Sitting in a cafe near a table of four people, each saying objectively unfunny things to and over each other, and they're all guffawing at every comment - glad they found each other in this wild world
I certainly hope so, SeΓ‘n. I hope you and your family are well, too.
A masterpiece back on the big screen, a cat picture, and some book news! silentlondon.co.uk/2026/03/05/b...
Screenshot of forever muting that Dune lead actor's name
Two images of Antonio Banderas from the GIF as he reacts in relief and satisfaction to something he just saw on a screen
Also her great werewolf book Wax and Wane
Tremendous and much-talked about moment in which yer man appears to climb into a film
Just watched Sherlock Jr, my first Buster Keaton
Headline thoughts are:
- Delightful
and
- How in the living fuck did he/they do that?!?*
*also, I kind of donβt want to know. Magic of cinema and all that
There's plenty more out there, if anyone wants to drop their own recommendations, please do
@raynewman.bsky.social has a new collection out this year, but before then, Municipal Gothic and Intervals of Darkness can already be yours to invoke troubled dreams (but, you know, the fun kind)
amzn.eu/d/01BR4BAq
You could (and really must) go for some cosmic and very human eco-horror, from @anna-orridge.bsky.social
payhip.com/b/58paC
Will @seanbirnie.bsky.social's collection of tales haunt you? You really should find out. (Spoiler alert: they will)
www.seanbirnie.com/haunt-you/
How about @miseryvulture.bsky.social's charming, light romantic comedy Fleischerei* (*please note, contents may actually include gnarly emotions. And cannibalism.)
filthyloot.com/product/flei...
It's #worldbookday so how about you treat yourself to a horrific book by one of these lovely people? Links, information etc follows.
Starting with @pgwodelouse.bsky.social's excellent, brand spanking new collection
amzn.eu/d/0e1I1JbH
For my contribution to #WomenWritersWeek at @ebertvoices.bsky.social I wrote a look back at the film industry 100 years ago β the arrival of synced sound, the death of Valentino, Gilbert and Garbo, and more β and what we might be able to glean from its storied history.
The Avengers - The House That Jack Built (5th March 1966). In which Steed takes a wrong turning - and Emma holds the key to all β¦
From The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr: We know how this ends. You're going to die and so will everyone you love. And then there will be heat death. All the change in the universe will cease, the stars will die, and there'll be nothing left of anything but infinite, dead, freezing void. Human life, in all its noise and hubris, will be rendered meaningless for eternity.
From The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr: The cure for the horror is story. Our brains distract us from this terrible truth by filling our lives with hopeful goals and encouraging us to strive for them. What we want, and the ups and downs of our struggle to get it, is the story of us all. It gives our existence the illusion of meaning and turns our gaze from the dread. There's simply no way to understand the human world without stories. They fill our newspapers, our law courts, our sporting arenas, our government debating chambers, our school playgrounds our computer games, the lyrics to our songs, our private thoughts and public conversations and our waking and sleeping dreams. Stories are everywhere. Stories are us.
So, it's World Book Day.
If you're a writer (and I include articles, blogs, comics, any medium) and currently thinking "Why even bother?"
*from The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr
A folk horror event poster with mustard yellow borders and a central painted illustration. The artwork shows the same shadowy tentacled figure against a sunset sky. Text reads "TEASEL & SKYLARK" at top, then "The General Witchfinders are here to ensure the harvest is met. It is time to keep your appointment with... FOLK HORROR." Event details at bottom: "GENERAL WITCHFINDERS FIRST LIVE EVENT" at The Kings Arms Hotel, Dorchester; tickets Β£8 from teasandkylark.com/events and in store; Tuesday 7PM/5th May.
A painting of a shadowy humanoid figure standing in a green field at sunset. The figure has a featureless black head with green leafy growths and dark tentacle-like appendages extending outward. It wears a striped vest with a black belt featuring a gold crescent buckle, black trousers, and black boots. The background shows an orange and yellow sky with a bright sun, plus silhouettes of standing stones and a satellite dish.
A text-heavy promotional poster with mustard yellow background and dark red/brown typography. The text describes a folk horror event hosted by The General Witchfinders Podcast in league with Teasel and Skylark bookshop in Dorchester. It mentions Hammer Horror, Christopher Lee in The Wicker Man, and Nigel Kneale, plus live music from The Flaming Cactus Band and The Whitley Lake Band. The event culminates in the launch of the latest General Witchfinders Zine with Beltane-inspired content. Recommended for ages 15+.
