Category Archives: I’m Ready for my Closeup

Reality Check: Space Odysseys

Reality Check: Space Odysseys

Celebrating Sci-Fi programming at the BFI and Brighton’s Cine-City festival, Alex Fitch talks to writer / actor Graham Duff (Nebulous)about the Cine-City performance of ‘They – A sequence of unease’ adapted from a surrealist novel by author Kay Dick. Alex also chats to broadcaster and author Matthew Sweet about the new BFI print of 2001 – A Space Odyssey, with an extract from his recent Q and A about the film, featuring Keir Dullea, broadcast 2nd December 2014 on BBC Radio 3. (With thanks to BBC Arts)

Cover of They by Kay Dick / Foredown Tower, Portslade / Still from 2001 / Keir Dullea at the BFI

Cover of They by Kay Dick / Foredown Tower, Portslade / Still from 2001 / Keir Dullea at the BFI

For more info about this podcast and a variety of other episodes you can download, please visit the home of this episode at www.sci-fi-london.com

Links: BBC Arts and Free Thinking websites
Info about the BFI Fear and Wonder season
Info about the They performance at Cine-City
Listen to Alex’s previous interview with Matthew Sweet
Graham Duff’s website and Doctor Who audio play

More download formats: archive.org/details/RealityCheckSpaceOdysseys

Electric Sheep podcast: Terry Gilliam and Ted Kotcheff, The Fright Theorem

Electric Sheep podcast: Terry Gilliam and Ted Kotcheff, The Fright Theorem

Alex Fitch talks to Ted Kotcheff, the director of a ‘lost’ cult classic – Wake in Fright (1971) – and to Terry Gilliam, director of another cult title in the making, The Zero Theorum (2014). Fitch and Kotcheff discuss how Wake was recovered by its editor, how it depicts issues of masculinity in crisis and has an unreliable narrator. Gilliam, in an extract from the London Film Festival Q and A, talks about how his new film responds to issues of NSA spying, continues his strand of casting actors against type, and represents a ‘full fat’ viewing experience!

Stills from Wake in Fright and The Zero Theorem

Stills from Wake in Fright and The Zero Theorem

Visit www.archive.org, for more info + formats to stream / download.

Links: Wikipedia pages on Wake in Fright and The Zero Theorem
Electric Sheep Magazine reviews of Wake in Fright and The Zero Theorem
Official Wake in Fright and The Zero Theorem websites

Recommended events:

Mystery Science Theatre 3000 at SCI-FI-LONDON

The MST3K all nighter is a regular attraction of SCI-FI-LONDON (The London International Science Fiction and Fantastic Film Festival), and this year the festival would like to bring along two of the actors from the series to ‘riff’ in person at the film screenings. Dr. Forrester and Frank’s appearance will hopefully be funded by an indiegog campaign where you can also purchase a signed Cinematic Titanic DVD by the duo.

More info here / festival website Continue reading

Reality Check: John dies at the End of the Quest for the Game Child

Reality Check: John dies at the End of the Quest for the Game Child

Alex Fitch talks to director Don Coscarelli about his new film John Dies at the End, a slacker-apocalypse comedy with guest appearances by Paul Giamatti, Doug Jones and Clancy Brown. Also, in a Q and A recorded ate last year’s SCI-FI-LONDON, youtube phenomenon Stuart Ashen and director Riyad Barmania discuss their movie Ashens and the Quest for the Game Child.

Stills from Ashens and the Quest for the Game Child / John Dies at the End

Stills from Ashens and the Quest for the Game Child / John Dies at the End

For more info about this podcast and a variety of other episodes you can download, please visit the home of this episode at www.sci-fi-london.com

Links: More info about John Dies at the End at www.johndies.com
Stuart Ashen’s youtube channel
Watch full length movie Ashens and the Quest for the Game Child

Electric Sheep Magazine podcast: Brian Yuzna and the horror of Society

Electric Sheep Magazine podcast: Brian Yuzna and the horror of Society

Electric Sheep Magazine assistant editor Alex Fitch talks to film maker Brian Yuzna about his work, from his memorable debut as producer of Stuart Gordon’s Re-animator, his underrated satire of 1980s American preppy culture Society and later career making sequels to such franchises as Return of the Living Dead and Silent Night, Deadly Night. Recorded at the University of Brighton, Spring 2013, in conjunction with Cine-Excess Festival.

