“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”

I feel sorry for The Hobbit - Tolkien's original novel, that is. It's a simple story that bounces cheerfully along in episodic fashion, sketching in a delightful fantasy world along the way. It has singing dwarves and talking animals. It's cheerful and charming and sweet. Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Hobbit was always going to … Continue reading “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”

Revisiting Cinefex (28): The Fly, Big Trouble in Little China, Short Circuit

One glance at the front cover of Cinefex #28 should give you good reason to be afraid - very afraid. Staring right back at you is the grotesque visage of doomed scientist Seth Brundle following his metamorphosis into a half-human, half-insect hybrid at the climax of David Cronenberg's horror classic The Fly (1986). Known to … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (28): The Fly, Big Trouble in Little China, Short Circuit

My First Hobbit

When I first met Bilbo Baggins, he was a woman. I was eight years old, on a mysterious school trip to a spooky old building, with no real idea about what was going to happen to me or my classmates. My only clue had come the previous week. Our teacher had told us to memorise … Continue reading My First Hobbit

Revisiting Cinefex (27): Aliens

The human star of Aliens might be Sigourney Weaver, but it's her extraterrestrial adversary - the ferocious alien queen - that features on the front cover of Cinefex #27, No surprise, then, that this issue is devoted entirely to the Oscar-winning visual effects of James Cameron's 1986 blockbuster. The cover shot shows Stan Winston's remarkable full-size queen … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (27): Aliens

The Writer’s A-Z

If you've got as many questions as I have about the craft of creative writing, you'll know how important it is to try out new things. The more you learn, the more it seems there is to learn. Every day, as they say, is a school day. That's what this A-Z is all about. It's … Continue reading The Writer’s A-Z

Digging Up “Saturn 3”

If, like me, you like to read about how films are made, you'll know that movie disasters (as opposed to disaster movies) can sometimes be more interesting than success stories. One such disaster is the 1980 science fiction thriller Saturn 3. I had the misfortune to watch this dreadful film on its first theatrical release. … Continue reading Digging Up “Saturn 3”

The Five Stages of Editorial Feedback

According to psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, the five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Most writers will recognise these as matching precisely the five stages of receiving editorial feedback on a manuscript. As in: Denial - "I refuse to believe that what I've written is anything other than an award-winning piece of … Continue reading The Five Stages of Editorial Feedback

Revisiting Cinefex (26): Poltergeist II, Young Sherlock Holmes

Carol Anne's in trouble on the front cover of Cinefex #26, assailed by a whole new host of ghostly apparitions in Brian Gibson's 1986 sequel Poltergeist II: The Other Side. The apparitions come courtesy of Richard Edlund's Boss Film Studios and are thus of superior quality (though most folk wouldn't say the same about the … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (26): Poltergeist II, Young Sherlock Holmes

Revisiting Cinefex (25): Enemy Mine, Der Trickfilm, Fright Night

There's a rule of thumb in the graphic design business: if you want the magazine to sell, put a pretty face on the cover. This is my 25th trip into my personal Cinefex archive, and well over half the covers I've looked at more or less follow that rule (remember, in the world of visual effects, … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (25): Enemy Mine, Der Trickfilm, Fright Night

“Nemesis Sub-Terra” at Alton Towers

Earlier this year I had the great privilege of working on a brand new ride at top UK theme park Alton Towers. The ride is Nemesis Sub-Terra, a claustrophobic horror experience set in the Forbidden Valley, near the famous Nemesis inverted roller coaster. I was hired as scriptwriter by ride theming experts Farmer Attraction Development … Continue reading “Nemesis Sub-Terra” at Alton Towers