A promotional poster with a mustard yellow background featuring the cover of "General Witchfinders" zine Issue 4 Beltane 2026. The cover illustration shows a hare with blood-red eyes, blackened antlers, and pink fungal growths emerging from its body against a green gradient background. The zine is subtitled "the 'zine of horrific british horror" in Gothic lettering. Below the cover, text reads: "OFFICIAL LAUNCH EVENT FOR GENERAL WITCHFINDERS ZINE ISSUE FOUR."
EXCITING NEWS!
Weβre holding our first LIVE General Witchfinders event with Dorchesterβs Teasle & Skylark Bookshop.
Tue, May 5th for a talk on Folk Horror & the launch of our next zine!
Tickets: tinyurl.com/gwL1VE
Zine cover by @scoobtoobins.bsky.social
Poster art by @jonpountney1.bsky.social
For me, this remains some of the best ten minutes of standup there is, always a pleasure to revisit
Seeing @cowtoolsdaily.bsky.social posting about jokes, punchlines, and the explanation etc thereof, suggests that this is an excellent opportunity for me to share this video of me telling two jokes over the course of about ten minutes, and explaining why they are funny in *excruciating* detail...
'Pacing isn't quite THERE', autocorrect, you fucking clueless prick.
If anyone thinks 'old' comedy is stiff or boring, this is a good starting place for them to reappraise that opinion. Silly, smart, wild and weird, The Marx Brothers were really something.
Title card for The Cocoanuts
Additional card shows the cast amd characters, the cast has Zeppo, Groucho, Harpo and Chico Marx, Oscar Shaw, Mary Eaton, Cyril Ring, Kay Francis, Margaret Dumpnt, Basil Ruysdael in it.
In a split screen of two hotel rooms with rugs and furniture that can be seen, a woman, Kay Francis, is stood next to a desk, and behind her Chico is in the room doorway. The other side of the wall, Groucho is in the room doorway.
A later dance routine in the film has 12 dancers, four in the middle, eight around in a circle, stretching their arms up which makes patterns with their bodies.
In amongst all the verbal comedy are some enjoyable visual gags and moments of real beauty, including a brief interlude where Harpo plays the harp, a recurring musical moment in films that follow. The pacing isn't quite their, but years of a refined act is, which makes it a lot of fun. "Why a duck?"
Poster for The Cocoanuts has two illustrated women dancers next to an illustration in the centre of the poster and the text 'Paramount's all Talking-Singing musical comedy hit The Marx Brothers in The Cocoanuts with Oscar Shaw and Mary Eaton.
Tonight's π½ The Cocoanuts (1929, dirs. directors Robert Florey and Joseph Santley). Started The Marx Brothers' second film and sound debut ages ago but finished it this evening. A slight plot and early talkie experimentation is really just a hook for several beautiful, funny, anarchic Marx routines.
Both their albums (all their stuff, really) is great like it. Glad you enjoyed it!
I'll raise you Death to Traitors by Paw (one of the best bands of the 90s) and an ode to an ex-band member. I live for the unforgiving sentiment and awesome pettiness of this song youtu.be/RIGiKfqmX20
GET RORY'S BOOK! <ahem> BUY IT NOW!! <golly, let's try that again> ORDER YOUR COPY NOW!!!
Oh dear, seems I can only encourage you to buy Rory's outstandingly good debut horror collection in all caps. So it must be.
Well, here it is, my collection of short stories: 'The seen and the unseen'
Eleven supernatural and folk horror tales inspired by M.R. James, Wodehouse, Ghost Stories for Christmas, Amicus, unsettling TV, local legends⦠and things I may or may not have seen
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GQ9FRCC...
Oh, I know, Rory, just the idea of another A-B plot makes me weep haha
Also, also, also... have been diving deep into silent comedy, slapstick etc in recent times and their untethered chaos is a lot of fun. That, alongside with writing that just goes for it, or digresses messily because why not is more interesting to me.
Anyway, watch Evil, it's great television.
Also, also...came up in writerly conversations with @raynewman.bsky.social and @pgwodelouse.bsky.social that part of my malaise in the last year with my own stuff has been boring the fuck out of myself and needing to detach from my way of writing and try something different
On watching Evil: its vibe of clever* people (creators/writers) wrestling messily with concepts outside of their understanding/grasp is one I need for my next writing project
*Disclaimer: I do not claim to be clever, just doing my best* at the meatsuit game
*Disclaimerer: not always doing my best