Four films by Brian Yuzna

Four films by Brian Yuzna

Cine-Excess VII is taking place at Birmingham MAC from 15th-17th November with guests including French filmmaker Catherine Breillat (Romance / Anatomy of Hell) and Italian auteur Francesco Barilli (The Perfume of the Lady in Black / Pensione paura)

Visit www.archive.org, for more info and formats you can stream / download. Continue reading

Panel Borders: Mute, Glenn Fabry

Panel Borders: Mute, Glenn Fabry

Continuing a month of shows looking at horror and fantasy comics, Alex Fitch talks to comic book artist and illustrator Glenn Fabry about his graphic novel adaptation of Duncan Jones’ yet to be filmed sequel to Moon, a Philip K Dick style drama called Mute. Glenn discusses the differences between illustrating adaptions of film scripts and regular comics, his collaboration with Steve Niles on the horror serial Lot 13, drawing Garth Ennis’ “funniest script” for The Authority: Kev, and his plans for more personal work in the future. Recorded in front of a live audience at Cartoon County, Brighton, Summer 2013. Originally broadcast Monday 14th October 2013, on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Art from Mute by Duncan Jones, More Kev by Garth Ennis, Lot 13 by Steve Niles, illustrated by Glenn Fabry

Art from Mute by Duncan Jones, More Kev by Garth Ennis, Lot 13 by Steve Niles, illustrated by Glenn Fabry

For more info and a variety of different formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org

Links: More info about Glenn Fabry’s work at www.glennfabry.co.uk
Discover Cartoon County at www.cartooncounty.com
Listen to Alex’s previous interview with Glenn Continue reading

Reality Check: Vanishing Brightness

Reality Check: Vanishing Brightness

To coincide with this weekend’s Oktoberfest, we have a pair of QandAs from the Spring SCI-FI-LONDON festival, in which Alex Fitch talks to the directors of a couple of the more cerebral SF films that screened at the Stratford Picturehouse. Kristina Buozyte discusses her erotic techno thriller Vanishing Waves in which a scientist travels into the mind of a coma patient to try and revive her consciousness. Also Shezad Dawood talks about his feature film Piercing Brightness where cultures and alien encounters collide in an elliptical film shot on the streets of Preston, Lancashire.

Stills from Piercing Brightness and Vanishing Waves

Stills from Piercing Brightness and Vanishing Waves

For more info about this podcast and a variety of other episodes you can download, please visit the home of this episode at www.sci-fi-london.com

Links: Piercing Brightness tumblr
Vanishing Waves website
Listen to Alex’s previous interview with Shezad Dawood
Listen to Virgine Selavy (ELectric Sheep Magazine) interview with Kristina Buozyte

Recommended Events:

SCI-FI-LONDON Oktoberfest 2013

This autumn’s mini Science Fiction and Fantastic Film Festival takes place from 11th – 13th October 2013 at Stratford Picture House, Stratford, East London. Premieres include The Battery, Haunter, The Colony, The Machine, Battle of the Damned and Rewind This. Retro screenings include new prints of Tokyo Fist, Tetsuo: The Iron Man and Ikarie XB-1, themed allnighters include anime, X-Com and MST3K marathons and a second chance to see the Spring SCI-FI-LONDON film of the festival, Channelling.
A highlight of the festival is a rare chance to see the feature debut of youtube phenomenon Stuart Ashen in Ashens and the Quest for the GameChild with a Q and A after the screening with the star, plus an all day symposium about spaceship construction at The Crystal, Royal Victoria Docks E16 1GB

Screenings take place at Stratford Picture House, London E15 1BX

Full programme at www.sci-fi-london.com
Continue reading

Panel Borders: Nic Roeg and Sandy Lieberson – filmmakers talk comics

Panel Borders: Nic Roeg and Sandy Lieberson – filmmakers talk comics

Concluding a month of shows on the presence of comics in the Victoria and Albert museum, Alex Fitch talks to two filmmakers who are regular attendees at Ian Rakoff’s comic book lectures at the V and A. Acclaimed film director Nic Roeg discusses his interest in comics and museum culture, how he nearly directed the 1980 adaptation of Flash Gordon and why the BBC wouldn’t let him choose Desert Island Discs for Radio 4?s Cultural Exchange. American Producer Sandy Lieberson, who worked with Roeg on Performance, talks about his love of classic newspaper strips, distinctions between high and low art and his involvement in The Magic Roundabout movie, Dougal and the Blue Cat. Originally broadcast Monday 30th September 2013, on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Pastiche of Performance poster featuring Nic Roeg and Sandy Lieberson

