The many lives of a writer – 8

Most people are like cats – they live not just one life, but many. Writers are no exception. Here's me as I spiral through the eddies of my eighth writing life. Life 8 - Circles It's hard to identify when my seventh writing life segued into my eighth. I wrote my last entry in this rolling mini-autobiography way … Continue reading The many lives of a writer – 8

Cinefex 1980-2021

There was this kid who grew up on the south coast of England in the 1970s, devouring television shows like Thunderbirds and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Doctor Who and cutting his cinematic teeth on Jaws and Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, while at the same time building … Continue reading Cinefex 1980-2021

Cinefex 40th Anniversary Issue

I grew up reading Cinefex, the journal of cinematic illusions. As a teenager, I made regular pilgrimages to London with my movie-mad mates where I scoured the shelves of Forbidden Planet – then just a grungy little comic shop off Tottenham Court Road – in the hope of stumbling on a new issue of this … Continue reading Cinefex 40th Anniversary Issue

Game of Thrones Meets Spider-Man

I've got two articles in Cinefex 166, our August 2019 issue. First up is When Dragons Go to War, my coverage of the much-anticipated final season of HBO's fantasy phenomenon Game of Thrones. Full disclosure - I'm not regular viewer of the show. I watched Season 1 but it never really hooked me, so I … Continue reading Game of Thrones Meets Spider-Man

Wrapping Marwen and String City

I always have mixed feelings when I come to the end of a writing project. When things have gone well, there’s satisfaction at finishing the job, but there’s also sadness that it’s come to an end ... plus a dusting of fear that I maybe I didn’t do as well as I could have done. … Continue reading Wrapping Marwen and String City

Cinefex Diaries – Venom and Alpha

The new Cinefex is just out, with Joe Fordham's epic story on First Man gracing the cover. This issue, two of the five articles are mine, and they couldn't have been more different. First up is Alpha, which I actually finished writing in December 2017, ready for our February 2018 issue. When the film's release … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Venom and Alpha

Cinefex Diaries – VIEW Conference 2018

Last year, I remember looking wistfully at the programme for VIEW Conference 2017 and thinking what a great lineup it was. At the time, our hectic publishing schedule made it impossible for any of the Cinefex editorial team to attend, but this year is different. The stars have aligned and I’ll be heading out to … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – VIEW Conference 2018

Cinefex Diaries – Kessel Runner

The August edition of Cinefex is out, and I'm chuffed to have the cover with my article on Solo: A Star Wars Story. I had a whale of a time researching and writing this one, interviewing the visual effects team at Industrial Light & Magic, creature designer Neal Scanlan, special effects supervisor Dominic Tuohy and many … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Kessel Runner

Cinefex Diaries – Rush and Spectre

Unbelievably, I've been working at Cinefex for nearly five years. That's three years in my current role as full-time senior staff writer, which was preceded by two years as part-time blog editor. Time sure does fly when you're having fun. Big anniversary years make you nostalgic, right? So I've been delving back through all the … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Rush and Spectre

Cinefex Diaries – Going Solo

My latest Cinefex story is Heft and Jank, an in-depth article on Pacific Rim Uprising, hot off the press in our June 2018 issue, Cinefex 159. I described the work that went into it in an earlier blog post – check it out here. Even while I was wrapping up the robots and monsters, however, I was … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Going Solo