work here soon. That's a hell of a profile you got there and I'd love to touch base about you coming in and showing some stuff. PS. my daughter (who was on the same bill as you in your bass-playing days) sends her regards
Hi good to hear about VHS 3 video nasty. Great title. Are you coming up to Edinburgh with it this year. I saw your first show but i missed your second VHS 2 planet of the tapes. I sent you a message ages ago wondering if you could upload it in parts onto myspace or you tube. You said youd wait till you stop doing that show. So is there any chance of uploading it now. I saw the chopper insert for it on youtube, brilliant. Whats your take on the new indiana jones film.
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