Pastiche of Performance poster featuring Nic Roeg and Sandy Lieberson

For more info and a variety of different formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org Continue reading

I’m ready for my close-up: Spike Lee on crowdfunding

I’m ready for my close-up: Spike Lee on crowdfunding

In a special episode of I’m ready for my close-up, Alex Fitch talks to American film maker Spike Lee about his Kickstarter campaign to fund a new movie about ‘blood addiction’ (which ends on August 21st). They also discuss his forthcoming remake of Park Chan-Wook’s Oldboy, Lee’s thoughts on blaxplotation films such as Blacula and the director’s continuing enjoyment of being a film tutor.

Originally broadcast: Friday 16th August 2013, Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Still of Spike Lee from Kickstarter campaign video + an example of what his new film is not about

Still of Spike Lee from Kickstarter campaign video + an example of what his new film is not about

Visit www.archive.org, for more info and formats you can stream / download.

Links: Spike Lee Kickstarter campaign
40 Acres Filmworks website
Listen to Alex’s interview with original Oldboy director Park Chan Wook

Recommended Events:

Caption Festival, Oxford

The longest running British comic book festival, now in its 21st year returns to the East Oxford Community Centre, off Cowley Road. Guests include Rian Hughes (Dan Dare), Andrzej Klimowski (Stanis?aw Lem’s Robot…), Danusia Schebal (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde graphic novel), Al Davison (Doctor Who comics), Paul Collicutt (The Murder Mile), Vicky Stonebridge (Dogbreath), Karen Rubins (Victoria and Albert Museum comic artist in residence), Ian Rakoff (V & A comics lecturer, writer “The Prisoner: Welcome to Harmony”) and Charles Cutting (The Dream Quest of Randolph Carter), Glenn Fabry (Preacher) and many more.

August 24th / 25th, East Oxford Community Centre, 44 Princes Street, Oxford OX4 1DD

The weekend includes panel discussions, workshops, a book group, quiz and much more. Tickets: £6/day or £10 for the weekend.

More info here: www.caption.org Continue reading

Electric Sheep Magazine podcast: Reconstructing Nightbreed

Electric Sheep Magazine podcast: Reconstructing Nightbreed

To coincide with its tour of America, in a panel discussion recorded in Welwyn Garden City, actors Simon Bamford (Ohnaka) and Nick Vince (Kinski) plus restoration producer Russell Cherrington and restoration editor Jimmy Johnson discuss the reconstruction of the director’s cut of Clive Barker’s Nightbreed, which is being presented at various venues to help fund a high definition print. The panel discuss the edits imposed on Barker by the studio, the disappointment felt by many regarding the bowdlerised version released in 1990 and how with the help of various formats and sources, a reedit of all the existing footage was mounted to restore the film to its original version.

Cast publicity shot from Nightbreed

Cast publicity shot from Nightbreed

Nightbreed: the Cabal Cut will be screening in various venues across America during Summer and Autumn 2013, with an additional Australian showing in Melbourne in August. More info at http://www.occupymidian.com/screenings. Originally broadcast 26th July 2013 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Visit www.archive.org, for more info and formats you can stream / download.

Links: Occupy Midian website
Info on a new Nightbreed short story collection Continue reading

Electric Sheep Magazine Podcast: The Last Horror Movie Actor

Electric Sheep Magazine Podcast: The Last Horror Movie Actor

Ahead of the release of his new film The Seasoning House, Alex Fitch talks to actor Kevin Howarth about his career so far, from his memorable lead role in The Last Horror Movie (2003) to his forthcoming zombie action movie GallowWalkers with Wesley Snipes. Kevin talks about resisting his typecasting as a horror film actor, working as a voice artist on video games and the experiences of working with make-up Paul Hyett on various projects before the latter turned director on The Seasoning House.

Kevin Howarth in The Last Horror Movie, The Seasoning House, GallowWalkers

Kevin Howarth in The Last Horror Movie, The Seasoning House, GallowWalkers

The Seasoning House is released 21st June 2013 in UK cities by Kaleidoscope Entertainment, more info: www.theseasoninghouse.com

Visit www.archive.org, for more info and formats you can stream / download.

Links: Official film website
Profile on www.rottentomatoes.com Continue reading