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"He's become as popular as Ringo!"
http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1027/400/1027_4_079.jpg">

Link: http://ilx.p3r.net/thread.php?msgid=4728041" target="_blank">The Po-Faced Absurdity of DC Comics

Si Spurrier's bit on westerns is very good (a definite improvement on "let's enrage Marvel spods so much that they write angry letters in their droves"), but I just wanted to point out that Ennio Morricone isn't actually dead. He's still he's still alive and working, and according to IMDB currently has five films on the go. Don't bury the poor man yet.

Some quick comments on this month's Heatseekers:

Jonathan Morris's articles would be improved if he didn't feel the need to wind up the Tolkein fanboys(or whoever) every fifty words or so. Yes, we get it - "gnomes hitting each other" - hardy har. It just seems like a really cheap way of getting angry reader responses, and it annoys me. So far, the best of these articles have been the ones that have something interesting to say, and aren't just a string of weak gags.

Elsewhere, Jonathan Clements hits the nail on the head with his piece about Fist Of The North Star - a concept which works as a movie does not always translate to a series. In FOTNS's case, you end up with thirty-odd episodes which are all EXACTLY THE SAME. Did anyone else spot the vaguely obscure reference to Kenshiro's death move in Kill Bill 2?

One thing the article didn't mention was that Channel 4 picked up the series for their 4Later slot, where it shared the unlikely company of the failed Babylon 5 sequel "Crusade". I imagine poor ratings were the reason they haven't bothered with anime since then.

"Daleks have been able to go up stairs before - certainly in one of the McCoy episodes, there's one going up using jet boosters from below it's skirt."

I know, that was kind of my point. The "dalek-going-up-stairs" thing is a rumour The Sun and others rags constantly recycle, despite the fact that it already happened some years ago(although I suspect no-one was actually watching then as Coronation Street was on the other side).

"According to the sun it was them who campaigned to keep the old and lets face it rubbish darlek"

So they're claiming to've "saved" the daleks now? Pfft, bollocks. That spider-dalek rumour is waaaaay old, going back to when Spielberg still had an option on a movie(about ten years ago). Frankly, I'm surprised they're not printing "exclusives" like: "DALEKS WILL BE ABLE TO GO UP STAIRS IN NEW SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!1"

More Bowie:

I think I saw you in an ice-cream parlour, drinking milk shakes cold and long
Smiling and waving and looking so fine, don't think
you knew you were in this song
And it was cold and it rained so I felt like an actor
And I thought of Ma and I wanted to get back there
Your face, your race, the way that you talk
I kiss you, you're beautiful, I want you to walk

We've got five years, stuck on my eyes
Five years, what a surprise
We've got five years, my brain hurts a lot
Five years, that's all we've got
We've got five years, what a surprise
Five years, stuck on my eyes
We've got five years, my brain hurts a lot
Five years, that's all we've got
We've got five years, stuck on my eyes...

Achewood - If you don't already read this, then you really ought to.

http://www.bitterfilms.com/anesthetics.html>Temporary Anesthetics - Ooh, it smarts. But I like it.

"Heh, doubtful. I love 'em, but most people's reactions range from bewilderment to mild disgust. File under acquired taste."

Ahh, I know. I realise that trying to get people to like Cardiacs is pretty pointless, as most of the time they just don't "get it". But I have to try.

So, erm, how long have you been a fan?

"The Beatles
Radiohead
The Cure
The Flaming Lips"

If you're a fan of those groups, you might appreciate http://www.cardiacs.com/button.html">Cardiacs, England's finest purveyors of genre-defying musical mayhem for nigh on 25 years. They're also playing the London Astoria on November 12th(plug, plug).

Others:

Charlotte Hatherley's "Grey Will Fade" - the girl from Ash done good.

"Anniemal" by Annie - contains "Chewing Gum", the most frighteningly catchy pop-tune you've ever heard.

Tom Waits, "Real Gone" - Mad Uncle Tom makes a terrifying racket in his bathroom, and also his best LP in years.  

"6 stories: Tides of TIme,Stars fell on Stockbridge, The Stockbridge Horror, 4 dimensional vistas, Lunar Lagoon (austin?) and the Moderator (Dillon?)"

That'll be the complete Fifth Doctor strips, then? Fantastic.

Incidentally, the drawing credits are:
Tides Of Time(Gibbons)
Stars Fell On Stockbridge(Gibbons)
Stockbridge Horror(Austin/Parkhouse)
Lunar Lagoon(Austin)
4-Dimensional Vistas(Austin)
The Moderator(Dillon)

"Having said that, I grabbed Batman - Dead End recently, and was thouroughly impressed. Sandy Colohran is a god damned genius, if somewhat mentalist. If anyone could pull Aliens or Predator back from this complete fiasco, it's him and his equally insane friends."

Yes, it's interesting - it seems a small cottage industry of amateur superhero movies has sprung up.

Someone I know picked up a DVD in America containing a number of these efforts, varying from trailers to actual short films. Some of them are terrible, obviously, but some of them could outshine the output of the major studios - especially when Warners are putting out stuff like Catwoman. There's a trailer for an as yet unmade "World's Finest" movie which is absolutely gobsmacking.

Mick Austin. Not bad, but since when was Cass a curly-haired brunette?

http://www.geocities.com/spleetle/anderson.txt">

Last night I dreamt our house had been burgled, and some bastard had made off with all the progs I've collected since January.

Anyone else ever have ridiculous nightmares about the state of their comics collection, or just me?

"I saw about two episodes of the fall and rise of Reginald Perrin and I thought it was genius. Was it consistently good?"

Yes. It had an ongoing narrative through all three series, which I think is quite an achievement for a sitcom, but unfortunately means it'll never be repeated as often as "The Good Life". Shame about the pointless revival without Leonard Rossiter. There was also a little-shown spinoff featuring Reggie's brother Jimmy, "Fairly Secret Army".

"Fawlty Towers isn't funny. Why do people like it?"

Sharply observed character comedy? Brilliant dialogue? John Cleese hitting his car? Take your pick.

I think that's the Eye of Horus on the mirror. But who's corpse is that on the floor? Slater?

Check out the PS1 game Silent Hill for more Kaballah-connected weirdness, Jewish mythology fans!